Total pages in book: 84
Estimated words: 79755 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 399(@200wpm)___ 319(@250wpm)___ 266(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79755 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 399(@200wpm)___ 319(@250wpm)___ 266(@300wpm)
She nodded.
“It won’t happen again. I didn’t deliberately not tell you that I was monitoring your emails. I just got caught up and it’s so second nature to me that—it didn’t occur to me that you wouldn’t know I was monitoring your emails.”
“I accept your apology.”
My heart inched higher in my chest.
She kept nodding. “And I understand you were doing the right thing by my dad when you kept his secret. You owed no loyalty to me but yes, I wish you’d have told me sooner.”
“I’m sorry,” I said again.
“I accept your apology. And I’m sorry I just left and didn’t stay to have a conversation like the one we’re having right now.”
“Maybe we both needed a little time to come to our senses.”
“Maybe,” she said. “But I need you to know that I’m in this. I’m not going to jump ship at the first opportunity or even the last. I need you to know that I’m here. Committed to you. I’m not going to walk away.” She took a breath. “I love you.”
It was like someone had rammed a tree trunk into my chest—searing pain followed by the relief of sucking in a breath full of oxygen.
I thought I could protect myself from caring about someone. I’d had my life turned upside down by grief and I didn’t want it to happen again.
It was already too late.
Sitting here, it was obvious that the damage was done. If I lost Parker now, my entire world would fall apart.
“I love you too.” It was a relief to say those words, words representing feelings I’d been running from for far too long. “I thought I could avoid having another person in my life who could turn my world upside down if I lost them. But . . . I don’t want to avoid it any longer. It was pointless to try.”
She nodded. “I get it. It makes sense.”
How was she accepting all this so quickly?
“I’m sorry I hurt you, Parker. I want to do everything I can to make it right.”
She sighed and picked up her fork. “Mexican food helps. But where are the cream puffs?”
“If I get you cream puffs, I’m forgiven?”
“Cream puffs or no cream puffs, you’re still forgiven. We love each other. We’re married—”
Shit, I’d forgotten I’d signed those bloody papers. I stood. “Did you sign those papers? Where are they?”
“Relax, I never signed them. Anyway, we couldn’t submit them until our first anniversary.”
“You never signed them?” I asked. “You didn’t give up on us?”
“I guess not. I never took off my rings.” She lifted her hand to show me.
I pulled her to her feet and swept my thumbs over her cheekbones. “I’ll never give up on us.”
“Sounds like a promise.”
It sounded like marriage.
I pressed my lips to hers and her hands pushed into my hair as our tongues met. She was everything I could have ever hoped for—sweet and sexy, kind but feisty.
I pulled back and took a breath. “There’s one more thing I need to say.”
She looked confused by my change of pace.
“Stay there,” I said, squeezing her shoulders and heading back into the kitchen. I opened the fridge door and pulled out the box of cream puffs I’d brought with me. I put one on a plate, took a breath, and headed back into the living room.
She tilted her head as she saw the plate. “You brought cream puffs?”
“How could I forget, Cream Puff?”
I set the plate down on the table “It’s not a diamond and we’re not in the Seychelles or a fancy restaurant. There are no fireworks or—” I was babbling. I needed to get on with it. “The fact is, I love you. And if I promise to keep you in cream puffs for the rest of your life, will you be my wife? For real this time.”
“For real?” she asked as if she hadn’t heard me right.
I dropped down on one knee, so she was in no doubt. “Will you marry me?”
She flung her arms around my neck. “Like this, you’re the perfect height.”
“Is that a yes?”
“Yes, that’s a yes. There’s just one thing.”
My heart inched higher in my chest. I didn’t want her to have a single doubt. “What?”
“What do I need to do for you that will make you see that I’m with you for good? Through good times and in bad. Whatever happens, I won’t ever lose sight of that, Tristan. How can I make you see that I guarantee me for you?”
I stood and brought her with me. She wrapped her legs around my waist as we kissed.
“You did already,” I replied. “You picked up the phone and asked me to lunch. It’s what I needed. Thank you for that.”
“Anything for you,” she replied.
This was exactly where I was meant to be. With Parker. I didn’t need anything else.