Total pages in book: 90
Estimated words: 90315 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 452(@200wpm)___ 361(@250wpm)___ 301(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 90315 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 452(@200wpm)___ 361(@250wpm)___ 301(@300wpm)
I blink at him for a full ten seconds. “Whether you’re wealthy or not isn’t the point.”
He brushes a piece of my hair off my face and behind my ear in that way that I love so much.
“Then what is the point, baby?”
“I think you should be reimbursed for those things, at least. I understand not wanting a paycheck, but it’s her fault that I couldn’t bring anything at all with me. She should have to pay for that, and she’d expect to.”
He sighs, narrows his eyes, and cups the side of my neck in his big hand. “I’ll let her know she owes me for that initial night of online shopping, but that’s it, Lena. That’s as far as I’ll compromise.”
“I can live with that. And now I really have to pull my weight around here.”
“What are you even talking about?”
“I want to cook and clean up and help you with your spreadsheets and anything else you need. I can’t just work out, learn how to kick someone’s ass, and sketch all day every day. That’ll get old fast.”
He swallows hard. “I’m going to warn you right now, baby, living out here isn’t easy. You’ll start to feel isolated, and eventually, you might want to move back to the city.”
Frowning, I stare at him again, and then I roll my eyes.
“Did you just roll your eyes at me, Rebel?”
“Yes. For fuck’s sake, Gideon, I’ve been here for weeks. I’m not bored. I don’t miss crowds of people, or being harassed by the paps, or anything like that. Sure, I could use a restaurant meal once a week, but when things die down, we can do that. I’m not telling you I want to leave—I’m telling you I want to be a partner. I want to do my part for this household. Because if you don’t intend to let me leave, and I don’t intend to do the leaving, this is my house too.”
A slow grin moves over his impossibly handsome face, and he pulls me in tighter and ghosts his lips over mine.
“It’s all yours, baby. Learn to cook, do whatever you want. But you need to tell me if you ever start to miss the city. Because we can take trips. I want to make sure you never start to hate it out here.”
“Did Debbie start to hate it?”
“Fuck no, getting her off the ranch took bribery and tears.”
“What about Willow?”
“She loves it here, with the occasional trip to town, or Seattle.”
“So what makes you think that I won’t be content too?” I tilt my head and thread my fingers through the hair at the back of his head. “I love the quiet. I love your mountains. I don’t want to go anywhere.”
“Good.” He slaps my ass and steps away from me. “Now, let’s go to the gym.”
“Can we go to the range?”
His brow furrows. “Baby, we don’t have to—”
“I want to. I need to shoot that damn rifle.”
He’s already shaking his head, but I take his hand and give it a squeeze.
“I’m good. I’ve got this. Let me kick some ass today.”
He sighs, examines my face, and then nods. “Let’s kick some ass, Rebel.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
Lena
“Wait.” Willow spins around from where she’s washing potatoes in the sink and pins me in her wide-eyed stare. “You shot it? You really did it. And no freak-out this time?”
My smile is smug. “I did it, girl. I made that rifle my bitch.”
“Yes!” She rushes to me, her hands dripping wet, and hugs me to her, and I don’t even care that she’s soaking the back of my shirt. “I knew you could do it. I bet you’re so relieved.”
“I definitely am because now I don’t ever have to do it again.” I snort and chop some peppers for the salad. Willow and I are getting dinner ready while the guys are off doing something or other. They weren’t specific. I enjoy hanging out with Willow. She’s become an unexpected friend, almost like the big sister I never had, and I never feel like I’m walking on eggshells around her, even after our rough start. She wouldn’t ask me to do something I’m uncomfortable with. She wouldn’t encourage me to be someone I’m not. She’s shown me what real friendship looks like, and it’s kind of sad to think that I’ve never had this before. “Oh! Before the guys come back, I have to show you this. I want your take on it before I give it to Gideon.”
I wipe my hands dry and then rush over to my bag so I can pull out my sketchbook and open it to the page I’ve been working on for Gideon.
When I turn it so Willow can see it, she immediately crumbles into tears.
“Oh, God, I hope those are good tears and I didn’t butcher this.”