Total pages in book: 70
Estimated words: 66233 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 331(@200wpm)___ 265(@250wpm)___ 221(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 66233 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 331(@200wpm)___ 265(@250wpm)___ 221(@300wpm)
“That sounds great,” I tell him, and he gives me a wide grin before walking off, calling for Mini to follow.
“So we’re having drinks with my neighbors tonight to celebrate our engagement,” I say as we head back up the stairs to my place, and Jace smiles down at me.
“Yep.”
“You do remember we are not actually engaged, right?”
“You still have the ring on.”
“Yeah, because…” I start to explain I forgot about it, but before I can finish, his phone begins to ring. When he lets me go to take it out of his pocket, the expression on his face tells me he’s less than pleased when he checks the screen.
“Sorry, I have to take this.” He stops at my front door and passes me the stuff in his hands. “I’ll be in there in just a minute.”
“Sure.” I accept a quick, distracted kiss from him, then let myself into my place and leave the door unlocked so he doesn’t have to knock.
While he’s outside, I take a few minutes to sort out the mail, then transfer all the stuff to the dryer when the washer is done. I’m just starting to water my plants when he comes inside, carrying four familiar-looking bags that are stuffed full.
“I may have gone overboard,” he explains, reading the look on my face.
“Did you order the entire menu?” I follow him to the kitchen.
“I got you options.” He starts taking things out of the bags, and it’s hard to ignore that my heart has melted into a puddle of goo at his feet.
Chapter 30
Just Call Me Delusional
Champagne has always gone right to my head. Even on a full stomach, the bubbly liquid has the ability to make me feel like I’ve done a dozen shots of vodka. Which is why after two glasses I’m feeling happy, relaxed, and a little tipsy. Or maybe those emotions are due to my placement on Jace’s lap while we chat with Frank and Ben in the middle of the garden between our apartments. Of course I’ve talked to the two men over the last couple of years, but it’s always been in passing or when they’ve asked me to keep Mini for them when they go out of town for the night or a weekend here or there.
I never knew how funny they were or how sweet the two of them are as a couple. Now I wish I would have taken the time to get to know them.
“How long have you guys been together?” I ask Ben when Frank leaves him with a kiss so he can go into the house to get another bottle of wine.
“Four years. I had a crush on him for a year before we got together, but at that time, I didn’t even know he was into men, so I kept it to myself. Then one night, we were out with friends, and he asked if I was ever going to make a move.” He grins. “I kissed him right then and there, and we’ve been together ever since.”
“I love that,” I whisper, getting teary-eyed.
“What about you two? How long have you been together?” he asks, and darn it, I should have known I was opening myself up to being questioned by asking him about his relationship.
“Not long,” Jace answers before I can. “But I knew the minute I saw her that I had to have her.”
“You did not,” I blurt without thinking, meeting his gaze over my shoulder.
“I did.”
“You didn’t even like me.”
“No, I instantly wanted to fuck you, and since at that time you were working for me, that didn’t work for me,” he says, and I search his gaze. Holy cow, he’s telling the truth. Here I assumed the attraction was only ever one-sided.
“So you’re… what… the principal at her school?” Ben asks, and I turn his way. I totally forgot he was here.
“I was covering for a friend at Jace’s office. He works in tech in San Francisco,” I explain but leave out that he actually owns the company.
“What are you guys talking about?” Frank asks, carrying a bottle of red wine toward us.
“Penny was explaining how she and Jace met.”
“How did you two meet?” he asks, taking a seat, so I tell him what I just told Ben, and he looks between Jace and me. “But you haven’t been together long, have you?”
“No.”
“No, but it feels like I’ve known her forever.” Jace kisses the side of my head, and I melt against him.
“So when are you getting married?”
“Oh.” I tense, because this is where things could get really sticky. “We haven’t set a da—”
“Next summer, or maybe in the fall. I want Penny to have time to settle into being engaged. I caught her off guard when I asked her to marry me, and I was lucky she agreed to that. If I rush her into taking my last name, she might run away, and I can’t risk that happening.”