by Anna Brooks
“You guys survived all of that, so anything from here on out will be a cakewalk. Yes, it will. Your mommy and daddy are troopers.” She talks baby talk to Anderson.
“Hey, have you heard anything from Brinley?”
She presses her lips together and shakes her head.
“Has anyone heard from Noble?”
“Erik says the only thing he said is he’s got her. I don’t know what that means. I wanted to go to his house and check on her, but Erik told me no.”
“And you listened?” I laugh.
Her smile brightens when Anderson opens his eyes. “Yes. This time I did because I have to trust that he trusts Noble enough to leave her with him.”
“Polly, were you… In foster care, did anyone ever hurt you?”
“Not like how she was hurt.”
I sympathize with that. “God, I can’t imagine how long she endured… I should have said something.”
“It’s not your fault.”
“But if I’d—”
“Not your fault.”
I drop the conversation because there’s nothing I can do now, and I don’t want my negative energy to rub off on Anderson. But I will forever feel guilty that I was so selfish at that time in my life.
“I want to get married in your backyard.”
Her eyes light up. “Really?”
“Yeah. That’s the first place I saw Royce.”
“Aww, that’s so sweet.”
“What’s sweet?” Erik and Royce come into the living room.
Royce runs a finger along Anderson’s face and then sits next to me. I lean into him and answer Derik. “I was just saying I wanted to get married in your backyard because it was where Royce and I met.”
“That’d be great.” He sits next to Polly and puts his arm around her. When she leans into him, he kisses the top of her head and I can’t help but smile.
There was a part of me that envied what they had because I thought I’d never have it. But the truth of the matter is, I have more than I ever thought possible.
I like to think my birth parents would be proud of me. I’m pretty sure they would. The older I get, the less I remember about them, and it sucks. I do know they were great parents, but they would have been amazing grandparents.
The sensor from the driveway goes off, and since I’m tucked into Royce, Erik gets up to open the door for Mitch and Kim and their little girl Mercy.
“Hi!” She hurries over and stops in front of Polly. “Can I hold him?”
“Sure.” She pats the cushion next to her. “Hop up here.”
She climbs up on the couch, puts some pillows around her, then holds her arms out. As gently as she can, she hand him over and makes sure he’s supported before she fully lets go.
Mitch and Kim walk over, hand in hand, and look down at their daughter and grandson. “That is so cute. Here,” She holds out her phone. “Mercy, smile.” After snapping a shot, she tucks her phone back in her jeans.
“Text that to me.” I say. “I always forget to take pictures. I’m so bad at it.”
“I used to be too, but when I realized how quickly Mercy was growing up, I became a little obsessed.”
Mitch chuckles beside her. “Just a little?”
As they’re bantering, I lean into Royce and tilt my head up. He’s smiling at his dad but must feel my gaze on him, because he looks down and kisses my forehead. “Are you happy?” I ask him.
“Unbelievably.” He answers immediately.
“Me, too.”
I’m so glad he and his father have moved past their differences and have a strong relationship again. I love that I have this great big extended family. And I am so grateful that I get to experience what it really, truly means to be given a second chance in life.
The moment Polly and Erik walked through those doors, I had no idea what my new life would look like. I hoped it’d be better. I wanted it to be happy. But I never thought in a million years it would be what it is right now… absolutely perfect.
Royce
Anderson sleeps on my chest, and Paisley relaxes next to me with my arm around her shoulder. Everything that I love, all the things I hold close to my heart and would die to protect are in my arms right now.
I seem like I’ve got my shit together, but the truth is, I’ve never been more on edge than I am right now. Fear like I’ve never felt keeps me up at night and unease causes me to look over my shoulder constantly.
Being a bodyguard has always made me be cautious, but the precious cargo I hold tight makes me paranoid. I’m like a caged lion just ready to maim.
“Royce?”
“Have we talked about all the things?”
“What were they again?”
She puts a finger to her lip as she thinks. “I can’t remember all of them, but I know one was how things were going to be when we came back here from New York.”
I smile. “Yeah. That was one of them. I didn’t see it playing out this way, but I think it’s better than anything I could have imagined.”
She gives me more than what my dreams were. And by giving me my son… she doesn’t even know. Waiting for her was torture, but finally having her and having a family with her is the absolute sweetest prize in the world.
“Royce?”
“Yeah, baby?”
“I want to add something to the list?”
I raise a brow. “You do?”
“Yeah. You need to relax.” She sits up and runs her finger along my jaw. “I know on the surface you’re putting on a good show, but don’t forget I know you. And I know deep down you’re freaking out and being even more overprotective than normal.”
This is why I love her. Because she’s right. She does know me. “I’m tryin’ to keep my cool, but I can’t even imagine this world without you two, and… precious, we both know loss. And it scares the shit out of me that now that I have everything I’ve ever wanted, something is going to take it away.”
