Total pages in book: 124
Estimated words: 115737 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 579(@200wpm)___ 463(@250wpm)___ 386(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 115737 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 579(@200wpm)___ 463(@250wpm)___ 386(@300wpm)
‘Your wish is my command, baby.’ He picks me up in the middle of the bar for all to see and strides out with me wrapped around him. But we don’t make it to the car, only to the end of the street. I’m placed on my feet on the kerb. ‘Wait there,’ he orders gently, turning and checking the road for traffic before jogging across to the other side. When he arrives, he faces me, him on one side of the road, me on the other. A little sob escapes when I realise where we are and what he’s doing, as cars pass between us. He’s really taking us back to the start.
‘You mentioned home,’ he calls across to me, his grey eyes bright. ‘Look in your back pocket.’
My forehead bunches as I feel my way to my bum, pulling out a piece of paper. Slowly unfolding it, I split my attention between Jack and whatever’s in my hand, curious and cautious all at once. I scan the sheet which I quickly establish contains the details of . . .
‘Land?’ I ask, too quietly for Jack to hear from across the road. I look up and find him looking pensive. ‘What is this?’
‘Ours,’ he calls. ‘I bought it for us.’
I let my gaze fall back to the paper in my hand, my head twisting, making it impossible for me to absorb the information staring up at me.
‘Just say yes,’ Jack shouts.
I laugh. ‘I don’t know what I’m saying yes to.’
He rolls his eyes dramatically, dropping his head back to look to the sky, like I’m slow. Then he paces across the road. I yelp when he lifts me from my feet, even though he does it with the utmost care, and I gasp when he cages me in against the brick wall behind me. ‘I love this wall,’ he declares, all husky and low. It does my restraint no favours when he talks to me like that, especially when he’s talking about this wall. This wall that’s another part of our story, like the tequila, the bar, and the hotel just around the corner where we spent all night exploring each other, getting to know each other’s bodies. Our hearts began to tangle tightly that night, so tightly nothing would ever pull us apart. ‘You’re saying yes to everything with me, Annie.’ His lips hover a few millimetres from mine. ‘I’ve bought that land for us. You are going to design our home and—’
‘You are going to build it,’ I breathe, his plan finally making a breakthrough in my mind.
‘Preferably with lots of bedrooms so we can fill them with babies.’
‘Oh my God.’ I drop the paper and squeeze him hard.
‘It’s me and you, baby. The house, the kids, the life, everything. We’ll have it all.’
‘I only ever wanted you,’ I admit, sinking my face into his neck. ‘I can’t believe I finally have you.’
‘You more than have me, baby.’ He holds me so strongly, his heart pounding against mine – our beats in sync, their rhythms perfectly matched, the powerful love weaving, tangling us tighter still. ‘You possess me. You own me. You rule me,’ he murmurs in my ear. ‘You are everything to me, Annie Ryan. My pulse, my heartbeat, my breath. Everything.’
My vision clouds as the tears pool in my eyes. ‘I’m ready.’
‘That’s good, because I paid the deposit yesterday.’
‘No, you don’t understand what I’m saying, Jack.’ I wrestle myself free and grab his hands, fixing him with a determined stare. ‘I’m ready.’ I direct his touch to my stomach and watch as comprehension dawns on him. He shoots me a look, one that’s a mixture of uncertainty and elation.
‘You’re ready?’
‘Haven’t we had too much of our precious time taken already?’ I ask.
‘Way too much,’ he agrees, his face pained.
‘Take me home, Jack,’ I order, sounding as sure as I feel. ‘Put me in bed, make love to me. Be gentle if you must, but please make love to me.’
He groans and deepens our kiss, gathering me up in his arms. His arms, the place where nothing can touch me. My sanctuary. My haven. My home.