He’d dropped his suitcases and pulled the two of them into his arms, then realized it was the first and only time he’d felt the power of that kind of vibrant love.
Over the next few days, after bringing Daniel to school, they’d wound themselves back into each other’s lives seamlessly. Effortlessly. Kendalee gave him time and space. He’d shared what he’d learned about himself; she told him she was ready to move on from Adrian. He’d asked her if she wanted to try for more children, and through waves of tears she told him that she did. She’d never felt her family was complete and had carried the loss of that as grief for years. She asked him if she and Daniel would be enough if they couldn’t, and he’d shared the need he’d explored while away. To foster. Boys like him.
There were logistics, and paperwork, and lawyers. No charges were being made against Daniel, but they still needed to face his uncle at trial. Adrian was contesting the divorce petition, wanting shared custody. They were negotiating, and Elliott had hope.
“Hey, erm . . . yeah . . . everyone. Whatever. Look the fuck over here.” Jordan stood in the middle of the room, and Elliott immediately realized what the big guy was about to do. He hurried over to Kendalee, stepping in behind her and wrapping his arms around her waist.
As he watched the biggest, gruffest guy he knew fall to his knees in front of a tearful Lexi, he remembered something he’d said to Jordan one night in pretty much that spot. That he had to show them all how it was done. And he had. Except for the whole kiss Jordan gave Lexi when she said yes . . . when he grabbed her in his arms and kissed her in a way Elliott was pretty certain required contraceptives.
Everybody had laughed and screamed except Kendalee.
She rubbed her ring finger. Sometime while he was away, she’d taken off her wedding ring, and Elliott hadn’t asked where it had gone.
“I don’t need a ring,” she said, catching him watching her. “I’ve done that already. I don’t want you to think I am angling for that.”
“Come here,” he said, leading her to the stairs that led to the recording studio. He’d congratulate Jordan later, if the guy ever put Lexi down.
“I’m serious,” she whispered as they walked down the steps. “When Daniel is able, I want to go back to work, to do something for—”
“I know, Lee. And you can. You can go do whatever you want. I’m not going to stop you. But I’d love it if you had some flexibility so that when I go on tour, you could come with me occasionally. I want to show you the world, Kendalee.”
“I want to go back to school to train to become a nurse. I want to go work at SickKids.”
“Then we have four years of long vacations in the summer, and private jets to hire to get you to me and me to you whenever we can,” he said, running his hand through her hair. “But the whole wedding thing . . .”
“I’ve done it once, Elliott. And I sucked at it.”
He shook his head. “No, you didn’t. You made Daniel. And lasted all those years. You didn’t suck. Your husband didn’t stick. That’s all. I’m sticking,” he said, backing her up against the wall. “We can debate the relative merits of a rock and some platinum if or when I ever drop to my knee in front of you, but you need to know that ring or no ring, I’m sticking so hard, Kendalee Walker, that you’ll never be rid of me.” He slid his hands to the hem of her dress and teased the skin of her thigh. “Any questions about that?”
The worry on Kendalee’s face disappeared as he inched the fabric higher.
“And I am paying for nursing school.”
“Elliott, you don’t need to. I will—”
“Rough and smooth, Kendalee. You and I are going to weather it. There’s only one thing I want in return.” He pressed even closer to her.
“What’s that?” she asked, and he loved the way her voice turned all husky when she was aroused.
“You let me tie you to the bed when we get all these fuckers out of here,” he said, glancing up to the ceiling.
Kendalee laughed, the sweetest fucking sound. “They’re your family,” she said.
“Yeah, they are,” he said, taking a step back and straightening her dress. “But you, and that son of yours. You guys are my everything.”
“I’ll always be your home,” she said, pulling his face to hers.
As he debated throwing her down on the sofa and prayed that nobody would come down looking for them, he realized she was the greatest home he’d ever had.
Hard, fast, and loud…
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About the Author
Scarlett Cole is a writer of contemporary romance and a two-time RITA finalist. Her debut, The Strongest Steel, was a Best Debut Goodreads Author Finalist 2015. Born in England, Scarlett traveled the world, living in Japan and the United States before settling in Canada where she met her own personal hero—all six and a half feet of him. She now lives with her husband and children in Manchester, England. Visit her at scarlettcole.com or on Twitter @ItsScarlettCole.
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Also by Scarlett Cole
The Strongest Steel
The Fractured Heart
The Purest Hook
The Darkest Link
Jordan Reclaimed
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Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright Notice
Dedication
Acknowledgments
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
EPILOGUE
About the Author
Also by Scarlett Cole
Copyright Page
This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
ELLIOTT REDEEMED
Copyright © 2017 by Scarlett Cole.
Author photo © Lemon Fresh Designs Photography
Cover photograph © Volodymyr Tverdokhlib/Shutterstock.com
All rights reserved.
For information address St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010.
ISBN: 9781250132451 (ebook)
St. Martin’s Paperbacks edition / August 2017
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