Total pages in book: 42
Estimated words: 39764 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 199(@200wpm)___ 159(@250wpm)___ 133(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 39764 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 199(@200wpm)___ 159(@250wpm)___ 133(@300wpm)
“I love you.”
“And you mean it?”
“Except my dad, I’ve never said those three words to a man. Ever.”
Finally, warmth softens Alejandro’s strong, square face. Happiness, hunger, adoration…and love follow. “I understand, and I forgive you. Te amo, querida. I love you, too.”
Then he kisses me again, long endless moments where I feel blissfully lost in passion. Alejandro’s endless caress shimmers want in every crevice, corner, and nerve ending. I want the moment to last forever.
With a moan, he lifts his head, his hazel eyes snapping with a hunger like I’ve never seen. “What I want to do to you…with you, to show you how I feel… How do I get you out of this infernal costume?”
“I want you,” I breathe the words against his mouth. “I want you so much…but I was sewn into this getup. If you take it off, we won’t get it back on, and I have nothing else to wear.”
He curses in Spanish. No matter how melodious that sounds, I have no doubt it’s foul.
I wince. “I’ll make it up to you.”
He smiles, something sharp and greedy with his signature charm. “Perfect. We’re leaving. You’ll come to my bungalow and stay all night?”
“Yes.” Along with the next night, and the one after, and the one after that, if he’ll have me.
“You won’t leave me again?”
“In the morning? No.”
“Ever?”
Is he saying… “Are you asking me to move in with you?”
He clenches his jaw. “No.”
My stomach plummets. “Sorry. I misunderstood.”
“My mamá, she would be very disappointed if we lived together. Just before you sent her to dance with Kristoff—a brilliant move, by the way—she asked if you were my girlfriend.”
“You said yes.” A smile creeps across my mouth.
“I did, then I whispered in her ear. Do you recall?”
“Yes, what did you tell her? And what is a nuera?”
“I told her I had other plans.” Alejandro grabs my hand, kisses it, then whispers, “Nuera means daughter-in-law.” He takes a little black box from his pocket. “Interested in being my wife?”
Shock bursts inside me, breath-catching and sweet. “You’re proposing?”
“Yes.”
“Aren’t you supposed to be down on one knee?” I tease.
“I would rather be on top of you, always.” He winks. “I love you, and I suspect life with you will never be boring. Will you marry me?”
“YES!!!!" I clutch Alejandro tight as he opens the box. When I catch sight of the ring, I fall in love all over again. “Yes!”
“Good. I wasn’t taking no for an answer.”
“It’s beautiful,” I breathe as he slips the square solitaire on my finger. Tears gather in the corners of my eyes, slide down my cheeks. Probably ruining my mascara—and I don’t care. “When did you buy this?”
His cheeks flush a dull red. “About four hours ago. But I’ve known that I love you for far longer than that.”
“I knew you’d captured my heart, too. I was just afraid that love meant giving up my dream. I’m sorry. Never again.”
“Together, we can face anything. Shall we tell my mother and your father?”
“Yes. Just… I want another moment alone with you.” I squeeze his hand. “This is the happiest night of my life! The win, the engagement… Wow, almost too much good stuff to take in. I feel so complete.”
He brings me against him for a lingering embrace. “Me, too. I’ll be here to share your triumphs for the rest of our lives. But…” He frowns. “What happened to the blackmailer? He threatened to circulate Kristoff’s video to the judges to prevent you from competing and winning.”
“I know. I’ve been scratching my head, too. Maybe he changed his mind?”
A pounding on the door interrupts our closeness and musings. Oops. Someone wants their office back, and we’ve made an absolute mess.
Alejandro opens the door with an apology on his lips. “We’re very sorry…”
But instead of an angry event manager standing on the other side, it’s Kristoff.
“What is it?” I ask. “Is something wrong? The judges didn’t change their mind, did they?”
“No. I must talk to you.”
I promised to talk to him in fifteen minutes. I suppose those are pretty much up. “Okay.”
Kristoff paces, looking oddly hesitant. “You are happy we won, yes?”
“Of course! Aren’t you?”
He nods. “Very.”
“I don’t know how, given your footage and the threat but—”
“I did that.”
“Did what?”
He grimaces. “I created the video. Before you force me from Sneak Peek…” He sends a pleading glance to Alejandro. “The people in the video consented to be filmed. They are my…how should I say, boyfriend and girlfriend. We are together, and they agreed to help me.”
I had no idea Kristoff is in any sort of relationship, much less with both a man and a woman. Whatever floats his boat, but… “You’re telling me that you filmed the clip and left it for me with the blackmailing note? You staged all this? Why the hell would you do that? I worried until I was sure I had no stomach left!”