Bound to you ruby cove b.., p.28
Bound to You (Ruby Cove book 1), page 28
He salutes to me. “I’ll guard it with my life.”
I brush my hair down with my hands, trying to tame it into position after the hood of my onesie messed it all up.
I put on the red dress. I couldn’t help it after what Caio said earlier, and the dress is too gorgeous not to wear.
The deep burgundy color is rich against my skin, and the silhouette is just perfect, cutting off just above my knees, with thick straps tied together in bows over my shoulders.
I run another hand through my hair one last time before I walk back out to find everyone sitting around the couch, talking in hushed voices. The crostata untouched on the bench.
“Hey, where’s Caio?” I ask the room.
“He just went looking for another Christmas album. Can you go find him? He’s been ages,” Marina says.
“Sure,” I say, and they all look at me. My stomach tumbles as I walk down the hall to Caio’s study where he keeps all his records.
I knock lightly on the door and push it open. What I see inside sets my heart racing.
Caio turns around as I step inside.
His desk is gone.
His chair is gone.
His couch is gone.
All that’s in the room is my Caio, wearing a three-piece suit and looking at me with nerves shining in his ocean eyes.
“Hey,” he says.
“Hi.” I laugh nervously. I feel like I know what’s happening, and I feel like I might throw up.
“I am so glad you picked that dress.” He runs a hand through his hair, a disbelieving smirk on his face.
“Well, you did say you liked it,” I shrug, trying to hold in my smile.
“It’s perfect.”
My heart beats as if I’m running from imminent death.
“Come here,” Caio says, holding his hand out for me. I take it, walking further into the room, and landing right in front of him.
He sweeps a strand of my hair behind my ear. “I’m surprised you weren’t fiddling with this.”
“I don’t think I can do anything right now.” I laugh nervously again, and he chuckles softly, the sound shaky with what I assume are nerves of his own.
“Isla.”
“Mmhm?”
“My Isla, my artist, my love, my reason for being here. I love you so much.”
“I love you too,” I breathe.
“I can’t believe the way you fell into my lap. This perfect thing, dropped right in my path. I can’t believe I was lucky enough to be the first person driving down that road. To find someone like you waiting for me.”
My eyes flood and I try to hold the tears in, willing them to suck back into where they came from so I can see him clearly. So I can commit every detail of this moment to memory.
“I never thought I’d be one of those people to find someone who meant so much to me, that I was willing to give everything up for, but here we are. Here you are.
“I would give up the world for you, sweetheart. Somehow you became the only thing that is important to me. The one thing that I can’t lose, the one thing that I want to keep forever.”
He kneels down onto one knee, and I can’t stop the tears from falling.
He reaches up, gently wiping them from my cheeks with a shaky hand before he pulls a red velvet box from his pocket.
I can barely breathe as he opens it. Barely breathe when I see the gigantic diamond nestled into the cushion.
“Will you tell me what I want to know if I ask you?”
I nod and he lets me get away with it.
“Will you marry me, sweetheart? Will you let me keep you forever?”
I nod again, my tears clouding my vision.
“This is one of those times where I think I need to hear it.”
“Yes,” I breathe. “I’ll marry you.”
Hoots and cheers burst out from behind me, and I jump before I turn around to see everyone huddled around outside the doorway. I laugh as I let the tears stream down my face and turn back to face Caio.
He’s standing now and holding out the most gorgeous ring I’ve ever seen in my life. The diamond is so big you could see it from space.
I hold my shaking hand out, and he tries to steady it with his own, but his shaky grip isn’t much help. I let out a watery laugh at the thought of what we must look like as he slips the ring onto my finger.
I don’t get a second to admire it before I’m wrapped up in his arms and swirled around.
Gently setting me back on my feet, he kisses me hard and lovingly before his forehead meets mine. “You’re bound to me now, baby. No take backs.”
I smile wider than I ever have as I say, “No take backs.”
acknowledgments
To my mum and dad, I probably would never have done this if you guys didn’t teach me that success doesn’t only come from the conventional way of doing things. Thank you for encouraging me to turn this dream into a reality, for pushing me to spend seven weeks learning how to write a book and then doing the damn thing. I don’t know if I could’ve done it without your support, and I hope you know how grateful I am that I get to have the two of you as my parents.
Thank you for telling me that you’ll be proud of me even if the only people that buy this book are my friends and family. Thank you for sitting with me and brainstorming place names for Ruby Cove, this little fictional town wouldn’t be what it is without your input.
