by Mary Calmes
“I think it has to be me,” I told him as he took a seat beside me, passing me silverware in a rolled-up cloth napkin. “My name’s on the room.”
“No,” he corrected, leaning sideways to kiss my cheek before he started serving the waffles. “I changed it over last night. The room’s on my card, under both our names, so I’m good to sign for food.”
“When did you do that?”
“After Ash came by.”
I turned to look at him. “When was this?”
“Late, or early, whichever way you want to think about it.”
“Oh, I heard you guys.”
“Probably,” he agreed, pouring the syrup for me. “Eat, we gotta be at the airport in a couple hours.”
“I should call him.”
He shook his head before he took a bite of the Denver omelet he’d ordered.
“I don’t want to leave things like—”
“Baby, he was drunk when he showed up here at one in the morning, and you have to ask yourself: if you were so important, why did it take him ’til then to get over here?”
“No, it’s not like that,” I assured him. “I’m not thinking that he’s got a broken heart or something, I just feel bad that he talked to you and not me, and thought—”
“He thought we were together because we are. But I was really nice to him, you would’ve been proud.”
“Oh yeah?” I asked, taking a bite of my waffles before they got soggy. “Oh my God, these are really good.”
“I got the Belgian ones ’cause you like those.”
He was right. He knew.
“And no butter, you notice?”
“Yeah,” I said, so pleased with him for remembering such a small thing.
He gestured for me. “Gimme a maple kiss.”
So I did.
AT THE airport, while Mitch got us coffee, I called Ash.
“I’m sorry,” he said instead of hello.
“What’re you sorry for?”
“Hitting Mitch last night.”
That was news.
“It happened before I thought about it, but he just took it and then looked at me like I was nuts. It was really a bit scary.”
“Oh, I bet.”
“I’m sorry I didn’t get over there until late. I got caught up and—”
“Let it go,” I urged. “I’ll talk to you when you get back.”
“I took care of everything with Chastain like I promised.”
“Good.”
He cleared his throat. “So you’re happy, huh? Mitch Thayer, is it?”
I watched the man in question close in on me, those sinfully sexy lips of his curled up at the corners, eyes dark because he was looking at me, the fluid stride of sculpted muscle moving under denim and cotton, and all of his beauty, power, and virility paled under the understanding that he belonged, again, to me.
He was all mine, and I would not be sharing him with anyone. And even more important, he wanted only me. For a moment, I couldn’t speak.
“Hagen?”
“Sorry,” I managed to get out. “And yeah, Mitch Thayer is it.”
“I knew he would be. The way you looked at him, there was never any question.”
I couldn’t very well argue, not that I would. “Have fun making your movie, all right?”
“I’d like to call when I get back.”
“That’d be great,” I agreed before I hung up.
“Who was that?” Mitch asked as he took a seat beside me, his knee bumping mine as he draped an arm around the back of my chair.
“Ash,” I informed him, turning to look at him, touching his face. “I see there’s no bruise yet from where he hit you.”
He scoffed. “Yeah, no. There won’t be one. My kids hit harder than he does.”
I grinned. “I thought you were gonna say your sister.”
“My sister? Are you kidding?” He looked horrified. “My sister’s a ballerina. Do you know how strong ballerinas are?”
“Yeah, okay, I forgot who I was talking about for a second.”
“She’ll fuck you up.”
I chuckled as I leaned into him, not missing the contented sigh as he nuzzled his face against my hair. “Thank you for not hitting Ash.”
“You don’t hit people who are shit-faced. It’s not cool.”
“Still, it shows great restraint.”
“Well, I wasn’t letting him get by me, I can promise you that.”
“Oh no?”
“You were naked in bed, Hage, and the only one who sees you naked from now on is me.”
“Watch yourself, you’re sounding like you’re making plans.”
“That’s because I am,” he stated, arm slipping from the back of my seat to me, enfolding me, drawing me in closer. “I just have to figure out what kind of ring to get you since you work with your hands.”
I tried to sit up, but he had me. I wasn’t going anywhere.
“I need to get something that won’t break, or I can get you one of those silicone ones to wear while you’re at work and one with big obnoxious diamonds to wear everywhere else.”
“Mitch, you—”
“And I mean big, scary-ass diamonds. I don’t want anyone to miss it.”
“Mitch—”
“You see that ring and know that the man wearing it is very, very taken.”
He was killing me with his possessiveness and dominance because I craved it like a drug. And he knew I did because he knew me, simple as that.
“You’re all mine,” he finished, his voice gone to gravel, and he let out a grunt for good measure.
After we boarded, sitting together in our seats, I shoulder-checked him. “It’s too bad this isn’t a big plane. Then we could have flown First Class home.”
He snorted. “I don’t think a plane this small has anything but last class, but that’s okay, right? As long as you’re with me?”
“It most certainly is,” I sighed.
“And the kids?”
“I love the kids, Mitch. You know that, don’t you?”
He nodded, and I could tell by the way he swallowed fast that he was choked up just imagining us all being together.
