Chapters (89)
- Dedication
- AUTHOR’S NOTE
- ONE
- HENRY
- TWO
- EMMA
- THREE
- HENRY
- FOUR
- EMMA
- FIVE
- EMMA
- SIX
- SEVEN
- HENRY
- EIGHT
- NINE
- TEN
- HENRY
- ELEVEN
- TWELVE
- EMMA
- THIRTEEN
- HENRY
- FOURTEEN
- HENRY
- FIFTEEN
- SIXTEEN
- EMMA
- SEVENTEEN
- HENRY
- EIGHTEEN
- HENRY
- NINETEEN
- HENRY
- TWENTY
- TWENTY-ONE
- EMMA
- TWENTY-TWO
- EMMA
- TWENTY-THREE
- HENRY
- TWENTY-FOUR
- EMMA
- TWENTY-FIVE
- EMMA
- TWENTY-SIX
- EMMA
- TWENTY-SEVEN
- HENRY
- TWENTY-EIGHT
- EMMA
- TWENTY-NINE
- HENRY
- THIRTY
- HENRY
- THIRTY-ONE
- HENRY
- THIRTY-TWO
- EMMA
- THIRTY-THREE
- HENRY
- THIRTY-FOUR
- EMMA
- THIRTY-FIVE
- EMMA
- THIRTY-SIX
- HENRY
- THIRTY-SEVEN
- EMMA
- THIRTY-EIGHT
- HENRY
- THIRTY-NINE
- HENRY
- FORTY
- EMMA
- FORTY-ONE
- HENRY
- FORTY-TWO
- FORTY-THREE
- EMMA
- FORTY-FOUR
- EMMA
- FORTY-FIVE
- HENRY
- EPILOGUE
- ALSO BY CHELSEA CURTO
- ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
- ABOUT THE AUTHOR
“That’s incredibly kind of you to say,” I whisper. “I know I alone cannot fix the world’s problems, but every time I can help just one person, it reminds me I’ve done something good. Something worthwhile.”
“You’re good, Emma. So good. You’re like… like a ray of sunshine on a cloudy, stormy day, peaking through the darkness and evil, shoving aside the sense of gloom for a hint of brightness and warmth. Which is mind-blowing, because if I encountered what you do on a day-to-day basis, I’d be sad as hell. You smile through it all, getting up the next morning, on a quest to kick more ass.”
“I am a certified ass kicker,” I agree, rolling onto my back and yawning.
“Glad I’m not the only one who’s beat. Tomorrow is going to be more stressful.”
“More family members, right?”
“Too many family members.” The lamp clicks off, silence and darkness surrounding us. “I’m glad you’re here, Emma.”
“Me, too. Good night, Henry.”
“Night, Sunflower.”
TWENTY-SIX
EMMA
A bird chirps outside the window, greeting the day and rousing me from my peaceful slumber. I stretch my arms above my head and adjust my position on the mattress. It’s blissfully quiet in the room, and I savor the stillness. There are no car horns. No trash trucks. No lawn mowers or trains rumbling in the distance.
On instinct, my hands find their way to the mass next to me, burrowing myself further under the covers, not ready to get up just yet. Something hard presses against my stomach as I shift onto my side, leg perched on an elevated surface. Letting out a happy sigh, I reluctantly open my eyes.
The room comes into focus. The curtains are vaguely familiar from yesterday. A heater hums nearby, churning to life. As I turn my head to the side, gaze dropping, I see Henry staring at me, mouth agape and eyes widening.
It’s the moment I realize I’m wrapped around him like a koala, my hair covering his neck and arms, pads of my fingers holding onto his middle in a clenching grip.
“Um. H-hi,” I stammer out, voice thick with sleep. Carefully, I swing my leg off his hip.
“Er.” Henry coughs twice, and when he moves, his dick—his hard dick—presses further into my belly, and I gasp.
“I… uh.” Wiggling free, I try to break our contact completely before understanding his arms are around my thighs and ass, keeping me firmly in place and pinned provocatively against him.
“Hello.” He extracts his limbs away from mine, careful to not touch me further.
“Well. This is fun, huh?” I blurt out.
Henry chuckles lazily, and it’s the kind of laugh you can probably only hear before he climbs out of bed and starts his day. Running a hand through his sleep-mussed hair, he gives me a sheepish smile. “Sorry for accosting you.”