Total pages in book: 111
Estimated words: 106806 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 534(@200wpm)___ 427(@250wpm)___ 356(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 106806 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 534(@200wpm)___ 427(@250wpm)___ 356(@300wpm)
“It’s gorgeous, and I’ll take you someday.” I swallow hard. “If you still want to go.”
She scans my face, traces my jaw with her fingertips as if my whiskers are secrets she’s reading like Braille. “I want to have all the adventures with you.”
“Same.” I kiss her forehead and wrap my arms around her. “I’m sorry I worked so hard to push you away when all I ever wanted was to have you close.”
“I’m sorry I walked away when all I wanted was for you to say you didn’t want me to.”
I swallow back the thick emotion in my throat. “Where do we start? To make this real, I mean.” Then I smile. “What does Arturo do when he realizes he’s in love?”
“Can I tell you a secret?” she asks, her voice low. “I don’t really care about Arturo. Back when I listened to his book, I spent the whole time thinking about this hot guy I lived with.”
“Yeah?” I hook my leg around her and roll us so I’m on top of her and I’m holding her hands over her head. “And what about him then? What would you want him to do next?”
“I’d want him to come back to Orchid Valley as soon as he could. And I’d want him to meet my friends and hang out with me at my favorite bar.”
“I can’t imagine he’d object to any of that.”
“And if I get to shoot these videos with Diva Fitness, maybe I’ll visit you in L.A.”
“I’d like that. Consider it an open invitation.”
She strokes my cheek and sighs. “We should get dressed and head to The Orchid.”
I sit up. “I’m sorry. Am I making you late for work?”
She shakes her head. “No, but my best friend wants to meet you before you leave town.”
“But no tighty-whities,” I deadpan, and she breaks into laughter.
CHAPTER FORTY-TWO
SAVVY
Iwasn’t looking forward to my first visit to Oliver’s place in L.A. I was afraid he’d live in some marble and crystal monstrosity like so many other rich people in this town.
Instead, he brought me to a downtown loft that reminds me so much of his place in Crossport that I felt at home the minute I walked in the door. Which is probably good, since he had me naked two minutes later.
Now we’re cuddled up on the couch, him shirtless, me in nothing but his shirt, each with our own book. I keep catching him looking at me instead of the pages in front of him. Not that I mind. I know I do the same.
“It’s very distracting when you look at me like that,” I tease. “I’m trying to focus on the story.”
He grins. “I’m not trying to distract you, but I like the way you look curled up on my couch.”
I grin right back. “Funny. I like the way you look curled up on my couch.”
He winks at me. “Good. I like it there.”
I put my book down. “Hey, you never told me what Alec needed to talk about when he asked you to meet with him last week.”
He coughs out a laugh. “Believe it or not, he wanted to talk to me about Portentia.”
“About what happened in college? I thought you’d worked all that out.”
“About what’s happening now.” He puts his own book down and pulls one leg up on the couch so he can face me. “Apparently they’ve been spending a lot of time together since Rose’s wedding.”
“His mother must be on Cloud Nine.”
“No doubt.” He shakes his head, amusement dancing in his eyes. “Alec said he still has feelings for Portentia and wanted to make sure I’d be okay if they started dating.”
“Wow. That’s . . . I’m surprised. Not that they’re dating but that—”
“That he gives a shit what I think? Yeah, same. And to be fair, I think it was more about the gesture than anything. He knows how I feel about you.” He studies me, and his expression goes somber. “How I’ve always felt about you.”
Smiling, I lean forward and sweep my lips across his. “So what did you say?”
“I told him Portentia had never stopped loving him, and that I wanted to see her happy. As crazy as it is, I think they might actually have a chance.”
I twine my fingers through his and smile. “I’m such a sucker for a second-chance love story.”
He grabs my hand and brings it to his lips. “While you’re here, I wanted to show you something.”
I look around. “What’s that?”
“It’s in the bedroom. Let me go grab it.”
I watch him stroll out of the room, very much enjoying the view of his shirtless back and his strong ass accentuated perfectly by his jeans.
It’s been five months since Rose’s wedding, and Oliver has spent more time in Orchid Valley than I ever could’ve expected. It turns out that a sports agent can do a lot of his work from wherever he chooses, so Oliver chooses to do it near me.