Total pages in book: 49
Estimated words: 47606 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 238(@200wpm)___ 190(@250wpm)___ 159(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 47606 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 238(@200wpm)___ 190(@250wpm)___ 159(@300wpm)
Colton was suddenly grinning, clearly so very pleased.
“You are not at all focused on the task at hand,” I assured him.
“I knew you loved me,” he said smugly.
“I told you I loved you,” I reminded him, shaking my head.
“Yes, but outside confirmation is always good.”
“Why are neither of you scared of this gun?” he roared. “I’ve killed people before. Tell him I have!” he demanded, rounding on me.
The second Erast turned his attention to me, Colton grabbed hold of his coat, yanked him off-balance, knocked the gun away, then punched him squarely in the jaw. He went down hard, that fast, out cold.
“Ohmygod, don’t you ever do that again!” I yelled at him.
“Don’t do what? Punch a guy for sharing something horrible that happened to you and then saying yeah, I said you weren’t worth saving because you were damaged goods?”
“You were upset about that?”
“I want to throw him off my balcony for that,” he said, reaching for me, wrapping me in his arms, and holding me tight. “And for the record, you’re not damaged. You’re amazing.”
I smiled into his shoulder. “As long as you think so, I’m happy.”
“Good.”
I cleared my throat. “May I ask though, why you would throw him off the balcony? Why not simply shoot him?”
“Because we’d be cleaning up for hours, and I have other plans.”
I hugged him. “Your interest in me is very flattering.”
“It’s not interest. It’s love. Say it.”
“It’s love,” I repeated, lifting for a kiss that he quickly gave me.
Later we found out that the patrol officers downstairs had left without waiting for their relief—it was the weekend, Sunday night, so they were supposed to be there all day—so I suspected that SAC Calhoun was going to murder someone in the police department. He seemed to like me and Colton, so I was guessing he was going to let someone know.
Once the police came and collected Erast and the gun, we gave our statements to two different officers, and by the time that was done, it was much too late to go to the very fancy party downtown. Colton called Mr. Somerset to let him know we’d been waylaid by a Russian mobster and he could check with the police if he didn’t believe him.
Colton was smiling as he hung up.
“Did he believe you?”
“Of course he believed me, and what a perfect reason that was for blowing off a black-tie event. If I didn’t hate that guy Erast so much, I’d thank him.”
“You don’t need to hate him. That’s all over now.”
“Still hate ’em.”
Once we hung our coats up and I got to take off the stupid hat, I turned and hugged him. Hands on my face, he tilted my chin up for a kiss.
“I could get used to this,” I murmured.
“That’s good. You should.”
I crossed the room then and flipped on the table lamp to the left of the fireplace.
“Wow,” he said, looking at the lights reflected all over the room as though I’d hung up a disco ball. “What is that?”
“I got this for you at Christmas, don’t you remember?”
“I recall the base part having blue marbles in it or something. Am I remembering that right?”
“Yes, you are.”
“The clear is much better, and all that refraction is really…very…beau—nooo,” he drew out the word, mouth open in awe.
I waggled my eyebrows at him, and he darted into the living room, stopping beside me to stare down at the stones that filled the piece. When lit by the soft white bulb, it made the entire room appear magical.
“How long have I had a three-million-dollar lamp?”
“It’s not a three-million-dollar lamp.” I was indignant.
“No, you’re right, how stupid of me,” he teased, smiling. “It’s a three-million-fifty-dollar lamp.”
“I’ll have you know it was more than fifty bucks. I like you more than that.”
He nodded. “Well, you better stay here and keep track of your fortune.”
“I trust you, as you can plainly see.”
“Well, regardless, you better stick around so together we can find a nice house to move into that will be warm and cozy for you.”
“A home for me?”
“Yes. We’ll pick out the perfect one.”
“And will you be there as well?”
“Of course. I’ll be the man wearing the matching ring.”
“A ring sounds terribly serious.”
“Well, I am, about you. Serious I mean.”
“That doesn’t sound terrible,” I said, smiling up at him. “I’ll agree to this plan.”
“I thought you would,” he murmured before I was kissed yet again.