Total pages in book: 224
Estimated words: 215705 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1079(@200wpm)___ 863(@250wpm)___ 719(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 215705 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1079(@200wpm)___ 863(@250wpm)___ 719(@300wpm)
“Yes,” she says, her hands pressed to my face. “I understand because I’m going to marry the love of my life, once, and only once.”
I cover her hands with mine and kiss one before settling them on my chest. “Then stop making decisions based on my bastard of a father. Deal?”
“Yes. Deal. But did you even consider that maybe I might be impatient to just be your wife?”
“Is that right?”
“Yes, it is. I’m impatient but you’re worth whatever wait we decide on. Let’s go get our tree. What color bulbs do you like?”
“Bulbs? Color?”
She laughs. “Yes. You know those decorations that go on the tree.”
“Whatever gets us under the tree fastest,” I tease, and then add. “We’ll figure it out together.”
“Yes. We’ll figure it out together.”
She smiles, and that beautiful smile lights up the room and my heart. I pull open the door and a few minutes later we’re in the back of a hired car on our way to pick out a tree. We’ve just arrived at Rockefeller Center when Carrie spies a coffee shop. “We have to have coffee while we shop for trees. It’s an unwritten rule.”
“Is that right?”
“Yes. It is.”
“Well then, by all means, let’s get coffee.”
We’re about to head inside when she grabs my arm and turns me to face her. “Reid.” There’s this vulnerable quality to her voice that has me caressing her cheek.
“What is it, baby?”
“I haven’t put up a tree in years. It felt weird because I was alone but I missed it. I really love that I have you to do this with.”
“And I love that you woke me up and made me live again, Carrie. I love that we’re doing this.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah, I do.” I kiss her temple. “Let’s get that coffee.”
She nods. “Yes, please.”
“So many manners,” I tease. “Just remember that word for later.”
“Yes or please?”
“Both actually,” I say, laughing and opening the door for her.
We head inside and order our coffees when my cellphone rings. I pull it from my pocket to find my father’s number. “Give me a minute,” I say, and I don’t wait for Carrie to ask who it is. I don’t need my father destroying yet another moment.
I head for the door and step outside, answering the line. “Father.”
“You got the whiskey, I assume? I expected a thank you call.”
“You mean you expected me to call and defend my woman, but as you probably figured out, she can take care of herself.”
“She’s interesting, and thanks to you, West Enterprises is worth a lot of money. I hope you plan to absorb the company.”
Holy fuck. He’s going to twist this. He’s going to make it seem like I was after her money.
“I think I’ll let you keep her,” he says. “It was a savvy move, son. Drink that scotch and celebrate how damn good you are. I am.” He hangs up.
“Fuck you, father,” I growl, shoving my phone in my pocket.
Carrie walks out of the door and steps in front of me, two coffees in her hands. “I heard that. What happened?”
I don’t want to tell her, but I’m not giving my father a chance to turn this on me. “He thinks I’m marrying you to absorb your company into ours.”
She hands me my coffee. “Well, at least he approves of me now. I’m thinking of red and silver bulbs.”
“Red and silver bulbs. That’s all you have to say?”
“The longer we stand here, the longer it is until we’re under the tree.”
I laugh and slide my arm around her. “Then let’s get to shopping, baby. Because I really need to fuck you sooner than later.”
Chapter eighty-two
Carrie
“It’s tilted to the left,” I say to Reid, who is on top of a ladder adjusting our gorgeous silver angel topper on our giant tree, decorated in red and silver. “Now it’s too far right,” I amend.
“Again?” he asks, over his shoulder, while I’m looking at how perfect his backside is in the sweats he put on when we got home earlier. All those squats I now know he does in the mornings have worked out quite nicely for me.
“Yes,” I say, biting my lip because no, not really. The topper is fine. “A little left.” He moves the angel. “Now right.”
“That’s it,” Reid says. “I’m done. Let the leaning angel just be happy.” He climbs down the ladder and I’m laughing when he turns to face me.
He frowns and pulls me in front of him. “What’s so funny?”
“The topper was fine a long time ago. I was just enjoying the view.”
His eyes light. “Is that right?”
“Yes. That’s right.”
“All right then,” he says, cupping my breasts, his thumbs stroking my bare nipples beneath the barely-there tank top I changed into earlier, sans the bra. “Show me yours,” and he tugs down the tank, his gaze raking over my exposed nipples, the air cold and his gaze hot.