Free The Billionaire's Burden (Key to My Heart #2) by Ella Cari

certainly didn’t see that changing. Unfortunately for me, fate tends to have other plans.
    I’d quickly made it a habit to stop by the bakery and see how Harry and Lewis were doing, and was thrilled to find that they had dug out some of the old decor and interspersed it with the new more chic thins Alissa had chosen. It was rather refreshing to see such a mix.
    Though I’d been nervous about interacting with Lewis, he and I tended to keep our distance for the most part, though it was difficult. I could feel him watching me sometimes, or the occasional brushes against my arm were just a bit too tender, too yearning.
    I just did my best to keep my mind on the business. Harry was a hit, of course. Though he was a bit more shy than my parents had been, Lewis was quick to befriend curious guests.
    Sebastian and I spoke every few days on the phone, mostly when he had a break from meetings or was driving to a new location. The conversations were short and rather shallow. We did not talk about that night and we definitely did not talk about our feelings to one another.
    For now, it was enough to hear his voice. I found that at night, while I was alone, that I longed for him to be beside me.
    Unfortunately, his own feelings were a complete mystery. For all I knew, he could have been glad to be away from me. He never said anything to the contrary, not did I risk asking him. I was too afraid of his response.
    Karina even seemed to be warming to me, though our relationship was tepid at best.
    I could tell that the news of George's swift engagement rocked her, as their lawyers were still ironing out the details of their divorce. I felt sorry for her, and though she talked about her feelings as often as her son did, I could tell that she was grieving the loss of her own relationship. She talked about her 'Bast' often. How he was as a child, his first day on the job, and when he left for college.
    It was the only time I saw her truly happy. To be honest, I enjoyed those conversations. I liked hearing all about how my husband was a child. An impudent little thing, and obstinate, he’d always been at the top of his class in marks, he’d always spoken about taking over George’s business.
    ‘Budget’ was his first word, Karina remember, and it was one of the few times I saw her actually chuckle.
    We stayed up late one evening, right around the three week mark, drinking wine and planning a small party for Sebastian's return.
    We'd both had a bottle each, and Karina had actually managed a smile here and there. It was a foreign look, coming from her. I wasn't even sure she knew how to do it anymore. When she did smile though, she looked unmistakably like her son.
    "I know that I've been harsh on you." She finally said, swirling her wine glass thoughtfully, "It's only because I stood where you are now thirty years ago. I thought I could change George, leash him, make him mine." She turned her head to watch me, familiar frown on her face, "Some men are never to be tamed, however."
    "I don't even know where Sebastian and I stand, honestly." I responded with a sigh, sinking lower in my chair as I crossed my ankles, "It's all so confusing."
    Karina smirked and lifted her glass, "Here, here." She chimed, downing the entire goblet of red wine. Shiraz, her favorite.
    "Do you think there's hope for me and him?" I asked her honestly.
    Sure, this was a conversation I should be having with my husband and not his mother, but it had been niggling so much in the back of my mind. I wanted answers, and it boiled inside of me like a pot threatening to overflow. A month had been too long to wait.
    I wanted to know if Sebastian had any feelings at all for me, I wanted to know if we would ever fall in love, I wanted to know if he and I were meant to be.
    I wanted to know if I was going to be stuck in an emotionless marriage forever. Surely nights like the steamy one we spent together were indicative of something positive, right?
    Karina stood, walking to me