Total pages in book: 31
Estimated words: 29345 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 147(@200wpm)___ 117(@250wpm)___ 98(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 29345 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 147(@200wpm)___ 117(@250wpm)___ 98(@300wpm)
As if it just dawned on the crowd this instant, as if they didn’t spend months reviewing and prepping for possible proposals, the dozens staring this way have gleams in their gazes, the conclusion in their minds the same. This place? It’s the first of its kind.
Exclusive.
Lucrative.
Potential to impact someone’s life if done right.
Everyone stands at once, clapping as the family of four huddle together, Noah lifting their son up and looping him around his back for a piggyback ride. As if he’s done it a hundred times before, the little man, with hair as dark as his dad’s and eyes to match, locks his little hands around his neck.
“Noel and her gracious assistant showed us many of the ideas they had for the rooms a while ago, and I can’t wait for each of you to relive, reset, or reclaim the memory of your choosing.” Noah tips his head in thanks, he and Arianna waving at the crowd as they begin to step back.
Just to the left of the stage, Dina catches my eye and then wiggles her brows, her phone screen lighting up already, pre-drafted proposals likely hitting our inbox.
“Well done, Kitten.” Warm breath curls around my neck like a heat wave, subsequently drawing goose bumps to the surface. “They’ll grovel on their knees for you now.”
I look up into Roman’s dark eyes.
Why haven’t you done the same?
“Noah, Ari!”
A small shout from the crowd has me snapping my head forward, and I look to find a blonde woman with a tall, dark-haired man at her side. She smirks. “Before you go, care to share if the rumors are true? Did you really sign a new contract to stay in California yesterday, locking you in with the NFL’s Tomahawks for four more seasons?”
Noah laughs, looking to his wife for the okay she must give, as he winks at her next, dips his head, and smirks as he says, “The owners can be quite convincing, so that would be a yes.”
The woman throws her hands up in triumph and drops back in her chair as Noah passes me the mic, but to my surprise… and utter irritation, the not to be seen, supposed to be freaking silent man beside me has longer arms, reaching across me to grab it first.
“We want to thank the Riley family for allowing us a glimpse into their story, and more. Mrs. Riley spoke a little about the way food brought the two together, so I thought you may like to know, every menu item offered for both room service and in the Red Pepper Steak House upstairs are straight out of the recipe books his mother left for them, each as heavenly and comforting as the next,” Roman adds as if he too has a mental checklist of what to be sure to share on this stage before we part and the resort officially opens.
Roman nods his chin slightly, and the Riley family takes their cue, stepping down to take their table with a smile. “Everyone, another round of applause for the Rileys.”
As the crowd quiets, I shuffle a bit to the left, but Roman simply erases the distance. His free arm wraps around my lower back, tugging me to him.
I keep my smile in place while trying to mentally come up with a way to dig my nails into his flesh without being overly obvious.
Before all these people, he and I look like a perfectly coordinated couple.
Roman gives me a little squeeze, and I grind my teeth to keep from frowning.
“Thank you for joining us this weekend and bringing your families and friends to share in the celebrations. As mentioned in the invitation, we won’t disrupt the holiday with talk of business, but I must take a moment to acknowledge the hard work of the staff here at Blue Mountain Memories as well as those back in LA at R&N Industries, both teams led by my partner and the woman I admire most in this world, Noel Aarons.”
Sure, that’s how it is.
Let us pretend I’m not the woman he forced to remain his partner after shit hit the fan so he could play king of cruel punishment.
We both know I wanted him out of my life.
Just like we know he’s the one who refused to allow it.
Buuut, since he’s forcing my hand, I go ahead and turn my eyes to him, hoping he can read the anger in mine. At the very least, I know he can tell the difference between my real and fake smile, but the moment he speaks, his deep, rasped baritone wraps around my every limb, thawing me without permission.
“Noel, the work you’ve done is nothing short of extraordinary.” He stares directly into my eyes, and I couldn’t stop the moisture from building within mine if I tried. “And I am proud to be a part of this journey”—my chest feels like it’s breaking open, bleeding out for all to see—“and honored to be the man you’ve chosen to marry.”