Total pages in book: 105
Estimated words: 98965 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 495(@200wpm)___ 396(@250wpm)___ 330(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 98965 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 495(@200wpm)___ 396(@250wpm)___ 330(@300wpm)
When I let myself into the hotel room, my head was down as I rubbed my shoulder. The last thing I expected when I looked up was Aria, in a white summer dress that highlighted her olive skin, sitting on the sofa, her long legs crossed.
Waiting for me.
What the … “How? When? Why?”
After the hotel in Berlin had let Barbara slip past security, my team had made sure this hotel’s security was top fucking notch.
Thank God, they were apparently wrong.
Anticipation thrummed through me as she stood and bridged the distance between us. “The hotel manager recognized me and is a fan of our coupling. About an hour ago. And I had to fly all this way to tell you something really, really important.” Reaching me, she slid her arms around my neck, pressing her soft, warm body to mine.
I wrapped my arms around her waist, relaxing instantly now that she was here. All of a sudden, everything felt right in the world. Aye, I was a sappy arsehole. “What’s so important it couldn’t wait?”
Her lips twitched as her eyes searched mine. There was no guard up in her expression now. No barriers. Her love for me was clear to see. “I needed to tell you that you’re ‘the one.’ My forever. That I’m honored to be your family. That you’ll always be my family too. Always.”
Too much joy swelled in my throat. I couldn’t hold back my tears, and I didn’t give a fuck. Because I had been waiting a long time to find my family again. Twenty-three years of searching. Now she was here.
In my arms.
My family. My home.
Thirty-Six
ARIA
Ididn’t know what I’d expected when I returned to LA. Certainly not to feel nostalgic. Yes, this was my hometown, but a lot of hurt had happened here. However, instead of feeling all of that, I remembered driving to Beverly Hills with my friends and hanging out on Rodeo Drive, our lives so different from other kids. But those were the moments when the differences didn’t feel bad. We felt lucky. And happy. We weren’t thinking about absentee parents or the pressures of living up to successful moms and dads. We were privileged and enjoying it for once.
I wanted to remember that Aria, the one who was grateful for her privilege and her sweet boyfriend and funny friends to spend her hot summer days with.
Strolling down Rodeo, I had to admit that the scorching sun was nice when you didn’t have it all year round. It beat down on my back as I looked in the window of Jimmy Choo. My hard-earned cash had mostly been spent on airplane tickets these past few months, but I was in a good mood, and the übercool rose gold sunglasses in the window called to me.
Screw it.
I strode in and sighed at the heavenly AC that cooled my skin. A retail assistant was at my side in seconds and I was out the door, popping on my new sunglasses within five minutes. Mamma would be so proud I was spending money on designer stuff. Well, she would be if she wasn’t so pissed at me right now.
She, Dad, and Allegra were currently at the beach house in Scotland while I was in LA for the first time in over two years.
“Oh, of course! You fly to California as soon as your entire famiglia fly to Scozia for you!”
It was true. I had followed North to LA for a week while my family was in Scotland. However, I’d spent two weeks with them, and I’d spend more time with them when I got back. But North had wrapped filming on Birdwatcher, and although we’d had some alone time, my family was kind of smitten with him. He loved it. And I loved that my mother cooed over him like a proper mom rather than flirting with him, that my dad showed him respect and admiration, and that Allegra teased and laughed with him like a little sister.
I loved giving North that.
But I also wanted him to myself for a week.
He was taking meetings in LA—two for movies and one for a TV show. To my surprise, North had wanted my opinion on the scripts his agent sent him, and these were the three we whittled it down to.
While he took a meeting this afternoon, I’d promised him I’d be fine doing a little shopping and not much else. I won’t lie—after running Ardnoch almost twenty-four seven for the last two years, I didn’t know what to do with downtime. I was restless.
I wandered through Beverly Hills, crossing Wilshire to go to a gelato place Allegra had recommended. While waiting in line, I felt a burning on my cheek and turned to see a tourist snapping a photo of me before noting I’d seen her do it. She blushed and hurried quickly away.