Thinking about having a family had the same effect on me. I would very much love being part of one. I cleared my throat so I could speak. “What are we actually going to tell the kids?”
“Are you kidding? They’re the ones who told me to come get you.”
“They did?” I asked, feeling the emotion welling up in my chest.
“Yessir. They said that you needed to come home, and they asked me, if you and I got married, could we all live in the treehouse.”
I had to remember to breathe. “And what did you say?”
“I said I’d live in the treehouse in a heartbeat as long as you said it was okay.”
I scowled at him. “What if things hadn’t worked out? Then I would be the bad guy who didn’t let you guys live with me.”
“Yep, you sure would,” he said flatly, not sugarcoating his words one bit.
“But that’s not fair.”
“Nope,” he agreed, nodding.
“That’s a really asshole thing to do.”
More nodding.
Facing forward in my seat, I crossed my arms.
He kissed my temple. “I wanted my life to begin, Hage. I’m not above using my cute kids to my advantage.”
“Despicable.”
He snorted and I couldn’t contain my smile. “You’re crazy about me.”
“Yes,” I agreed, turning so I could see him. “I’m head over heels for you, you know this.”
He smiled slowly, his eyes catching the sunlight, gilding them for long seconds before they were the familiar deep blue. “Yep,” he said huskily, “and I’m lucky because that’s all I want—you rooted in my life, with my kids.”
“You trust me not to screw up?”
“Yessir,” he said, chuckling, hand around the back of my neck, drawing me close for the kiss before sighing
, his face serious. “I trust you with my whole life, starting now. I mean, you want to go talk to someone to get better, and better not just for yourself, but for me and my boys. What more could I ask for? How more committed could you be?”
“You have faith in me?”
“I do.”
I thought back to that morning before we left the hotel. Him spread-eagle on the bed, grinning like a crazy man, and I realized he’d made me soft and gooey inside. I had the epiphany then that being vulnerable was not a bad thing when you implicitly trusted the person who made you that way.
“I’m ready,” I told him.
“Yeah?” He sounded hopeful, and it was cute how his eyebrows rose. “You’re ready to dive in with me and my boys? Ready to have a family?”
“I am,” I said, and I felt the surge of happiness and certainty.
“That’s good, because I’m keeping you forever and ever.”
It sounded like it would be just long enough. “I love you.”
“I love you too, baby, and you’ll see, we’re gonna have a wonderful life,” he whispered before he kissed me.
And for once, there was not a doubt in my mind.
More from Mary Calmes
Mob enforcer Ceaton Mercer has killed a lot of people in a lot of different ways—he stashed the last two bodies in a toolshed belonging to a sweetheart marine researcher in an idyllic island community—but he’s really not such a bad guy. Over time he’s found a home of sorts, and he even learns he’s found a place in the hearts of the people he works with… at least enough so that they won’t put a bullet in his head because he’s outlived his usefulness to the boss.
But he never thought he’d find one day could change his life, and he’s about to discover how wrong he is.
Because in a single day, he meets the man who looks to be the one, the love of his life. It’s an improbable idea—a man who deals in death finding love—but it’s like it’s meant to be. That single day gets weirder and troubles pile up, forcing Ceaton to take a hard look at his dreary life and accept that one day can change everything, especially himself. His future might be brighter than he expects—if he can stay alive long enough to find out.
L’Ange: Book One
When jackal shifter Quade Danas was banished from his pack for being gay, he spent years in the military escaping his father’s prejudice before returning to civilian life as a bodyguard for Roman Howell, the teenage son of a very rich man. After Roman is in an accident that leaves him physically scarred and emotionally distant, Quade is the only one who can get through to him. As Roman becomes a man, he realizes what he wants—his bodyguard by his side and in his bed. Unfortunately, Quade can’t seem to see past the kid Roman once was to the man he has become, certain Roman’s feelings are merely misplaced gratitude. But Roman knows a lot more than Quade realizes, and he’s used to persevering, no matter how many impediments life throws his way. He wants the chance to prove to Quade that he’s strong enough for a jackal alpha to call mate.
Despite the decades Quade has been away, and the heartache of his father’s rejection, his inborn loyalty to the pack remains, and his abrupt departure left the jackal shifters without an alpha heir. As a psychopath shifter staking claim as alpha draws Quade back home, and Quade feels compelled to heed the call, he may be forced to make a choice he never anticipated. But doing so means he must leave Roman behind… unless somehow they find a way to make loyalty and love work together.
Timing: Book One
Stefan Joss just can’t win. Not only does he have to go to Texas in the middle of summer to be the man of honor in his best friend Charlotte’s wedding, but he’s expected to negotiate a million-dollar business deal at the same time. Worst of all, he’s thrown for a loop when he arrives to see the one man Charlotte promised wouldn’t be there: her brother, Rand Holloway.
Stefan and Rand have been mortal enemies since the day they met, so Stefan is shocked when a temporary cease-fire sees the usual hostility replaced by instant chemistry. Though leery of the unexpected feelings, Stefan is swayed by a sincere revelation from Rand, and he decides to give Rand a chance.
