Drawn to You: Volume 3 (11 page)

“Tristan, why are we sitting in front of the courthouse? I thought the fundraiser was in Midtown?”

I gulp trying to swallow the lump crawling its way from my chest to my throat. Emily’s hands grab my face as she forces me to look at her. Her eyes search mine as if trying to decipher the disaster going on in my mind. God, what if she says no. This is not the way I pictured first doing this, but it just feels so right.

“Are you regretting taking me tonight?” she asks.

Her eyes grow deadly serious. Regret is the last thing I feel when it comes to us.

“No!”

“Then what?”

I struggle to say the words. In my head, this seemed so much easier.

“I want you to marry me.”

Her eyes widen as she looks at me and then at the courthouse a few yards in front of her. My heart thumps against my chest as I wait for her to refuse me. This is crazy. She won’t ever say yes. She’s probably biding her time until she gets tired of me.

“We have to do it quick before the courthouse closes. We need to apply for the certificate and then tomorrow we’ll have to—”

“Yes,” she says, cutting me off. A rush of tears slips down her face as she looks at me.

“Wait. What?”

“I said, yes!”

Her lips crash into mine as she kisses me like it’s my dying wish. She only breaks away from me at the sound of a tap on the window. Augie’s face pops into view just before slamming her birth certificate against the tinted window. Perfect! The last piece. Behind Augie, his boyfriend Harvey stands holding a bouquet of lilies.

“Oh, my God. Augie knew before me?”

“Not much more.”

She laughs, kneeling to open the door, but I quickly stop her. Her gaze grows serious as she waits for me to speak. It takes what feels like an eternity for me to say the words. My heart catapults as she leans towards me with a smile.

“What is it, Mr. Knight?”

For the first time, I realize Emily won’t be the beautiful blonde angel I’ve known since she was little. She’s going to be my wife.

“We won’t be able to tell Nicholas or your father. At least not until I open my gallery and get things moving. Not until I know I can provide for you without fearing that your father will ruin everything.”

“As long as I have you, I don’t care,” she says.

“You will. It’ll be hard keeping secrets from the ones we love most.”

“But I’ll keep them.”

“Are you sure?” I ask.

My heart hammers against my chest as fear seeps into it. This is a lot to ask.

She laughs. “Why are we still in the car?”

I pull her onto my lap for one last kiss before stepping outside. Emily leans in as she wraps her petite arms around my neck.

“Tristan?”

“Yes, sweetheart?”

Her gaze snaps up at me. A pensive look graces her face before breaking into a mesmerizing smile.

“Do you mind if we say our vows here… I know it’s just the application, but—”

“Emily StoneHaven… I promise to protect, honor, and most of all love you.”

Her eyes water as she squeezes my hand.

“Tristan Knight…I promise to love you. Honor you. And obey you.”

A grin slides up my face.

We both know the obeying part won’t be so easy, but she has time to learn.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Thank you Fabie for loving Tristan. You really helped make his story a reality. To the rest of my beta readers, thank you for putting in the time to provide me feedback. Lastly, I want to thank my husband for always helping me keep my head on my shoulders. I love you. Thank you for sharing your enthusiasm for my dreams. I couldn’t have asked for a better husband and friend.

ALSO BY VANESSA BOOKE

Millionaire’s Row Series

Bound to You: Volume 1

Bound to You: Volume 2

Bound to You: Volume 3

Bound to You: The Boxed Set (Volumes 1-3)

Drawn to You: Volume 1

Drawn to You: Volume 2

Drawn to You: Volume 3

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Meet the Author

Vanessa Booke is a lover of poetry, Rom-Coms, the combination of peanut butter and chocolate, and all things Jane Austen. She is an avid reader and graduate from Cal State University, San Bernardino where she received her Bachelor’s degree in English Literature. Vanessa lives in beautiful Southern California with her husband Ryan and their three dachshunds Zer0, Zoey, and Zelda. When she isn’t working on her novels, Vanessa spends most of her time window shopping and taking grand adventures with her partner in crime.

Vanessa loves getting emails from her readers. You can contact her at [email protected].

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