Continental Life by Ella Dominguez Read Free Book Online

sitting up, she threw her arms around his neck and kissed every inch of his face. “I’ve been accepted to the DDTC! But how? I didn’t even fill out the application,” she pulled back to stare into his eyes as her breathing became ragged with excitement.
    “I filled it out for you last night.”
    Tears bordered her lashes and a deep pink hue stained her cheeks. “After the way I acted?”
    “ You’ve been stressed, but I know your heart was in the right place when you said you wanted to go. And the truth is: you were right. This is a good opportunity for you to learn exactly what I’ll require of you as my wife and what you should expect from me. How could I deny you, Princess?”
    Shaking her head, she reread the letter two more times , each time her smile widening just a touch more. Proud of himself, Xander puffed his chest out and a mischievous grin spread across his rugged, clean-shaven face. Bella wore the look of elation well. Making her happy and seeing the sparkle of bliss in her eyes was one of the things in life he cherished the most.
    “But you said I probably wouldn’t be accepted and that I wasn’t a suitable candidate. What changed everyone’s mind?”
    Xander ros e and made them each a martini, hers extra-dry with two olives, just the way she liked. “The better part of two hours, but every now and then I can make a good case, and…” he took a gulp of the liquor and handed Bella her drink. “…I never said that. You should know they’re less-than thrilled about accepting you and not because you’re not a suitable candidate, because we’re engaged. But it’s a good thing for the both of us that I have a way with words.”
    Dipping her fingers into the glass, she confiscated an olive and popped into her mouth as she grinned back at him. “I know…” she sucked the ends of her fingers clean. “I watched you work your linguistic magic for more than two years. They didn’t stand a chance against you, did they?”
    W ith his drink in hand, he strolled to the large bank of floor-to-ceiling windows and surveyed the bright lights and Bay below him. “Hell no, they didn’t. I wasn’t leaving their offices without a firm answer from them, be it negative or positive. It was either accept you as a student or accept my resignation and they’re not ready to see me leave just yet.”
    Bella gasped and he peered over his shoulder to see her brows knitted together. She looked genuinely upset, though he had no idea why. Was it so farfetched for her to think he would leave if they denied an education to the woman he was going to spend the rest of his life with and someone who was dedicated to living the kind of lifestyle that they so wholeheartedly believed in? How hypocritical would that have been?
    “I kind of wish you hadn’t d one it now…” she quietly admitted as she placed her drink on the floor next to the lounger. “What if they had said no and you were forced to quit? You would’ve resented me for it, Xander.”
    “I absolutely would not have re sented you,” he spoke firmly, moving next to her and setting his drink down beside hers. Taking a firm hold of her shoulders, he looked her square in the eyes. “First of all, I wouldn’t have threatened them if I didn’t intend on going through with it or if I didn’t believe in the point that I was trying to make. Secondly, my teaching has been one of the reasons you’re stressed. If I left now, it would have been only a slight change of plans since I have every intention of quitting once you’re done with school anyway.”
    The distressed look on her face quickly disappeared and she threw her arms back over his shoulders.
    “Before you go getting all sappy…” he continue d, “the administrators, Headmaster and other instructors, including myself, have very strict guidelines for you. They’re writing them up now and want to meet with you in the next few days to go over the particulars. There are several things to contend with