When You're With Me

by Wendi Zwaduk

  Drew snagged her up in a bear hug and kissed the top of Jude’s head. He chuckled happily. “You absolutely deserve the best in life, but you’ll have to settle for me.”

  Jude’s heart started again. “I will gladly,” she replied. “But how did you get this? We’ve been nearly inseparable.”

  Drew’s grin widened, showing off his bright teeth. “Gramma slipped it to me when we first arrived. It was her mother’s and she insisted I give it to you.”

  Jude uncoiled from Drew and proceeded to remove the ring. Oh, no—no family heirlooms. She didn’t deserve something that belonged in the hands of a blood relative. Guilt and apprehension rested low in her belly.

  “This isn’t for me. It should go to one of your sisters,” she said and tugged at it as it jammed on her knuckle. “Even if they don’t want it, it’s rightfully theirs.”

  Drew took her hand, kissed it, and slid the ring back into its position. “No, they didn’t want it. It was too small and they wanted at least a full carat or bigger.” Drew wrapped her up in his arms. “It’s only half.”

  Jude’s body warmed in his embrace. He smelt so good that she wanted to climb inside him and his safety. Drew’s sisters didn’t deserve him, but she’d make him see how special he truly was.

  She frowned. “Are you sure they won’t be upset? This should be theirs.” Who could be so materialistic that they would overlook and refuse something so important? His family didn’t make sense.

  “They will be,” Drew said firmly and clasped her hand. “But it was Gramma’s to give away. Great-Gramma Buescher told her to wear it proudly unless she felt another member of the family deserved it. She chose you.”

  Jude looked down at the diamond decorating her hand. It looked so perfect. His sisters were stupid not to want a family heirloom. She felt honoured to receive something so precious.

  A custom fit, just like Drew, she mused. The perfect beginning to our love story.

  “So, now what?” Jude rubbed her cheek on his chest. “We wait three days and run off to Atlantic City?”

  “I thought maybe we’d take a trip up to the courthouse. Ned’s willing to marry us if you’re interested.”

  “Yeah?”

  “Yup.”

  “Then, let’s go.”

  Also available from Total-E-Bound Publishing:

  Over My Head

  Wendi Zwaduk

  Excerpt

  Chapter One

  Too God damned cold.

  Sergeant Randy McCall blew warm air into his hands and waited for the heater to bring the temperature in the car to a liveable level. Damned force could’ve given him a car that had a working heater. He bounced his feet in a vain attempt to jumpstart his circulation. A break—he needed a fucking break and his Corvette. The ‘vette had a sweet heater, but like the rest of his life, it sat in storage. He’d been undercover for more than six months and still hadn’t made any headway.

  “Slade, my man, you are so fucked,” he murmured to himself in the idling car. He glanced around the parking lot. The rest of the girls had gone home. Good. He hated to see them straggling. He’d been in the area long enough to know the Silver Steel Gentlemen’s Club was in the worst part of town. The worst. If he hadn’t been on the drug case, he’d more than likely be investigating the latest murder in the red light district—back doing the normal cop stuff.

  Was there a normal anymore?

  Randy shifted and twiddled with the radio knobs. It wasn’t much of a consolation, but his best friend, Drew Alwyn, had wandered through the club. Malsam probably had him preparing to go under, too. Randy shook his head. They should just close down the damned club.

  He tipped his head back and ran his hand over his face as the warmth from the heater finally cut through the chill in the car. A vision of his dream girl formed in his mind. The honey blonde hair curling past her shoulders. Her creamy skin shimmering with glitter or a fine sheen of sweat. And then there were those eyes. The colour of good brandy as she stared up at him, taking him deep into her mouth.

  A knock on his window brought him out of his fantasy. Shit. Randy cleared his throat and reminded himself he wasn’t Randy, he was Slade McMann—bouncer and hard ass. He then chastised himself for slipping into a daydream. Too fucking close to getting himself into trouble.

  I am Slade.

  The knocking grew louder. “You okay?”

  Slade turned. The eyes he’d been fantasising about stared back at him from the other side of the fogged glass. Part of him wanted to be irritated. The rest of him rejoiced silently. Astra Lee. He rolled the window down an inch, cursing that he’d fogged the glass.

  “Are you okay? I thought you were dead.” Astra shivered. “Slade? I need you.”

