Rapid Pulse: A Limited Edition Spicy Romance Collection

by Gina Kincade

  "I promise to love you and take care of you forever, Bee, you and our daughter," he tells her. Then he feels the resistance around the ring. "Ahm...wait."

  Hunter tries again, taking off the ring and pushing it once more. "Wait, I don't understand. Why won't it fit?" His brows draw together as he concentrates on placing the ring properly where it should be, without breaking her finger. He sits up and helps Blanche too, but by that time she's in hysterics, her entire body shaking in laughter.

  "It's okay, Hunter," she says between swiping tears off her cheeks. "It's fine."

  "No, it's the right size. I checked. I even borrowed one of your rings and took it to the jeweler. I don't get it." He scratches the top of his head in wonder.

  Blanche leans on one arm and squeezes his cheeks with a hand, making his lips pucker. "You're adorable. I love you." She plants a quick kiss on his lips. "I love it. It's perfect but my fingers are swollen, babe." She wriggles her fingers in front of him. "See. They’re like mini-sausages."

  Hunter is awfully disappointed. He's been planning this proposal for weeks. The initial idea is to propose to Bee after his parents' vow renewal, in front of the whole family. But excitement got the better of him. The box has been burning a whole in his pocket throughout the trip. He even had to distract Bee at the airport to make sure she didn't see it when he had to empty his pockets. This moment, with her in his old bed, with arts he's created in this very room. When really, he should have been chasing skirts, the younger Hunter had stayed in his bedroom, dreaming of the perfect girl. His perfect woman.

  And Blanche is that perfect woman.

  "Keep it in the box, and we'll wait until my fingers are back to their normal size," Bee interrupts his musings. She circles her arms around his neck, getting on her knees, and nuzzles him on the side of his throat. "I love you."

  Never will he ever tire of hearing those words from her. "I love you too." And never will he ever tire of saying those words back. The happy noises from the backyard reach his room. "Do I tell my family now or wait until you can wear the ring?"

  Bee spreads her lips into the sweetest of smiles. "We should tell them when you feel it's right. It sounds like they're having a great time without us, shall we go down?"

  Hunter helps her lie back down on the bed, cuddling with her, his hands on her stomach. "No, I want to be selfish and think how awesome it is to finally have a girl in here."

  "That's not really true, is it?" There's laughter in her voice.

  Hunter nodded. "True." He moves her hair, now longer and back to its light brown color, and kisses the back of her neck. "But I'm glad it's you."

  For several moments neither one of them say anything. They listen to each other's breathing. They listen to the sounds of voices and laughter beyond the windows. And in that blissful

  moment, Blanche finds happiness, Hunter finds peace, and they both find love.

  SHE BLINKS HER EYES open to an unfamiliar room. Once she adjusts her vision, she remembers whose room she's in. Bee wakes up alone on Hunter's old bed, but she doesn't feel lonely. She will never feel lonely again, not with the love of a man who will stand by her no matter what tribulations come their way.

  Bee has never been in a teenage boy's room ever before, but she suspects not all of them have a hint of oil paints scent. The light from a side lamp illuminates the photos and paintings on the wall. She wonders if Hunter will object to her taking home a few of them. One in particular, and she's sure she isn't wrong, is a self portrait of the man she adores in his younger years with honest eyes looking back at her. She feels protected under that gaze. She would love to have that in their bedroom.

  The bed creaks under her when she moves to sit up, cradling her constantly growing stomach with one hand. From the lack of noises through the open windows, she suspects everyone has gone inside the house. The trip has taken a toll on her and she didn't realize it until she wakes up from a nap. It's time she meets the rest of Hunter's family, but first, off to the bathroom she goes. It's one of the things she can do without during her pregnancy—the constant need to rush to the toilet—that and her swollen feet and hands. Bee stifles a giggle upon remembering Hunter's shock and disappointment when the ring he had chosen didn't fit. Even big guys can be cute.

