Total pages in book: 31
Estimated words: 28523 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 143(@200wpm)___ 114(@250wpm)___ 95(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 28523 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 143(@200wpm)___ 114(@250wpm)___ 95(@300wpm)
“I’m glad you like it.” I pointed at the entrance to the building. “That’s where we’re going.” The original eighteenth-century architecture had been beautifully maintained, and the interior was the same way.
Faith grinned and danced over to the front door, waiting not-so-patiently for me to catch up and punch in the security code. She oohed and aahed as we made our way up to the penthouse on the tenth floor. Two flats were on this level, so when we exited the elevator, I led her down the hallway to the left and unlocked the door.
“Holy cow,” Faith breathed as she stepped inside. “This place is amazing. Are you renting it?”
I shook my head and shut the door. “I signed the papers about ten months ago. But I’ve only been here a handful of times.” I hadn’t enjoyed being there without her, but I’d come to get all the details finalized so it was ready by her birthday. “How about a tour?”
The apartment had three exterior walls, and all of them had multiple sets of double doors within each room leading out to a small terrace wrapped around the building. The architecture and design were all original, though it had been refurbished and much of the apartment updated. However, I’d left it somewhat bare to make sure Faith had room to make the place her own.
When we reached the master bedroom, I waited by the door while she walked into the massive closet. I knew she would be in love with it, but I hoped she liked everything I’d bought for her.
What I didn’t expect was for her to stomp out spitting mad.
“What the hell, Rush?” she snapped.
“Pardon?” I blinked a few times, utterly caught off guard.
“If you’re going to bring your mistress to this apartment, at least have the decency to hide your wife’s things!” Faith slapped her hands on the sides of her head, and her expression was horrified as she turned in a circle, not seeming to see anything in front of her. “Holy crap. We didn’t use a condom. I can’t be the other woman! A pregnant mistress? Holy crap! My parents are going to kill me. Life is not a fairy tale, Faith Carrington.”
After absorbing her ranting for a minute and then seeing the object in her hand, I caught on to the misunderstanding.
“Faith.” She didn’t even register that I’d spoken as she continued to walk around and mutter to herself. I stalked over to her and yanked her into my arms. “Faith!”
“Don’t touch me!”
I didn’t let her go, despite her struggling.
“Let me explain,” I demanded in a tone that said I meant business. She stopped wiggling, but her expression remained angry and resentful.
“There is no one else but you.” She opened her mouth, but I shot her a look that had her snapping it shut. “There hasn’t been for a very long time.”
I grabbed the wrist of her hand that was tightly clenched shut. Prying her fingers apart, I took the four-carat diamond ring and matching band from her palm.
“Did you look at the sizes on the clothing, Faith?”
“I don’t care what she—”
I sighed loud enough to get her to stop. “Everything in there is your size because it was all bought for you, blue eyes. This flat, I picked it out just for you. These rings, when I saw them, I knew they were yours. Everything. All of it. It’s yours.”
Faith’s mouth had slowly parted with shock, and when I finished, her blue eyes were swimming in moisture. “Why?”
“Why?” I repeated, a little confused at her query.
“Why did you do all of this for me?”
My brow furrowed, and I stared at her for a long beat, thinking back over our time together. Yeah, you’re a fucking genius, Baldwyne.
“Because I love you, blue eyes. I’m so fucking in love with you that I can barely breathe when you aren’t with me. You are everything. My obsession, my love, my reason for living. I’m going to marry you, have babies with you, and grow old with you. And even though I can be a controlling, jealous, obstinate jackass sometimes, you and our kids will always come first. I will spend my life making sure you’re all happy and safe.”
Tears were running down Faith’s cheeks, but her smile was blinding. “I love you too, Rush.”
I kissed her tears away before crushing our mouths together and pouring every bit of my feelings for her into the kiss.
When we broke apart, she raised an eyebrow and shot a look at the rings in my hand. “So?”
I took her hand and slid the ring on.
“Um, aren’t you forgetting something, Rush?”
Thinking back for a second, I was confident I hadn’t missed anything. I glanced down at the band that matched her engagement ring and shook my head. “This is for tomorrow.”
“T-Tomo-Tomorrow?” She practically choked on the word, so I patted her back while she coughed and caught her breath. “Tomorrow?”