I lowered my head hesitantly and she closed the kiss. When we broke to breathe deeply, I kept my head pressed to hers. “You’re the one that I want.”
She let out a sigh. “You are the only one for me.”
I gripped her so tight. I was never letting her go again. “Let me share your burdens. And I’ll share mine with you. Good or bad. beautiful or ugly.”
“Together?” she asked.
“Every step of the way, no matter where.”
“I think I’d love that.”
“I love you so, so much, Roxy Kincaid. Every single inch of you. Inside and out. From here on out, you are not alone.”
“And neither are you,” she said. “I love you, Sanders Olsson.”
Our lips met again. This beautiful, wonderful, amazing woman was mine. All mine. When we finally stopped kissing, the sky had almost completely darkened. The lights of the rides and stands glittered all around us.
I adjusted myself with a wince. “We can’t do that anymore until I get out of these pants.”
“Promises, promises,” she said. “Let’s drive off into the sunset on the bike.”
“You’re a little daredevil now. But I’m not risking your life or mine. We can take a car.”
“Ah, so afraid to take risks. Live a little.”
I held her seriously. “No more unnecessary risks. No more covering the pain with adrenaline. I’m going to show up every day and be with you.”
She let loose a breath. “Me too.”
Chapter 30
Roxy
The club thrummed around me. I danced free and without thought. I let the pulsing lights and the shaking beat of the music drive my body. I rocked and shook and raised my arms above my head.
A chill started just behind my ear and tickled down my arm, alerting me that I was being watched.
I glanced over my shoulder and found the source. A man with a piercing blue gaze watched me from across the dance floor. Chin tucked, he studied my movements like he couldn’t see anything else. My breath came out in a gasp as his sexy glare penetrated me. He made me tighten with desire.
I pretended not to see him. But I liked how sexy it made me feel to be the only one he focused on in a room full of beautiful people. I moved with purpose. I let my instant lust for this man rock my hips and arch my back. My hands tangled in my hair before sliding down, sticking to my sweaty body. I thought about him licking me clean.
When I glanced back, he was gone. Until a second later a hard body pressed against my back. I sucked in a breath as a large calloused hand spanned from hip to hip under my shirt, bringing me close to his solid form. I threw my head back.
“Let’s dance,” he grumbled in my ear.
“So pushy.” I arched my backside into the hard length of him. “I think we already are dancing.”
He growled in my ear, and chills prickled my skin. “I couldn’t stop watching you. I have to have you.”
I turned my head as our bodies moved side to side, forward and back, swirled. His fingers gripped the flesh of my hip and he brought me closer yet.
“How presumptuous,” I said. “I like your accent,” I added.
He chuckled in my ear. “I like yours,” he shot back. “I’ve wanted to hear it calling my name since the moment we met.”
“My boyfriend wouldn’t like you touching me like this.”
“Your boyfriend is an idiot to ever leave your side,” he growled.
“Fair point.”
Sanders turned me in his arms so I could face him. This new little game was doing very good things to me. He brought a hand up to cup my cheek and pull me in for a kiss. “He won’t be making that mistake ever again.”
“Dance with me,” I said. “Kiss me. Make me feel whole.”
“You’re already whole.” He slid his leg between mine until I was obscenely straddling his solid thigh. “But I can make you feel full.” He bit at my lip. “Cherished.” He licked up the column of my neck. He rubbed himself against me. “And completely satisfied.”
His thigh between mine, a hot spike of desire shot to my core. I fought to keep from grinding too provocatively against the hard muscles. One arm wrapped me close. My breasts pressed into his chest and he grunted. We were sort of still dancing as our mouths met. We kissed on the dance floor in front of God and everyone. Our tongues clashed and our hands tried to remember we were in public. I cupped his ass and squeezed roughly. He broke our kiss to growl in my ear and then gently bite my neck.