  The wooden steps groan underneath her feet after her trip to the bathroom. She slowly descends the stairs, imagining the wonderful times had in each of the photographs hanging along the wall. One day, she would like to have a house like this, full of photographs of her own family. It may be too soon to think, but she would like to give Aria two siblings later on.

  She hears the chatter coming from somewhere in the back of the house. Since Hunter took her upstairs as soon as they entered his childhood home, Bee wasn't able to see the entire house. From the outside, it looks massive. She supposes the Peters would need a bigger home to raise seven children. The wall of photos continues along the hallway—and she is amazed by each of them—until the entrance to a medium-sized living room, complete with a cozy fireplace, huge couches that anyone would love to sink into, and a piano. Hunter has never mentioned anyone in his family who plays.

  Her heart stammers as she gets closer to the shiny black baby grand. When was the last time she was near one? When was the last she played? Playing a piano for her, for years, has been like breathing. It comes naturally to her. To feel the keys under her finger, controlling the volume of the sounds they produce, being wrapped up in an opus, is a whole other feeling of euphoria.

  It calls out to her.

  Blanche pulls the bench out and settles herself on it. The beating of her heart is just as fast when Hunter looks at her in wonderment, and then kisses her. She adjusts herself on the bench. The last time she was in front of a piano, she didn't have a burgeoning belly. When she pushes up the lid and sees the black and white keys, she hesitates to touch them, but Aria gives her a nudge.

  With her eyes closed, and she plays the first adagio notes of Moonlight Sonata, her heart sings. In an instant, tears prickle the back of her eyes. The music speaks to her, and she replies with the touch of her fingers. She's brought back into the world where pure elation commingles with desperation and heartache. With one movement, she can bring absolute bliss to one person or crush someone's heart with another. This is the power of music. This is her old world. Her old life.

  Sadness rolls off the dances of her fingers over the keys. How she has missed moments like this when she can be transformed into an ethereal creature. Her heart aches for what it once has been. When she's in front of a piano, she isn't just a lonely girl fighting for the pride of her mother or adoration and praise of people who surround her. She's Blanche Lee, magnanimous musician, who can bring the powerful down to their knees with a sonata.

  But that kind of joy is only temporary. The life inside her will bring her eternal happiness. The love of a man who she adores fulfills a future she has never thought possible for herself. A family. A real family. Her own.

  Once she plays the last few notes of the first movement, Blanche opens her eyes, releasing more tears to roll down her face, and the first person she sees is Hunter. He regards her with such awe and admiration that do not compare to anything she's ever experienced before. He takes a step forward and wraps her in the warmth of love and passion, bringing her up to her shaky feet.

  "That was beautiful. I don't think I've ever heard it played so masterfully before," he murmurs in her ears. "Just hearing that—" He stares deeply into her eyes. "—makes me love you even more."

  Blanche hangs her arms over his shoulders. Her emotion dam is about to burst. No one has loved her for her music. She's been praised, lauded, used and criticized for it. But not loved. She stares right into his eyes. They say it all. And what she sees makes her heart swell. Yes, she is definitely loved.

  "Here. I found a temporary solution," Hunter says, reaching into his jeans pocket. He pulls out a chain necklace with the engagement ring threaded through it. The diamond dangles right onto the hollow of
her throat once he has clasped the chain around her neck.

  She plays with it and thanks him. "It's perfect. You're perfect."

  Hunter swipes his thumbs over her cheeks, drying off the tears she didn't realize have fallen.

  "Quit hogging her and give us our turn!" Blanche hears from behind Hunter. And only then does she notice that they are not alone in the room. His family is grouped by the threshold with various degrees of awe and happiness on their faces.

  Hunter's sister, Coral, the one who has spoken, is the first to break from the group. She jogs over to the couple and wraps them both in a group hug. "Congratulations!" she says, and then turns to Blanche. "I am an expert bridesmaid. I've done it so many times that I can do it in my sleep." She clasps her hands together as though she's thought of something ingenious. "Oh! Or maid of honor! I can be that too!"

  "Relax, squirt," Hunter tells his sister, tapping her shoulder with one hand and using the other to squeeze the bridge of his nose. He shakes his head before addressing Blanche. "Don't mind her. She gets overly excited at times."

