Total pages in book: 26
Estimated words: 24622 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 123(@200wpm)___ 98(@250wpm)___ 82(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 24622 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 123(@200wpm)___ 98(@250wpm)___ 82(@300wpm)
“You ever off anyone besides criminals? I mean, you’re not the kind of guy someone would hire to blow away the cheating spouse they can’t afford to divorce, right?”
He scowls. “Hell no. But the reality is, some criminals slip through the cracks of the justice system. They know the right people, have enough money to buy their freedom, or have lawyers who know how to subvert the adjudication process. They’ll never see the inside of a jail cell, and their crimes are too horrific to let them continue walking the streets. That’s where people like Ridge and me come in.”
“Is this mafia thing the only one you’re working on?”
“It’s Ridge’s only case. For a while now. This has been my main focus for a few months, too, but I’ve got other cases back-burnered. It will be nice to pivot back to some that don’t require me to use my particular skill.”
Ransom has a good heart. It isn’t his words alone that convince me. I see it in his eyes. I feel it in his touch. I know it in the way he’s finished raising Ethan. Ransom is solid. He’s honest. He’s everything I could ever want.
“Thanks for telling me all that. But if you thought that would get rid of me, I’m sorry to disappoint you. I’m still stuck on you.”
His smile as he pulls me closer is full of relief. “I’m not trying to get rid of you at all, babygirl. In fact…” He pulls something from his pocket, then opens his palm to reveal a sparkling diamond solitaire. “How about marrying me?”
Oh, my god. That ring in his palm—hell, the earnest expression on his face—tells me he’s totally serious.
My eyes widen. I clap a hand over my gaping mouth. But I know what I want. I know who my heart belongs to. “Yes!”
I’ve never considered myself a super-emotional girl, but the joy on his face as he whoops and slides the ring on my finger has my eyes welling with tears. When the band fits perfectly, as if it was made just for me, the drops fall down my cheeks.
Ransom cups my face in his hands. “I love you, Havana. I’m going to make you so happy.”
“I love you, too. We’re going to make each other happy.” Then something occurs to me, and I bite my lip. “What about Ethan?”
“We’ve talked. He knows how I feel. He’s happy for us. And he’ll be starting the next chapter of his life in a few months, after graduation. He just needs to decide whether he’s going to college first or heading straight for the military. Either way, the kid is solid and strong. He’s going to be fine.”
“He is,” I assure him. “But he’s not a kid anymore. He’s a man now. The way he helped me, the way he was so cool under pressure… He’s amazing.”
Ransom takes my hand and stares at his ring winking there. “If I didn’t know better, I’d worry you’re interested in him.”
“Nope. Never really was.” I wrap my arms around Ransom’s neck. “I couldn’t get interested because his father is way hotter.”
Suddenly, he presses his body tight against me and his lips capture mine. Just like our very first kiss in Ransom’s kitchen, he steals my breath—and my heart. I have a feeling the rest of my life will be filled with laughter, love, and the kind of toe-curling passion most of my friends have searched for endlessly in their hookups.
“And Ethan already told me that if I married you, he’d have the hottest stepmom ever. But I’m way luckier. I’ll have the most amazing vet and wife.” He seizes my lips again, wrapping his fingers in my hair and unleashing all his raw passion into the kiss. When he finally pulls away, I’m panting hard, squirming on the granite, and praying he has plans to take me to bed again soon. “So…how fast can we get married?”
“In a hurry?”
“Yeah. I’m about two minutes away from picking you up off that counter and taking you back to bed. You’re still not on the pill. I didn’t stop for condoms, so…”
If we keep this up, I’m going to get pregnant. “Unless we decide to stop having sex before the wedding—”
“Is that what you want? If it is, I’ll wait, babygirl.”
“What?” It’s sweet of him to offer, but… “Pfft, no. You said you’d take me back to bed in two minutes. The clock is ticking.”
His wide grin matches my smile. “Yes, ma’am. I aim to please. How does a wedding next weekend sound? I’d say today, but I’d like to give my parents and my brothers the opportunity to be here.”
Even a week leaves me virtually no time to find a dress or plan a wedding, but it’s Vegas. Someone can snap their fingers and make all that happen. Plus, I don’t care that much about the pomp. I just want to marry Ransom and start our amazing life together. “Perfect.”