But their budding romance is threatened when Stefan’s business deal goes wrong: the owner of the last ranch he needs to secure for the company is murdered. Stefan’s in for the surprise of his life as he finds himself in danger as well.
Marshals: Book One
Deputy US Marshal Miro Jones has a reputation for being calm and collected under fire. These traits serve him well with his hotshot partner, Ian Doyle, the kind of guy who can start a fight in an empty room. In the past three years of their life-and-death job, they’ve gone from strangers to professional coworkers to devoted teammates and best friends. Miro’s cultivated blind faith in the man who has his back… faith and something more.
As a marshal and a soldier, Ian’s expected to lead. But the power and control that brings Ian success and fulfillment in the field isn’t working anywhere else. Ian’s always resisted all kinds of tied down, but having no home—and no one to come home to—is slowly eating him up inside. Over time, Ian has grudgingly accepted that going anywhere without his partner simply doesn’t work. Now Miro just has to convince him that getting tangled up in heartstrings isn’t being tied down at all.
Paradise can be hell.
Most people would say being stranded in the villa of Spanish shipping magnate Miguel García Arquero on the beautiful isle of Ibiza wasn’t such a bad deal. But Hudson Barber isn’t one of them. To him, being stuck without a passport in a foreign country far from home is a nightmare, made worse by the fact that the person who did the stranding was his flighty twin brother.
Unwilling to turn Dalvon in for identity theft, Hudson is forced to wait, but meanwhile he discovers the chance to rehabilitate Miguel’s failing local businesses—enterprises left to Dalvon’s inexperienced care. The flagging ventures are a badly wrapped gift from heaven, and if Hudson can turn them around, he might be able to leverage the experience to finish his MBA.
Then Miguel returns to Ibiza, and instead of finding a boy toy, he discovers Hudson has turned his cold villa into a warm, welcoming home. Miguel’s path is clear: convince Hudson to lay down his defenses and let love in.
Readers love Mary Calmes
A Day Makes
“Once again, Mary Calmes has written a book that I couldn’t put down.”
—Under the Covers Book Blog
“A Day Makes is just fabulous. It is exciting, romantic, sexy, and totally captivating.”
—Joyfully Jay
Chosen Pride
“Fans of this unique take on shifters will undoubtedly enjoy this story as much as I did. I hope that we get to see more of this world because it’s endlessly fascinating to me.”
—The Novel Approach
“I ate it up and was begging for more.”
—Gay Book Reviews
When the Dust Settles
“Smokin’ hot and such a wonderful treat for Mary Calmes’s fans!”
—Hearts on Fire Reviews
“With typical Mary Calmes finesse and skilled writing, this book will make you fall in love with Glenn, Stef and Rand, and all the rest of the cowboys on the Red Diamond ranch all over again.”
—Diverse Reader
MARY CALMES lives in Lexington, Kentucky, with her husband and two children and loves all the seasons except summer. She graduated from the University of the Pacific in Stockton, California, with a bachelor’s degree in English literature. Due to the fact that it is English lit and not English grammar, do not ask her to point out a clause for you, as it will so not happen. She loves writing, becoming immersed in the process, and believes without question in happily-ever-afters, and writes those for each and every one of her characters.
By Mary Calmes
Acrobat
Again
Any Closer
With Cardeno C.: Control
With Poppy Dennison: Creature Feature
A Day Makes
Floodgates
Frog
Grand Adventures (Dreamspinner Anthology)
The Guardian
Heart of the Race
Ice Around the Edges
Judgment
Just Desserts
Lay It Down
Mine
Romanus • Chevalier
Romanus & Chevalier (Paperback Only Anthology)
The Servant
Steamroller
Still
Tales of the Curious Cookbook (Multiple Author Anthology)
Three Fates (Multiple Author Anthology)
What Can Be
Where You Lead
Wishing on a Blue Star (Dreamspinner Anthology)
You Never Know
CHANGE OF HEART
Change of Heart • Trusted Bond • Honored Vow
Crucible of Fate • Forging the Future
L’ANGE
Old Loyalty, New Love • Fighting Instinct • Chosen Pride
MANGROVE STORIES
Blue Days • Quiet Nights • Sultry Sunset
Easy Evenings • Sleeping ’til Sunrise
Mangrove Stories (Print Only Anthology)
MARSHALS
All Kinds of Tied Down • Fit to Be Tied • Tied Up in Knots
A MATTER OF TIME
A Matter of Time: Vol. 1 • A Matter of Time: Vol. 2
Bulletproof • But For You
Parting Shot • Piece of Cake
TIMING
Timing • After the Sunset • When the Dust Settles
Perfect Timing (Print Only Anthology)
THE WARDER SERIES
His Hearth • Tooth & Nail • Heart in Hand
Sinnerman • Nexus • Cherish Your Name
Warders Volume One • Warders Volume Two
