Tempting Calm Waters

by Samantha Wolfe

"I'd wish you luck tonight, but I know you don't need it."

  "Thanks for the vote of confidence," I said with a nod.

  Ella would know, since she'd developed such a close friendship with Lu. She was the first person to approve of my plans for tonight when she overheard me telling her husband about it a few weeks ago.

  "Like he needs anymore confidence," Calder chimed in with a wry smile.

  "Confidence is sexy, Dad," Violet added in a sassy tone. Calder's expression instantly darkened as he shot a disapproving scowl at his precocious daughter.

  "What?" she asked innocently with a disarming smile. "It's true."

  "You will never use that word around me again," he growled out vehemently as he crossed his arms over his chest. "And I'm locking you in your room until you're forty."

  Violet rolled her eyes dramatically at her overprotective father while Ella and I cracked up. That kid killed me every damn time.

  "Well, as much fun as it is to watch Violet get a rise out of her father," I announced when Calder finally cracked a smile himself, "I've got big plans to take care of tonight." I glanced at my watch, and caught myself before I swore out loud. "And I'm running low on time." I grinned up at Calder and his beautiful family. They looked so happy and content. Yeah, it was official now. I wanted that too, and tonight would get me one step closer to it.

  We all said our goodbyes, and I ended the call. Then I went to my gun safe and pulled out the tiny box I'd hidden in there weeks ago. I couldn't take the chance of someone with Lu's detective skills finding the damn thing before I even had a chance to give it to her. I tucked it in my pocket and hurried upstairs, eager to execute my plan.

  I froze in my tracks not two steps into the bedroom when I got a good look at what Lu was wearing tonight. Hot damn, my woman looked fucking incredible. A fiery red pencil dress hugged her glorious ass as she bent over to slip on a pair of black sky-high stiletto heels. She turned to face me and grinned impishly at my stunned expression. The dress had cap sleeves and a plunging neckline that drew my eyes down to her mind-blowing cleavage. Her hair was pulled up with curling tendrils framing her gorgeous face. Did I mention I was a lucky motherfucker?

  Lu sauntered toward me with the implications of dirty dirty things flashing in her dark eyes. She stopped in front of me and trailed a hand down the front of my shirt. "I was thinking," she began in a sexy purr that had my dick aching in my pants, "that after dinner tonight, maybe we could get a room at the club." We still occasionally reserved a room at Désir Dangereux when we felt the need to really get our kink on.

  Well, first of all, there was no dinner tonight. That was just a front. And second, we weren't going anywhere near the club tonight or for the next week for that matter.

  "We'll see," I said noncommittally as I took her hand in mine, her skin so soft and warm. "But we need to talk about something before we head out."

  "Oh?" she asked with a worried little furrow on her perfect brow.

  I nodded as I lifted her hand to my lips and tenderly kissed her palm. I pulled her closer and wrapped my hands around her tiny waist, breathing in her sweet and familiar magnolia scent. She always smelled so damn good. I smiled softly down at her, and the little furrow evaporated. Good, I didn't want her thinking anything was wrong right now, because just the opposite was true.

  "Do you know how lucky I was to find you?" I said sincerely.

  "You might have mentioned that a time or two," she said with a soft wistful smile.

  "You're my other half, babe, my partner in life, my best friend." I reached up to cup the side of her face in my hand. I wasn't a man for long speeches or beating around the bush, and it was time to get to the point. "I love you, Luisa. I love you more than I ever thought possible. You're my everything." I felt my eyes sting as I dropped down to one knee at Lu's feet.

  Her eyes flew wide, her hands coming up to cover her mouth in astonishment.

  I pulled the box from my pocket and opened it, turning it around to show her the contents. It was a vintage platinum engagement ring with a flawlessly cut round diamond set in a filigreed band.

  "Te casarías conmigo, mi Reina?" I asked her in a wavering voice. Will you marry me, my queen?

  Happy tears instantly flooded her eyes as she reached down to cradle my face in her palms. "Sí, mi Rey. Sí!" she cried out as she began nodding frantically. "Yes, yes, yes!"

