Celina (Connelly Cousins #1)

by Abbie Zanders

  “He asked me to marry him.”

  Kyle closed his eyes and exhaled when Lina’s voice spoke up from behind him. He glanced over as she stepped up beside him and slid her small hand into his.

  “Lina.” Kyle warned, but she squeezed his hand and remained where she was. “It’s okay, Kyle. He deserves to know the truth.”

  Jamie’s expression went from pissed to incredulous. Kyle didn’t miss the flash of lust in Jamie’s eyes as he pinned them on Lina. He couldn’t blame him. She wore one of his shirts, which fell down to mid-thigh, the sleeves rolled up multiple times to expose her hands. Her hair was tousled and damp, already forming those big, loose curls. Her face – no, her entire body – was visibly flushed, like she’d just spent the afternoon being thoroughly and repeatedly loved.

  Kyle stood taller and glared at his brother in clear warning. Just that quickly, Jamie’s eyes went back to angry again.

  “I asked you to marry me, or have you already forgotten?”

  “I don’t love you, Jamie. I couldn’t accept.”

  “But you love him? Is that what you’re saying?”

  “Yes.” Lina’s voice rang clear as she looked up at Kyle with love in her eyes. “With all of my heart.”

  Jamie openly gaped at her, then threw up his hands and laughed. “Don’t you realize that nailing you was like grabbing the golden ring for him? What, did he tell you he loves you? Like he’s probably told the hundreds of other women he’s slept with? I thought you were smarter than that.”

  Kyle took a step forward, but Lina was faster. Her hand shot out and slapped Jamie across the face. Hard. Kyle winced. He knew first-hand how much one of her slaps stung.

  Rage flared in Jamie’s eyes along with the glowing red skin on his cheek. Kyle reached out and pushed Lina protectively behind him.

  “I thought you were different, Lina,” Jamie seethed. “I thought you were special. But you’re no better than the rest of his whores, are you?”

  This time Kyle did get to Jamie first and slammed him up against the wall, Kyle’s forearm applying pressure against his windpipe. Kyle leaned in close. “Never talk about her like that again,” he growled.

  “You can’t marry her, Kyle.”

  “Too late, Jamie. I already did.”

  Jamie looked at Lina, expecting her to refute what he’d said, but one look at her face told him that it was true.

  “Fucking hell, you’re serious!”

  “Apologize to my wife, Jamie, and then get your ass out of here until you can speak to her with some respect.”

  “You fucking married her...” The words trailed off to a whisper as the wind left Jamie’s sails, his eyes filled with disbelief. Jamie sagged against the wall; if it wasn’t for Kyle’s arm he might have slumped to the floor. Kyle released him slowly.

  “Yeah, Jamie, I did.” Jamie searched his brother’s eyes, looking for the truth.

  “Why, Kyle? You could have had any woman you wanted. Why her?”

  Kyle couldn’t answer that. He could no sooner explain that than he could any other miracle, because that’s exactly what this was. He didn’t know why, didn’t know how, but for some reason, Lina had come into his life and changed everything.

  “Never thought I’d see the day, bro, but then, I always knew she was special.” Jamie’s expression went flat, his eyes turned cold. He glanced over at Lina, who remained just outside the bedroom, arms crossed in front of her, worrying her bottom lip. “Congratulations, Mrs. McCullough. Or should I say, Sis?”

  “Jamie, I never meant to hurt you.”

  His jaw clenched and he turned back to Kyle. “I gotta go, man. Enjoy your honeymoon.” Jamie opened the door and walked out without looking back. Soon after, they heard a car door slam, followed by the sound of him peeling out of the driveway.

  “That’s not how I wanted him to find out,” Kyle said, blowing out a breath. Lina crossed the room and put her arms around his waist, infusing him with her warmth. It felt so good, just having her with him. He pulled her close and rested his chin on her head. “I sure hope your brothers take it better than he did.”

