Total pages in book: 32
Estimated words: 30857 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 154(@200wpm)___ 123(@250wpm)___ 103(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 30857 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 154(@200wpm)___ 123(@250wpm)___ 103(@300wpm)
“That makes me sound ungrateful. I’ve lived a privileged life.”
“No. You have money. There’s a difference and you know it. You know it better than anyone.”
I gripped his hand tight, feeling tears burn my eyes. “I’d give it back in a heartbeat.”
“I know, angel,” he murmured, taking hold of my other hand.
Suddenly my chest constricted as a wave of feelings toward him crashed into me. “I’m scared.”
“Don’t be. I promise you there’s nothing to be scared of from me. This is the real fucking deal and I’m going to protect it with everything I have. Just say you’re with me.”
“I live in Glasgow,” I reiterated, hanging on by a thread.
“Forget that. Forget everything but you and me and right now. I don’t care if that’s reckless or stupid… I just… Just give yourself over to this with me and I honestly believe it will all work itself out. Will you do that? Will you just hold on with me?”
I stared into his face, a face that felt so strangely familiar to me now. My fears rode me but I knew as the warmth and excitement and thrill and peace exploded through me in opposing harmony that he was going to win over my fears.
I nodded, my hands tightening in his. “I’ll hold on.”
5
The rest of our dinner conversation was balanced between heavy and light. I told him about Skylar being homeless in Glasgow, about helping her start a homeless shelter charity now that she was healthy and happy again. I spoke more about Killian and how overprotective he was (which didn’t even faze Hudson). Hudson talked about his parents and brother, and his cousins and their families. We learned about each other’s food, music, movie likes and dislikes, and he made me laugh. A lot.
We moved to the bar after our meal and time flew. I was disappointed when I realized we had to say goodnight. However, Hudson kept his word. In fact, he didn’t even kiss me goodnight. Well, not a real kiss… but what he did was almost better.
Somehow he managed to give me the most spine-tingling kiss goodnight with a mere brush of his mouth against the corner of mine. Seriously, I almost melted into a puddle at his feet as his head pulled back from the kiss. He caressed my cheekbone with the pad of his thumb and then stepped back, wishing me goodnight.
With the promise of seeing him tomorrow in the air, I’d fled into my suite before I did something I’d regret—like throw myself at him when he was trying so hard to be a gentleman.
He was booked for morning ski lessons, something I knew he now regretted, but he’d promised Deke he’d help him out and it would seem Hudson didn’t back out of a promise. I liked that. I liked that a lot.
To be fair, I liked everything about him.
“Oh my God, you are so cute,” Catie teased at breakfast the next morning.
I made a face at both her and her grinning husband. “I am not.”
“You are, too. You’re sitting there gazing dreamily out at the snowy mountains wondering if your Prince Charming is one of those moving dots in the powder.”
I rolled my eyes to hide the fact that she was right. “Am not.”
“Are too. We can safely assume the date went well?”
I glanced between Catie and Kyle, wondering if I told them the truth if they’d think I was crazy.
Catie frowned, sensing my concern. “What is it?”
I lowered my cup of tea. “You’ll both think I’m insane.”
“Why? What is it?”
I exhaled slowly. “I think he… okay, I know this sounds nuts and I would think it was nuts if it wasn’t happening to me but… I think he might be… well… the one.” I flinched, bracing for their reaction.
When all I got was silence, I slumped in my seat. “You think I’m nuts.”
“I don’t.” Kyle shrugged. “I knew Catie was it for me the moment we met.”
I smiled as Catie stared adoringly at her husband. “You did?”
“Aye.” He grinned back at her. “I felt like you’d slammed into me the moment I saw you because I couldn’t catch my breath. And I knew. I just knew you were it.”
“You’ve never told me that before.” She smacked his shoulder.
He winced while I laughed. “Well, I didn’t want to sound like a total Muppet. But Autumn’s being honest and I don’t want her to feel like an idiot. This shite can happen.” He turned to me. “But beware. Next thing you know you’re married at twenty-two.”
I chuckled. “I’m twenty-five.”
“You know what I mean. Catie and I met at twenty-one and less than a year later we got married.”
“I knew I loved him right away, too,” Catie said to me before turning back to Kyle, “but I didn’t know you felt the same way. You didn’t even say that in your vows!”