Love Ever After: Eleven All-New Romances!

by Nina Lane

  Kari tilted her neck and exhaled a low moan, the way he knew she would. He knew her weak spots, and her neck was definitely one of them. Encouraged by her noises, he continued his ministrations on her neck, licking and nibbling his way down to her collarbone. Her tight little ass ground backward into his crotch, eliciting a moan of his own before he wrapped a hand around her waist and spun her around. “Woman, you drive me crazy.”

  The wicked grin on her face told him that she knew the exact effect she had on him and she loved it. He slid one hand around her cheek, cupping her face, and drew her close while his other hand held her tight to him. He moved her backward and pressed her up against the wall before he trailed his hands down her arms to her wrists, holding her eyes with his the entire time. There was a glint of mischief in her deep eyes, and his dick twitched at the thought of what that meant. “You look like trouble, Ms. Fox.”

  “You know I am, Officer.”

  And there it was.

  In one quick move, he had her wrists up over her head, pinned against the wall with one hand, while his free hand tilted her chin to him. His lips crushed hers, taking as much as they gave. And she gave hungrily in return. The passion between them had always been hot and raw, and it had only increased in intensity over time as they’d become even more in tune with each other. Rhys moved his kiss down her throat to the vee of her blouse where the swell of her breasts heaved against the thin cotton. As impatient as he was, he had no time for buttons. His teeth locked on the fabric of her blouse and with a quick yank, Rhys tore away the shirt and exposed the white lacy bra.

  Kari opened her mouth. No doubt to object to the destruction of her uniform, but Rhys silenced her with another kiss. He’d deal with the uniform problem later. For now, he wanted his woman. And damned if he didn’t want her bad.

  With a growl, Rhys’s hand found one of her round, firm breasts and massaged it just enough to get her to make those sexy noises he loved so much while his thumb flitted back and forth over her nipple; it rose in a peak, begging to have his mouth on it. Which he obliged.

  “God, Rhys.”

  He let her arms drop and with his mouth still latched firmly on her breast, sucking and teasing, he lifted her easily in his arms.

  “You’re going to—”

  He silenced her with his gaze and a pinch to the nipple he’d just relieved his mouth from. “Kari, you put me totally and completely out of my head.”

  The way her head fell back and exposed her neck was all the response Rhys needed. He hoisted her higher in his arms and carried her to the couch, where he divested her of her clothing and trailed his kisses down her body until his mouth reached the cleft between her legs. He blew lightly on her sex. In response, he was rewarded with a complete body shudder. He knew exactly what his intimate kisses did to her, and that’s exactly the response he was looking for when he grasped her thighs, opening her to him, and ran his tongue down the core of her, tasting her sweetness for him. “You make me crazy, babe.”

  She had no hope of holding it together when he kissed her like that, and for the time being, Kari was not at all interested in holding anything together. Sex was the last thing on her mind when she left work, but the moment she saw him, and then felt his hard body up behind hers, it was over. When it came to Rhys, her body would change her mind. Every time.

  But she wasn’t in the mood for soft, gentle loving. She needed him, and she needed him now.

  With a quick jerk on his head, Kari pulled him and his tongue away from her core where he’d been lavishing his attention, working her into a frenzy, and guided him up so their bodies were once again pressed together. She could feel the hard length of his erection through his shorts and her desire only increased. From day one, his want for her had never faltered. Their connection had always been strong and true.

  “You are wearing entirely too many clothes.” Kari reached her hand inside his waistband and wrapped her fingers around him while she guided his pants down with her other hand.

  “Impatient tonight, are we?”

  She answered him by tightening her grip in the way she knew would drive all ability to speak out of his head.

  He got the message loud and clear, and didn’t waste any more time. Rhys pulled himself up, locked his gaze on hers so she could see his need for her reflected in his eyes and with one solid thrust, pushed into her.

