Total pages in book: 37
Estimated words: 35001 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 175(@200wpm)___ 140(@250wpm)___ 117(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 35001 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 175(@200wpm)___ 140(@250wpm)___ 117(@300wpm)
Then she stepped into view and he caught his breath. Holy shit. Faded blue jeans clung to her thick thighs, and he knew they highlighted her ass. The white top she wore was covered by a dark blue long-sleeve flannel. Like most people working on the property, she wore a toolbelt. The hammer in her hand swiftly found its place in a loop.
“Bradford? What are you doing here?”
He walked to the closest ladder. “Are you coming down or am I coming up?”
“Why are you here?”
Shaking his head, he gripped the metal. “I’m not doing this down here while you’re up there, beautiful, so if you’re not coming down, I’m coming up.”
“Oh stop it. You still aren’t wearing the right shoes for any of this. I’ll come down.”
He didn’t move back, nor did he argue, because he wasn’t wearing good shoes for roofing. To be fair, he hadn’t thought that was going to be an issue. He stayed there, holding the ladder, as she descended. Arms braced on either side of the ladder, he was right there when she hit the bottom and turned.
Her dark skin shone with a sheen of sweat and her lips were parted in a breathless invitation.
And he took it. She didn’t fight his kiss, simply opened beneath him, and he felt her tremble as she wound her arms around his torso, pressing close. He licked the sides and roof of her mouth before tangling with her tongue.
Bradford didn’t stop until she sagged into him, trusting his strength to keep her upright. Only then did he pull his lips away from her luscious, sin-inviting mouth.
“I love you, Iris Wentz. And if you hadn’t run away at the wedding we would have had this discussion then. I know we haven’t known each other long but it doesn’t matter. When you know you know, and I know I can’t spend another day without you in my life.”
Sure, now all the noise stops. He could feel everyone’s gazes on them but he didn’t look away from her intoxicating brown eyes.
“Bradford—” she started, her voice soft and hesitant.
“No.” A firm shake of his head. “I don’t want excuses, beautiful. Tell me I’m wrong, that you don’t feel like I do. That you don’t look for me when you wake in the morning. That you don’t crave my voice like I do yours. Look me in the eyes and tell me you don’t love me and I’ll leave and never bother you again.”
His heart thundered in his chest. What if she didn’t love him as he did her? What if she told him to leave and not come back? Would he be able to keep his word?
She bit on her lower lip, and he immediately smoothed it out from under her teeth. “Everything I have is for you, beautiful. I want to take care of you. I want to be by your side until we are using walkers. If you want children, I want to be beside you every step of the way.” He settled his hand along her cheek. “I want you to have my last name. My ring on your finger. I want to wake up every morning knowing I made the smartest decision in the world by making you my wife.”
Her gaze softened and lit with humor. “Does that include the unicorn onesie?”
Bradford laughed. “If that’s what it takes, yes. I’ll buy a new one.”
“Don’t hurt me, Bradford.”
He held her face in his hands. “I would sooner cut out my own heart, Iris. I love you.”
“I love you, too, Bradford Rhodes.” A soft brush of her lips against his. “I am going to have to insist on a proper proposal though.”
Wrapping his arms around her, he pulled her flush to him. “You don’t have to resort to a proposal to get me on my knees before you, beautiful. I love being there.”
There it was. The tremble he lived for. The one which took over her entire body, showing him she felt as deeply as he did.
Bradford kissed her, pouring everything he had into it. Telling her without words of his love and promise to her.
Epilogue
Sixteen months later
Bradford scowled as he looked at the message from the outgoing manager of Welcome Home.
“You okay?” Iris questioned as she wrapped her arms around him, pressing her full figure into his back.
“No.” He shook his head. Taking a deep breath, he reached behind him with one arm and held onto his lover. His best friend. His wife. “I know you were just talking to Violet, how is she doing?”
“She’s pissed at me. Feels I pulled the family card to get what I wanted.”
He pivoted and looked at the woman he loved more than life itself with his left eyebrow arched. “Isn’t that precisely what you did?”
Her lips twisted in a wry grin as her brown gaze glinted, the sparks of green more prominent today. “Of course it is, but she doesn’t need to point it out and neither, might I add, do you. After all, I did this for you and your company.”