Ty wraps his arms around my waist and lifts me into the air, planting a chaste kiss on my lips. “We have tons of celebrating to do, Kitten.” He sets me down, and Hayden looks down at me with pride shining in his blue eyes.
“You did it,” he grins, running his knuckles over my cheek reverently. He’s about to lean in for a kiss when we hear a throat clearing behind us, and my body goes stiff.
When Hayden steps out of the way, I find my parents. I haven’t seen them in months, and every visit has been forced and uncomfortable. Mainly because I know my father hates that I’m with Hayden, but he can no longer stop us.
My father’s expression is thunder, and I wonder if he’ll ever accept that I’m a grown up. I expect him to lose his control, but thankfully, he maintains his composure. My mother can’t hold a poker face, her disgust at seeing me with Hayden and Tyler is evident.
“Dad, Mom,” I greet.
“Congratulations, Sienna.” My father’s gaze lingers on me, then glances over Hayden before cutting back to me. “It seems you graduated top of the class, which is interesting.” Once more, his gaze flits between Hayden and me.
“Nothing interesting about it, Dad. I worked hard.” I can’t stop the retort, and his glower is my only response.
“Well done, Sienna,” my mother utters, her face so cold and indifferent you’d think it was a mask. She keeps fiddling with her expensive designer clutch bag, a clear indication of her discomfort with being here.
“Look, I know none of this—my studies, my relationship, or the life I chose—is what you wanted for me. But I have made my choice. I am happy with who I am and where I am.” They both stare at me, but I keep my head held high. “I hope you’ll both come to see that in time. I am no longer the porcelain doll you tried to protect from everything. I am a grown woman. Respect that.”
I want to hug my mother and my father, but I don’t near them because they don’t deserve it right now. Once they can finally accept me, I’ll happily allow them in my life. But I’m convinced this might be the last time I see them, and I’m comfortable with that.
“Well,” my father grunts. “I am sure you have celebrations planned, let us not keep you from that.” He nods at Hayden and Tyler without really saying anything to both men. I watch them turn away and walk out of my life. My chest aches, but I don’t allow my tears to fall because if I do, I’ll only let them win. They chose to push me away, not the other way around.
Hayden laces his fingers in mine, and we make our way to the small bar that’s set up outside the large hall where we received our degrees.
“A penny for your thoughts,” I whisper to Ty who is sipping on his whiskey at the bar.
He’d been quiet all morning and only offered me a small hug before my parents arrived. He turns to regard me, then pulls me into a hug. I tip my head back to regard him, and he presses his lips against mine.
The feel of his hands on me and his lips on mine sends a thrill through me, thinking of the night to come. He slips his tongue into my mouth and deepens the kiss. Every nerve ending in my body is electrified, my nipples pressing hard against my dress. When he lets me go, I’m out of breath.
“You’re exquisite, Kitten. You can drive a man to madness, you know that?” he tells me earnestly.
“Have I driven you mad?” I question, furrowing my brows.
“You have driven me crazy, baby.” He kisses a trail down my neck. “Hay’s waiting for you out back,” he informs me in a whisper. “Go to him. I’ll be here.”
He steps away, leaving me to find the second bar which has been set in the garden behind the hall which has small yellow and white lights twined through the trees.
As I head toward the small table, I notice Hayden is standing there with a glass in his hand. His back is to me, and I slide my hands around his waist, resting my face on his back.
“You and Ty are deep in thought tonight.” My voice is muffled against his jacket. “You’re not having second thoughts, are you?”
He turns, facing me, his brows shoot together in confusion. “About what?”
“About me, us?” I say in a small voice.
“Don’t you ever say that. You have been the best thing that happened to either of us for a long time. I cannot imagine a life without you in it, Sia.”
I smile and rest my head on his chest, listening to his erratic heartbeats.
He steps away from me and sets his glass on the table before turning me around to face the building, which is purely open brick.
What I find there causes a gasp to fall from my lips. Two words that have been formed in the white lights cover the bottom half of the wall—MARRY ME.
Pivoting, I meet those blue eyes before he drops to one knee with a black velvet box open in his hands.
“Sienna Gardier, I have wanted you since the first day I laid eyes on you, and I have never stopped wanting you. Would you do me the honor of spending the rest of your life with me?”
My hands are trembling, my eyes are filled with tears because Hayden is blurred in my vision, and I choke back a sob of happiness. He watches me for a long while and the people that are milling around all stop to listen, to wait for my answer.
“Yes.” The words are a whisper, a promise, an acceptance.
Cheers erupted all around us, and when I turn around Ty is in front of the crowd, his smile wide as he offers me a small nod.
I turn back to Hayden as he slips a single princess cut diamond on my finger. He rises, holding his arms open for me, and I leap against his body, and he spins us around as he plants a heated kiss on my lips.
