“Don’t do this, sweetheart. Stay rooted to the present and future. Don’t allow the past to predict where we will be.” He strolled to her, grabbed her by the shoulders and dragged her against him. He held her close, but she didn’t respond. He took a step back, seeing her emotionless expression.
“I’ll have someone grab my things.”
He started to say something, but stopped, feeling as if her words were an invisible blade sinking into his chest.
12
“I did it, Dr. Cove. I reached an orgasm.” Eloise beamed. Her hand was on her husband’s leg who was also smiling ear to ear. The connection between them was visibly strong.
“That’s amazing. I’m happy for you—for you both.”
“You were right and I was being a jerk.” Martin shrugged. “I don’t know why I was so strongly against using toys. Once I got the hang of it, I found it quite nice, and before I knew it, we no longer needed the vibrator.”
Jenn smiled. “No, you weren’t being a jerk. Many people have a difficult time overcoming the boundaries they set for themselves. When you and Eloise learned to trust one another again, as you both said, the doors came open. Now it gets trickier as you two have to keep them wide open.”
“I’ve seen a side to my husband I didn’t know existed. Next week, we’re going to take a second honeymoon to Paris. Paris, Dr. Cove!” Eloise’s cheeks flushed. “I’ve always wanted to go.”
“I’ll have Cindy schedule your appointment for the week after, that is if you two still feel the need to visit.”
“Yes, please don’t throw us out, not yet. We’ve just found our wings,” Martin said.
“Then we’ll continue.”
Eloise worked her bottom. “I know this steps beyond our professional boundaries, but congratulations are in order.”
Impulsively, Jenn dropped her hand to her baby bump. “Thank you.”
“Lots of single women are having babies these days,” Martin said.
“I’m not single,” the words fell out.
Eloise blinked. “Forgive Martin. As you well know he sometimes doesn’t think before he speaks.” To soften the blow of her words, Eloise kissed him on the cheek and it worked because he blushed. “Congratulations to you and your husband. Children are a blessing.”
“Yes, they are.” Before she knew what hit her, a tear fell to her cheek. She swiped it away, but more came, faster than she could wipe.
“Oh, Lord. I’m sorry.” Eloise’s eyes widened.
“Look what you’ve done, Eloise.” Martin sighed.
The woman jumped up, grabbed the tissue box and shoved it under Jenn’s nose. She took one and dabbed the corners of her eyes. “I’m so sorry. I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I’ve become a basket of emotions.”
Eloise squeezed her shoulder in a gentle gesture. “No apology needed, honey. You saved our marriage. The least we can do is help you. What’s the issue?”
“I-I miss my husband. I’ve been silly really. Now I don’t think he will ever forgive me.”
Martin was beside her then, patting her hand like a father would a child. “Men can be jerks, but we forgive easily. Give the poor man a chance.”
“He’s right, love. I don’t know the problem, but think back to why you married him in the first place. We all lose sight of what brought us together in the first place.” Eloise’s sincerity filled Jenn’s chest. She finally managed to clear up her tears.
“That’s a very good suggestion.”
After the couple left, Jenn sat at her desk and typed in her notes as she did after every session. The door came open and Cindy stuck her head in. “Your next appointment is available, Dr. Cove. Shall I send him in?”
Jenn didn’t look up from her laptop screen. “Yes, Cindy. Please send him in.” A second later she heard faint footsteps. “I’m glad to meet you, Mr. Drake.” Her mouth fell open when she looked up to find Bridge standing in the center of the office. “You’re not Mr. Drake. I’m sorry. I can’t see you right now. I’m meeting with a new client.”
Humor filled his vivid green eyes. “I’m Mr. Drake. I’m scheduled for an hour so that should give us plenty of time to hash things out.”
“Did Cindy know about this?”
“Don’t blame her. I scheduled the appointment under a false name and she didn’t realize it until I came today. It took everything I had to convince her to let me see you.”
Pulling her gaze away from his eyes because she could get lost in the details of them, she stood and placed her hands on the desk. “We can’t do this.”
