by Lee Kilraine
“I loved my accounting job. I just can’t take the long hours. But a small job might be perfect.”
Perfect. It was a theme. I’d take it as a sign that I should ask her now.
“Tessa—” My phone rang from my back pocket. Dammit. I pulled it out to check caller ID. Beck. Sighing, I connected the call. “Yeah, Beck, what’s up?”
My gaze flashed to Tessa, and I lowered the mouthpiece to ask, “Beck and Sam are having a pre-engagement party in two weeks. We’re invited, but Sam is begging for your cinnamon apple cake for it.”
“Sweet. And absolutely I’ll make the cake for it.” Tessa agreed without hesitation. That’s the way she was, my Tessa.
“Tell Sam we’ll be there and bring the cake. Yep. See you Monday.” I disconnected the call and tried to regroup. I needed to ask Tessa about moving in together. I was in the process of shoving my phone in my pocket when it rang again. Jesus. I looked. Ash.
I took the call. “Asher, can I—” Ash didn’t even wait, just jumped right into the conversation. Which made sense once I figured out what he was asking. The bad news was Ash and Jon weren’t meant to be. Luckily, this time, they parted as friends, which meant Jon wanted to come back to work at SBC as our receptionist. He had awesome phone and people skills and was great at the job. Maybe even better than a robot receptionist. The good news was Ash had met someone else.
“Nice, Ash. Can’t wait to meet him. Hey, Tess, Ash wants to know if you’d like to double date next weekend.” I winked at her. “He’s trying to avoid one of those awkward first dates.”
“Sure, I’d love to. But I can’t guarantee I won’t make things awkward. I sort of have a talent for it.”
“Okay, we’re in, but not that sushi place. I need my food cooked,” I said and hung up, tossing my phone down onto the kitchen table. “Where were we?”
Tessa cleared her throat. “Pretty sure you were about to ravish me.”
I pointed at her. “Hell yes, but I want to ask you something first. Tessa… I was wondering if you’d be interested in moving in together. Officially. Like in one place.”
She stared at me. Blinked and stared.
My chest squeezed as I wondered if I’d read the situation wrong. Was I the only one who couldn’t get enough of being together?
Just when I was getting worried, she said, “Heck yes I would!” and launched herself into my arms with a laugh.
Her arms wrapped around my neck and she rained kisses all over my face until I held her still with her face between my hands and kissed her. A long, hot, hungry kiss.
“God, Gray, I was afraid you didn’t want to. I’ve been dragging out making any decisions on the house hoping you’d ask. I couldn’t ask because I’m the one who went after you first, so this had to be you.”
“If I’d known you were waiting for me I’d have asked weeks ago. I was afraid I was rushing you, babe.” Another first with Tessa. She had my heart, so all the rest of my firsts would be hers too. “So your place?”
“Our place. If you’re okay with that. You’ve already got your apartment decorated, but my house is bigger. So…”
“Totally okay with that.” I knew her grandma’s house was important to her. Plus it had a yard for Sully.
“Perfect. Now we can pick colors and furnishings we both like.” She smiled up at me, and I saw the method to her madness.
She really had been waiting for me. Waiting to make her house our home. God, I was a lucky man. I leaned forward and kissed her again. “I love you, Tessa Madigan.”
“I’m overwhelmed by that. I swear that first time I saw how fiercely you love—it took my breath away. I feel incredibly lucky.” Her eyes shimmered up at me. “I love you, Gray. Now, about that ravishing…”
My phone rang. We both looked. It was Eli. “Are they yanking my chain? No, I’m not answering.”
“Eli’s a sweetheart.”
“Then you talk to him,” I said. I needed to grab a shower so I could get to the ravishment part of the evening.
“Hello, Eli! How are you? This is Tessa. Madigan. Yes, ball buster.” I rolled my eyes at her. Only Eli. “No, as a matter of fact, I never did ask him. Hold on—Gray, how much did it cost you to sleep with me?”
“One thousand dollars.” Damn Eli, and his big mouth.
Tessa’s mouth fell open. “What?”
“It was a dumb bet Eli made.” I shook my head. “Tell you what… It was worth every damn penny. I’d do it again tomorrow too.”
Tessa’s face moved from shock to a slow beautiful smile. “Gotta go, Eli.” She hung up and tapped the edge of the phone against her chin as her eyes went smoking hot. Like strip-me-naked-and-tie-me-to-the-bed hot. “One thousand dollars, huh?”
