“I might not be perfect, and I might make mistakes, but I will always fight for you. Del, you told me you trusted me once before. Now I need you to trust me with your heart.”
“I trust you, Jace. I trust you with my heart. I trust you with all of me. I trust you with everything.”
“Everything.” He repeated before he leaned down and sealed her words with a kiss.
“Ten!”
Everyone was standing around the widescreen TV in the living room, watching the ball drop from Times Square and joining in on the countdown going on all along the East Coast.
“Nine!”
Jace stood behind Adele, his front to her back and his arms wrapped around her. She leaned back against him with her arms lying on top of his, their fingers twined together. He’d been stupid enough to let her go once. He wasn’t letting go of her ever again.
“Eight!”
The last hour or so had been a blur, everyone in the family beyond thrilled with the newest development.
“Seven!”
Even Logan was okay with it. During their conversation on the porch earlier—even before she’d come back to him—it hadn’t taken Logan very long to realize that Jace was beyond serious when it came to Adele. That he’d do anything.
“Six!”
And now that he and Adele were very much together, only a fool would try to get in the way. The two friends were good with each other after the customary you break her heart, I break you conversation.
“Five!”
Jace lowered his head and pressed his lips to the soft spot on Adele’s shoulder, the spot he knew drove her crazy.
“Four!”
She shivered in his arms, her fingers tightening in his as he nipped at her skin with his teeth.
“Three!”
He was going to spend the rest of his life finding all of her spots. Learning everything he could about her.
“Two!”
He was also going to let her learn everything about him. There was no more holding back for him. Not when it came to her.
“One!”
She was it for him.
“Happy New Year!”
Adele turned in Jace’s arms, looking up into his face, so many emotions in those golden brown eyes that he loved so damn much. “You going to kiss me or what?”
He grinned as he closed the distance between their lips, opening his mouth over hers. It was a good minute before they pulled apart, and everyone in the room was looking at them when they did, all of them wearing rather large smiles.
“A toast!” Edie said as everyone reached for the champagne glasses that had been passed out before the countdown. “To a new year and new beginnings.”
“To old traditions.” Dustin held his glass in the air.
“To finding your path,” Harper added.
“To a love story six years in the making.” Abby beamed at Jace and Adele.
“To the little, and big surprises we get in life,” Logan looked to Jace.
“To snowstorms,” Liam said making everyone laugh.
“To memories to be made,” Adele held up her glass.
Jace’s eyes moved around the room, looking at all of the people who he’d come to care about more than anything. He held his glass in the air toasting to the one thing he’d wanted most of his life, toasting to the one thing he’d finally truly accepted he had.
“To family.”
Epilogue
Send-Offs and Start-Ups
July…a year and a half later
Adele Kilpatrick—formerly Adele James—was without a doubt the most beautiful bride that had ever been. At least that was Felicity Carter’s opinion and as she was the only one having this particular discussion, her opinion was the only one that mattered.
The dress had been designed and crafted by the bride herself, obviously. Vintage lace, crystal beading, mermaid silhouette. It was beyond gorgeous, fit like a glove and showcased the beautiful woman who wore it. Jace hadn’t looked too bad himself in his black tux complete with fancy little bow tie.
Adele had tried to keep a decent hold on her nerves throughout the day, but they’d all disappeared the moment the doors had opened in the church and she’d seen Jace at the end of the aisle. Seeing him had been the only thing she’d needed to find her calm. Or, at least that was what she’d told Felicity right before the bouquet toss.
Felicity reached across the hotel bar to where the bunch of flowers lay, tracing the edges of the petals of one of the ivory roses. She’d caught the bouquet, or more accurately, it had hit her square in the head. It was the first wedding she’d ever gone to where she hadn’t actively gone for it—she’d been known to throw some elbows in her day—but it had clearly been going for her.
She’d always been a hopeless romantic, or had been.
Funny what a horrible breakup, a few months of the constant stream of lies reported to the press by her ex, and a little incident of vandalism—on her end…and very much publicized—could do to a girl’s motivation for love.
Make it pretty much non-existent, that was what.
Now that the send off of the bride and groom had happened, and Adele and Jace were off starting their honeymoon, Felicity could let herself sink into the funk she’d been putting off for days. The funk she’d been fighting since her agent had told her about the press tour schedule that would be starting shortly…the tour that would include her lying ex.
It was her first major motion picture, and she was going to have to promote it right alongside the person who’d been making her life miserable.
Moving her hand from the bouquet of flowers, she grabbed the fresh shot the bartender had just poured and tipped her head back. It was her second since she sat down and wouldn’t be the last. Just as she set the empty glass down on the counter, the barstool next to her became occupied.
Felicity looked over to find none other than Sean Grady, her partner in crime for the last few weeks in the bridal party. Sean was the goalie for the Jacksonville Stampede and as everyone else had been married to each other, the two of them had been paired up.
