by Aliyah Burke
“I didn’t expect to even tell you.” She shoved a hand through her hair and rose from the bed. Stopping to stretch, she looked over at him once more. “How long have you been sitting there?”
“All night. I was tempted to crawl into bed with you, but you needed your sleep.”
“Doesn’t feel like I got much, at all. You can leave now.”
His gaze heated as it traveled over her simple blue nightshirt.
“You were restless all night.”
She’d believe it.
While she walked to the bathroom, he sat right there when she left a time later, dressed in a simple white dress she would be wearing to work today. “Didn’t I ask you to leave?”
He rose, moved toward her, and she gulped. Damn man was all too fine for her own sanity.
“You demanded it last night, mentioned it this morning. But, after breaking in to your house, why would I leave merely because you asked me to?”
“Because Alton Rivers doesn’t need a B&E on his record?”
His smile bordered on a sneer. “Alton Rivers has nothing to do with this.”
“Really?” She brushed by him, heading out to the rest of her house. Swinging by the kitchen, she poured herself a cup of the coffee that awaited her before making her way to the back porch.
He followed her; she heard him. She walked to the railing, set her cup down after drinking a sip or two, and rested her head against the pillar.
“I’m not leaving, Hermione. I deserve an explanation.”
“You deserve shit, Brody. I owe you nothing. I stayed, remember?”
“Why didn’t you tell me? I would have stayed.”
“I don’t need to hear this. How could I have told you? I found out the night before the wedding. It’s not as if I saw you again. So…now, you know.”
“Hell no, that’s not how this is going to go.”
He reached for her the moment she picked up her coffee and the unexpected movement of him turning her had hot liquid spilling all over his shirt.
“Shit,” he hissed.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to do that.” She put the cup down and reached for him.
He yanked his shirt off and dabbed at the moisture on his skin.
“Are you okay? Did I burn you?” She brushed his hands away to look for herself.
The play of muscles beneath her fingertips flexed, and she slowed her inspection until it was more just touching him. From her periphery, she noticed the balled up shirt fall to the wood beneath her feet. He slowly brought her chin up until their gazes locked.
“I know I keep saying this, Hermione, but I’m so sorry. For everything.” She opened her mouth to reply, but he shook his head. “No, you’re going to listen to me. I didn’t lie when I said I still loved you. I always will. I want a future with you. For a while, I thought of asking you to Hollywood with me, but your life is here. I want one with you. I’ll commute, be on location for filming, but then, be here with you. In this house. I want to marry you, as I didn’t ten years ago. I want to hold you at night. Make love to you until the wee hours of the morning.”
Tears sprang into her eyes.
He sank a hand into her hair as his other settled along her hip, his fingertips grazing along her ass. There was nothing but seriousness in his gaze.
“I want to be here when you come home from the bank and talk to you about your day. I want to talk to you about the baby we lost and see if you want to have another one. Or more than one.” A light kiss against the corner of her mouth. “I want back into your life. If you’re not ready to give me a chance, I’ll buy a house here and wait until you are.”
She held onto his waistband, her thumbs skimming his bare skin above the belt. “Brody,” she began.
“Not done. Acting is in my blood, Hermione. I love it—the rush and the fun. The travel. But, compared to you, it is nothing. If you want me to stop, I will after this film.”
“No, you have to do what calls to you. I just…I just don’t know.”
“We need to talk about the miscarriage and work through that before we can move forward. I get and understand that. I have to make amends in your eyes. I’ve changed, Hermione. And, yes, you were right when you said I was only back for my own reasons. Not denying that. However, you, Hermione Wilhelmina Windsor—named after the virtuous queen of Sicilia in Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale, as well as a feminine take on William’s name—reminded me of the love I foolishly pushed away and left. If it takes me one year or a hundred, I will claim your love as my own.”
“Brody,” she whispered as tears fell from her eyes. She couldn’t believe he’d remembered what she’d told him the reason was for her having the name she did. Why her English professor parents had named her what they had.
He slid his hand down and gripped her hair, tugging her head back and burying his face in her neck. She allowed her eyes to drift closed even as the sun crested the horizon, filling the sky with oranges, yellows, and purples.
“I love you,” she admitted to him and the morning air. “I’ve always loved you.”
f
Epilogue
Brody stepped from the SUV and looked around Cottonwood Falls. It was good to be home. He cast a glance up at the house, aware that Hermione was still at work and wouldn’t be back for another few hours yet.