All at once the teasing became too much and I realized I couldn’t hang at this level of role-play teasing. I was about to strip on this dance floor. He must have seen that fact in my gaze. His eyes went dark with want. His usual light blue eyes were almost black. His hands squeezed impatiently at my waist, bottom, thigh, and shoulders. He sneakily reached up between us to run a thumb across my nipple. I glared at him and licked my lips. He watched my tongue and bent to suck on my lips.
“Get a room,” Gretchen yelled, dancing up next to us.
“Okay.” Sanders shrugged and made to pull me from the dance floor. I dug my heels into the ground to stop him, laughing as Gretchen rolled her eyes and danced away.
I straightened my shirt and pulled my hair off my neck, fanning myself. Kim and Devlin danced a few feet away. Well, dancing was a stretch. They had their foreheads pressed together, Devlin lifting her slightly off the ground in his linebacker arms. Swaying to a tempo that nobody else heard. Their gazes were so intense, I had to look away.
I grabbed Sanders’ hand and tugged him toward our VIP section at the club in Knoxville. Above the main floor, it was still loud but easier to talk. Suzie sat on a red couch with her strong legs thrown over Ford’s lap. His hand slid up and down her legs as though he couldn’t help himself. Whispering in her ear as she bit her lip and smiled. The mini, fake white veil slipped from her hair as she threw her head back to laugh.
I sat down and reached for a water as Sanders moved next to me, close enough that the entire side of my body was pressed against him. He kissed my neck and nuzzled into me as I gulped it down. I took a deep breath and wiped off my mouth, handing the bottle back to him.
A minute later, Kim, Devlin, Gretchen, Jack, and Skip joined us.
“A toast,” Gretchen announced and lifted her glass.
We all lifted our various drinks into the air.
“To the happy couple, Ford and Suzie. May they grow old and wrinkled together.”
“Cheers,” we all said in unison and then clinked glasses across the low table.
Gretchen threw back her shoot and yelled, “Hot damn! Also—” She picked up another shot glass and held it into the air.
Sanders squeezed my side and I gave him a questioning look. I had no idea what she was on about but Suzie and Ford seemed happy enough to let her lead the show.
“Another toast. To Jethro Winston.”
Suzie, Kim, and I exchanged a wide-eyed look. Sanders stiffened at my side. Devlin and Ford looked downright grumpy.
“Uhh, what the cluck?” Suzie said.
“Hear me out.” Gretchen held up her free hand. “Romeo Jr. was a dumpster fire of a person. We can all agree he was on the path to become his father. But Jethro Winston … well, he tried to make things better, didn’t he?”
Kim and Suzie exchanged a look I couldn’t read. And I wondered if there was more to their Jethro story than I knew.
I thought about Jethro’s proposal all those years ago and what he was trying to do. His heart had been in the right place. He had loved me in his way. Young love. First love maybe, but not real love. We would have never worked out. I had to admit he had been trying to rescue me from the Wraiths. I was just too damn stubborn to let anybody save me.
Looking around the table, Gretchen sighed in resignation, “And if we aren’t even able to agree on that, we have to concede that he had fan-fucking-tastic taste in women.”
“Well, that’s true,” Sanders said loudly with a shrug. He winked at Gretch and she rol
led her eyes at him.
“Everything happened as it had to,” I said loudly, finding my voice as I spoke. “I don’t regret our pasts. Everything we have been through made us who we are. But that doesn’t define us, right?” My voice grew stronger as I spoke. “We all have shit that we don’t want to think about, but what we do now, how we act and love and all that shit. That’s what matters, doesn’t it?”
“I’ll drink to that,” Gretchen said and the rest chimed in with similar sentiments.
Heat burned my cheeks, but looking around the table, I knew I meant everything I said. And all the people at this table understood it too. We all have a story. We all have a life and things that make us strive to live better. We’re all just trying to get by. These people brought joy to my life. But more than that, they made me feel like I was part of something bigger than myself. I needed people and that was okay. The SWS, and the men that love us, they made me a well-rounded person. It wouldn’t always be easy … but I was happy, dammit.
