Total pages in book: 34
Estimated words: 32348 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 162(@200wpm)___ 129(@250wpm)___ 108(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 32348 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 162(@200wpm)___ 129(@250wpm)___ 108(@300wpm)
To say that the past year had been challenging for the Rossfields would be an understatement. But the couple had thankfully weathered the storm, and more than that, the restoration of Risto’s monarchy also allowed Valerian to reclaim his billionaire status in a snap.
Another influx of guests streamed in, and Charlotte’s mood also changed in a snap. It was none other than Valerian’s close friend Rowland, and he was the last person she wanted to see right now. She had taken him as a client precisely because of his friendship with Poppy’s husband. But she had realized later on these two men couldn’t be any more different.
Valerian had always done his best to do right by Poppy.
Rowland, though...
VALERIAN HAD THE BEST surprise in store for his wife after her birthday party. But when he asked her to take a guess—
“You want me to go bungee-jumping with you?” Poppy asked excitedly.
“Hell no. I mean, fuck no. I mean no.” He mentally apologized to God. Cleaning up his vocabulary had proven to be more difficult than he expected it to be, but gradual progress was the key.
“Oh, then—”
“I’m going to stop you right there and tell you that it has nothing to do with extreme sports.”
His wife’s face fell, and Valerian wondered if this was God’s way of showing His sense of humor.
After all these years of risking his neck and not really caring about how it made Heather or his loved ones fear for his life, it was Valerian’s turn to have a dose of his own medicine. Poppy, as it turned out, had always wanted to give those same activities a try. It was part of her bucket list, and as much as he loved and wanted to give her the whole world—
Valerian gave his wife an implacable look when he saw her open her mouth. “No.”
“But—”
“Look out your window, love.”
Poppy knew Valerian was only trying to distract her, but she dutifully looked out her window all the same.
OH MY GOODNESS.
Valerian helped his wife out of the car. He didn’t speak a word until his newly purchased jet was right in front of them. “I made a promise over a year ago...” He pulled his wife into his arms. “Thank you for waiting all this time.”
Poppy’s toes curled as Valerian’s lips brushed the top of her head.
“I wish more people knew about this side of you,” she whispered. “The whole world thinks all the stuff Camelia wrote in her book is true, and it just makes me sad—”
Valerian tipped his wife’s chin up so she could see the truth in his eyes. “I only care about what you think.” And God’s, but admitting this was still something he was slowly working on. “I only care about saying and doing the things that will make you swoon—”
“Like what you’re doing now?”
“I haven’t even started, love.”
As Valerian led her up the air steps, Poppy tried to think of something that could be a bigger surprise - literally or figuratively - than purchasing a top-of-the-line private jet.
“Ready?”
Valerian took her hand as he guided her inside, and all Poppy could do was gasp as confetti exploded from dozens of party poppers.
While the guests to her birthday party at home had consisted of family and friends, the ones surrounding her now were all the employees who had stuck by her husband and passionately defended him even when the whole world saw Valerian as a villain.
She had told him once that she was trying to think of a really special way to thank all of them...
“You’ve all been told that we’re flying to Washington DC to talk about our involvement with Risto. That was a lie. This is actually a nonstop flight to Paris, and we’ll be touring Europe in the next two weeks. All expenses shouldered by the company, of course.”
Everyone was crying and rejoicing, and his wife was no exception.
“Happy birthday, love.”
His wife cried even harder after that, and everyone laughed and clapped their hands while yelling encouragement as Valerian swept Poppy up in his arms.
“Where are you taking me?” his wife asked.
“That was just the first half of my surprise...”
Valerian settled Poppy back on her feet when they were inside the master bedroom.
Poppy’s eyes widened when her husband started unbuttoning his shirt.
“Um...”
His smirk said it all, and Poppy tried to make a run for it.
But she failed, as expected, and Valerian only laughed at the way his wife hurriedly covered her mouth as if not wanting to accidentally let everyone know what they were about to do.
“They already know, Poppy. Do you really think they’d imagine us doing anything different?”
His wife let out a strangled gasp, but this quickly turned into a moan as he started undressing her...while kissing his way down her body.
“Now, how do you want to register your membership in the mile-high club?”