Total pages in book: 100
Estimated words: 95609 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 478(@200wpm)___ 382(@250wpm)___ 319(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 95609 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 478(@200wpm)___ 382(@250wpm)___ 319(@300wpm)
My whole body is humming, and I feel warm. I think this is what total satisfaction feels like. “You have to speak English when we’re in bed together.”
“I will try, but only until you learn some German. I’m afraid my brain isn’t at its best when you’re naked. Another part of me takes over, and he only speaks German.” He chuckles behind me, and we’re so close I feel it go through his body. “Though you should know that almost everyone in Ralavia speaks English, too. My mother spoke Dutch, so she picked up German very quickly. Or you don’t have to learn at all, and I’ll ensure everyone speaks English around you.”
I tilt back so I can sort of get a look at him. His arm tightens around me, and I realize he’s worried he’s pushing me. He doesn’t seem to understand that he’s kind of blown away all my walls. “I’ll start learning as soon as I can get my phone back. Unlike Your Majesty, I haven’t had access to any kind of electronics, and it’s not like there’s a tutor here. I want to know what you’re saying to me.”
He settles back down, seemingly calmer. “I’m saying how beautiful you are and how long I’ve waited for you.” He kisses the nape of my neck. “Are you feeling better now? I meant what I said to you earlier. You’re not causing anyone harm. We’re not hurting anyone at all.”
I’m not so sure about that, but now that I’m here with him, I know I can’t leave. “I don’t want to think about the show right now. I want to be here with you for as long as we can.”
Because in a few hours we’ll be right back on set, and he’ll be dating a bunch of women I’ve come to count as friends.
“Good. I don’t either,” he admits. “I want to think about you and the here and now. You should know that I’ve come to like your mother and her business partner very much. I might talk to her a bit when you’re not around.”
“I’m sure she’s told you some stories.” I try not to think about the fact that this is one of the reasons we can’t work. Our circumstances are wildly different. We don’t live in the same world. My mother makes sandwiches for a living and his was a queen.
“She has, and you’re adorable in all of them. I think we get along quite well, though she did tell me to be careful with young ladies’ hearts. Tonya seems to be watching me. Told me I should be careful. I was worried until I realized you’re like a daughter to her, too. I was surprised to find out Harper has managed to get herself a job on set. I thought she owned her own business.”
“Oh, this job isn’t about money,” I explain. “Harper is here to stick her nose directly into my business. She’s trying to protect me and honestly, I don’t know what I would do without her.”
“Well, I hadn’t seen her until earlier today and she has already threatened to use her sharpest tools on me if I hurt you, and I believe her. Please, my darling, tell her I have the best of intentions.”
“I’ll talk to her and my mom. Tonya can be a little intense. They won’t poison you or anything,” I promise him.
“Hans tests all my food, so it would be him,” he says with a sober expression.
I turn, facing him. “Are you serious?”
His lips split in a delightful grin as he laughs. “Of course not. That would be ridiculous. No one is looking to take me out. Except your relatives and friends. I like that everyone is so protective of you.”
He doesn’t know the half of it. Somewhere in the city there is a tech goddess who is probably planning ways to destroy Luca on the Internet. “Oh, you have no idea. It’s Ivy you really have to worry about. She’s got a protective streak, and she’s excellent with a computer.”
A brow rises over his eyes. “So I’ve heard. I’ll have to watch my step with her. You know I heard something earlier about an Ivy. Production mentioned the name. I couldn’t help but wonder if they weren’t talking about your Ivy.”
“I can’t imagine why they would. Well, I can. She had this article released about how the whole Jensen Medical thing went down and then it came out that her CFO—who happened to be her boyfriend at the time—sold the whole company out. It turned out okay because now she works with her fiancé on a startup dealing with a matchmaking AI,” I reply and my mouth keeps going. “Did you know that matchmaking in Victorian England was seasonal? They had a whole season for it. It started around Easter with a big debutante ball and ended on August 12th because that was the opening of grouse hunting season. What is a grouse?”