Total pages in book: 9
Estimated words: 8162 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 41(@200wpm)___ 33(@250wpm)___ 27(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 8162 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 41(@200wpm)___ 33(@250wpm)___ 27(@300wpm)
The last time it happened was a year ago after he shut down. That’s when I thought we’d never be together in the way that I always dreamed of since I was a little girl. Before that I welcomed all those dreams.
Sitting up, I pull the blanket around me and I feel a tenderness between my legs. That should be all I need to know that last night wasn’t a dream. Okay, so where the hell did he go?
About that time a door opens, revealing Aspen who is fully dressed. “Shit,” he mutters, making that panic I felt just moments ago rush back. Is he having doubts?
“Please don’t—”
“I’m sorry, princess,” he hurries to say. “I thought I’d make it back before you woke up.” He walks over to where I’m standing and pulls me in his arms. “When did you start getting up so early?”
Before I can say anything, his fingers sink into my hair and then he’s kissing me. I guess he doesn’t want an answer to his question. Wrapping my arms around his neck, I manage to pull him down onto the bed with me. It’s obvious he let me do it but it still makes me smile.
“You’re sorry for not being in bed with me?” I ask before running my finger down his jaw. I’m in love with his morning scruff.
“I’m always sorry when I’m not in bed with you.” He says and then smiles against my lips.
“I thought maybe—” I glance away.
“Don’t do that.” He turns my face back towards him. “We’re not hiding from each other. Not anymore.”
“I’ve never hidden, Aspen. I think I’ve been pretty clear on where I stood.”
“I know.” He drops his forehead to mine. “You’ve been driving me insane my whole life.”
“Hey,” I huff.
“I promise it’s one of the many things I love about you, princess.”
“Love about me?” I repeat and he lifts his head.
“I think it’s clear I’ve loved you my whole damn life.”
“Well, it hasn’t been clear to me.” I push at his chest but he doesn’t budge. “It was obvious that I loved you and not how I love my family. I made a fool out of myself.”
“You’ve never been a damn fool, Mina. Not once. If anyone has been a fool it’s me. I thought you were being your normal sweet self until you tried to kiss me.”
“Tried.” I roll my eyes to make him think I’m annoyed about that instead of hurt.
“You were still a minor. I was in the police academy,” he growls.
I guess I never thought about that but he’s not wrong. Aspen has always looked out for everyone. It’s who he is. From the start he has been a good man and it doesn’t surprise me that it’s why he wouldn’t let it go any further.
“So you would have kissed me?”
“It’s the only fucking thing that stopped me that day. Then I couldn't stop thinking about it when I realized you really wanted something to happen between us.” He lets out a long breath. “Then I got in my head about everything our families have been through.” Aspen lost the most when his parents died because they were so loving and important to his family. I don’t remember mine, which I’ve been told is a good thing.
“Aspen,” I whisper as the realization starts to settle in and any anger I felt melts away.
“I didn’t want to blow our family up. I was scared it was just a crush on your end. I was already so in love with you that I was terrified to risk it.” He shakes his head.
“So what then? You were going to let me go and marry—”
“Finish the sentence and I’ll spank you ass, princess.” I giggle, not the least bit scared of Aspen. “It’s clear what would have happened if you brought anyone home. We saw that yesterday and I knew it was too late. There’s no going back now but there never was to begin with.”
“I love you, Aspen.”
“I love you too, princess.” He leans down, pressing his lips to mine. “Still might kill Ryan,” Aspen says between kisses.
“I wasn’t going to date him,” I laugh. “You scare off anyone who wants to date me.”
“That didn’t give you a clue about my obsession with you?”
“Obsession?” I kind of like the sound of that.
“Have you ever had to scare any girls away from me?”
“No.” I narrow my eyes at him. Thankfully I never had to deal with any of that. It would have killed me to see Aspen with someone else. “Why? Was there—”
“Fuck no. It’s only ever been you.”
“I don’t know? You were pretty good at hiding that you weren't into me.”
“Really?” he counters.
Then I begin to play back the past few years and a lot of things make sense. It’s why he turned into a grumpy jerk and was always warning boys away from me. He was also around all the time but still at a distance.