Total pages in book: 48
Estimated words: 45326 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 227(@200wpm)___ 181(@250wpm)___ 151(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 45326 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 227(@200wpm)___ 181(@250wpm)___ 151(@300wpm)
He took the watch slowly, but his eyes were locked with mine. His other hand came up, and he lightly traced the pad of his thumb down the center of my throat, making me shiver.
“No car or watch,” he said softly, “could be better than hearing those words from you. I love you, baby.”
His kiss was reverent and unhurried, blanketing me with his body’s warmth, and he ended it by pulling me in tightly. “You make me feel like the greatest alpha,” he said, rocking me a little. “You make me feel like a man.”
He finally pulled away, his gaze lingering on the watch and then taking in the car.
“Luckiest woman in the world?” He chuckled as he circled the car. “Talk about the luckiest man. This is too much, Jess. The watch, the car—did Mr. Tom approve of this?”
“How dare you,” I said with a smile, standing back so he could continue checking out the car. “And yes, he did. I don’t think he cares about how much things cost, though. I tried to buy a fifty dollar bracelet online that looked nice and he canceled the order. He said that style was beneath me.”
“And you let him?”
“Only after Mimi and then Ulric agreed with him. Ulric called it downright ugly. I felt attacked.” I laughed. “In my old life I would’ve killed for a personal shopper. Now I can’t get away from them.”
He was staring at me from over the roof of the car, his expression unreadable and his emotions turbulent.
“Mimi?” he asked in a flat tone.
I held up my hands. “I’m not taking liberties. I know she’d throat punch people for less. She asked that I call her that. Well…commanded, more like. She pretty much barked it at me, stared me down until I agreed, and then went back to her office.”
“She doesn’t let anyone call her Mimi. Except blood relatives—my mom, me, my brother, and my niece and nephew.”
“Oh, uhh…” Suddenly unsure, I started to fidget. “I don’t have to call her that if it’s a special thing. I didn’t realize.”
He leaned on the roof now, his eyes so incredibly soft. “She’s telling you you’re family, Jess. Her family. She’s claiming you. Ernessa is going to be furious, and I am going to mercilessly rub this in Kingsley’s face.”
My heart swelled, but I grimaced at him. “I hope this isn’t going to create a rift with them or anything. It’s really not a big deal.”
“God I love you,” he whispered, opening the passenger door and stepping aside, his gaze following the door’s journey as it swung upward. “This car is sleek.”
The excitement in his voice was unmistakable. I let a smile peek through my uncertainty about the whole family nickname situation.
“Kingsley lost his mind when he saw a picture of the Bentley.” Austin rounded the hood and then reached his hand into the driver’s side to feel the leather on the headrest. “He had no reservations in cursing me. This might not be a collector’s edition, but I guarantee you, when the danger is over, he will fly out here just to take it for a drive.” His smile was radiant. “The little brother is catching up to the great alpha.”
He pulled out his phone and reached for me, turning us so he could take a selfie. He kissed my temple before bending over his phone, logging into social media so he could post it.
“Kingsley is going to call the second he sees this, you watch.” He turned to me again, the camera closer this time, getting just him and me. He took one of us smiling, and then one of him kissing me on the cheek, the pic coming out a little off-center and my laughter not making me look like I had eight chins and strange face lines for once. Miracles.
“Now can we go somewhere private?” Austin asked me, crowding me against the car, his hardness sending delicious shivers through my body.
“Not yet,” I said, stealing a kiss and then pushing him away.
His eyes sparked with desire at the treatment, his gaze turning predatory.
“Get in.” I motioned at the driver’s side door. “We’re late, let’s go.”
I laughed at the look he gave me before getting into the car and pushing the button for the door to lower. It wasn’t nearly as comfortable as the Bentley, or even the Volvo I had for driving around town (it was as ritzy as I’d let Mr. Tom go), but there was something to be said for the way the engine revved and the excited joy radiating from Austin as he backed out of the parking lot.
People on the sidewalk stopped, a couple giving us a thumbs up and the other gawkers staring at the car with their mouths open or nudging their friends.
“I definitely need to take this to the track,” Austin murmured, stepping on the gas when we had a little room but pulling his foot off again almost immediately because the car got up to speed in a blink. “It’s a waste driving it around town. Where to?”