Total pages in book: 60
Estimated words: 57761 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 289(@200wpm)___ 231(@250wpm)___ 193(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 57761 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 289(@200wpm)___ 231(@250wpm)___ 193(@300wpm)
“Jinjja?” she mumbles against my chest.
“Yes, really.” She pulls her arms from between us, and when she wraps them around me, it only makes me hold her tighter.
Whenever Falcon held Layla or Mason hugged Kingsley, it looked like they were two puzzle pieces that fit perfectly. And it made me wonder what Lee and I would look like to others if we hugged.
Lee fits so perfectly against me that there’s no doubt in my mind that people won’t see two puzzle pieces, but just one solid piece.
I pull back a little and bring my one hand up to her face, and first tuck some hair behind her ear before I place a finger under her chin, nudging her up until she looks at me.
“For two years, I wondered what you would be like. I literally spent hours thinking about you and whether we would be able to make a marriage work between us.”
She rests her hands on my sides, and it makes the corners of my mouth lift.
“I used to find myself hoping we would just like each other instantly. I figured it would make things easier. When we started with the video chats, I thought shit this girl is stunning and as time went by I got used to thinking of you as my fiancée.”
I glance out over the distance for a couple of seconds before I bring my eyes back to her. This is something I have to tell her before shit goes sideways and I don’t get the chance again.
“And then I met you and… to say you were a dream come to life would be an understatement.” I frame her face with both my hands and lock my eyes with hers. “Even if this deal between your father and CRC falls through, I still want to date you. I still want the chance to get to know everything about you.”
Her tongue darts out, and she wets her lips, and it instantly draws my eyes to her mouth.
I’m still staring like an idiot when she pulls away, and then she says, “When I got home and met my father for the first time, I was told I’d marry an American man. I had just turned sixteen, and didn’t even have the time to think about boys.” She gives me an apologetic look. “I didn’t want to leave my home. I didn’t want to marry you. After my mother had me, my father got a mistress, and she gave him the son he wanted. I didn’t want the same life for myself.”
Every word I hear feels like it’s strangling my heart.
Lee turns away from me and faces the sunrise. “I didn’t want to marry you, only to be discarded after I gave birth to the next heir. I spent two years trying to think of ways I could make you hate me so you would break off the engagement.”
I close my eyes because it hurts to hear the truth, but I have to listen because this is Lee’s story and how she feels matters.
“Then… I met you.” She pauses for a little while before she continues, “You have the kindest eyes. That was my first thought when I saw you.”
I hear her move and opening my eyes, I see her moving closer to me. She looks down, and for a moment, she hesitates before she reaches out and takes hold of my hand. Bringing our hands up between us, she brushes her thumb over the back of mine. “I wondered whether your hands would be cruel or kind.”
Too quickly, she lets go of my hand, and I have to hold myself back, so I don’t reach for her again.
“Walking around campus, I’ve seen how other guys treat girls. I even kicked one of them.” She lets out a chuckle. Lifting her eyes to mine, the smile stays around her lips. “You’ve respected my culture and me. You took me in, and you haven’t once treated me like I was a stranger from another country. Your friends accepted me without asking any questions. Everything changed the moment we came here, I learned that even when you get angry, and you make a mistake, you apologize.”
She takes a deep breath and then her features soften, and I see emotions in her eyes, she hasn’t allowed me to see up until now.
My heartbeat speeds up again, and a smile begins to pull at the corners of my mouth.
“I no longer want to make you hate me, Lake. I now want to know what it would be like to hold the hand of the man I like for the first time.”
I take a step closer to her, not breaking eye contact. Slowly, I move my hand forward until it brushes against hers, and then I pull back an inch. The smile on my face stretches when her lips part, and she begins to breathe a little faster.