Made sense. And she hadn’t complained as he had a decent sense of humor and wasn’t bad to look at. Six-foot-two, light brown hair, green eyes, and biceps that should win awards. It really was ridiculous how the man filled out a suit.
“Whatcha’ drinking?” He asked as he swiveled in her direction.
“Tequila.”
“Care if I join?”
“Why aren’t you picking up some single hottie from the wedding?”
“How do you know that’s not what I’m doing?” He grinned at her.
Felicity spun the seat of the barstool to face him better, her knees bumping his as she pointed a finger very close to his face. “Don’t flirt with me, Grady. I don’t have time for that. Especially as I’m not sleeping with you. Tonight, or ever.”
His grin widened and he did that sexy thing where his bottom teeth bit his top lip. But then he let it go before he shook his head laughing. “I wouldn’t dream of flirting with you, Carter.”
“In that case you can join me.”
Sean turned to the bartender and pointed to the empty shot glass on the counter before holding two fingers in the air.
“I know why I’m getting drunk,” she held her hand to her chest, “what’s your reason?”
“Weddings.” He shook his head as reached up and undid his bowtie. “I enjoyed this one. But I have two more in the coming months, and they aren’t going to be nearly as fun.”
“Who’s getting married?”
“My mom to her fourth husband,” he held four fingers in the air for emphasis before he put his hand down. “And my best friend from college.”
“I get the first one, what’s wrong with the second?”
It was then that the bartender set two shot glasses of tequila on the counter before moving away.
“I had two best friends in college,” Sean said as he grabbed the glass in front of him. “The other one is enga
ged to my ex-girlfriend. They’re going to be there too.”
“Damn,” she whispered shaking her head as she reached for her own shot.
“What are we drinking to?” Sean asked as he held his glass in the air.
“To figuring out how to deal with our pasts and moving on.”
“Cheers.” He clinked his glass to hers before they both tipped their heads back and downed the tequila.
They both set the empty glasses down, echoing each other with small thuds against the wooden bar top. Felicity let the alcohol slide down her throat and to her stomach, breathing in the burn.
It was right there in that moment that the half-drunken plan formulated in her brain. She turned to look at the man next to her, a smile turning up her lips. “Sean, I have an idea…”
Stay tuned for book two in the Taking the Shot series.
Felicity and Sean are up next…
Excerpt from UNDRESSED
Strip, Shoot, or Truth…
She knows the rules of the game…but she can’t resist his moves
Publicist Abby Fields’s career is on the rise. And with failed romances in her past, she has no time for men. When a job opportunity opens up with a sports team in Florida, Abby eagerly packs up and heads south. Yet after a work event in Mirabelle, Florida, Abby finds herself in the arms of a hockey player whose heart-stopping smile leads her to the steamiest night of her life…
* * *
Logan James is hot on and off the ice. With his team on an epic winning streak, life couldn’t get better…until he meets Abby, the fiery redhead assigned to protect his team’s image. Now Logan’s finding it difficult to concentrate on anything other than getting Abby undressed. But after a secret is leaked to the press, the taste of betrayal opens old wounds. If they can’t learn to trust each other, they may risk losing more than their hearts.
* * *
Want to see where the James family saga began? Check out the first chapter of Undressed.
* * *
CHAPTER ONE
“Truth: when was the last time you had sex?”
Abby Fields stared across the table at Logan James, trying to figure out how anything that was happening was even possible. This was the most bizarre Valentine’s Day of her life. She was stranded in a log cabin in the middle of Tennessee, with a gorgeous man, playing a drinking game.
This couldn’t be right. He didn’t even like her.
To say that they didn’t exactly get along would be an understatement. She was pretty sure it had been his mission to make her job as complicated as possible.
It had been three months since Abby had accepted the position with the Jacksonville Stampede’s public relations department. Three months since she’d left her job in Washington, D.C., and headed south to Florida for a better paycheck—and there was the added perk of being closer to her best friend. But if she’d thought for one second that she was leaving the ego stroking and stress behind her, she’d been wrong.
Hockey players were no better than politicians.
Though to be fair, not all of the guys were bad. It was about a fifty-fifty split. Some were cooperative and helpful, willing to listen, offer a friendly smile, could carry on a conversation without scowling at her.
Logan was not one of those guys.
Yet here she was, sitting across from him and debating her next move.
Strip? Well, she was already down to her skirt and camisole. The next thing she took off was going to reveal red lace. That was all she needed, for Logan James to see her panties…because chances were, they would be hitting the floor, too.
Shoot? More alcohol wasn’t looking like a good choice. She’d already had four shots of the whiskey, but her inhibitions hadn’t been lowered that much to have influenced the disappearance of her clothes. That had been a decision she’d made all on her own.
Truth? He already thought she was uptight and repressed; all she needed was to confirm it with the fact that she hadn’t had sex in over a year…and even that hadn’t been very satisfying.
“Pick one, Red, that’s how the game goes.”