  I grinned like an idiot as joy coursed through my entire body. I pulled her left hand down from my face, and eagerly pushed the ring onto her finger before kissing it. I looked up at her again. "My everything," I murmured in a voice now husky with emotion.

  I flew to my feet and pulled her against me, crushing our bodies together. I took her lips with mine and gave her a blistering rapturous kiss that shook the very depths of my soul. She melted into me, feeling every bit of it herself as we made love to each other with only our mouths. The kiss went on and on as I lost all awareness of space and time until nothing else existed in this moment but Lu and me. I'd never been happier before in all my life.

  When I finally pulled away to catch my breath, I hugged her close and sighed in contentment. I lazily opened my eyes and just happened to glance at the clock.

  Oh shit.

  I jerked away from a now startled Lu, and hurried away and into the walk-in closet. I grabbed Lu's suitcase, then dragged it out and over to the bed. Luckily, I'd had the forethought to pack mine earlier today and stick it in my trunk before Lu got home from work. I tossed it onto the mattress, and a pissed-off Sugar vacated her favorite spot in the center of the bed with irritation in her eyes and left the bedroom. She was going to be even more irritated when Rory showed up later to pet-sit for me.

  "What are you doing?" she asked as she watched me in utter bewilderment.

  "You've got twenty minutes to pack before we have to leave for the airport," I explained as I zipped open the suitcase in a frenzied hurry.

  "Excuse me, what?" Lu asked incredulously, still standing where I'd left her with a baffled expression.

  I hurried back over to her and took both her hands in mine. "We're flying to Vegas tonight, and we're getting married at the first wedding chapel we see."

  "We...we are?" she asked in a stunned tone.

  "We are," I said with fierce conviction. "Now pack your shit before we miss our flight," I growled out sternly. "Because I'm not going one more day without you as my wife."

  Lu stared up at my face for a beat with that cute little furrow on her brow again, and I feared for a second that maybe I'd miscalculated how this was going to turn out. But then a smile that rivaled the fucking sun spread wide across her gorgeous face and lit up her eyes before she finally whispered, "Okay."

  "Good," I said with a big smile of my own, and I smacked that sweet ass of hers as she hurried away to pack her suitcase.

  I just stood there and admired this sexy badass woman who would soon be my sexy badass wife, and knew for certain that I was the luckiest motherfucker on earth. Lu was my future now, my everything, and I was going to embrace it with all my heart and walk straight into it without a single backward glance.

  *************

  Get ready to enjoy an excerpt from my next book, Wild Blood: The True Born Book 1. It's my first foray into the world of paranormal romance with studly alpha werewolves and lots of sexy fun. The story arc will stretch across five standalone books and the lives of five werewolf siblings in a small town with lots of dark and scary secrets. Read on to meet Raven and Emmett first.

  Look for it in the Fall of 2018.

  1

  RAVEN

  "Sing it girl!" I cry out to Luna just as the final chorus of the song blaring out from the old pickup truck's radio kicks in.

  I belt out the lyrics as I shoot a quick glance at the forty-five-pound silver and white Siberian Husky perched on the passenger seat next to me. I watch with a smile as she throws her head back and lets out a high pitched yodeling howl with her head still hanging out the open window. We finish the song to
gether, and I'm left laughing as Luna turns a wide doggy grin and dancing pale blue eyes my way.

  "Good girl," I tell her as I reach over and ruffle her furry ears.

  Luna licks my hand once then shoves her nose to the wind again. I smile indulgently at her as trees and corn fields rush by, her tongue lolling out and one paw on the passenger door armrest. Oh to be so easily happy and content with life. Then I frown as I realize I'm jealous of a damn dog. I sigh and flip off the radio, suddenly not in the mood for singing anymore. That's when I hear a familiar ring tone on my phone. Son of a bitch. I snatch it up out of the cup holder just as it switches over to voice mail, apparently for the third time and in addition to several texts that I missed while singing with my dog.

  I don't even bother reading the texts or listening to the voice mails, and immediately return the call.

  "Baby girl, you're killin' me," says the familiar gruff male voice when the call picks up before it can even ring on my end.

