Total pages in book: 62
Estimated words: 55744 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 279(@200wpm)___ 223(@250wpm)___ 186(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 55744 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 279(@200wpm)___ 223(@250wpm)___ 186(@300wpm)
At his expression, her heart began hammering in her chest, and she was startled to feel a tear roll down her cheek, in anticipation of what he might say. He let out a crooked half-smile and wiped the tear away with a gentle finger. He took a deep breath and seemed to brace himself, and then he declared unequivocally, "I'm in love with you, Courtney."
Sheer, unmitigated happiness exploded within her. She bit her lip and closed her eyes for a heartbeat. When she opened her lids and their gazes locked again, her eyes filled with tears as she smiled tremulously. At her reaction, he gave a choked, joyful laugh and his fingers left her chin to spear through her hair. His other arm wrapped around her waist, bringing her against his torso. "I love you, sweetheart," he reiterated. "I always have and I always will."
Her throat closed up. She tried to say something, tried to tell him that she loved him too, but she couldn't find enough strength to accomplish the words. Just the act of breathing was using every bit of oxygen she could find. She wiped at the wet trail on her cheeks with the back of her hand and cleared her throat. She began nodding her head up and down vigorously and his mouth formed a full-blown smile. Releasing her scalp, he trailed his fingers down to the piece of jewelry that hung by a chain and rested on her chest. He lifted it, held it tightly in his fingers and asked almost hesitantly, "Do you love me?"
She opened her mouth and her lips quivered. "Yes," she whispered; it was all she was capable of.
He closed his eyes for two seconds and she read profound relief on his face. When he opened them, he released the charm and wrapped his fingers around her chin again. "Can you tell me?"
An arrow of fierce longing shot straight through her when she heard the trace of vulnerability in his tone. "I love you, Nick."
"Do you?" he asked, his voice dropping a notch, as he searched for confirmation.
Her voice came back fully. "I do. I love you with all my heart and I always have, since I was a teenager. I've always loved you, Nick. It's always been just you."
Her words seemed to be the balm he needed, as an expression of ease filled his features. And then in a lightning quick shift, his features turned to unadulterated possession. As his grip enclosed her more firmly, her stomach flipped at his sudden transformation. When he spoke, his tone conveyed a captivating threat of unequivocal ownership. "That's it then. You're mine." The arm around her waist tightened inexorably. "You've always been mine, but now it's out there."
Courtney sucked in a breath and laid it all out there. "If I'm yours, then you're mine." She made her voice firm; she wasn't asking a question, she was stating a fact. And that was difficult to do when she was standing in nothing but high heels and briefs and his large body was planted around her, radiating full-blown masculinity, his immediate intentions apparent.
But he didn't take exception to her demand; his lips formed a tantalizing smile that caused a molten heat to fill her veins. "Yeah. That's how this thing between us is going to work," he stated with inflexibility. "You're mine--I'm yours, and if anybody tries to get between us, they'll find out quick-fast that that shit won't fly. My family seems to think you belong to them. But that's not the way it is, and that's not the way this is going to work, not any longer."
His hand left her face and trailed down to her breast and encompassed it in the palm of his hand. She let out a tiny gasp as he ran his thumb across her nipple. "Right, baby? Nothing and nobody will get between us. We're moving forward with this. You agree?"
"Yes," she answered simply.
As he continued to drag his finger back and forth across her turgid nipple, Courtney's eyes began to slip closed as arousal shot through her veins.
She felt his lips on her forehead as he held her close. "I'm going to give you whatever you want."
"I only want you," she mumbled against his chest.
"That's easy, then." With that, he lifted her up, with an arm under her back and the other under her knees and carried her across the room, prowling with the fluid movement of a jungle cat to the bed.
He dropped her on the king-sized mattress, in the center of the bed, and then without missing a beat, he stepped back and began undressing.
His eyes stayed riveted on her face as he pushed off his shoes and socks. His nostrils flared and with her heart banging in her chest, she watched as he pulled the designer belt from its loops. When she glanced back up, he began tearing at the fastening of his shirt and with a shrug of his shoulders, dropped the garment to the floor where he stood.