Total pages in book: 80
Estimated words: 76821 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 384(@200wpm)___ 307(@250wpm)___ 256(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 76821 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 384(@200wpm)___ 307(@250wpm)___ 256(@300wpm)
We were halfway through the first course when she’d declared, “You know what? I can’t marry a mafia guy.”
“Why not?” Triss asked, surprised.
“Because if this is how they eat all the time, I will need to be crane-lifted everywhere.”
She’d eaten an entire bread basket by herself. Then two appetizers. And her main course. I knew her well enough to know there would be dessert involved as well.
“Donny Boy!” Tony’s voice boomed out as he walked up to the table, arms wide, prompting me to stand and get wrapped up in one of his big hugs with lots of slaps on the back. “I was worried you wouldn’t come. I’m glad you did. And who are these lovely ladies?” he asked as we turned to face the table.
“Don’t be looking at me, Mr. Mafia Man,” Triss said, shaking her head sadly. “I’ve decided I can’t marry one of you if this is how you eat,” she said, waving at the table.
“Tony, this is Triss,” I said, gesturing toward her. “And this is Maeve,” I added, smiling at her.
“Your…”
“Girlfriend,” I supplied, getting a frown from Tony.
“Girlfriend? You dragged her through a kidnapping—yeah, I know all about it,” he said, waving it off. “And you haven’t put a ring on her finger yet? The fuck you waiting for? Listen to me,” he said, looking at Maeve. “This schmuck doesn’t get his shit together in the next few months, you drop his sorry ass for a more worthy motherfucker, you hear?”
To that, she smiled huge.
“I will take that into consideration,” she assured him.
“Good, good. Don’t forget it. I won’t keep you,” he said. “Donny Boy, don’t be a stranger,” he said, moving away.
“Triss, no,” Maeve said, making me turn to see Triss’s gaze watching Tony walk away.
“What? He’s got a… certain something, don’t you think?”
“He’s old enough to be your father,” Maeve said.
“So?”
“He’s also happily married. Loves his wife,” I told her.
“Damnit,” Triss said, sighing, then reaching for her fork again. “You know, now that you’re done with that biker book, you should write one about a hot mafia guy. And maybe some sexy, vivacious, food-loving girl named Triss,” she said. “I can live vicariously through your stories.”
The rest of the dinner was mostly the two women coming up with a plot for some spicy mafia romance while fact-checking parts of it with me, their resident criminal expert.
I mostly thought about what Tony had said.
See, the thing was, I had the ring.
I just knew that Maeve, as much as she wouldn’t declare it like her sister did, loved a good grand romantic gesture.
So I’d been trying to figure out how to make that happen before I gave it to her.
But it was going to happen.
And hopefully soon.
Maeve - 1 year
“You’re sure?” Donovan asked, watching me with wide eyes, his gaze moving down to my belly, then back up.
“Positive,” I told him.
It must have happened when he’d taken me on this insane, romantic trip for my book release that he had clearly planned with input from my sister and Gram.
He’d proposed to me on that impromptu trip.
And I hadn’t had my Pills with me.
But there was no way I wasn’t going to sleep with my new fiancé.
“I went to the doctor when I was sure I was late. And don’t worry, he assured me that taking my Pill when I didn’t know I was pregnant is okay.” I’d been absolutely beside myself about potentially doing harm. But he’d been firm in telling me that the Pill only prevented, didn’t terminate.
“Holy fuck,” he said, a smile breaking out as he reached for me.
“Is that a happy Holy fuck?” I asked.
“No. An ecstatic one,” he clarified. “I want nothing more than a family with you, sweetheart.”
“I’m honestly… a little terrified,” I admitted.
“Now, when you say terrified, do you mean panic attack or…” he trailed off, brows wiggling a little because it was no secret that I got a little… frisky when my adrenaline kicked in.
We’d probably made this baby right after we’d jumped down a waterfall together.
Yep.
Right there in the water.
“I mean… I’m always a little…” I trailed off, giving him a smirk.
“Oh, you can say it, Miss Romance Author,” he teased, reaching behind me to sink his hands into my ass.
Ever since he’d read the book—and that new mafia one I started with Triss’s input—he’d been working on getting me a little bit more comfortable with the dirty talk, since he knew I was into it.
And, with him, it wasn’t as difficult as it would have been with someone else.
But, still, it was fun to tease a bit.
“I always want you,” I told him, my hands moving up his chest.
“Try again,” he demanded, his hands slipping down under the waistbands of my shorts and panties, grabbing my bare ass.
“I always need you,” I said, enjoying his little grumble at not getting what he wanted out of me as I started to work his buttons free.