Total pages in book: 89
Estimated words: 84203 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 421(@200wpm)___ 337(@250wpm)___ 281(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 84203 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 421(@200wpm)___ 337(@250wpm)___ 281(@300wpm)
The thought both scares and excites me.
“Jesus,” Micah says when he sees me. “You look stunning, Hellcat.”
He’s dressed in a sharp suit that somehow is even sexier than the usual suits he wears, his hair is gelled in that messy look only men can get away with, and his face is sporting some sexy five-day stubble that burned the inside of my thighs last night when he ate me for dessert and made me come several times.
He steps toward me and kisses the corner of my mouth, careful not to ruin my lipstick, and I inhale his fresh, masculine scent. I don’t know what it is about the cologne he wears, but every time I smell it, I instantly relax, like just the scent of him alone calms me.
“For you.” He reveals a black box and opens it, exposing an exquisite chain in white gold or maybe platinum. Hanging from the chain is a simple, yet elegant, ballet slipper.
When I glance up at him in question, he smiles softly. “You once told me it was your dream to dance but that life got in the way. This is to remind you of your dream. It may not be for a traveling ballet company, but one day you will dance again the way you were meant to.
He removes the necklace from the box and gestures for me to turn around. As I turn, I lift my hair, and Micah clasps the chain around my neck. When the charm falls onto my chest, I glance down at it, my emotions getting the best of me.
“Thank you,” I choke out, turning back around to look at him. “Thank you for everything you’ve done for me and for Ellie.” I sniffle loudly, trying and failing to hold it together, and he gently swipes a tear from my cheek. “But also… thank you for loving me even when I tried to push you away.”
“You never have to thank me for that,” he says. “Loving you is the easiest thing I’ve ever done.”
Once I’ve gotten a handle on my emotions and have touched up my makeup, Micah takes us to an upscale restaurant before we make our way over to the Royal Opera House. Dinner is delicious, and the show is breathtakingly beautiful. I laugh and I cry, and the entire time, Micah holds my hand and listens to me talk about the details of the performance.
When it’s over, we head back to the hotel so we can get some sleep before our flight the next day. As I sit on the bed undoing the straps of my heels, I watch Micah shrug his suit jacket off his shoulders and loosen his tie. As I do, I can’t help but imagine us both getting completely undressed and then him laying me out on the bed so he can make love to me. But I quickly shake off the thought because as much as I want Micah and have grown to like him, I’m not in love with him.
Sure, my heart beats quicker when he’s around.
And yes, butterflies have taken up permanent residence in my belly every time he’s near.
And yeah, he’s thoughtful and caring and puts me and Ellie before everything else.
And when he smiles at me, it feels like he’s looking straight into my soul.
And when we’re together, his focus is solely on me, like we’re the only two people in the entire world.
And when he’s kissing me and touching me, it’s as though he knows my body better than I do.
And when we finish and he makes it a point to carry me to the shower to clean me up, I feel cherished and treasured.
And when we go to bed, and I wrap myself around him, he holds me tight, making me feel safer than I’ve ever felt in my life.
But love? No. It’s not love. It can’t be.
Micah turns around, his tie hanging loose around his neck, his shirt partly unbuttoned to expose a small spatter of chest hair. He smiles softly at me, and then suddenly it hits me like a train going at full speed with no brakes… Holy shit, it’s happened. He warned me it would, but I didn’t want to believe it. But he was right. I’ve fallen in love with him. I’m in love with Micah Alexander!
“What?” he asks, as he continues to unbutton his shirt.
When I don’t say anything, unsure of what the hell to even say, he walks over and kneels in front of me. “Hellcat, what’s wrong?”
As I consider how to word what I need to say, my fingers go to the ballet slipper charm that Micah gave me. Patiently, he waits for me to gather my thoughts.
“When I was a little girl, my dream was to dance. I lived and breathed it, and it was all I wanted. And when I got older and learned it wouldn’t be possible, I was so devastated that I stopped dreaming. I stopped living. I went into survival mode. I picked a major that would ensure I could take care of Ellie, I got a job that paid the bills and my schooling. The only future I allowed myself to see was one where Ellie and I were out of that hellhole and away from our mom. These past several years have been rough. I’ve struggled every day to keep a roof over our heads and food in our bellies. I couldn’t afford to dream. Not about my future and definitely not about love…until you.”