Page 10 of Breathtaking

“When’s the wedding?” I ask like a masochist who likes the fucking pain. And maybe I do. Why else would I still care?

I’m not sure she even realizes she’s doing it, but she spins her ring round and round on her finger. Like it’s a foreign object...still. After all these years. “We’ll announce next month that it will be the following May.”

Damn.

I’ve taken punches from MMA champions that have done less damage.

“Does he treat you right?”

“I hardly ever see him outside of events we’re required to attend together. I live my life in London and have no idea what he’s doing back home.” Lennon bristles, looking as regal as I’ve ever seen her look before she drops the front with a sad smile. “Is this really what you want to talk about?” She brings her bare feet up onto the couch and tucks her pink polished toes under my legs. Guess she’s still sensitive about her dancer’s feet.

Like any man would care if her feet are pretty or not.

“How about you tell me what you’ve been up to? Like where are your roommates? Do you live here alone now?”

I look at the penthouse through her eyes and wonder what she sees. At one point, five of us lived here. But not now. “Nah. Not yet. I have one roommate left, but they’re gone for the weekend.”

“Did you ever finish designing your dream house? The one you were working on... Maybe put that architecture degree of yours to good use?”

“I did.” Pride settles in my chest, remembering the first time she and I talked about my plans. Lennon was the only person I’d told back then. “I bought the land a few years ago and broke ground last fall. It’s under construction now. Should be done mid-summer.” I pull her feet into my lap and dig my thumb into her arch until she moans.

Fuck, that sound...

At this rate, there’s no way this ends well.

It can’t.

“That’s not fair,” she murmurs and rests her head on my other arm on the back of the couch. “I can’t think when you’re doing that.”

“Whoever told you I fight fair lied, Lennon.” I only ever fought fair for her because she begged me to, but telling this woman no wasn’t something I could ever do.

Lennon leans forward, resting her elbows on her knees, bringing her so fucking close, I can smell the mint in her shampoo as her long hair falls in pretty waves over her shoulders. “How’s your family?”

Damn, she smells good.

I feel like we’re moving pieces across a chess board with the strategic way we’re feeling each other out. Both protecting our queen.

Strategic.

“Good. Caitlyn’s pregnant.” I watch as her eyes double in size.

“Your little sister? Oh my... How didyourdad handle that?”

“Yeah. He didn’t handle it well.” Pop doesn’t ever handle something being out of his control well. Sure as shit not his baby girl getting pregnant before she got married. I think about the fucking chaos my family’s been through this year and all the ways I made that shit worse. “Callen’s the father.”

“Your best friend?” she gasps, and there goes my mind, right back to all the other ways I’d like to make her gasp for breath.

I should have taken her to her hotel.

This was a bad idea.

“Dad wasn’t the only one who struggled with the news.”

“I guess so. Callen and you were thick as thieves. How did that go?”

“Not great at first, but we’re working on it,” I admit.

She nods as she takes that bomb-drop in. “Wow. When’s she due?”

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