Total pages in book: 37
Estimated words: 34532 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 173(@200wpm)___ 138(@250wpm)___ 115(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 34532 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 173(@200wpm)___ 138(@250wpm)___ 115(@300wpm)
“It doesn’t have to be this way. If you want to be in Selma’s life, the door is always open to you. But, be clear, you will not hurt her anymore. You will not guilt her, tell her she’s evil or any shit like that. I will protect her above all else from any threat, and that includes you.”
His gaze is indifferent, and I decide I’ve done what I came to do. He knows who I am now, and he knows I am the guardian at the gate to his daughter. If he wants a relationship with her, I will support it, but he will go through me.
I extend my hand, but he turns and walks into the house, grabbing his gun on the way. I shake my head, get back in the limo, and hope that someday he will change his mind.
For Selma’s sake.
F I F T E E N
Selma
“WHERE DID YOU GO?” I pout, laying naked on my stomach, the bedding rumpled and scented with our sex.
“Just had to take care of a couple of things, baby. How are you doing? You get enough sleep?”
I shrug. “I guess. A few hours feels good, but I missed you.”
Ash comes and sits on the edge of the bed, petting my head and easing it into his lap.
“I miss you the second you are out of my sight.” His fingers play in my hair. “I’ve got our tickets booked for five o’clock.”
I bite into my lip, and a shiver runs up my spine. “I’m nervous.”
I promised Ash to always be truthful with him, especially after my lie about the cell phone which I could have explained easily, and he would have understood. He’s said over and over if I’m feeling it, if I’m thinking it, he wants to know.
“I imagine you are. This is huge, baby. Being nervous is natural. Like I said last night, we will stay in my penthouse for now, but if you decide you want something else, I will make it happen. There’s lots of ways to live in the city. I want you to be comfortable. It’s going to mean a lot of changes. We’ll get ourselves settled first, then we will get to work on Anastasia.”
My belly tightens, thinking of leaving Ohio and Papa, Libertine..., but it still feels right. Guilt still nags at me, but I tried to call Papa twice, and he hung up on me both times so I’m going to give him some time, and myself as well.
“I hope I can do it.”
“You can. I’ll have your back every step of the way. But, if you ever feel you don’t want to do the blog or the show or the book, you just say the word. We also need to figure out something else.” His hand runs down my back, and he shifts, turning me over to look up at him.
“What else?” I ask, the excitement of a new life making me feel a little disconnected from everything.
“This.” He reaches into the front pocket of his black slacks and brings out his hand holding something inside. I scramble up onto my knees as he turns and holds out his closed hand, fingers up. “Open it.”
He’s smiling, and I reach out and pull back his index finger first, then his middle finger, and I see the sparkle.
“You need to be my wife, Selma. I need to be your husband. I’ve never felt so right about anything in my life, and I’ve felt pretty right about a lot of things. Marry me, baby. Let me give you the world.” He opens his hand and reaches to hold up the ring, then grabs my left hand and pulls it between us.
“Yes,” I squeak, nodding so hard my hair covers my eyes.
The diamond is enormous, pink surrounded by smaller white diamonds, and I wonder where it came from because no jewelry store around here would have a ring like this.
He slips it on my finger, and the weight is surprising.
“Where did you get this? It’s so beautiful, if I dreamed of a ring, this would be it.”
Ash shakes his head and pulls me into his lap, an arm around my shoulders, the other around my knees, curling me into a ball as I hold out my hand and admire the ring.
“The day I left New York to come find you, I had some business to take care of from my parents’ estate. They weren’t rich, but my mother had collected a few valuables over the years. I was donating some of her jewelry to a local charity for an auction. She was a kind lady, one of her passions was working with homeless mothers, and one of the charities she worked with contacted me and asked for a jewelry donation for their auction. I knew she wouldn’t want me to just hold on to her jewelry for sentimental reasons, so I had dropped a couple rings off at a jeweler to be cleaned and boxed.”