  Her breath caught in her throat the way it always did when he entered her. She closed her eyes briefly, taking a moment to let her body get used to his size before she opened them again. Rhys still watched her, the way she knew he would be. There was always intensity in the way he looked at her, but there was something different about it this time. Something...more. Kari knew he loved her. She loved him too, more than anything. But there was something more than love in his eyes. Something that scared her with its intensity.

  Was she reading too much into things? Was it because of what Carmen said earlier? Was Rhys going to propose?

  Dammit.

  Her mind wandered, and the orgasm that only moments before had been so close was now instantly out of reach.

  Rhys stilled above her, obviously noticing the shift in her. “Babe? What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing.”

  She squeezed her eyes shut and turned her head. She couldn’t look at him. Not when she was lying.

  “Kari? Talk to me.” Rhys lifted himself from her and settled in beside her on the couch. He pulled her to him and wrapped an arm around her waist in a hug. He kissed the back of her shoulder tenderly. “Did I do something wrong? Are you—”

  “No. You were great. Nothing’s wrong. I promise. It’s just...”

  She couldn’t tell him what the problem was. She couldn’t tell him that ever since Carmen mentioned the idea that he might even be considering proposing to her, the idea had consumed her. And not in the way he would have been happy with.

  There was no doubt in her mind that Rhys was the man for her. She loved him and had never felt so safe, protected, and totally loved. He made her laugh, held her when she cried, encouraged her and supported her every career move. He was perfect. She just couldn’t marry him.

  CHAPTER THREE

  She’d barely slept the night before, tossing and turning until finally Kari had just snuck out of bed around four in the morning and gone for a run. Rhys wouldn’t have liked the idea of her running in the dark but really, in a town like Cedar Springs there was no one up at that hour, which was exactly why she liked it so much. She needed to clear her head.

  Fortunately, Rhys hadn’t pushed her on what was bothering her. She didn’t know whether she could’ve handled it if he had. She’d always been totally honest with him. Well, not always. There was a time when they’d first met when she didn’t disclose the truth about who she was and what she was doing in Cedar Springs. Telling a man you were still married and hiding from your abusive ex under a different name wasn’t exactly the best way to start a relationship. But it had been the truth and once she’d told Rhys, he’d been understanding. More than understanding. Kari knew he’d go to the ends of the earth to protect her. It was yet another reason why he was so amazing and why she felt so bad about not wanting to get married. But she didn’t. And she knew he’d never understand.

  She pushed herself, running down the main street to the public beach past the Grizzly Paw. In the short time she’d been living in Cedar Springs, the water had become her happy place. Whenever she needed to unwind, find a minute to think or just...be, she’d head to the lake. Something about the gentle waves lapping against the shore filled her spiritual cup and soothed her soul. It centered her. Even in the wee hours of the morning.

  Kari slowed to a walk as she neared the beach and picked her way across the sand and rocks until she reached the waterfront. She filled her lungs, exhaling slowly as she did a quick scan of her surroundings. It was an old habit, but of course there wouldn’t be anyone around. Despite the increased tourism, Cedar Springs was still a small town and crime wasn’t a p
roblem.

  But this time, as she looked down the shadowy shoreline, something was different. Someone was there. Kari reflexively hopped to her feet, ready to move off and run in the opposite direction. But something about the figure wasn’t threatening in the least. In fact, it was almost sad. Despite her better judgment, Kari walked slowly toward the other person.

  If Rhys had seen what she was doing, he’d lose it and for good reason, too. She was being an idiot. But she couldn’t seem to help herself. Something about the figure compelled her forward. When she got closer, she could see it was a woman who sat on an overturned log. Her shoulders were hunched in on herself and she was crying.

  “Excuse me.” Kari spoke softly, so as not to startle her, but the woman jolted anyway. “I’m sorry,” Kari added quickly. “I didn’t mean to scare you. But is everything okay?”

  The other woman wiped at her eyes and sniffed loudly as she came to her feet. “I’m fine.” She turned her back to Kari, and she knew that was her cue to leave the other woman alone. But she couldn’t. She’d been new in town, lost and alone once, too. Whatever this woman’s story was, something about her reminded Kari a lot of herself not that long ago.

