Total pages in book: 44
Estimated words: 40554 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 203(@200wpm)___ 162(@250wpm)___ 135(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 40554 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 203(@200wpm)___ 162(@250wpm)___ 135(@300wpm)
"Nice," he chuckles. "There will be time for that tonight. The night is young." Blake pours me a cup of tea. "You did a lot of teatime in Europe."
"I did." I watch as he adds two cubes of sugar and then a touch of milk, followed by a drop of honey. Teatime wasn't a thing for me until I'd gone away for college. Mabel did it every Saturday. "How do you know all these things?"
"I didn't want to part with you. It was hard, and I might have done things you won't be happy about."
"Such as keeping tabs."
He places a few finger sandwiches onto my plate.
"Yes," he admits. "I should be embarrassed or have shame over the things I've done. All the check-ins, speaking with your professors and the guards.” My brows rise. "I might have been closer than you know more than a few times."
"Blake." A small gasp leaves me, but not in shock; it’s more like Tell me more.
"I wanted to see your room and try the restaurants you favored so I'd know."
"So you'd know?"
"For when you came home. I suppose I had this idea that we'd easily slip into husband and wife. If I wanted to make that seamless for you, then I should know all about you. The foods you like to eat, the shows you watched." A smirk forms on his lips. "The books you read."
"Blake." I smack his shoulder. "Breaking into my dorm room and stalking me is one thing. Going through my e-reader is a whole other story,” I half tease.
Only because I'm a bit shy about my reading habits. They are rather dirty. A few were so dirty I had to download them from the website that hosted those types of books.
"It helped me deal."
"You missed me that much?"
"Yes," he says without hesitation as he brings a tiny sandwich to my lips. I take the bite, loving how intimate it is for him to feed me.
"Is that why you thought the stalking and spanking would be okay?" I lift one brow.
"I know some things are meant for books only. Pure fantasy, but it did give me ideas of where I could venture toward. I see how wet you got selling yourself to me."
"Oh God," I gasp again. That was rather tantalizing.
"I know that's play, and I want to play with my wife." I can't stop myself from kissing him again. When it breaks, we both have to gasp for air.
"I'm so pissed at my parents. Do I have to face them at some point?"
"You're asking me?"
"I want to hear what you think."
"They still believe you're at school. They asked if I would be joining them for the graduation."
"Are they on their way there now?"
"Probably. I told them I wasn't interested in going."
"I suspected they were,” I say dryly.
"They were shocked by how dismissive I was about it."
"Why didn't you tell them I was here?" I ask. He let them take off to Europe. I mean, it is kind of funny.
"My loyalty is to my wife, and I want to make sure I handle your parents how you see fit." His jaw ticks, and I know he's fighting his anger. I bite the inside of my cheek so that I don't smile. It would be rude, and he's pissed, though I do love the bear side of him that comes out for me. I suppose a lot has changed, but a lot has remained the same. "Even if I want to destroy them."
“I don’t want to become miserable, manipulative people like they are. But I also know I can’t allow them to get away with what they’ve done. If it were only me and the way they treat me, then I’d probably cave. But what they did to you and to us is unforgivable.” I overlooked a lot of things over the years where my parents were concerned, but this can’t be one of them.
Blake is my family now. My parents might not have protected theirs as they should have, but I will.
Chapter Twelve
BLAKE
My girl would cave. I know that, and so do her parents. I see now how much they abused and used her kindness against her. It only enrages me that much more. I won't allow them to hurt her ever again. I'll do whatever I have to.
You’d think the more time I spend with Truly, the more the anger inside of me would calm a few degrees, but it doesn’t. It only further reminds me of what they have kept from me.
"Bear." Truly gives me a soft smile and covers my fist on the table with her hand. I hadn't realized I’d formed one. "What is the saying? Don't get mad, get even."
"How could I ever get even? If I separated your parents for years, they'd likely enjoy it." A small laugh leaves her. The sweet sound is calming me. Truly always had a way of doing that. If I had a shit day, I'd find a reason to stop by her home so that I could see her. I swear her presence alone is a balm to my soul.