  "Sorry, Dad," I say as I grimace apologetically. "I had the radio on and missed your calls. I'm just driving home from the store." I'd driven out to the big-box store by the freeway for our groceries, since they had a bigger selection than the tiny grocery store in downtown Wolcott, the sleepy little town that we moved to several weeks ago.

  "I know you love your music, Raven," he continues calmly, "and you're an adult, but..." -he sighs softly- "this area is new to us both, and I worry when I can't get a hold of you." After a moment of silence, he whispers. "What if you have a seizure?"

  "I haven't had one in a long time, Dad," I reply reassuringly as guilt punches into me. "And Luna is acting fine."

  My dog is a seizure alert dog and when one is imminent, she paws and whines and generally gets all up in my face. She hasn't had to alert in over eight months, much to my relief since it allows me to drive again and be more independent. I finally seem to have a handle on my epilepsy through medication.

  "Good," he says, his voice a little rough with emotion.

  As a single parent, my dad has always been on the overprotective side, especially considering my seizure disorder. However, it's waned quite a bit since I turned eighteen three years ago and more recently since my seizures became less frequent. Now that we live in a new town, his protectiveness has begun to resurface all over again in the last few weeks. I try to be patient and understanding, considering I'm all he has, but it's hard not to chaff against it. When I was a teenager, I acted out and rebelled quite a bit because of it, and I'm not proud of how I acted or the undo stress I caused him. Luckily, I've grown up a lot since then, and I usually keep my irritation to myself.

  "Don't worry, Dad" I tell him softly. "I'm okay."

  "Have you heard back about that diner job yet?" he asks next in an attempt to mask his feelings and change the subject. My father, Brandon Cade, is not a demonstrative man when it comes to the softer emotions.

  My stomach instantly drops because this is the last subject I want to discuss.

  "No, not yet," I answer with a grimace.

  I won't be hearing back about it at all. I had an interview a few days ago at the only diner on the main drag of downtown that didn't go well. The only damn train tracks in town were occupied by the slowest longest train I ever saw in my life. I was over twenty minutes late, and that on top of walking in with Luna nixed the possibility of a job. I saw it on the owner's disapproving face when I announced I was there for an interview. They couldn't legally deny me a job because of my service dog, but being late for the interview was a handy reason to hammer the last nail into the coffin of that job opportunity.

  "I believe in you, baby girl," Dad says with a certainty that makes me feel even worse.

  "Thanks, Dad," I say, still too cowardly to tell him what happened. I really hate letting him down.

  I suddenly hear the unintelligible chattering of what I know to be a police radio in the background. "I have to go," Dad's voice is stern and all business now. "I've got a call." I hear the siren of his police cruiser fire up. "I'll see you tonight after my shift. Love ya."

  "Love you too, Dad. Bye." I reply, and the call goes silent.

  I sigh as I put my phone back in the cup holder as fear niggles away in my mind. My dad is a cop on the Wolcott Police Department, and even though the chances of whatever call he's gotten being as dangerous as the city job he left behind to come here, I still worry. He's all I have too since my mother died not long after I was born. I frown as melancholy falls over me, grieving and missing someone I never even knew. How pathetic.

  Something cold nudges my elbow, and I glance over to see Luna eying me with concern. She whines pathetically and lays her head on my thigh to comfort me. Not only is she my service dog, she's my best friend and constant companion. I adore her. I don't know what I would do without her.

  "Good girl," I whisper with a soft smile and rest my hand on her head as I stare dejectedly at the road ahead and continue to drive.

  Just ahead on the left a building appears to break up the monotony of the lonely two-lane highway we're on. I slow down in curiosity as it comes into view. It's worn wooden siding feeds its rural ambiance to a tee, along with a long covered porch and a scraggly looking stand of trees surrounding it. Neon signs for several brands of beer and one open sign are currently lit up in the windows. The large sign on the front of what I now know is a bar announces the place as Rowdy's Tavern. Huh. Well, the name certainly suits it too. I wonder why I didn't even notice the place when I drove past it earlier today.

