Total pages in book: 16
Estimated words: 15152 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 76(@200wpm)___ 61(@250wpm)___ 51(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 15152 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 76(@200wpm)___ 61(@250wpm)___ 51(@300wpm)
I change into my regular clothes, hanging up the outfit I had on.
After getting ready, I walk out of the room to find Dillon in the same spot I left him in. “Well…”
He puts his hand out, palm up, and I’m not sure which one of us is more surprised. I gently put my hand into his, and his fingers wrap around mine.
We’ve held hands before, but this time feels different. He guides me through the building and toward the exit.
“Where are we going?”
“To North Carolina.”
I stop walking. “To North Carolina? My next event is tomorrow in Valor Springs.”
He puts his hands on my shoulders. “I need to tell you something. I moved some of your shoots and cancelled one of your events.”
I shake my head. “You had no right to do that.”
He nods. “I know I didn’t. It was after you passed out. I’ve seen how hard you’ve been pushing yourself. You need to take a break.”
I put my hands on my hips angrily. “Dillon, you had no right.” I shove my finger to my chest. “I may only be twenty-three years old, but you can’t just tell me what I can and can’t do. You can’t cancel meetings or…”
He blows out a breath. “I know. I was wrong, and I fucked up.”
I open my mouth to yell at him some more, but seeing the regret on his face has me snapping my mouth closed. I shake my head and pull from his hold, putting some distance between us. “Why? Why did you completely rearrange my schedule?”
He stares at me with a worried look. “Because yesterday scared the fuck out of me.”
I reach for him. “Dillon…”
He shakes his head. “No, seeing you faint scared me. Seeing that man sneaking into your window last night… it really fucked with me, London.”
I nod with understanding. “I know… me too.”
He shakes his head. “No, you don’t get it. If something happened to you, I…” He sucks in a deep breath and lets it out slowly. “I don’t want to live in a world without you in it.”
I wait for him to smile, to laugh or something, but he just stares at me with a worried look on his face. “Hey… Dillon… I’m not going anywhere—”
He cuts me off. “I love you.”
I rear back. “What? You—”
He nods and takes a step toward me. “Yes, I love you, and I have for a long time. I know you can do better than me. I know you deserve more than I can give you. I know—”
I bring my hand up and softly cover his mouth. “Stop. Don’t say that.”
He pulls it away and wraps his hand around my arm. “It’s true, I know it is. But I can’t walk away from you, London.”
I lean into him. “I don’t want you to walk away. I love you, too, Dillon. I’ve loved you for a long time.”
It’s like my words physically shake him, and he shudders a breath.
I look at his truck. “Where exactly were you planning on taking me?”
He looks at me. “I was going to take you to your favorite place. I wanted you to rest and relax… and then I was going to tell you that I love you. I was going to convince you that you should be with me.”
I laugh and put my arms around his neck. “I’m convinced.”
He puts his hands on my waist and holds me arm's length away from him. “I’m not joking, London.”
I grab his hands and wrap them around my waist as I lean into him. “I’m not joking either.”
He finally holds me to him, resting his chin on the top of my head. He breathes deeply, in and out. “This is not a fling. This isn’t a one-night stand or a let’s date and see what happens. I want a future with you.”
I lean my head back and see the sincerity on his face. “A future, huh?”
He nods. “Yeah, marriage, kids, the whole thing.”
It’s as if my heart is doing flips in my chest. “Okay.”
He tenses next to me. “Okay?”
I nod. “Yes. What? You think I’d say no? If so, you don’t know me at all. I’ve been trying to get your attention for almost a year now.”
His eyes glaze over. “Oh honey, you have no idea.”
I turn and loop arms with him. “So tell me, what is my favorite place? Where are we going?” I stop and look up at him. “You’re going too, right?”
He leans down, hooks an arm behind my legs, and picks me up. I giggle and hold on to him. As he carries me to the truck, he tells me all about it. “You remember when you raced in North Carolina at Classic Frontier Days?”
I nod. “I do.”
“You loved it there. And you were sad you couldn’t stay longer. I reserved us a room at that little hotel you thought was cute, and I booked some events I thought you’d like. No pressure, I just thought we could relax and spend some time together.”