Total pages in book: 30
Estimated words: 29008 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 145(@200wpm)___ 116(@250wpm)___ 97(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 29008 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 145(@200wpm)___ 116(@250wpm)___ 97(@300wpm)
I nod. “Hello, Mr. Kingston. It’s nice to meet you.”
“Please, call me Robert.” He waves away Cole. “Give us a few minutes.”
Cole instantly shakes his head. “No, Dad. I’m not leaving her.”
His father rears back in surprise, but he doesn’t back down. “I would like to get to know my future daughter-in-law. Is that a problem?”
Robert looks between Cole and me, and when his gaze settles on me, I muster all the confidence I can. I give Cole a reassuring smile. “It’s okay. I’ll be fine.”
Cole shakes his head. “Luna, no. Anything he wants to say he can say to both of us.”
I stroke his arm. “Please, Cole. I’m okay. I wanna get to know your dad. It’s fine.”
Cole puts his hands on his hips, shaking his head. “I’ll be inside.”
He stares daggers at his father, gives me another apologetic look, and then walks away. As soon as he’s gone, Robert points to the chairs. “Have a seat.”
I walk over and sit down on the edge of the chair. Robert sits across from me. “I heard you met my wife.”
Surprised, I nod. “I did. We had dinner together.”
He looks at the door Cole walked in and then back at me. “How was she? Did she seem okay?”
I tilt my head to the side. I’ve heard about Robert Kingston. I’ve heard he’s tough and ruthless and doesn’t back down on anything. And of course I’ve heard other stories. The ones where maybe I shouldn’t feel so safe sitting here with him. But the man sitting across me surprises me because there’s a vulnerability I never expected. “Eleanor was good. She seemed happy.”
He sits up a little taller. “She said she liked you… that you made our son happy.”
I hate to bring it up, but I think it’s important for him to know. “Mr. Kingston—”
He stops me, and I correct myself. “Robert, I think you should know that Cole and I only met a few days ago.”
He looks at me as if he’s searching for answers. “But you agreed to marry him.”
I clear my throat. “I did.”
He juts his chin at me. “Why?”
Heat rushes to my face. How can I explain the last seventy-two hours without telling him how immensely close Cole and I have become? It’s crazy because I shouldn’t feel this way, but I do. I try to summarize it. “I like the way your son makes me feel.”
He nods, imploring me to go on. “How is that?”
I shrug. “Seen. Special. Worthy.” I lift my shoulders. “Like I can do anything.”
He nods, watching me.
I hold my hands together in my lap. “Robert, if you have a prenuptial agreement, I’ll be happy to sign it while I’m here.”
I figure that’s what this is about, so I might as well get it over with.
Robert tilts his head. “What would you want in the prenuptial agreement?”
Since I hadn’t thought about it before this, I bite my lip and think about it. “I wouldn’t want anything for myself. When we have kids…” I trail off and shake my head. “Forget it. If we have kids and separate, Cole would make sure his kids are taken care of, so nothing. I wouldn’t want anything.”
He leans forward, resting his arms on his legs. “You seem to know my son pretty well for just meeting him a few days ago.”
I let out a breath. “I like to think I do since I’ve agreed to marry him.”
He stands up and walks over to the bar. “Do you want anything?”
I stand up and walk to where he’s at. “I would love a water.”
He grabs one from the outdoor refrigerator and hands it to me. He then grabs a bottle for himself. “You know, I looked into you. I know about your years in foster care, moving around from one home to another.”
I lift my chin. “Yeah.”
He looks me in the eye. “I know you don’t have a family. People have let you down since you were a little girl.”
I blink up at him, wondering where he’s going with this. “Yes.”
He surprises me with his next question. “What do you know about our family, Luna?”
I don’t dare look away. I figure it’s best to be upfront and honest. “I know you have a lot of businesses. Cole says you have a lot of family in New York. I know you think there’s a thin line between right and wrong on some things, but I also know that you don’t hurt people… unless it’s warranted.” I shrug and then ramble. “I know you’re a part of the mafia, if that’s what you mean.”
He nods. “All of that is true.”
I blow out a breath.
He leans against the counter. “So knowing all that, you still want in this family?”
I look toward the house and see Cole staring at me with a worried look. I give him a reassuring smile. “Yes… I know that I want to marry Cole.”