My Unexpected Vow: California Billionaires Book 2 Harlow James (scary books to read txt) 📖

Trudging up the stairs, I head for my room to change my clothes while Waverly showers. At least then I can get comfortable and maybe we can watch another comedy special tonight. There’s a new one by Bert Kreischer, which I heard is fucking hilarious.

By the time I leave my room, the water in Waverly’s bathroom has shut off, so I head into the kitchen to find something to make for dinner. As I pull out some chicken breasts and a package of rice, I turn around to see Waverly standing on the other side of the island—fresh from the shower, completely void of make-up, her eyes transfixed on the flowers.

“Hey. Welcome home.” I set the food on the counter, studying her as she stands there. She has this innocence about her that’s been drawing me in for weeks, as if I want to show her everything that life can offer her, especially the really dirty stuff. But on the other hand, she has no problem showing me that she’s a woman, an independent and feisty one that knows what she wants for her life—and hell… if that’s not sexy then I don’t know what is.

“Did you… did you buy me flowers?” She shifts her gaze to me as a smile builds on her lips. And fuck if that smile doesn’t make me realize that stopping to buy her flowers was worth not being here when she got home.

“I did.”

“Why?”

I walk around the island as her eyes track my movements, arriving close enough to get hit with the scent of her body wash, a smell I’ve been craving ever since she left a few days ago and am more than elated is back.

Without thinking, I pull her into me, encircling my arms around her as she rests the side of her face on my chest. “I missed you, Wave.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. This house is too quiet without you here.”

“Are you saying I’m noisy?” she jokes, garnering a chuckle from me as I release her.

“Not particularly. But I’ve just kind of gotten used to you being here.” I reach up to tuck a strand of her wet hair behind her ear, searching her eyes for any morsel that would indicate she’s following what I’m saying.

“Is it weird that coming back tonight actually felt like coming home?” she whispers as my heart bursts in my chest from her declaration.

“Not weird at all. I’m glad you felt that way.” I press a kiss to her forehead, thinking better than to tempt progress by moving in for her lips, and then step away before I throw her on the counter and show her just how much I missed her. “I have the stuff to make dinner if you want.”

“More chicken?” She grins as she bends over to gather her hair into a ponytail. And of course, I sneak a glance at her ass as she does so because what a mighty fine ass it is.

When she pops back up, she twists a hair tie around her hair, securing it in the same top knot she always does, and then moves to the sink to wash her hands.

“Well, that is the only thing we know how to make. I feel like we’re experts at it by now.”

“I agree, but maybe we should try something new. Have you ever heard of that Hello Fresh delivery service?” she asks as she grabs a pan from the cupboard. I move to get the rice maker I purchased last week and begin filling it with the measured amounts of rice and water.

“Yeah, that sounds familiar.”

“You pick out what meals you want and they deliver all the ingredients to your door. It even comes with recipe cards like the one from the class. I figure we can’t mess it up then, and it will allow us to try new things.”

“Let’s do it.” I smile over at her as she returns a mega-watt grin.

“Okay, I’ll order some tomorrow.”

We move around each other, cooking the chicken and vegetables so they finish at the same time as the rice. Once we sit down to eat, Waverly fills me in on the progress she made out in Vegas at the club, even though she sent me pictures of what’s been done. I tell her about the new contracts I gained this week, and how pumped I am for the new season of baseball to start up.

“How come I never knew you liked baseball?” I watch Waverly sit back in her chair, finishing her dinner, eyeing me incredulously from across the table.

“How come I never knew you liked to go to farmer’s markets and do yoga?” I fire back sarcastically. “There’s a lot we never knew about each other before this, Wave.”

“I know.” She stares down at her empty plate in thought, then settles her eyes back on me. “Are you sure you want me to go to a game with you then?”

Opening week is next week and my father and I have season tickets for the O.C. Rays. I always attend the first game with him, but then we’ll take turns going with friends, and he’ll even take my mom sometimes. But as I was explaining that to Waverly, I decided that this tradition was something I wanted to share with her.

“Yes, I’m sure. It’ll be fun. The game is on a Friday night too, so it will be the perfect way to end the week.”

She perks up a bit. “Okay, that sounds like a good time. Although I’m sure Chloe and Emma will be jealous when they find out I get to stare at baseball players’ asses the entire time.”

I arch a brow at her. “Is that why you’re going? To stare at men in baseball pants?”

She giggles. “It’s definitely the main reason,” she says, standing to clear her plate while reaching for my own.

“Well, maybe I’ll have to take back my invitation then.”

She spins around and drops her jaw. “You wouldn’t dare!”

I shrug and then cross my arms over my chest. “Don’t talk about