After another few shots and a few more hours of dancing, we were all slouched along the couches of the VIP area again to continue Suzie and Ford’s engagement party.
“Have you guys decided when the wedding is?” I asked Suzie.
“Next summer, we think,” she answered.
“Where at?” Kim asked.
“I’m fine with the courthouse. Maybe Vegas. Oh, or a destination wedding! Unlimited drinks on white sandy beaches. What do you think, babe?” she asked Ford.
He smiled slowly, his salt-and-pepper hair disheveled and Suzie ran a hand through it to sweep it off his face. “I don’t care. I just want to marry her. I want to let the whole world know I snagged the best woman.”
“Aww,” we all chorused and Suzie blushed deeply, happiness seeping out of her.
“Seriously, how did we all get so damn lucky?” Sanders asked.
“You’re welcome,” Gretchen chirped and I just shook my head. “I have a gift.”
“You sure do. Well, let’s see …” Kim said. “Devlin and me.” She pointed to Suzie.
“Me and Ford,” Suzie said.
“You led me to my Roxy,” Sanders jumped in seeing where Kim was going.
“Don’t.” Gretchen warned as she straightened in the couch. Her red hair was a mess from dancing. “Do not even go there. We know this isn’t happening for me.”
“Why?” I asked.
She gave me a look like I of anyone should know why.
“Please. This isn’t about me. Let’s just be happy for the engaged couple. Okay? Soon, you all will be shacking up and popping out babies and I’ll be cool Aunt Gretchen who helps them buy booze for parties.”
“Wait, what?” Kim said.
I laughed. “Oh, Gretchen.” I leaned forward to squeeze her leg. “Sweet, sweet Gretchen. All these years of meddling and you think you’re just gonna get off the hook?”
“I don’t need a man.” She lifted her chin.
“And we do?” I asked.
Sanders was fuzzy with drink and winked sloppily at me. “Nope,” he said.
“I just mean. I know—” She started but it was my turn to cut her off.
“None of us need these men.” I looked to the grumpy faces of Devlin and Ford. “Sorry,” I added not meaning it. Ford just nodded like it was true but Devlin shot me a look that made me flinch. “But we are certainly much better for having you all in our lives.”
I turned in Sanders’ lap, to look in his eyes. “You’ve made me believe in myself. You made me realize that love is not weakness. Love is the opposite. Fear is easy. Fear protects you. Love makes you vulnerable and scared. However, the reward is so much higher. I see that now, thanks to you.”
“I love you,” he said holding my gaze with somber intensity.
“I love you too.” I looked to the others feeling embarrassing moisture in my eyes. “I love you all. And apparently I’m a sappy drunk.” I sniffed and everybody shared their love in return.
I looked around the table and felt so much for each and every one of these people in my life.
“Time to go,” Sanders said unceremoniously. He scooped me up and threw me over his shoulder like a fireman. I squealed and tried to keep my skirt from flashing all my friends. “We gotta go. See ya,” Sanders said and started walking me to the front.
“Wait, we all took a limo!” I called.
He set me down but the others were coupling up and collecting their things too. They all seemed to have the same idea. Skip and Jack shared a look that brought heat to my cheeks.
“Alright, I’ll tell the driver we’re ready,” Gretchen said as she brought her phone out. “Couples, blah.” She stuck out her tongue dramatically but was smiling.
“You only have yourself to blame,” I said and put my arm around her. I kissed her cheek.
“Yeah. Yeah.” She smiled but there was just a hint of sadness that I vowed to take away, no matter what it took.
A few hours later, Sanders and I lay in bed at my apartment, sweaty and sated.
“We have to get up in four hours,” he mumbled, glancing at the alarm clock.
