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)
“I love you, Daddy.”
He leaned in and tenderly grabbed my face to kiss my forehead.
I didn’t pay the room any mind, too consumed by my desire to see Tristian among them. I was able to convince my parents to allow my first dance be with a friend from school. Except, I lied to them about who it was. It wasn’t the son of a prestigious family like I led them to believe. It was actually family rival.
A Hawkins.
Nobody would know, at least I silently prayed that they wouldn’t. My father released me, and I made my way around the room greeting my guests.
The guy dressed in a black three-piece suit caught my devoted attention. A gold mask covered his face, and he blended in with everyone else. But I’d find him anywhere, among anyone. I felt him there from across the room, staring at me. We locked eyes for several seconds, both of us lost in our thoughts of what could happen this evening.
We were taking a huge risk, one that could change the course of our lives if they found out Tristian was there with us. No Hawkins had ever knowingly stepped foot in any of my family’s homes. Not one. We weren’t just breaking the rules, we were making new ones.
He was the first to take a long stride toward me, his intense gaze solely focused on me.
Once he was standing in front of me, he stated, “You look gorgeous, kitten.”
I beamed. “You don’t look so bad yourself.”
“That gown...” He smiled. “Nobody can take their eyes off you.”
He tugged me closer to his torso, wrapping his arm around my lower back and holding me at his side. I wanted to kiss him so bad. We disappeared for a couple of minutes, seeking privacy to take each other in. Our time was cut short when I heard my father announce my first dance.
The crowd parted and formed a circle around us. It didn’t occur to me until that moment that maybe we should have practiced, but Tristian quickly pushed away my insecurities, like he always did.
He spun me around a few times until finally bringing me close to his chest. Hugging my body to his, he allowed no space between us. It was what you’d see in a happily ever after movie. Being surrounded by hundreds of people didn’t matter. Our connection made it feel like we were the only two people in the room.
I couldn’t hide my love for him. I wanted to, but there was no resisting it. He consumed me in every sense of the word. The same emotions I felt were mirrored through his captivated stare. We danced together like we’d been doing it all our lives, completely held hostage by our love. Our dance didn’t last as long as I would have liked. I’d dance all night with him if given the choice.
He rasped against my ear, delicately brushing his lips over the delicate lobe. “It’s taking everything inside of me not to kiss you in front of your family.”
I sucked in a breath as he pulled away and took a bow. Clapping his hands, he gestured toward me. I smiled and bowed, entertaining our guests.
My father danced with me next and then passed me around the room. It felt as if we’d spent hours apart when it was probably only thirty minutes. I finally returned to his arms, and everyone proceeded to dance with us. I couldn’t have asked for a better outcome, happy that we actually got away with it.
Wanting to live in the moment, I was caught off guard when Tristian whispered in my ear, “Kitten, I need to tell you something.”
“What is that?”
His expression shifted into solemness, making my nerves unsteady.
“What’s going on? You’re freaking me out.”
“I need you to remember I love you. Can you do that for me?”
“Of course.”
He nodded and grabbed my hand. “Come on.” Leading the way to the back of the estate, he didn’t say another word to me.
However, he didn’t have to.
I felt all his worry and anxiety.
“Tristian, what’s going on?”
The second I saw what he wanted to show me, I stopped dead in my tracks. There in front of me was my favorite street bike. A matte black Ducati 900cc Supersport Twin.
“Did you buy this for me?”
He shook his head. “This is my bike, kitten.”
“Your bike? When did you buy it?”
“Years ago.”
My eyes widened. “What are you trying to tell me?”
He inhaled a deep breath, steadying his breath before stating, “I don’t know how to even say this, so I’m just going to say it, okay?”
I nodded, never expecting him to admit…
“I’m Full Throttle.”
Chapter 26
—Belle—
I scrambled backward as fury consumed me, my face flaming hot. He reached for me, but I shoved his hand away.
“Kitt—”
“No! You said your name was Chase.”
“It’s my middle name.”