Total pages in book: 67
Estimated words: 62811 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 314(@200wpm)___ 251(@250wpm)___ 209(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 62811 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 314(@200wpm)___ 251(@250wpm)___ 209(@300wpm)
So far she’d shocked him with everything that had come out of her mouth. Turning down the role? He’d never imagined it was possible. Firing Rebecca? Holy shit. And letting her mother know told him she was definitely serious.
“I want to start a production company. I came up with the idea yesterday, but in my gut, I know it’s a good one.” She glanced at him and went on. “Everything about this idea works. It will satisfy my creativity, I can act in select films if I want, and I have the contacts to reach the right people, so I’ll have access to A-list talent. I can do this,” she said, her voice rising with enthusiasm, and his own heart began to beat harder in his chest.
He loved seeing her excited about a project, and though this one was huge… “I have absolute faith you can pull this off.”
“Well, I’ll need a partner. Not for the money per se, but someone with the ability to pick a good script. Someone I trust implicitly.” She raised her eyebrows as she met his gaze. “If you hadn’t been such a dumb ass, making stupid choices and assumptions for me, I might have asked you. Considering I love you and all. But…”
Her lips lifted upward in a grin and Xander had had enough talk. He pulled himself over her and shut her up with a kiss. A long, deep, soul-searching kiss. One that let her know he caught what she’d said and reciprocated a hundredfold.
Lifting his head, he looked into her eyes. “I love you, too, though I would have done a more emotional job of letting you know if I’d gone first.” He winked at her because he didn’t give a shit how she’d told him. As long as she’d said the words.
“I was coming to the city to tell you that I was an ass, I’m sorry, and I love you.” He rubbed his nose along hers before lifting his head to continue. “If I had to travel to places like Singapore to see you during filming, I’d damn well do it. I’d walk a red carpet, deal with the made-up shit in the tabloids, learn how to cope with the crowds and the flashing lights. Anything as long as I could have you.”
Her eyes were damp and opened wide. “I don’t know what to say. You were willing to live a life you hated … for me?”
“Yeah,” he said, his voice gruff. “Even one night knowing I’d lost you was too long. So now that you know that, I have to ask. Do you want the role? Do you want to continue on as you have been? Because you can do it and I won’t go anywhere. I won’t lose faith or trust in you.” They’d both grown up a lot since their first attempt at a relationship.
He held his breath, waiting for her answer. Because though he’d do it, her production company idea appealed to him so much more. But this decision had to be hers.
She shook her head. “I made my choice before I came here. Even if we didn’t end up together, I’m going ahead with my plan. It’s definitely what I want to do.”
He grinned, so fucking relieved. Well, partially relieved. “Can you work from here? Do you want to? Or is your heart set on going home?”
She shook her head. “California was never home. I bought a house but I wasn’t there enough to make it mine.” She placed her hands on either side of his face. “You’re my home, Xander, as long as you’ll have me.”
“Just try and get rid of me. And I promise you, I’ll never leave you again.”
He leaned down and pressed his lips to hers again, delving into her mouth but keeping her head still and being as gentle as possible because of her concussion. She bit down on his bottom lip and he groaned. He lifted his head and grinned. “You’re not going to get me to do anything more. You need to rest.”
“I really do. I didn’t sleep well last night. I’m not used to being alone.”
He rolled over and pulled her into him, wrapping his body around hers. “Then it’s a good thing you’ll never have to be alone again.”
They lay cuddled together, everything finally right in his world. And he planned to spend the rest of his days making certain everything was perfect in hers, as well.
* * *
One Month Later…
Xander invited his family over for a barbeque. Knowing his plan, he gritted his teeth and called Sasha’s mother, offering to pay for a round-trip flight to New York and a hotel in East Hampton. She was still kicking up a fight over her daughter’s choices, but Xander laid out the facts: Come and be a part of their family or remain home and start out Sasha’s life with Xander on the outside looking in. Needless to say, she was staying in a hotel under the guise of wanting to visit her daughter. Xander had asked Chloe and Beck to pick Annika up on their way over.