Total pages in book: 51
Estimated words: 48412 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 242(@200wpm)___ 194(@250wpm)___ 161(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 48412 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 242(@200wpm)___ 194(@250wpm)___ 161(@300wpm)
Tears blur my vision. “Oh my gosh.” I jump up from the table and run to hug my aunt Peggy before skirting around the table and throwing myself into Tripp’s arms. Just before I bury myself in his neck, I see his eyes are a little glassy as well, and I fall in love with him even more. Maybe that’s how it’ll be for the rest of my life. Falling deeper in love with Tripp every day. “I can’t believe it. I wish I could tell my parents.”
Tripp rubs my back in circles, murmuring comfort into my hair.
Telling me he’s proud of me.
We stay like that for long minutes before I eventually get my emotions under control enough to continue eating. I should go back to my own seat, but I don’t. I remain in Tripp’s lap because that’s where I belong.
“Tell me what Vida was like growing up, Peggy. She’s alluded to breaking a lot of hearts because she never said yes to a date.”
“It’s true!” Peggy wipes the corners of her mouth. “We had all manner of boys knocking on the door, but she made a strict decision to focus on academics. And my, my, look how it paid off!” She chuckles to herself. “Well, hold on. There was that one boy who lived down the street that proposed marriage. You did give him a good bit of consideration, right, Vida?”
“Marriage?” Tripp shouts. “Consideration?”
“We were twelve!”
He sets his fork down as if I didn’t just reveal a vital piece of information. “I’m not hungry anymore.”
“Tripp, don’t be ridiculous,” I half gasp, half laugh.
“Does he still live down the street?” he asks, glancing toward the window.
Peggy nods. “As a matter of fact, he does.”
“Oh, Peggy, don’t tell him that,” I groan, turning in Tripp’s lap to find him looking decidedly miffed. “Last I checked, he has a girlfriend and he’s very happy with her.”
“As if anyone could get over you in a single lifetime.” Growling, he surges to his feet, throws me over his shoulder, and I go, squealing. “Thank you for dinner, Peggy. But we’d better start our journey to Boston. I don’t want to be on the road too late with such precious cargo.”
“I haven’t even packed a bag!” I point out.
“I have everything you need, angel.” He spins us around, and I can see in the window’s reflection that he’s gifting Peggy that movie star grin. “It has been a pleasure, Peggy! I’m going to marry your niece someday very soon.”
“Good night!” A beat passes. “Wait, did you just say—”
“Yes, I did. And your mortgage is paid off. Good night.”
“My…my…mortgage?”
“Tripp, you didn’t,” I gasp, reeling from the revelation while also wondering why I’m surprised at all.
His long strides take us to the waiting town car, where he slips me off his shoulder and kisses me soundly on the mouth.
“If you recall, angel, you said I was free to spoil Peggy.”
“I guess I need to be careful with what I say from now on,” I murmur, dazed, while Tripp buckles me into the back of the plush, black leather car, the chauffeur turning to tip his hat at me.
Tripp doesn’t get into the limousine with me right away. He walks a distance down the curb while speaking on his phone, and I only catch one snatch of the conversation, the wind carrying it back to me.
Is everything prepared at the house?
Minutes later, I’m still wondering what he meant as we’re flying down the expressway toward Boston.
One thing is for certain. I’m going to find out soon enough.
SIXTEEN
Tripp
By the time we pull up in front of my townhouse in Beacon Hill, my blood is flowing so hot, I can barely think straight. I hardly recognize who I’ve become since fate brought me Vida. I’m jealous over some kid proposing to her when she was twelve, which makes absolutely no sense, but there it is. I watched the chauffeur’s eyes in the rearview on the entire drive because I could have sworn he checked out my girlfriend when I first put her into the car.
Who could blame him? She’s so fucking sexy tonight in her white sundress and sandals, it took all my self-control not to settle her into my lap, push her panties to the right, and bounce her on my cock for the entire forty-five-minute drive. Still, if he’d checked her out again, there would have been hell to pay, so it’s a good thing he kept his eyes on the road.
I don’t allow the chauffeur to help Vida from the car now. My pulse erratic, I block her from view with my back, longing for a blanket or a jacket to wrap her in so no one looks at her. No one but me. And oh Jesus, school is going to be a challenge, isn’t it?
My possessiveness of this girl grows by the second. I’m going to be an absolute tyrant when she’s attending classes without me.