I ran a hand over my face. “Whose genius idea was it to take those shots?” I asked even though I loved the heat from the love bites Sanders had left all over my body. I stretched, languid with satisfaction.
He pulled me closer to spoon, drawing the duvet up to cover us.
“I hope we don’t smell like tequila in the morning. Someone will smell it on me.”
Sanders groaned. “Don’t say that word.”
“Tequila?” I asked and he groaned again. I laughed and said, “Aren’t you taking that group zip-lining today?” I teased.
He fake sobbed against my back. “Well, it may be me that loses my cookies this time.” He yawned. “Is this the group from the Florida company?”
“No, that’s next week. This is the one from Texas.”
“Oh yeah. I did know that,” he said.
“I know.” I shimmied and turned until we were face to face. “Are you happy?” I asked him.
“So much. I love working with the Lodge.”
“And you’re glad you moved out here? It’s very different than Denver.”
“Mm-hmm.” He nodded sleepily. His eyes were already closed.
“I think Skip is going to move out here soon. All these trips back and forth for ‘work’ have to be draining on him.” I emphasized work because he clearly wasn’t flying out to only help Sanders establish OTB in Green Valley.
“Hmm, hope so,” Sanders slurred, almost asleep.
I traced a finger over his relaxed face. I loved him so much my chest ached with it. I deserved this happiness, I reminded myself. His light lashes fluttered under my perusal.
“I love you, Roxy.” His eyes opened and held mine. “You have made me the happiest person alive. No matter what the future brings for us, I want you to know that you’ve made me a better person.”
“I love you,” I said back. “We’re going to make each other great.”
His eyes flicked back and forth between mine. “I think so too.” Then he groaned.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
“I was just falling asleep.” He sighed dramatically and pulled back the blanket. “Now, I have to have you again.”
I giggled as he climbed on top of me.
I was complete. I was happy. I trusted in this. From now on, I wasn’t alone at all.
Acknowledgments
Like so many, 2020 was a struggle for countless reasons and there were many times, as with most authors I’m sure you follow, I wasn’t sure if writing was something I could even do in a time of so much uncertainty. Eventually, Roxy and Sanders found their way back to me and their love gave me hope once again. Isn’t that the whole point? That love conquers all. My love of writing and the love I felt from my friends and family did just that.
As always, this book would not be possible without many, many people (this year especially).
Tracy, thank you as al
ways for picking me up and dusting me off to remind me that I could do this.
Kelly, Shan, and Layla, thank you for the reads, the company, the countless conversations and words of encouragement. This book would NOT exist without you.
Elaine, thanks for letting me blatantly steal an Aussie joke from you.
My fellow Smartypants authors and Fi for endless advice, support and laughter.
Browhiski, the MVP of my heart, thank you for all that you do.
Lynsey, thanks for telling the truth and making this book so much better. You think you are a storm cloud but you are often a ray of light when I need to see the sun.
My betas - your comments SAVED THIS BOOK.
Penny, for letting me live in your world as though it were my own. Your kindness knows no bounds.
Thanks to Pipe’s Peeps. I cannot emphasize this enough, YOU ALL kept me afloat this year. Thanks for those who waited patiently, who checked in, who sent me thoughts and love. I am so grateful for you all. To the VIPeeps of my heart, thank you so much for sticking with me.
To JR, just…I can’t even begin to thank you for saving me this last year and making me do hard things. We can do hard things.
To mini P, for keeping me going, making me laugh and astounding me every day.
Finally, Tina. May you never read this but know if not for you, I may have never returned from the darkness.
About the Author
Piper Sheldon writes Contemporary Romance and Magical Realism books that hope to be NYT bestsellers when they grow up. For now, she works as a technical writer during the day and writes about love the rest of the time. Of course she also makes room for her husband, toddler, and two needy dogs at home in the Desert Southwest.
Find Piper Sheldon online:
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Find Smartypants Romance online:
The One That I Want (Scorned Women Society Book 3) Page 27