  “It doesn’t matter what they think, Kyle. If they’re smart they’ll be happy for me. If not, then they can go and - ” Exactly what Lina thought her brothers could go and do was left unsaid. Kyle cut off her words by cupping her head in his hands and kissing her with all of the passion and possession that he felt for her. When he pulled away, she had a dazed look in her eyes, similar to the one she had right after they made love. He did that to her. Not Jamie. Because she belonged with him, not his brother. There was no longer any doubt.

  Lina ran her tongue over her lips. “What was I saying?” she murmured.

  He grinned smugly. “That it’s time to go visit your brothers.”

  “Well, if it isn’t the happy couple,” Johnny quipped when he opened the door. It was hard to gauge his expression, but Kyle thought he glimpsed some grudging respect.

  “Fuckhead,” Michael acknowledged with a semi-friendly nod, easily dodging the throw pillow Lina tossed at his head. He was lounging in Johnny’s recliner, barefoot and shirtless, with a beer in his hand. It was not hard for Kyle to understand how Lina managed to remain untouched for so long with brothers like these.

  “His name is Kyle, Michael,” she warned, and Kyle felt a fierce surge of pride in her. She wasn’t going to take any of Michael’s shit. “And unless you want me to start calling you by your childhood nickname, I strongly suggest you start addressing him properly.”

  A look of mock horror flashed across Michael’s face. “You wouldn’t.”

  “Try me.” Her eyes flashed, and she sported a wicked smile that made Kyle even prouder. That’s my woman.

  Michael muttered something that sounded like “ungrateful brat”, while Johnny gave his sister a big bear hug. “He treating you right?” he asked, loudly enough for Kyle to hear.

  “Yeah, Johnny, he is.”

  “Better be. Come on, let’s see the bands. Still don’t believe it...” Lina proudly held out her left hand. Johnny whistled. “Nice rock. That must have set you back a bit, man.”

  “Especially those gems. That’s an original, and old man Zinmann’s work doesn’t come cheap.” Michael said, rising from the recliner. Soon Lina disappeared in his embrace, resurfacing moments later looking only slightly worse for wear.

  “You haven’t even seen it yet, Michael. How do you know?” Lina looked at him accusingly.

  Michael shrugged elegantly. “Went through his stuff at the cabin.” At Lina’s shocked look he gave a cocky half smile and added, “You don’t think I would have left him alone with my baby sister unless I knew his intentions were honorable, do you?”

  Instead of being offended, Kyle laughed. He probably would have done the same thing in Michael’s position. Lina, however, didn’t find her eldest brother’s behavior quite as reasonable.

  “You did what?” She took a step toward Michael, who backed up, arms raised in self-defense. “Now, Lina, you know it’s only because I love you, right?” It was comical to watch, especially when Michael appealed to Kyle over the top of her head.

  “Come on, man, help me out here. Control your wife, will you?”

  * * *

  Lina couldn’t help it; she started laughing, giving Michael a playful smack. His eyes sparkled mischievously and the next thing she knew, she found herself over his knee, his arm raised threateningly as if to give her a good spanking.

  “Michael!” she wailed, wiggling to get free, but he held her easily.

  “And yet he’s her favorite,” Johnny lamented to Kyle with mock pain. “Go figure.”

  Michael swung her around till she was right side up, wisely keeping her arms pinned while he kissed her on the cheek. “Can’t believe my baby sister’s a married woman. What are Johnny and I going to do now that you have someone else to look out for you?”

  Johnny snorted. “Like one man’s going to be enough to keep that one out of trouble.” Winking at Kyle
he said, “Don’t worry, man, we’ve got your back.”

  “I’m not that bad, am I?” Lina sniffed. The three men looked at each other and laughed.

  Michael grabbed a legal size envelope and handed it to Lina. “Here. A wedding present from Johnny and me.”

  Lina opened the envelope and pulled out the papers within. Scanning them quickly she let out a squeal of delight. “It’s the deed to the cabin!”

