Total pages in book: 92
Estimated words: 89170 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 446(@200wpm)___ 357(@250wpm)___ 297(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 89170 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 446(@200wpm)___ 357(@250wpm)___ 297(@300wpm)
A twist of guilt hit me in the chest. “I haven’t told Blayze yet. I keep trying to and something always changes the subject, or we get distracted, or…”
My voice trailed off.
Lincoln smiled gently. “A word of advice: The longer you keep something in, the harder it is to tell the person. Tell him. You did nothing wrong, Georgiana. If anything, you stood up to the magazine and protected the family. Which Brock and I are grateful for.”
She looked back out at the dancing. “It makes my heart happy to see my son happy—and he clearly is when he’s with you. Even when the two of you were younger, I used to tell your mother, ‘Callie, those two are going to end up falling in love.’”
I let out a small puff of laughter.
“And don’t think for a moment I believed that tale about you two getting twisted around in the maze and leaving Lily and her friends wondering where you went.”
My face heated.
“I was young and in love once, too, you know.”
I shook my head, about to say that I wasn’t in love, but I found I didn’t want to deny it. Was I in love with Blayze? I thought I was when I was younger. My eyes drifted back to see him swing Avery Grace around, causing her to let out a whoop of excitement.
“This might come across as harsh,” Lincoln stated as I looked back at her. “But I don’t want to see my son hurt.”
I opened my mouth to tell her I would never hurt Blayze. At least, never on purpose. The time I’d spent with him had been the most amazing moments of my life. The sex was out of this world, but the endless hours we’d spent lying in his bed and talking was something I would always hold dear to my heart. We’d talked about everything except what I actually needed to talk to him about. I’d been putting off telling Blayze what the magazine had really wanted me to write about for far to long. So I could respect Lincoln’s worry, and I wasn’t about to argue and say that me leaving Hamilton couldn’t possibly hurt Blayze. I knew it could. And it had been clear to me he wasn’t thrilled about me leaving for London.
“I would never hurt him, Lincoln. I mean I…” I let my words trail off as I almost said I loved him. “I don’t want to pressure him or force him into something he isn’t ready for or doesn’t want.”
She reached for my hand and gave it a squeeze. “How do you know what he wants if you haven’t asked him?”
Standing, she reached down and kissed me on the cheek, then turned and walked away. I looked at Blayze and then back at Lincoln. She was right. Blayze and I needed to talk. About everything. And I wasn’t going to put it off another day. I had an evening to plan.
I stood and looked around. When I spied Mindy, I started to make my way over to her. I was so focused on getting to her, I bumped into someone in the crowd.
“I’m so sorry,” I said before I saw who it was.
Lindsay.
She glowered at me before forcing herself to smile. “Don’t you think it’s a little strange to be fucking the son of the man you’re writing an article about?”
My entire body froze. How in the hell did Lindsay know about that? “I’m sorry?”
I hadn’t told anyone other than the Shaw family about why I was originally in Hamilton. Had someone else said something? Every time Brock or anyone in the family introduced me, it was always as an old family friend’s daughter.
Lindsay gave an evil laugh. “Please, you don’t think I know why you’re here? When it comes to Blayze, I know everything.”
I narrowed my eyes at her. “What is that supposed to mean?”
She let her eyes move up and down my body. “I don’t get what he sees in you. I never have, to be honest. You’re kind of plain and a little too curvy, if you know what I mean.”
I balled my fists, ready to teach this woman a lesson. Before I could reply, she went on.
“You know what makes me giddy?”
“I don’t have time for this,” I said as I went to push past her.
“I fucked him first.” I stilled. Her words sent a pulse of anger through my entire body. “It was me he came to when you rejected him.”
“I never—”
I clamped my mouth shut.
“I feel bad for you. You don’t see that Blayze isn’t the type of man to settle down. He likes women. He loves to flirt with them, and God knows how many he’s slept with. You’re the new filly in town, and he simply wants…” She leaned in and licked her lips as she looked down my body. “A taste. Once he gets it, you’re no longer interesting to him. I know.”