Total pages in book: 73
Estimated words: 70444 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 352(@200wpm)___ 282(@250wpm)___ 235(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 70444 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 352(@200wpm)___ 282(@250wpm)___ 235(@300wpm)
Deep down, I know she’s right. I truly believed I had to be in California to be successful when my career really allows me to live anywhere in the world. I might not get huge commissions or be asked to create something for an A-list actor, but that’s not why I paint. I do it because it’s like oxygen—I need it to survive. And no matter what, I’ll never stop painting regardless if I’m getting paid for it or not.
So when Finn confessed he’d fallen in love with me, I knew I had to tell him in person that I’d fallen for him too. I didn’t want to just tell him. I needed to show him how much he meant to me with action.
Being with the man I love is more important than a career in a big city.
I should’ve realized that earlier and am kicking myself for not, but I didn’t know how he felt until I read his letter. Once I flew home, I assumed it was over.
Turns out it wasn’t, and I couldn’t be more excited to see him again.
I just hadn’t anticipated him having company.
But I knew not only by his letter but also by witnessing how much he hated being around his ex and the times he stated he’d never take her back. If I know one thing about Finn—he’s not a liar.
“Come inside,” Finn says. Once the door is shut, he continues, “But that doesn’t answer my question. What are you really doing here?”
I smirk, admiring his handsome face. “I read your letter and wanted to respond...in person.”
“Oh.” He scratches his cheek, and I notice how scruffy his jawline is from not shaving. He gazes down my body like he’s ready to eat me alive.
“But first, I have to ask...” I tilt my head in anticipation, gazing at his inked biceps and wanting to lick over his tattoos. “Can I crash here tonight?”
He puffs out a laugh of disbelief. “Sure, but I should warn you, the couch isn’t that comfortable.”
“Damn.” I bite down on my lower lip and step closer. “Guess I’ll have to find other arrangements elsewhere.”
“Like hell you will.” Finn closes the gap between us, cups my face, then crashes his mouth to mine. I melt into him, never wanting him to let me go, and slide my tongue against his.
“Fuck, I’ve missed you so goddamn much,” he mutters against my lips. Before I can respond, he grabs under my thighs and lifts me. My legs instinctively wrap around his waist. Our mouths stay fused together as he carefully walks upstairs.
As soon as he gets to the bed, he lays me down and hovers above me but then stops and sits on the edge of the mattress. “Shit, Aspen was up here. I should strip the bed.”
I bolt up and arch a brow. “Excuse me?”
“I found her here, I swear!”
I shouldn’t laugh, but I can’t help it. She’s probably been giving him hell since I left, and tonight, she finally lost it. Finn looks so conflicted between tearing off my clothes or the sheets.
“Finn, I trust you and don’t care that her naked ass was probably on every inch of this bed waiting for you because I know you love me. Not her.”
He meets my eyes, and I turn so we’re face-to-face. “I should’ve told you everything I wrote in that letter in person.”
“Well...I’m here now.”
The corner of his lips tilts up as he takes my hand and cups my cheek. “Oakley, when you first came here, I was determined to push you and every dirty thought I had about you away. But you wouldn’t let me. You made me face my feelings, and it wasn’t until I really allowed myself to open up to the idea of being in a relationship again that I realized I’d fallen deeply in love with you. And if you didn’t feel the same, then at least you knew, and I wouldn’t have had to wonder about the what-ifs for the rest of my life.”
“And what if I was in love with you too?” I ask.
He brushes loose strands of my hair behind my ear and drags his thumb over my bottom lip. “Then I’d hope you tell me so I could stop being a miserable bastard.”
Chuckling, I crawl onto his lap and straddle him. He quickly grabs my ass and settles me between his thighs. “I came all the way here to tell you that I choose you. I can pursue my career dreams in Vermont and would very much like to be with you because I’m so deeply in love with you, too.”
For the first time, Finn’s eyes gloss over. He tries so hard to protect himself and not be vulnerable, but it’s something he’ll have to get used to with me. I wear my heart on my sleeve and want us to be open about everything.