Total pages in book: 39
Estimated words: 36665 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 183(@200wpm)___ 147(@250wpm)___ 122(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 36665 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 183(@200wpm)___ 147(@250wpm)___ 122(@300wpm)
Then my anger came rushing back when she said that she was scared. I didn’t like that shit one fucking bit. The last thing I thought she was going to say was that losing me was the reason for it. Good, that means my princess has no plans to try and get away from me.
“So this isn’t just some summer fling or something?”
“When did I ever give you that impression?” She shrugs one of her delicate shoulders.
“We haven’t talked about the future.”
“I’m your future; you're mine,” I tell her. “Simple as that.”
“It’s not that easy.”
“It is.” Paisley purses her lips. “And you don’t need that damn job. I feed you; you sleep in our bed so you don’t need another place, and I take care of your medication.” The last part gets me pissed again.
I hated hearing Cole tell me about how my woman was asking him about helping her get her medication. I want her to come to me. Hell, I had already taken care of it. I saw it was running low and made a few calls.
“You don’t even live here.”
“I can live anywhere. Sure, we might need to pop into the city every now and then, but that’s just details, babe.”
“But we could—”
“Don’t finish that sentence.” I cut her the hell off. We’re not going near the topic of us not being together.
“You don’t even know who I am.”
“I know.” It’s not a lie. “I know what matters, but if you need time to tell me more, I understand. But I would appreciate it if you need something, come to me, not Cole.”
“Sorry.” She glances down, her shoulders slumping.
“Don’t do that. Stay with me.”
“You’re mad,” Paisley whispers.
“I was but not at you. Been trying to get you close to me.”
“I didn’t ask you because I thought it could get you in trouble, and worse, I’d have to admit things about my past that I wasn’t ready to yet.” She licks her lips, stalling. I decide to keep quiet, to wait her out, knowing she’s on the verge of opening up to me. “I think I’m engaged,” Paisley finally blurts out.
I’m instantly happy and pissed off at the same time. Glad she trusts me enough to open up to me and mad as hell at the mention of anyone else thinking she’s theirs. She is the only person in the world that can make me feel so many different emotions at once. Some on opposite ends of each other.
“You’re not engaged,” I quickly correct her. “Unless you want to be.”
“I don’t!” I give her a pointed look. “I mean to the man my parents want me to marry.”
“But you wouldn't mind being engaged to someone else.”
“Jackson.” A blush starts to form on her cheeks.
“If you were married, you couldn’t be engaged to anyone,” I say before I can think better of it. It’s a fucked-up thing to suggest, but I don’t really care. I should have thought of this sooner. It’s brilliant. The answer has been right in front of me this whole time.
“You’d really marry me right now?” Her voice sounds both skeptical and optimistic at the same time.
“Told you, I’m never letting you go. Married or not, you're still going to be mine.” Her whole face lights up. I plan on seeing it do that exact thing for the rest of my damn life.
“I should probably tell you about who your in-laws are.” I scoop her back up into my arms and carry her over to the couch. I sit down so that she’s straddling me.
“Tell me, princess.” I tuck a piece of her hair behind her ear. “All of it.” Paisley relaxes into me and tells me everything.
I know a lot of it already. What I didn’t get from the folder was how neglected she'd been her whole life. Her parents could buy her anything, but they couldn’t give her the one thing she truly wanted. To belong. To have a family of her own. To feel wanted.
That’s where I come in. I can and will give her each and every one of those things, and so much more.
“If they find me, they’ll make me marry him.” I catch the small tremble in her voice. It’s one of fear. Not only of her family but of Bentley Bloomberg too. I need to read over what Blu sent on him. In the end it doesn’t matter, though. I’ll destroy any fear she has. It won’t matter the cost.
“No, no one can make you do shit.”
“You don’t know them. Even if we did get married, they’d just go after you to get to me. They always get what they want in the end.”
“So do I.” Paisley leans forward to lay her head on my shoulder. I rub my hands up and down her back, wanting to reassure her. “Your parents aren’t the only ones with friends in high places, princess. Trust that I’ll handle this.”