Total pages in book: 82
Estimated words: 78850 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 394(@200wpm)___ 315(@250wpm)___ 263(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 78850 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 394(@200wpm)___ 315(@250wpm)___ 263(@300wpm)
I dip my head as we walk hand in hand in silence, enjoying her nearness. And I let myself have this.
This moment.
This woman.
This is all I will ever need. Yes, money helps, but it did me no good without her. As I stop at the beach, her eyes search my face, then travel down to the box under my arm.
“I’m not sure I should leave or stay with you when you open this.” I grin at her, handing her the box. She cocks her head. I gaze out at the ocean rolling in and out.
“You need to stay with me,” she says.
Reaching up, I brush off a strand of hair that has decided to caress her face.
“What’s in there, is…”
“You?” she finishes for me.
Putting my hands in the pockets of my jeans, I nod.
“Everything you need to know is in that box.” I feel exposed. Without a doubt, this is the most intimate thing I’ve ever done. Christ, is it too soon?
She reaches for my hand, taking it out of my pocket, kicks off her flip flops, and drags me onto the sand.
“Here. This is the perfect spot.” She sits. It’s close enough to hear the waves, but far enough away so we don’t get wet.
I stay standing, and as I look away and take in the sea, I hear her rip open the paper.
Then silence. Nothing but the ocean, seagulls, and my own breath as I wait… wait for what? There is no more waiting. This is it. I gaze down at her.
She sits, her head down, her hands caressing my drawings.
“All of them are in there, even the ones from when I was a kid.” I grin, picking up a primitive drawing of a superhero.
“I called him Time Machine. He had the power of stopping time.” My voice sounds hoarse. Shaking my head, I reach for one of her. She’s laughing in this one, and I hand it to her.
“Beautiful, inside and out.”
She bites her lip as she watches me, her eyes swimming with tears.
“Jett, this is you. Your hopes, dreams… everything.” She shakes her head and scoops them up to hold them to her chest.
“I have nothing like this to give to you.” The tears that swim in her sapphire-blue eyes spill down her cheeks, and I reach over to brush them away with my thumb.
“Yes, you do. It’s you. All these drawings, if you place them in order, all lead to you.” My eyes caress her face.
“I thought I had it all figured out, Raven. I’m an arrogant ass who knows nothing except this.” I hold her face with both hands so I can look into her eyes.
“I will not take another breath without you by my side.”
She bites her lower lip and nods.
“I will die first because living without you is pointless.”
She exhales a shaky breath as I continue.
“And I will spend every moment cherishing you, loving you, because you’re my gift, Raven.” My hands tighten on her face, and my eyes turn blurry. When I take her lips, she leans into me, and I deepen the kiss, unable to tell if I taste her tears or my own.
Because I’m finally free.
Love.
It’s what humans seek from the time we are born until we draw our last breath. It’s more powerful than any other emotion we feel. It can cause unlimited damage and pain, but it can also be our savior.
I thought I was too old for her, too old for love, but I guess that’s not how it works—at least not for me. If I had to wait until I was ninety, I would.
All my life I’ve known my path, knew what I wanted and how to conquer it. Then this woman came and ripped me open and showed me what I really am. The future is unclear, except that I have her, and that’s all I will ever need.
“I love you, Mr. Powers.” She sniffs. When I look down at her, her eyes are swollen from crying, her lips are puffy from my kisses, and all I can think is she’s never been more stunning.
“You are my forever,” I say, knowing for the first time in my life that I speak the truth.
JETT
I stand looking down at her and smile. She sits, hair up in a messy bun, wearing nothing but a black blindfold.
I dangle the strawberry on her lips as she tries to reach up and bite it.
“Pretty confident this is something you like, huh?” I bring it back, caressing the bottom of her lip with the tip of the berry.
“Jett, I can smell it.” She laughs and bites the tip. I can’t help but grin and lean down to steal a kiss while she chews.
“Don’t get cocky,” I murmur.
“I wouldn’t dream of it.”
She gasps when I bite the fleshy part of her bottom lip. Taking her hand, I guide it to my hard erection. She smiles, trying to slip her hand into my waistband to get a better grip.