by Jillian Dodd
Bite Me: I would be, but I have to work. Parent-teacher conferences are this week. Although, I do have Friday off.
Me: Where do you live?
Bite Me: Cincinnati.
Me: I’ve always wanted to visit, but I bet it would be really tough to get a hotel room on such short notice.
Bite Me: Is that your way of asking if you can stay at my place?
Me: Do you have a spare bedroom? A couch I can crash on?
Bite Me: Knox Daniels, you know damn well that if you come to my house you won’t sleep on the couch. At least not alone.
Me: Are you going to use me and throw me away like your boy toys?
Bite Me: It all depends on how good you are.
Me: Oh, sugar. I’m the definition of good.
Bite Me: Every guy thinks that. You’ll have to prove it.
Me: If I do, will you go away with me for the weekend?
Bite Me: Yes. I will.
Me: Where shall we go? Fiji? Milan? Paris?
Bite Me: Those places are amazing, but far away. We’d waste the whole weekend traveling.
Me: We wouldn’t want that. You choose. Anywhere you want.
Bite Me: IF you prove it, don’t laugh, but I’ve always wanted to go to Washington D.C. and see all the museums.
Me: Then that’s where we’ll go. I love museums.
Bite Me: Really?
Me: I’d love going to a museum with you. Maybe I’ll learn a thing or two.
Bite Me: Well, I am a teacher.
Asher Vineyards — Wedding
KEATYN
After an amazing meal followed by numerous toasts, everyone is back out on the dance floor.
I’m trying to find my husband in the crowd when Aiden’s voice comes over a microphone.
“If I can have everyone’s attention, I have a little surprise for my bride. We shared our first kiss at a school carnival, and I’ll never forget how she looked. She was wearing a little red dress and was eating pink cotton candy.”
“With me!” Riley yells out.
“And me!” Dallas adds.
Aiden laughs. “That is true, but luckily I whisked her away to the Ferris wheel. It was at the top of it that we shared a perfect first kiss.”
Aiden sets down the microphone and stalks toward me.
He grabs my hand and says, “Now, please.”
And I’m thinking now what until a pathway is revealed, lit up by twinkle lights. We walk down the path, which leads us around the barn—where there’s a Ferris wheel.
“Ohmigosh, Aiden! It’s beautiful.”
“Want to go for a ride with me?”
“Uh, yeah.”
As we’re getting ready to board the first car, I notice gold scrolling letters on the pale pink paint.
Keatyn and Aiden
October 18th
We’re sorta like fate.
“Did you buy this?”
Aiden grins. “I did. It’s my wedding gift to you. I had it completely restored. Thought it would be a good addition to the farm.”
“Our kids will love it. It’s beautiful,” I say, getting on the ride.
As we approach the top, I squeeze his hand. “You know, I have to admit when I first fell for you, it was because you were so hot, Mr. Shirtless Goalie.” I pat his stomach. “You’re still pretty sexy looking, but you’re so much more than that, Aiden. You’re so wonderful to me. I’m so incredibly lucky.” I start to cry.
“Don’t cry, baby,” he says as I lean my head against his shoulder, just like the first time we rode the Ferris wheel together.
When we get to the top, it feels like time stops again.
Especially when he presses his lips into mine.
“I’ve died and gone to hottie heaven,” I say, teasing him.
“That’s because I just gave you a slow, perfect, time-stood-still, fireworks-in-your eyes kind of kiss,” he teases back.
“You’re stealing my lines.”
“There’s a reason for that,” he says, as fireworks light up the sky.
“Fireworks. You think of everything,” I tell him. “I love you.”
“I love you too, Boots.”
As we watch the fireworks, I can’t help but remember when he lit up the sky for me in a different way. When he put hundreds of glow-in-the-dark stars all over my ceiling.
And I know now is the right time to tell him.
When the fireworks show is over, and the Ferris wheel starts moving again, I say, “Top of the Eiffel Tower. Top of the Ferris wheel. Top of the hill overlooking the ocean. All special places to us. Places where our lives have changed.”
“And now we’re officially hitched.”
“Always. Only. Ever.”
“Now you’re stealing my lines,” he jokes. “Just like you did the night you told me you’re pregnant.”
