Total pages in book: 64
Estimated words: 64979 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 325(@200wpm)___ 260(@250wpm)___ 217(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 64979 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 325(@200wpm)___ 260(@250wpm)___ 217(@300wpm)
Where it belonged.
Chapter 22
—Belle—
Then: Eight months later
My debutante ball was next month, and my mom was on my butt to figure out what kind of gown I wanted. We decided the theme would be masquerade even though it wasn’t the standard debutante ball. If they wanted me to have a ball to officially introduce me to society, whatever that meant, then I was going to make it as unique as possible.
My mom was at a charity event for the day, but she arranged for the chauffeur to drive me around town so that I’d find a style of dress I wanted to have made. Of course, it had to be custom made. My family wouldn’t have it any other way.
Only the best for their little girl.
Despite almost being seventeen, they still treated me like a child, and I hated that more than anything. I didn’t feel like a kid. Not with everything Tristian had done to my body. The number of times we had sex on his street bike was astounding. The fact that we could even do it on his bike was completely unexpected. However, that was how things were with him.
Spontaneous and exciting.
In the last eight months, we’d truly become best friends in every way, shape, and form. There wasn’t much we didn’t do together. I spent all of my free time with him. Nobody knew about us. We were each other’s best kept secrets. He basically snuck into my room every night to sleep in my bed. I don’t know how he was getting away with it, but he always told me to not worry about it. His grandfather didn’t pry into his life like that. Tristian was almost an adult.
Thinking of him getting caught reminded me of the night my mom unexpectedly walked into my room with him there about a month ago.
The sound of the leaves rustling through my window caught my attention. As soon as I saw his handsome face, I smiled.
“Isn’t it a little early for you to be sneaking into my bedroom?”
He grinned as he stepped onto the wood flooring. “I couldn’t wait any longer.”
“I just saw you at school.”
“Yeah, but it wasn’t enough. I can’t do this at school.”
Before I could respond, he kissed me. Making me giggle.
“Don’t get all cocky, Tristian. That’s how you can get caught.”
“I’m not worried about it.”
“You’re never worried about anything.”
“That’s not true. I worry about you all the time.”
“What is there to worry about?”
“I know you don’t realize how fucking gorgeous you are, but I see the way guys look at you at school. It takes everything inside of me not to throw them through a wall.”
“I think you’re exaggerating.”
“You underestimate how beautiful you are. It’s one of my favorite things about you.”
“Oh! I like this game. What are your other favorites?”
“Mmmm…” he hummed, leaning forward. His weight pushed me back onto the bed with him hovering above me. “I love your lips.” He kissed me again, making me smile. “Especially when their wrapped around my cock.”
“Tristian!” I blushed.
“What?” He deviously grinned. “You’ve sucked my dick too many times to still blush like that, kitten.”
I shook my head, feeling my cheeks burn redder. “And what else?”
“I love your smile. Your heart. Your kindness. I love how smart you are. I know one day you’ll do big things with your life.”
I scoffed out, “Yeah, I’m not so sure about that. If my family has anything—”
“Fuck them.”
“Tristian…”
“I’m serious. You can do anything you put your mind to. They don’t dictate your future, Belle. They’re just making you think they can. At some point, you’re going to have to figure out what you want for your life and then go for it.”
“My grandfather is old school. He’d never hand down the business to me. It’s a man’s world.”
“Kitten.” He pecked the tip of my nose. “If that’s what you want, then all you have to do is prove to him that you’re the most qualified to take his throne. At the end of the day, he’s a businessman, and competence is what he wants.”
“I guess I never thought of it that way.”
“Well, start thinking about it. I think you’d look sexy as fuck as a CEO.”
“And you? What do you want for your future?”
He grinned again. “You.”
“Have I ever told you you’re the sweetest guy?”
“Once or twice, but don’t go spreading that around. I have a reputation to uphold.”
I laughed. “Other than me, what do you want?”
“I’m not sure. I don’t like thinking about the future. So much can happen that we have no control over.”
I knew he was referring to his parents dying suddenly. As much as he tried to pretend that he no longer grieved their passing, it was very much alive and present in his daily life.
“Well,” I exclaimed, pulling on his collared shirt. “I think you’d look quite handsome wearing a three-piece suit, sitting in a nice, expensive office in your grandfather’s building. The title CEO on the door. What do you think about that?”