“I think we can.” His hair had grown an inch since she’d seen him last, almost two weeks ago, and he had a groomed beard. He looked amazing in a black designer suit and green silk tie that brought out the color of his spell bounding eyes. She’d missed him, and loved him, but she couldn’t bear making him unhappy.
“You should have called and we could have met somewhere other than here.”
“And have you make up excuses why you couldn’t see me. No thank you.” He gnawed his bottom lip and frowned. “You have no choice but to hear me out.”
“Why, Bridge? You and I are a wild roller coaster and things are fun and great until we go for a loop and then we’re back to ‘he said-she said’.”
“You and I are husband and wife. We came back together for a reason.”
Her heart raced a little. She licked her lips and took a second to gain her composure before she rounded the desk, crossing her arms over her chest. His eyes were on her stomach. Her knees grew weak. “Bridge—”
“No, I deserve for you to hear me out.” He stepped forward, took her hand and held it in his safe, warm grip. The corner of his mouth lifted. He leaned in closer and her stomach did a somersault. One fingertip caressed her hand as his stunning eyes held her stare.
How the hell could she deny him?
“Fine.” Her voice was raspy.
“Do you love me, Jenn?”
“Yes.” The words trickled out on its own, but she meant it. She couldn’t remember a time when she didn’t love him.
His mouth tugged up into a smile. Butterflies swirled like soft serve ice cream through her stomach. “And I love you. There’s no way in hell I’m going to allow you to push me away again.”
He looked at her in a way that made her feel safe, wanted. As if they could climb every mountain, every hurdle, as long as they were together. “It’s not that easy.”
“No, but what is? You certainly aren’t.”
“And neither are you.”
His grin grew wider. “You have to know that nothing happened between Eliza and me. I told you about the kiss and that was all. I have no feelings for her or any one, only for you.”
She worked her bottom lip. “I believe you, I do. And you’re right, I have looked for reasons to punish myself. Leaving you was my punishment for wrecking that night. I thought I would be better off alone, you’d be better off without me, but that hasn’t been the case. I’ve been miserable.”
He grabbed her by the shoulders and brought her in for a tight hug. “We can do this, baby. Allow me to show you how much I love you, and our baby. Allow this to be the new beginning we deserve.”
She pulled back slightly. “Yes, Bridge. I want this to be a new beginning.”
He cupped her cheeks. “Come home. Be with me.”
“I will, but I can’t promise that I’ll not have moments where I’m sad over the past.”
“Be sad, but don’t shut the door on me. We’re in this together. Now. And forever.”
Epilogue
“Push, Jenn. Push. She’s almost here. Her head is crowning,”
Looking up at her husband between her knees, Jenn held her breath and pushed until the contraction eased. “I-I can’t do this. I’m done. I’m tired.”
Bridge came back to stand at her side, taking her hand. “Come on, baby. You’re never one to give up and now is not the time to start.”
“She’s coming, Jenn. Just a push o
r two more and she’ll be in your arms,” Dr. Lethian said from her position at the end of the bed.
Another contraction came and she braced herself, pushing with all that she had. She didn’t think she had it in her until Bridge looked at her, tears pooling in his eyes. “She’s here, my love. Our baby is home.”
Dr. Lethian placed Macy Rose Cove in Jenn’s arms. Through tears of her own, she held her world in her arms. Her life had come full circle…
Not the end, but only the beginning…
Grab Hot as Hell (#1) now
and Smooth as Hell (#3) in July!
From the author:
Thank you for reading. Please leave a review and let others know your thoughts.
Hugs,
Rhonda Lee Carver
At an early age, Rhonda fell in love with romance novels, knowing one day she’d write her own love story. Life took a short detour, but when the story ideas were no longer contained, she decided to dive in and write. Her first plot was on a dirty napkin she found buried in her car. Eventually, she ran out of napkins. With baby on one hip and laptop on the other, she made a dream into reality—one word at a time.
