Lost in Bliss

by Sophie Oak

  ever doubt it.”

  When they carried her out, she didn’t look back. That part of her

  life was done, and it couldn’t hurt her again.

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  Chapter Twenty

  Laura watched as Stef and Jen Talbot had their first dance as

  husband and wife. They were wrapped up in each other like vines

  twining together, swaying to the music. The Bliss Reception Hall had

  been completely decked out to look like a romantic forest complete

  with greenery and trees along all the walls. Stef Talbot was a

  billionaire who could have bought his own private island to have a

  wedding, but he and his bride had insisted on the Feed Store Church

  and the Rec Center.

  “They look good together,” Holly said, locking arms with Laura.

  For days, Holly had tried to keep a hand on Laura. Laura hadn’t been

  able to miss the way her best friend refused to let her out of her sight.

  Laura leaned over, brushing Holly’s head with her own. “Those

  two definitely belong together. Jen is the perfect woman to deal with

  King Stef. She makes him laugh.” And she put him in his place from

  time to time. Everyone needed that.

  “Caleb never laughs,” Holly said with a sad sigh. “Why do I like

  him so much?”

  Her poor friend. Caleb Burke was a puzzle and a half. He’d been

  all over Holly when there was a threat, but he’d backed off the instant

  the threat was gone. He was right back to sitting in Holly’s section at

  Stella’s for breakfast, lunch, and dinner and staring without ever

  asking her out. She didn’t envy Holly dealing with Caleb, but it was

  obvious her friend was totally into the doctor. “You just need to give

  him a little time. When is Nicky coming into town?”

  That was the way to get Holly’s mind off her heartache. She lit up

  at the mere mention of her son spending a week with her. It had been

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  a long time since Holly had been able to spend time with her

  seventeen-year-old son. “He’ll be here in a couple of days. He’s got a

  tiny bit of time between his summer pre-college camp and football

  camp. I’m so excited. And now that the serial killer is gone, I don’t

  even have to worry about him being murdered.”

  “Always a good thing.”

  Bliss had settled back into a peaceful, sleepy existence. They had

  only added two murders to their total this time around. Hiram, the

  mayor of Bliss, had called it a win.

  Laura had gone back to work, but only until Bart found a

  replacement for her at the Stop ‘n’ Shop. She’d promised Rafe she’d

  get her PI license and join him in building a real business. She meant

  to keep that promise. He was passionate about finding missing

  persons and reuniting loved ones.

  Cam was finding his place. He was a hard-working deputy and

  spent every night perfecting his software. Callie was rapidly

  approaching her due date, and Cam had already been told he would be

  in charge of Bliss while Nate was on paternity leave. Given Cam’s

  longtime law enforcement experience, he’d been given the second in

  command job. Logan had taken the news well. He’d shaken Cam’s

  hand, and then Cam had had to pick him up at a bar two towns over

  later that night. Cam was happily busy with his new job. Well, when

  he wasn’t busy making love to her. He and Rafe seemed happy to

  spend as much time in bed as possible.

  Nell joined them, her face shining in the twinkle lights of the

  reception hall. “Hey, you two. Stef had a vegan cake brought in. It’s

  delicious.”

  Trust Stef to make sure everyone had what they wanted. There

  were three different cakes. A bridal cake, a groom’s cake, and a vegan

  cake. Not a one of them was vanilla. “That’s great, Nell. I’m glad you

  decided to give up your nude protest in order to attend the wedding.”

  Nell shrugged. “Well, friendship is more important, isn’t it?

  Rachel gave me her blessing. She said she found a very nice cover on

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  the Internet that allows her to see Paige when she feeds her. I think

  she should be allowed to run around topless if she wants to, but I got

  outvoted. Besides, the bunker got too quiet once Mel and Cassidy left.

  Henry was completely irrational about the whole topless thing. I was

  very surprised.” She turned, and her face went from bright and shiny

  to serious. “But he’s being reasonable about one thing.”

