Total pages in book: 90
Estimated words: 84295 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 421(@200wpm)___ 337(@250wpm)___ 281(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 84295 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 421(@200wpm)___ 337(@250wpm)___ 281(@300wpm)
The two strangers seemed to be taking in my offer, but Mason seems angry at my words. He starts to say something but bites off his words when the second and final witness walks through the door. “Sorry I’m late.”
Mason doesn’t reply, just looks at his watch and then at me almost angrily. I begin to think that maybe he has a bad temper. I’m beginning to have second thoughts, but before I can voice them, the minister wants to begin the marriage ceremony.
I start to walk toward Mason but stop mid-stride. “Mason, can we talk for just a minute?” The way everything is being rushed, I know I have to at least have a conversation with him before I do this. I knew it was going to be rushed. I knew I was going to be married today. But I had expected at least a conversation first and not one where he’s looking at me crossly.
He leaves the other three men to talk and comes toward me, looking at me expectantly. The anger is still there, but at closer look I can’t help but wonder if I’m mistaking the anger for something else.
“What do you want to talk about?” he asks grudgingly.
I can’t help it. I laugh loudly. The other men look over at us, surprised before they go back to talking and ignoring us. “Oh, I don’t know. I thought we could at least talk a little before we did this,” I tell him, pointing toward the front of the room where we are to be married.
He shifts his weight to the other foot. “Okay.” He seems unsure. “You start.”
Never one to just hold things back, I ask him straightforward, “Do you want to marry me?”
My stomach seems to plummet when instead of answering me, he asks me the same question. “Do you want to marry me?”
I answer him honestly, “Well, I thought I did.”
I start, but I don’t get to finish. “Until what? You met pretty boy on the airplane or until you got a good look at me?” he says, pointing to the side of his face.
Then it dawns on me. He’s jealous. The man I’m to marry, the man I just met, is jealous. And how can he even think I would want Serge? My God, Mason is more man than I’ve ever known.
I decide right then that I’m going to do it. I’m going to marry Mason Mistletoe.
I don’t answer him, not ready to tell him everything and too shy to tell him just how handsome I think he is. I march to the front of the room, and when I turn back toward him, he’s just standing there, staring at me. “We going to do this, Mason? Because I’d like to be married to you,” I tell him almost shyly.
He walks toward me slowly, obviously confused. He stands facing me, and I wish we had more time. I wish we could at least get to know each other a little bit before we do the ceremony. But in my heart, I know this is what I want to do.
Mason takes my hands in his, and I gasp softly. The sensation of heat and desire that originated at his touch and then radiates throughout my body is like nothing I’ve ever felt before. As his eyes snap to mine, I know he feels it too. He tightens his grip, and I can see the vein throbbing in his forehead.
We say our vows, repeating word for word what the minister tells us to say. And when Mason puts the rings on my finger and gives me the ring I am to use for him, my hands are shaking. I’m suddenly nervous at what it’s going to be like to kiss him if just touching his hand has me tingling from head to toe.
Chapter 4
Mason
I disregard the surge of attraction that pulses throughout my body. It’s just a built-in, natural response to an attractive female, nothing more. And it’s not like I can do anything about it now. I’m pretty sure I’ve already freaked out Mia, and I don’t know why she’s going through with this anyway. I know I’ve scared her and am causing her to have second thoughts. Man, before the war, before the scar, I was the life of the party and could make anyone feel comfortable. But not anymore. I don’t want any attention on myself, but I’m finding that I want hers. I want her to look at me and never look away. I clench my jaw and remind myself again that this is just a business deal. That’s all. We are getting married to save Snow Valley. Nothing more, nothing less.
So why do I feel such a strong sense of possessiveness toward her when I slip the engagement and marriage rings on her finger? Why am I seeking her eyes out, wanting to look into their depths when earlier I didn’t want her to look at me at all? And why do I feel the vows I repeat to her to the very depths of my soul? Even though I tried to convince myself that we can get a divorce if this doesn’t work out, I know that there’s no way I would go through with it. The promises I’m making to her right now I plan to keep. At least I will as long as she lets me.