Total pages in book: 97
Estimated words: 94531 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 473(@200wpm)___ 378(@250wpm)___ 315(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 94531 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 473(@200wpm)___ 378(@250wpm)___ 315(@300wpm)
“It’s also why half of the eligible women in our neck of the woods try to dig their claws into him,” my cousin added.
“And here I was thinking it was just my looks,” I said, growing angrier by the second. “Thank you for the newsflash, although it wasn’t necessary.”
“Actually, I’m a little interested in knowing about all that,” Felicity said, fidgeting in her seat. “Is there a lineup of debutantes waiting in the wings for you back home or something?”
“He has to marry someone his parents deem suitable,” Sigmund offered before taking a sip of his beer.
Why the fuck would he bring this up right now?
Her expression darkened. “Like an arranged marriage?”
“No,” I clarified before my cousin could say another word. “Not an arranged marriage. I would never go for that. Ultimately, the decision is mine. But the expectation has always been that I would marry someone from a similar background.”
“What happens if you don’t?”
Sigmund chuckled. “His parents would probably disown him.”
“That’s not true,” I retorted.
He squinted. “Really?”
I knew why he was doing this. He’d been against my pursuing Felicity from the very beginning, and he was trying to derail things. Even if some of what he’d divulged was partly true, I’d hoped for a little time with her before she ran for the hills.
“Don’t you have somewhere to be tonight?” I asked him.
“No, actually. No plans at all.”
I glared at him.
After he took his plate into the kitchen, I picked up Felicity’s, and then mine. “I’ll be right back,” I told her. “Can I get you more champagne?”
She shook her head, seeming a bit unnerved by our conversation. “No, thank you.”
In the kitchen, I gritted my teeth and whispered, “Great job trying to scare her away.”
“I’m doing you a favor. How is it fair to get her hopes up when you know damn well you don’t have a future with her? Look at how she came here tonight. She’s clearly dressed to impress and not exactly playing hard to get anymore.”
“You don’t have a right to manipulate things. I planned to be honest with her about my situation. But it wasn’t your place to throw everything out there in the span of one dinner.”
Felicity appeared, entering the room holding the tray of empty clam shells. From the concerned look on her face, I could tell she’d either heard everything we’d just said or suspected we’d been arguing.
“Please sit and relax,” I said, holding my palm out. “I’ll take care of that.”
“It’s okay,” she insisted.
Together, we brought everything from the table into the kitchen in silence. After, we took turns washing our hands at the sink.
Handing her a towel, I said, “Let’s go out back for a moment, shall we?”
“Sure.”
I grabbed our champagne glasses, along with the bottle of Dom, and some strawberries from the fridge, and carried them outside.
“Are you okay?” she asked once we stepped onto the back deck.
“Sure.” I placed everything on a table. “Why do you ask?”
“You seemed uncomfortable when I was asking about your life back home, particularly when Sig took it upon himself to speak for you. Why do you seem ashamed of who you are?”
“Because it’s not who I am. Who I am has nothing to do with where I come from or the expectations placed upon me.” My tone was harsher than I’d intended.
“I’m sorry. You’re right. That was a dumb way to word it. What I meant was…you shouldn’t feel like you have to hide anything just because your life is different than the norm. Most people would be quite impressed, actually.”
“You’re not most people, though, are you? None of that impresses you in the least. In fact, if anything, it’s a deterrent in getting to know you better.”
She stayed silent, neither confirming nor denying.
I exhaled. “The dilemma of my life has always been balancing what I want with what my family wants for me. The latter typically wins.” I looked up at the starry sky. “I know I’m fortunate in many ways, but there are days when I wish I could just live a normal life, not have to take anyone else into account when it comes to my own happiness. With you today—out on that water—I was happier than I’ve been in a very long time.” I shook my head. “Sorry. You didn’t sign up to be my therapist tonight. I’m supposed to be entertaining you.”
Felicity placed her hand on her chest. “Are you kidding? Out of all the brief times we’ve spent together, this moment is my favorite. Today I feel like I’ve gotten to experience the real you. The vulnerable side. Vulnerability is…sexy.”
“Sexy, eh?” I laughed. “Should I start crying, then?”
“You don’t need to go that far.”
“Okay.” I smiled.
Our eyes locked, and I wanted nothing more than to kiss her.
She shivered. “It’s chillier tonight than I thought. I should’ve brought a sweater.”