Total pages in book: 113
Estimated words: 107012 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 535(@200wpm)___ 428(@250wpm)___ 357(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 107012 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 535(@200wpm)___ 428(@250wpm)___ 357(@300wpm)
I’m in complete awe. By the time we’re finished with the tour, I’m stunned into silence all over again. I will never forget this day.
I wish I could put into words how this has made me feel.
Dylan
“Yeah, you can call the guys off. I’m going to use another way to find her. Taegan is sure she skipped town at this point,” I say into the phone as I walk out of the bathroom with a towel around my waist and sit on the side of the bed.
“Got it, boss. I’ll call you back if I have any updates. Oh, I meant to tell you. Hanson wants to talk.”
I grunt. “Set it up. I’m gone,” I say and hang up.
Nothing can ruin my mood after today. Not even that crazy bitch Cadlha. I knew four weeks ago that she was going to run for it. Around three weeks ago, I was pretty sure she was already gone.
However, I was banking on her arrogance to bring her back to her place—one more time—where my guys have been sitting. What Cadlha doesn’t know is that we’re not going to risk reporting her to the cops and putting Ciarán’s custody at risk. This is a situation I’m going to deal with directly, so there’s nowhere for her to run that I won’t find her eventually.
I push all thoughts of that shit aside. I haven’t been able to stop smiling all day. Dinner with Ciara and Ciarán was the icing on the cake. I took them to this place Ma and Da used to take us for special events or to celebrate certain occasions.
It felt good to have my little family there with me. It felt right, like they’ve always belonged in my life. I couldn’t have asked for a better reaction from Ciara.
The place came out way better than I had planned. Once I hired Kary, I was able to put on the finishing touches and make it the kind of shop I thought would fit Ciara.
Seeing her so happy made my day. I’m going to miss having her as an assistant. Taegan and Ciara have worked together to make my life flow better than it ever has.
It’s become so much easier to stand in when Brooklyn needs me to and also run my own businesses and handle my responsibilities. The two have a way of finishing my thoughts and getting things done before I can ask. If not for Taegan working with Ciara the last few months, I wouldn’t have been able to pull off the opening of Ciara’s shop.
I never thought about how my best friend and Ciara would get along once I found my girl. However, now that Ciara is here, I know I don’t have to worry about that. Taegan loves Ciara and I get the feeling Ciara feels the same way.
“Hey, what’s on your mind?”
I come out of my thoughts and look up. Ciara is standing before me naked as she studies me closely. We had been in the shower together when I noticed my phone lighting up on the counter.
I stepped out to see what Aidan wanted. If not for business, I’m sure we would still be in the shower. Ciarán has some new thing he’s working on, so I’m sure we’re not going to see him for the rest of the night.
“I was thinking about how happy you were when I gave you your gift,” I reply.
“You didn’t think I would be?”
I reach to glide my hands up her sides. Her skin is always so smooth and soft. It’s no wonder that I always want to have my hands on her.
“I wasn’t sure, to be honest. I hoped you would.”
Cupping my face, she leans in to kiss me. I capture her lips and devour her. As I take the kiss deeper, I pull her to straddle my lap.
She breaks the kiss. “I’ve been trying all day to put my feelings into words. I want to tell you how your gift made me feel and what it means to me.”
She pauses and searches my eyes with her gaze as she runs her fingers through the front of my hair. I give her waist a gentle squeeze of encouragement. She takes in a sharp breath before she continues.
“Dylan, all my life I’ve wanted to feel safe and loved. To have a loving family. I mean, I’ve always had this feeling, like once upon a time I had that.
“Then I came here, and I found you and you’re proving that I did have all of that. The shop isn’t just a gift. It’s a gift that says so much.
“I know you see me, and you want me to be happy. I get that this is your love language. You mean it from the heart.
“It’s not a carrot you’re dangling for my trust to be pulled away the moment I don’t do as you want. You asked me to trust you and I do. You’ve shown me over and over that I can.