“I love you, Sia,” he murmurs against my mouth.
“I love you too,” I manage to utter through the sobs.
He just took a beautiful day and made it even more perfect.
HAYDEN
One year later
My new job has been productive as I shut down my laptop and focus on the view from the bedroom. I wanted to teach, and now that I have a private art class of five students who come to the house, I’ve finally found my calling.
Each of them are studying for their degrees, and every one of them are talented beyond measure. I’ve been showing them the ropes, tutoring them every afternoon, and the money that comes in goes straight into our savings.
When Tyler moved out two months ago, he told me to live my life and finally be happy. I didn’t want him to leave, and I know Sienna was sad to see him walk out, but he visits every week. Since our wedding, he’s taken his step back, allowing me and my girl to be a couple.
He met someone two months ago, and I have a feeling my brother may be tied down soon enough. He’s changed. He’s different, more relaxed, less of a party animal. And I’m intrigued to one day meet this person that’s clearly given him what he needed.
“Hayden,” Sienna’s voice drags me from my thoughts as she enters the room. I turn to find her ashen-faced and wide-eyed. I’m on my feet in seconds, fear gripping me that something is wrong.
“What is it, princess?” I question, holding her shoulders so she can’t fall because she looks like she’s about to faint.
“Uhm… I…,” she mumbles, but her words taper off only serving to make me even more nervous than before.
“What is wrong, Sia?” I ask again, needing her to tell me because my heart is violently thudding in my throat, and I can’t swallow past the lump of emotion.
Fear.
I’ve felt it before, but this is different, it’s almost violent.
“I’m pregnant,” she finally mutters, which causes me to still for a moment. Pregnant. “I’m… I’m having a baby.” Her words are fearful, but I don’t understand why she would be.
“No, Sia,” I tell her, pulling her into my arms. “We’re having a baby,” I murmur against the top of her head, giving her a soft kiss before stepping back. “We’re going to be a family.”
A smile spreads across her face, and her eyes light up with happiness and fill with shimmering tears. “I wasn’t sure—
”
“Never doubt me. I love you, and I’ll love all the babies you give me.” I’m on my knees, pressing my ear against her stomach as I hold her to me. “You’re mine. Always.”
And that’s a promise I’ll never break.
The End
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About the Authors
Dani is a USA Today Bestselling Author of a variety of genres, from romantic suspense to dark erotic romance and even BDSM romance. She loves to delve into the raw, emotional journeys her characters venture on, and enjoys the dark, edgy, and sensual scenes that fill the pages of her books. Dani’s stories are seductive with a deviant edge with feisty heroines and dominant alphas.
http://www.danirene.com
Jo-Anne Joseph writes contemporary romance, romantic suspense and psychological thriller romances. She is dreamer, doer, artist with a flair for creating stories from heart-wrenching and emotionally charged to dark and gripping. Her imagination knows no bounds. She is a proud member of the Romance Association of South Africa.
http://www.joannejosephauthor.com
Our Song
Samantha Morgan
Our Song © Samantha Morgan
* * *
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This is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, organizations, events or locales is entirely coincidental.
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Our Song
This time, Jaxon doesn’t want to steal anything from Kayla. He wants to give her something instead: the over-his-knee discipline she needs.
* * *
Pop sensation Kayla Monroe has just been informed by her record label that her next collaboration will be with the infamous rock star Jaxon Brady — the man who stole everything from her.
* * *
But as hard as she tries to hate him for the evil thing he did, there’s something about him that continues to tempt her, drawing her further into his web, and risking herself all over again.
* * *
Jaxon wants more than a work relationship with the bratty, annoying Kayla. He wants her over his lap, giving her the discipline he knows she needs so desperately. But that’s dangerous, and if he’s wrong, he might lose her forever.
1
Kayla nodded her approval and strode across the marble floors of the elegantly decorated lobby to the office at the far end of the hallway – the room with the best views of the city. “Aaron Goldstein, CEO” was written on a small, rectangular, gold plaque across the middle of the entrance.
Realizing the door was slightly cracked, she gave it a good knock before pushing it open farther and stepping in.
Oh no, no, no. Her breath hitched in her throat, and she immediately made a complete, 180-degree turn when she saw who was in Mr. Goldstein’s office with him.
“Come in, Kayla,” the older man’s voice called out to her, much to her dismay.
Bloody hell, I’ve been spotted, she cursed herself silently. Trying to swallow her pride, she walked back into the office slowly. “I see that you’re busy. I can come at another time,” she insisted.
“I was actually going to call you, so now’s perfect.” Mr. Goldstein shifted his gaze to the young man sitting before him as if daring him to utter a word of protest.