I hope that you loved this book and that you skipped the spice. Don’t tell me if you didn’t. I love you both to pieces, thank you for everything.
To Sean, thank you for showing me that real life book boyfriends do exist. Thank you for always being willing to listen to me yap on about things that didn’t really make any sense to you at the time. Thank you for spending time trying to figure out a book title with me, and for adding exclamation marks and heart emojis to every message after I sent you updated cover designs or character art. I love sharing every stupid little detail with you.
Thank you for all the waters that you brought me, and all the times that my technology confused me and you saved me. (Especially that time I thought I lost half my manuscript and was crying on the couch)
I love you so much, and I can’t wait to annoy you with so many more book ideas to come.
It would be criminal for me to write these acknowledgments without thanking my amazing editor Tayler. You helped me take Bound to You from a good-ish draft into something that I am now so proud of. You read this book and understood it better than I did at times. Caio and Isla’s story wouldn’t be what it is today without your help, but also without your constant cheerleading and support, it’s something I didn’t know I needed but now can’t imagine this process without. I am so lucky to have been able to work with you, and to be able to continue working with you on Ruby Cove book two.
To Ella, thank you for all of our morning debriefs, and for all of your support and excitement for me and this story. I never imagined when you popped into my life that you’d so quickly become someone that I treasure so dearly, and who would be one of my biggest cheerleaders.
Thank you to Saskia, my amazing and talented friend who designed me the book cover of my dreams, I will always be grateful for you. Thank you for being a part of this.
To all the indie authors out there who inspired me to do this whole thing myself, thank you, and to all of you who I can now call my friends, thank you for letting me ramble in your dms, you all kept me sane.
Lastly thank you to you, to everyone reading these acknowledgements, thank you for being here and for taking a chance on me and my debut, I hope you enjoyed it and I hope you’re excited for the future of Ruby Cove as much as I am.
about the author
Bridie Charles is a debut indie romance author living in little old New Zealand where she was born and raised.
After being book obsessed for years she decided to take a chance at writing her own.
She loves writing sweet and spicy romances that follow strong, but flawed characters who will always find their happily ever after.
When she’s not spending her days daydreaming about her stories, she can be found spending time with her friends and family, bingeing tv, baking, painting, or cozied up with her current read.
For all updates on current works, follow Bridie on Instagram @authorbridiecharles
Bridie Charles, Bound to You (Ruby Cove book 1)
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I brush my hair down with my hands, trying to tame it into position after the hood of my onesie messed it all up.
I put on the red dress. I couldn’t help it after what Caio said earlier, and the dress is too gorgeous not to wear.
The deep burgundy color is rich against my skin, and the silhouette is just perfect, cutting off just above my knees, with thick straps tied together in bows over my shoulders.
I run another hand through my hair one last time before I walk back out to find everyone sitting around the couch, talking in hushed voices. The crostata untouched on the bench.
“Hey, where’s Caio?” I ask the room.
“He just went looking for another Christmas album. Can you go find him? He’s been ages,” Marina says.
“Sure,” I say, and they all look at me. My stomach tumbles as I walk down the hall to Caio’s study where he keeps all his records.
I knock lightly on the door and push it open. What I see inside sets my heart racing.
Caio turns around as I step inside.
His desk is gone.
His chair is gone.
His couch is gone.
All that’s in the room is my Caio, wearing a three-piece suit and looking at me with nerves shining in his ocean eyes.
“Hey,” he says.
“Hi.” I laugh nervously. I feel like I know what’s happening, and I feel like I might throw up.
“I am so glad you picked that dress.” He runs a hand through his hair, a disbelieving smirk on his face.
“Well, you did say you liked it,” I shrug, trying to hold in my smile.
“It’s perfect.”
My heart beats as if I’m running from imminent death.
“Come here,” Caio says, holding his hand out for me. I take it, walking further into the room, and landing right in front of him.
He sweeps a strand of my hair behind my ear. “I’m surprised you weren’t fiddling with this.”
“I don’t think I can do anything right now.” I laugh nervously again, and he chuckles softly, the sound shaky with what I assume are nerves of his own.
“Isla.”
“Mmhm?”
“My Isla, my artist, my love, my reason for being here. I love you so much.”
“I love you too,” I breathe.
“I can’t believe the way you fell into my lap. This perfect thing, dropped right in my path. I can’t believe I was lucky enough to be the first person driving down that road. To find someone like you waiting for me.”
My eyes flood and I try to hold the tears in, willing them to suck back into where they came from so I can see him clearly. So I can commit every detail of this moment to memory.
