Total pages in book: 63
Estimated words: 63289 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 316(@200wpm)___ 253(@250wpm)___ 211(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 63289 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 316(@200wpm)___ 253(@250wpm)___ 211(@300wpm)
For some reason, it lured me over.
Who made this?
I walked to the clock, interested in getting a closer look at the intricate designs carved into the wood. They seemed to dance in the light.
Fascinating.
I shouldn’t have, but I slipped my hand along the side. The wood hummed and vibrated beneath my fingertips.
The clock’s face twinkled and glowed with crescent moons, stars, and hourglasses, casting an otherworldly glow. The pendulum was like a sorcerer’s staff coiled and bedecked with shards of luminescent crystal that dazzled and illuminated the room.
The hands of the clock seemed to be made of molten glass. They were two small hourglasses filled with tiny heart-shaped crystals.
I felt as if I’d been transported into some fantasy realm, surrounded by an ominous energy that threatened to consume me.
The door creaked opened behind me.
Slowly, I turned to see Ethan towering in the entrance, his broad frame blocking out the candlelight from the hallway.
This man really is delicious to look at.
Ethan strolled froward, carrying a long black box, no bigger than twenty-four inches long, three inches high, and three inches wide.
His deep voice rumbled through the room like erotic thunder, sending a wave of warmth through me. “Are you bored out of your mind?”
“Not at all.”
He strolled over and stopped a foot in front of me.
While outside, his towering presence filled the space around me. Now on the inside, I swore heat radiated off of his body. My heartbeats echoed in my ears.
His proximity awoke a need deep between my thighs that I hadn’t felt in too long. It was a desperate craving that had been dormant for years.
Ethan gazed down at me. A wicked grin spread across his face as if acknowledging my dirty, carnal desires.
Can he see the thoughts in my eyes?
He licked his lips. “I did my best to make sure you didn’t have to wait too long.”
“I’ve barely been in here for a few minutes.” I swallowed and tried to regain my composure.
Alright. Let’s calm down.
I stepped back and gestured to the grandfather clock. “This is quite impressive.”
“That clock is older than the both of us.”
“Interesting.”
“It was made in the 17th century and came with this house.”
I smirked at his use of the word house. This manor could have fit seven or eight houses inside of it.
I looked back at him. “17th century. That’s how old this house is?”
“Yes.” He placed the long black box close to me. “Please, take off the top of this box.”
I put my view on it.
The black box glistened in the light.
I extended my hands and touched the smooth surface. “Will there be another puzzle inside?”
“Not this time.”
Slowly, I pulled the top off the box and looked inside.
Beautiful.
A single diamond rose shimmered within the box. It was a dazzling combination of a rose’s pure beauty and the sparkling brilliance of diamonds. A truly glittering and elegant floral display.
Ethan’s voice slipped along my skin like a sensual caress. “Take it.”
My breath caught in my throat.
“This is my way of thanking you for writing amazing romances.”
I looked at him. “Are you serious?”
“I never believed in love before, but reading your books has shown me that it’s not just possible, it is worth fighting for.”
I had no idea what to say. I was never good with taking compliments, but with this gesture and the precious gift, he had truly taken my breath away.
I carefully grasped the rose and took it out of the box. The stem was made of an obsidian stone and warmed in my fingers.
I gazed down at the sparkling petals in utter amazement.
Ethan set the box on the shelf near the grandfather clock. “This artist took a real rose that had been preserved and then coated it with diamond dust.”
“This is. . .amazing, breathtaking, and pretty much one of the best gifts I’ve ever received.”
“In your novel, Breathless in the Billionaire’s Arms—”
“Oh God.” I raised the diamond rose over my face to hide my embarrassment.
“What?”
“That novel is not exactly one of my most. . .proudest writing moments.”
“No?”
I blushed. “My agent had convinced me to write it after a few great releases.”
“And it did well?”
“Phenomenally well, yet. . .more formulaic than I would have liked.”
Ethan touched his chest. “I’ve been a billionaire for a long time, but it wasn’t until I read that particular book that I truly felt rich.”
I widened my eyes. “Would you stop? I am over here blushing under this mask.”
“I am shocked that you’re not good with taking praise for your work.”
“I’m working on it.” Twisting the rose in my hand, I walked over to the shelf on the other side of the grandfather clock.
I needed to get space between us. The gift, his words, and that alluring presence tempted my body, made me want to tear off my gown and succumb to the heated desires surging within my core.