Total pages in book: 88
Estimated words: 87573 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 438(@200wpm)___ 350(@250wpm)___ 292(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 87573 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 438(@200wpm)___ 350(@250wpm)___ 292(@300wpm)
I was frozen mid-step, uncertain whether to say something in her defense or walk away. I certainly couldn’t tell Whitt.
But I didn’t have to do anything.
Harley wrenched her head back away from him. I couldn’t see her expression, but I didn’t need to. The crack of her hand across his face was enough to know exactly what she was thinking.
Chase slowly turned back to look at her. There was fire in his eyes. Intense, demanding desire in every single inch of his demeanor. He was a caged lion who had picked the lock and was barely holding himself back.
“You were the one who said to wait,” she snarled. “Fuck you.”
Then, she pushed out of his embrace and dashed in the other direction. I wanted to run after her. To comfort her. But if it were me, I wouldn’t want anyone to know that it had ever happened. I bit my lip and was just about to go after her when Chase decided for us both, jogging out of the hotel ballroom in her direction.
Good luck with that, buddy.
I went in search of drinks. I got us our usual and then found Whitt at the head of the line. He said his congratulations to Jensen, ruffled Colton’s unruly hair, and then found me with a smile.
I passed him a bourbon and Coke, and we left the bustle of the election-night win to the rest of the Wrights. We stepped out onto the open-air balcony overlooking the lit-up Texas Tech campus. Whitt leaned against the railing and watched me with intense eyes.
“What?” I asked with a disarming laugh.
“Just can’t believe this is my life.”
“Compared to what?”
“Seattle,” he said evenly with a shrug. “I dated, but nothing ever went anywhere. I had a job, but no one respected me or cared about my ideas. I had friends, but I haven’t spoken to a single one since I moved.”
“I know what you mean. My life is completely different from just a year ago…let alone what it was like when I lived in Midland.”
“And so much of it is because of you.”
I leaned into his chest. “All of it is because of you.”
He laughed, a rumble against me. “Your job and friends and Bailey and the soccer team are all because of you, love.”
“Fine. Then, you make it all come together.”
“I accept this.”
He tipped my chin up to look into his eyes, and there was something deep and probing there.
“What?” I whispered breathlessly.
“I want to marry you.”
I laughed as shock took root in my body. “You what?”
“I want to marry you,” he repeated.
“Like today?” I joked.
He shook his head and took another sip of his bourbon. “No, not today. You’re not ready.”
“How do you know?”
“Because I know and love you, Eve Houston.”
I huffed. My insides were squirming at the words. Oh, how I wanted it to be true. To see a forever future with him. And how scared I was to commit to anything, even when it felt perfect in every way.
“So, what do you say?”
“To marrying you?” I gasped.
“Yes. Someday.”
I swallowed and then really thought about it. Wouldn’t it be a dream? To have the man of my dreams and not to have to ever worry about the state of us again? Wasn’t that what I wanted after all?
“I might say…yes,” I offered.
He plucked the words out of thin air and put his hand into his pocket. “I’ll tuck that away for later.”
I laughed. “So, you’re not going to do it?”
“What? Right now? I don’t have a ring,” he said, offended. As if he’d propose without a diamond.
“Well, I guess we can’t do it without a ring then.”
He slipped his hand into my hair and pulled me close again. “One day, I’m going to propose to you. You’ll never see it coming, love. It’ll be so romantic that you’ll be weak in the knees and barely able to get words out.”
My heart hammered in my chest. I wanted that. Fuck, I wanted it.
“But not tonight,” he finished, pulling my lips to his. “Tonight, you’re just mine. But one day, you’ll be mine forever.”
“Forever,” I whispered throatily. “I like the sound of that.”
“Good. I intend to keep that promise.”
Forever was a promise worth keeping. One I planned to hold him to. But right now, I was happy with living in the moment with him. As long as we were doing it together.