  “I’m not trying to be nosy, but...if you want to talk, I’m a good listener.”

  The woman didn’t answer, but she didn’t immediately keep walking either, which Kari took to be a good sign. After a moment, she turned. “I’m Erin.”

  “It’s nice to meet you.” Kari laughed a little when she realized the absurdity of introducing herself to a stranger on the beach in the dark at 4:30 in the morning. “I didn’t think anyone else was up at this time of day.”

  “I’m having trouble sleeping these days,” Erin said. “And the hotel just seemed a little too...I don’t know...claustrophobic. I needed to get out.”

  “I get that.” Kari nodded and asked a question she was pretty sure she already knew the answer to. “Are you visiting Cedar Springs with your family?” A quick glance at her finger and Kari could see, even in the dim light, that there was no ring on her finger, but only a slight pale line where one would have been.

  Erin shook her head. “I’m alone.” There was more to her words than she was saying, but Kari knew not to push. She simply nodded and offered the woman a kind smile.

  “Cedar Springs is the perfect place to be then.” Erin looked at her with a question in her eyes, so Kari added, “Trust me.” It was all that needed to be said. Erin smiled sadly and shifted her gaze back out to the direction of the water. The two women sat in silence for a while, content to be in each other’s company for whatever comfort that offered each of them.

  While she sat, Kari couldn’t help but reflect on how far she’d come and without a doubt that transformation had a lot to do with Rhys. It always came back to the same thing. With a sigh, she pushed herself up from the sand and wiped her pants off. “It was nice to meet you, Erin, but I should get going.”

  “Thank you.”

  “For what? I didn’t do anything.”

  Erin smiled, and this time it almost reached her eyes in the light of the dawn. “Yes you did.”

  She didn’t say it, but Erin had definitely done something for her, too. Sometimes the simplest thing of just being there was the best thing.

  She didn’t feel any closer to figuring out what she was going to do with Rhys and the idea of getting married, but she didn’t feel the familiar panic that had been overwhelming her for the last few days. And as Kari broke into a slow run and headed back toward the small house she shared with Rhys, she definitely didn’t have any answers, but she knew one thing for sure. Sitting with Erin on the beach, she was reminded of how things used to be. And how far she’d come. One thing she knew for sure was Rhys had been a large part of that, and whatever else happened, she wasn’t going to lose him.

  Rhys glanced at the number on his call display and shook his head. Dylan Harrison. One of his best friends and normally, he’d grab the call. But he knew what Dylan would want: an answer on the ring his buddy had quoted for him.

  It was a gorgeous ring. It was perfect for Kari and without a doubt he knew how amazing it would look on her finger. He’d grab it in a heartbeat. If it didn’t mean putting himself in a huge financial hole. It’s not as if sheriff of Cedar Springs was the most lucrative gig around. Not that he’d change it for anything. Because he wouldn’t. But it was times like this when he considered what it would mean to take one of the higher-paying gigs working for the private security companies.

  The phone rang again and with a sigh, Rhys hit the button to accept the call. “Hey buddy. Sorry I didn’t get back to you yet. It’s a big decision and I—”

  “No worries.” Dylan’s voice came through the line. “I’m actually not calling about that. Well, not really. I’m actually calling to apologize.”

  “Apologize?” Something about the way Dylan said it actually had him a little concerned. “What did you do? Nothing I have to bring you in for, I hope?” It wasn’t the first time he’d had to bring in a friend. Fortunately not for anything serious, but it was a hazard of the job in a small town.

  Dylan laughed. “No. Nothing illegal. But before I tell you…”

  “What?”

  He didn’t have time for games or trying to figure out whatever it was that was going on with Dylan. He had a date with his Aunt Daisy and if he wasn’t sitting on her porch within five minutes of when he said he’d be, there was no doubt he’d hear about it. Daisy had no patience with tardiness. Besides that, Rhys had been looking forward to a glass of her lemonade and a freshly baked date square all day. He wasn’t going to screw that up for whatever was going on with Dylan. “Spit it out already.”

