“Seth, what if I want the love nest to be here with you. What if we can have everything we always wanted, together.”
“Where would you live?”
“Where do you want me,” she motioned to the bed and then removed the rest of her clothes. Standing naked in front of the man she loved, “More to the point, how do you want me?” She saw the desire and the fear in his whole body.
Her voice softened, “After you left me in the coffee shop, I had a lot of time to think. The pain of losing you was more than I expected.”
Tentatively, she took a step towards him. He didn’t back away. “I drove here not knowing if you could ever forgive me, but when I saw your face at Joe’s I knew,” she pulled his shirt over his head. “Working through the fear of how to make us work is better than being apart.”
She had never been more vulnerable or opened herself so completely to him before.
Years ago, she walked away from him, allowing them both to move on with their lives. Now she wanted everything she once gave up without abandoning everything else she since found.
The lightest touch of his hands on her hips and she felt the tremors down his arms. The softness of his lips against hers. It wasn’t enough – she crushed against him, allowing him all her body that was his for the taking.
She ground against the roughness of his clothes, wanting to remove them but he continued to resist until she dropped to her knees and started to mouth him through his shorts. This time, he didn’t stop her as she pulled them past his knees and took him in her mouth.
Oh, he tasted so good and filled her in so many ways. Her fingertips tickled his balls and massaged him until he pushed her head away and pulled her to the bed.
“I want all of you,” their kisses grew with urgency as he lay on top of her as she opened her legs as readily as she opened her heart to him. Grace’s body screamed for him to fill her. He was all she wanted – the only man she would ever want.
She held him as he moved her legs apart, massaging him as he devoured her neck. As he entered her she knew without any hesitation that she was finally home.
“I love you,” she cried with every thrust watching him fight his inner demons. “I love you,” as he lost the battle to resist her, and she shuddered to her climax.
“Marry me,” the only words he said before he too succumbed.
Seth
“You are having the day off and going to the doctor – you’ve hardly eaten anything since you arrived and that’s not like you.” Grace intended to leave early to go straight to the office, but Seth knew they needed a doctor. Every time she stood up she felt either nauseous or light headed. Luckily, she seemed perfectly fine lying down in bed with him.
As quickly as she turned his life upside down by leaving, she returned and now they were planning their future together.
“Marry me,” the words slipped out before he thought about them.
“Ask me again when you mean it,” Grace joked, kissing his chest.
He did, bringing her breakfast in bed – which she couldn’t eat – he gave her a ring made from paper with red hearts drawn all over it. “I promise if you say ‘yes’, I’ll replace this with whatever ring you want. Will you marry me?”
“Oh Seth,” she started crying, “Yes, oh, Seth, yes I’ll marry you.”
Crazy woman – she refused to replace the paper ring until it was a gold band. “I don’t need diamonds, all I want is forever with you.”
Their parents were confused, but cautiously accepted their engagement. Most of his friends expected something happened after the reunion and were happy for him. Only Joe and Joanna remained skeptical but tried to be supportive.
Grace wanted him to be with her when she rang Sienna, but he couldn’t. It was enough that she promised always to be honest with him. She was going to move here and be his wife as soon as the license came through.
Other people in her firm worked remotely – her request was approved if she could travel to clients and spend a week each month in the city. Seth started looking into a unit to rent or buy for them. If he was going to make a serious go of his business, it would make sense to start building a base closer to the money and large clients.
Those days and nights when she was in the city without him, well he wouldn’t ask questions if he didn’t want to know.
“You’ve told me that you still love her.”
“I didn’t mean to hurt you.”
“I know and if ever you two are over, I want you to tell me. Otherwise I’m going to pretend that you are only friends that keep in touch.”
“Seth, will you be okay with that?”
“I can’t make any promises, but I’m willing to try.”
“Darby, Grace moving in. Add her name to papers?” Trying to tell Darby by text about Grace moving in and wanting to be involved in the guardianship arrangements was met with a single word response “kk”.
All they needed to do was find out why she wasn’t getting better. His stomach tightened at the thought of anything happening to Grace now they were finally together.
“Come on in Grace, I haven’t seen you in years,” one of the benefits of a small town was their doctor had watched them all grow up. After listening to Grace’s symptoms, he asked, “Is there a chance you could be pregnant?”
“No, I’m late but,” Grace’s eyes filled with tears, “I’ve taken the stick tests and a blood test.”
“How late are you?”
“I don’t know – I’ve never been regular.”
“Why don’t we try the tests again,” he handed her a bottle.
“What’s the point,” she looked at Seth. All he could do was stroke her hand trying to comfort her as his own nerves were frayed.
“Tests are only accurate after ovulation. If you don’t know your dates, well, the tests need something to work with.”
Seth held Grace’s paper engagement ring as she left the room.
