Total pages in book: 71
Estimated words: 67039 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 335(@200wpm)___ 268(@250wpm)___ 223(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 67039 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 335(@200wpm)___ 268(@250wpm)___ 223(@300wpm)
That is how she ended up here at the farm. If she was here, behind the walls that gave her protection, then I could rest a little. So many strings I pulled to orchestrate it all. It had all been for nothing. I run a hand down my face.
Knowing I won't be getting anything else done, I leave my office. As always, I head toward the kitchen. A vase of yellow flowers sits on the kitchen island. I take them before anyone else can lay claim to them. I bring them to my office before I head out to the back patio. My feet are heading in the direction of Tova.
There are two places she lingers, and she has already been in the main garden today, so I make my way toward the pond, not taking the path. There is a chance she would see me if I went that way, and I can't have that.
I pause, about to step off to go around, but what is the point? Does it matter if she sees me now? Does she know her parents are handing her over to me on a silver platter?
Fuck. I grit my teeth; reaching down, I adjust my cock. I have no control over it. Not when it comes to any kind of thought of my little mouse. My mind goes places it has never gone with anyone else. She dominates my thoughts again in a way I don’t understand.
What I see and hear as I approach the pond stops me in my tracks. Tova is sitting on the edge of the dock. Her head is in her hands, and her body is shaking with what looks to be silent sobs. The urge to go to her is almost unbearable, but I continue to watch from a distance.
She picks her head up as though she senses someone is watching. Her beautiful dark locks fall away from her face, the sun revealing her tear-stained cheeks. Even when sad, she is stunning.
Seeing her this way guts me in so many different ways. It also answers my question about whether or not her parents have told her about our impending marriage. She obviously doesn’t want to marry me. The feeling is mutual, but our reasons differ vastly.
It takes every fiber of my being to remain where I’m standing. To not go to her, lift her in my arms, and comfort her. To not try to wipe away every single tear shed and promise her that everything will be okay. That is not the reality for her, unfortunately, and I will not lie to her.
I continue to watch her as she lifts her glasses, wiping the tears from her eyes with the back of her hand. She takes a deep breath in before blowing it out completely. I faintly hear her giving herself a pep talk. “Get it together, Tova. You're going to make it through this. You’re resilient. Life isn’t all sunshine and roses. He doesn’t…”
“You shouldn’t be out here,” I say, cutting her off before she can say anything negative about me. She turns, immediately schooling her features.
It’s so unlike her. My little mouse always has a bright smile on her face. I often caught her observing me. I could have sworn she had a small crush on me. But what the fuck do I know? Romantic entanglements were never something I let myself have. Not that I’d wanted them.
I'm going to take over for my father. I saw how his world crashed around him when my mom was taken. I wasn’t going to have that same weakness. It hadn’t been a hard thing to come to terms with. It also hadn’t been something I thought I’d ever want. That made it easy to toss it from my life.
Until Tova.
She lifts her chin. I have the urge to go to her and grip it in my hand. Then to demand that she not cry any more. I expect her to accept the situation and become my wife.
"And why is that?" Tova pulls her shoulders back. Everything she is giving is pure defiance. Tova may not be as delicate as I initially believed. Two seconds in my world, and it's already hardening her.
"You dare question me?"
Her bottom lip puffs out with a slight tremor. I have to fight not to smile. No one but my father questions me. Tova holds my stare for a long moment, not saying a word before she shakes her head and her shoulders drop along with her head.
Without a word, she goes to walk past me. I know better but can't stop myself. As she passes, I reach out and grab her arm. She jerks her head back toward me, making eye contact again. I enjoy those eyes on me far more than I should.
"You will not marry one of my brothers, so get that thought out of your head." Her plump lips press together. One of her wild curls has fallen over her glasses. I reach up and brush it out of her face, getting a feel for how soft her hair truly is. A question I've long wanted to know. Everything about her is soft and sweet. "Do you understand?" I push. Tova gives a curt nod. "Say it."