Total pages in book: 139
Estimated words: 133321 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 667(@200wpm)___ 533(@250wpm)___ 444(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 133321 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 667(@200wpm)___ 533(@250wpm)___ 444(@300wpm)
“I don’t believe in marriage.”
She studies me a moment and then says, “I’m sorry.”
I frown at the odd reply. “What?”
“Everyone thinks your kind of money makes everything better, but it really does come with complications, doesn’t it?”
“Yes,” I find myself admitting. “It does.”
“I don’t want your money or a ring. I don’t want to be bought. I just want to be here, right now, in the moment. It’s okay if you want to really be here with me, I don’t expect anything from you, Grayson. I won’t become a problem for you later.” She lifts the slice of pizza in her hand. “And this is a pretty good moment. Best pizza ever.”
“Grayson.”
I blink Mia back into view.
“Where were you right now?” she asks.
“Still with you, baby. I was just thinking about how good you are at calling me on my bullshit, even from the very beginning. That first night over pizza.”
“Mr. I don’t believe in marriage because it means everyone wants my money,” she says, proving she knows exactly what I’m referencing. She laughs and sobers quickly. “And for the most part, they do want your money and your success. Ri is successful and wealthy but it’s not enough because it’s not what you have. Honestly, once I saw the magnitude of how much people want and want and want from you, I don’t know how you ever let me inside.”
“You didn’t give me any other choice,” I say, stroking a strand of hair from her eyes. “You took me by storm, Mia, and you still do. Truthfully, it’s a relief to have someone I trust, someone who really knows me. You’re the only one who does.”
“Eric knows you. You trust him.”
“Not in the way I do you. Not with everything.”
She sucks in air. “And then I left.”
I pull her closer, driven by emotions only this woman drags from me. “You’re here now. That’s what matters, but Mia, I cannot lose you again. I was laying here thinking about how hard it’s going to be for you to step back and let me handle this.”
“I promised you—”
“I know, and I know you meant it, too, but I also know you, baby. You will want to protect me and you won’t walk away from the chance. I can’t be pissed at you for wanting to protect me.”
“You were last night.”
“No,” I say. “You read me right. I was pissed about you leaving. I was pissed that Ri is putting us through this.”
“And that I let him.”
“You’re human, Mia. I can forgive you if you can forgive me.”
“That’s the first time I think you actually said you’d forgive me.”
“I forgive you. Forgive me.”
“For what?” she asks.
“I did try to fuck you out of my system and I know you’re going to think about that but I wasn’t going to lie to you. I should have recoiled to lick my wounds. I should have fought harder.”
“Okay, you can stop blaming yourself any minute now because I’m not blaming you.”
“Let’s make a pact right now. It’s over. We’re together. We’re not going to place blame.”
“And yet we’re flawed.”
“We are flawed, Mia, beautifully, perfectly flawed in the way all humans are flawed. Perfect is an impossible façade to maintain. Love me for my imperfections, not my perfection, because perfection isn’t real, and real is what you wanted from me, right?”
“Yes,” she says, her voice cracking, eyes watering. “That’s exactly what I’ve always wanted from you.”
I lean in, my hand on her head, my lips near hers. “You got it, baby. All of me, completely me. Now,” I brush my lips over hers, “what are you going to do with me?”
My cellphone rings at that moment and we both groan. I try to pull away and she catches my hand and presses her cheek to mine, her lips at my ear. “Lick you all over.”
Now I groan and if I could just let her make good on that promise, I would, but I can’t. Not this morning. I pull back, kiss her thoroughly and roll away to grab my phone from the nightstand right as it stops ringing. I’m just checking caller ID to find Eric’s number when he calls again. “Eric,” I answer.
“We’ll be there in half an hour. I just thought after you and Mia reunited you might need a wake-up call.”
“I assure you that this is not a morning that makes me want to sleep. Stay in bed and fuck, yes, but Mia isn’t going to let that happen.”
Mia leans over me and calls out, “Morning, Eric,” completely unfazed by the conversation—but then Eric is like a brother to her so why would she be?
Eric chuckles. “Morning, Mia,” he calls out and she kisses my shoulder and rolls away, the bed shifting as she gets up and heads to the bathroom.
“I need to go,” I say, realizing that I haven’t finished my talk with Mia over today and time is ticking. “Mia and I need to talk before you get here.”