Total pages in book: 96
Estimated words: 90337 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 452(@200wpm)___ 361(@250wpm)___ 301(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 90337 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 452(@200wpm)___ 361(@250wpm)___ 301(@300wpm)
I shrug, playing it cool. “Yeah, I know. I guess I’m just a natural at the art of persuasion and an entrepreneurial genius, what can I say? Please, try not to be jealous.”
He laughs and swats my ass through my shorts. “I’ll try.”
I giggle as I add, “But for real, I couldn’t have done it without your help on the income projections. Or without Sydney pulling strings to get me into that young business owners’ pitch session at the last minute. I had a lot of help.”
“We all need help when we’re starting out,” he says. “If I hadn’t had connections from business school to vouch for me, I never would have progressed in my career as quickly as I did. As frustrating as it can be for a lone wolf personality, success in this city is as much who you know as what you know.”
“I’m glad you’re not a lone wolf anymore,” I say, slipping my hand into his.
His lips hook in that soft, half smile he only smiles for me. “Me, too.”
I beam up at my handsome, smart, supportive, secretly sweet-and-sensitive boyfriend, marveling again that this is my life.
I never imagined New York would start to feel like home so quickly. But it does, and it’s all because of him, this man I’m falling deeper in love with every day.
The man who’s falling in love with me…
He is falling for me. I can feel it in the way he kisses me on the forehead before he leaves for work, the way he texts to check in half a dozen times before noon, the way he keeps taking off early to come hustling home to me…
We still haven’t said the words. We’re both still whispering “I really like you” before we slip off to sleep, but we’re close.
So close, I didn’t hesitate to run giggling across the lobby and jump into his arms this afternoon when he texted to say he was back early to get the scoop on my pitch session, and that I should meet him downstairs, post-haste, to go get ice cream.
Alex rolled her eyes at us, and called for us to “Get a room, or you know, a penthouse, maybe?” but I could tell that she’s happy for us.
She told me in confidence yesterday that she’s never seen Mr. M this happy.
I’m not sure I’ve ever been this happy, either, a fact that shocks me a little considering I’m missing time with my friends and Captain Crunchypants like crazy. But Sydney and I are going to meet for coffee tomorrow—like everyone else I’ve lied to, she thinks I’m in New York for a pastry-baking intensive that’s left me little time to socialize—and Kira sends pictures of the Captain all the time. He seems to be fitting into the general population well, with a minimal amount of unwanted humping, so all in all, things are good.
Really, really good.
And only getting better…
“So,” I say, peeking at Hunter from the corners of my eyes as we wander past a playground filled with kids in bathing suits, splashing in the water features to stay cool in the summer heat. “How did your meeting go today? A little birdie told me you had a special visitor in your office while Dana met with a vendor downstairs in the coffee shop.”
He glances down at me, his eyes narrowing, but he doesn’t look mad. “I should have known.”
“Known what?” I ask, blinking innocently, though I am not innocent. Far from it, in fact. I’ve been scheming to get Hunter a little “exposure therapy” since he introduced me to his assistant, Dana—and her adorable toddler—when we ran into them at the deli last weekend.
“I’m not good with children,” he says, but he still doesn’t look mad or sad and there’s a hopeful lilt in his voice that makes me feel even bouncier inside.
“That’s not what I heard,” I say. “I heard that you played farm animals and Chelsea thought you were hysterical. And that you lifted her up so she could see the cranes outside the window and didn’t seem to mind when she got crushed Cheerios all over your suit.”
He laughs—actually laughs!—and my heart soars into the trees to frolic with the birds. “Fine. It was…fine. And she was…enjoyable.”
I squeeze his hand, torn between laughing and tearing up. “Enjoyable. That’s an excellent place to start.”
He sighs, his smile fading as he glances down at me. “Just because I enjoyed thirty minutes with a uniquely clever and charming toddler doesn’t mean I would be a good father. I seriously doubt I have what it takes to succeed in that role, Elaina.”
“You seriously doubted you had what it takes to succeed as a boyfriend, too, Hunter,” I say, gently mimicking his serious tone, before adding in a softer voice, “and so far, you’re earning straight As across the board.”