  As I come abreast of the bar, I spy a white handwritten sign that reads "Servers wanted, inquire within" next to the front door. I instinctively slam on the breaks sending Luna lurching forward. She barely keeps herself from falling off the seat onto the floor.

  "Sorry, girl," I mutter as I hit the gas again and pull into the parking lot before I can second guess my impulsive decision. If I can a find job somewhere else, I won't ever have to tell Dad about the failed diner interview. I try not to think about what Dad's reaction to me working at a place like this would be.

  There's one other vehicle in the lot right now, which is no surprise since it's the middle of the afternoon on a Friday. I slip Luna's service dog vest back on so no one will question her coming in with me, then pull the vanity mirror down to check my reflection. Thankfully, I took the time to fix my hair today, so my shiny chin-length black bob and wispy bangs look great. I did my makeup too, and the dark eyeliner makes my big blue eyes pop and help me appear more my actual age instead of like a teenager. I consider removing my tiny nose ring, but I think I'll be fine considering it's a bar I'm walking into.

  My T-shirt, skinny jeans, and ballet flats aren't ideal for a job interview either, but I can't do anything about it. I blow out a nervous breath, snag my purse and Luna's leash, then climb out of my faded gray Ford Ranger with my dog hopping down behind me. I march straight to the front door before I chicken out, bolstered by Luna's reassuring presence next to me. I pull the heavy door open and lead the way into the dark interior.

  I'm instantly assaulted by the smell of stale cigarettes and cheap beer. The low sound of country music twangs away from somewhere nearby, and I spot a juke box in the back corner that must be the source as my vision finally adjusts to the dim lighting. The inside looks as rustic as the outside, with its pine wood-paneled walls and rough hewn plank flooring. Worn wooden tables with vinyl chairs are spread throughout the room, along with a few pool tables. A long bar stretches along the wall to my left, and a tiny stage and decent size dance floor are to the right. Yup, it had all the makings of a seedy dive bar, and I grimace as I picture Dad's disapproving scowl in my head.

  "No pets allowed," a raspy and clearly annoyed voice lashes out at me from a man behind the bar that I just now notice. He's scowling at me with hard pale eyes set in a sharply angular and scruffy bearded face and muscled tattooed arms crossed. His dark hair is cropped short, and he's wearing a tight white T-shirt and worn jeans. I think he's probably in his mid thirties, but
his forbidding demeanor might be making him seem older than he is.

  "She's a service dog," I explain as I point to Luna's vest that clearly announces what she is to anyone bothering to look.

  His now narrowed eyes flash down to the husky and back up to me with a stern and dubious expression.

  "No minors allowed either," he growls out sharply, then turns away in an obviously dismissive move. An old man at the bar, who appears to be the only patron here, is shooting a curious gaze my way as the bartender grabs a bottle off the bar and refills his glass with more whiskey.

  "I'm twenty-one," I snap out with irritation, my body now rigid with indignation. "And I'm here about the server job on the sign you have out front," I add as I throw a thumb over my shoulder in a jerking motion.

  The bartender deigns to look at me again, this time arching his brow as his accessing eyes slide down my body. He shakes his head and snorts derisively, then turns to grab a rag and commences to cleaning the worn bar top and ignores me yet again. Asshole. My baleful glare goes unnoticed until I give up.

  "Whatever," I grumble under my breath. I turn to leave because apparently stopping here is a complete waste of my time.

  "Hold on up there a minute, darlin'," a new male voice drawls out behind me, and this one actually sounds kind. It's the only reason I turn around instead of walking out the door.

  I find a man in a black pearl snap shirt and jeans weaving his way between the tables toward me with a wide and warm smile on his beard-stubbled face. He looks Hispanic with swarthy skin, shaggy black hair, heavy eyebrows, and dark eyes. I gauge him to be only five or six inches taller than my five-foot-six height, stockily built, and probably in his late forties or so.

  He approaches me in an unhurried and calm manner, then smirks as he stops a few feet in front of me. I catch the strong scent of men's cologne. Whoa. Although, it isn't a bad smelling one, it must have been applied with a heavy hand. Luna suddenly sneezes twice beside me. My poor girl, I can only imagine how strong it smells to her.