Total pages in book: 86
Estimated words: 79932 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 400(@200wpm)___ 320(@250wpm)___ 266(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79932 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 400(@200wpm)___ 320(@250wpm)___ 266(@300wpm)
And I still wasn't sure what to do about it.
“You know you don't have to thank me for buying you a tea,” she said. “Especially not after all you've—"
“We're not in a competition,” I said, trying to soothe the rambling concerns that I knew were about to spill from her kissable lips. We'd had the conversation before, many times. Despite me paying her for our contractual agreement, she still felt out of balance when it came to gifts and outings and everything extra that came with the gig I'd hired her for. She felt like she owed me, when I tried to explain time and time again, that she gave me more than I ever bargained for by just being her.
“I know it's not a competition,” she said. “But you have to understand it's hard when I can't even pretend to keep up. I'll never be able to treat you the way you treat me, which is like a freaking queen.” She shook her head. “Like royalty.”
I gently spun her around to face me, tipping her chin up as I met her gaze. “You are a queen,” I said. “My queen. One I happily get on my knees for whenever she wants.” I smirked at the little intake a breath that slipped through her lips. “And you make me feel like a king just by being you. Just having you around makes me feel richer than any number in any of my bank accounts.”
Aspen tried to hide her smile, but it was impossible and breathtaking. “I think I'm about to swoon,” she teased pretending to have her knees go out.
I caught her easily, laughing as I hauled her against me. “You know I'll never let you fall,” I said, dipping down to still a quick kiss.
She wrapped her arms around me, kissing me back, but then her name was called and we quickly pulled out of the embrace to grab our drinks. Her eyes watched me eagerly as I brought my lips to the straw and took a drink, instantly moaning around the burst of flavors in my mouth.
“That is good,” I said nodding at her.
She grinned clapping a little before she took a drink of her own.
“You have to try the mango too,” she said, offering me her straw. I immediately took a sip, enjoying that one as well.
“Can't believe I've never tried this before,” I said, glancing around the little tea shop and noticing that it was crowded for a Wednesday afternoon. The gears in my mind started turning and I pulled out my phone to do a quick search before pocketing it again.
Aspen looked at me knowingly, arching a brow. “What are you up to?” she asked.
“I was just checking to see if they were franchised,” I explained, holding the door open for her as we continued our leisurely walk down the street.
Aspen chuckled, shaking her head as she continued to drink her tea.
“What?” I asked, wrapping my free arm around her as we pulled over to window shop at a boutique a few blocks down.
“I just love the way your mind works,” she said with a shrug. “Most people go into their favorite businesses just to enjoy the products, but if you see a good one your mind instantly goes to investing in it. You just landed the energy deal in India, you have a highly successful NHL team, and more franchises and investments than I know how to keep track of. And yet you want more?”
“You know the insatiable appetite I have,” I said, flashing her pointed look that made a beautiful flush dance across her cheeks.
“I do,” she said. “And that's another thing that I’m very fond of. But…” She stopped herself, focusing more on the jewelry and outfits in the window than on me.
“But what?” I asked.
“It's nothing,” she said. “I just wonder what it is you're really searching for?”
“I have an empire to uphold,” I said easily.
She nodded. “No, I know that,” she said. “I understand that you were left with a giant responsibility at a young age, and that you have a sense of responsibility when it comes to filling your parents’ shoes and ensuring their legacy lives on, not to mention in the beginning you outdid yourself in order to ensure that Bristol was taken care of. It’s something I can totally understand, obviously. But have you ever stopped and wondered if you’re doing all of this because of the responsibility or because you want to?”
I swallowed hard, her words hitting me dead center in the chest. I'd never been asked something like that before, let alone took the time to think about it.
“And it can be both,” she hurried to continue. “It doesn't have to be one or the other. I was just curious because I know that there are things I’ve thought about, those fun little dreams that happen late at night when you think about if your life was different. I can’t help but wonder if there’s something you really want that has nothing to do with your empire?”