by Emma Roman
“The only person who knew about Matched was my best friend and…” Laurel’s voice hitched like she’d swallowed a cotton ball.
“Who?”
“Felicity.” The defeat in her voice speared Mick’s heart.
“It’s my fault,” Mick growled.
“No. I made the mistake. This is all on me.” Laurel flipped through the papers inside the envelope, her shoulders sagging a little further with each page turn.
Mick slipped an arm around her waist. “We’ll figure out something.”
“There’s nothing to figure out. I made the mistake in my calculations. I can’t open Matched where I leased storefront. I have to eat the cost of the lease and close.” She glanced up at the lawyer, anger flaring in those stark blue eyes. “You can go now,” she said, some of the venom returning to her voice. “Tell Lance hell will freeze over before he gets those client passwords from me, especially after this and his stunt with the video.”
The lawyer swallowed and nodded, backing slowly toward his vehicle. It didn’t take him more than a few moments to scramble into the driver’s seat and peel out of the driveway throwing gravel in his wake.
Mick squeezed her tighter, taking small pleasures in the feel of her curves melded against his body. “Let’s go inside and I’ll get you some food and something to drink.” They walked together, up the steps to his front door, and inside. The lights were dimmed and rose petals lined the floor, trailing a path from the stairs to their right. His Valentine plans had been laid to waste…well almost. He still had the food from Meg’s Bakery. No one made muffins quite like Meg. He’d gotten them each a blueberry and a thermos of her vanilla caramel coffee.
Laurel paused and he watched her gaze follow the trail of pink and purple rose petals. There was more upstairs. Chocolate. Wine. Not that she could see any of it, but she would eventually. Eventually he’d get her up those stairs and help her forget the awful start to this day.
“I can’t believe you did all this for me. And so quickly. You didn’t have this planned before you left, did you?”
Warmth crept up his face and Mick shook his head, grinning. “I will admit to calling in a few favors around town for the flowers. The food is from Meg’s. She’s a friend too, so I guess it pays to know everyone. I wanted you to have a good Valentine’s.”
“It smells divine. Thank you.”
“I’ll be sure to pass that along to Meg. She’ll appreciate it. She and Paige both live and breathe baked goods.”
The small talk seemed to be helping. She wasn’t crying. Her eyes weren’t flashing with anger any longer. Even her posture said she’d relaxed somewhat.
He ushered her into his kitchen and pulled out a chair then poured them both a coffee and a muffin before sitting at the small table across from her. “Is there anything I can do?”
She pinched off a piece of the muffin and popped it into her mouth. The succession of small pleasure-filled moans nearly undid him right there on the spot. He shifted uncomfortably and took a sip of the hot coffee.
“I’m sorry you got dragged into my mess. It was supposed to be over. He was supposed to leave me alone.” A tear rolled down her cheek. “I can’t believe I made such a huge mistake with the storefront though. I don’t know what I’m going to do.”
“We’ll look for a sublet for it,” Mick said, straightening. There was a solution. She was only two miles off—at least per the lawyer. “In the meantime, I’ll get the guys to help you move the office furniture into the rear living space on your home. That closed in garden room would be perfect for an office. This neighborhood is five miles from the center of town. It’s got to be outside the two-hundred-mile marker for your non-compete.”
Her eyes widened. “Really?”
The escalating hope in her voice made Mick’s heart pound. Surely it was, right? He pulled out his phone and opened the mapping app on it. “What’s the address on the Dallas business?”
She recited it slowly and he typed it in. Then filled in her home address. A slow sigh slid from his chest with the results—two hundred and two miles. He lifted the phone screen and showed it to Laurel. “I’ll get a friend down at City Hall to verify and then have a lawyer sign off, but I think you’re going to be safe operating out of your home.”
“You do have a lot of friends.”
Mick chuckled again. “Comes with the territory. I grew up here.”
“Thank you so much.” She leaped from the chair and threw her arms around his neck, capturing his mouth with hers, and sinking into his big arms. His strength. His positive thinking had kept her from completely losing it after the lawyer left. He’d made it seem like there would be a way. A way for her to still do what she loved and stay in Somewhere. Hopefully. He was right, though. It needed to be verified by the city and signed off on by a lawyer. Otherwise Lance would be after her again faster than she could put out an open-for-business sign.
Single-handedly Mick had sacrificed his privacy to keep her name out of the local newspapers. He’d created a Valentine heaven that she really wanted to get back too. Curiosity about what he had set up for her at the end of the rose petal trail was already making her insides thrum again. Now, he’d come up with a way for her to run Matched in Somewhere Texas. And maybe the lease could be broken or at least a sublet found for it.
His hands slipped into her hair, fisting large hunks of it, angling her head so he could deepen the kiss. More. He always wanted more. And so did she. So much more of this big burly sweet man who made her feel safe and treasured and cared for. Something she’d only just recently realized she’d never had with her ex. He’d given her things. She’d never wanted for anything material. Never wanted for anything other than a physical connection.
