Total pages in book: 38
Estimated words: 35735 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 179(@200wpm)___ 143(@250wpm)___ 119(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 35735 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 179(@200wpm)___ 143(@250wpm)___ 119(@300wpm)
I throw on my jacket, bracing my hands on my dresser.
A deep breath…and then thoughts of Cate rush in.
This is how it goes. I can concentrate for only minutes at a time before I have to surrender to the obsession. The constant whirlwind of her beauty dominating my head. Her voice, her touch, her scent, her name alone can rock me. It’s a wonder I was able to part ways with her at dawn when I dropped her back at the building. Letting her go, even for a matter of hours, turns me into an anxious madman. I want, I ache, I hunger constantly.
For the thousandth time today, I hit the code on my phone and pull up the pictures of her naked. My cock hurries to stiffen, straining against the zipper of my pants. How many times did I take her last night in my bed? Four? Five? And yet it’s like I haven’t fucked her in months. My fingers curl into the edges of the dresser, my hips grinding and bucking against the sturdy wood, head falling back, pretending it’s her pretty little ass bent over in front of me.
The sound of a car pulling up in the driveway steals my attention, forcing me to quit molesting the furniture, and I look outside to find Rebecca stepping out of the limousine in her evening wear. My father climbs out after…
And then Cate.
My chest grows crowded at the sight of her.
She’s been dressed in a deep red. So deep it’s almost black. The silk dress rises to her neck in the front, nearly to her chin. Which apparently is an excuse to leave her sexy legs on full display, the hem far too high for my comfort, the black heels elongating them to an indecent level. Her mouth is painted the color of fresh cherries, hair twisted in a sophisticated knot on top of her head.
She’s a fucking vision.
And after tonight, she’ll be in the public eye. For everyone to want.
To covet.
By God, I’ll be the only man who she ever loves, though. I won’t allow anyone to take that honor from me. I’ll do whatever it takes to keep her affection. It goes without saying that I will love her endlessly. The real her. The unbridled girl underneath the new, fancy wrapping.
My Cate.
I’m striding from my bedroom before I know I’m moving. Toward her.
God, what I wouldn’t give to have her to myself tonight. To strip her slowly out of that dress and make love to her in every room of my house.
There is something that remains unsettled inside of me. A worry that I’ve allowed these changes to her to happen when none were necessary. She’s perfect now and she was perfect to begin with. But I can’t stand that I helped…correct her in any way. This angel. This unique original. Does she understand that my love wasn’t contingent on that change? Surely she must. I’ve been infatuated since we met in the glen.
I reach the foyer of my home just as she walks in the door. Both of us stop to stare at each other across the room. Our parents walk inside behind her—and I severely underestimated how difficult it would be not touching Cate now that I’ve had her.
This is going to be a long night.
Rebecca clips forward with an open smile, kissing me on the cheek. “The house looks incredible, Tristan.”
“Yes,” I murmur, absently scanning the candlelit space. “I had nothing to do with it, of course. The party planners have been busy.”
“Of course,” my father echoes, shaking my hand. “Evening, son.”
I nod, my gaze zeroing in on my stepsister. “Hello, Cate.”
“Hello, Tristan.”
“How long until the guests arrive?” asks my father.
I get the sense he’s trying to distract me, since I’m openly staring at Cate and there’s no way to help it. Especially when she’s staring back, the pulse at the base of her neck fluttering like a hummingbird’s wings. “Twenty minutes, give or take,” I respond finally, my voice a scrape of sound. Fuck it, I need to have her or I’ll never make it through tonight. I’m hard. Throbbing. My hands are bereft without the softness of her skin. “Rebecca, would you mind checking in with the caterers?” I ask. “They need a few questions answered about the schedule and I’m useless with these kinds of things.”
My stepmother is already heading toward the kitchen. “Of course!”
I transfer my attention to my father. “Feel free to relax with a drink. I need to speak with Cate in my office.”
His jaw hardens. “About what?”
Honestly, this whole pretense is unnecessary. He knows how badly I want her. He’s known since the beginning. He might even be aware that it has progressed further, since—as my campaign manager—he makes it his business to know everything I do. This pretense is more for Cate’s benefit than anything. “I want to make sure she’s ready for tonight.”