Total pages in book: 120
Estimated words: 112917 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 565(@200wpm)___ 452(@250wpm)___ 376(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 112917 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 565(@200wpm)___ 452(@250wpm)___ 376(@300wpm)
“Torn how?” Bear asked.
“On the one hand, I’m happy for you to start the sports program, but on the other, I want you to still be my close protection officer.”
Bear put his arm around me, pressing a kiss to the top of my head before moving me the way he wanted over his chest and shoulder.
“I’m still your close protection officer. I just don’t work for Violet anymore.”
It took me a moment to realize the point I was missing. “Once I’m not under contract with the label anymore, I’m in charge of my own security.”
He kissed my hair again. When he spoke, I could hear the grin in his voice. “Exactly. And as the man in charge of security at Fairytale Recording Studio, I’ve assigned myself the premier role.”
“How are you going to juggle the sports program with protecting me?” I asked, playing around with his fingers in the hand I held.
“Easy. You’re not leaving my side.”
Landry snorted from where he stood gazing out at the snow-covered landscape, nearly invisible under the cover of darkness. “Now you’ve got him, keep him barefoot and pregnant, Ryan. Atta boy.”
Bear’s chest rumbled with laughter. “Exactly.” He leaned down to whisper in my ear. “I’m hiring help. And we’re going to figure it out together, okay? That sound fine?”
I glanced up at him with a grin. “Fine. Super fine. In fact, way better than fine.”
Bear leaned in to kiss me the way he always did when I said the provoking word.
Kenji spoke up from his spot at the kitchen table behind us, where he was working on his laptop, even though it was Christmas. “Don’t listen to Landry. He wouldn’t know anything about serious, committed relationships.”
Landry glanced at him in surprise. “What the fuck?”
Kenji shrugged. “It’s not a bad thing. You’re very fun. The world needs fun-loving people.”
“You can be fun-loving and committed at the same time,” Landry pointed out.
“I’m just saying long-term doesn’t seem to be your thing.”
“And it’s yours?” Landry snapped.
Kenji’s nostrils flared, but he didn’t respond. Meanwhile, the rest of us seemed to be watching the two of them like a particularly riveting tennis match.
Landry shifted, turning toward Kenji and crossing his long arms in front of his chest. “You talk a big game, but you seem to avoid serious relationships yourself.”
Kenji finally looked up and met Landry’s eyes. “I’ve yet to encounter someone worthy of me.”
Tension crackled between them as the rest of us held our breath.
Kenji’s eyes narrowed before he added, “But don’t worry. When I get back from my trip to South America, I’m going to let my grandmother set me up.”
Landry lowered his arms and stepped forward as if he was going to approach Kenji, but then he seemed to remember the rest of us were in the room. Instead, he meandered over to sit on a couch next to Rowe and Bash. “Well, good for you. I’m sure her pals in Boca are full up with wealthy, gay asshole grandsons they want to set you up with once you get back from your cleaning retreat with your pal Chaska.”
“Not interested in wealthy, gay assholes,” Kenji said, looking back down at his computer with a sniff. “I have enough of those in my life as it is. Why do you think I need this cleansing retreat in the first place?”
Landry sputtered. “Well! Well… this wealthy, gay asshole is going to go to Hawaii and fuck every guy there!”
Kenji didn’t bother looking up. “You were going to do that anyway.”
“Well, now I’m going to do it harder,” he snapped.
Tully obviously felt the need to break the tension, so he said, “I’ve only been to Hawaii once on business, but I remember thinking it would be a beautiful place to get married one day.”
Dev bolted up out of his seat, paused, and then sat back down again. We all turned to stare. Then he stood up again. “I…”
Tully was sitting on the floor, playing with Lellie. “Babe?”
Dev looked around at us before glancing back at Tully. “I wonder if…” He walked the few steps between the chair he’d been sitting in and the spot on the rug where Tully and Lellie sat.
Then he got down on one knee and pulled something out of his pocket.
A ring.
My sweet, shy friend had decided to finally pop the question to the man he loved, and the rest of us got to watch.
“I wonder if maybe you might want to plan that wedding sooner than later?” Dev asked. “I know that we already planned to spend our lives together, to raise Lellie together and be a family, but… well… I’d like to get married, too. Tully… I’m not great with words, but I know that my life got better the day you came into it, and it’s only gotten better and better every day that you’ve stayed. Will you marry me?”