Total pages in book: 20
Estimated words: 19284 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 96(@200wpm)___ 77(@250wpm)___ 64(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 19284 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 96(@200wpm)___ 77(@250wpm)___ 64(@300wpm)
They found the office at the back, and within minutes, their tree was loaded on top of Adam’s car, secured in place. She was given care instructions, and they headed to Adam’s apartment, where together, they had to manage carrying the thing toward the elevator. It was awkward and prickly.
“Stop laughing,” Adam said.
“Have you never carried a tree before?” she asked.
“I never had a tree. Never needed one.”
“Oh, you do love Christmas, don’t you?”
Adam smiled. “Of course, I do. Now I’ve got the love of my life to share it with, Christmas is going to be far better.”
She knew exactly what he meant. Loneliness was toxic.
She stepped toward him, placed her hand on his chest, and pressed a kiss to his lips. “We’ll always have each other from now on.”
He deepened the kiss.
The moment the elevator doors opened, they broke apart. The couple waiting to get on the elevator had no choice but to step back as she and Adam carried the oversized tree into the hallway. They had left a mess of pine needles in their wake, but he’d already put in a large bonus for the cleaning staff.
Getting inside his apartment was a huge achievement, and then it was just a case of decorating it.
****
Alora hadn’t said she loved him.
He was starting to develop a complex.
Adam wasn’t the kind of guy who struggled with his feelings. He knew what he wanted out of life, and he went after it, no questions asked. This thing with Alora meant everything to him, and he wanted to hear her say it, but not because he requested it.
“It looks beautiful, doesn’t it?” Alora asked.
She stepped back, admiring their tree. They had purchased decorations a few days ago together.
Now everything was coming together, but he couldn’t help but feel … a little lost. This was unusual.
“It’s so beautiful.”
“I think it’s time for a drink, don’t you?” she asked. Her hands were clasped together, and she pulled away from him just as he was about to kiss her. It had been too long since he got to enjoy her, and the ring in his pocket was burning a hole, demanding he ask her that all-important question.
He wanted to argue with her, beg her, fight with her, but instead, he walked into the kitchen and went to his fridge.
Adam saw the champagne in the side door. He should be filled with happiness, but it was the last thing he felt.
Grabbing the bottle, he got two glasses from the bar, then entered the room, only to stop when he saw Alora holding the canvas of his request.
At first, he didn’t know what to say. The tree twinkled in a kaleidoscope of color behind his woman.
“You finished it,” he said. “You’ve been sneaky.”
He hadn’t gotten the chance to see the last touches until now. Alora had hidden it away, and she must have finished it in secret.
“Before you come any closer, there are a few things I want to say, and I need to say them now.”
Adam felt dread begin to build within his gut. It wasn’t a good feeling. He hadn’t felt this way even when he started his own company. Losing Alora would be too much to bear.
“All my life, I’ve been alone, unwanted. People would come and go from the foster homes, and I’d watch potential parents adopt the others, time and time again. They never wanted me. For the longest time, that’s what I thought. No one ever wanted me, and then you came into my life. I did think you were a player and an asshole, but that’s before I got to know you.”
She glanced down at the painting in her hand and he watched her take a breath. All he wanted to do was take her in his arms, tell her it was going to be all right, but he stayed perfectly still. “I’ve come to see that you’re a fair man, a brilliant one, and you are so much more than a player. It’s an honor to work for you, and I’ve never told anyone else this in my life, but being with you, I finally know what love is.”
His heart started to race.
“I’m in love with you, Adam Nelson. I have never felt this way about anyone before in my life, and I am so scared, but I know with you in my life, by my side, I can face everything. I’m in love with you, and I want everything with you.”
He watched as she put the painting down gently, resting it against the wall beside the tree.
Adam couldn’t believe it as she sank to one knee, and there in his living room, with the engagement ring in his pocket, Alora had a band of her own, which she offered to him.
“Will you marry me?” she asked.
“No,” he said.
“Oh?” She pulled her hand away, and he couldn’t believe what he’d said.