Total pages in book: 30
Estimated words: 27436 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 137(@200wpm)___ 110(@250wpm)___ 91(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 27436 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 137(@200wpm)___ 110(@250wpm)___ 91(@300wpm)
Carefully, trying my best not to disturb her, I slide my arm out from beneath her shoulder and sit up. The cool air of the room does nothing to calm my blood from pooling in my dick.
The late afternoon sun is beginning to dip, casting honey-colored slashes of light across the bedroom floor, and I sit here for a moment longer, simply listening to her breathe. I pause at the edge of the bed, leaning over her sleeping body and bracing my palms into the mattress. I brush a stray curl from her cheek and press a soft lingering kiss on her forehead. Alexandria’s lashes flutter, brows knitting together as she stirs awake. She shifts into the spot I’ve just vacated, burying her face into my pillow.
“Dante?” she mumbles, her voice thick with sleep and husky from screaming my name hours ago. “Where are you going?”
“Food,” I whisper, a smirk tugging at my lips as I pull on my slacks. “Go back to sleep. I’ll order enough for both of us.
“Don’t leave,” she says with a hum, already drifting back to sleep, her fingers clutching the bed sheets.
“That’ll never happen.” I drop another kiss, this time to her cheek, and slip out of the room. I don’t bother with a fancy catering business or calling in the chef I use on the weekends in Medina. Instead, I pull my phone out of my pocket and dial a local pizzeria—the greasy, cheesy, full-of-carbs pie is a well-known favorite of Alexandria’s, and the other girls for that matter. I go about ordering two large pizzas, one with pepperoni and sausage, the other a white pizza I know she enjoys, garlic knots, side salads, and for drinks I add in a couple of sodas.
I move back into the room, watching the sleeping beauty, more than ready to wake her up for another round, when she rolls over, eyes slowly blinking open. Now it’s time for me to open up after her round of twenty-one questions.
“You’re the only thing in my world, Alexandria,” I say softly, resting my hip on the edge of the bed. “I’ve got money, I’ve got family, and I’ve got friends. Didn’t know what I was missing until I walked back into your hotel room and you were gone.”
“Dante.” I slip my hand up the side of her neck, my thumb stroking the sensitive skin of her throat.
“None of this was an accident, Alexandria. You think us ending up in Vegas together, at the same hotel, in the same bar, was just a coincidence?”
“It wasn’t?” Her eyes search mine with a sudden, sharp curiosity.
“I’ve had my eye on you for a long time, wife.” I let out a low, rough laugh, shaking my head. “You’ve been around our group. A few months ago, I saw you at the real estate convention. You were wearing a dark green dress, standing near the balcony, laughing with a broker. Didn’t like it then, didn’t like it with the bartender. That very night, I promised myself I’d make you mine.”
“Dante, that was in February, six months ago.” She blinks, her lips parting slightly.
“I waited.” My fingers trail down her jaw. “Bided my time until the right moment came along. I watched, learned what made you smile, also learned what makes you tick. I saw how fiercely protective you are of your friends and how much your independence means to you. There was a reason I was in Vegas the same weekend you were, Alexandria. And that reason was far more for you than it ever was for work.”
My words settle around us. She sits up straight, the soft sheets slipping down her body and settling around her waist. My eyes clock the movement, noticing she makes no move to cover herself. She’s unbothered that my eyes are on her bare breasts and nipples. What I do notice is the total astonishment and sheer amazement written across her face. My hands cup the undersides of her breasts, thumbs gliding over her pebbled tips. My mouth waters thinking about tasting them again, and soon.
“You… no way. You knew I’d be there, calculated the entire weekend?” Her voice is a mix of disbelief, and her eyes are as wide as saucers.
“I created an opportunity,” I correct. “I knew if I pushed you too hard here in Seattle, you’d build a wall twenty feet high with a moat surrounding you. You’d never let me get close. In Vegas, your guard was down, you were relaxed, a little bit tipsy, and work wasn’t at the forefront of your mind. I didn’t plan on getting married, though that’s an added bonus I never want to change.” She stares at me for a long, silent moment.
“God help me,” she mutters, reaching up and running a hand through her hair, taking a long, fortifying breath. There isn’t a drop of anger in her voice. A small smile breaks through her stunned expression. “While I logically know I should run for the hills and demand a divorce from my stalker husband…” She leans forward, placing her palms against my pecs. Her eyes shine with a warmth that hits me straight in the chest. “It’s also slightly endearing in a completely insane ‘I need my head examined’ kind of way.’”