Total pages in book: 87
Estimated words: 79670 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 398(@200wpm)___ 319(@250wpm)___ 266(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79670 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 398(@200wpm)___ 319(@250wpm)___ 266(@300wpm)
“Stay,” I tell him when I stand in front of him, and his hand wraps around my waist.
“Gabriella, I want nothing more in this world than to stay with you,” he admits, his hand coming up and moving the hair away from my face. “Actually, there is one more thing in this world I want before that, but…”
I place my palms flat down on his chest. I can feel his muscles under the shirt, and even though it’s been eight months, I can tell you everything about it. Like the little freckle he has under his right nipple. Or that his stomach muscles contract when I run my fingernail from his neck to his stomach. “And that is?” I ask, my eyes seeking his.
He just shakes his head. “Not yet, but when the time is right, I’ll tell you,” he says softly. “I’m going to come and see you tomorrow.”
“Are you asking me or telling me?” I chuckle at the same time he does.
“A bit of both.” He leans down and kisses my lips. “Good night, Gabriella,” he says softly before he kisses my neck. “Lock up.”
He turns and opens the door, and I take a step back as he walks out. I hold the door handle in my hand. “Don’t forget to lock the door,” he reminds me as I watch him walk to the car. He stops at the driver’s door and puts his hands on top of the roof while he looks at me. “Thank you,” he says and I walk out onto the porch.
“For what?” I ask.
“For making my heart beat again,” he declares, winking at me. I huff out when he opens the driver’s door and gets in. I watch him wave at me and then blow a kiss before he drives off.
“What in the world just happened?” I ask the universe. I don’t know why but I’m expecting it to answer me back, but it doesn’t, so I turn around, making my way inside, locking the door before I turn off the light.
My phone pings from inside the kitchen, and I walk over to it and see he sent me a text. If I thought he was done for the night, I was wrong.
Just so we are clear. We are in a relationship. And you’re mine.
EIGHTEEN
ROMEO
I pull away from her with my heart in my throat. Pulling over at the stop sign and placing my head back, I take my phone out right away and text her.
Just so we are clear. We are in a relationship. And you’re mine.
Pressing send, I close my eyes and try to get my breathing back to normal. Laying my heart on the line, not knowing what would happen, was single-handedly the hardest fucking thing I’ve had to do in my life. But I had to do it, I had to fight for her and show her I was willing to fight.
Then walking away from her, I rub my hands over my face. It was a test—that is for sure. But I had to show her I wanted more than just to have sex with her. The next time we are together, it is going to be different. Her words stung when she told me she had better after me. I tried not to let it get to me, tried to play it off, but my throat got tight, my stomach lurched, and I thought I was going to vomit there in her house.
Finally, I pull away from the curb and head back to the hotel. When I get there, I toss the valet guy my keys. “Have a great night,” I tell him as he nods at me.
The hotel is eerily quiet when I walk in and go toward the elevator. The doors open as soon as I press the button. I get in and press my floor when the phone pings in my hand.
I look down and see she answered my text.
That sounds like a Facebook status change.
I laugh at the text, and I’m about to text her back when the doors open. I slip off my jacket as soon as I walk into the suite. Instead of texting her, I FaceTime her, unsure if she will answer or not.
I kick off my shoes and pull the shirt out of my pants while I see the little circle thing spin round and round as it says connecting. I sit on the couch in the dark room, waiting for her to come on screen. The minute I see her face, a smile fills my face, and I can’t even fucking help it. I feel like a kid in a candy store after his parents said, buy whatever you want. “Hey, beautiful,” I say, and I see that she’s in bed. “What are you doing?”
She turns over, and I see a little spaghetti strap on her shoulder, her head lying down on the pillow as she looks at me. “I’m on Tinder looking for a booty call since you left me all high and dry.”