Total pages in book: 153
Estimated words: 147021 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 735(@200wpm)___ 588(@250wpm)___ 490(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 147021 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 735(@200wpm)___ 588(@250wpm)___ 490(@300wpm)
“Scarlet saw the interview and gave me a pass on the date. I reimbursed her.”
Tristan cough-chokes on his beer. “You gave Scarlet fucking Reed a hundred thousand dollars to get out of a date with her?”
“Seemed like the right thing to do. It wasn’t her fault I couldn’t uphold my end of the bargain. If I’d taken your advice like I should have and manned the fuck up, I wouldn’t have been in the auction. Aurora would have and should have been my date that night.”
“That was an expensive lesson.”
“And totally worth it since I got the girl.”
Aurora’s eyes find mine from across the room. She’s so fucking beautiful, and she’s mine. I will spend the rest of my life loving her. She looks around, maybe checking to see who’s watching out of habit. Then she rolls her eyes and sashays across the bar toward me.
“And I’m out. I’ll see you later.” Tristan claps me on the shoulder and walks away.
I drink in the wide smile and impish look on her face as she approaches. “How’s it going, Princess?”
“My dad left?” she confirms.
I nod.
She links her hand behind my neck. “I feel weird about being affectionate with you in front of him,” she admits. “I don’t want to throw it in his face, but also, kiss me, please.”
I pull her close and press my lips to hers. It feels damn good to love her without reservation.
She fiddles with the top button on my shirt. “I’m suspiciously sober considering the number of margaritas I’ve consumed.”
I run my fingers down the back of her arm. “I wonder why that is.”
Her bottom lip slides through her teeth. “Switching to virgins was smart.”
I arch a brow.
She clears her throat. “The number of times I’ve masturbated to that facial expression is obscene. Take me home and put me to bed, please.”
I tap her lightly on the ass. “Go say bye to your friends.”
“Okay!” She kisses my cheek and bounces across the restaurant to where the girls are sitting. A round of hugs follows, and then we link pinkies and step outside into the cool evening.
She threads her arm through mine and rests her cheek against my biceps. “As much as I wanted to celebrate today in bed, and I absolutely still do, it was so nice to be out with our friends.”
I press my lips to her temple. “Loving you out loud feels so much better.”
“You are the best boyfriend in the universe.” She squeezes my arm. “And my dad seems to be handling things.”
“He is.” I open the door to our building and usher her in out of the cold. “We’re driving to practice together tomorrow.”
Her face lights up as I hit the elevator button for the penthouse floor. “Really? Who suggested it?”
“He did.” The elevator zips upward.
“I’m so glad to hear that.” She runs her hands up my chest. “You and my dad have been so close for so long, and this changes that, but I didn’t want the damage to be permanent, too.”
“We both love you too much to let that happen.” I kiss her softly.
The elevator dings, and I release her as the doors slide open, taking her hand instead.
The second we’re inside my place, Aurora drags my mouth down to hers. Unfortunately, Postie and Malone are on us, trying to trip us as they weave between our legs.
“They’re adorable, but they’re cockblockers,” Aurora says against my lips.
“Let’s feed them. Then I have something for you.”
“You mean orgasms, right? You have lots of those for me.”
“I’ve been willing to provide those all week,” I remind her.
“They came with stipulations.” Her fingers curl around my belt buckle.
I grab her wrists and spin her around, raising them above her head as I press her into the door. She parts her legs, and my knee slides between them. She sighs and rolls her hips.
“One stipulation.” I drag my lips along the edge of her jaw, breathing her in. “And it was reasonable. It still is.”
“I know. I can’t separate sex from feelings when it comes to you,” she whispers, eyes brimming with emotion. “It feels like my heart and soul are on fire when you’re inside me.”
Her truth soothes the broken parts of me. “I feel the same way.” I release her hands and slide my fingers into her silky hair. “That’s why I needed you to be in this with me before we got here again.”
“Thank you for being patient.” She rests a warm palm against my cheek. Everything about her in this moment is soft, open. “I love you.”
Her admission unravels me and heals my heart. I memorize this moment: the gentleness of her words, the truth in her eyes, how beautiful she is, hands on my skin, grounding me, tethering me to Earth.
“I’ve been waiting to hear those words.”
“I’ve been waiting to say them. Now give them back to me, please,” she whispers.