Total pages in book: 40
Estimated words: 38335 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 192(@200wpm)___ 153(@250wpm)___ 128(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 38335 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 192(@200wpm)___ 153(@250wpm)___ 128(@300wpm)
My gaze meets his as I challenge that statement. “But do they have legends like this one?”
He cocks a brow, amused. “You heard about that, did you?”
“Oh yes.” I smile. “Ellie told me all about its magical powers.”
He grunts at the revelation.
“What?” I ask, my tone light and playful. “Don’t you believe in the legend?”
He shoots me a look, his stoic expression saying it all.
“Didn’t think so,” I chuckle, the sound echoing around us.
“Did she tell you the story behind it?” he asks.
“No. There’s a story?”
He nods.
“What is it?” I ask, my curiosity piqued.
“It’s about the forbidden love between Duke Gunther and Amelia Wright that took place back in the early 1900s,” he starts, his voice taking on a monotone. “The Wrights were one of the wealthiest families in town, and Duke worked on their ranch. Apparently, the two fell in love quickly, but the Wright family didn’t approve of their daughter seeing a commoner. They fired Duke on the spot and forbade Amelia from ever seeing him again, but the two continued their affair in secret.”
I find myself entranced by the tale he tells, every word weaving a spell around me.
“According to the story, they would sneak out to meet on the mountain,” he continues, gesturing to the one before us. “Unfortunately, it didn’t last long before Amelia’s father found out and confronted them on the mountain. He ordered his men to kill Duke, but Amelia got caught in the crossfire and died right alongside him.”
I gasp at the tragic ending, my heart breaking for the star-crossed lovers.
“Legend has it that Duke and Amelia’s love carries beyond death and is powerful enough to bring two people together,” he concludes, the weight of the story hanging in the air.
I gaze at the mountain in question, seeing its beauty and the legend in a whole new way. “What a sad story.”
“If you believe it,” he grunts, clearly unconvinced.
My gaze shifts to his again. “You don’t?”
I’m leveled with another direct look. “If I don’t believe in the legend, why would I believe in the story?”
“Because that’s a lot of detail for two people who didn’t exist.”
“Oh, they existed,” he reaffirms. “The town has records of it, but there is no evidence to support the story, which is why it’s just a legend.”
“All legends hold fragments of the truth somewhere within them,” I counter, unsure if those words are meant to persuade him or myself.
“Are you telling me you believe in fairytales, California?”
I shrug. “Would it be so bad if I did?”
He takes his time before answering that question. “No, not for someone like you.”
I laugh, unsure if I should feel offended or not. “What does that mean?”
His gaze never strays from mine as he answers. “It means if something like that were to ever exist, it should happen to someone like you.”
Warmth explodes through my chest, engulfing my heart. “You know,” I start quietly, “Harlow thinks this mountain made me run into your car that day.”
Amusement adopts his expression. “That so?”
I nod, suddenly feeling nervous for some reason.
He senses it and preys on it. He steps forward, backing me against the closest tree that takes us further out of view.
His hands plant on either side of my head, face dipping in close. “And what do you think, Hollis?” he asks, his lips a breath from mine.
My gaze fixates on that perfect mouth, one I ache to feel against mine. “I think I probably should have had a snow brush.”
He smirks at the whispered response, but it vanishes with what I say next.
“But I think you should kiss me anyway.”
His growl is the only warning I get before his mouth takes mine in a searing kiss that alters my entire existence. It’s a moment that pauses time. One that transcends the physical, forever imprinting itself on my soul.
My arms curl around his neck as he lifts me off my feet, pinning me against the snowy tree.
I gasp at the feel of his hardness between my thighs, and he uses the opportunity to slide his tongue in. The intoxicating taste of him floods my senses, sending a dizzying rush of euphoria through my body.
“I’ve been wanting to taste you since you ran into my fucking car,” he groans, never breaking rhythm.
I want to tell him the same but can’t. I’m lost in the intensity of our passion, drowning in my own desire.
I faintly register the chime of the church bells along with the pop of fireworks, but it all sounds so far away. As if it takes place in another world, away from the one Mike and I are in.
In our world, time ceases to exist, every second driven by something far more powerful.
My hands tangle in his hair in a desperate plea to get closer while his try to maneuver around my clothes, but the padded layers between us prove difficult.