“No more running?”
“I’m done running away from us. As long as you’re next to me, I can handle anything.”
“It’s you and me, honey. From here on out.” He leaned down, his mouth right against hers, their breath warm on each other’s lips.
“From here on out,” she agreed.
* * *
The second the front door of the cabin closed Harper found herself pushed up against the wall by the solid weight of her perfectly muscled, attractive as sin man.
Yeah, that was right. Her man.
“Haven’t we done this before?” she asked as she looked up into his green-gold eyes. Eyes that had seen her from the very start. Eyes that didn’t hide how much he loved her.
“I believe we have. But things have definitely changed since the last time we were here together.”
“In so many ways.”
“Buying you that beer is still the best decision I ever made.” He grabbed her hands, pulling her arms up and pinning them to the wall above her head.
“Stole. You stole that beer.”
“It was only fair. You stole my heart first.” He grinned as he twined their fingers together.
“You’re still using your lines on me. Apparently not everything has changed.”
“Not a line.” Liam shook his head, his lips brushing hers with the movement. “That’s a fact.”
“That so?”
“Yup. Want to know what else is a fact?” He skimmed his nose across her neck as he inhaled.
“What’s that?”
“You smell incredible. You always smell incredible. Honey.” He whispered the word, his warm breath hitting her skin before he pressed his lips to the spot just under her left ear. “My honey.”
“Always yours.” How had she ever doubted what they had? For even a second? Never again. Never, ever, again.
Liam’s mouth left her skin as he pulled back, his eyes finding hers. “I’m going to kiss you now. So if you have any problems with that, you should speak now or forever hold your peace.”
She couldn’t stop herself from grinning at his words, the same words from their first night together. “No objections.” She shook her head.
His mouth came down hard on hers, their tongues tangling together. It was a good long couple of moments before he pulled back. “Still no objections?”
“I’m objection-less.”
“Thank God.” He gave her a wicked grin before he let go of her hands and bent, sweeping her up in his arms.
“Liam!” she gasped, her arms going around his neck and holding on tight as he carried her through the house.
“I’ve got you, Harper.”
“I know.” Of that she had no doubt. She kissed his jaw, his beard rasping across her lips.
When they got to the bedroom he set her down gently. The second her feet were firmly stationed on the floor and she was standing up straight, his hands were on her hips and he was pulling her in close to his body.
“So I decided something,” she said as she dropped her arms from where they were looped around his neck, running her palms down his chest.
“And what’s that?” He took a step forward, moving her back through the room.
“I’m not going to let the lies in those stupid tabloids get to me. We’ll make our own headlines.”
“Yeah? Like what?”
“Well, the first one will say, ‘Liam James and Harper Laurence Don’t Care What Anyone Else Has to Say About Their Relationship, and Kiki Jean Carlow Is a Lying Piece of Work That Absolutely No One Should Listen To. Ever.’ Though that might be a little wordy?” The back of her legs hit the bed and they stopped moving.
“A little.” He nodded. His hands had descended down and were now under the skirt of her dress.
“What about, ‘Liam James and Harper Laurence Tell Everyone Else to Shove It’? How does that sound?”
“Probably not the best for publicity.” He grinned, palming her ass.
“Okay, ‘Liam James and Harper Laurence Are Madly in Love’?”
“No.” He shook his head. “‘Liam and Harper James Are Madly in Love.’”
She froze, as she looked up at him. “What?”
“Yeah, and the next will say, ‘Liam and Harper James Settle into Their New Home in Mirabelle, Florida’ and after that ‘Liam and Harper James Welcome Their Baby Girl into the World.’ I think I’m forgetting one though…” he trailed off, his eyes narrowing in thought as his mouth turned up at the sides. “Oh, the first one. ‘Liam James and Harper Laurence, His Beautiful.’” He kissed the side of her mouth. “‘Stunning.’” He kissed the other side of her mouth. “‘Sexy as Hell Wife.’” He pressed his lips to the center of hers. “‘Wed in a Small Beachside Wedding Surrounded by Friends and Family.’”
“You want to marry me?”
His hands dropped from under the skirt of her dress, and her hands fell away from his chest as he reached over to the nightstand next to him and opened the top drawer. A second later he was holding up a little black velvet box, showing it to her before he flipped it open.
There, nestled in the white satin, was a cushion cut diamond, surrounded by a square of tiny diamonds that continued on to the band in two separate rows.
“Oh my God,” she whispered as she looked down at the most stunning ring she’d ever seen in her life.
And okay, maybe she shouldn’t be this shocked. Them heading toward marriage wasn’t too much of a stretch. But he already had a ring. He’d already been planning to propose.
“I told you from the start, told you that the second I tasted you.” He leaned forward and nipped at her bottom lip, pulling it into his mouth before he let go. “I’d want everything. But it happened before that first kiss, Harper. I wanted everything the second I found you. I’ve just been waiting for you to say yes.”
