Total pages in book: 71
Estimated words: 68004 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 340(@200wpm)___ 272(@250wpm)___ 227(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 68004 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 340(@200wpm)___ 272(@250wpm)___ 227(@300wpm)
This could go badly. However, he was determined to tell her tonight. Ezra and Fynn both warned him over the last two days that a dark day lay ahead, and they couldn’t see beyond today. That meant something was going to happen tomorrow that could change the direction of Alanna and his future.
Silas had come by his shop after Alanna left his house, telling him that Diamond had scheduled a meeting with Alanna tomorrow. Whatever Diamond had to talk to her about must be what Ezra and Fynn had been warning him.
He had saved the middle room facing the front yard for last. Opening the door after Alanna had checked out the others, he let her go in first. She gave him a surprised glance from over her shoulder when she saw it was the only one that had furniture.
“Ezra made the bed.”
The huge four-poster bed was made out of dark cherry wood, with swirling patterns carved at the top of the headboard and bottom.
Alanna went to the headboard to run her hand over the swirling pattern. “I’ve never seen anything like this. It’s gorgeous.”
Looking up, she saw a mirror hanging over the bed. All his brothers, and Ginny, had the same type of mirror. “Your brothers have a mirror like this in their places.”
“Each one is different.”
Alanna looked back at the mirror. “How?”
“Each mirror is an image of what the stars looked like the night we were born.”
“That’s cool.” Moving to the window, she pulled the cream curtain aside to look out.
Matthew wished he could read her mind. Her expression had turned melancholy.
“Mrs. Bates is coming tomorrow to talk to me.”
Matthew came to stand behind her, winding his arms around her waist and pulling her into his chest. “Are you frightened about what she wants to tell you?”
“If it were good news, she would have told me over the phone.”
“Not necessarily,” he disagreed. “She might want to see your face when she tells you good news.”
“Maybe.” She didn’t sound convinced.
“Let’s not worry about it tonight.”
“I’m down with that.” She turned in his arms. “You ready to go back to my place to watch a movie?”
“I’m movie’d out. There are only so many zombie movies I can watch. Besides, it’s gotten dark, and I don’t have a flashlight.”
A mischievous glint entered her eyes. “Mr. Coleman, did you bring me here to seduce me?”
Matthew tilted her head back so he could look into her clear eyes. The shadows weren’t entirely gone, but they were filled much more often with happiness and merriment.
“You asked to come here. I’m the one who should be looking for ulterior motives. Are you planning on seducing me?” Kissing the corner of her lips, he pulled back teasingly when she turned her head, trying to capture the kiss, and clicked his tongue at her.
“Nuh-uh … Do you think I’m easy?” he chided her as he took her hands and slowly walked her backward toward the bed.
The room was practically pitch black; only the glow of the moonlight outside the window gave a small portion from total obscurity. Tumbling backward onto the bed, he pulled her on top of him.
“Now, isn’t this better than necking on a tiny couch?” He gave an exaggerated groan as they sank into the mattress.
“The couch isn’t that small.”
A ray of moonlight gave Alanna’s face an ethereal glow.
He grew serious. Any desire to tease her had evaporated.
“Do you know how much I love you?”
Her beautiful face grew solemn. “Don’t say that …”
“Why?”
Alanna buried her face in his neck, her hand going to his chest. “Just don’t.”
“You’re going to have to give more of an explanation than that. I love you, and you hiding your face won’t make it go away as if I never said it.”
He loved Alanna with every part of his being, but when she was frightened, she tended to ignore the obvious, just as she had when he had replicated her dream home from what she had told Silas.
“You haven’t known me long enough to know what you feel for me.”
“Couples have gotten married after one week of knowing each other and have been very happy. We’ve been seeing each other for over a month. Hell, we’ve quadrupled our chances of having a happy marriage.”
Alanna raised her head. “Are you asking me to marry you?”
“Yes. Do you want me to get on my knees?” He moved his hands to her shoulders, as if he was going to toss her off him. Instead, he gently rolled her over until he was above her.
“Let’s wait until we make any plans. I don’t know what Mrs.—”
“I don’t care what Diamond wants to talk about. It won’t make any difference to the way I feel about you. Would it change the feelings you have for me?”
“No … Matthew, if anything happened to you because of me, I’d never get over it. I told you Owen and Kate are dangerous,”