Total pages in book: 141
Estimated words: 129998 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 650(@200wpm)___ 520(@250wpm)___ 433(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 129998 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 650(@200wpm)___ 520(@250wpm)___ 433(@300wpm)
“I am still a good guy,” he insists. “I don’t kill for sport.”
“I know,” I whisper as we hit the bottom ground and hear the familiar ding of the elevator before the doors slide open.
Colton steps back from me, keeping his eyes on mine as he tugs me away from the elevator wall. Together we walk out of the elevator and I can’t help but rub my thumb over his sore knuckles. “Tell me that you’re coming home with me,” he questions, stopping in the middle of the nearly deserted parking lot and meeting my eyes.
“I …” I let out a breath, not having thought about it since before Nic’s ridiculous proposal. “I’m not entirely sure yet,” I tell him with all honesty. “I can’t get past this feeling that you’re just like the rest of the guys I know. You kept this part of yourself hidden from me. Especially after everything we went through with Jude in the wine cellar. If you were going to come clean about it, that would have been the time.”
“I know,” he says, dropping his forehead to mine. “I should have told you when we were sitting in the shower after you nearly took out Jude. I’ve thought about that moment nearly every fucking day but it’s not something that you just tell someone.”
“I would have been able to handle it.”
“I know that now,” he tells me, squeezing my hands. “Just please, Ocean. Come home with me. We can work this out. I don’t want to lose you over this.”
My heart breaks as I meet his eyes, seeing the raw desperation within him. “I … I feel like I need to think about this for a minute. Too much has happened. I can’t even think clearly right now. After everything that just went down with Nic. I just need—”
Colton cuts me off as he drops to his knees before me. “I’m so fucking in love with you, Jade. Please, baby, come home with me so we can sort this out. I need you in my life, but I’ll get it if you want to leave. I won’t hold it against you, but it’ll fucking hurt.”
I look down at him on his knees, begging me to stay and the raw emotions begin to rise within me until they’re completely overwhelming me. A lump forms in my throat and I step into him, desperately needing to be closer. “You love me?” I whisper, feeling my voice break as he says the very words I’ve wondered about since the day he sat at my mother’s dinner table and admitted that he didn’t love me … yet.
“I do,” he says, the desperation shining brightly in his eyes. “I love you so fucking much that it hurts. I’ve hated being away from you these last few days. I need you in my life. I don’t know how you did it but you weaseled your way in and now I can’t fucking breathe without you.”
I fight the tears that well in my eyes as I curl my hand around the back of his neck. “I love you too,” I whisper, meeting his eyes and letting him see just how much I mean it.
A smile tears across his face. “I know,” he says with the slightest amusement. “You blurted it out on Sunday while you were screaming at me.”
“Shut up,” I laugh just moments before he grabs me and brings my lips down to his.
Fucking home.
I kiss him deeply, feeling all the hurt from the last few days finally dissolve into nothing and allowing my aching chest to finally begin mending.
His fingers lace through mine and I pull him up, never wanting to see my man begging on his knees again. As he stands, his arm twines around my waist and he pulls me off my feet, refusing to break our kiss.
“Put her down,” comes a pissed off growl from across the parking lot.
My back stiffens, recognizing that voice from anywhere.
Colton’s hands tighten on my waist and he pulls away from me, lowering me to the ground as his head snaps around to find the threat.
Nic stands across the lot and I find him leaning up against Colton’s Veneno with his finger through the finger grip of his gun, spinning it in circles like a fucking idiot. Did nobody teach this guy gun safety? If he wants to accidentally shoot his balls off then that’s one sure way to make it happen.
“What are you doing here?” I demand, looking at the man who killed my father in distaste. Colton instantly picks up on my tone and I’m sure that he’s reminded of the state I was in when I first arrived at the hospital and is currently putting the puzzle pieces together. Sensing my unease, Colton discreetly puts himself in front of me.