“Yep. Now, I’m going to take a shower.” I ran my eyes up and down her body, letting her see how much I desired her. Letting her see there was no price too high I wouldn’t pay for having her in my life. “Then I’m going to ravish you, Tessa Madigan, like you’ve never been ravished before. This is one Madigan job that won’t end in frustration.”
“Don’t just stand there talking. Go get in the shower!”
I turned to leave the kitchen as my phone rang again. “Don’t answer that. If it isn’t Eli again, it’ll be Wyatt. Pretty sure they’re messing with me.”
“Hello. Who should I say is calling? No! Wait…wait.… He’s right here… Gray? Phone call for you…”
“Tell Wyatt I’m busy. Tell him—”
“It’s not Wyatt.” She paused, her voice tense. “It’s Ryker. Ryker’s on the phone.”
“What?” I turned back. It felt like slow motion. Tessa put the phone in my hand and I put it up to my ear. I had to swallow past the fucking broken glass in my throat.
“Ry? Say that again… You’re coming home?” Fuck me, my brother was coming home. My eyes caught Tessa’s and I couldn’t hold back the tears. “He’s coming home.”
“Can’t wait to meet him.” Her eyes went liquid and I pulled her into my arms. I needed the feel of her body against mine to let me know this was real. Not a dream.
“I can’t fucking wait, Ry. I’ve been—we’ve been waiting for you.”
Ryker, the missing part of my heart.
Tessa, my soul mate.
Finally home.
Perfect.
The End
Meet the Author
A former Air Force spouse, Lee Kilraine moved seven times over eighteen years before finally settling with her husband in the pine woods of North Carolina. She has worked as a physical therapy aide, a cashier, a waitress, an English tutor, a ballet teacher and a stay-at-home mom. Holding tight to her mother’s motto, “There’s nothing you can’t do if you try hard enough,” Lee returned to college as an adult and graduated from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Writing thirty-one papers in two years (she counted) rekindled her love of writing, and she set her sights on her other dream—writing romance. When she isn’t swinging on her front porch swing or watching another of their four young adult children leave the nest (she swears she isn’t pushing them out!), you can find her typing away on her computer with her golden retriever, Harley, destroying something at her feet. Lee is a 2014 Golden Heart® Finalist.
Please visit her website at www.leekilraine.com.
Love the Thorne Brothers?
Be sure to read
Give It Up
And
Give and Take
And get more Lee Kilraine in
The Cates Brothers Series
All available now
From Lyrical Books
GIVE IT UP
Beckett. Asher. Gray. Eli. Ryker. Wyatt. Five out of six very different brothers reunited—and working to make their construction firm a success. But oldest brother Beckett just found their major new project becoming one hard and sexy challenge . . .
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A rough childhood tore Beckett and his brothers apart. It took everything he had to track them down and establish Six Brothers Construction. He only trusts them—and his drive to win. Now if SBC can build a billionaire team owner’s much-hyped new mansion, it will put them on the map—and finally fulfill Beckett’s promise to take care of his siblings. Too bad he’ll have to collaborate with hot new rival Samantha Devine, who’s throwing him curves on-site, out-the-box . . . and between the sheets.
Sam knows from experience that arrogant good-ole-boy Beckett is long, strong, and built to go the distance. But this is her only shot to prove she and her fledgling design company can succeed on her own terms. She’ll match Beckett’s expertise by day—and reignite the explosive heat between them by night. But when passion threatens to become real love, will this competition separate them for good . . . or make the sizzling collaboration of a lifetime?
GIVE AND TAKE
Six Brothers Construction was built to reunite a family and heal a painful past. So far it’s opened to rave reviews. But the youngest sibling is about to discover that the right woman can shake even a rock-solid foundation . . .
Wyatt Thorne was so traumatized by his mother’s abandonment he didn’t speak until he was six. At 26, he’s still the quiet type—strong and silent, most comfortable with a hammer in his hand and work to do. But the reassuring rhythm of his life is interrupted when his brother Beckett decides to pay forward their unused office space to a needy start-up. Enter Rhia Hollis, flighty, impulsive, and outspoken—everything that drives Wyatt crazy. Only this time in the sexiest, most irresistible way . . .
Rhia is determined to disprove her reckless, party girl image by making her new company, Seize the Day, the premier event planning firm in Raleigh. She has big dreams, and the Thornes’ offer of a free command center is a huge help. But Wyatt’s gruff, stubborn resistance to her presence is an annoying hindrance. They’re as different as night and day, yet when they begin to meet in the middle, the sparks fly hot. Is this a case of opposites distract—or the beginning of a beautiful long-term project? . . .