She pulled back and cupped Mick’s face, staring deep into his fiercely intense gaze. “I don’t know why you were so nice to me that first evening, but I’m so glad you came into that store. I’m so glad I found you.”
“I’m the luckiest guy on the planet because I walked into that store first and you gave me a chance. I would do anything for you, love.”
The sincerity of his voice plucked a cord so deep within her, she had to blink back tears of joy. Heels over head, she was falling for him so fast. How could she not? She’d be a fool not to see how right they were together. Laurel had always prided herself in seeing through the typical smokescreen clients put up to try and hide their truest desires. Somehow she’d totally missed seeing her own mess. Totally missed how they worked.
“Catch me?”
His eyebrows raised and a mischievous twinkle flashed in his eye. “Are you gonna fall?”
“I’ve already accidentally fallen for you, Mick Ramsey, and will continue to do so every day.”
He stood from the chair quickly, sweeping her legs out from under her and the very real sensation of falling pulled a small squeal from between her lips. “Consider yourself eternally caught, sweetheart. Cause I don’t plan to ever let you fall again.”
About the Author:
Krystal Shannan, also known as Emma Roman, lives in a sprawling ranch style home with her husband, daughter, and a pack of rescue Basset Hounds. She is an advocate for Autism Awareness and shares the experiences and adventures she’s been through with her daughter whenever she can.
Needless to say, life is never boring when you have an elementary-aged special needs child you are homeschooling and half a dozen 4-legged friends roaming the house. They keep her and her husband busy, smiling, and laughing.
Krystal writes magick and Emma doesn’t. If you are looking for leisurely-paced sweet romance, her books are probably not for you. However, for those looking for a story filled with adventure, passion, and just enough humor to make you laugh out loud. Welcome home!
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2. Love, Honor, and Ink
A Montgomery Ink Novella
&nb
sp; Carrie Ann Ryan
Introduction
In a bonus Montgomery Ink novella, it seems that falling for your best friend isn’t as easy as fiction says and friends of the Montgomerys might finally find their happy ever after.
Wedding planner Arianna King had everything planned out down to the last detail until her father's ultimatum changed everything. Now she’s alone, trying to open her own business, and seemingly failing at every corner. Just when things start to look even bleaker, she’ll find out just how much she can rely on her best friend—and herself.
Being in love with your best friend isn’t always easy as Harper Rosso knows. He’s been by her side since the beginning, but now that she finally has time to breath, he might just be able to show her what he could be for her. Only he’ll have to make sure he’s ready to take that chance and perhaps lose her forever.
Sparks fly between the two of them once they finally take their relationship to the next level. Only the burning temptation than fills them might not be enough in the face of what they left behind and what threatens their future.
Author Note
First off, hi there! Thanks so much for picking up Love, Honor, and Ink! When Krystal asked me to be part of this amazing anthology, I knew I couldn’t stay no. This novella fits right inside timeline wise with Ink Exposed (Montgomery Ink Book 6) and Adoring Ink (Montgomery Ink Book 6.5), but I was VERY careful about no spoiling the series for anyone who wants to start off the world now. I’m a huge fan of making sure you can check out a book any time you want and I can’t wait for you to read this one and tell me what you think!
Adoring Ink features Arianna and Harper who have tiny parts in the Montgomery Ink series but intrigued me nonetheless. Sometimes I find myself writing side characters that need stories of their own, but I don’t think fits with a Montgomery. I have all of my Montgomerys paired off in my head as it is, so I don’t want to mess that up! Ha! So Arianna and Harper are a bit of a surprise. That just makes me really happy and blessed that I could be part of this anthology with Krystal.
This story as well as the cause our anthology recognizes are dear to my heart. I hope you enjoy the story and know that everyone deserves and HEA…even those who don’t thing they should.
Happy Reading, folks.
I adore you guys.
~Carrie Ann
1
The sharp staccato of high-heeled shoes hitting the marble floors of the opulent hallway filled Arianna King’s ears as she tried to slow her pace. She nodded at a man in a business suit leaving the office she on was her way to and tried not to look too eager. It didn’t help that her heartbeat was in tune with her footsteps.
Funny, she hadn’t thought she’d be so happy to walk into this particular office, but today wasn’t an ordinary day. No, this was the day her dreams came true. Complete with sparkly dresses and the occasional tiara.
Too bad there wouldn’t be a dashing prince on a white horse for her, but everything else was finally falling into place. Freaking finally.
Okay, so she really didn’t need a dashing prince on a white horse. She could save herself and ride her own horse, but little girl dreams sometimes reared their heads at the most peculiar moments.
Arianna smiled as she passed a couple that was walking out of one of the other wedding advisor’s rooms. She was just too happy and excited about what was to come to try to maintain much of her professional image. After all, she was a wedding planner, she had to be happy; and right then, she had nothing to hide.
And soon, she’d be able to do cartwheels down the hallway and dance a little jig before pumping her fists in the air like Rocky.
