Total pages in book: 26
Estimated words: 24691 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 123(@200wpm)___ 99(@250wpm)___ 82(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 24691 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 123(@200wpm)___ 99(@250wpm)___ 82(@300wpm)
“But…”
“There’s no but. I’m telling you the truth.”
She sits up a little straighter. “You should know something, Elliott.”
I tense but try not to. “What?”
She looks so sad. “Someone called before I left. From some newspaper, and they were asking all kinds of questions about us. There’s a picture of us from last night at the restaurant and how you’re not an eligible bachelor anymore.”
I shake my head. “I’m not.”
She continues on worriedly. “They know I’m pregnant, and it won’t take long for everyone to know that I’m pregnant by a married man.”
It all comes together then. “Is that why you left? Is that why you ran away from me?”
She whispers her answer. “Yes.”
“You left because you thought you were protecting me… not because you wanted to be away from me.”
Instead of answering me, she starts to ramble. “If people find out, it’s going to ruin your reputation. Everyone knows I’m pregnant without being married, but when they find out I’m pregnant and the dad is a married man, it will destroy—”
I cut her off. “No one is going to know. Do you trust me?”
“But—” she starts, and I cut her off. “Do you trust me?”
She nods. “Yes, I trust you.”
“Okay, then I’ll take care of it.”
“But—” she starts, and I stop her again.
“Cammy, I’m going to take care of everything. Don’t you worry, okay?”
She sighs, and as we stare at each other, I gesture to the empty side of the bed next to her. “Can I lie down with you?”
She practically pulls me toward her. “I hope you do.”
I climb into the bed next to her and pull her flush against my body. I want to have her again, but it’s obvious she’s emotionally exhausted.
I wrap my body around hers, threading our legs together, and we lie here for a few seconds with her head on my chest. I’m caressing her hair and down her back when she lifts her head, resting her chin on my chest. “I need you to know something.”
I search her eyes, looking for an indication of what she’s about to tell me. “What is it?”
“I don’t want to leave you.”
“Good. Because I’m going to do everything I can to make you want to stay. I want forever with you, Cammy, and even then won’t be long enough.”
She leans down and kisses my chest before putting her cheek right over my heart. Yeah, forever won’t be long enough.
CHAPTER 12
CAMILLE
After being in bed for three days, I know I need to get up. I lift my head and look around the room, waiting to see if Elliott is going to be around to stop me. I literally haven’t been out of this bedroom in three days. I’ve showered, but that’s it. Elliott has brought all my meals here to eat, and he’s had to run out on the ranch to help Matt and the others, but before he goes, he does everything in his power to exhaust me so I do nothing but sleep while he’s gone. Well, it’s time I get up and get back to work.
It’s finally stopped raining. I can no longer hear the ping of the rain hitting on the roof, and thank goodness because I wasn’t sure how much more rain we could handle.
I’m just stepping out of bed when the bedroom door opens. “What do you think you’re doing?”
I don’t even worry about hiding my body. He’s seen, touched and licked every crevice, so it’s futile to hide from him now. “I’m getting up to go to work. I’ve slacked off enough.”
He sets a tray on one side of the bed. “Slacking off? That’s not what I’d call what we’ve been doing.”
I slap my hand to my leg. “Well, you know what I mean. I need to work.”
He gestures to the food on the tray. “Come eat first. I want to show you something.”
I laugh. “Oh I know what you want to show me.”
He grins, and I can’t help but smile back. In the last three days, we’ve become closer and more relaxed with each other. He grabs the newspaper off the tray and holds it up. “I was wanting to show you this. But I can show you that later if you want.”
As soon as I see the name of the paper, my stomach starts to recoil. I jut my chin at him. “I don’t want to hear anything they have to say.”
He tilts his head to the side. “Do you trust me?”
I nod, and he gestures to the bed. “All right, have a seat. Eat some toast, drink some decaf, and let me read to you.”
I move slowly to the bed and sit down, pulling the cover up over my body. Elliott lies across the bed with the paper in his hands and stares up at me. With my arms crossed over my chest, I nod at him. “Well, go ahead.”