Total pages in book: 90
Estimated words: 85274 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 426(@200wpm)___ 341(@250wpm)___ 284(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 85274 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 426(@200wpm)___ 341(@250wpm)___ 284(@300wpm)
When I asked Lincoln why I needed Oscar when he and I are out together, he said, “I won’t risk getting distracted by you and not paying attention to our surroundings.”
“How would you get distracted?” I asked.
“Have you seen yourself, Kitten? You’re breathtakingly beautiful, fucking mesmerizing. It’s all too easy to get lost in you and forget everything and everyone around me. I do it several times a day, and I won’t take the chance of something happening to you.”
His words had my heart swelling, but I didn’t show any emotion on the outside, not wanting him to know how much what he said meant to me. Maybe I’m being overly cautious keeping my heart protected by several layers, but if Lincoln wants to break through them, he’s going to have to do more than spout a few pretty words.
“So, where are we going?” I ask once we’re back in Lincoln’s car.
“It’s a surprise, but don’t worry, we’ll be back before Sienna’s baby shower this weekend.”
The surprise is a trip to New York City, but I have no idea why. We get checked into a beautiful hotel, where there’s a large black box with a red ribbon waiting for me on the bed.
“For me?” I ask dumbly.
“For you,” Lincoln says, leaning over and kissing the top of my head. “Be ready to leave at five o’clock.”
I open the box and find the most gorgeous one shoulder, sparkly emerald maternity evening gown that matches my eyes, complete with matching black, sparkly ballet flats, and a sexy yet comfy-looking maternity bra and panties—also black.
I don’t know how Lincoln did all of this without me knowing, but when I put it all on and it not only fits but makes me look like a pregnant fairy-tale princess, I send him a text thanking him, then go about doing my hair and makeup. I keep my look simple, my hair down in beach waves, and my makeup on the natural side, using a bit of mascara and eyeliner to make my eyes pop. I might be five months pregnant, but even I can admit I look sexy.
After shooting a selfie I take using the floor-to-ceiling mirror and sending it to Sienna—who responds that I look beautiful and to have a good time, confirming that she knows precisely where we’re going—I reply that I love her and then head out to the main room of the suite to find Lincoln standing next to the wet bar, looking handsome in his suit. When he lowers his hand that’s holding a drink, I notice he’s sporting an emerald tie, and my heart soars. He planned this. I don’t know what this is exactly, but he took the time to plan the little details, and that gives him extra points in my book.
“Kitten,” he purrs, his eyes igniting with heated lust. “You’re sexy as hell in your yoga attire, but fuck, you look exquisite like this.”
I can’t help but laugh at his yoga remark since I do tend to live in my yoga pants, sports bra, and tank.
“This is for you,” he says, setting his crystal tumbler down and pulling an oblong black velvet box out of his jacket pocket. I take the delicate box from him and pop it open, not expecting what I find nestled inside.
“It’s a Venetian cat mask,” he explains, as I take in the beautiful silver and black mask that’s attached to a delicate chain. “It’s as close as I could find to the one you wore that night.”
He takes the necklace out of the box, and I turn around, lifting my hair up so he can clasp it around my neck. Once it’s fastened, it drops against my chest, and I look down to admire the lovely gift.
“Why?” I ask, turning around to face him, confused as to why he bought this for me. Sure, that was one of the best nights of my life, but that night changed the course of his life entirely.
When he raises a questioning brow, I explain. “That night changed everything for you. I not only turned your entire world on its axis by getting pregnant, but you’ve had to deal with the fallout with your family. You went from the carefree bachelor to living with a hormonal pregnant woman.” I chuckle, self-deprecatingly. “It’s beautiful, Linc. And I love it because for me that night changed my life for the better. If it weren’t for you, I would still be hiding from my past and from my sister. And I’d still be afraid to be intimate with a man. But...Well, I guess I don’t understand what meaning it holds for you.”
He shakes his head and gently cups the side of my face. “You’re right, that night changed my life, but Kitten, it changed my life for the better too. That night was the first time I connected with a woman on a deeper level. Before you, sex was just sex. It was fun and a good release. I enjoyed exploring, but I never felt anything like what I felt with you. I didn’t understand it when my brother said he knew Sienna was the one for him the first time he saw her dancing on stage—not until that night I spent with you.