Total pages in book: 87
Estimated words: 83772 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 419(@200wpm)___ 335(@250wpm)___ 279(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 83772 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 419(@200wpm)___ 335(@250wpm)___ 279(@300wpm)
A waitress was there right away, and before she could say a couple words, he cut her off. “We’ll take a bottle of red. Something from Barsetti Vineyards.” He didn’t look at her as he gave the order, just pushed up the sleeves of his shirt to his elbows like he was warm on a cold spring night.
She walked away without saying a word.
Once she was gone, I felt my heart beat again. Felt it drum in my chest as the nerves got to me. His appearance was burned into my memory, so it wasn’t like I could ever forget how sexy this man was. But every time I looked at him, I was shocked by it. The jawline. The eyes. The confidence. God, it was all too much.
He ignored the menu and stared at me. A stare that had teeth and ate me alive. It was smoldering and possessive but also intense. He looked like he could either compliment me or scream at me.
I broke contact when it became too much and grabbed the menu.
He continued to stare at me.
Bolton used to look at me in a similar way, but nothing compared to this. He was a spark compared to Theo’s inferno. The longer I was with Theo, the more my marriage felt like a strange dream.
“What are you going to get?” I asked, trying to break the tension, even though I never wanted it to break.
He didn’t answer.
I continued to look at the menu, settled on the risotto, and then placed my menu aside.
He was exactly where I left him, still as a statue with eyes that could see into the underworld.
The waitress returned with our wine and asked what he wanted.
When he didn’t reach for the menu or look flustered, I asked, “Are you ready?”
He turned to the waitress. “I’ll take a steak. Medium rare.”
“Do you want potatoes or rice?” she asked.
“Surprise me.”
She seemed put off by his coldness because she didn’t smile. She took my order then walked away.
He broke his stare and took a drink of wine.
I did the same, needing the booze to take the edge off. My muscles were so tight they might split in half. If he already wanted me this much over dinner, then he would be really pleased by the outfit I wore underneath. “How was your day?”
“It was fine. Yours?”
“I sold a painting. A big one.”
“Big in size or big in price?”
“Both.”
He gave a slight nod. “Have you considered painting again?”
Of course he brought that up. Like always. “Honestly, life has been pretty hectic.”
“I can have your supplies placed in your room.”
“You—you still have everything?”
His eyes locked on mine once again, the way people appreciated a full moon or a falling star. “Yes.”
“I’m surprised you didn’t throw them away.”
“I would never throw away art.”
My eyes softened when I wished they wouldn’t. I didn’t want to accept praise I didn’t deserve. I didn’t want him to treasure something that wasn’t worth being treasured. But now I knew his words weren’t just words, because he had kept it. “You’re too much.”
He continued to watch me.
“You could have any woman you want, but you’re here with me. I don’t get it.”
“I do.” He said it with the same confidence in his eyes that he always possessed. His sincerity rang with truth. It wasn’t a line to get me into bed because he already had me in his bed. He’d become the bulletproof vest that protected me from the weapons of my enemies.
“That’s sweet of you to say.” He’d been my provider and my protector since the moment I laid eyes on him. He changed my tire in the rain. My phone was dead, so I couldn’t call Bolton even if I wanted. When I turned my back on Theo and my world went to shit, he broke down the door and came to my rescue. His affection for me almost felt…unconditional. I would never feel good enough for him.
He continued his hard stare, continued to burn holes into my face with the sharpness of his gaze. Looked at me like he hadn’t already looked at me a hundred times. And then his eyes flicked away, and the connection was severed like a knife through a taut string. “There’s something I need to say to you.”
Our moment was so heated and intense, and then it just evaporated. Changed within the blink of an eye. It’d been so overwhelming that I could barely withstand it, and now I missed it with every fiber of my being.
Because I knew whatever he was about to say wouldn’t be good. “I’m listening.”
He continued his stare, slowly crossing his big arms over his chest. His eyes were down for a second before they found mine again. “I don’t want kids.” A heavy pause followed, his eyes watching mine for a reaction.