by Lea Coll
“How did you—”
“Ashley, say yes.”
I dropped to my knees in front of him as he took the ring out of the box and held it out for my hand. “Yes, yes, yes,” I said over and over as I held my shaky hand out for him to slide the emerald cut ring onto.
I threw my hands around his neck. “I love you. I can’t believe you did this,” I whispered into his neck, squeezing him tight.
“I love you.” He slid a few inches back from me to see my face. “I know you like to analyze every move you make, but I wanted to surprise you. I wanted to be spontaneous.”
“It worked.” I had no idea he was planning this.
“Did she say yes?” Stella yelled from the driveway.
“She did.”
“Woohoo!” Stella yelled.
Luke jumped out of the truck, coming over to slap Logan on the back as he stood. “Congratulations, man. Join the club.”
“Thanks,” Logan said, pulling me into his side as I kept admiring the large diamond on my finger.
“It was my grandmother’s ring.”
“I love it,” I said quietly. It couldn’t have been more perfect. I was so excited to move in with Logan. Not to have to plan each night, packing what I’d need or what Bailey would need. We’d all be in the same place. In our home. And now this. A promise of forever with Logan.
Then the girls wrapped me in a group embrace. “Congratulations!” Releasing me, my hand pulled from my side so they could admire the ring.
“You did good, Logan,” Stella said.
“Thanks,” he said, greeting Jack and Samantha as they arrived with bakery boxes and a box of coffee.
“OhmyGod! Did we miss it?” Samantha asked, handing the bakery box to Logan. “Let me see!”
“You knew?” I asked her, then scanned the guilty looks on the girls’ faces. “You all knew?”
“Yeah, he wanted to plan the perfect proposal.”
And it was. He’d proposed on his porch, the place I’d realized I was one hundred percent in love with him. Our new home. With our friends nearby to celebrate with us. With Bailey inside, excited for us to arrive. “It was,” I said, smiling and meeting Logan’s eyes.
“We better start unpacking this truck,” Luke said as he opened the rear doors and pulled down the ramp. “Let’s get this garage door open. It will be the easiest way to carry things inside.”
His words faded as the girls said congratulations again and wandered off the porch to help Luke, leaving Logan and me alone.
I wrapped my arms around his waist, tilting my head back to look at him, the man I’d spend the rest of my life with. “Thank you. This was perfect.”
“It was? You’re not upset we didn’t discuss it first?”
“No, this was better.” I had everything I wanted right here. “I can’t wait to start our life together.”
“Me too,” Logan said as the front door opened from the inside and Bailey bounded out, running circles around us.
“Thought you’d want his company,” Stella said, closing the front door again.
“Hey, buddy! Are you excited about our new family?” I dropped to my knees, petting him, as he nuzzled my face, tickling me.
“We’re finally together.”
“We are,” Logan said, his voice rough with emotion.
“Hey, you two, get over here and help us!” Luke called from the driveway. “We’ll celebrate later.”
Laughing, Logan said, “Take Bailey out back first, so he doesn’t get in the way while we unload.”
Later that night, when we were finally alone in our house, Logan asked, “Are you happy?”
“I am.” I never thought my future was Logan. If I had, I might have stopped resisting him years ago, but at the same time, the journey here was worth it. “Are you?”
“Of course. I knew you were my future long before you did.”
“Oh, it’s a competition now, is it?”
“It’s always a competition with you.”
I pinched his side and he rolled on top of me, his eyes twinkling, mouth twitching in amusement. “I love you, Ashley. I wouldn’t have it any other way.
“I love you too.”
Then he was kissing me and my legs widened for him to settle between them. I knew he was going to take his time with me tonight. It was special for so many reasons. The most important being our first official night as an engaged couple. We slowly removed each other’s clothes and he teased me with his mouth and hands until I was begging for more. Then he murmured in my ear, “I want you to burn for me.”
“I always do, Logan.”
Thank you so much for reading Burn with Me. I hope you loved Ashley & Logan’s story.
To read more about their happily ever after, click here for the bonus epilogue.
The next book in the series, Trust in Me, is available now. Who can you trust when every man you’ve ever dated cheated on you? Certainly not your friend’s brother who said he’d never date you.
One-Click TRUST IN ME now.
Sadie’s story is available now. Sadie never let anyone get that close—especially a cop, with the sweetest daughter in the world, because her secrets ruined everything and everyone. One-Click Take a Chance on Me.
A brand new series is coming soon! Only with You, book 1 of the Annapolis Harbor Series releases July 2, 2020. When Hadley moves from New Orleans to escape her father’s control and to start a law firm, the last thing she expected was to be attracted to her first client. Cade Morrison was a complication, she didn’t need. The more time she spends with him, the more she wants him, but is he any different than what she’s running from? Pre-Order Only with You.
Hadley, is Taylor’s best friend in Easy Moves. Read Gabe and Taylor’s story. New Orleans was a fresh start for Taylor, a chance to reinvent herself and do some good. Too bad the first person she met was a grumpy bartender with a chip on his shoulder. Gabe said she knew nothing about his city, the people or what they needed. But one look at the bad boy bartender and she knew exactly what she needed. Even if she refused to admit it. One-Click Easy Moves.