Grace
She shouldn’t be so nervous – it wasn’t as if she didn’t know how to do the test. No, her nerves were from getting her hopes up again. This time, Seth sat in the other room and she knew that he wanted a baby as much as he also wanted to find out what was wrong with her.
The last week had been the worst and best of her life. After almost losing the two people she loved, now she had whatever made her happy.
Marriage – unless Seth changed his mind, they would be married in little over one month.
Sienna – the weekend away pushed the reset on their relationship. The more they talked, the more they understood Sienna would never have been happy married and tied down. She was too much of a free spirit – not even wanting to settle down in one city.
“You want house and white picket fence, I want to live out of a backpack.”
They would remain friends by long distance, with the occasional “girls weekend”. To test the theory, Sienna called her from a nearby town and they met up for a fast and furious “lunch” before Sienna left for six months in Cambodia.
Children – Darby was an instant family and they couldn’t wait to start one of their own.
She had almost everything she wanted.
What if she got her hopes up again and the test was negative.
What if it was positive? For the first time in years, she prayed.
Seth
“If I remember correctly, it has been twelve years since the first time I kissed you and about ten years since I told you that I loved you and suggested to my mother that you would one day be her daughter.”
Their guests laughed as Seth continued, “It hasn’t been an easy road for us – and at times I’m sure no one was taking bets on us getting here today.”
Grace smiled as he said, “Some people will say we should have taken more time and had a longer engagement.” Most of their friends shared looks. “We have the rest of our lives together to prove you wrong.”
He looked around the room. A beautiful ice sculpture of two swans, necks intertwined with the initials “S
” and “G” engraved. A surprise gift ordered from Sienna in Cambodia.
“Seth, you were always her ‘S’, now it’s official. Just grateful that she’ll always be my best friend.” He tried to ring and thank her. Instead, he shared the card with Grace and held her while she cried.
The life he chose wouldn’t be easy, sharing the woman he loved with her “best friend” would never feel normal. But he never doubted Grace’s love for him or lacked trust in their future together.
Standing in front of their friends and family, he turned back to Grace with a filled glass of champagne, “My darling wife, I have waited years to marry you and the only thing I regret is that tonight while the rest of us toast with champagne, the best you can do is sparkling water.”
Grace rose and kissed him.
The pure adoration in her eyes never left him and he gently patted her still flat stomach before putting a protective arm around her.
His mother was the first to react with a squeal, then Grace’s mother followed. With a huge hug, Joanne looked as if she would finally forgive Grace.
“Now everyone will think we had to get married,” Grace whispered before they kissed, again.
“We did, I wasn’t going to wait another ten years for you to say ‘yes’.”
To their assembled guests, he said, “If I haven’t been clear enough, I’d like you all to be the first to know that my beautiful bride is expecting our first of what I hope will be a football team of babies.”
Is this “The End?”
Are you curious about how the other story lines ended? That’s the beauty of Choose Your Own Romances. One happily ever after is never enough!
Go back to My girl and remember how Grace saved Seth’s company while staying true to Sienna
Go to Once is never and watch as Grace falls in love again with Seth as they work closely together.
Or to One is not enough when Grace started to realize she could have everything her heart desired.
Or go straight to one of the other endings
Run through rainbows can only mean Sienna
While Partner in pleasure is when Seth is by her side
Or perhaps the answer to the Question is Whatever makes her happy
Think you are finished? Wait, there’s more
Wait, there’s more
Did you know that reviews are like hugs for authors? If you like this book, leave a review on Amazon or Goodreads. The only way I can decide whether to write another book in this series is by getting feedback from you. Your opinion is important to me. I only have so much time to devote to each series and I have heaps of these gorgeous men in my head wanting to get out.
You can also find out more about me and my works in progress by following my blog, Facebook or Twitter @AuthorKenna. Or keep reading for a sneak peak from one of my other books.
Choose Your Own Romance series
Too much romance for erotica, too many affairs for romance. Every tale in the Choose Your Own Romance series has multiple paths to a happily ever after. Read them as stand alone or as a series.
The Uni Student
First love is supposed to last forever. Students are not supposed to fall for their Professors. Torn between two lovers, before Ava can find her true love she must first find herself.
The Intern
Torn between her loving, safe boyfriend and the powerful charisma of her boss, Jade is playing a dangerous game. When the fireworks explode, and her secrets are uncovered, will Jade find her happily ever after?
The Question Is
Loving both of them broke all rules. Leaving either would break her heart. If the question is love, who is the answer? An LGBT romance.
The Politician’s Wife
The politician’s wife is not always the good wife. Especially when her husband is a lying, cheating … Can revenge be best served in a new lover’s bed?
The Unfaithful Wife
Nina was always the understanding wife – until her husband’s latest affair. Now she must decide whether her future can be based on her own affairs of the heart
The (Un)Forgiving Wife
After the trauma of childbirth, Juliette never expected her husband to be faithful. But when she discovers his latest affair, she must decide whether to forgive, or move on and embrace other forms of love.