  “Really?” In Laura’s opinion, Henry’s response to Nell’s topless

  protest was one of the more rational things he’d ever done. She knew

  what would happen if she tried that. Rafe and Cam would do way

  worse than take her to a bunker. “What is that?”

  “I know what happened to you. I know that you can’t carry a baby

  anymore,” Nell said quietly, her eyes softening.

  Laura felt Holly’s hand on her shoulder. Being reminded of what

  she’d lost didn’t hurt the way it used to, but the thought still brought tears to her eyes. “When the time comes, we’ll see about adoption.”

  “And that would be great,” Nell said, taking both of Laura’s hands

  in hers. Nell’s brown eyes shone as she looked up at Laura. “If that’s

  what you decide to do, I am all behind you. But if you want to, you

  could choose a different path. You kept one of your ovaries. I could

  be your surrogate. My womb works, at least I think it does. And

  Henry and I decided a long time ago that we would forgo having

  children, so you wouldn’t be intruding.”

  Laura was utterly shocked. Nell had many principles, but this was

  one of her most sacred. “Because of population control. Nell, you

  believe in that.”

  Nell gave her a watery smile and squeezed her hands. “I believe in

  you more. Like I said, friends are more important. And you and Rafe

  and Cam would raise an amazing kid. It’s just something to think

  about. If you want to, we would like to give you that gift.”

  Now Laura cried for a different reason. She hugged Nell, pulling

  the delicate woman into her arms. “Thank you.”

  Laura might never take her up on the offer, but it was a balm to

  her soul that Nell had offered.

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  “It’s something to think about.” Nell pulled back, and a little smile

  curled her lips. “And if we need to do it the old-fashioned way, you

  know I think Rafe is just cute as a button.”

  “Bad girl!” Laura said playfully as Nell winked and scurried away

  to dance with her husband.

  Holly had tears in her eyes as she leaned forward and kissed

  Laura’s cheek. “I’m going to get a drink. I love you, you know. You

  and Nell, you’re my lifelines. Now you get out there and dance with

  those hot hunks of yours.”

  Holly turned and started a conversation with Marie and Teeny.

  “So, this is what a wedding’s like in Bliss, huh?” Cam asked,

  nodding to Holly as she walked off. He handed Laura a glass of

  champagne.

  Laura looked at her loves. Rafe was right beside Cam. They<
br />
  looked amazingly gorgeous in tuxedoes. Rafe was tall, dark, and

  broodingly handsome. Cam was an all-American hottie. What had she

  done to deserve them?

  “Were you surprised when the bride danced down the aisle? I

  think Stef was,” Laura said.

  The ceremony had been joyous, utterly reflecting the quirky

  beauty of the couple involved. There hadn’t been a dry eye in the

  house. Laura had even caught Max wiping his eyes when Stef had

  pledged to love his bride forever.

  “I liked the bales of hay,” Rafe admitted with a broad smile. “I

  haven’t been to a wedding where all the guests sat on hay.”

  “That’s because you’ve never gotten married in a Feed Store

  Church before,” Laura replied. “You get a beautiful wedding

  ceremony, and all the attendees get ten percent off their next feed

  order. I think that’s the only reason James Glen came. He says he’s

  allergic to commitment of any kind.”

  She looked across the room where the said commitment-phobe

  was talking up Brooke Harper. He might not want to get married, but

  he was definitely looking for some company. Wolf stood beside his

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  closest friend. He didn’t look like he would mind spending some time

  with Brooke Harper, either. Two cowboys strode up, trying to get into

  Brooke’s space. Laura searched her memory. They were brothers.

  Shane and Bay Kent. They were friends of Stef’s, but Max and Rye

  Harper couldn’t stand the two cowboys. Brooke was about to get

  herself into a very interesting situation. Wolf stepped back like he

  didn’t want to get too involved. When he saw her, he smiled and

  raised a glass.

  She smiled back and did the same.

  And found both of her men frowning down ferociously at her.

  “Hey, I was just saying hi,” she said.