Logan was the only one on the team who didn’t call her Ms. Fields or Abby. It didn’t bother her at all. She was sure there had been way worse nicknames for her, and one based on her auburn hair color was not a bad one. Besides, she really hated being called Ms. Fields because it reminded her of Mrs. Fields, the cookies.
Sweet and warm…things that in no way described her.
Though the way Logan was looking at her might challenge that last statement. She was feeling more than a little warm as she looked into those green-gold eyes of his that sparkled from across the table. Then there were his lips that quirked up to the side. He had a sinful mouth, one that promised to do wicked things.
She was used to him scowling at her, none too pleased to be in the same room as her let alone talking to her, but he wasn’t frowning now.
Nope.
The guy had a killer smile when he chose to use it, and when it was paired with that jaw of his that was dusted with five-o’clock shadow?
Yeah, good God the man was attractive.
She wanted him. Wanted him more than she’d wanted a man in a very long time. Too long of a time. And when had she ever not gone for something she wanted?
Well, she wasn’t going to start that nonsense now.
The next two things Abby did shocked the hell out of both of them, as evident by the fact that his eyebrows climbed up his forehead.
One: she reached across the table and grabbed the shot, taking it in one fell swoop.
Second: she scooted the chair back and stood. She unzipped her skirt and pushed it down her thighs, adding it to the pile that included her hair clip, blazer, shoes, and blouse. There were now just as many of her things littering the floor as Logan’s—he’d lost his jacket, tie, socks, shoes, and belt.
She reached for the bottom of her camisole next, lifting it over her head and tossing it at him. He caught it before it hit him in the face, pulling it away as his eyes did a slow skim of her body. That mouth of his turned predatory as he took in her red bustier and lace panties, and black thigh-high stockings.
“Damn, Red.” The whisper that left his mouth was one of awe.
Abby slipped on her red high heels again before she walked to the other side of the table. She only clocked in at five-foot-two and she was going to use those extra five inches that her shoes provided to her advantage.
Plus, they were really freaking sexy.
Logan pushed his chair back, giving her just enough space to stand in front of him.
“You wrapped up in red lace…Happy Valentine’s Day to me.” He reached out and his hands skimmed her thighs, working up to her hips where he fingered the straps before he started to unsnap them. He had big hands, strong and powerful, callused and rough, and…oh God, so perfect. She wanted them all over her body.
This was when Abby did the third most shocking thing of the night: she climbed up onto his lap and straddled him.
Yeah, Logan wanted her all right. His cock was hard and pressing up into her core. She shifted closer and he groaned. His hands tightened on her hips, holding her in place, and he looked into her eyes. His gaze was hot and intense, not wavering in the slightest. She moved her hands to his hair, her fingers sliding between the dark brown strands.
“It’s been a while,” she finally answered as she leaned in close. “Truth: do you want to change that?”
“Abso-fucking-lutely.” And with that he claimed her mouth. She moaned as his tongue found hers. He tasted like whiskey, warm and earthy. His hands slid to her back and he started working the many hooks at the back of her bustier. A moment later it fell away from her body and he threw it to the side.
He stood, his chair sliding back along the wooden floors, and sat her down on top of the table. She placed her hands behind her on the table for balance as his hands skimmed up her body. He palmed her breasts, his thumbs rasping over her nipples.
She closed her eye
s, her head falling back on her shoulders.
“Truth: do you have any idea how long I’ve wanted you?” The question came out hoarse, like he was barely in control of anything let alone his voice.
Abby’s head came up and she looked at him. “Before tonight I thought you couldn’t stand me.”
He shook his head as he moved his hands to her belly. “Appearances can be deceiving. For example, who would’ve thought that you’d have something like this underneath those business skirts?” he asked as he continued his downward journey to her thighs and traced the lace tops of her stockings.
“I like expensive lingerie.”
“That’s interesting, because I like you in expensive lingerie.” He leaned forward, pressing his face to her neck. “Your perfume drives me crazy,” he whispered as he inhaled deep. “You smell so damn good.” Then his mouth opened up wide on her throat. “But you taste even better.”
And then his lips moved to hers and he was kissing her again, his mouth working over hers as one of his hands went to the apex of her thighs. He ran his fingers up her center, pressing into the lace.
Abby shifted forward, moving her hands from behind her and grabbing on to Logan’s shirt. She fisted the material in her hands and tugged it out of his gray slacks. She was working the buttons a moment later, but her impatience got the best of her and she ripped it open.
He grinned against her mouth as buttons scattered across the wooden floor, but he didn’t break the kiss. She ran her hands across his shoulders, slipping beneath the fabric and pushing the shirt down his arms. His hands moved from her body for just a moment as he dropped his arms and his shirt fell to the floor.
She pulled back from the kiss as her hands traveled down his chest, her fingers moving over his muscles. It wasn’t like she hadn’t seen him without his shirt on before. She’d been in and out of the locker room over the past three months after all, but she’d never allowed herself to appreciate everything that his body had to offer. She couldn’t. It had been hands off.
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