  "We're all excited," his mother says in turn. She takes Blanche's hands and squeezes gently. "It's good to have another strong woman in our family. And what a talent you have!" She places her palm over her heart. "Beautiful. Just beautiful!"

  The older version of Hunter comes around next. "Why don't you meet the rest of our troop, Blanche?"

  "I'd love that very much," she replies.

  Hunter guides her around the bench to begin introductions. But not once does he release her hand from his grip. The entire time, Blanche has had to shake his siblings and their spouses' hands with her left hand.

  She receives hugs from Marianne and Jason. Two people who have helped solidify her relationship with Hunter. Two people who are very much in love, even with the seemingly nonstop chaos their kids create in their home. And just a week before, they have announced that they're expecting another child. Marianne is still a few weeks along but she's already glowing.

  When she's introduced to Weston and his wife, she gets a lukewarm greeting from Darla. With bleached blond hair, positively fake breasts and too much makeup on her face, she stands out like a sore thumb in the big, naturally beautiful family. But like Darla, Bee is also an outsider. Who is she to judge? Weston, on the other hand, offers her the warmest smile. His eyes reflect many emotions, and amongst them is pure joy. Bee gathers he's a man of very few words and so she sends a smile back.

  Colin Peters is the type of guy any girl can easily fall for, with his celebrity good looks and charm. He offers Bee a lop-sided smile, but there is mischief in his blue eyes. Among all of Hunter's brothers, Colin is the least serious of them all. However, second only to what troubles Coral might possibly get into.

  Then there is Marshall. Just as tall and wide as Hunter. But while Hunter is covered in tattoos and piercings, Marshall is a clean cut, town doctor. He's clearly proud of what he has accomplished, and so are his parents. But his siblings give him hell for being too prim and proper. Yet, with all the choirboy handsomeness and clear intelligence in his eyes, he remains single.

  After meeting all of them, Blanche repeats their names and their individual traits in her head. She hopes that the week she spends with them is enough to get to know all of them properly. Then Bee remembers. There are seven Peters siblings.

  "Who is missing?" she asks Hunter while they all walk toward the enormous kitchen.

  Hunter looks around before he replies. He drapes an arm over Bee's shoulder, bringing her head closer to him so he can whisper. "Preston isn't here. We don't know if he's coming."

  "Why wouldn't he? It's your parents' anniversary. They're renewing their vows, isn't that important?"

  "Yeah." They stop before entering the kitchen to join the others in another lively conversation. "Sometimes, something not good happens to good people and they turn their backs on that past."

  Bee screws her lips, trying to figure out what Hunter has just told her. "What?"

  "Preston doesn't like coming home because of Weston and Darla. It's a long story and it's not the best time to talk about it. Promise I'll tell you everything later. No one really likes to talk about it."

  Bee nods. She can't imagine this perfect family having any problems of sorts. As they go in, her eyes immediately find Darla and her sour face. The woman frowns at her. In some ways, Darla reminds Bee of her own mother.

  The wrench in her heart tightens. It does that whenever she thinks of her mother. What has happened to her? How has she been since seeing Blanche in her new surroundings with Hunter? When Hunter's mother approaches her and asks her to sit by her side, she cannot help the increase of ache in her heart. Bee looks over at Hunter, and he tilts his head knowingly. Very little conversation has been had between them about her mother but Hunter is aware of how much she wants to reconcile with her mother, despite the ugliness the last time they have been together. Blanche wonders, if she tells her mother that she is engaged to the man whom she loves and wholeheartedly loves her back, will it be enough for her normally frosty Mum?

  Bee rubs a hand over her belly. She feels Aria do a somersault inside. She wishes her daughter would someday meet her maternal grandmother. Someday, Reyna will accept her own granddaughter. Someday, Reyna will accept Blanche's newfound happiness. Even if it's not the ideal life Reyna has planned for years for Blanche.

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Dinner with the Peters family is not like any other gatherings Blanche has experienced. And it is very much an experience. Each of the siblings talks above the others, while still conversing with each other. Blanche tries her hardest to keep engaged without looking like a fool. Are all big families like this?