She reached up again, her hands on his chest and moving over his shoulders. And then they were at the back of his head, her fingers in his hair as she brushed her lips across his. “You still haven’t asked me the question.”
“You’re right. I haven’t.” He dropped to his knee in front of her. Both of her hands were still in his hair, and he grabbed the left and pulled it away to hold it in front of him. “It’s always been you, Harper. You’re it for me, have been from the very start. I didn’t know something was missing from my life until I met you, and I never want to go back to how it was before you.” He pulled the ring out, setting the empty box on the nightstand. “Will you marry me?”
“Yes.”
He grinned up at her as he slid the ring onto her finger. Once it was firmly in place he was getting up off the floor, his arms wrapping around her waist as he kissed her.
“I love you, Liam James,” she said against his mouth, her lips brushing his with every word that she spoke. “This is the life I want. The one with you in it. And it’s the only one I will ever want.”
“Promise?”
“I swear.” And she sealed it with a kiss.
Epilogue
I Need Forever, Honey, Forever with You
November 2nd…one year and two months later
Liam adjusted the tie at his neck for what was probably the fortieth time that night. He still wasn’t exactly what anyone would call a suit kind of guy even though he was wearing them a lot more lately.
He’d been sporting one this time last year when he and Harper had gotten married. They’d taken two months to plan it, the wedding happening that first weekend in November.
Harper had been six months pregnant and hadn’t wanted to hide Sofia under layers of material. Adele designed the dress—obviously—and Harper’s baby belly had been clearly outlined under the lace.
She was the most beautiful bride he’d ever seen in his life.
In fact, the gray tie he was currently wearing was the same he’d gotten married in. It was also the one he’d had on when he and Harper had found each other again in Jacksonville at the Stampede party.
He considered
it his lucky tie. How could he not?
“Stop that,” Harper whispered low in his ear as she reached up and grabbed his arm. “I haven’t seen you this nervous since the day our daughter was born.” She linked their fingers together as she pulled both of their hands into her lap.
“I wasn’t nervous that day. I was terrified.” Understatement.
But it was a thrilled terrified, if that made any sense. Their daughter had graced the world with her presence at eleven fifty-seven at night on January thirty-first. As it turned out she did have Harper’s eyes and a full head of dark brown hair that matched Liam’s.
There’d been nothing like holding Sofia in his arms for the first time. Nothing like her wrapping her tiny little hand around his finger as she slept. Nothing like hearing her sweet, perfect laugh.
Man did Sofia giggle like crazy. He loved that sound, loved it so freaking much.
She was ten months old now, a rambunctious little ball of mischief that didn’t like to sit still for too long. She was very active, crawling around the house like it was her job, or playing with any number of her toys, Luna included.
The tiny dog was beyond gentle with the baby, and more often than not would be found sleeping somewhere in the vicinity, one ear cocked at all times and listening out for any threat. Not that there was anything that Luna could do besides bark, but it was the thought that counted.
Besides, threats were few and far between at their home. Liam’s offer on the two-story beachside house had been accepted, and he’d had that thing baby proofed within an inch of its life before they’d even moved in. Harper had made the joke more than once that she was surprised he hadn’t padded the walls.
He was a little surprised, too, actually.
But it wasn’t just Sofia he wanted to keep safe. It was Harper, too. The woman currently sitting in the seat next to him was his everything. She’d given him the things that meant the most in this world.
In that moment, there were thousands of people sharing the same space as them, and she was still the most beautiful person in the room. Without a doubt. Her mouth was painted a bright red that matched her red dress, her hair curled and pinned up so that her neck was completely bared to him. She was wearing a long off-the-shoulder gown that wrapped around every one of her perfect curves. It was another one of Adele’s impeccable designs.
“I’m really proud of you, you know. No matter what happens.” Harper smiled as she leaned close, pressing her lips to his.
He moved his mouth from her lips to that cluster of freckles just under her left ear, kissing the spot before he whispered, “You’re the reason I’m sitting here, Harper. You’re the reason this is even happening.” He pulled back so that he could look into her eyes.
It was then that the crowd of people around them broke out into applause. Liam pulled his gaze from Harper’s and looked up as Isaac Dylan and Hunter Andrews came out onto the stage. They walked to the mike as the crowd quieted down.
“Song of the year is a category that is pretty near and dear to both of us,” Isaac started.
Hunter leaned close to the mike to speak next. “It was this award that we were first up for seven years ago, and it was a launching point for our career. These are the nominees for CMA’s song of the year.”
Harper’s hand tightened in Liam’s and it only squeezed harder as Hunter and Isaac read through the list. The crowd cheered as they named each nominee, all the way through the last one: “Forever.”