He’d flown in early to surprise her. He’d missed her. They still had rocky moments but were making progress. He had stood beside her when the reporters had arrived, proud of how she’d handled the questions.
Hermione had traveled out to California once, but he could tell when she was there how uncomfortable she was and hadn’t insisted she come back again. Hopefully, though, she would agree to come with him this time.
He’d gotten three more movies ever since the release of his big break and was very busy on location shooting. Still, he made it a point, even if he needed to capitalize on the few hours of sleep he was granted, to call her and speak with her once a day.
When he was here in Cottonwood Falls, people treated him like Brody, instead of the action star, Alton Rivers, as they’d had when he first come back. He liked that, being able to walk into the diner and eat without being swarmed. Being able to go to the high school games and cheer on the students from his town. Or, even playing baseball or a pickup basketball game with guys he went to school with. Here, things didn’t become a news article.
After three trips to his SUV and back, he finally had everything out and began setting it up. The winter days were cold, and the sun set early. The slice of Hermione’s headlights across the front windows had anticipation burning in his gut.
He stepped out on the porch to meet her. “Hello, beautiful.”
“Brody, I thought you weren’t arriving until tomorrow.” She hurried up the steps and into his arms.
Their lips met, and his hands found their way below her coat. “I missed you,” he muttered. “Caught an earlier flight.”
“I missed you, too.”
“How was your day?”
She smiled. “Good. I got to hang out with Bastian Müller today. He’s back from Arizona and working the wildfires out there. Haven’t seen him in a while.”
“I remember him. He was what, two years ahead of us? Hung out with”—he snapped his fingers—“the one who left to join the Marines. I don’t remember his name.”
“Grey Sorenson. And, Grey didn’t join the Corps; he went to the Navy. I believe he’s a SEAL.”
He brushed some of her hair back. It hung loose around her face, how he loved it. “That’s right. Let’s go inside. I have supper ready.”
“Do your Hollywood peeps know the mighty Alton Rivers cooks dinner when he’s back in Cottonwood Falls more than one night a week?”
“Nope. Or that I do dishes.” He opened the door and waited for her to precede him.
“I’m not sure I believe it, either,” she teased, stepping in, only to draw up with a gasp. “Oh, my God, Brody. What is all this?”
“F
lowers.” He kissed the side of her neck before pushing the door shut behind him and assisting her off with her coat.
“You brought me Amazon Lilies?” She moved toward the two-foot tall potted plants. Their white flowers emanating a sweet scent to the air. “And Passion flowers, water hyacinth, water lilies, and some type of orchid.”
“A vanilla orchid.”
“What’s this one?”
“Night blooming jasmine.”
She bent to inhale the fragrance, her skirt smoothing over her ass. He shoved his hands in his pockets and rocked back on his heels.
“Thank you, Brody. This, these… I couldn’t ask for a better gift.”
“Other than me?” he asked, in a teasing voice.
“Of course.”
“I know you said you’d take flowers over diamonds, and we dealt with a florist on this last set, so I asked for some help. I remembered you’d mentioned these flowers.”
She jumped in his arms, and he held her with one arm. “This is perfect. Flowers and dinner. What more could I ask for?”
He put her on the floor and dragged his fingers along her forehead, moving the soft hair in his wake. “How about diamonds?”
Suddenly, the low music in the background took center stage at her silence. “What? What did you say?”
He reached into his pocket and withdrew the black box that had been burning a hole in it since he put it there. Opening it, he turned the ring toward her so she could see it. “I said, how about diamonds?” Brody dropped to one knee and asked, “Will you give me another chance and marry me, Hermione?”
He could read the concern and trepidation in her gaze. Pushing back up on his feet, he removed the ring and slid it on her finger. “Tonight, if you’ll have me. Let’s fly to Vegas and do it. Then, we can plan a larger ceremony if that’s what you would like.”
“I…I…I…”
“I’m not leaving you this time, Hermione.” He lifted her hand and pressed a kiss to the hand adorned by the ring. “What do you say?”
“You know I’ll kill you if you don’t show this time, right?”
“I’d deserve nothing less.”
“Yes,” she said, wrapping her arms around him and touching their lips together. “Yes, I’ll marry you. Can we really go to Vegas tonight?”
“I’ll charter a plane if that’s what you want to do.”
She backed to the bedroom, beckoning him after her. “Can we go later?”
He waggled his eyebrows. “Hell, yes.”
Brody chased her into the bedroom, and as he lowered them both to the bed, his heart had found peace. This was the beginning of the rest of his life, and now, he got to have the one woman who meant the world to him in it.