“I never thought I’d be one of those people to find someone who meant so much to me, that I was willing to give everything up for, but here we are. Here you are.
“I would give up the world for you, sweetheart. Somehow you became the only thing that is important to me. The one thing that I can’t lose, the one thing that I want to keep forever.”
He kneels down onto one knee, and I can’t stop the tears from falling.
He reaches up, gently wiping them from my cheeks with a shaky hand before he pulls a red velvet box from his pocket.
I can barely breathe as he opens it. Barely breathe when I see the gigantic diamond nestled into the cushion.
“Will you tell me what I want to know if I ask you?”
I nod and he lets me get away with it.
“Will you marry me, sweetheart? Will you let me keep you forever?”
I nod again, my tears clouding my vision.
“This is one of those times where I think I need to hear it.”
“Yes,” I breathe. “I’ll marry you.”
Hoots and cheers burst out from behind me, and I jump before I turn around to see everyone huddled around outside the doorway. I laugh as I let the tears stream down my face and turn back to face Caio.
He’s standing now and holding out the most gorgeous ring I’ve ever seen in my life. The diamond is so big you could see it from space.
I hold my shaking hand out, and he tries to steady it with his own, but his shaky grip isn’t much help. I let out a watery laugh at the thought of what we must look like as he slips the ring onto my finger.
I don’t get a second to admire it before I’m wrapped up in his arms and swirled around.
Gently setting me back on my feet, he kisses me hard and lovingly before his forehead meets mine. “You’re bound to me now, baby. No take backs.”
I smile wider than I ever have as I say, “No take backs.”
acknowledgments
To my mum and dad, I probably would never have done this if you guys didn’t teach me that success doesn’t only come from the conventional way of doing things. Thank you for encouraging me to turn this dream into a reality, for pushing me to spend seven weeks learning how to write a book and then doing the damn thing. I don’t know if I could’ve done it without your support, and I hope you know how grateful I am that I get to have the two of you as my parents.
Thank you for telling me that you’ll be proud of me even if the only people that buy this book are my friends and family. Thank you for sitting with me and brainstorming place names for Ruby Cove, this little fictional town wouldn’t be what it is without your input.
I hope that you loved this book and that you skipped the spice. Don’t tell me if you didn’t. I love you both to pieces, thank you for everything.
To Sean, thank you for showing me that real life book boyfriends do exist. Thank you for always being willing to listen to me yap on about things that didn’t really make any sense to you at the time. Thank you for spending time trying to figure out a book title with me, and for adding exclamation marks and heart emojis to every message after I sent you updated cover designs or character art. I love sharing every stupid little detail with you.
Thank you for all the waters that you brought me, and all the times that my technology confused me and you saved me. (Especially that time I thought I lost half my manuscript and was crying on the couch)
I love you so much, and I can’t wait to annoy you with so many more book ideas to come.
It would be criminal for me to write these acknowledgments without thanking my amazing editor Tayler. You helped me take Bound to You from a good-ish draft into something that I am now so proud of. You read this book and understood it better than I did at times. Caio and Isla’s story wouldn’t be what it is today without your help, but also without your constant cheerleading and support, it’s something I didn’t know I needed but now can’t imagine this process without. I am so lucky to have been able to work with you, and to be able to continue working with you on Ruby Cove book two.
To Ella, thank you for all of our morning debriefs, and for all of your support and excitement for me and this story. I never imagined when you popped into my life that you’d so quickly become someone that I treasure so dearly, and who would be one of my biggest cheerleaders.
Thank you to Saskia, my amazing and talented friend who designed me the book cover of my dreams, I will always be grateful for you. Thank you for being a part of this.
To all the indie authors out there who inspired me to do this whole thing myself, thank you, and to all of you who I can now call my friends, thank you for letting me ramble in your dms, you all kept me sane.
Lastly thank you to you, to everyone reading these acknowledgements, thank you for being here and for taking a chance on me and my debut, I hope you enjoyed it and I hope you’re excited for the future of Ruby Cove as much as I am.
about the author
Bridie Charles is a debut indie romance author living in little old New Zealand where she was born and raised.
After being book obsessed for years she decided to take a chance at writing her own.
She loves writing sweet and spicy romances that follow strong, but flawed characters who will always find their happily ever after.
When she’s not spending her days daydreaming about her stories, she can be found spending time with her friends and family, bingeing tv, baking, painting, or cozied up with her current read.
For all updates on current works, follow Bridie on Instagram @authorbridiecharles
Bridie Charles, Bound to You (Ruby Cove book 1)
