AllFreeNovel
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She spent the night fussing over my grumpy beast as if he were her own.
Fuck. I’m head over heels for this girl.
“I’m not cut out for motherhood,” Molly chuckles into my knit sweater.
The hollow feeling in my stomach returns. Is she just saying that because of the stress she felt tonight, or does she mean it? It doesn’t matter. I have to stop assuming what she’s thinking. After the Winter Ball, Molly will have a clearer picture of her future. Then we’ll sit down and discuss what our life together could look like.
“You’ve been a great cat mom.” I plant my lips on the top of her head. She pulls away and looks up at me.
“Do you think Bear hates me?”
“With a belly full of caviar? I doubt it.” I spot him lying on top of one of her fancy sweaters. He’s definitely living the high life here.
“There’s one more thing,” Molly says, keeping her arms wrapped around my waist. “While I was trying to find a vet for Bear, my mother reached out, and I was so overwhelmed with the situation that I kind of lied to her and told her we already found a caterer.”
Her eyes are swimming with worry. Not being able to take the pressure off her shoulders is hurting me. Even if we do everything right, I don’t know if her parents will think it’s enough.
I manage a deep breath. “I can’t imagine the stress she’s putting on you.”
“She thinks we’re going to fail, and I just want to prove her wrong.” Molly’s beautiful bravery and determination shine right through her.
“We will,” I promise. “Our little team already succeeded at two of the impossible tasks. We can finish strong.” Out of the corner of my eye, I notice the Excel sheet I helped create on her laptop screen. “How’s the budgeting for The Griffin? Any new listings in the last few hours?”
Molly spins in her chair, dragging her laptop over to us. “Miserable. How on earth is real estate so expensive?”
“Ah, innocent Jedi, you will soon learn that everything costs more money than you budget for.” I give her thigh a playful pinch.
“Do…or do not. There is no try.” Molly echoes Yoda’s famous proverb. Blood rushes to my cock, which hardens against my jeans. My hands flex as I resist the urge to pick her up against this counter and show her how irresistible she is to me.
“Since when are you a Star Wars fan?” I pry.
“You, Ollie, and Robert always make references I don’t get, so I just watched everything fromEpisode ItoThe Mandalorian.” My smirk is impossible to hide. Is this how she felt when I read her favorite book series? “After this year’s Halloween activities, maybe we’ll skip the Lysa and Jordan costume next year, and I can get you to throw on that bounty hunter mask.” Molly giggles.
“There are humanoids called Sephi in the universe; you’ll be able to reuse those elf ears.”
“Have you given this a thought before?”
“Once or twice.” I join her laughter until we’re both red in the face. “Now, come on; show me what you’ve got so far.” I nod at her laptop.
“Okay, well, I did actually find a place.” She bounces her knee in her stool. “It’s a castle—I know,extreme,but hear me out.” Her eyes rapidly blink up at me. Delight oozes out of her. It makes me weak in the knees. Yeah. I’ve been giddy over this woman on so many occasions, you’d think I was under some kind of spell.
“Go on,” I say, keeping my cool.
“It’s in Tarrytown, and it overlooks the river.” On her screen, a spectacular property is displayed in dozens of images. There are gothic windows and a brick exterior. “Twenty-two rooms.”
“And only twenty-five miles from the city,” I note. “A perfect hotspot destination for anyone seeking a weekend escape.” I put on my best travel-agent voice.
“That’s what I was thinking too. And the grounds are stunning.” She beams, scrolling through the images of the gardens. “There’s a barn on the property, so I could actually have a stable. However, the structure probably needs a lot of work.”
As Molly clicks through each picture, she looks up to gauge my reaction. Pure joy is etched onto her face.
She’s radiant.
There’s nothing like finding a passion to ground you and set you free at the same time. That spark is evident in Molly.
The property is everything she’s described and more.
A castle suited for a queen.
