Total pages in book: 32
Estimated words: 29962 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 150(@200wpm)___ 120(@250wpm)___ 100(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 29962 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 150(@200wpm)___ 120(@250wpm)___ 100(@300wpm)
I’ll be in Music City at the end of the month. I still don’t know what I’ll say to her or how I’ll convince her to be mine. But I have a diamond the size of my fist, and I’m a patient man. Even if I have to sit outside of her apartment for the rest of my life, I’ll convince her to be my wife.
Maybe by this time next year, I’ll be happily married to my dream girl. A fellow can’t ask for more than that.
My doorbell rings as I finish taping the last box. I’ve left out the sketchbooks of Thea I’ll pack last. Yeah, I spent the last six weeks sketching her. She’s my new muse.
The doorbell chimes again, and I grunt. There’s no one coming to see me. There are a few other mountain men that live around the area. Since I saw Whiskey, I quietly asked around. I’m beginning to suspect he’s living in the mountains of Courage County.
Stomping up to my door, I swing it open. I draw in a breath, prepared to tell off whoever had the audacity to interrupt something as important as packing to go see my soulmate.
But my breath leaves my lungs in a whoosh. Standing on my front porch is Thea Madison, my dream woman.
Chapter 6
Thea
I do another deep breathing exercise as soon as Jasper’s cabin comes into view. It’s Friday, and Valentine’s Day is this weekend. I took the day off from work so I could drive up here.
Everyone at my office probably thinks I have a sexy date for the most romantic week of the year. But that couldn’t be further from the truth. I’m going to deliver a message to the world’s hottest mountain man. A mountain man that knows every inch of my body and says the filthiest things to me while he’s coming deep inside my pussy.
Gathering my courage, I force myself to walk up Jasper’s porch. My legs shake, and memories of last time I showed up on someone’s porch unannounced replay in my mind. I force the bad memories back. That doesn’t matter now.
All that matters is that I give Jasper the message. After that, what he does with the information is up to him.
When he doesn’t answer the doorbell on the first ring, I’m tempted to leave. I mean, it’s not like I didn’t try. But I remember my baby and hold onto my resolve for a moment longer. I ring the bell a second time, and that’s when I hear loud stomping.
For a moment I wonder if he’s going to be furious with me. It took the two of us to make a little life, but some guys don’t see it that way. Not that it matters. Whatever happens, my baby is growing up loved. I’ll make sure of that.
Jasper yanks open the door, and I’m instantly lost in his chocolate gaze all over again. I want to fling myself into his arms and tell him how much I’ve missed him. I want to beg him to hold me so I can finally get a good night’s sleep. But I don’t do any of that.
“Hey…” The word comes out shaky and too high.
I’ve negotiated deals for millions of dollars, given presentations to rooms filled with men who have the power to make and break industry names, but I’ve never been this nervous.
Shock flickers on his handsome face before he schools his expression. He’s hard to read and for a moment, I wish I could hear his thoughts. “Hey, beautiful.”
My cheeks warm but this is no time for me to get distracted by my crush on him. No, it’s better to tell him the truth right now so he can reject me quickly. It’ll sting less that way. “I’m pregnant.”
He looks me up and down, jaw slack. “P-Pregnant?”
“And it’s—” I rush to add. I haven’t thought of being with another man since he touched me. His are the only hands I want on my body and ever since I got pregnant, I ache for his touch again. I squeeze my thighs together even now remembering the beard burn between them from last time.
“It’s mine,” he sounds almost angry when he says the words and slams the door closed.
I deflate, closing my eyes for a brief moment. “At least that’s over.”
Now I’m going to drive back to Nashville and find the best pie in town. I’m going to eat as much of it as I can and not feel hurt about this.
“It doesn’t matter that he doesn’t want us,” I whisper to my baby.
I turn to leave the porch, but the door swings open again. Only now, Jasper is holding out a ring box to me. In his deepest growl, he says, “Marry me.”
“What?” I sputter. I can’t believe this. This isn’t the 1950s. His words are the last thing I expected after the way he slammed the door.