Total pages in book: 33
Estimated words: 31077 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 155(@200wpm)___ 124(@250wpm)___ 104(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 31077 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 155(@200wpm)___ 124(@250wpm)___ 104(@300wpm)
I worry he’ll fall and break a bone one day. He always waves away my concern and tells me how he built this little store himself, right down to the floor-to-ceiling bookshelves that are ten feet tall. His chest puffs out when he gets to that part.
As I carry the books, I refuse to use my vantage point to scout for the man in the store. It doesn’t matter that he has a voice like gravel, and I’m dying for a glimpse. He’s probably just another gruff cowboy.
I’ve managed half the steps when my wet ballet flats lose traction and I slip. The books scatter as I lose my grip.
For a terrifying second, I’m airborne and shrieking. It’s only milliseconds that I’m falling but it feels like a lifetime. I brace myself for the sickening thud to come.
But instead of connecting with the floor, I feel strong arms wrap around my body and hold me upright. My face is buried in flannel. Flannel that smells spicy and masculine.
Patting my head, I make sure my wig is still in place. It’s secure, thanks in part to the fact that I redid it in the bathroom earlier. From the time I was young, I’ve been obsessed with my hair or lack of it. I’ve always felt envious of girls with naturally thick, voluminous hair.
Slowly, I pull my face back to gaze at my rescuer. His thick beard just barely brushes the top of my head. He’s scowling at me, lines evident on his forehead. The man must spend a lot of time frowning.
For some crazy reason, I want to reach out and smooth the lines on his forehead. Then I want to trail my fingertips higher until my hands are in his thick hair. I want to tug on it and hear him growl in my ear.
My body tingles at the thought, and I’m suddenly aware that I’m gaping up at this handsome stranger with his kissable lips.
Before I can thank him for his rescue, his hand goes to my stomach. I feel the heat of his touch through my thin t-shirt. “My baby belongs here.”
I blink, dazed and confused. I’ve clearly misheard him. He didn’t just say what I think he did. “Excuse me?”
His intense expression never wavers. He keeps his hand right where it is and meets my gaze confidently. “My name is Noah, and I’m going to put my baby in your belly.”
Of all the hot cowboys in Courage County, I had to meet the one that’s a complete nutcase. “You’re a weirdo. Put me down right now!”
He makes no move to release me from his strong grip. “I’ll never let you go.”
“Is this one of those fetish things? They have groups for people like you,” I tell him. I don’t know anything about those groups but there was that viral article online last week. Maybe those people can help this giant weirdo who makes my body heat with the intense way he’s staring down at me.
“This is me claiming you,” he responds, that gravel edge back to his voice. He still hasn’t dropped his hands from my stomach. He doesn’t want to stop touching my curvy body. For a second, I wonder if he would like what’s under my clothes.
My gaze goes to his lips. I am not thinking about what it would feel like to have his lips pressed against mine. That would make me just as crazy as he is. “You’re being absurd.”
“Live with me in wedded bliss and carry my heirs,” he rasps. It sounds like a desperate command from a man on the edge.
I shake my head, his words finally registering. I’ve been through enough disappointment to know that no one wants to keep me. Not for long anyway. “That is not how you propose! You need flowers and a ring and at least, one classic book she’s read cover-to-cover so many times she can quote it.”
He finally sets me on my feet, taking his hands from my body. I miss the warmth immediately, especially when he turns and leaves the bookstore without another word.
I stand, staring after his retreating figure. It doesn’t matter if he walks away from me. It doesn’t matter if he forgets about me. It would be better if the weirdo cowboy never thought of me again.
The electric tea kettle whistles, and I move toward the little kitchenette, still feeling dazed by the whole encounter. Mr. Darcy is by the stove, waiting for his morning meal.
I shake my head when I see him. “Did you get a load of that guy? The cowboys in Courage County are weird.”
Chapter 2
Noah
“Remind me what you’re doing again,” Barrett, my younger brother, says from the passenger seat of my truck. It’s early morning, the day after I met my soulmate. Never thought I’d say that but here I am, thinking about wedding rings and forever.