“And the night you proposed. I have something I need to tell you, Aiden. When I went to the doctor on Monday, they did an ultrasound because my hormone levels were off.”
Panic fills his eyes. “Is the baby alright?”
“Yes, but I found out that there’s not just one baby. There are three. We’re having triplets.”
“Triplets?” he repeats slowly.
Then he leans over the seat, causing it to rock unsteadily as he yells down to the crowd. “TRIPLETS, EVERYONE! WE’RE HAVING TRIPLETS!”
“Well butter my butt and call me a biscuit. Did you hear that, Ma?” Grandpa says from the car above us just as Aiden’s mother screeches, “Triplets?!”
The crowd below us murmurs with excitement over the news.
“Well, I guess the cat’s out of the bag. Holy shit, Aiden! You just told the world I’m pregnant!”
He pulls me close and kisses me again, leaving me breathless and not caring about anything other than his lips.
“When Inga read your palm during high school, she was wrong,” he says.
“She told me I’d have twins, then two single pregnancies. Very close together.”
“Twin boys, a girl, and then another boy.”
“Maybe the triplets are two boys and a girl. Wouldn’t that be amazing?”
“As long as they’re healthy,” he says, sliding his hand across my belly in wonder and shaking his head in disbelief. “Triplets.”
Asher Vineyards — Wedding
RILEY
“Triplets,” I say to Dallas, shaking my head. “How crazy is that?”
“It’s pretty crazy,” Ariela says from behind me.
I turn around and face her. “The wedding has been incredible. You did an amazing job. Keatyn couldn’t be happier.”
“And what about you?”
“Logan told me that making this wedding perfect wasn’t just for Keatyn—that you wanted to show all of us that you were sorry.”
“Mostly you,” she says softly. “My duties are officially done for the night. Would you like to dance, Riley?”
“I would,” I reply, pulling her into my arms and swaying to the music.
“So tonight’s supposed to be the big night,” she says, looking grim. “But I meant what I said about us not needing to decide anything yet.”
“Let’s go talk somewhere in private,” I say, leading her off the dance floor and stopping to grab some champagne on the way to my room.
After popping the bottle and pouring us each a glass, I get to the matter at hand.
“Explain why you didn’t send me the letter. I need to understand why you didn’t fight for us.”
She sits on the bed, crossing her legs into a pretzel, just like she used to when we would sit on my bed and talk and kiss for hours at a time in high school.
“I cried most of the way home. As we were pulling into our driveway, my dad finally spoke. He asked me if I told you. I said yes, and that’s when I noticed I was still clutching the note in my hand. I told my dad that I had written you a letter but forgot to give it to you, so he asked what I was going to do with it. If I would send it. I checked my phone for the million
th time, but upon seeing nothing from you, I told him that I didn’t know what I was going to do, but that I was surprised you hadn’t called or texted me. My dad smiled and said that the reason you hadn’t is because he was right. That you didn’t care about me. I decided I would keep the note on my desk for three days, and if I hadn’t heard from you, I would throw it away and try to forget about you.”
“But you didn’t,” I state.
“No, I couldn’t do either. That’s what I don’t think you understand, Riley. You weren’t the only one who was devastated.”
“You’re right. I shouldn’t have given up. I should have called and texted and stalked your house.”
“I kept praying for some kind of sign. What I should have been praying for was strength. I should have been strong enough to call you myself. I just want you to know how sorry I am. I was young, and scared, and foolish then, but I’m not anymore. I want to be with you, Riley. And I’m not afraid to say it. I still love you.”
I reach out and touch her cheek, caressing it. “And I still love you.”
“It’s not going to be easy, Riley. I still have to get a divorce. But I want you to know that I will spend the rest of my life trying to make it up to you.”
“I don’t want that,” I tell her, causing a frown to form.
“I see,” she says softly, looking ready to burst into tears.
“I want us on a level playing field, Ariela. We were supposed to decide today if we want to go forward. If we want to date. What do you want?”
“You, Riley. Just you. Actually, that’s not true. I want to marry you, have babies with you, and love you until you’re old and gray.”
“That’s all I’ve ever wanted, too,” I say as her lips land on mine. “And I think it’s about time we let ourselves be happy.”
