Read Bound to You: Volume 2 for Free Online

Lincoln Center Plaza. On our way there, we take a road that runs through Central Park peppered with snow. I spot several horse-drawn carriages pulling up on the side. Each one is decorated with Christmas lights fastened to the edges, giving their carriage a fairytale feel. I’ve always wanted to take a ride in one.
    “Have you been on a horse-drawn carriage before?” Nicholas asks, as he catches me staring out the window.
    “No, not yet.”
    “They’re a novelty to visitors. You can’t go to New York and not take a ride in one. I’ll take you on one sometime.”
    Nicholas’s words catch me off guard. I don’t say anything, but I can’t help but question the motive behind his words. What could I say other than why bothe r? Nicholas doesn’t owe me anything, but here he is making plans with me. I promised Carol I would enjoy tonight, but it’s hard to when I’m already thinking this is a mistake.
    Paparazzi stalk the outside of the Lit For Kids donor appreciation event. They snap a flurry of pictures as Nicholas and I step out of his car. A valet attendant takes the keys to Nicholas’s car and hands him a return slip. Nicholas grabs my hand and leads me through the front of the Wilkes Library.
    The library is a majestic display of architecture. It’s like staring at a building straight out of a gothic novel. It’s strange to see a building like this in the middle of New York, but it’s beautiful. There’s even gargoyles protruding from the topside of the building. Each one appears carefully carved with exact details.
    There’s a noticeable shift in Nicholas’s attitude as we make our way through the center of the library that’s been transformed into a banquet hall. His once confident attitude is now replaced by a more somber one. I watch from the corner of my eye as an older woman wearing a white dress suit approaches us.
    “Hello, Nick, how are you?” she says, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek.
    “Katherine, it’s lovely to see you again,” he says with a small smile. “Rebecca, this is Katherine Brown, the Executive Director of Lit For Kids.”
    “It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Katherine says, shaking my hand eagerly. “Are you Nicholas’ fiancée?”
    “His assistant,” I say, smiling.
    “Ah, you’re the one my secretary spoke with?”
    “Yes, that’s me.”
    “I should be thanking you for Nicholas being here. He never comes to our events.”
    “Oh, well, thank you for having us.”
    “I apologize, Katherine. I’ve been so busy with –” Nicholas stops mid-sentence and for a moment I swear I hear a break in his voice. Nicholas squeezes the bridge of his nose as if warding off a headache. “My father has several new developments and we’ve just been swamped,” he finishes, his voice barely above a restrained whisper.
    Katherine does something completely unexpected. She steps forward and wraps Nicholas in an embrace, hugging him tightly. The almost mother-like display of affection knocks the wind out of me. I stand there feeling awkward and yet privileged to see such a strange but vulnerable moment.
    “Your brother was a wonderful man, Nick. We’re grateful for your generous contributions. I understand why you haven’t come, but I’m glad Rebecca changed your mind about tonight,” she says, smiling at me over his shoulder.
    As Katherine releases Nicholas from her embrace she whispers something in his ear and then makes her way toward another guest. Nicholas stands completely immobile, frozen by some imaginary force.
    “Nicholas?” I call.
    It takes a few moments for my voice to register across his face. He slowly turns toward me, as if he’s forgotten I was standing only a few feet away.
    “Rebecca?” he asks with a look of confusion.
    “Are you okay?” He looks down at my hand placed on his arm. I pull my hand away, conscious that to him it might look like something else. Nicholas looks up and stares toward the back room, as if searching for someone or