All I Want Series
Choose Me
Be with Me
Burn for Me
Trust in Me
Stay with Me
Take a Chance on Me
Annapolis Harbor Series
Only with You
Boudreaux Universe Novel
Easy Moves
Download a free novella, Swept Away, when you sign up for her newsletter.
To learn more about her books, please visit her website.
During my first job as an attorney, I experienced some of what Ashley did. I was taken to a coffee shop during my interview and asked if I was married and had kids. But I was straight out of law school in a bad economy and desperate to take whatever job I could find. We were billing a ridiculous number of hours per month and paid less than the support staff. I stayed long enough to gain experience to move to a job with better pay and work-life balance.
To my family for continuing to support me.
To my beta readers, Pat, Kendra, and Christy who are always eager to read my books.
To Crystal, one of my oldest friends who is always excited to read my books and discuss them. She answered all of my questions about running and training in this book.
To all of the bloggers who read, reviewed, and shared my books.
To all of the readers who read and reviewed my books—I appreciate it more than you’ll ever know. There’s nothing better than connecting with readers.
To Krista Laun at Laun Studio who is not only a great friend but creates the amazing covers and images to promote my books.
To my editors at Evident Ink who make be a better writer with each book.
Lea Coll worked as a trial attorney for over ten years. Now she stays home with her three children, plotting stories while fetching snacks and running them back and forth to activities. She enjoys the freedom of writing romance after years of legal writing
.
She currently resides in Maryland with her family.
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EXCERPT FROM TRUST IN ME
MEN DON’T CHEAT IN GOOD relationships. My therapist’s words echoed in my head as I jogged down the steps from her office onto the brick-lined sidewalk of the main street in my hometown. If Dr. Hirsch was right, I wasn’t even a blip on Jason’s radar when he stuck his dick in his student, his intern—the younger woman. And it’s not that I’m old—she’s that young.
The sun warmed my face as I walked toward Washington College’s historic campus. Dr. Hirsch had also insisted the cheating wasn’t my fault. Maybe. My first boyfriend in college was a T.A. who cheated with his student, then Jason—the man I was supposed to marry—couldn’t keep his hands off—or his dick out of—his barely-old-enough-to-drink intern. Along with a few other inconsequential relationships along the way where the man always wandered to someone else, no matter how Dr. Hirsch wanted to frame it, that made the common denominator me.
As I entered Washington College’s campus, I was running late as usual. Despite my love for my job, I wasn’t happy my boss handed me his role as advisor for the student’s paper, The Elm. With everything that goes into managing a small-town paper—declining readership numbers, loss of advertisers, and the cost of delivering the paper—I didn’t have time for one more thing. I was a jack of all trades, and investigating and writing a story was only one small part the wheel that kept everything going. At least that was an area of my life where I could still trust my judgment, unlike dating where my gut had always been so clearly wrong.
I took a deep breath and shoved the failed-relationship memories back where they belonged as I stopped to admire the cherry blossom trees in full bloom. They would make great images for the website. I took a few photos with my phone until I noticed a large crowd of students on the quad and heard the sound of a bat striking a ball. Walking closer, the infielder threw the ball at the runner, striking him. A man in a black T-shirt yelled, “Out!”
Catching the attention of one of the students, I said, “I thought you had to tag someone to get them out in baseball.”
“This isn’t baseball. It’s an old game, called Town Ball. It’s similar, but there’s an extra base and there are no foul balls. Everything is in play. The professors and students play each other every Friday afternoon for fun.”
This would be a cute write-up for the student paper. “Is this a new tradition? I don’t remember this when I graduated six years ago.”
“Yeah, one of the newer history professors started it.” She pointed over to Sawyer Hudson, Luke’s younger brother. Luke Hudson was the new sheriff and also my friend Emma’s fiancé. My eyes slid over his team shirt, which stretched tight over his chest and broad shoulders, and I swallowed. I rarely saw Sawyer outside of his chinos and white button-downs. Who knew the quiet professor had a body?
“Hot, right?” The student laughed at my wide eyes. She wore short tight white shorts showcasing her long toned, tanned legs, topped with a black Zeta sorority shirt tied in a knot at her belly button, and a necklace which dangled teasingly over her ample breasts. “He’s been voted unofficially the hottest professor three years running.”
“Well, that was until Dr. Mason starting working here,” her friend added.
I hadn’t seen this Dr. Mason but he’d have to be pretty hot to beat out Sawyer in a hotness contest.
“Oh, yeah,” she said.
I tore my eyes from the sight of Sawyer on the field, squatting in the fielding position ready to catch any balls thrown at him. “Hottest professor, huh?” I asked. Who knew? I’d always written Sawyer off as too quiet. He’d graduated the same year as I did from Chestertown High, but his intelligence kept him solidly out of my circle. Being learning challenged, I wasn’t in his classes. I closed my eyes at the memory of the embarrassment and shame which followed me through school when I had trouble reading out loud or focusing.