  Now those were words he hadn’t expected to hear. Sure, she winked at him all the time and gave him occasional free lap dances, but wasn’t that the job of the dancers—tantalise without getting too close?

  “Slade?”

  He shook the thoughts from his head. “Get in. We can talk in the warmth.” He rolled his window back up, careful not to lose too much precious heat.

  Astra slid into the passenger seat and rubbed her arms. “Colder than the Arctic, isn’t it?”

  Slade glanced at her bare hands. “Where are your gloves, little girl?” He took both her hands in his. “You’re going to freeze.”

  “My gloves grew legs and walked out while I was onstage.” She shivered next to him. “Sorry. The car died and I need a ride.”

  “I didn’t see your car in the lot.” He squeezed her hands, working the circulation back into them. “Mine’s the only one here.”

  “I know.” She averted her whisky gaze. “I walked here.”

  “What?” Slade forced himself to remain calm. “You should’ve said something.” Astra danced as ‘Sexyback’ and had been in a relationship with the club owner, Salazar ‘Tiny’ Balthazar. He shouldn’t care who she fucked, but the thought of her lying down with the tattooed man churned his stomach.

  Why it mattered to him, Slade didn’t know. Wasn’t like she’d sleep with him. He wasn’t even who he claimed to be.

  “Because it’s at my brother-in-law’s garage. Wouldn’t start and my brother-in-law said it was the starter… I don’t know.”

  “I can look at it tomorrow, if you want.” Slade clamped his lips together. If he talked to her much longer, he’d say something foolish.

  “You can’t do any worse.” She laughed, a low, throaty laugh that sent sizzles through his veins. “How about you just take me home? I’m pooped and those damned heels hurt after an hour or two.”

  “You got it.”

  He wasn’t thrilled he’d have to let her go when then got there, but hell—if he said he thought about her late at night surely Astra would thank him…and take off. He put the car into gear. He missed her touch even though he barely knew her. He pulled out of the lot and into the street, careful not to skid on the freshly fallen snow.

  Astra folded her hands over her purse and settled herself more comfortably into Slade’s car seat. Just a ride. All she needed was a simple ride home. The moment she’d climbed into his car, she felt much warmer and she knew sure as shit it wasn’t from the measly car heater. The streetlights and blackened buildings flew by in a rush. The twenty minute drive across town seemed to take no time at all. Then again, with company like Slade, she’d rather the ride last forever.

  Knocking on his window and being seen with him could get her into trouble. Slade McMann wasn’t just a man or good-looking muscle. He loomed large at the club. The other bouncers weren’t scared of him, but if he was in charge of removing a drunk or troublemaker, the other bouncers gave him a wide berth.

  She wanted a man like him, one who would take care of her. The kind of man who knew what was going instead of her having to look over her shoulder or worry if someone had an unseen eye on her.

  Unless Slade proved to be another bad card in the deck.

  She guessed not. Slade McMann didn’t
strike her as being like the other thugs at the club. He didn’t hang out with Tiny and never seemed to buy the merchandise. He barely seemed to pay attention to the crap going on at the club—like it was all beneath him.

  She’d put her faith in others only to have them screw her over. Unlike the men in her past, though, something deep in her belly screamed that she could trust Slade. Odd, too, since her gut instincts never panned out. The men she tended to trust only ever proved to be untrustworthy. Abe had used his fists, Tiny used drugs. Dennison…well, that was a wound she’d gladly give away.

  “Astra?”

  She gulped. He’d used her given name. Most of the bouncers didn’t even know the girls had names other than their stage names or descriptions like ‘the one with huge knockers’. She turned towards him. Slade wasn’t traditionally handsome. His face was a little too long and his black hair a tad too unruly. His grey eyes flashed whenever he looked at her and the simple act always sent shivers up her spine. It was as though her physical attributes weren’t important because he saw the woman inside. But to have him really see her as a human, not a set of breasts, seemed to be too much to ask.

  “We’re here.” Slade pulled into what was evidently his assigned parking spot at the Sanborn Building. “It’s three in the morning and damned icy. Give me a moment and I’ll come around to get you.”

  “I’m not going to break,” she chuffed, although she appreciated his gesture. Astra waited a heartbeat for him to round the hood of the car.

  Slade opened the door and offered his gloves. “Put these on.”

