Total pages in book: 25
Estimated words: 23020 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 115(@200wpm)___ 92(@250wpm)___ 77(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 23020 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 115(@200wpm)___ 92(@250wpm)___ 77(@300wpm)
And even though the timing was awkward considering what had just happened, since we were alone, we could talk about what was happening between us without having to wait until the girls went to bed tonight. “Why do I belong to you?”
“I told you, baby. There was no going back once you gave yourself to me.”
“I know, but what does that mean?” I cringed as I forced the next part past my lips. “Do you consider every woman you’re with to be yours?”
“It’s been so long since I’ve so much as looked at another woman. I can’t even remember anyone but you,” he growled, interlacing our fingers to tug me toward the house. “So no, you’re the only one I’ve ever thought of as mine.”
My heart soared at his confession. “Does that…um…mean that you maybe have strong feelings for me?”
He practically kicked the front door open to drag me inside. As soon as it was shut behind us, he turned to me and cupped my cheeks with his palms. “If by strong feelings you’re trying to ask me if I love you, then yes. I love the fuck out of you, Ava Cromwell.”
“You do?” I gasped, happy tears welling in my eyes.
“So damn much that I can hardly wait to make you Ava Ellis.”
“You want to marry me?”
“There’s no want about it. I am going to marry you,” he corrected.
My lips curved into a smile of pure feminine satisfaction. “You sound awfully confident for a guy who hasn’t even proposed to me.”
“If I fix that, will you finally tell me that you love me too?” he grunted.
“Finally?” I echoed with a smile. “It’s only been what…two minutes since you first said the words to me?”
“I’m going to take that as a yes,” he drawled, tilting the screen so I could see as he tapped out a quick text to Prentice to let him know everything was okay, but there would be a slight delay before we picked up the girls. Then he led me upstairs to his bedroom.
“Sit here and give me a second.” He jerked his chin toward the end of the bed.
I perched on the edge of the mattress while he padded over to the bedside table. Opening the top drawer, he pulled out a jewelry box. I gasped, pressing trembling fingers against my lips. I shouldn’t have been surprised since he had proven many times that he was prepared for just about anything. But I loved seeing the proof he had planned for this, and it wasn’t just a spur-of-the-moment decision.
Flipping open the lid with his thumb, he came back over to me and dropped to one knee. Wrapping his fingers around my wrist to lift my hand, he pulled a gorgeous diamond solitaire out of the box and slid it on my finger. “How much time do you need to plan our wedding?”
“It’s a good thing I love you so much or else you wouldn’t get away with a non-proposal like that.”
He smirked at me as he brushed his thumb against my finger, right above where the ring circled it. “See? I called it. I knew you were going to tell me you love me after I proposed, even if it was just me telling you you were going to become my wife. Soon.”
“Looks as though you were right,” I agreed with a happy sigh.
“Know what else I was right about?”
I shook my head. “No, what?”
“That we aren’t going to be able to get the girls right away.” He scooted me up the mattress and nudged me onto my back. “First, we need to celebrate our engagement.”
I lifted the hem of his shirt. “Sounds like an excellent idea to me.”
As I tossed his shirt on the floor, he pulled mine over my head. Then he flicked open the clasp of my bra and dragged the straps down my shoulders. My nipples puckered, and he lowered his head to such one pebbled peak into his mouth. I felt the pull of his lips deep in my core as he settled between my thighs, and I slid my hands through his hair to grip his scalp and pull him closer to my chest.
After paying the same attention to the other side, he lifted his head to stare down at me. “I love how sensitive your tits are.”
“You can play with them as much as you want,” I promised, gliding my palms down his back to grip his ass. “Some other time. Right now, other parts of my body need your attention more.”
“My greedy baby,” he rasped, capturing my lips in a deep kiss while his hand slid between us to tug my leggings and panties down my hips. “I’m gonna give you everything you need.”
My clit throbbed at the sensual promise in his deep voice, and I lifted my hips off the mattress so he could finish stripping me bare. After he got to his knees and shucked his pants and boxer briefs off, I held my arms out to him. “All I need is you.”