“If there’s anything we can learn from that loss, though, it’s to live for today. We can’t worry about everything that could happen.”
“You might not, but I will.”
“Royce.” She breathes my name.
I kiss her soft lips and hold her face in my palm. “Paisley.”
She sighs, knowing it’s not something I’ll ever be able to budge on. Not their safety. Ever.
“You’re gonna give yourself an ulcer or something with how much you worry. It’s like having another full-time job.”
“Taking care of you, making sure you and my son are safe and happy and loved is my responsibility as your man and his father. That will never change. But my job, precious, my job is to love you for the rest of my life.”
She turns her head and kisses my palm. “I’m just a job to you?” She teases.
“You never were a job and you never will be. What you are, is my life. My world.” I rest my forehead on hers and look deep into her eyes. “You’re my everything.”
Click to order the next book in the Guarding Her Series, Drift
I could tell this girl was lost.
She was also scared and alone. This life was going to destroy her… If I let it.
She refuses my help and protection until she realizes the audition she’s attending isn’t an audition at all.
It’s an auction. And she’s about to be sold to the highest bidder.
I’ve got the money to buy her, but better than that, I’ve got the power to save her.
Notes and stuff.
First, I want to say a huge thank you for taking a chance on Surface. I hope you enjoyed reading Royce and Paisley’s story as much as I loved writing it.
When I wrote the original first draft of this book, it started out when Paisley was fourteen and Royce was twenty-one. But I got to the end and just wasn’t happy with how the story developed, so I trashed that storyline… all sixty thousand words! (I still have several of the original scenes that I’ll be sharing in my newsletter, so be on the lookout for those
!)
Then I started over.
And I am so happy I did.
I absolutely love that we jump right in with Royce being all protective over Paisley… I didn’t want to wait for that side of him any longer than necessary, so I’m glad it starts where he can be awesome like that right away! He’s one of my favorite guys ever, so this isn’t the end for him. He’ll be making appearances in the future for sure! (You can actually find characters from different stories making cameos in almost all of my books. It’s seriously one of my favorite things to do!)
Since this is a brand new series (technically a spin-off of Steady) there were a lot of new characters that needed to be introduced. It was so hard not giving away too much of what’s to come for the men of Royal Ace Security, but I hope you’re ready for more, because they’re coming for you!
Carter is next, then Wesley, followed by Gio, and finally Noble. And yes, Brinely will be back and you’ll find out who she is to Noble (or you can read the synopsis ;)). I’m not sure I’ll stop there, but it’s all I have planned for the series… for now.
I love hearing from readers and talking books, so feel free to send an email or contact me via social media. I’m @annabrooksauth everywhere!
Thank you again for reading, and I hope to see you after Drift.
Love,
Anna
P.S. Follow me on Bookbub to be notified when I have a sale!
A preview of Steady, where you can read Erik and Polly’s story. (Plus a little more Royce, which is never a bad thing!)
I open my door, and before I even have my feet on the ground, Erik is there, grabbing me by my waist and hoisting me out of the truck. He slams the door and turns to face me. Oh, he’s pissed. His nostrils flare and his jaw clenches.
Predator, prey. He stalks me until my back hits the brick wall of the club. He puts his forearms on either side of my head, caging me in. The fury in his eyes should scare me, but it doesn’t. At all. In fact, I’m feeling the absolute and complete utter opposite of fear.
His nose actually brushes against mine. “What. The hell. Are you doing?”
“Excuse me?”
“You seriously got into a truck with a man you don’t know. Alone? Jesus Christ, Polly.”
My justification flies out of my mouth because I don’t want him thinking I’m an idiot. “My car died, and when he came, he offered me a ride since it was on his way. It’s really not a big de—”
“Oh, yes, it is. You were alone with a guy two times your size. He could have touched you, taken advantage of you… He could have hurt you.” He ends the statement on a whisper and drops his forehead to mine, his warmth sinking into me.
“He didn’t. And I was fine, Erik, perfectly safe.”
“Don’t ever do that again. Please. If you need a ride, if your fuckin’ drain is clogged, anything, don’t call another man. Call me.”
“Why?”
His lids close slowly before he opens them. The unrest swirling in his eyes makes them darken a shade, turning the amber jade specks the color of evergreens. “Because if something happened to you, and I wasn’t there…”
Continue reading for an excerpt from Bulletproof Butterfly, Jay and Livvie’s story.
Bulletproof Butterfly
“Jay.” Livvie slaps my stomach. “Stop it.”
Ignoring her, I continue, “And she was unable to answer her phone last night because—”
“Enough,” she snaps. “I’ll be right back, Paxton.” She puts both of her hands on my chest, shoves me back into the apartment, and then slams the door behind her. “Stop it. Right now.”
