Total pages in book: 85
Estimated words: 82951 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 415(@200wpm)___ 332(@250wpm)___ 277(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82951 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 415(@200wpm)___ 332(@250wpm)___ 277(@300wpm)
“I’ll talk you into it,” she says with confidence. “Now, where were we before?”
“Hold that thought.” I cross over to the bathroom, and to the drawers that London cleared out for me. I hid her gift in the bottom drawer.
“You didn’t have to get me anything,” she insists, but her eyes are bright and fixed on the red-papered box in my hand. “Gimme.”
With a grin, I pass it to her, and she quickly rips the paper away, then opens the black velvet box and sighs.
“Oh, Drew. These are gorgeous.”
“Another something I found in Montana,” I reply as London brushes the tip of her finger over the sapphire earrings. “Those sapphires are mined in Montana, and I thought they were pretty.”
“They’re beautiful.” She immediately pulls them out of the box and affixes them to her ears, then rushes over to the mirror to admire them. “You know, I think we should always exchange gifts like this, just the two of us. Make it a new tradition.”
The fact that she’s thinking of future holidays together, that this is only the first of many, is sexy as fuck.
“I can live with that. You probably couldn’t have given that book to me in front of Caleb.”
She wrinkles her nose in disgust. “Ew. No. I don’t want to damage the poor kid. Now, really, where were we?”
“I believe you requested that I get bossy.”
“Oh, yeah.” A slow, satisfied smile spreads over those lips. “Let’s definitely do that.”
“On the bed. Scoot back, and lose the clothes.”
Her eyes dilate, and her mouth opens, but she doesn’t hesitate to comply. She scrambles out of her holiday dress, and my mouth goes slack when I see that she’s in thigh-high stockings.
“Wait,” I say. She pauses with her hands at the top of one of the stockings. “You can keep those on. With the shoes.”
“That’s not a cliché at all.”
“There’s a reason it’s a cliché,” I reply as I walk to the door and lock it, then shed my jeans, tug my shirt over my head, and push onto the bed, already hard and ready for her. “Because it’s a thing.”
“Okay, I’ll leave them.” She leans back against the pillows, wearing her black bra and the garter, and I’ve never seen anything so fucking hot. “Remember, we have to be quiet.”
“I won’t forget.”
And I’ll make sure she doesn’t forget, either.
“Mr. Ambrose will see you now.” The young receptionist nods politely to me and then escorts me, over carpet so thick I sink into it, down a long hallway, to an office that sits on the top floor of a high-rise that’s coincidentally next door to Uncle Luke’s production company.
When I step inside, I’m surprised to see that Rome is here, as well.
I asked for a meeting with London’s dad and thought that, because of Christmas being tomorrow, he would want to meet at his home.
I guessed wrong.
“Hello, Drew,” Chandler says with a nod. “I hope you don’t mind that Rome is joining us.”
“Not at all,” I reply easily and shake both of their hands. “Thanks for seeing me on such short notice.”
“Not at all,” Chandler replies again and sits in his chair, steepling his hands. “How can I help you? I trust everything with our quarterbacks is okay.”
“Yes, sir, the team is doing well.” I sit across from him and glance over at Rome, who’s watching me with a smug grin on his lips. “I wanted to discuss London with you.”
“Go on,” Chandler replies.
“I’d like to marry your daughter, sir, and I would like your blessing before I propose to her.”
“I see.” He glances at Rome and then down at his hands. “And if I say no?”
“I’ll still ask her.” I smile humorlessly. “But my parents raised me to be respectful, and I’d like your blessing before I do.”
“I told you the night of the gala that this wouldn’t last,” he replies after a moment of consideration. “We both know that she came with you that night to shake off Felix.”
“Maybe. But that’s not the situation now. It hasn’t been for a long while.”
“No, I can see that. What is it about my daughter that you think you’ve fallen in love with?”
I sit back and take a deep breath. “I hope you have some time on your hands for this answer. London is smart. She has a sharp intellect and a quick wit, and because of those qualities, along with compassion and passion, she’s been successful in her businesses. All of her businesses. She loves working and building something to be proud of. She’s so fucking funny. She makes me laugh all the time, and you know what? She’s not afraid to stick up for herself, to stand up for what’s right.”
I shake my head, thinking of how she called me out in Montana.
“She’s brave. And she wants to belong to something great. She wants a close family, but she’s too shy to ask for one. London’s loyal, Mr. Ambrose. Sometimes I wonder if she’s loyal to a fault, but I don’t think so. She loves you.”