Chapter Twenty-Three
TINSLEY
“The tables have turned,” I tell Katherine.
“On what?” she asks, both confusion and curiosity written all over her face.
I take a deep breath in, knowing once I put the words out into the world, I can never take them back. I’ll have to own them.
“I might not be as opposed to this marriage thing as I once was.” Not that I was ever really opposed at all, if I’m being honest. I was just more suspicious. “Maybe I kinda even like it a little.”
That’s the understatement of the century, but I’m trying to play it cool. I’m finding that I’m just as obsessed with Pierce as he is with me. That I enjoy coming home to him every night. I mean the orgasms he gives me daily help.
“You don’t say.” She cracks a smile.
“Why aren’t you surprised?” I furrow my brows.
“Oh my God! I’m shocked!” She mock gasps while pretending to clutch her nonexistent pearls.
“Seriously. Your timing and acting skills need some work.”
“We may get up to things, but you’re forgetting how well I know you, Tins.”
“You can’t know this. I have never been in lo...” I press my lips together to stop myself. If I speak it, then it makes it that much more real.
“Love, you were going to say love.”
“Shh.” I glance around to see if anyone is paying attention. The kids are all engrossed in their crafts.
We’re at the library helping the kids make Valentine boxes. Over the past week, I have been pretty busy. I didn’t know I’d be getting married and had packed my schedule. I might have overdone it in my excitement to be back in New Hope. Now, all I want to do is hang out with Pierce.
"What's the dealio? Isn't this kind of what you wanted?" She asks what I have been thinking myself. "I mean, if you think about it, he's really checking all the boxes," Katherine points out. "I mean, tattoos, built like a bear, mega rich so we can get that yacht we talked about."
"Katherine," I laugh.
"What? I'm not done." She never really is. "He's sweet with his gentle handling."
"What girl doesn't want to be gently manhandled?" I say under my breath.
"He kisses the top of your head and lets you get away with murder. He can also cook, and I quizzed him on dishes, and he nailed them all."
"You did?"
"Of course I did. Now for the whole castle and a couple horses, give the man time. I think that circles back to the mega-rich thing."
"Where do you come up with these things?"
"You came up with them."
"When?"
"Ah, when we were ten and saw the moviePractical Magic. Those were all on your list." Holy crap, I'd forgotten about that, and I was in the middle of a dinosaur obsession.
"Okay, he's checking off boxes." Hell, I forgot about some, but I don't need a yacht. I'm sure you can rent them for a few weeks. That should suffice. "Can a person be too perfect? Too good to be true?”
"I mean…" She smirks, motioning between us.
"True." At every turn, that man is showing me he's in this, except for a few things.
