Total pages in book: 90
Estimated words: 87005 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 435(@200wpm)___ 348(@250wpm)___ 290(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 87005 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 435(@200wpm)___ 348(@250wpm)___ 290(@300wpm)
“You fucked up and paved the way for me.” I reach across the table and lace my fingers through hers. I hold her gaze when I say, “Best damn thing to ever happen to me.”
Monroe’s eyes soften. I know she thinks I’m just playing the part, but my words ring true. Life with Monroe in it, when she’s mine, is just better. I’ve known her for years, but making this claim on her, it’s so much more than I bargained for.
“Yeah, good luck with ice queen,” he spits, and turns on his heel to leave.
I stand to go after him, but one word stops me.
“Stay.”
I pause and look over at her. “He’s not going to talk about you like that.”
“We’re done. He knows he’s got nothing on you. He’s going to leave me alone now. You telling him we’re getting married was enough. He knows he’s lost and that you have something he never will.”
“I can’t just sit here like he didn’t insult you.”
Our waitress arrives with our strawberry waffles. “Can I get you anything else?” she asks.
“No, thank you,” Monroe replies politely, as if my insides aren’t a raging inferno. Our waitress leaves, and she smiles at me, picking up her fork. “Stay and have breakfast for dinner with me. He’s no longer a part of my life, and nothing he says is going to change that. His words don’t hurt me, Legend. I know the kind of man he is. He showed me his true colors. I just want to sit here and enjoy this meal with my boyfriend.”
“This goes against my every instinct.”
She forks up a strawberry and reaches her arm across the table, holding it out for me. “Open for me, Legend.”
I do as she asks, because there isn’t a single thing this woman could ask for that I wouldn’t give her, including not going after her piece-of-shit ex. “It’s good.” I nod.
“It’s just you and me, right? We’re in this? We have to learn to trust each other.”
“I trust you with everything.” It’s the truth. That’s the only way this arrangement can work.
“Then trust me that if you don’t hurry up and eat those waffles, I’m going to steal them from you.”
I chuckle as I grab my fork and pierce a strawberry. I hold it out to her just as she did me. She grins the goofiest, happiest grin and takes it from me. My cock stiffens as she wraps her lips around my fork.
Never in my life would I have thought that watching a woman eat would turn me on, but I would have been wrong. So. Damn. Wrong.
“So, moving in?”
“Right.” I cut off a big bite of my waffle. “I think soon.”
“And the proposal?” she whispers.
I wink at her. “I’ve got it covered.”
“You’re not going to tell me?”
“Nope. You said this might be the only one you ever get, so you’re just going to have to wait and see.”
She sticks her tongue out at me, and I wish I were sitting next to her so I could pull her lips to mine and taste it. I’m well aware that’s not in the agreement, but fuck me, she makes it hard to not want to kiss the breath from her lungs.
“Okay, well, I guess I should start collecting boxes. I can just bring my clothes and whatnot.”
“No.”
“No?”
I shake my head. “This is going to be real while we’re married. My home is your home. I want it to feel that way. I don’t care what you bring or what you change. It’s just a house.”
“Your house.”
“Our house, Mo. Bring it all. Do what you want. It’s ours for the foreseeable future.”
“Are you sure?”
“I’ve never been more sure about anything in my life.”
“Thanks, Legend.”
“I’m the one who should be thanking you. I appreciate this, Mo. More than you know.”
“You and the guys and Em, you’re my people. I’m happy I could help. I can’t even imagine how messy this would be for you to have some random woman in my shoes.”
“It wouldn’t have happened.”
“What?”
“It was you or nothing. Em is already taken.” I wink at her.
She rolls with laughter, turning heads in the small diner. “Don’t let Rome hear you say that.”
“He knows I would never.”
“You’re a good man, Legend Raines.”
“And you’re an incredible woman, future Mrs. Raines.”
“Monroe Raines. I admit, I’ve said it a few times in my head, trying it on.”
“Rolls off the tongue,” I tell her.
“It’s going to take some getting used to. Is that going to be weird for you? Me having your last name?”
“No.” There’s no hesitation in my reply. I don’t tell her that my cock hardens every time I think about her taking my name. I don’t tell her that there have been nights where I’ve lain awake, staring at the shadows on the walls and thinking about that very thing.