Total pages in book: 79
Estimated words: 76782 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 384(@200wpm)___ 307(@250wpm)___ 256(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 76782 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 384(@200wpm)___ 307(@250wpm)___ 256(@300wpm)
My hand darts in the air. “Hold that thought.”
I race back to my purse and fumble with the zipper on the inner compartment before I fish inside for my ring. I tug it out and slip it on while I sprint back to the kitchen.
Daniel is waiting for me in the entryway this time. “Kiss me, Gina.”
I do.
As the kiss lingers, I bite his bottom lip softly, luring a deep groan from him.
“Focus, Daniel,” he whispers. “Food first, then you can fuck your wife.”
I laugh. “Are you giving yourself a pep talk?”
“Damn right, I am.” He kisses me again as if I’m the only thing he’s craving at the moment.
I have to fan my face with my hand once it ends. “Damn, Lawton, you know how to kiss.”
“As do you, Lawton.” He traces a path over my bottom lip with the pad of his thumb. “Don’t distract me anymore. I need another fifteen minutes to finish up our meal.”
I peer around him to get a look at the stove. “What’s on the menu?”
“Seared salmon with quinoa salad.”
I tilt my chin down. “It sounds divine.”
“It is,” he assures me. “We’re drinking sparkling lemon water, and for dessert, I picked up another piece of chocolate cake from Dobb’s Bakery.”
“You’re the best,” I whisper, wanting to say more, so much more, but I don’t know if his heart is on the same path as mine.
Mine is headed straight to forever without a detour in sight.
“We’ll talk about Dr. Handsome as Fuck after dinner.” He laughs.
“Good.” I steal another kiss from him. “I have a lot to tell you.”
“I have all night to listen.” He glances over his shoulder. “I need to get back to the stove. I’ll meet you at the dining room table in fifteen.”
“We’re not eating in here?” I point at the stools next to the kitchen island.
“I set the dining room table up.” He perks a brow. “Go check it out.”
I head straight out of the kitchen and turn the corner to step into the dining room. The beautiful blue and white patterned plates my mom gave me a few years ago are set out next to utensils on blue placemats. Two tall white candles are waiting to be lit next to a vase filled with fresh white carnations.
“This is perfect,” I say. “Everything is perfect.”
I glance down at my hand and the silver ring that symbolizes much more today than when Daniel slid it on my finger in Las Vegas. My birthday is just a few days from now, and I plan on giving myself the gift of a lifetime that day.
Marti always brings over a cake for me on my birthday, so as I blow out the candles, I’ll wish for forever with Daniel before I tell my husband that I love him for the first time.
CHAPTER FIFTY-TWO
Daniel
Gina’s gaze drops to the plate in front of her. “I had no idea you were so skilled in the kitchen.”
That’s a compliment I’ll gladly accept with a smile. “I’m self-taught.”
“I tried that.” She lets out a squeak of laughter. “When Bella was living with me. I wanted to surprise her, but instead, the smoke detector did that for me when she got home from work one day.”
I try to mask my amusement by taking another bite of food.
“Are you speechless, Daniel?” she teases. “Don’t be. I am that bad of a cook.”
I swallow down a piece of salmon with a sip of water. “This morning, you told Marti that you want to learn to cook. I’m all in for offering lessons, too.”
She gestures to the food I prepared. “Will you teach me to cook this?”
“Absolutely,” I affirm with a nod.
“I’d like that.” She sighs. “What did my grandma make you and your client for lunch today?”
“What didn’t she make us?” I huff out a laugh. “It was a four or five course spread. My client raved about the food. She loved every bite.”
Her left eyebrow perks. “She?”
I can’t tell if there’s jealousy behind the question, so I answer in a way that I hope brings a smile to her face. “I didn’t have lunch with Elowen.”
A grin slides over her perfect lips. “That’s good to know.”
“I’d like to know about the doctor,” I broach the subject that’s been haunting me all day. “I’m curious, Gina. Start by assuring me that you’re not sick.”
That thought started nagging at me last night as I watched her sleep. The idea of a world without Gina is unbearable. I need her to be healthy for a hell of a long time.
“I’m fine.” She sets her fork on the edge of her plate. “He asked to speak to me yesterday after Vern’s appointment because he saw that viral video of my dad and me in Calvetti’s.”
I nod. “Is he a fan?”
She’s got millions of them, and at least a dozen ask her to marry them on a daily basis. I know this because I devote a little too much time to reading the comment sections of her posts on social media.