She hugs me and then rests her head on my shoulder, causing me to feel like I’ve stepped back in time.
“I want to be happy,” she says.
“You know, maybe it wasn’t meant to be back then. Over the last ten years, I’ve worked long crazy hours to make the company what it is. I gave it my life. Now we’re selling it and I can now reap the rewards. I’m getting my life back. And I want to spend that life with you, Kitty.”
“I want that too,” she says, pushing her lips against mine and ripping off my clothing as quickly as she can.
We’re naked, lying on the bed, making love when my phone rings.
And then rings again.
And again.
“Uh, I better check that,” I say, reluctantly pulling out.
“Who is it?” she asks as I look at my phone.
“Shelby. I’m going to call her back.”
Ariela frowns but nods in agreement as I make the call.
“Riley!” Shelby cries into my ear. “I was robbed. Mugged! A man put a gun to my head and told me to give him my new Fendi baguette. I told him no, so he punched me in the stomach and took it anyway. Now I’m having cramps, and I’m afraid I’m going to lose our baby, Riley. I don’t know what to do. Please, don’t make me go through this alone. Please come home.”
Even though the girl of my dreams is lying naked in front of me, I know I’m being pulled in a different direction. My child’s mother needs me.
“I’ll be there as fast as I can,” I tell Shelby, grabbing my clothes and quickly getting dressed.
“Where are you going? What’s wrong?” Ariela asks.
“Shelby got mugged. Punched in the stomach. She’s cramping.”
“Is she in the hospital?”
“I don’t know. I think she’s at the hotel.”
“Riley, it’s not unusual for pregnant women to cramp from time to time. And honestly, if she’s cramping and losing the baby, there isn’t much you can do about it. Why don’t you stay the night and go home in the morning?”
“The mother of my child was fucking mugged, Ariela. Sorry, but I have to go.”
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Books by Jillian Dodd
The Love Series
Vegas Love
The USA TODAY bestselling series,
The Keatyn Chronicles®
Stalk Me
Kiss Me
Date Me
Love Me
Adore Me
Hate Me
Get Me
Fame
Power
Money
Sex
Love
That Boy Series
That Boy
That Wedding
That Baby
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jillian is the USA TODAY bestselling author of fourteen + novels. She writes fun romances with characters her readers fall in love with, from the boy next door in the That Boy trilogy to the daughter of a famous actress in The Keatyn Chronicles series. The Keatyn Chronicles is in the hands of over 500,000 readers and is a USA Today bestselling series. Her last release, Vegas Love, is an Amazon Top 100 and USA Today bestseller.
She's married to her college sweetheart, has two children in college who both help with her business, two labs named Cali and Camber, and lives in a small Florida beach town. When she's not working, she likes to decorate, paint, doodle, watch football or racing, drink good wine, and go to the beach.
Table of Contents
Contents
Title Page
Copyright
Episode 1
Ariela: Sonoma County
Riley: L.A.
Ariela: Sonoma County
Episode 2
Dawson: Malibu
Riley: L.A.
Dawson: Malibu
Ariela: Sonoma County
Shelby: The Valley
Episode 3
Keatyn: Malibu
Vanessa: Holmby Hills
Riley: Santa Monica
Ariela: Sonoma County
Vanessa: Holmby Hills
Riley: L.A.
Ariela: Sonoma County
Riley: L.A.
Episode 4
Riley: L.A.
Dawson: Santa Monica
Shelby: Sunset Boulevard
Dawson: Santa Monica
Vanessa: Holmby Hills
Dawson: Holmby Hills
Riley: L.A.
Episode 5
Dawson: Santa Monica
Keatyn: Studio City
Dawson: Santa Monica
Shelby: Sunset Boulevard
Keatyn: Malibu
Shelby: Sunset Boulevard
Riley: Sunset Boulevard
Episode 6
Riley: Santa Monica
Dawson: Sonoma County
Riley: Sonoma County
Vanessa: Sonoma County
Shelby: Sunset Boulevard
Vanessa: Sonoma County
Keatyn: Wedding
Aiden: Wedding
Keatyn: Wedding
Shelby: Sunset Boulevard
Knox: Wedding
Keatyn: Wedding
Riley: Wedding