Okay, so that last part might have been a little overboard, but come on, she’d been waiting years for this moment. Years of sweat, pain, tears, and the occasional cut and scrape where she’d had to buck up and deal with it. Countless sleepless nights, and that ulcer that occasionally threatened to come back would finally be worth it.
They were in the middle of their busiest time of the year, as Valentine’s Day was rapidly approaching. Her to do lists were a mile long, and her planners were filled to the brim, but she loved it—even if no one outside the walls of the company knew she was the one actually doing the work.
Now she’d finally have a position and title she deserved. She might share a name with the company, but she never been part of the whole, never had the recognition and value she’d deserved. Well, that sounded haughty, but damn it, it was about time she started acting like she was more than just the little assistant.
With what was about to come out of her next meeting, she had a feeling everything would fall into place.
“Ari!”
Arianna paused her triumphant jaunt and turned on her heel at the sound of her fellow wedding planner’s shout.
“Is there a reason you’re yelling across the hallway as if hellhounds are on your tail?” she said coolly. Arianna raised a single brow then burst into laughter along with Colleen. “I really can’t pull off lady of the manor can I?”
Colleen snorted and shook her head. “Oh, you can act prissy and the ice princess when you’re talking to your father because that’s how he expects you to act, but with me? Nope. Not so much.”
Colleen was one of her best friends and coworkers, so it made sense that she knew Arianna so well. And the dark-haired woman wasn’t wrong about how Arianna had to act around her father. She raised her chin, trying to prepare herself. She’d been so excited to go see him, knowing her life was about to change for the better—at last—but in order to do that, she had to meet with him.
Arianna let out a breath, determined to not let her father ruin this for her. Again. He tended to do that often. “What was it you needed?”
Colleen shook her head then looked at her tablet in her hand. “I need help with this flower order for the Johnson-Callery wedding.”
While Arianna was one of the two lead wedding planners—well, the only one, really but she wasn’t going get into all of that right then—Colleen was a junior planner at King’s Weddings. Her friend knew what she was doing and only asked for help if she truly needed it. Arianna looked down the hallway toward where her destiny lay and nodded.
That door could wait two minutes.
Then she could finish her jig.
“What’s wrong?” she asked and spent the next fifteen minutes, rather than the two she thought she could give up, going over an order so unusual, so completely out of the realm of normal, Arianna thought she’d need an antacid after. No wonder Colleen had issues.
“The couple does realize brown and orange for a wedding screams seventies, right?” Arianna asked, picturing tulle and god-awful ruffles with burnt orange trim. The shudder racking her body wasn’t an exaggeration.
Tulle was, after all, the Devil’s textile.
“Don’t even get me started,” Colleen mumbled. “They want it to match their sports team. They fell in love while at a game so it actually means something to them. If it didn’t, I would have found a way around it.”
Arianna scrunched her face then nodded. “Okay, so here is what you’re going to do. Find the tamest of these colors that match and work in other designs. They can be muted. It doesn’t have to be the whole thing, make it be almost a salute to their team without forgetting about them. Compromise.”
She helped Colleen a few more moments then checked the time on her phone, holding back a curse. “I need to go.”
“Good luck,” Colleen whispered, the same eagerness and fear in her eyes that Arianna had in her heart.
Arianna nodded at her friend, afraid to say anything else and jinx it. She loved her job, really, but she wanted to actually be able to love it and…sleep. As it was, being one of the head wedding planners for King’s Weddings meant she had more work to do than most, and very little time to do it in. However, she loved it with every smile, tear, and gasp for breath during the ceremony, reception, and everything that came before it.
The fact that they all thought her fathe
r was the one who did everything rather than stand on the sidelines and pretend to do things is what made her want to scream.
But that would be no more.
After this meeting, she’d finally have her vindication. She wouldn’t be the one behind the man, doing all the work while her father got all the credit. Honestly, despite the title behind her father’s name, Arianna wasn’t sure when the man had last planned a wedding.
In fact, if Arianna thought too hard about it—which she tried not to do since she had way too much on her plate as it was—she wasn’t sure her father had ever planned a wedding.
Dear Lord.
Nope, she wasn’t going to think about that. Not when she’d heard through the grapevine—meaning from her father’s big-breasted, doe-eyed secretary—that her father was retiring.
Retiring.
Arianna wouldn’t be doing her jig yet, but holy crap, she couldn’t wait. Once her father, the man she’d learned to live with at a young age because she’d been forced to, was out of the proverbial picture, Arianna would be free. Free to do what she needed to keep King’s Weddings as one of the leading planning firms in Denver, as well as manage it to the point where everyone could sleep at night and not get ulcers.
When she turned the corner and entered the lobby to her father’s office, she raised her chin and let the cool mask she’d perfected all those years ago slide into place. To Xavier King, one did not clap, smile, laugh, or act the common peasant. One had to remain stoic, proud, and professional at all times.
