Total pages in book: 153
Estimated words: 145123 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 726(@200wpm)___ 580(@250wpm)___ 484(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 145123 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 726(@200wpm)___ 580(@250wpm)___ 484(@300wpm)
I snort. “Even the vomiting?”
He shakes his head with a smile and reaches up to push my hair out of my face, even bumping my glasses back up to their place on my nose since they’ve started to slip. “Maybe not the puking,” he affirms with a wink. “But everything right up until that moment and beyond…” He shrugs. “I feel privileged just to be around you, Brooke. No one makes me smile like you do.”
My skin tingles, and the inside of my nose starts to sting with a warning of incoming tears.
“Chase…”
“Just relax, okay? Get ready for the show this morning. Be your awesome self. I’ll go get the motor home ready to head for Los Angeles after.”
“And everything else?”
“I’ve got a strong feeling everything else is going to work itself out too.” He smiles, and I’m pretty sure this one, right here, is my most favorite of all his smiles. “Now, go show Las Vegas why Brooke Baker is so lovable.”
A buzzing warmth fills my chest.
Is it really possible…that writing a book about this man and accidentally sending it to him…is actually going to work out in my favor?
Chase leans in and kisses my cheek before getting up and heading for the bathroom.
“Good luck on the show, Brooke. I’ll see you after,” he says with a wink before stepping inside.
I smile as the door shuts behind him.
He sure as hell will.
Fate is going to give me another opportunity.
And this time, I’m going to try really hard not to vomit.
Wednesday, May 31st
Chase
I tuck Brooke’s phone into my back pocket as she sits down in yet another interview chair, and she nods her thanks, her smile growing wildly as I wink.
Damn, I love that smile of hers.
We’re currently in Los Angeles, inside the Beverly Hills Hotel, where several stations are set up with journalists for Brooke to sit down with and discuss the big premiere of the Shadow Brothers series on Netflix.
Dressed in a blue dress and with her stylish glasses and her gorgeous hair hanging past her shoulders, she looks beautiful, as always, and she’s handling each and every interviewer like a pro.
And since Monday night’s almost, I’ve made it my mission to turn off all the alarms in my brain and just be. If I want to tell her that she’s beautiful, I do. If I want to flirt with her, I definitely do, and if Brooke says something that makes me laugh, I don’t hold back my amusement. I haven’t pressured her at all, and with how busy we’ve been for the past forty-eight hours getting to Los Angeles and doing all of her publicity things, we haven’t even kissed again.
But I can feel the inevitable in the air, and I think she can too.
Trust me, I want to be with her. Fuck, do I ever.
And somehow, someway, when the time is right, Brooke Baker and I are going to be together in the most biblical sense of the words. And the anticipation of not knowing when it’s going to happen is the most excitement I’ve felt in years.
Well, that, and planning a surprise for her that will occur at the end of the tour, on our way back to New York.
My phone dings in my hand, and I look down to find a text from my sister. She’s been working on getting some of the details of that very surprise set up for me since I came up with the idea yesterday morning.
Mo: Okay, White Limozeen is officially booked for Sunday night like you asked. I had to talk fancy to get them to agree to such short notice without even an estimated head count, but they finally sent over the contract five minutes ago, and I signed it.
White Limozeen is a rooftop bar in Nashville, and one that I know, without a doubt, Brooke will lose her mind over. A Dolly Parton theme just might be involved.
Me: Thank you, Mo. It’s appreciated. I know I’ve put a lot of this on your shoulders, but I can’t exactly do the heavy lifting myself and keep it a surprise.
Mo: It’s okay. If I’d do this for anyone on the planet, it’d be Brooke Baker. And since you’re going to get me an early copy of the manuscript as soon as edits are done, PLUS give me the inside scoop on how in love with her you are when you see me in person again, I figure it’s a pretty good deal.
Good grief, my sister is truly skilled at talking out of her ass.
Me: I didn’t say anything about giving you the manuscript or being in love.
Mo: Trust me, you did. Everything you’ve said since the moment you called me yesterday has screamed those two things.
Me: Mo!
Mo: Yes, baby brother?
I sigh heavily before typing, figuring the best way to shut her up is to give in to one of her requests.