by Bella Andre
“No matter what happens,” he continued in his gorgeous deep voice that shot through her veins like fine Irish whiskey, “getting to be with you every morning, and every night, has made this the best week of my life. It doesn’t matter where we are or what we’re doing. All that matters is loving you.”
* * *
“I’ve been on the Harborwalk before,” Lola said a short while later, “but it’s never seemed quite this beautiful before.”
Duncan agreed that the Boston sky had never been so blue, the sun had never sparkled more on the water, and the historic ships on display in the harbor had never looked quite so majestic.
“That first night we were together, I told you my brother and I used to come to the Harborwalk. But what I didn’t say was that the first time was only a few days after my parents died.” He remembered it so clearly. “It felt so normal, like we were still just two kids with nothing more to worry about than whether we’d score a goal at our next soccer game. That was the day we went inside the Tea Party Ships and Museum, and I discovered the hand-drawn maps.” Lola squeezed Duncan’s hand tight as he continued speaking. “I was only six, but even then I understood that bringing me here was his way of telling me we’d be all right, even without my parents to guide us. He wanted me to know it was okay to have adventures, and dream about the future, and even to have fun and forget that we weren’t normal kids with normal lives anymore.”
Emotion hit Duncan square in the middle of his chest. “He loved me. He really did. I may never know what turned him to the dark side. Was it being forced to step into a responsible-parent role at such a young age that he never really got to sow any wild oats? Did he have to get his thrills from cheating the system instead? Did he buckle under the pressure of having to protect me and keep the business going? Or was he simply so good at getting his own way that he couldn’t help but get cockier and cockier as the marks got bigger and bigger?” Duncan shook his head, knowing the answers would likely always be a mystery. “But even after everything that’s happened, I’ll never forget the love between us as kids.”
Lola put her arms around Duncan and held him tight, oblivious to the throngs of walkers skirting around them on the path. “It’s wonderful that you can remember the good things. How close you once were. How well he took care of you. And the hope he filled you with when you needed it most.”
This walk along the Boston Harbor was Duncan’s chance to see the good in his past…and lay the bad parts to rest for good. Because now that he had made his peace with the past, he could finally look toward the future. By letting go of the guilt and shame he’d carried for the past five years, his heart now overflowed with joy and hope and boundless love.
Slowly, he went to one knee, making Lola’s eyes grow wide with surprise—and what he hoped was pure joy. “Whatever happens from this moment forward, I know that I want to be with you for the rest of my life. Will you marry me, Lola? Will you let me love you with everything I am, forevermore?”
“I swear, I was just about to ask you the exact same thing.” Her words were thick with tears as she said, “Will you marry me, Duncan? Will you let me make you the happiest man alive, as happy as I know you’ll always make me?”
At the same moment, they both said, “Yes.”
He stood, swinging her around and around in his arms. Barely thirty seconds later, his phone rang with the ringtone he’d assigned to the FBI.
They both stilled, instinctively knowing this was the call that would decide his—and his brother’s—fate.
Lola slid down to her feet as he pulled his phone out of his pocket, seeing the lead investigator’s name on his screen. “Steve, I take it you have an update?”
Barely five minutes later, Duncan put the phone back in his pocket.
“Alastair was just indicted. The FBI is getting a warrant for his arrest.” The enormity of the situation hit Duncan like a sledgehammer. Despite his brother’s money and connections, Alastair’s future was going to be very difficult from here on out.
“Does that also mean…?”
“The FBI and SEC have concluded that I am wholly and completely innocent of any crimes.” The evidence Lola and her family and Moira had helped Duncan pull together, along with the past week of closed-door testimony, had convinced the prosecutors that Duncan’s intent had only ever been to build great companies with smart people.
“This is the best news ever!” Lola’s cheers of joy caused everyone on the Harborwalk to turn and look at them.
Duncan pulled her close again, never wanting to let her go. “Deep down, a part of me always believed that maps could lead me to the place I was meant to be.” He felt like the luckiest man in the world as he said, “And that’s exactly what taking your drawing class for my maps did—it led me straight to you. Forever, Lola. That’s what you are. My forever.”
“You’re my forever too,” she whispered against his lips, before kissing him with all the love in her heart.
Hand in hand with Lola on the Harborwalk, Duncan couldn’t wait to begin his new life with her in Bar Harbor. While a part of him would forever regret the way things had turned out with his brother, at last his heart was free.
Free to love Lola Sullivan. Forever.
EPILOGUE
Cassie and Flynn’s combined engagement party and baby shower was a joyous celebration. Ruby was in her element as the little girl happily went from one set of arms to another.
It was wonderful to see Lola and Duncan so totally in love as they embarked on their new life together in Bar Harbor. Duncan had settled easily into the family dynamic—even Turner was warming up to him.