“Not gonna let another man stand there, right in front of my face, and spit lines at my woman.”
“He’s not.”
“You got a dick, baby? ’Cause I do, and I know the game he’s playing. I’m not going to be a participant in this shit. It ends, Livvie. Now.”
She shakes her head and points at me. “He’s my boss, Jay. He gave me a job when I needed it. You don’t need to be a dick to him just because yours is threatened.”
“Oh, my dick ain’t threatened, darlin’.” I grab my junk and saunter up to her. “What it is, though, is hard. So fuckin’ ready for you.”
I grab her waist, pulling her to me. My hands palm her ass, and I rub her against the object of our conversation. Her lips part on a quiet moan.
“Get rid of him, Livvie.” I slide my palm up her back and rest it just above her panty line and bring the other one up to the back of her head to fist her hair. She gasps and sways into me, right where she belongs. “If you don’t, I will.”
When she starts to protest, I take advantage and cover her mouth with mine. My tongue dominates, seeking the control I feel I lack right now. The fact that this guy thinks he has a claim to her amps me up in a way I know isn’t fair to her.
But if she cared, she’s certainly not acting like it right now because her fingers inch up my sides until they’re at my shoulder blades, and her nails sink into my flesh. I grab her by her ass again and back her into the door, lifting her up and pinning her there with my hips against hers.
She moans against my mouth, and I slide her core up and down, her pussy hot even through her yoga pants and my shorts. The heels of her bare feet dig into my lower back as she grinds herself against me. Her chest heaves, and she drops her arms, slamming them against the door and arching toward me as pleasure rips through her.
I’m evil enough that I pull my mouth from hers so when she calls out my name, I know he’ll hear it on the other side of the door. After a moment, her breathing evens out, her legs uncross and fall, and she glares at me.
I smirk back at her, not at all regretting what I just did.
Her hand comes at me, and I don’t stop it as her palm whips across my face. She pushes me, but I don’t budge. “You’re such an asshole.”
“An asshole who just proved his point.” I put my hand on the knob. “Get rid of him.”
Other Books
It’s Kind Of Personal Series
Make Me Forget
Show Me How
Prove Me Right
Tell Me When
Remember Me Now
Give Me This
Pleasant Valley Series
Fixing Fate
Love, Me
Steady
Standalones
Not Your Hero
Easy Sacrifice
Bulletproof Butterfly
Heartbreaker
Guarding Her Series
Surface
Drift
Edge
Closer
Roam
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Acknowledgments
I have made the absolute best friends the past few years, and it wouldn’t be right to start my acknowledgments without thanking them for their support. In order to avoid me being my normal scatter-brained self and accidentally leaving someone out, I’m going to say this to those women I’m lucky enough to call my friends; thank you for being there for me. I know you have your own life, your own books, your own family, so when you take the time out of your busy schedule for me (or listen when I overload your inbox with voice messages), from the bottom of my heart, I love you and am forever grateful for your friendship.
Thank you so much to Emily and the rest of the amazing team at Social Butterfly PR. Em, I am incredibly lucky to have you and am so appreciative of your friendship and all of your hard work.
To my beta readers! Elizabeth & Nicole (even though I completely scrapped the draft you guys read, I appreciate you taking the time to read), Kim, KC, Crystal, Shannon, Jennifer, Megan, Nikki, and Samantha, thank you all so, so, so much for your feedback and helping me make this story the absolute best it could be.
Anna Croswell from Cover Couture, thank you so much for the brilliant and beautiful (and hot!) cover.
Jenny from Editing4Indies, I am so happy to still be working with you. Thank you for being so great.
Kim, I’m so lucky to have you and am continually amazed with your attention to detail.
Stacey from Champagne Formats, there aren’t words to describe how much I appreciate you, so I’ll just say, thank you for everything you do for me.
Ena from Enticing Journey, thank you for the fantastic job you always do.
Colleen and your fabulous team at Itsy Bitsy Book Bits, I’m continually impressed with everything that you all do, thank you!
Kylie from Kylie’s Fiction Addiction, I’m so thrilled to be working with you. Thank you for all of your hard work.
To all of the readers, bloggers, and reviewers, from the bottom of my heart, thank you, thank you, thank you.
And of course to my husband and two boys, you give me space when I need it and you make me smile when I want to cry. Your support through this journey is nothing short of amazing, I love you guys.
About the Author
Anna began writing when she thought the world would want to hear her sick lyrics through song. Since then, she's realized her childhood dream wasn’t so far-fetched, just misguided. Now she writes romance with real emotions and happy endings. If Anna isn’t writing or reading, she can be found by a space heater drinking a ridiculous amount of Diet Dr. Pepper. She also likes to hang out with her husband and two boys. If it weren’t for them, she wouldn’t ever leave the house. Anna was born in Wisconsin but now lives in the Evergreen State.
