Becoming the Whiskey Princess by Toni Aleo Read Free Book Online Page A

is sparkling and tied around my neck. Smiling down at me, he gathers me in his arms before running his lips along mine.
    “You’re stunning,”
    I kiss his jaw and close my eyes, leaning against him. I’ve missed him. He had to work all day yesterday and most of the days since I was shot, and it’s sucked being so far away from him all day. Thankfully, I start back at work tomorrow, so I won’t be so lonely.
    “I missed you,” I whisper against this jaw, the blond hair tickling my lips.
    “I’ve missed ya too, my love. I got something for ya.”
    I lean back and meet his gaze. “Yeah?”
    He lets me go to reach into his pocket and pulls out my engagement ring. His great-grandmother’s ring. It didn’t fit, it was too big, so he took it to be resized. I thought it would take longer to get here, but knowing Declan, he probably had it rushed. I am still in such awe of the beauty of the ring. The diamond is so big, almost a little gaudy, but the diamonds on the sides accent it beautifully, and it really is stunning.
    Taking my hand, he slides it on my finger and smiles at me. Kissing the ring on my finger, he massages my hand with his thumb. “Perfect fit, yeah?”
    I nod, my heart pounding against my ribs. “It is.”
    “You ready?”
    “Yeah, let’s go,” I say, looking back at my aunt. “We are off.”
    “Howya, Mrs. Maclaster.”
    “Howya, Declan, good to see ya,” she says and I actually believe her.
    “You too, we’ll be back later.”
    “Sure, give your parents my best.”
    “Will do,” he says with a nod.
    He then pulls me out the door and to his car.
    We don’t say much as we head to the O’Callaghan estate. My fingers are laced with his, resting on his leg as we drive. I feel so complete. It’s such a euphoric feeling he brings me. Glancing over at him, I take in the beauty that is my fiancé. His eyes are trained on the road he is following, and I notice that his hair is getting longer. It’s curling around his ears in a cute little way. The hair on his jaw is longer than normal too. He looks all unkempt, and I have to admit, it’s rather sexy.
    But then I notice the tension in his jaw. My brows come together as I ask, “What’s wrong?”
    He smiles as he shakes his head. “Know me too well, ya think?”
    “I don’t think, I know.”
    Clearing his throat, he says, “Yeah, I guess ya do.” Squeezing my hand, he glances at me for a moment before looking back at the road. “I don’t know how I feel about this. I don’t trust my da and ma.”
    I scoff. “What do you mean? We are going to dinner.”
    “Yeah, but I feel like it’s gonna be a pain.”
    “Anything you don’t want to do is a pain,” I supply and he laughs.
    “True, but promise me something,” he says softly, meeting my gaze. “You feel uncomfortable, at any time, you tell me, yeah?”
    I nod. “Of course.”
    “Good,” he says with a nod, bringing my hand up to his mouth to kiss softly. “I love you.”
    “I love you,” I say automatically as my stomach does a little flip-flop. There is something about the way he tells me he loves me that hits me in the gut every time. It’s all sexy and rough and Irish. And I know it’s all for me. As I watch him work his lip as he drives, I hate that he is nervous about going to dinner with his family. It reminds me of when we were going to the ball. Hm. That reminds me. “It’s been a week.”
    His brows come in. “Sure, yeah? So?”
    “You said we would talk about everything when a week was up. It’s actually been a week and a half.”
    He chuckles. “Sweetheart, let’s get through dinner.”
    I smile. “So you don’t want to talk about having sex.”
    I’m surprised we don’t crash the way he jerks the car to the side before righting the steering wheel and then looking at me. “Jaysus, Amberlyn! Run me off the road, will ya?”
    I giggle. “Just asking.”
    “That’s not something you ask, though; you let it happen,” he says, kissing the back of my