Total pages in book: 46
Estimated words: 42479 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 212(@200wpm)___ 170(@250wpm)___ 142(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 42479 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 212(@200wpm)___ 170(@250wpm)___ 142(@300wpm)
“Riley, it’s time. I need you to trust me with whatever it is you’ve been running from. I’m done waiting, baby. I need the truth, and I need it now. I can’t help if I don’t know what we’re facing.”
Her eyes widened further, startled by the bluntness of my demand, and her lips parted as she took a shaky breath. She searched my face, anxiety and fear warring openly in her expression. “You—you don’t want to ask me if I did it first?”
“I already know you didn’t do it, baby.” I tightened my grip slightly on her hand, hoping she could feel the conviction behind my words. “What I need are details. Tell me exactly what’s going on so I can protect you. I can’t fix whatever problem you’re dealing with unless I know the truth.”
She blinked rapidly, clearly taken aback by my immediate trust in her innocence. Vulnerability surfaced beneath the careful guard she usually kept firmly in place as she asked, “How do you know I didn’t do it?”
I refused to let her glance away. “Because the woman I fell in love with is honest, kind, independent, and the hardest worker I’ve ever met. You’re strong as hell—a total fucking badass. Someone like you doesn’t need to steal. You wouldn’t even consider it. Besides, with your talent, you’ll never have a reason to resort to something like that anyway.”
Her eyes grew huge at my words, a stunned expression crossing her features, and I realized exactly what I’d blurted out. Heat rose briefly up my neck as the realization hit me fully that I’d just told Riley I loved her in the middle of demanding the truth from her.
But the words were already out there, and there was no chance of taking them back. Not that I wanted to.
Her reaction threw me off completely, though. Her mouth hung open slightly, and she seemed stuck, still processing exactly what I’d admitted.
“You—you love me?” she choked out.
I exhaled, shaking my head in mild exasperation that she would doubt my words.
“For fuck’s sake, Riley, of course I love you.” I leaned closer and cupped her jaw in my hand, brushing my thumb gently along her cheekbone. “You really think I’d practically move you into my house, sleep with you every single night, and fuck you without protection every chance I get if I wasn’t completely gone for you?”
Something cracked open in her then, her breath catching on a sob as her eyes filled with tears. Without warning, she threw her arms around my neck, burying her face in the crook of my shoulder as she finally released the tension she’d carried alone for so long.
I wrapped my arms around her tightly, holding her close as her body shook with emotion, my heart pounding fiercely at the vulnerability she’d finally allowed me to see.
“I love you too,” she eventually whispered against my neck, her voice trembling. “I didn’t want to tell you because I was so afraid you wouldn’t believe me, that you’d look at me differently if you knew the truth. I’m so tired, Ryot. Of running. Hiding. Tired of trying to handle everything alone.”
I pressed my mouth against her hair, breathing her in as relief and protectiveness rushed through me.
“Good.” I tightened my grip around her slender frame. “That means you’re finally going to tell me everything. We’ll deal with this together.”
Riley drew back slowly, wiping tears from her cheeks and taking a deep breath, visibly trying to steady herself as determination settled into her expression. She looked at me almost cautiously and tilted her head. “Wait—what exactly did you mean earlier about me not needing to steal because of how talented I am?”
I chuckled, brushing another tear gently from her cheek with the pad of my thumb. “Garage you were working at obviously didn’t want you to know just how valuable your skill set really is. You have no idea how far your career can go once the big players start noticing you. And trust me, baby, they already have.” I let her see how completely serious I was. “Mechanics with your ability, instincts, and your specialty in racing aren’t easy to find. Kane’s already been after me to get you locked down under a long-term contract with Redline Holdings, and he’s willing to pay an obscene amount of money to keep you working on our machines instead of the ones competing against us.”
She blinked, clearly shocked by my revelation, her lips parting as she processed the information. Her brows knitted together in confusion, as if she couldn’t quite believe what I’d just said. “Why the heck didn’t you tell me this before now?”
I shrugged, my mouth curving slightly at her reaction. “Didn’t want you staying here just for the money Kane’s willing to throw at you. Wanted you to stay with me because it’s what you want.”