The Maine Sullivan family tree Duncan had drawn for Lola now had pride of place in the café, hanging on the wall where everyone who came to eat or shop in the attached store could see it. Ashley knew that he had already been commissioned by a local who wanted something similar made up for her family. And after her father had shown Duncan’s drawing to his two brothers and their wives, along with her Aunt Mary in California, each of them had asked if he could also fit their family trees into his schedule. Though Duncan hadn’t originally planned on becoming a family tree expert, he seemed more than happy to add them to his map-making commissions.
Ruby pulled on the hem of Ashley’s dress. “Up!”
Always thrilled to get a chance to cuddle the little girl, Ashley picked her up and they booped each other on the nose.
When Ruby wriggled to get down, Ashley set her on the floor, smiling as the toddler rushed off to see what her cousin-to-be Kevin was doing on the patio.
Ashley couldn’t be more thrilled for Cassie and Flynn. But at the same time, it was impossible not to compare this beautiful celebration to the day she’d realized she was pregnant.
She’d been seventeen, and it had been a terrible shock to realize why she’d missed her period for several months. She’d never thought something like that could happen to her, or that her senior year of high school would be full of anything but carefree parties and getting ready to move away for college.
Instead, she’d tearfully told her parents that she was pregnant, then spent the next six months hiding out in her bedroom.
Kevin was the best thing that had ever happened to her, of course. But as a single mother, Ashley had completely missed the carefree years of dating and parties that so many of her friends and family had taken for granted. She’d been a working mom her entire adult life.
Ashley would never admit it to anyone, but she sometimes secretly wondered what it would be like to be just a little bit wild. To do something crazy, like date a totally unsuitable man. To hop on a plane for an impromptu trip without needing to spend weeks planning for babysitters and homework helpers. To throw caution to the wind and drink too much and kiss a man without worrying whether he would be a good role model for her son.
“Penny for your thoughts, Ash.”
She smiled at her brother Brandon, who was on one of his rare trips home from setting up hotels in Asia or E
urope or South America. Grateful for the glass of wine he’d brought her, she said, “It’s a great day, isn’t it? Cassie and Flynn deserve all their happiness.”
“They sure do.” Brandon took a slug of his beer. “Although I have to admit I never thought I’d see so many of our siblings looking this lovey-dovey.”
“Still bound and determined to stick with the single life, I take it?”
She thought she saw something flash in his eyes. But it was gone as he grinned and said, “The single life is the only life for me.”
She couldn’t hold back a sigh. “Me too.”
“Come on, Ash. You’re bound to find a great guy one day.”
“I’m not holding my breath. Besides, I’m perfectly happy with my life.”
Brandon put an arm around her. “I’ve got an idea. Come with me to Vienna for my next hotel opening.” Before she could protest, he said, “Mom and Dad can watch Kevin for a few days. Besides, he’s got to be more than ready for a little freedom. I know I sure was when I was eleven.”
It was as though her brother had read her mind and knew how badly she needed to shake up her life. “Thanks for the offer. I’ll think about it.”
“Just say yes, Ash. What would it hurt to have a little fun for a weekend?”
Maybe he was right. After all, she was no longer a naïve seventeen-year-old girl who would foolishly fall for the first guy who looked her way. She was a reliable mom whose son was her top priority. What could possibly go wrong during a weekend in Austria?
“Okay,” she said, clinking her wineglass against Brandon’s beer bottle. “I’m in.”
* * *
Thank you so much for reading WHEN YOU KISS ME! I hope you loved Lola and Duncan. More Sullivans are coming soon!
If this is your first time reading about the Sullivans, I can’t wait for you to meet them all, starting with THE LOOK OF LOVE, the first book in the series. In The Look of Love, Chloe Peterson had vowed never to make the mistake of trusting a man again. Only, with every loving look Chase Sullivan gives her—and every sinfully sweet caress—the attraction between them sparks and sizzles. He’ll do whatever it takes to prove that his love for her is real. Could Chase be the one she’s been waiting for?
One-click THE LOOK OF LOVE (The Sullivans) now!
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“I’d recommend The Look of Love to any romance reader who likes their love stories steamy, realistic, and with a couple worth fighting for! Add in a unique, close knit family and you have a treasure on your hands.”
~ 5 stars for THE LOOK OF LOVE
And if you love reading about sinfully sexy billionaires, you will love meeting Bella Andre’s Maverick Billionaires! Self-made men from the wrong side of town who survived hell together, they now have everything they ever wanted. But when each Maverick falls head-over-heels for an incredible woman he never saw coming, he will soon find that true love is the only thing he ever really needed. In the first book in the series, BREATHLESS IN LOVE, Harper’s love is the one thing Will’s money can’t buy. Can he convince her that he’s not the rich playboy the world thinks he is?
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“An incredible beginning to a new series that will pull at your heartstrings! A true joy to read.”
~ 5 stars for BREATHLESS IN LOVE
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Turn the page for excerpts from THE LOOK OF LOVE (The Sullivans) and BREATHLESS IN LOVE (Maverick Billionaires)…
Excerpt from THE LOOK OF LOVE (The Sullivans)
Chloe Peterson is having a bad night. A really bad night. The large bruise on her cheek can attest to that. And when her car skids off the side of a wet country road straight into a ditch, she’s convinced even the gorgeous guy who rescues her in the middle of the rain storm must be too good to be true. Or is he?