  “Yeah, well, you always liked that place. We figured as long as you let us crash there once in a while, why not?”

  Lina enthusiastically hugged both of her brothers. They offered their hands to Kyle as well. “Welcome to the family, man.”

  * * *

  Kyle smiled, happy to be gaining two more brothers. It was a little sad, though, that his own flesh and blood couldn’t share in his happiness. He understood the reasons behind it, and couldn’t blame Jamie in the least, but it still gave him a twinge to know that things would never be the same between them. Looking at his beautiful wife, his soul mate, he knew it could not have ended any differently.

  He accepted the beer they offered him and sat down, relishing the warm, familiar weight of his new bride settling into his lap, laughing at something Johnny said. He listened to them teasing each other, laughing along with them as they tried to outdo each other with embarrassing stories from their childhood. The evening wore on, and Kyle felt like he had everything he had ever wanted. Life was good. As Lina’s eyes met his and she impulsively brushed his lips, a long-forgotten phrase echoed through his mind...

  ... And they lived happily ever after.

  Thanks for reading Kyle and Celina’s story

  You didn’t have to pick this book, but you did. Thank you!

  If you liked this story, then please consider posting a review online! It’s really easy, only takes a few minutes, and makes a huge difference to independent authors who don’t have the mega-budgets of the big-time publishers behind them.

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  As always, I welcome feedback. Email me at abbiezandersromance@gmail.com.

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  Thanks again, and may all of your ever-afters be happy ones!

  Abbie

  If you liked this book...

  ... then you might be interested in my Callaghan Brothers series. Celina’s cousins are seven hot Irish brothers, former Navy SEALS who have formed their own off-the books team. Each has his own specialty, which is fortunate, because they need each other when they’re faced with their biggest challenges yet – finding and keeping their croies, the women fated for them and them alone.

  Check out this excerpt from Dangerous Secrets...

  Taryn felt instantly at home in the Pub. She’d spent most of the last eight years working in one just like it. Unofficially, of course, but no one ever questioned it and that kind of thing had never really mattered to Charlie.

  It gave her an idea.

  It took some effort to get to the bar, but not all of it was unpleasant. With the level of noise and density of the ebullient crowd, Taryn quickly discovered the most effective method for making forward progress was a well-placed hand in a strategic location. By the time the men turned to see who had taken such liberties, Taryn had disappeared once again.

  It was the younger guy who spotted her first. A brief raise of his eyebrows and a flickering glance toward the window was followed by a dazzling smile. “So she is courageous as well as beautiful,” he said, handing two filled mugs to the man on her right. “What’s your pleasure?”

  Taryn returned his smile with one equally devastating. It was a skill she had mastered years earlier. She also let her eyes linger on his lips just a second longer than necessary as she ran her tongue lightly across her lip. Ian’s eyes flashed. Gotcha.

  God bless the male sex, they were so easily baited. “You’re very busy tonight.”

  “Yeah,” he agreed, leaning against the bar as if there weren’t two dozen people around her vying for his attention. “A little.”

  “Looks like you could use another bartender.”

  Ian’s grin widened. “You offering?”

  “Oi, Ian,” called Jake. “What the - ” Jake stopped when he saw who had captured his brother’s undivided attention.

  “She says she can help out behind the bar,” Ian informed him with a grin.

  “Is that right?” Jake walked over, gathering a few orders along the way. “You tend?”

  She nodded, her smile fading a little. This was the man who had pinned her with his gaze through the window. He was much bigger close-up. Definitely related to the younger guy, but infinitely more intense. Harder. She suppressed a shiver. Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea after all.

  * * *

  The closer Jake got to her, the stranger he felt. He likened it to an electrical current flowing through his body, which, unfortunately, he had experienced. Comparatively speaking, this instance was much more pleasant.

  Who had eyes like that? Layered, like a custom paint job. If he had to guess, he’d say her eyes were purplish with a couple of clear coats of smoky gray on top, the exact hue of the sky moments before a summer thunderstorm. It had to be a trick of the lights, though, because no one could actually have eyes like that. Thankfully, there was no trace of the haunted look he’d seen earlier, making him think he might have imagined it.

