Total pages in book: 65
Estimated words: 65429 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 327(@200wpm)___ 262(@250wpm)___ 218(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 65429 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 327(@200wpm)___ 262(@250wpm)___ 218(@300wpm)
“If you’re asking me if I plan on being with anyone after you move, then the answer is no. Now if you’re asking me if I plan on you being with anyone after you move, then the answer is I’ll break his fucking legs if you do.”
I giggled. I couldn’t help it.
“Does that answer your questions?”
I beamed, feeling so much better. “Yes.”
He didn’t waver in replying…
“Good.”
Chapter
Ten
Livvy
He drove to our first destination, which was the zoo and aquarium. Guiding me through the animals, he held my hand the entire time of our private behind-the-scenes tour that he surprised me with. Ethan knew how much I loved animals. It didn’t matter what kind it was. If it was furry, I was obsessed with it.
“Aw! Look at the babies. I want to take one home,” I expressed, looking inside the lion cub cages.
“Want to hold one?”
I immediately looked back at him with a confused expression on my face.
“I’ll take that as a yes.” He chuckled, nodding behind me.
Out of nowhere, a man appeared, opening the gates for us to follow. We had to stay in the corner until he brought one of the cubs over to us.
“This is Meiko. He’s four months old,” the trainer informed us, setting him down on the ground.
I crouched down to pet him, and he wouldn’t stop licking my hand.
“Meiko loves the ladies,” he added, making me laugh.
“Hey, Meiko,” Ethan stated. “This one is mine.”
I rolled my eyes, enjoying his possessiveness, even with a lion.
Ethan snapped pictures of us with his phone before we moved into the huge circular aquarium.
“Wow,” I exclaimed, letting go of Ethan’s hand. I walked around in utter amazement at all the colors of the fish and sea life. “They’re so beautiful. Oh, I love this one!”
“That’s a Clarion angelfish.”
“I love this one, too!”
“That’s a koi.”
“What about that one?”
“A regal tang.”
I pointed at hundreds, and he knew each one.
“How did you know that?”
“I learned it in a book.”
“Is there anything you don’t know?”
He laughed me off, but it was a genuine question. Ethan was a wealth of knowledge, and I couldn’t believe how much it turned me on. After we finished our tour, he took me to get ice cream. I had such a sweet tooth. It was a running joke that I could probably live off sweets if needed.
That was one of the things I loved the most about Ethan. He always paid attention to all the little things. He could turn any situation into a loving one that usually left me in awe of him.
“Where are we going now?” I asked as he took the exit for the highway.
“Can’t I surprise you?”
I raised my eyebrow and cocked my head to the side.
“Yeah… good point,” he recognized.
I smiled.
“Your birthday is coming up.”
“My birthday isn’t for another few months.”
“I’m aware of when your birthday is,” he stated, reaching for my thigh, but I intercepted his hand at the last second.
“Ohhh! Did you see that, big man? Gotta be quicker than that. I have cat-like reflexes.”
“What was that?” he mocked, quickly gripping my inner thigh. “I’m sorry, I didn’t catch that? Cat-like what?”
I thrashed, squealing and laughing all at the same time until he finally let go.
Once I caught my breath, I questioned, “Now you were saying.”
“You mean before I was rudely interrupted?”
“Yes, before that.”
He looked at me, grinning.
“Look where you’re driving before you crash.”
He smiled, once again content. “Consider this a pre-celebration for your nineteenth birthday.”
He grabbed my hand, holding it in his lap for the rest of the ride to wherever he was taking me.
Ethan
Watching the way Livvy’s eyes widened as she took in the beauty of this place was a sight I’d never forget. I was doing this for her, but I was also doing it for myself. The expression on her face was worth making her wait to know what I was surprising her with.
I watched as she walked over the wooden bridge in the center of the flower garden to get a better view of all the flowers and roses. Her enticing bright green eyes glanced back at me over her shoulder, and I couldn’t gather a fucking thought. I’d never seen her look more beautiful than I did at that moment. The light of the shining sun heightened her features, emphasizing the freckles across her button nose and sculpted cheeks.
She’s stunning.
All these emotions I wasn’t expecting crept into the forefront of my mind, and I couldn’t control any of them. After all these years, all this time, Livvy didn’t look like my best friend, but like a woman I was seeing for the first time.
Right there.
In that second, I wanted more.
I wanted it all.
She was gorgeous, with her hair flowing loosely around her face. Although her beauty captured my attention, it was the expression on her face that consumed me the most. I’d seen Livvy in all forms.