Not only has Chase Sullivan never met anyone so lovely, both inside and out, but he quickly realizes Chloe has much bigger problems than her damaged car. Soon, Chase is willing to move mountains to love—and protect—her. But will Chloe let him?
The two of them hiked up the hillside, and the view took Chloe’s breath away.
Chase took a waterproof blanket out of the basket and laid it on grass that was still damp from the previous night’s rain shower.
“Wow, you really come prepared,” she said.
“I’ve got a good crew.”
“You certainly do. I enjoyed watching you work,” came out of her mouth before she could hold the words inside.
His smile was like a warm caress over her skin. “I liked you being there.” He laughed and admitted, “I was trying not to show off.”
Amazed by how easily he could make her smile, she said, “Most guys don’t admit stuff like that.”
She half expected him to say something like, “I’m not most guys.” Instead, he surprised her yet again by asking, “So, what do you do?”
He was being so careful with her. She felt it in every glance, every word. Even now, when he could so easily have asked her where she was from or why she was running, he was getting to know her another way instead. Just as he hadn’t touched her without her permission last night. It was as if there was a silent agreement between them—he wouldn’t push too far or get in too deep unless she allowed it.
The big question was, would she dare let him in?
Chloe didn’t have an answer. How could she, when she was afraid to even acknowledge the question?
He handed her a gourmet sandwich full of goat cheese and grilled yellow and orange bell peppers, and as she took it from him, she said, “Well, most recently, I’ve been waitressing.”
“But what do you like to do?”
Most people would have stopped at her day job. But not Chase. He was truly interested. And that honest interest went a long way toward shoving aside her reluctance to talk about herself.
She paused before answering, “I make quilts.”
People never knew what to make of that. Most assumed it was a hobby. Others just thought it was plain weird or boring. Men, without exception, dismissed it as just another housewife craft. Chase, however, gave her a sincerely interested look.
“Tell me more.”
Downplaying it like she usually did, she said, “I like seeing how fabrics come together in patterns.”
“I don’t know much about the quilting world,” he said, “but I’ve photographed a few quilt shows and art quilts for various publications, and what I’ve learned about technique and the skill that’s involved in making them has been really interesting. I’d love to know more. When did you start?”
Chloe rarely had a chance to wax on about her love for quilting. Not since she’d been a member of a quilting guild years and years ago. She missed those women—and their shared passion—terribly.
Which was probably why she actually found herself telling Chase, “I started quilting when I lost a close friend from college in a car accident. She had been so passionate about it. Her mom actually owned a store in town. It was the only way I could think of to keep up my connection to her. And it gave me something else to think about—the motion of my hands and the needle, the patterns of fabric and shape, the building of something that I could create. Sometimes I can almost feel her watching me from up above with a smile on her face.”
“I’m sure she is.”
Chloe started at Chase’s words. Had she really just said all of that to him? Somehow he had gotten her to talk about her passion for quilting—a subject that would have put nearly every guy on the planet to sleep. But he wasn’t snoring yet. And she found herself wanting to tell him more about herself, more than just her love for quilting.
She wasn’t at all comfortable acknowledging
that Chase had just become the exception. And that it had felt so good to share herself with someone who was really listening. Not when she knew that she was being stupid, letting herself think that this fantasy of sitting with a gorgeous guy on a hilltop in Napa Valley had anything to do with her real life.
It didn’t.
She put down her sandwich and made herself face him, but before she could say anything, he said, “Uh-oh. That’s not a good look.”
She wasn’t going to smile. There was no place for grinning when she needed to set him straight, when she was about to make her position on the two of them perfectly clear.
“Why are you being so nice to me, Chase?”
“I like you.”
The glow his words caused was too bright. Too warm. Forcing herself to blot it out, she said, “You don’t know me.”
“I’m starting to.”
No pause. No smooth words. No trying to charm her into agreeing with him. Didn’t he realize just how much harder his honest responses were making this for her?
“Is this what you do?” she asked.
“What am I doing?”
“You keep helping me, making me breakfast, asking Jeremy to be nice to me all day.”
He frowned, and she could see that he was confused. “Is there something wrong with wanting to make you smile?”
Oh. Wow. Why did he have to say that?
She couldn’t think of any other man who’d simply wanted to make her smile. Not even the man she’d married. Especially not the man she’d married.
Frustrated with herself for being so soft—so easy to turn to goo—she made herself come at him one more time with, “I get it if you’re into saving people, but—”
“I’m not a saint, Chloe.”
His low voice cut her accusation off in midstream, and she found herself unable to look away from his serious expression.
“I’ll always take care of my family,” he continued, “but I’ve never gone out looking for women who need to be saved. And even though I hope you’ll soon trust me enough to tell me what happened to you, trying to boost my own ego by saving you is not why I asked you to stay.”
