Total pages in book: 117
Estimated words: 113584 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 568(@200wpm)___ 454(@250wpm)___ 379(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 113584 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 568(@200wpm)___ 454(@250wpm)___ 379(@300wpm)
I move my eyes to his, my disbelief real. “You bought me a car?”
He sweeps his arm out, indicating the shiny grey car next to us.
“Oh my God,” I whisper, staring at the Jaguar. “You bought me this car?”
“It’s nothing.”
“Nothing?” I look at the registration plate. “Jude, it’s a brand-new Jaguar F-Type!”
“Do you like it?” he asks, clicking the fob, making it flash and beep. He goes to the driver’s door and opens it, revealing crisp new black leather.
“It’s gorgeous,” I breathe, at a loss. “But I can’t accept this.”
His face falls, and I hate myself for it. “Why?”
“Because . . . because . . .”
“Because, because, because?”
“Because . . .”
“See, there’s no reason.” He directs me to the driver’s seat and helps me down. “Suits you.”
I stare at the wheel, smell the new interior. “Jude, I don’t not have a car because I can’t afford one,” I say, looking up at him leaning on the door. “I just don’t need one. I live in the city. I get the Tube or walk.”
“But now you have a boyfriend who lives in a different county, and I’m getting nagged by the transport manager for constantly reserving one of the cars for you.”
“But . . .” I look around me. “But . . .”
He crouches by the side of the car, taking my hand, and I pout at him, knowing I’m not going to convince him that I don’t need this car. “It’s just a car, Amelia. Besides, you can’t be a top financial planner and ride the Tube. Look at it as a belated birthday gift.”
I laugh, letting him guide my hands to the wheel. “The pen was enough.”
“Come on, you can take me for a spin.” He shuts my door and rounds the front, slipping his shades on and getting in the passenger seat. I watch him as he pulls his belt on, wondering how I got so lucky. “What?” he asks, faltering while fastening it.
I lean over and smother him with my mouth, and he lets me at him, his face bunched, his laugh light. “Thank you.”
“Shut up and start the engine.”
A flutter of excitement erupts in my tummy as I press the button to start the engine, the gorgeous thing purring to life.
“It’s an automatic, so you don’t have to worry about—”
“Gears?” I ask.
“I was going to say you don’t have to worry about your hand.”
“Oh. I haven’t driven for over a year.” Scanning the various panels, I familiarise myself with the controls and displays. “Ready?” I ask, slipping it into drive and pulling off, the engine humming beautifully. “Where am I going?”
“I want to take you somewhere. Turn left out of the gates.”
I do as I’m bid and follow Jude’s directions, my smile unstoppable.
“Like riding a bike, huh?” He reaches into my bag. “Where’s your phone? I’ll hook it up to Bluetooth.”
“The inside pocket.” I slow at the barrier before the gates, waiting for Nelson to raise it.
“I’m just going to ignore that text notification from your ex asking why you’ve not called him.”
I feel my cheeks burning with guilt. Fuck. “He was at the restaurant last night,” I blurt, releasing the wheel and throwing my hands up. “When you were in the bathroom cooling off after Charley went at you. I saw him and he came over and I panicked because I didn’t want him finding out about you by actually bumping into you and I was worried because you can’t seem to control your temper when it comes to me and other men, and so I told Nick I’d call him to get rid of him before you came out of the bathroom.” I take a breath. “Obviously I had no intention of calling him, so now he’s asking why I haven’t, and I don’t know what to say.”
“Fucking hell, Amelia, breathe.”
I flop in my seat, exhausted. “Don’t be mad with me.”
“I’m not mad.”
“You’re not?”
“No.” He takes my hands and places them on the wheel. “Drive.” Then he goes to the dashboard and starts navigating the menu. “Wait.” Taking my thumb, he holds it to the pad on my phone to open it. “Now you can drive.”
I stare at him, stunned. That’s it?
Peeking out the corner of his eye at me, he smiles. “Drive, Amelia.”
“Right, yes. Drive.” Getting back to the wheel, I pull through the barrier and do a left at the gates as instructed, accelerating smoothly.
“Done.” Jude slips my phone back into my bag and gets comfortable.
It’s a stunning drive, the narrow country roads winding and dipping. Each time Jude tells me we’re on a straight for a while, I open her up, my smile breaking my face as Jude laughs at my excitement. He looks so casual with his elbow propped by the window, his trouser-clad legs extended. Relaxed. Content. No anger anywhere in sight.