Total pages in book: 96
Estimated words: 93578 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 468(@200wpm)___ 374(@250wpm)___ 312(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 93578 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 468(@200wpm)___ 374(@250wpm)___ 312(@300wpm)
“Why not?”
“Because it’s unnecessary. Let’s just buy a decoy, okay? An imitation diamond for our imitation engagement. That’s all we need.” She shook her head. “Don’t waste your money.”
I didn’t see it as a waste of money if it would make her happy, but I knew I wasn’t going to win that argument—not tonight anyway. “Okay.”
She looked relieved. “Thank you.”
“Does the trip work with your schedule?”
“Well, I’m on the schedule at Etoile Tuesday through Thursday, but not in the kitchen. I have to man the booth at the Cherry Festival. And I’d say I could get someone to cover for me, but there’s something kind of crazy going down Tuesday night that I can’t miss.”
“What is it?”
A mischievous smile appeared on her face. “It’s a proposal. Etoile’s head chef, Gianni, is going to propose to his girlfriend, Ellie Fournier. She’s the daughter of the Abelard owners. But you can’t tell anyone.”
I laughed. “Who would I tell?”
“Anyway, I can’t miss it. I think I’m the only other person that knows what’s going to happen and when, and I promised Gianni I’d be there to make sure Ellie is where she’s supposed to be at the right time.” She thought for a second. “But I might be able to get someone to cover for me Wednesday and Thursday.”
“Okay. You let me know.”
“I’ll ask Gianni tomorrow, but it will be kind of short notice to plan a trip, won’t it?”
“It’s not a problem. I’ll get us there and back whenever we want.”
“Do you own a private jet or something?”
“No private jet. But it’s easy enough to hire one.”
She laughed. “Spoken like a true billionaire.”
Our eyes met, and the silence grew a little tense. She looked so damn good, and I wanted her so badly. “Ready for bed?”
“Yes.”
I stood up. “Go ahead. I’m just going to make sure all the lights are off downstairs and the doors are locked before turning the alarm on.”
“Need help?”
“No. I’m good.” My heart was hammering as I went down the steps, because I had no idea which room she would choose. I figured by going downstairs, I was giving her a chance to decide what she wanted without pressure from me.
I knew what I wanted.
When I came back upstairs, all the lights were off. I locked the front door and headed for the back hall. Then my heart sank—the door to the guest room where she’d slept last night was closed, and the light was on.
Fuck.
Disappointed, I got ready for bed, noticing that she’d taken her cosmetics bags out of my bathroom as well. So maybe I’d been wrong about her feelings. Maybe putting her clothes in my room had only been for show. Maybe she really just needed help getting that dress unzipped. Maybe the whole kiss practice idea was more about believability than desire.
With my door closed and the lights off, I tossed the covers back and got into bed. I lay there for a few minutes, wondering if asking her to move in had been a huge mistake—was I going to survive a month with her under my roof? Under my nose? Under my skin?
I thought about her in bed just across the hall. The way she smelled. The curve of her shoulders. The pink in her cheeks when she was nervous. Those huge brown eyes, and the way they might look up at me if she was on her knees. The plush rosy lips parting, the tip of my cock easing into her sweet round mouth.
My hand slipped into my pants. Grimacing, I tightened my fist around my erection and wondered if this was my punishment for inviting her to live here, or maybe for this whole batshit scheme—doomed to jerk off every night while I thought about fucking her or going down on her or shoving my dick in her mouth. I stifled a groan, knowing it would serve me right.
That’s when I heard the soft knocking at the door.
I yanked my hand from my pants and lifted myself up on one elbow, my heart a jackhammer in my chest. I stared at the door in the shadowy dark, wondering if I’d imagined it, if shame had me hearing things.
But a moment later, the door opened soundlessly and Felicity slipped inside like a ghost before closing it again. I blinked, vaguely making out the white T-shirt she wore—was it mine?—the dark hair swinging around her shoulders.
“Hi,” she whispered.
“Hey.”
“I was wondering if you wanted to practice now.”
My cock, already standing at full attention, twitched with excitement. “Yeah. I do.”
“Should I get in your bed?”
“Definitely.”
She walked tentatively to the empty side and stood there for a moment, like she wasn’t sure I meant this bed right here.
But I wanted her too much and I’d been waiting far too long to let my nerves keep this from happening. Now that I was sure she wanted this too, I reached out and grabbed her by the forearm. “Come here.”