Total pages in book: 98
Estimated words: 92688 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 463(@200wpm)___ 371(@250wpm)___ 309(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 92688 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 463(@200wpm)___ 371(@250wpm)___ 309(@300wpm)
We’d hoped to find Maddox back at the center, but he hadn’t been there, either. We’d managed to convince Isaac to spend another night with us, though we hadn’t yet told him about his car.
“How are you feeling?” I asked Dallas as I closed the bedroom door behind me. I’d already locked up for the night. Loki had decided to sleep with Newt and Isaac, which hadn’t surprised me since the little boy and the big animal were practically attached at the hip at this point.
Dallas was in the midst of changing into his sleep pants, giving me a scrumptious view of his backside. In the week between my father’s funeral and Dallas’s surgery, I’d gotten to feel just how perfect Dallas’s ass was because we’d changed things up when we’d made love one night. Since I’d never topped and Dallas had never bottomed, it had been awkward and nerve-racking at first, but once I’d been buried deep inside his body, none of that had mattered.
It had been perfect.
And while I would always likely crave to be filled just a little bit more, I knew it was something we’d definitely do again.
Dallas nodded, then pointed to his throat and gave me a thumbs up. I knew he probably wasn’t feeling a hundred percent yet, but the fact that he hadn’t taken a pain pill and still seemed relatively comfortable was a good sign.
I went to him and wrapped my arms around him. His strong arms surrounded me, making me feel safe and wanted. But it was the little kisses he pressed against my temple, my cheek, my jaw, that had me feeling so grateful for the twist of fate that had brought us back together.
Dallas kissed me, but before he deepened the kiss, I pulled back and said, “We need to talk about something.”
His eyes immediately filled with concern, but he managed a nod. I knew exactly what he was worried about, but I couldn’t blame him. I’d suspected as soon as my name had been cleared in the theft of the Stradivarius what would go through his head. There just hadn’t been time to deal with it.
I took his hand and led him to the bed. I had him sit on the edge of the bed, but instead of sitting next to him, I crawled onto his lap so I was straddling him. I twined my arms around his neck. He motioned toward his phone on the nightstand.
“You don’t need it yet,” I said. “Because you’re going to listen while I talk, because I want you to really hear me, okay?”
He sighed and nodded.
“I’m not leaving you.”
I didn’t expect the words to miraculously ease his worry because I knew that wasn’t the crux of the argument.
“Look at the words on the wall behind me, Dallas. Really look at them.”
His eyes shifted to where we’d written on the wall several weeks earlier when we’d told each other that we loved each other for the first time. Dallas had painted over his words, but he’d left mine.
“Always and forever doesn’t mean until a good job offer comes along or you get your voice back and then lose it again or the shit from our pasts tries to rear its ugly head. It means nothing will ever change how I feel about you. Even if you told me you didn’t want me anymore, it wouldn’t change how much I love you. So, unless you tell me to go-”
He didn’t even let me finish my sentence before he was shaking his head. He kissed me hard, then shook his head some more.
“Nvr,” he suddenly whispered, his voice so low I barely heard it.
But it was there.
And it was fucking beautiful.
“Ov you Non.”
I let out a watery cry and covered my mouth with my hand. I dropped my head to his shoulder and cried. He kept repeating that he loved me in the same broken whisper until I gently covered his mouth with my hand. “Stop, the doctor said you weren’t supposed to try talking for two more weeks.” I brushed my mouth over his. “Thank you. That was so beautiful, Dallas.”
He kissed me again, then motioned to his phone. I started to get up so I could get it for him, but instead of letting me go, he wrapped his arm around me and lifted me so he could grab it himself. I chuckled when he settled me back on his lap.
Don’t want you to give up your music, Nolan.
“I won’t. I was so focused on music getting me out of this town that I forgot why I fell in love with it in the first place. But playing it for you, for Gentry, it just…it’s better than any performance I’ve ever given and worth more than any paycheck I’ve ever earned.”
Dallas began typing again and I quickly covered his phone with my hand. “But I did want to talk to you about something.”