Bad Boys and Good Men series
Meet the bad boys you can’t resist and the good men you’ve already fallen in love with from the Choose Your Own Romance series. One man per short novel with one last chance at love. All levels of steam.
Trusting his Heart
For ten years he grieved the loss of his wife, never wanting or needing anyone until Bec came into his life. Now, Geoffrey loves Bec enough to set her free. She loves him enough to stay. Will he face the fight of his life alone or with the woman he loves?
A Billion Reasons Why
Under a billion stars they fell in love. A million times he could have told her the truth. She could forgive him for almost anything. Except lying about who he is. With trust gone, can she ever love him again?
Never Second Best
His wife left Seth to raise their three children and fight for his foster son alone. Lucy has loved Seth for years knowing she would never be more than a friend. How can she ever believe his words of love are meant for her?
Who is Erebus?
Once you meet him in The Intern you will want answers to Who is Erebus! Cue the cold shower. More steam than a sauna. You’re welcome.
Before there was a choice, there was a love story
Professed Love - You can't choose who to love - or deny love when it happens. Can you?
Short prequel to The Uni Student and The Intern.
Absolutely free.
Once Upon a Love Story – He never believed in love, until he met the woman who believed in him. To understand their future, you need to understand that once upon a time, theirs was a love story.
Short prequel to The Unfaithful Wife and The Intern.
Absolutely free.
Imagine that Grace (or you) chose Seth at the end of The Question Is. Sneak peak of Never Second Best
Chapter 1: Mouth of Babes
Seth Greenwood stood next to his lawyer as the judge entered the courtroom. A slight smile at the sleeping girl in his arms before the judge took control and called her room to order.
He brushed the blonde hair out of his daughter’s eyes. Darker than her mother’s and lighter but as thick as his own and her brothers. His sleeping princess, a daddy’s girl from the moment she was born. The possibility of losing them all too real and almost too much to fathom.
Seth tried to read the judge’s mind as she scanned the thick ream of pages laid out on the bench in front of her.
How on earth did it come down to this. The only thing stopping him from trembling was the fear of waking Retha. She wasn’t coping well with change at the moment and would need all his focus if she woke in a strange place.
“It’ll be okay, dad,” soothed his foster son, Matt who had the younger boys on his lap.
Crazy. He was supposed to be the strong father. He regularly negotiated multi-million-dollar development projects. Builders and sub contractors deferred to him every day, yet he needed the reassurance from a fifteen-year-old boy to hold him together.
The judge cleared her voice.
Judgement day.
“The court grants the defendant, Mr Seth Greenwood, full custody of the three minor children. Master Owen Greenwood, aged six; Master Edward Greenwood, aged four; and Miss Retha Greenwood aged two. The court further finds that it has no jurisdiction to decide in the custody of the foster child, Mr Matthew Night and defers to the Department of Community Services for their determination.
“In the granting of access, the court notes that Ms Grace Greenwood will not be denied unreasonable visitation and contact with her children.”
“Daddy,” Owen tugged on his father’s shirt, “Why isn’t mummy here? I thought Aunty Si was going to look
after us.”
So did daddy, thought Seth as the judge continued.
“I understand the lawyers are still negotiating settlement arrangements and I sincerely hope that the court’s decision is not required in such matters.”
The young judge looked up from her papers, giving Seth her first genuine smile as he started to digest the news. In all that he lost over the past six months, he hadn’t lost his children. One still to fight for, but he hadn’t lost them.
“Mr Greenwood, for what it’s worth, you present as a loving and devoted father. I did expect to grant continuation of the shared custody arrangements you and your ex-wife have had in place for the last six months. I am saddened for the children that she has withdrawn her petition. However, I have no doubts that you will provide a stable and nurturing environment for your children and I sincerely hope that the department continues to allow Mr Night to live with you.”
With the pounding of the hammer on the wooden bench, court was dismissed and Retha woke in her father’s arms.
“Dad, what does that mean?” Matthew held his brothers’ hands as Seth carried the nappy bag, Retha and stroller until they could get outside and settle everyone.
“Grace is gone, perhaps she and Sienna caught an earlier flight to wherever in hell they are going. She couldn’t be bothered to say ‘good bye’ to the kids,” he tried to keep the bitterness out of his voice, but it was enough that his younger three couldn’t hear him talk about their mother.
“What about me?”
The question he needed time to process. Why hadn’t someone told him that it would only be about the children he shared with Grace? Then again, until an hour ago he didn’t realize his ex-wife had cut everyone out of her life.
Breathe in, breathe out and repeat, he muttered to himself. He needed to maintain some sense of calm and composure if only to reassure his children who had already been through so much.
The Question Is Page 27
