Total pages in book: 154
Estimated words: 149209 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 746(@200wpm)___ 597(@250wpm)___ 497(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 149209 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 746(@200wpm)___ 597(@250wpm)___ 497(@300wpm)
“Together, we can face anything. Shall we tell my mother and your father?”
“Yes. Just… I want another moment alone with you.” She squeezed his hand. “This is the happiest night of my life! The win, the engagement… Wow, almost too much good stuff to take in. I feel so complete.”
He brought her against him for a lingering embrace. “Me, too. I will be here to share your triumphs for the rest of our lives. But…” he frowned. “What happened to the blackmailer? He threatened to circulate Kristoff’s video to the judges to prevent you from competing and winning.”
“I know. I’ve been scratching my head, too. Maybe he changed his mind?”
A pounding on the door interrupted their closeness and musings. Oops…someone wanted their office back, and they’d made an absolute mess.
Ali opened the door with an apology on his lips. “We are very sorry…”
But instead of an event manager standing on the other side, it was Kristoff.
“What?” Shanna asked. “Is something wrong?”
“I must talk to you.”
She’d promised to talk to him in fifteen minutes. She supposed those were pretty much up. “Okay.”
Kristoff paced; he looked oddly hesitant. “You are happy we won, yes?”
“Of course! Aren’t you?”
He nodded. “Very.”
“I don’t know how, given your footage and the threat but—”
“I did that.”
“Did what?”
Grimacing, he confessed, “I created the video. Before you force me from Sneak Peek…” He risked a glance at Ali. “The people in the video consented to be filmed. They are my…how should I say, boyfriend and girlfriend. We are together, and they agreed to help me.”
Shanna had no idea Kristoff was in any sort of relationship, much less with both a man and a woman. Whatever floated his boat, but… “You’re telling me you filmed the clip and left it for me with the blackmailing note? You staged this? Why the hell… I worried until I was sure I had no stomach left for days!”
“This, I know. I apologize. But, um…before I invest more years in being your partner, I must know if you will stay with me. If I pretended like the news of my relationship reached the judges, I wondered what would you do, keep me or dump me.”
“So the blackmail…it wasn’t real?”
“No.” He grimaced. “Please do not hate me.”
A moment of anger surged through her…then died. He would never have needed to test her if she hadn’t spent years partner swapping to feed an ambition that, in the long run, had nearly consumed her spirit and happiness.
“I don’t hate you. Just don’t, um…surprise me again.”
“Now I know where I stand, so…never.” He snatched up her left hand, noted the ring there, and grabbed her in a bear hug. “Engaged? Congratulations! You are happy, yes?”
“Incredibly so.” She sent Ali a warm smile, and he caressed her back in return.
“I think all will be good now,” Kristoff pronounced.
“Not just good.” Ali brought her closer to his side, and she rested her head on his shoulder. “It’s going to be perfect. I’m going to be so happy.”
“Are you sure?” Ali teased.
“I’m a champion with a great dance partner and a wonderfully hot fiancé. Oh, yeah.” Shanna sent him a saucy smile of challenge. “Don’t believe I’ll be happy? Just watch me.”
He slid his arms around her, and his kiss promised a passion that left her reeling. “Oh, I will.”