Total pages in book: 76
Estimated words: 71908 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 360(@200wpm)___ 288(@250wpm)___ 240(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 71908 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 360(@200wpm)___ 288(@250wpm)___ 240(@300wpm)
Maybe I should treat her like one of the boys. That’s the whole point to a lot of this. She’s no different, but to me she will always be different. I want to nurture all of her sides, and that includes the feminine part that she keeps tucked away. The one that is for my eyes only.
What’s the most fascinating about it is the deceit and femininity. The more ruthless I am to her enemies, the more ruthless she becomes. My sunshine will burn down the world and then crawl into my lap like a cuddly kitten. That shit makes me feel like a king.
“I would tell you this is your last chance to get out of this if you wanted, but I don’t want to die tonight,” Eros jokes.
“You’d have to kill me to stop this wedding.” I’ve been fascinated with Naomi from afar for years, but now having spent weeks having her in my arms and bed each night, I have only sunk deeper. I should have killed my father sooner.
“He’s not going anywhere.” War comes to stand next to us. I check my watch. We should have had a morning wedding. I have been waiting all fucking day for this. “Let me ask you something,” War says. “What were the odds you had on me not killing you that day in my office?”
“I gave it a ninety percent chance you wouldn’t, but it dropped down to eighty when I reminded you that you and Tova had an arranged marriage.”
War’s jaw flexes.
“Holy fuck,” Eros chuckles at War. “You and Naomi are so much alike.” He shakes his head. “I mean, I get murderous about Bonte, but you and Naomi might kill us all and ask questions later.” I smirk at that. What is there to say? I don’t think he’s far off the mark. Naomi does share a lot of War’s qualities on the outside, but deep inside, she has a lot of Tova in her too.
“He’s good for her,” War says. “Her life shouldn’t be all work. She’d been letting her mind stay in that mode all the time. It can be exhausting. It’s not easy for us to step back, but my wife can bring me back.” He flicks a glance over to me. “Tova grounded me, and I am pleased that my daughter has found that for herself too.”
I almost say that I found her, but it’s a moot point.
“She’s good for me too.” They all look at me as though that was already assumed. I have to say that I love how protective they are of all the women in the family.
“The two of you complement each other. Both powerful in your own right but willing to cede power when it comes to one another. To compromise when needed. I never thought I’d see the day that Naomi compromised on anything.” War lets out a rare low chuckle.
I check my watch again. I’ve always been patient, but today, not so much. If I had to guess, Naomi isn’t either. They tried to say we couldn’t spend last night together. That they were having a girls’ night.
That lasted until around midnight, and we might have crashed it. When I stepped into the movie room downstairs where they’d all been hanging out, I saw the slight widening of her eyes and the small pull to the corner of her lips that showed she was pleased to see me.
Hoots and hollers echoed as I tossed her over my shoulder and carried her out. Naomi’s face had flushed, but she didn’t protest. We got back to the room, and I had my way with her twice and once this morning.
“It’s time,” Tova says, poking her head into the library where we’d been ordered to go. “Everyone to their seats.” Everyone files out, even War to go see Naomi.
Last night, Naomi told me her father said he’d be okay with not walking her down the aisle if that was what she wanted. He understood that this was her decision and that he had no say in giving her away to anyone.
I knew before she spoke that she had told him she wanted him to walk her down the aisle. Naomi can be more traditional than people know. She loves her family. Everything she does is with them in mind and is best for everyone. You don’t do that unless you care. She observes how other couples in this family interact and desires the same. To be understood without having to speak a word. It’s my role to make sure she gets that.
“How is she?” I ask.
“Impatient.” Tova gives me a bright smile. “The suit came out nicely.”
“Thank you.” She’d been the one to really pull this together.
“I did the pocket myself.” Tova gives a small shrug with one shoulder, like it’s not a big deal, but it is. I open my suit coat and pull the picture out of the pocket and show it to her. “Oh my gosh.” The smile that takes over her face lights up the room.