Whatever the Price Read Free

agreeable plan.”
    So she had talked to her attorney. No matter. Three months was plenty of time for him to win her back. “Fine.”
    “This baby and our living arrangement changes nothing between you and me. Lily has to be top priority now. Are we clear?”
    His eyes roamed over her body, a mental image of her curled beside him in their bed making him smile as he leveled her gaze.
    “Crystal.”

Two
    “W elcome back, Mrs. Price.”
    Charlotte cringed, but smiled at Monique, the maid who’d been with them for nearly five years. “I’m not actually back, but thanks.”
    Monique nodded with a grin and continued her cleaning regimen in the formal living room. The very room where Charlotte had hosted numerous parties for the hardworking employees of the Children’s Hospital. Those parties always took place when Anthony was out of town. Supporting the hospital filled a huge void in her life, her heart.
    At the start of Anthony’s career, she’d been so proud of his work, his talent, and she’d attended every premiere and awards ceremony, no matter how small. But when his dreams became his sole focus and she became nearly invisible in their marriage, Charlotte resigned herself to the fact that her dreams were never going to come true. So she’d started staying behind the scenes and throwing herself into her volunteer work at the Children’s Hospital.
    Charlotte pulled a sleeping Lily tighter against her chest, refusing to be drawn back into a world she needed to say goodbye to. Every room held so many memories—both good and bad. The past several years played over in her head like a silent movie.
    Hating all the emotions swirling around over being home, Charlotte focused on the sweet-smelling baby in her arms and moved forward into her home.
    No, she couldn’t think of this place as home, not if she wanted to hold on to the small hope that she would be fine in her new life without Anthony once all this was over. But how could she move forward if she still considered this her home? She’d never make it through the next few months if she didn’t keep the mind-set that this was temporary, only until the court approved the guardianship and they could work out a custody arrangement. She knew he wanted to try to salvage their relationship, but she highly doubted he’d be able to put forth the effort a strong marriage required. He certainly hadn’t done so before, so why should this be any different?
    Charlotte sighed, taking in the beautiful, open foyer with curved staircase and marble pillars separating the living area. Just this morning she’d been house-sitting in her best friend’s condo, evaluating how she could move on fast and far without the pain following. But now she was back and the pain sliced even more deeply.
    “I’ll have your stuff put into the room with the balcony overlooking the pool, as you requested,” Anthony told her as he led her upstairs.
    Charlotte moved up the grand staircase that she’d loved since they’d moved in. A large, crystal chandelier descended from swirling artwork on the high ceiling, sending a kaleidoscope of colors all over the marble floor in the center of the staircase.
    “I’m surprised you agreed so easily to my being in a separate room,” she told him as they reached the landing.
    He took her elbow, turning her to face him. Those mesmerizing eyes bore into hers, making her heart skip a beat. “While I respect your wishes, I should warn you. I won’t stop trying to win you back. I’ll never give up.”
    Fear washed over her. Not fear of him. Fear of herself and what would come in their time together. How could she resist him on a physical level? She’d never been able to, and it had been a month since she’d touched him—a rare occurrence for them.
    But she had to have some willpower, some self-control in order to make Lily’s life strong and stable.
    Stable was something she deserved, too. But the welfare of the baby came first. And hopefully, if she could