Her specialty is men who love to get their hands dirty and women who are smart, strong and flawed. She loves writing about the everyday hero.
When Rhonda isn’t crafting sizzling manuscripts, you will find her busy editing novels, blogging, juggling kids and animals (too many to name), dreaming of a beach house and keeping romance alive. Oh, and drinking lots of coffee to keep up with her hero and heroine.
For other titles by Rhonda Lee Carver, please visit: www.rhondaleecarver.com.
Find me on Facebook, too! www.facebook.com/rhondalee.carver
Here are some other wonderful selections by Rhonda Lee Carver
SECOND CHANCE SERIES
Second Chance Cowboy (Book 1, Second Chance Series)
Second Ride Cowboy (Book 2, Second Chance Series)
Second Round Cowboy (Book 3, Second Chance Series)
Second Dance Cowboy (Book 4, Second Chance Series)
Second Song Cowboy (Book 5, Second Chance Series)
Second Burn Cowboy (Book 6, Second Chance Series)
Second Hope Cowboy (Book 7, Second Chance Series)
Second Sunrise Cowboy (Book 8, Second Chance Cowboy Series)
RHINESTONE COWGIRLS SERIES
UNDER PRESSURE (Book 1, Rhinestone Cowgirls)
PRESSURE RISING (Book 2, Rhinestone Cowgirls)
PRESSURE POINT (Book 3, Rhinestone Cowgirls)
SECRET PRESSURE (Book 4, Rhinestone Cowgirls)
RESISTING PRESSURE (Book 5, Rhinestone Cowgirls)
COWBOYS OF NIRVANA
Cowboy Paradise (Cowboys of Nirvana)
Ropin’ Trouble (Book 2, Cowboys of Nirvana)
Smoke. Fire. Cowboy (Book 3, Cowboys of Nirvana)
Kissed, Spurred, & Valentined (Book 4, Cowboys of Nirvana)
Cowboy is Mine (Book 5, Cowboys of Nirvana)
The Discreet Cowboy (Book 6, Cowboys of Nirvana)
A Perfect Cowboy Daddy (Book 7, Cowboys of Nirvana)
Roman’s Choice (Book 1, Saddles & Second Chances)
Letting Go (Sable Hunter’s Hell Yeah! Kindle World)
Legacy (Sable Hunter’s Hell Yeah! Kindle World)
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B071LPQYXT/ref=series_rw_dp_sw
Have you read Cowboys Forgive (Book 8, Cowboys of Nirvana)?
Here’s a sneak peek…
CHAPTER ONE
“Jessa! Jessa! Jessa!” The crowd cheered.
“Hey! How y’all doing tonight?” She received whistles, claps and screams in response. Pushing back her signature rhinestone cowgirl hat, she took a seat on the stool under the spotlight and positioned her guitar.
“I love you, Jessa!”
“I love you too!” She looked out into the ocean of smiling faces and her heart did a triple loop like always. Being on stage never got old—tiring, yes, but never old.
Thrumming her fingers down the strings of her 12-String Acoustic, the crowd roared, vibrating the stage. A teenager in the front row jumped up and down, swiping at her streaming tears, then swaying back and forth as if she might faint. Several fans stretched their arms out, trying to touch Jessa, but beefy security blocked their attempts.
“Who’s ready for a slow tune? You might all know this next one as my latest number one hit, but how many of you knew this is a tribute to all those rough and tough, good-looking fellows known as cowboys? Who’s gonna help me sing Cowboys Forgive?”
More screams. More swaying. The roof on the fairgrounds stadium rocked.
“He stole my heart back in the day and gave it away…” The crowd sung along to the popular tune.