  Despite the seemingly chaotic nature at the dinner table, she has not stopped laughing and truly enjoying herself. All of Hunter's siblings take turns to tease their brother, imparting story after story about the young Hunter and all his attempts at being a normal child.

  "Normal has never been his thing," Jason says. "Remember when he joined little league and bonked his own head with both the ball and the bat? I've never seen anything like it!"

  "There's that one year, Hunter tried out for hockey when he couldn't even skate and ended up in figure skating classes with me?" Coral guffaws after her recollection.

  Hunter has a reply, an excuse or a retort to each anecdote. He doesn't share in with the laughter, but under the table, whenever a story begins, Hunter squeezes Blanche's hand. His butt on the chair momentarily shakes, like a happy puppy. Whenever Blanche throws her head back to laugh or cover her giggle with a hand, Hunter nuzzles the soft skin behind her ear.

  While she engages in a conversation with Coral, his mother places a hand on his free arm. "She's lovely, Hunter," she tells him, patting his forearm.

  His eyes crinkle on the corners when he smiles. His heart seemingly doubles in size from its rapid beating. How much happiness can one person take? But he wonders, how many times has he changed his mind to bring Blanche back home with him? Now that she's seated with his family and listening to silly stories his brothers and sister do not let him forget, he's grateful that they are both there. Together. Hunter foresees future dinners and get-togethers. And once his daughter, Aria, is born, his mother will certainly insist that they visit on most, if not all, Holidays.

  "She's the most beautiful woman I have ever met, Mom."

  "You're happy."

  "More than that. I'm in love," Hunter confesses.

  His mother pats his arm again. "And she's clearly besotted by you, Hunt. It's all a mother can really hope for."

  The dinner continues much in the same manner. When dessert is served, the conversation turns into the their parents' vow renewal happening the next day. Hunter runs a hand through his hair, and tugs at the short ends. Blanche soothingly rubs his back. When she strokes his low back with her fingernails underneath his shirt, electricity surges up his spine. Hunter is tempted to bypass the different sorts of pies his mother baked. All he wants
is some alone time with his love, to celebrate their engagement.

  When he's about to excuse himself, ready to pull Blanche away from the table, a shadow appears past the threshold. Hunter squints his eyes to focus on the figure swathed in darkness. "Preston!" And immediately, Hunter's eyes shoot toward Weston and Darla.

  All the men are on their feet as soon as Preston steps into the light. Even the children stop chattering. Hunter's brother looks at each one in attendance, and smirks when he sees Darla, with her head down, beside Weston. "It's nice to see that nothing has changed around here." A tense muscle jumps on his jaw.

  The air in the room has changed. Blanche's skin chills. Something has occurred between Weston and Preston, which involves Darla that Hunter has not shared with her. Whatever that may be, she knows he'll tell her later. In the meantime, she is only an outside observer. More often than not, innocent bystanders get caught in the line of fire. Not this time, though. Not when Hunter is there with her, already protecting her with his whole body. She fails to notice how he made his way in front of her in a blink of an eye.

  "Welcome, home, son." Hunter's father's voice is authoritative. "Grab a plate from the kitchen and join us."

  "I'm not hungry." Preston remains seething at Weston and Darla.

  "Then sit down," is their father's calm order. He might be in his sixties, but Blanche doesn't doubt that he can hold his own in any fight or argument, even with any one of his hulking sons.

  Blanche glances around. She catches Mare's knowing, yet nervous smile. Then she spots Darla cowering in her seat. The woman has been less than enthused the entire night. Blanche recalls a song that one of Jason's sons sang in the car about one of the things that doesn't belong. As thrilled as she is to get to know Hunter's family, she is fully aware that every family has their own sets of skeletons.

  A moment later, Preston pulls a chair and sits beside Coral, as far away from Weston and Darla as possible. The tension eases. Hunter massages her shoulder with one hand as he sits back down. "Disaster averted," Hunter whispers into her ear, "...for now."