“And the winner for CMA’s song of the year goes to.” Isaac popped open the seal of the envelope and showed it to Hunter. Both of their mouths split into the biggest grins.
“‘Forever’ by Liam James,” they said in unison.
Everything in him stilled. There was no way he’d heard that correctly. “Did that just happen?” He turned to look at Harper.
She grabbed his face, kissing him hard on the mouth before she pulled back. “Yeah it did. You won, baby.”
He stood, pulling Harper to her feet and wrapping his arms around her as he kissed her again. When he pulled back there were tears in her eyes.
“I love you.” He reached up and ran his thumbs under her eyes.
“I love you, too. Now go up there and get your award.”
He kissed her one last time before he headed for the stage, the applause and cheers still ringing out loud around him. He mounted the steps and crossed over to where Isaac and Hunter waited.
They both gave him massive hugs, beaming hugely. They each said something. What? He had no clue. He couldn’t hear over his pounding heart.
And then they were stepping away as the crowd quieted down, and Liam held the award in his shaking hands as he walked to the mike and looked out at the thousands of people in front of him.
“Isaac and Hunter presenting this award is pretty perfect as the beginning of my career has a lot to do with them bringing me out on the road during their tour.” Holy hell, he was shocked his voice was steady as he spoke. “Thank you.” He looked behind him and nodded at the two men before he faced the audience again.
“I want to thank my parents and brother and sister for their constant support. For years you all had to listen to me on my guitar and you never once complained. Then there is my manager Gary Kirkland, thank you for taking a chance on me. And finally, I have to thank the muse behind the song.”
His eyes landed on Harper immediately, the radiating smile on her face making him feel like a fucking king.
“I saw her and I knew in an instant she was it for me. That night is the only time I’ve been more nervous than I am right now.” A small rumble of laughter ran through the crowd.
“I asked for her name that night and told her I needed to know it so whenever I repeated this story, people would know the name of the most beautiful woman I’d ever met. I wrote ‘Forever’ within hours of meeting her and I’m sure a lot of you know about the stories that were around when it first came out. So tonight I’m going to set the record straight once and for all: Her name is Harper James. Not only is she my wife, she’s the mother of my beautiful daughter Sofia. I’ve now experienced love at first sight twice in my life, and both of those women have the same violet eyes. This one’s for you, honey.”
He held the award up in the air, but as the crowd in front of him broke out into applause, all he could do was look at Harper.
She was still the only person in the room.
About the Author
Shannon Richard grew up in the Florida Panhandle as the baby sister of two overly protective but loving brothers. She was raised by a more than somewhat eccentric mother, a self-proclaimed vocabularist who showed her how to get lost in a book, and a father who passed on his love for coffee and really loud music. She graduated from Florida State University with a BA in English Literature and still lives in Tallahassee, where she battles everyday life with writing, reading, and a rant every once in a while. Okay, so the rants might happen on a regular basis. She’s still waiting for her southern, scruffy, Mr. Darcy, and in the meantime writes love stories to indulge her overactive imagination. Oh, and she’s a pretty big fan of the whimsy.
Learn more at:
ShannonRichard.net
Twitter, @Shan_Richard
Facebook.com/ShannonNRichard
Don’t miss the next installment of Shannon Richard’s Country Roads series!
UNCONTROLLABLE
* * *
Available Spring 2016
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Table of Contents
Cover
Title Page
Welcome
Dedication
Acknowledgments
Epigraph
Prologue: Found
Chapter One: Love at First Sight
Chapter Two: An Unsuccessful Walk of Shame…
Chapter Three: A Million Simple Things
Chapter Four: Lost
Chapter Five: Not Alone
Chapter Six: How to Be a Grown-Ass Adult
Chapter Seven: You’re Gone and I Can’t Move On
Chapter Eight: Found…Again
Chapter Nine: No Going Back. No Starting Over.
Chapter Ten: Catching Up
Chapter Eleven: The Elephant in the Room
Chapter Twelve: Sleeping Arrangements
Chapter Thirteen: Promise?
Chapter Fourteen: Anytime, Anywhere, Anything
Chapter Fifteen: No Going Back
Chapter Sixteen: I Want Forever, Honey, Forever with You
Chapter Seventeen: Love at First Sound
Chapter Eighteen: The Correct Way to Eat an Oreo
Chapter Nineteen: I’ll Be Your Man
Chapter Twenty: How to Burst a Bubble In Under a Minute
Chapter Twenty-One: The Power of a Lie
Chapter Twenty-Two: I Don’t Think I Believe
Chapter Twenty-Three: It Was Always You
Epilogue: I Need Forever, Honey, Forever with You
About the Author
Don’t miss the next installment of Shannon Richard’s Country Roads series!
Also by Shannon Richard
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Copyright
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.
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