Total pages in book: 124
Estimated words: 116471 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 582(@200wpm)___ 466(@250wpm)___ 388(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 116471 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 582(@200wpm)___ 466(@250wpm)___ 388(@300wpm)
After finishing my first quick assessment, I stopped in the middle, unsure what to do and where to go. To the bathroom? But the dress was closed by dozens of tiny buttons I wouldn’t even be capable of opening myself. Samuel closed the door before he faced me.
He looked magnificent in his dark blue tuxedo. He had blond hair and stunning blue eyes, with wide shoulders and strong arms. I tore my gaze away and lowered it to my hands, which fumbled with my purse.
Silence cloaked us like a heavy drape, settling itself like a suffocating weight on my heart until my throat tightened and embarrassment crowded my chest. I should let him off easily and tell him I was tired.
I didn’t want him to sleep with me because he felt obligated when he didn’t desire me. “Is it okay if I go to the bathroom to wash my face and freshen up?”
“Of course,” Samuel said, and the tight note in his voice made me look up. His brows were drawn together as he regarded me, maybe wondering if he needed to help me. With that intense look, he seemed even less approachable, like there was no way I could ever crash through the walls he had built as a high-ranking Made Man. The thought that he might worry about having to assist me to go to the toilet drove shame into my cheeks.
I rolled my wheelchair into the bathroom but didn’t close the door and continued until I was in front of the sink. The bathroom was incredibly spacious, so I had more than enough room to move around. The shower was accessible with a wide door that allowed easy access and handles so I could pull myself up, and one of the counters was lower so I could easily see my reflection even when seated in my wheelchair.
Samuel followed me and leaned against the doorframe. His scrutiny made me nervous, but at the same time, I wanted to show him that I wasn’t as helpless as he worried. I arrested the brakes of my wheelchair, then slid my legs to the floor and carefully pushed myself to my feet. Samuel rocked forward as if he thought I would fall, but I gripped the edge of the counter to steady myself and straightened. His eyes trailed along my body, and I realized he was checking me out in my wedding dress. I couldn’t read his expression, but I hoped he liked what he saw. I loved the dress, loved how I looked in it. I went through my evening routine, cleaning my face and brushing my teeth, while Samuel stood in the doorway.
I wished he’d at least say something. When I was done, I paused and peered toward my husband in the mirror. Our gazes locked, and the intensity in his halted my breath. I swallowed, not sure what to do. At that moment, it seemed impossible that only eight years separated us. Eight years and a lifetime of experiences.
Undressing would be next, but I’d need his help with the dress, and considering this was our wedding night, he should be eager to get me out of my clothes and into the bed. Samuel briefly looked away, and when he met my gaze again, his expression was stone.
I swallowed my disappointment and my pride. “I need help with the buttons.”
“Of course.” Samuel walked over to me, and my fingers on the counter tightened. My legs grew tired from standing. My muscles were not strong enough to carry my weight this long after a day like this.
“Do you need to sit down?” Samuel asked as he towered over me. He was much broader and taller than me, and my insides liquefied at his strength.
“Yes,” I said quietly. “But then you won’t be able to reach the buttons.”
Samuel considered me for a few seconds. “If you lie down on your stomach on the bed, I can unbutton your dress.”
My stomach fluttered. “That sounds like a good plan.”
A small, tense smile graced Samuel’s face, and he surprised me when he lifted me and carried me over to the bed. I wasn’t sure where to put my hands, suddenly overwhelmed with the situation, so I cradled them against my stomach. When we reached the bed, he paused, and I looked up. My belly twisted at the look on his face. I wasn’t sure what it meant, but my pulse sped up nevertheless. He tore his gaze away and put me down. As I lay before him in my dress and he stood over me, my nerves bustled in my body. I rolled over, presenting my back to him, and he perched on the edge of the bed. His fingers brushed the skin between my shoulder blades when he reached for the top buttons of the dress, and I stifled a soft sigh as I rested my head on my forearms.