Finishing the last set and waving goodbye to the applauding crowd, Jessa Garvey slipped off the stage and handed her guitar to her manager, Wade Comer, who stood just out of sight behind the red curtain. Her bodyguard, Bruno, stepped from the shadows and crossed his arms over his chest, showing off thick arms in his black T-shirt. She’d hired him, or rather, Wade had, last year when a fan had snuck past security and made it into her dressing room. Jessa wouldn’t have minded, but the man had been stark naked with her name tattooed across his chest. He’d asked her to marry him just as security had rushed in, taking the nudist down to the floor in a windstorm of limbs and…well, other unmentionables. She still wasn’t quite used to having Bruno following her everywhere, always watching. He didn’t talk much and she could count on one hand how many words he’d said to her since he was employed. Wade believed Bruno’s silence made him better at his job. He’d worked in Secret Service before he took the position with her, but she wished he’d left his uptight attitude back at the White House.
Her cowgirl boots clicked on the worn planks of the wood flooring as she headed the opposite direction to the back of the building where a car waited for her. Her boots were certainly made for walking…at least for a break that was well-earned. She’d given this careful consideration and realized she wasn’t leaving the Wyoming fairgrounds until she saw one cowboy on the back of a bull. On the road eleven months out of the year, she missed seeing worn Wranglers and dusty boots.
“Where are you headed?” Wade bellowed, following close behind her. The tone of his voice didn’t go unnoticed. After several years together, his gruff attitude didn’t bother her as much as it had at first. Most of the time she brushed him off or stuck earphones in to sound him out. In his defense, he was the reason why she’d made it famous—also the reason why she’d been on the road non-stop for five years. He’d found her singing in a backwoods bar in Texas when she was only twenty-five and living off beans and rice. A year after signing him on, her life did a complete tailspin. Before she realized it, everybody knew her name and she couldn’t go anywhere without fans asking for her autograph.
Success came with sacrifice.
She’d dedicated herself to her fans.
But she was growing tired.
Last month at a venue in Chicago, she’d lost her voice and the doctor had prescribed rest. She’d relaxed a few days, but she’d had places to be, music to sing. There was always somewhere that required her presence. She’d lost count of how many different venues she’d sung at in the past year. Life was blurring.
It was time for a break. Not one night. Not one week. A vacation to recharge her internal battery. So, after going around and around with Wade, they’d compromised. She would finish the month’s scheduled concerts, and then she would be free, so to speak.
Two weeks away from the studio, the stage, and the public eye sounded like paradise. Her vocal chords would certainly thank her. She could catch up on writing her music. Sleep late. Eat ice cream.
“Are you going to answer me?” Wade sighed.
“I’m going out to watch the rodeo.”
Just as she’d suspected, he’d have something to say. “You can’t go out there alone. You’ll have everybody and their brother on your tail. Take Bruno with you at
least.”
She glanced at her bodyguard who was five feet behind them. His brawny, bulldozer-like physique could part any crowd. “You don’t think being followed around by Hulk’s twin might grab some attention?”
“You’re paying him for a reason. Drawing attention to him means people won’t be as likely to mess with you.”
Jessa didn’t want to be followed around by her manager or bodyguard. She understood there were times she needed each of them, but today she just wanted to enjoy the rodeo like she used to before things got complicated in her life.
“You can’t do this! It’ll be like a mob out there. Can you at least think of your well-being?” Wade groaned.
“I am thinking of my well-being. I want to have some fun.” She continued on, glancing further down the hallway to the exit. She spotted the security crew of three men, each dressed in yellow shirts and red caps, standing around in a semi-circle, monitoring the metal double doors.
“I have an idea,” she said with a wink and a smile.
“What are you doing?” Wade asked.
“Watch and see.” She approached the crew. “Hi, fellows.”
Heads came up, one of them did a double-take and turned pale. His eyes widened and his mouth fell open. Obviously they didn’t expect to see her in this area of the building. “H-hi?” he muttered.
“How are y’all doing?”
“Great” and “Amazing” were said in muttered unison.
“I’m Tom. .” One of the men took a step out of the circle. “Is there a problem, Miss Garvey?” He glanced from Wade to Bruno, then back to Jessa. “Is there anything we can do to help?”
Dirty as Hell (Studs in Scrubs Book 2) Page 7
