WIth a Twist: (The Club #9) Read Online Free

know what I was missing.”
    “I’m sure it’s different for girls, but for boys, the fairytales were all about the adventure. Slaying the dragon, saving the princess. Even as adults, even though we would never admit it, we still want the adventure, we still want to find our princess and slay her dragons, keep her safe. So what I mean by getting down to business is the fact that I’ve found you, and now I’m looking around for your dragon that I need to slay.”
    “I don’t have any dragons.” She shook her head.
    “Are you sure? It doesn’t have to be your typical evil queen or wizard, maybe it is as simple as getting past the castle walls you’ve built around yourself and showing you it’s okay to let someone in. I’ve been listening to you talk all evening, and you’ve lived alone more than with someone, even when you were with your mother, she was never really there. I can be there for you, but you have to give us a chance.”
    “Do you understand how strange this all sounds? We just met for Christ’s sake. Things like this don’t happen unless…”
    “Unless you’re in a fairytale, or a movie. But really, go on any social media site and ask the question, ‘Does love at first sight happen in real life?’ and I’ll bet good money you will get dozens of stories within the first hour of people who met their spouses and fell in love at first sight, or at least within the first few dates. It does happen, Starr, and it’s happening to us.”
    “How can you be so sure?”
    “How can you not be sure? Tell me, has anything like this ever happened to you before? I’ll answer for you, no it hasn’t. Close your eyes.” I waited for her to do it and I laced my fingers through hers. “How does it make you feel when I hold your hand like this?”
    She took a shaky breath. “I feel your strength, your conviction, your honesty. My stomach is full of butterflies as I see a future like none I’ve ever dreamed of.”
    “Do you want that dream?” My voice was hushed, her answer meant so much to me.
    “Yes,” she whispered.
    “Then just let it happen.”
    Opening her eyes, she looked deep into mine. “I want to, but I have a request.”
    “Anything.” If I could have her, I’d promise her anything.
    “I need twenty-four hours to think, by myself. Let me get my head around this. I feel like I’ve been blindsided and my heart and head are telling me two completely different things. Give me this time and then we’ll see where this crazy ride takes us.”
    “I know exactly where it’s going to take us,” I growled. I didn’t like the thought of her being up in her head for a whole day. I wasn’t too macho to admit it scared me spitless she would decide not to give us a chance, but I knew I had to give her the opportunity to figure everything out. In the end, there would be no second guessing herself years down the line. “But you can have your twenty-four hours. I’ll pick you up tomorrow at seven in the morning and we’ll spend the whole day together. Just the two of us.”
    “Thank you.” She slid to the edge of the booth and stood up. “I need to walk home, by myself. My time starts now.”
    I stood up and wrapped one arm around her waist, pulling her close to me while the other cupped her face. Starr Fields, be careful, you are my everything now. I won’t allow anything to happen to you.”
    “I know.”
    She pulled out of my arms and turned away, walking out the door as the sun broke the horizon and bathed her in morning light.
    As soon as she was out of sight, my cell phone was to my ear, making sure my security team was following her. I didn’t want her running away in the middle of the night like her and her mother had done so many times, and I was sure there were more times than my team was able to find. Not to mention the fact there was no way I would allow her to walk over here in the middle of the night alone, or even walk home without someone there to make sure she was safe. I