Total pages in book: 51
Estimated words: 49530 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 248(@200wpm)___ 198(@250wpm)___ 165(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 49530 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 248(@200wpm)___ 198(@250wpm)___ 165(@300wpm)
“Margaret, can I offer you a drink or some water?” Steele asked diplomatically.
“I think a drink is a great idea,” Margaret answered.
Soon, they were alone in the hallway.
“Your mother thinks I’m an idiot,” Elizabeth whispered.
“She absolutely does not. I’m good at reading my mom. She was tickled you loved me so much you wouldn’t settle for something less than all my love,” Talon assured her.
“She doesn’t look old enough to be your mother.”
“You should tell her that. She’s already going to kick my butt for worrying you. You might as well make her your best friend with that compliment. She’ll make me dance the Paso Doble for punishment and I hate the Paso Doble.”
Elizabeth looked up to meet his gaze. His dark eyes twinkled with love and relief. “I’m sorry I panicked.”
“It must have looked bad. I’m sorry. I am excited for you to meet my mother and my father someday when he is mobile,” Talon said. “Running and not talking to me was the worst way to handle this. I want you to promise me you’ll talk to me if you ever get upset.”
When she hesitated, he added, “I’m not your absolute bastard of an ex-husband.”
Elizabeth shook her head. “I know it isn’t fair to judge your actions by the history of his. He hurt me so bad, and it came out of the blue. I didn’t have any inkling that he was cheating. So when I saw you dancing, I thought it was happening again.”
“It’s never going to happen, Little girl. I love you. No one else.”
“You’re only twenty-five. You may change your mind.” Elizabeth reached up to trace that line Storm had noticed. “When my wrinkle has a lot more friends.”
“You’re a few years older than I am. Not decades. I have some wrinkles, too. You are gorgeous today and you’ll be gorgeous when you’re seventy. I’m never going to change my mind. You are my Little girl.”
She nodded and pressed her cheek to his chest, hearing his heart beat. “I love being your Little girl.”
“When you’re ready, we’ll get married.”
“Married?” she repeated, looking up at him.
“I’m never going to let you go, Buttercup. Now I know to check under beds,” he said, brushing the dust from her suit. “I would have searched from one side of this city to the next and further if I’d needed to. You are mine.”
“And you’re mine,” she pointed out.
“Definitely.”
“Would you introduce me to your mother so I can apologize?” Elizabeth asked.
“I will. You don’t need to apologize…”
Talon stopped to listen to the music that had just begun in the common room. “Oh, crap. She’s playing a Paso Doble already.”
“I can’t wait to see this,” Elizabeth said, starting down the hall.
“Save me now,” Talon moaned as he followed her.
Chapter
Twenty
The exhibition hall was packed with people buzzing with excitement. As Steele led the way through those gathered, a path formed for the Shadowridge Guardians decked out in their cuts and worn jeans. The doorman had attempted to school Steele on the dress requirement to attend a dance competition but quickly made an exception when he looked past the MC’s president to see a line of huge men waiting to get in. The women accompanying them were perfectly attired and so excited.
“Hold onto my hand,” Ink said firmly to Elizabeth. “If I lose you, Talon will kick my butt.”
“I was just going to talk to Remi. I love her black dress,” Elizabeth explained.
“We’ll go over there together,” Ink decreed and steered her toward her friend.
“I’m not going to run away,” Elizabeth assured him.
“If Talon finds us and you’re not with me, it won’t just be my butt getting Talon’s wrath,” Ink reminded her.
“Oh. Good point. I’ll stay with you,” she promised.
“What are those pants Talon is wearing?” Faust asked, using his height advantage to look over the crowd.
“Is he out there warming up?” Elizabeth asked, rising to her tiptoes to try and see.
“Here, Little girl,” Ink said as he pulled her close to lift her up.
“I see him! Those pants look hot on him, Faust. Not everyone could rock them like that,” Elizabeth defended her Daddy.
“I want to see,” Harper demanded, and Doc lifted her to see as well. “Oh, yeah. He looks good in those.”
“Stop ogling Talon in his fancy dance pants,” Doc said sternly.
“Look, everyone is sitting down,” Elizabeth pointed out.
“I’ll be damned.” Steele cursed in front of her, drawing the horrified attention of the people who’d dared sit next to the bikers.
Elizabeth followed his line of vision to see another set of leather-clad guys entering. The Devil’s Jesters had arrived. She waved to capture their attention and pointed to empty seats around them.
“What did you do?” Steele asked, his low voice filled with concern.
“Slash’s daughter takes ballroom classes. She’d never been to a performance, so I invited them. They promised to be on their best behavior. And Slash is still under scrutiny for having custody of his kids. Don’t worry. They’ll behave.”