  “Okay. Well, I didn’t mean to say anything, but…”

  Dammit. Rhys knew exactly where he was going with the rest of the conversation. “What the hell did you say?” There was a brief silence on the other end of the line. “Dylan.”

  “I may have told Carmen about you ring shopping.”

  “What? Dammit, Dylan.” Rhys shook his head. There was only one way the rest of the conversation could go. “And no doubt she told Kari, right?”

  “Well, not exactly. But she did make some kind of mention of it and…well, this is the reason I’m calling.”

  Rhys turned his cruiser down Aunt Daisy’s tree-lined street. It was one of his favorite streets in Cedar Springs and not just because it was where he’d met Kari for the first time when she had car troubles: it was also one of the most beautiful parts of town, with the huge trees hanging over the road, the porches full of residents who’d lived in Cedar Springs almost their whole lives and were content to sit and watch the world go by and drink lemonade while they gossiped with their neighbors.

  “Tell me,” he said. If Kari knew his plans to propose at their romantic dinner at the Stillwater tonight, that might not be a terrible thing, but he’d prefer to keep it a surprise. “What did she say?”

  He pulled up in front of Daisy’s house, and sure enough, she sat on her porch, waiting for him. She waved to him and he tried to gesture that he’d just be a minute.

  “Carmen said she seemed kind of freaked out about it.”

  His friend’s words hit him in the chest. “Freaked out? What does that mean?”

  “I don’t know, man. I didn’t get details. Just that she seemed a bit freaked out. Have you guys talked about it?”

  “About getting married?” Rhys didn’t wait for Dylan’s confirmation before he added, “No. I just assumed it was the next step. I love her. I want to be with her forever. Isn’t that what all women want?” It was the next step. Of course it was. Wasn’t it?

  Rhys’s stomach rolled but he pushed the feeling away when Dylan laughed. “Hey, I’m the last guy in the world to ask that question. I don’t know what to tell you. I just know what Carmen said. Look, I have to run. I have a conference call in a few minutes. I just wanted to let you know what Carmen said.”

  “Yeah, thanks.” Rhys looked out the wi
ndow at where Aunt Daisy was patiently or not so patiently waiting for him. “I appreciate the call, buddy.”

  “And I’m sorry that she said anything, but you know how women talk.”

  Rhys nodded even though Dylan couldn’t see him. He did know. He also knew that women were very perceptive. If Kari seemed “freaked out” the way Carmen thought, then there was a reason for it. He disconnected the call with Dylan and slipped out of his cruiser. He gave a wave to Daisy and started up the path. He’d have to push thoughts of Kari and his concerns to the back of his mind. There was no point in worrying Aunt Daisy about something that shouldn’t be worried about. Yet.

  “Rhys.” The elder woman held out her arms and welcomed him into a soft hug that smelled of Chantilly perfume and baby powder. “It’s been too long.”

  “That’s not true.” He chuckled as he pulled away, waiting for her to sit across from him before he took his seat. “I saw you last week in the Sugar Shack, gossiping with your girlfriends.”

  “That doesn’t count as a visit with you and you know it.” She lifted the glass jug of lemonade, and had to use her other hand to steady it. A move Rhys took mental note of. She was getting older, and Daisy would be loath to admit it, but the years were starting to catch up with her.

  “Well, I’m here now.” He took the glass from her with a smile. “And it’s good to see you, Aunt Daisy. You’re looking well.”

  She patted her perfectly permed hair in response to his compliment and blushed like a girl fifty years her junior. Ever since he was a little boy, he’d known how to flatter her. A skill that had worked in his favor when he wanted to get his way, which was pretty much all the time. But she’d been tough, too, and Rhys knew that she’d never given in unless she’d wanted to. She was a whole lot smarter than he’d given her credit for. And perceptive too.

  “What’s wrong?”