  She considered arguing with him and capitulated. Gloves were so much better than frozen fingers. She shivered again. “Thanks.”

  He looped one arm around her back and placed his hand on her elbow.

  “Are you for real?” She looked away, embarrassed by her own question.

  “I hope so,” he murmured in her ear. “I had a mother who insisted I have manners as well as learn how to put a man in his place.”

  She paused and stared at him.

  “What, little girl?”

  “Your girlfriend is a lucky woman.” Her heart beat loud in her ears. Had she just blurted out something about his girlfriend? Shit.

  Slade urged her forward again and laughed. “I am as single as single can be.” Arm tight around her, he whispered, “Are you applying?”

  Astra bit her tongue, waiting until they stood in the lobby to respond. “You don’t want to date me. I mean, come on…a stripper girlfriend? That’s out of some sappy romance novel or something.” She turned away from Slade to hide her emotions. Okay, so she had a soft spot for romance novels and happy endings. “Walk me to my door?”

  “I am what I am.” He shrugged and followed her up the steps. “I’m in two-twelve if you get lonely, by the way.”

  “Then we’re just about neighbours. I’m in two-twenty-six.” She came to a stop in front of her door. As much as she wanted to stretch out in bed, the enticing idea of stretching out next to him in bed sounded so much more fun…more sinful. She shook the thought from her head. He hadn’t asked her over for sex, just issued a simple invitation for whenever she was bored.

  “I guess this is goodnight.” Slade smoothed a lock of hair off her cheek. Something akin to a dreamy look filled his eyes for a moment. He inched closer to her. Flecks of gold and green shimmered in his irises.

  Was he going to kiss her? Her body screamed hello, yes! But her heart remained guarded. Too much faith in the wrong person could be deadly. Still, she wanted that kiss…his kiss. The heat in the hallway kicked up to somewhere in the oh baby range and sent prickles along her skin. Yes, she needed his kiss.

  Slade smiled then strolled down the hallway, leaving her alone with her thoughts. Damn. She had thought for sure he was going to kiss her. Astra fitted her key into her lock and nudged the door open.

  A rush of cold air swirled around her. Odd. The apartment shouldn’t be cold. It should be hotter than the hallway. Astra rubbed her arms. Snow lay glistening on the windowsills and window seat. She tipped her head. Who had opened the window? She shivered and glanced at her things. The couch remained in its place, but the cushions were askew, some on the floor. Her plants—a collection of spider plants and ferns—weren’t in their pots. Dirt splattered around where they had once sat.

  Occasionally sloppy, she never left the apartment a total shambles. Who else had a key? Her stomach clenched and she couldn’t breathe. Tiny.

  She needed to get out. Needed to run. She turned on her heel and ran smack into a wall of solid flesh. The person grabbed her by the arms—a man based on his size and the tangy scent of his thick cologne and body odour. She couldn’t see his face because of the stocking cap over his eyes.

  “Remember the rules,” the man growled. “Quiet girls are safe girls.”

  She nodded, afraid to do anything else. The man raised a gun and aimed the weapon at her. The blood drained from her face and pounded through her veins. Now she needed to run and hide, but hell…her feet wouldn’t move. A strangled cry ripped from her throat and the thunder of gunfire ricocheted through the apartment.

  Astra dropped to her knees.

  “Don’t fuck with Tiny or I’ll do more than destroy your shit.” The man slapped the butt of the gun against her cheek.

  She closed her eyes as the room faded to black.

  All I wanted to do was be home…

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  About the Author

  I always dreamt of writing the stories in my head. Tall, dark, and handsome heroes are my favourites, as long as he has an independent woman keeping him in line.

  I earned a BA in education at Kent State University and currently hold a Master’s in Education with Nova Southeastern University.

  I love NASCAR, romance, books in general, Ohio farmland, dirt racing, and my menagerie of animals.

  Email: wendi.zwaduk@yahoo.com

  Wendi Zwaduk loves to hear from readers. You can find her contact information, website and author biography at http://www.total-e-bound.com.

  Also by Wendi Zwaduk

  Learning How to Bend

  Must Be Doing Something Right

  My Immortal

  You’ll Think of Me

  Tangled Up

  Careless Whisper

  Please Remember Me

  What Might Have Been

  Ever Fallen In Love

  Someone Like You

  Love Remembers

  Treble: Savin’ Me

  Heart Attack: Over My Head

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