“For sure,” she said.
I heard her words, but couldn’t process them. A teacher in a relationship with a student ran through my head on endless repeat. My ex-fiancé, Jason, had cheated on me with one of his younger interns shortly after proposing. It happened two years ago, but the memory of his betrayal caused a pit to form in my stomach. Was Sawyer the same? Was he flattered by the students’ attention? This girl was young, beautiful, and confident. Why wouldn’t he be interested? But the important question was why did I care?
I watched him high-five a fellow player, chuckling, as he lifted his white T-shirt to wipe the sweat from his face, revealing a set of chiseled abs, which made my mouth drop open.
“Rawr! Check out that six pack.” The student elbowed her friend. “Did you see that?”
“Uh huh. Man candy every Friday in the quad. Can’t miss.”
Checking my watch to see it was almost four, the time I needed to be at my meeting, I backed away from the spectacle, trying to circle the crowd to make it to the Gibson Center for the Arts building, not wanting to be late for the first meeting. The crowd around me began to dissipate as the game ended, making my trek across the quad more difficult.
“I’m putting a reminder on my phone to come to the quad every Friday afternoon,” one student said, her fingers flying over her phone as she walked in front of me.
With all of the stops and starts, I’d barely even reached the field when someone in the crowd jostled me and I slammed into a very defined back. The person spun around, placing his large hands on my shoulders to steady me. My eyes traveled up from the sweat-soaked T-shirt to amused brown eyes partially hidden behind glasses.
“Sawyer?” I asked, breathlessly. Since when am I breathless around Sawyer?
“Stella? What are you doing on campus?” His low voice sent a shiver through my body.
I breathed in his scent, a combination of sweat, leather, and something musty from working in the historic buildings. I cleared my throat, taking a large step back, causing his hands to drop from my shoulders.
We were total opposites—he was quiet and intelligent—I was loud and said whatever was on my mind. He was analytical and I was flighty.
At Sawyer’s raised brows, I knew I’d been quiet for too long. “Oh, I’m the newest advisor for the student paper. My boss didn’t want to do it anymore, so one more thing on my plate.” I smiled wide to cover my thoughts. I was always expected to be the happy, carefree person. I knew my role and played it well.
Sawyer’s eyes widened. “Wow, Stella, that’s great.”
“Is it so surprising?” I couldn’t help asking in a small voice. Of course, someone as smart and accomplished as Sawyer wasn’t impressed by me—I was voted the class clown my senior year.
“Not exactly.” He coughed into his hand and shifted on his feet.
I took a step to pass him, but his hand closed around my arm, drawing me up short. My breath caught at the contact, and my gaze paused on the long tan fingers circling my arm. “I’m sorry, Stella. I guess it surprised me a little.”
I nodded, my lips drawn tight at his honesty.
“I’m sorry. That came out all wrong.” He sighed, clearly frustrated with himself causing my heart to clench.
This man was upset that he’d hurt my feelings? When was the last time that had happened?
Then quieter, he said, “I think it’s great you’re working with the kids on the paper. Being younger, I’m sure they’ll relate better to you.”
I smiled. “Yeah, that’s true.” The fact that he’d referred to his students as kids stuck out to me. My mind flashed back to the young co-eds on the quad wearing baby doll-size shirts and tiny shorts.
He smiled, drawing his lip between
his teeth, like he was uncomfortable letting loose. “I guess we’ll be seeing more of each other now—since you’re working on campus.”
“Oh yeah, for sure.” For sure? I was talking like the students now. Sawyer had reduced me to a simpering sorority girl. “Anyway!” My voice rose an octave as I tried to continue speaking in my best reporter voice, “I need to get to my meeting so I’m not late. It was great seeing you, Sawyer.” I glanced pointedly where his hand still gripped my arm firmly.
His face flushed, he dropped my arm. “Right. Sorry about that.”
It was on the tip of my tongue to say I wasn’t. That he could touch me anytime he wanted to, but I remembered what he said when our group of friends gathered at Logan and Ashley’s home for their housewarming party:t “No man, she’s too much for me. She’s impulsive and loud. I need a nice, quiet—” I have no idea what else he’d said because I’d fled the party before he saw me.
He’d been clear that night. He saw me as this flighty airhead who didn’t take anything seriously. Not that I’d ever seen him for more than what he was, the brother of a friend in my tight circle of friends. I couldn’t blame him. He didn’t know me. No one did. But I couldn’t get his softly spoken words out of my head. It cut to the core of my insecurities—wishing I could be more like other women—not someone so easily dismissed and discarded.
I managed to walk away without tripping, but I swore I felt his gaze on my back as I continued across the quad, dodging Frisbees. A lightness filled me as I replayed the interaction with him—the first time I’d noticed Sawyer as a man and not an acquaintance—his defined chest and chiseled abs. Who knew sweat looked so good on a man? I’d told him before he was Clark Kent sexy with his glasses before and it was so true.