Hours later, he walked hand in hand with her to a wedding chapel in Vegas. Slicing his gaze sideways to the woman at his side, he smiled. Her white dress left one shoulder bare, allowing him and anyone else to see her Faith tattoo scrolled along her skin. Her outfit fell to mid-calf and left very little to his imagination. At the same time, it was so elegant he was beside himself. Her heels put her a little closer to his height.
Behind them came the couple they’d brought along for witnesses. And, just because Brody felt they could use a trip, also. Vance and Kendria. Both of them were dressed up, as well, and looking like they could be going on the red carpet.
The ring in his pocket was a combination of the first one he’d gotten for her and new. For this was a new beginning, but they couldn’t take away the past they’d endured. She halted him, smoothed down his tuxedo, and gave him a shy smile before reclaiming his hand.
“I’m going to ravish you all night long,” he muttered. “Then, for the rest of our lives.”
“We’re next, behave.”
He nipped her ear. “I am.”
As they stood before the minister, listening to him talk about what marriage was about, Brody continued to wait for someone to yell “Cut” and end this a second time before it could begin. When the man asked him if he had a ring, it took Brody a few moments to come out of his trance. It helped that Vance nudged him before handing over the ring.
The concern on Hermione’s face shamed him. What must she be thinking? He took the symbol from his best friend and placed it on her finger.
He breathed easier once they were proclaimed husband and wife. When he was told to kiss the bride, he did so with pleasure.
“I love you, Mrs. Paget. So much.” He covered her mouth once more and accepted the love she had for him.
He may have messed up the first time, but this time around, he would be better. He wouldn’t swear he’d be perfect, but he wasn’t leaving her, that was for sure. Not again.
Additional Books by Aliyah Burke:
Megalodon Team
Kincade’s Rose
Harrier’s Healer
Connelly’s Flame
Greeley’s Spyce
Vittano’s Willow
Dimitri’s Moon
O’Shea’s Love
Chayton’s Tempest
Haikon
A Love for Lera
Denim & Spurs
With This Ring
Cottonwood Falls
Relentless
Fracture
Ravish
Spark
Savor (releasing March 2015)
Intensity (releasing June 2015)
Serial
Keeper of the Stars Pt. 1
Keeper of the Stars Pt. 2
Keeper of the Stars Pt. 3
Keeper of the Stars Pt. 4
Keeper of the Stars Pt. 5
Astral Guardians
Chasing the Storm
Highlands at Dawn
Interludes
Temporary Home
Alone with You
Till We Ain’t Strangers Anymore
In Aeternum
Casanova in Training
Harbour of Refuge
Protected by Shadows
Polar Opposites
Rakes & Rogues
What the Earl Desires
Her Reluctant Viscount
Her Pirate Rogue
Code of Honour
A Marriage of Convenience
The Lieutenant’s Ex-Wife
A Man Like No Other
When Stars Collide
Born to Fly
Landing in Love
You Save Me
Wild as the Wind
Zulu Spectre
Hearth, Holly, & Honor (3 in 1)
Standalone
Preconception
If You Dare
May You Always
Dutch & Lobo (in In the Trenches collection)
His Purrfect Mate
Under the Mask
That Fateful Ride
On the High Seas (in What White Boyz Desire collection)
The Detective’s Lover
Just a Dream
Love Under the Endless African Sky
Add A Little Mistletoe
Something Tangible
Seducing Damian
Through the Fire
Sin is Not a Four Letter Word
Holiday Surprise: Unwrapped
Raw Exposure
Holiday Liaison
The Right to Love
Co-written with Taige Crenshaw
Talios
Devi
Linc
Saffron
Taber
Ashia
Co-written with McKenna Jeffries
All the Wright Moves
The Best Thing Yet
Risky Pleasures
Pure Harmony
Irresistible Forces
Seductions Dance
About the Author:
Aliyah Burke is an avid reader and is never far from pen and paper (or the computer). She loves to hear from her readers and can be reached here. She can also be found on Facebook, Twitter: @AliyahBurke96, or Pinterest.
She is married to a career military man. They are owned by three Borzoi, and a DSH
cat. She spends her days sharing time between work, writing, and dog training.
I hope you enjoyed reading, Ravish. If you could help others to find and enjoy this book as well, I would appreciate that act of kindness. You can do this by recommending it to your friends and/or reader’s groups. Also by reviewing it to let others know you liked it—and why—on Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, ARe, and other places.
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