  “See that you keep it that way,” Cam replied.

  She threw back her head and laughed. “Because I need a third

  guy. Trust me, baby, my dance card is totally full.”

  “It’s full of us,” Cam said, getting close to her. He invaded her

  space, his hips moving. He bumped against her in time to the music.

  “We can keep you dancing, baby.”

  She felt Rafe at her back. “We can dance all night, bella.”

  They could dance forever. They would dance forever.

  The music flowed around them as they swayed together. Laura

  was surrounded by her men and her friends and her future.

  She almost didn’t notice when the double doors to the reception

  hall opened, and a big, broad figure filled the doorway.

  “Oh my god,” she breathed as she realized who it was. “Alexei?”

  “Who’s Alexei?” Rafe asked as he looked around at all the people

  staring at the new guy. Everyone had stopped.

  The big, gorgeous Russian walked in, a broad smile on his

  handsome face. He glanced around the room, and his focus lasered in

  on Holly. The room seemed to stop, every eye following the former

  mobster as he made his way toward the woman he’d saved.

  Laura watched as Holly turned, and her eyes widened. Alexei had

  dressed for the occasion, wearing a perfectly tailored suit that clung to his muscular form. He was hotness personified, and Laura wasn’t

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  surprised that Holly practically drooled.

  Alexei walked up and stopped mere inches from his target. He

  towered over Holly.

  “Hello. My name is Howard, and I am be coming from Orlando.”

  Holly seemed breathless as she looked up. “Is that your witness

  protection name?”

  “Yes.” Alexei started to reach a hand out. “But we can pick new

  one if you do not like this one. The trials are over. I am free to go

  where I like to go. I go with you.”

  “No!” Caleb Burke’s favorite word didn’t fall out of his mouth

  this time. It was pushed and with great force. Caleb’s face was a mask

  of indignation. Unlike normal, his emotion could be read plainly on

  his face.

  Another song started. This one a happy, bouncy tune.

  Holly was in a mess.

  “Dance with us,” Cam whispered.

  “Be with us,” Rafe said just as provocatively. “We found a closet

  that’s unlocked. There’s plenty of room. We need you, bella.”

  Their hands were on her hips and getting dangerously close to her

  breasts. Laura’s heart sped up. It always did when they were around.

  “Take me there.”

  Holly would figure it out. She was caught in between two men,

  and that was an amazing place to be. Laura gave her best friend a little wave as Cam and Rafe led her off.

  It was time for Laura to dance.

  THE END

  WWW.SOPHIEOAK.COM

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  A lifetime devotee to the written word, Sophie published her first

  novel in 2010. Prior to becoming a novelist, she worked in theater and

  comic books. She is known primarily for her Texas Sirens series and Bliss, Colorado series. She lives in Fort Worth, Texas with her husband and three precocious children, who wonder when mom is

  going to write a book they will be allowed to read. Her answer:

  probably never. Sophie believes in happy endings for everyone, no

  matter how extreme the story. Her stories may feature some of the

  fringe elements of sexuality, but at heart they are always about love.

  Also by Sophie Oak

  Ménage Amour: Texas Sirens 1: Small Town Siren

  Ménage Amour: Texas Sirens 2: Siren in the City

  Ménage Everlasting: Texas Sirens 3: Siren Enslaved

  Ménage Everlasting: Texas Sirens 4: Siren Beloved

  Ménage Amour: Nights in Bliss, Colorado 1: Three to Ride

  Ménage Everlasting: Nights in Bliss, Colorado 2: Two to Love

  Everlasting Classic: Nights in Bliss, Colorado 3: One to Keep

  Siren Classic: Away From Me

  Ménage Everlasting: A Faery Story: Bound

  Also by Sophie Oak and Chloe Lang

  Siren LoveXtreme: Playing the Field

  Available at

  BOOKSTRAND.COM

  Siren Publishing, Inc.

  www.SirenPublishing.com

  Document Outline

  LOST IN BLISS

  THE END