Total pages in book: 77
Estimated words: 75457 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 377(@200wpm)___ 302(@250wpm)___ 252(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75457 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 377(@200wpm)___ 302(@250wpm)___ 252(@300wpm)
She pets his head. “Spit it out, Sinclair. Do you love the guy or not?”
I let out a squeaky laugh. When she showed up unexpectedly ten minutes ago, I blurted out that I had not only kissed Jameson, but I had slept with him. As I shared that I was falling for him, my phone rang. I rushed off to answer it in private since it was related to my secret project.
“That’s a yes.” She smiles. “Does he know?”
I take a seat next to her. “I don’t think so, or maybe. I don’t know.”
“If you act this flustered around him, he knows.”
“I don’t act like this.” I pet Dudley’s head as he falls asleep on the skirt of her dress. “I act like me when I’m with him. I can be me, and I think he loves me for it.”
“So he loves you too?”
I laugh at the lilt in her voice. Since she fell for Dominick, Arietta is a true romantic.
“Will you keep living with him?” She looks around. “If I get a vote in it, I vote in the affirmative because this penthouse is beautiful, and there is a lot of room for all your kids to run around.”
“All my kids?” I question. “Who said I’m even thinking about kids?”
She reaches up to tap the center of my forehead. “You’re thinking about everything that comes with loving Jameson, including a marriage proposal, a wedding, and kids.”
“Do you think about kids?” I ask to deflect her.
Her eyes widen behind her glasses. “A lot. Can you imagine how cute my babies will be? They’ll look like Dominick and me.”
I smile. “They’ll be beautiful.”
“We’re going to get married, and then we’ll talk about timing.” She tilts her head. “We both want at least two kids.”
Butterflies flutter in my stomach when I think about talking kids with Jameson. I haven’t even told him that I love him yet.
“When you ask me to be your maid of honor, I’ll say yes.”
I kiss her cheek. “I think if that happens, you’ll be a matron of honor by then.”
“Maybe.” Her eyebrows dance. “We both found the other half of our hearts, Sin. How lucky are we?”
I rest my head on her shoulder. “Pretty lucky.”
“Very, very lucky,” she corrects me. “Are you ready to go for lunch now?”
I glance toward the penthouse door. Jameson is due back sometime later today. I have a special dinner planned for him, but I have more than enough time to squeeze in lunch with Arietta before heading to the grocery store. “I’m ready. Where should we go?”
She taps her chin. “You pick. I’m just happy that we found some time to hang out with each other.”
I reach to squeeze her hand. “Me too. Law school sucks up all your time.”
“Law school and my handsome fiancé,” she corrects me with a wink. “What about you? You must be working on a new project in addition to sleeping with your roommate.”
I laugh. “I’m working on something very special. If Berk’s on board with it, it’ll change my life and a lot of other people’s lives too.”
She pushes her glasses up the bridge of her nose. “I’m curious. Did you sign an NDA, or can you give me the inside scoop?”
“No inside scoop just yet.” I smile. “When I can share more details, you’ll be the second person I tell.”
“Berk is the first?” she assumes.
“Technically, Berk will be second, so I guess that makes you third.”
Her bottom lip juts out in a fake pout. “Who is first? Your future husband?”
I nod because I am talking about Jameson, and the idea of sharing my life with him makes my heart swell in my chest. “I will ask you to stand next to me if I marry him, Arietta.”
“I want you there beside me when I marry Dominick.”
I jump to my feet. “What?”
She gently moves to cradle Dudley in her arms before she stands. “I should have asked sooner, but will you be my maid of honor, Sinclair?”
Tears well in my eyes as I take her and my dog in my arms. “I’d be honored.”
“Good.” She sighs. “And I’ll return the favor when you walk down the aisle to become Sinclair Morgan-Sheppard.”
Three hours later, I fumble with my keys as I try and balance a big bag of groceries with the phone in my hand.
Lunch with Arietta was great. After we said goodbye, I walked through Central Park. That quick trek turned into an hour-long people watching session while I sat on a bench.
One of the men I’ve been eager to talk with about my project called me unexpectedly. I spent more than sixty minutes listening to him reminisce about his past. As he told me stories about the lively parties he attended in this very city, I watched people wander past me.
I’ve traveled the world extensively, but there’s something about the energy of Manhattan that fuels my creativity.