  “What was that last order?” he asked, locking his blue gaze with hers.

  “Excuse me?”

  “The last order I took. What was it?” He fixed her with a level gaze.

  “Oh, come on, Jake,” began Ian, but Jake ignored him.

  The woman took a breath. He knew, because his eyes were drawn to the subtle rise and fall of the nicely-endowed chest peeking through that jacket.

  “Two pints of Killian, one Irish coffee, a Baileys and cream no ice, and two fingers of Grey Goose with a splash of lime.”

  The corners of Jake’s mouth twitched. “What’s the secret to pulling a good draft?”

  She appeared to consider his question for a moment, then leaned forward. Jake mimicked the movement, putting his ear within inches of her lips. Even with all the noise, Jake had no trouble hearing her low, quiet-toned answer. “Giving it just the right amount of head.”

  The twitch became a full-fledged grin.

  It was a crazy idea. Jake didn’t tolerate just anybody behind his bar. But he was desperate. Plus, for some strange reason, he liked the idea of having her back with him instead of out in the rowdy crowd. Quite a few of the men were already looking at her as if she was a tasty snack. He rationalized the impulse by telling himself he wasn’t doing it for her or even him, for that matter; having someone like that behind the bar was simply good for business.

  “Right,” he said. “You’re hired. Get your ass back here.”

  The smile she gave him lit up the entire room, but it quickly faded when she tried to move. He understood the problem immediately: to get where he was, she would have to cross the length of the long bar and around the other end, which, given the current mob, would take about half an hour. She looked at him helplessly.

  “Oi, Big John!” Jake barked. “A little help for my new barmaid, please.”

  A huge, bearded man shifted next to her; plate-sized hands circled her waist and she was suddenly suspended over the bar. A host of cheers and catcalls went up in the immediate vicinity as Jake grabbed her out of the air and brought her down on the other side.

  Jake was stricken by yet another strange sensation as his hands closed around her waist. It was like hitting the sweet spot on a baseball bat, or releasing the perfect thr
ee-point shot, knowing it was going to be a total swish without even having to look. And his thumbs didn’t skim the underside of her breasts. They didn’t. Because if they did, he’d have to think about how full and firm they were against his fingers, and that would be bad...

  Dangerous Secrets is available on Amazon now:

  US: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00PX02PU0

  UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00PX02PU0

  Germany: http://www.amazon.de/gp/product/B00PX02PU0

  Canada: http://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B00PX02PU0

  Australia: http://www.amazon.com.au/gp/product/B00PX02PU0

  ... and other Amazon locations

  About the Author

  Abbie Zanders loves to read and write romance in all forms; she is quite obsessive, really. Her ultimate fantasy is to spend all of her free time doing both, preferably in a secluded mountain cabin overlooking a pristine lake, though a private beach on a lush tropical island works, too. Sharing her work with others of similar mind is a dream come true. She promises her readers two things: no cliffhangers, and there will always be a happy ending. Beyond that, you never know...

  Also by Abbie Zanders

  Contemporary Romance

  Dangerous Secrets (Callaghan Brothers, Book 1)

  First and Only (Callaghan Brothers, Book 2)

  House Calls (Callaghan Brothers, Book 3)

  Seeking Vengeance (Callaghan Brothers, Book 4)

  Guardian Angel (Callaghan Brothers, Book 5)

  Beyond Affection (Callaghan Brothers, Book 6)

  Having Faith (Callaghan Brothers, Book 7)

  Bottom Line (Callaghan Brothers, Book 8)

  Five Minute Man (Covendale Series, Book 1)

  All Night Woman (Covendale Series, Book 2)

  The Realist

  Celestial Desire

  Time Travel Romance

  Lost in Time I

  Lost in Time II

  Paranormal Romance

  Vampire, Unaware