Total pages in book: 31
Estimated words: 29436 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 147(@200wpm)___ 118(@250wpm)___ 98(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 29436 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 147(@200wpm)___ 118(@250wpm)___ 98(@300wpm)
We get up to the room, and I can tell she needs some time to herself. I run the bath for her, dropping in bath salts. When it’s full, I walk out into the bedroom. “I ran you a bath so you can relax.”
She rises from the edge of the bed and nods her head. She’s so beautiful. But it’s more than that. She’s standing before me with my ring on her finger, and I want her so badly. I want to take her, claim her as mine, and make her promise that she’ll never leave me. The urge is so much, I’m almost afraid I won’t be able to hold back and give her the first time she deserves.
I grab the key card off the dresser and walk toward the door. I can’t stay in this room, knowing she’s naked in the next room.
“Where are you going?” she asks.
I don’t turn and look at her because I’m afraid if I do, I won’t be able to leave. “Down to the bar.”
I slam the door behind me, and instead of going to the elevator, I walk down the hall to the stairwell. I need the exercise. I need to do something to work off some of this energy that is raging through my body.
Two hours later, I feel that I have some control over myself. I didn’t drink, but I did go to the weight room and worked out for the two hours. I pushed myself harder than I have in a long time, and I’m already feeling it in my leg.
I open the door to the hotel room, and the lights are off. She’s lying as far to one side of the bed as she can get, and I go straight to the bathroom. I shower quickly, and then I slide under the cover in nothing but my underwear. I’m used to sleeping nude, but I don’t want to freak her out.
I lie flat on my back, trying to listen to her breathing.
Her voice is low in the quiet room. “I think we should get an annulment.”
“No,” I answer her quickly. There’s no way I can let her go. I can’t.
She starts to cry, and my heart breaks. I told her I wouldn’t hurt her, and look what I’m doing to her. I roll to my side. “Don’t cry, Janie. Is it really that bad being married to me?”
“I can’t do this, Carter. I can’t be in a marriage where you feel trapped.”
I reach for her, but she pulls even farther away from me. “You didn’t trap me.”
She sniffles, and a sob breaks free. “My dad said that since I loved you it would work out, you’ll come around but...”
I lean up in bed and hover over top of her. “What did you say?”
She sniffles again. “My dad said...”
“No, not that. The part where you love me.”
She covers her face with her arm. “I love you, Carter. You know I do. You warned me not to. You wanted to be friends, and I messed it up. The people of Whiskey Run ruined it, making you feel like you had to marry me.”
I lean down and pull her arm away from her face. “No, they didn’t ruin anything. I used them as an excuse. I didn’t think you wanted to marry me, so I told you that so you’d feel like you had to marry me. I trapped you, Janie.”
She blinks, looking up at me. There’s a small light from the bathroom still on, and it gives some lighting to the room. Enough for me to make out the look on her face. She’s staring at me in wonder. “You did? Why? Why would you do that?”
I cup her jaw. “Because I love you. Because I don’t ever want another man’s hands on you. Because I wanted you to be my wife and one day for you to have my babies.”
She leans toward me. “You do? But I thought...”
“I was stupid, Janie. I love you. Please tell me that you’ll stay married to me. I’ll work every day to be the man you deserve. I won’t ever go out on you, and I’ll always be here to hold you and be here for you.”
She dives across the bed, and I roll to my back with her on top of me. “Yes, yes, a thousand times, yes. I love you, Carter. You’re already the man I deserve. You’re the best man.”
She kisses me, and it’s urgent and filled with need. I waste no time in pulling her gown over her head. She’s next to me in only her panties, and I make fast work of getting them off too. When I kick off my own and feel her curvy naked body completely pressed against mine, I can’t hold back any longer. “I need you, Janie.”