Without saying anything further, she strolled in and sat beside the man she detested the most in the whole of New York – Jaxon Brady. He turned to her in that moment, and the little smirk he had on his face made her skin crawl. Oh, how she disliked him – no, this feeling was stronger than just dislike. This was hate. She hated Brady, absolutely loathed him.
“Well, hello stranger, so nice to see you.” He leaned into her with a smile that was as fake as the music he’d been releasing lately.
“Jaxon,” she acknowledged him, but her voice was dry and cold. She didn’t even glance at him. Waiting attentively, she narrowed her attention back to Mr. Goldstein, folding her legs, one on top of the other, and rocking her foot in a subtle yet nervous manner.
Mr. Goldstein hardly called her in to have meetings. Her agent, Sally Wooding, took care of the management aspect of things. All Kayla had to do was smile, take photos, sing, and sign autographs. Why did he want to see her today? It felt like she was in high school all over again and had been called in to see the principal. She hoped whatever he had to discuss with them wouldn’t take long. Being next to Brady was like sitting next to the enemy. It was a hot seat she didn’t want to be in.
She could practically feel his side gazes as their CEO slowly informed them that the record label was not doing too well. According to the older man, she and Brady were basically their only hope. The survival of the company depended upon them; they had to be ambassadors for the brand. He wanted to revamp the company, to do something that would generate a large amount of revenue.
“So what exactly do you want us to do, Aaron? Whatever it is, consider it done,” the younger man assured without hesitation.
Was this a window of opportunity for her, a chance to be more than just a recording artist? If it was, she was surely not going to be beat by her rival. And so, without thinking twice, Kayla gave her support as well to the cause.
“I love this label. It has been like a second family to me,” she began, using the emotional card to gain favor. “I can’t think of one thing you would ask me to do for this company that I would refuse,” she added.
Mr. Goldstein smiled, satisfied by the responses he was receiving. “That’s great, because I want you two to work on a duet. It will be released on your next album, Kayla. And Jaxon’s about to go on tour, so you can join him and perform the song live together. Great publicity, right?”
Her jaw dropped. She couldn’t think of one thing that would deter her from doing whatever it was the Mr. Goldstein wanted – until now. He’d just mentioned three things she absolutely never, ever wanted to do. She did not want to collaborate on any song with Brady. Or any project with him at all, unless the project involved a reenactment of the French Revolution, he was the King Louis XVI, and she was in charge of the guillotine. Now that was a project she would really like to do with Brady. She definitely did not want him on her album, and she most certainly did not want to go on tour with him. She didn’t want to go anywhere with him at all. Looking over at Brady, she saw the exact expression she felt she had still lingering on his face.
“Is this a joke, Aaron? This woman hates me.” Brady grew serious and disbelief flashed in his stormy eyes.
There was a brief moment of silence amongst the three of them; it was so quiet they could practically hear each other breathing. Finally, Kayla tried to defuse the tension with a light chuckle. “I don’t hate you,” she lied. “Hate is such a strong word, really. I am just indifferent to you. That and the fact that I think the definition of a fun place to go is literarily anywhere without you.”
“Ha . . . Ha . . . Very funny. And in case you are too dense to understand, that was me being sarcastic.”
“Well, now, that sense of humor would be the reason anyone would think I hate you,” Kayla replied with a sardonic twist of her lips. “But I don’t hate you. Really I don’t.”
Ho
wever, the younger man didn’t seem to believe her. Jaxon looked to the man sitting behind the round, shiny, mahogany desk and repeated what he’d just said. However, this time his voice was as stern as the look that swept across his features.
It was, indeed, awkward since they’d worked for the same record label for five years now and had never once performed any music together. Mr. Goldstein’s expression grew dark and solemn. His eyes wandered to Brady and then back to Kayla. “Oh God, don’t tell me you too, Kayla?”
Confusion cluttered her mind. What was he talking about now? “What do you mean?”
“Don’t tell me you two have slept together?”
“No, no, no.” Both Kayla and Brady denied his suggestion immediately, as if reciting the line from a poem.
“Sleep with him?” Kayla spoke disgustedly. “I’d rather close shop down there and join a convent.”
“Like I would want to have anything to do with someone as frigid as you in the first place,” Jaxon said as he snorted loudly.
“Just because I say no to you doesn’t mean I’m frigid, Brady,” Kayla snapped at him.
Mr. Goldstein was perplexed, and it showed on his wrinkled face. He then informed them they didn’t have a choice. The song had already been written, and he went further to state that this would be an excellent opportunity for them to show how good they were.
“Hate yourself all you want, but the three of us both know this is going to be beneficial for both of you. You know how long your fans have waited for just this collaboration?”
Sweetest Obsessions - Anthology Page 242
