Total pages in book: 31
Estimated words: 29168 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 146(@200wpm)___ 117(@250wpm)___ 97(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 29168 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 146(@200wpm)___ 117(@250wpm)___ 97(@300wpm)
"Not sure if I'm dressed for this place." Here, I wanted to be taken somewhere different, and now I'm complaining about it.
"That's part of it." He squeezes my thigh. "Stay put, Kitten." Kaden hops out of the vehicle, jogging around to open the door for me. I take his hand. He pulls me into him, dropping another kiss on me.
"Mr. Gunner." Kaden steps back, tucking me into his side. An older woman in a breathtaking Chanel tweed quilted suit greets us. Yes, I can spot designers. Luna is, after all, my best friend, and maybe I enjoy the pretty suits that are a touch more feminine than what I wear every day.
"Mrs. Metzer?" he asks, tossing the keys to the valet as he passes.
"That's me. Is this her?" The woman swings her attention to me.
"Hi." I try to give a little wave, but the woman rushes me, kissing both of my cheeks.
"A redhead." The woman beams at me. "Redheads are my favorite." She winks at me. "Don't tell anyone that, but there are so many colors that just simply work best for you."
"Okay," I say, not sure how else to respond. "I'm sorry, can I have a moment with my fiancé?"
"Of course!" The woman steps back. I grab the front of Kaden’s button-up shirt and yank him back a few steps.
“Did you bring me here for a makeover?” I glare up at him.
“If I’m giving you a makeover, Kitten, it would only be me stripping you naked and wiping off that powder you put on your face that covers up your freckles.” I find myself melting into Kaden.
“Then, why are we here?”
“I thought we could get you something to wear. The Gilded Teapot has a weird-ass dress code. I don’t quite understand, but Ms. Metzer here told me she’s got it covered.”
I swallow. “We’re going to The Gilded Teapot?” I search his face.
“We are.” A slow, sexy smile spreads across his face.
There is no way this is really happening. This is the nicest gesture anyone has ever done for me. Who would have thought that Kaden Gunner would be the one extending it to me?
I was little when my grandma passed away, but she’d left me a set of teacups and pots. We always pretended to have tea. It's one of my favorite childhood memories.
It turned into a hobby, I suppose. I collect teacups and pots, but that’s my secret.
Kaden tucks a piece of my hair behind my ear. His hand drops to rest on the column of my neck. "You don't have to hide from me." Kaden's thumb brushes back and forth over my pulse. "When you're with me, I take care of you."
"I—"
"I know you can take care of yourself. That's not the point. I need to take care of you."
"Need?"
"As crazy as it sounds, yeah, I need to."
"Well, ah." I lick my lips. "If you need to, who am I to stop you?"
"That's my girl."
I really do want to be his girl…. and I hate that as strong as I present myself to the world, I can't bring myself to tell him that.
Chapter Sixteen
KADEN
“Would you like a few more sandwiches, Mr. Gunner? The refills are free, although I’m sure you can afford all the sandwiches you want.” The waiter trips over his words in his eagerness to serve me, but I appreciate the service. He must’ve noticed how I inhaled the little slivers of bread and cheese spread that filled the second level of the three-tiered serving dish.
The top has desserts, and the bottom is filled with scones. I went straight for the middle section, which had four different kinds of sandwiches: a roast beef one, a tuna one, one with only cucumbers and some white spread, and a salmon one. They were all good, although the cucumber one kind of just tasted like I was eating the bagel and cream cheese without the bagel.
“Can you just make me one big roast beef sandwich instead of like twenty small ones?”
Ryan, the waiter, grimaces. “I’m sorry. All the items are pre-made, but no one is going to blink an eye if you eat twenty little sandwiches. Honestly, I don’t think we’ve ever had an athlete here before. When we saw your name on the reservation sheet, we thought it was your mom or sister.”
The poor man wrings his hands. I think if I press the issue, he might start crying. “It’s all good. Fill her up.” I point to the empty tier. He nods and hustles off.
Frankie watches this whole exchange with amusement. “Did you look at the menu online or is this all a surprise?”
“I couldn’t really understand it. When it said finger sandwiches I thought it meant we’d eat sandwiches with our fingers, not that the slices would be a finger’s width.” I hook my finger around the delicate handle of the teacup and take a sip. It’s more flavorful than I thought it would be.