Total pages in book: 90
Estimated words: 87005 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 435(@200wpm)___ 348(@250wpm)___ 290(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 87005 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 435(@200wpm)___ 348(@250wpm)___ 290(@300wpm)
When we pull back, I cup her face in my hands, looking for a sign that this isn’t what she wants. She’s giving up so much for me. I make a silent vow to give her the world while she’s mine.
“You sure about this, baby?” The endearment is one I’ve never used with her, but it rolls off my tongue with ease.
“Never been more certain,” she replies. Her tongue peeks out to lick her lips, and I have to taste her.
My mouth presses to hers. It’s a gentle brush of our lips, but it’s not enough. I trace her lips with my tongue, and she opens for me. My tongue glides past her lips and against hers with practiced ease. It’s as if I’ve been kissing her for years. This doesn’t feel like a first kiss. This feels like a promise of what’s to come.
It’s not until I hear catcalls and clapping that I pull away from her. Not too far. I rest my forehead against hers, still holding her in my arms.
“They’re never going to let us live that down,” I say once I’ve caught my breath.
“It’s not a crime to kiss your fiancée.”
“You’re going to be my wife.” A thrill rushes through me. She might not be mine forever, but she’s mine for now, and I’m going to have to learn to be okay with that.
“Yeah,” she agrees.
“Let me see.” Next to us, Emerson pulls Monroe from my arms to inspect the ring. “Damn, Legend, you did good,” she says.
The girls laugh, and I know I’m smiling like a fool.
“That didn’t look fake,” Roman says from his spot next to me.
I shrug. “She wanted it to be real. She says that if this the only proposal she’s going to get, she wanted it to be authentic.”
“Is it real for you?”
“Of course it is. She’s going to be my wife.”
“That’s not what I meant, Legend, and you know it.”
“It’s as real as we are making it.” That’s a non-answer, and we both know it. I can’t tell him that it’s real as fuck. When I was down on one knee, I didn’t think about why or how we got there. All I could think about was that my ring was going to be on her finger.
She’s mine.
CHAPTER
TWELVE
Monroe
I’m standing in front of the mirror in a room designated for the bride and staring at my reflection when there’s a knock at the door. We opted for a small venue on the outside of town for our wedding. I considered getting married at my parents’ place but eventually decided against it.
I’m glad I did. The venue is beautiful. Everyone pitched in, and I love the outcome.
“I’ll get it,” Emerson says, moving toward the door. She opens it just a crack. “Nope. You can’t see the bride before the wedding.”
“But—”
“Not happening on my watch, Raines.”
I laugh when I turn to see Emerson blocking the door with her foot and crossing her arms. Her hand is resting on her baby bump. She’s over halfway to her due date, and I can’t wait to meet their little one. She had an ultrasound last week, and they found out the gender of the baby, but they’re keeping it a secret until the wedding. Waiting just might kill me.
“I need to see my wife.”
A shiver races down my spine at hearing him referring to me as his wife. Not quite yet, but in the next thirty minutes, he’s supposed to be waiting for me at the altar, which is really an arch of beautiful, fresh flowers my mom and Legend’s put together. Those two hit it off instantly, and the wedding took shape just three short weeks after our engagement. Of course, Legend and I knew it was coming, so we’d already been planning. Our parents questioned why so fast, and we simply told them we were ready, and they accepted our answer.
“She’s not your wife yet,” Emerson sasses.
“Baby girl.” Roman’s deep voice joins the conversation.
“Rome, they’re not married, and it’s bad luck for the groom to see the bride before the wedding.”
“I’ll wear a blindfold,” Legend offers.
“Fine. Stay where you are.” Emerson closes the door on them and turns to face me with a huff of annoyance. “That husband of yours is a nuisance.”
“He’s not my husband yet.” I toss her words back at her.
Emerson rolls her eyes. “You know what I mean, and now mine is joining forces with him. He wants to see you. Well, I guess he wants to talk to you, because he said he’d wear a blindfold.”
I shrug. “That’s fine. Send him in.”
“I have to find something to blindfold him with first.” She rummages around until she ends up pulling the sash from the robe I was wearing before sliding into my dress. “This will do.” She slips out the door, and a few seconds later, Legend is stepping into the room. He’s got the sash tied around his eyes. He closes the door and rests his back against it.