Total pages in book: 69
Estimated words: 64406 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 322(@200wpm)___ 258(@250wpm)___ 215(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 64406 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 322(@200wpm)___ 258(@250wpm)___ 215(@300wpm)
Harrison held her hand in his. “Good. Derek is going with your father to where she’s being held to see her. He said he’ll fill us in later.”
“Okay. I feel so sorry for Nikki and Derek, and even for my fa-ther.” She stuttered over the word, but it was getting easier to say.
“I know. You all have a lot to face depending on how Collette handles her plea.”
“Yeah. But let’s not worry about that now.”
He nodded. “I’m glad you’re open to a relationship with the senator. You deserve a parent who loves you. So does Nikki and I hope they can work things out, too.”
They sat in silence and Winter thought back to that moment in her hospital room, just her and her newfound family. The advice her father gave her had resonated deeply.
Now that the situation with Collette was resolved, she had a choice to make. She could take her father’s words to heart and be brave. She could tell Harrison how she felt about him, or she could say nothing, ride out this pregnancy as co-parents who occasionally sleep together, and be riddled with regret.
She looked into his handsome face and knew he was everything she wanted in a partner. No matter how difficult things had gotten, he hadn’t let her down. He’d been there for her, and she wanted the right to do the same for him.
“Harrison?”
“Winter?”
They spoke at the same time and both let out a laugh.
“Ladies first,” he said, leaning an arm on the bed, which had him semi-reclining over her legs.
She swallowed hard. “I realize things have changed dramatically from our summer agreement.”
He opened his mouth to speak, but she held up her hand.
“Please. I need to do this all at once.” Before she lost her nerve.
His gaze narrowed and concern flickered in his eyes. But he nodded. “Go ahead.”
“As I said, things have changed since our temporary arrangement, our agreed-upon summer fling. And once the shock of me being pregnant wore off, you have stepped up in ways I never expected.”
“It was hardly a chore,” he said, obviously unable to keep quiet. “I’ve said it before, but once the notion settled, I knew—”
“No. My turn. You said I could go first,” she reminded him. “Anyway. Now that there’s no threat, we no longer need to be under one roof. You can go back to your life and I can live mine, and I can fill you in on everything going on with the pregnancy just like I promised I would.”
This was hard, and she wasn’t making her point well. Her heart was beating so fast that she actually felt the throb in her injured temple. But Harrison had frowned as she started to speak and his expression had morphed into a deeper scowl the longer she went on, which she really hoped was a good omen.
“Is that all?” he asked, a muscle ticking in his jaw.
“No,” she whispered. “I could do all those things, but I don’t want to. I don’t want to go home and live separate lives and act like what happened between us these past few weeks has meant nothing to me. Because being with you? It’s been everything. At least for me.”
“Yeah?” he asked, drawing himself upright. “What exactly are you saying?”
Oh, he wasn’t going to make this easy, she thought. Because when all was said and done, she’d been the one with the walls a mile high. She’d done her best to enjoy him, their intimacy, the sex, their time together while still keeping him at an emotional distance.
“Winter?” he asked, a knowing smile lifting his lips. “Say it,” he all but dared her.
Go big or go home, she thought. She could do it, knowing he would catch her. Knowing her heart was safe with him. That she was safe with him.
“I’m saying I love you, Harrison Dare.”
His eyes somehow lit with happiness and darkened with desire—at the same time. “Well, thank God for that because there was no way I was letting you walk out of this house without telling you the same thing.”
“Harrison?” she asked, a certain smile pulling at her lips. “Say it.” It was her turn to dare him.
“I love you, Winter Capwell.”
The words caused her heart to swell with pleasure.
He clasped her face with his palms and stared into her eyes. “Does this mean you’re not going home? You’re moving in with me?”
Winter thought about Nikki and Asher, and the stories she’d heard about Nick and Aurora when they’d found each other again, and now she and Harrison. “You Dare men don’t waste any time, do you?”
“When we find the one, why in the world should we?” His thumb brushed back and forth over her cheek, the feather-light touch arousing her despite the fact that she couldn’t do anything about it now. “You still didn’t answer me, beautiful. You’re not going home, right?”