Total pages in book: 18
Estimated words: 17053 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 85(@200wpm)___ 68(@250wpm)___ 57(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 17053 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 85(@200wpm)___ 68(@250wpm)___ 57(@300wpm)
And where it was once a boon, when I lived a life of solitude, my temper is a curse now. Because I’m not living just for me.
I’m living for her. Lora Bailey. The love of my life.
“It’s not a good idea.” The brunette shakes her head at their offer, increasing her pace to get away from them.
The two guys aren’t much older than her, but their intentions are evident in their pursuit. But these two predators don’t know that the king of the jungle is hunting them.
“Josie, come on.” It’s not the petulant whine of a young man trying to convince a girl to spend a night out. His rising temper makes him speak through gritted teeth.
Time to make my move.
“Jason, I’m not—”
Jason knocks the books out of Josie’s hand before she can finish her sentence. She jumps back at the impact and yelps in fear as her small body smashes into mine.
“The fuck’s going on here?” I ask, staring Jason dead in the eyes.
“Woah, Christ.” Both guys take hasty steps away from me. “Where the hell did you come from?”
“Wait a second, man. I know this dude.” The second guy gulps, head craned upward to stare at my face.
“You do?” I narrow my eyes and harden my scowl, making the second nearly tuck tail and run without warning his friend.
“We should get out of here, man. Now.” This time, he doesn’t wait for any subtle actions or implied threats. He spins on his heels and sprints away.
Confused, the first follows him nonetheless, unwilling to risk a round with me alone.
“Are you okay?” I ask, bending over to collect Josie’s things off the floor. By the time I have them gathered, Lora’s halfway across the street to us.
“I’m fine, thank you.”
“We’re going to get you home safe,” Lora says, and a warm smile darts across my face.
That’s my line.
Together, Lora and I walk Josie the rest of the way back to the woman’s dormitory two blocks over. Josie doesn’t speak much, but she has a bright, beaming smile on her face.
And it’s all thanks to Lora. Who knows what would’ve happened to Josie had she not been there?
Josie thanks us again before disappearing past the outside guard and into the dorm building.
“Holy shit, what a thrill,” Lora squeals when we’re alone. She flings herself into me, and I catch her as our mouths lock in a short but explosive kiss.
“Why do you think I love doing it so much?” I chuckle as we part.
Staring into her eyes, I’m suddenly filled to the brim with overwhelming emotions. Happiness, love, and an unyielding need to spend the rest of my life with her at my side.
Who am I kidding? I feel this way every damn time I think of her, let alone have her against me.
“Fuck, I love you.” The words spill out of me, and I mean it from the bottom of my heart.
No woman will ever understand me the way Lora does. She’s seen firsthand how I operate, the good and bad of me, and still chooses to stand at my side. I’d never be able to express these feelings to her in words, so instead I wrap her in a tight hug, pressing a kiss atop her crown.
“And I love you.” She wriggles tighter into my hug.
“You know, we make a pretty good team.” I loosen my grip around her and slide my hand into my pocket. My heart starts thumping in my chest, and the wispy way the words leave my mouth is a sign of my budding emotions.
Is this what being nervous feels like? Because I don’t like it. Not one bit.
“Couldn’t have said it better myself.” Lora’s brows furrow upon noticing my sudden, odd behavior. Well, loosening my grip on her is an odd behavior, but we’ve become so in tune with one another over the last few months that she can pick up on my subtleties.
“So why don’t we make it official?” I clear my throat, doing whatever I can not to screw this moment up. But even that question seems out of place with what I’ve got planned. “Marry me, Lora. Let me have you and hold you until the end of time.”
“Did you jus—” She cuts herself off when I bring my hand back out, holding a little black box in my palm. I lift the top open, exposing a diamond-encrusted rose gold ring inside.
Then silence. Seconds that feel like hours while her face drifts between me and the ring in utter disbelief. I can’t tell if it’s a good sign or a bad one. Then again, I probably could’ve chosen a better time to pop the question.
“Are you … are you going to say something?” I ask when the mounting pressure becomes too much to handle.
“Yes,” she whispers at first, but with it, her face twists into an unending smile of pure joy. “Yes, I’ll marry you.” She flings herself into me again, grabbing my face in both her palms and pulling my head down to her level.