Terms of Surrender
Page 23
She wrapped her arms around his neck, laid her head on his shoulder so her soft breath warmed the side of his neck. “T’ank you,” she whispered and kissed him on the cheek.
Holding tight to his precious package, he clambered to his feet and met Harley’s gaze. “Are you girls okay?”
Harley glanced over her shoulder at Lisa and his mom, then back at him. “Yes.”
As relief burst through Gage, he risked a step forward and cupped the side of her face against his palm. “I’m sorry for leaving, for not being here when you needed me the most. But I’m here now and I’m never leaving you again.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
The heartfelt honesty in Gage’s gaze brought tears to Harley’s eyes and an ache to her throat.
Tall and strong and loved, he towered above her, Laura tucked securely in his arm.
But with emotions running high, it would be far too easy to get her hopes up and believe anything he said. Better to keep things light and easy tonight. “I didn’t think you’d get here in time.”
“You know me, Harl. What’s a day without a little excitement?” His attention dropped to her throat and a concerned frown crossed his brow. “You’re bleeding.”
“I am?” She raised her hand and felt dried blood where Mike’s knife had nicked the skin. “It’s nothing.”
“Not to me.” He dropped his hand from her face, set Laura down on her feet, and gave the older twin a wink. “Looks like it’s our turn to play doctor, sugarplum.”
“Really, Gage, I’m fine. I’ll wash the blood off and—”
He put his big hands on her shoulders, and the gentleness of his touch as he turned her toward the house silenced her.
Frances came down the steps, grasped Laura’s hand, and said one word. “Mike?”
Gage’s reassurance filled the cavity of Harley’s chest. “I promise you, Mom, he’ll be okay. Whatever it takes, however long it takes, we’ll get him back on his feet and home.” He slashed a look Harley’s way and his voice turned gruff. “Mom, why don’t you take the girls and make tea for everyone. I think there’s a box of herbal stuff in the back of the cupboard.”
Frances put her arms around the girls’ shoulders. “A tea party and then bedtime. It’s been a long day, hasn’t it, girls?”
The twins nodded, still mute, their grief apparent. But they were surrounded by people who loved them, and Harley knew they’d be okay.
And so would Mike.
Gage was here now, and he’d take care of his brother like he took care of everyone around him…with thoughtful care and compassion.
As she passed Frances, she grabbed hold of the older woman’s hand and gave it a squeeze. “I’m glad you’re here with us.”
Blue eyes shone bright with unshed tears. “I am, too, my dear.”
And then Gage was pushing Harley up the front steps, into the house, and down the hallway. For the first time since Mike had broken into the house, she felt safe, secure.
She sat down on the edge of the tub and watched the man she loved fuss at the sink. “Really, Gage, it’s nothing.”
He grunted in response, and a moment later turned, antiseptic and gauze in hand, and approached her. Nudging open her knees, he crouched down in front of her, his big body radiating heat, banishing the chill of the last few hours.
And while she wanted to give in to the desire to touch him and kiss him, she didn’t want to scare him away.
It was his turn to make the next move.
Her breath caught in her throat and her heart beat triple time.
CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
Gage resisted the urge to haul Harley full body against him. There were things to be taken care of, important matters to discuss without the distraction of sex.
And as much as he wanted to make love with her, to reassure himself that she was alive and unhurt, he wanted to make her a permanent part of his life even more.
In the kitchen, the girls sang a merry tune with their grandma.
But here in the bathroom, the only sound was the heavy thump of his heart as he forced himself to focus on cleaning the wound on her neck. “How long do you think it will take to get the munchkins into bed?”
“Hours. Days. Maybe weeks.”
He frowned, unwilling to wait hours to tell her he was ready to move their relationship to the next level, the one that would commit his heart and body to this one woman alone. It was time to step out of his comfort zone, to accept that he wasn’t a monster capable of hurting the people he loved.
He blew on the antiseptic to dry it, saw the slight shiver she couldn’t quite contain, and fixed his attention on her lips. Leaning forward, he covered her mouth with his own and kissed her, soft and careful and regretful.
This was only the start of where he was headed…forever with her in his arms.
He lifted his head and gazed into eyes filled with desire and something more. As much as he wanted her naked against him, he wanted to explore the something more.
And there was no point waiting till the girls were in bed and fast asleep. He knew it would be hours before he had Harley to himself. He blew out a breath of air and took the plunge. “I wonder if you might consider spending the rest of forever with me?”
The girls danced into the bathroom, filling the cramped space, and Gage had to shift out of the way to avoid getting knocked about. As they sang their merry tune and raced away, they disappeared into the living room, where their sweet voices turned into blood curdling screams.
Lisa no doubt frightening the hell out of Laura with tales of monsters behind every dark corner.
Harley started to push to her feet. “The twins—”
“I’ll get them,” he grumbled, and he gained his feet and headed out of the bathroom.
“Girls, come here,” he called out. He barely had enough time to brace himself before the girls tackled his legs and clung like they were climbing a rope. He peered down at their cheerful faces, and realized that while he’d probably never get used to their shrill screams, he’d fallen in love with them. Fallen in love with their aunt, too. Hopelessly, heart on a platter, in love.
With a girl on each leg, he lurched around and came face to face with Harley.
Refusing to meet his eyes, she reached out and grabbed the girls’ arms. She looked cross and more than a little annoyed. “Get off your uncle. We’ve had a really long day and it’s way past our bedtime.”
The girls set their feet on the floor, let go of his legs, and craned their necks back as far as they would go so they could look up at him. “Can we sleep with you and Aunt Harley tonight?”
He rubbed the spot over his heart. “Well, that depends on how fast the two of you get ready for bed.”
They pushed past their aunt and dashed down the hallway into the spare bedroom.
The woman he loved frowned up at him. “What’s wrong with your chest?”
“Broken heart,” he said.
The kettle whistled in the kitchen, followed by a blood curdling scream from the bedroom, followed by giggles which told him everything was okay.
As Harley started to push past him, Gage grabbed her wrist, preventing her escape. He figured he had about thirty seconds—or less—before the next interruption. “I surrender, Harl. Simple, straightforward, heart on the line.”
She rolled her eyes and bent to pry his fingers off her arm. “We’ve all had a scare, Gage, and everyone’s on an emotional high tonight. Maybe now’s not such a good time for this.”
He released her and his gut tightened.
Maybe she was right. Or maybe it was her turn to be scared. He refused to give up, at least not until she smacked him over the head and booted him out on his ass.
The pitter patter of tiny feet raced into the hall, and the girls pushed their way between them, and tackled his legs and clung.
As he watched Harley’s eyes go all soft and moist, it hit him right in the chest near his heart. He looked down at the girls, then back up at her beautiful face. With
no more than a hitch to his voice, he said, “It’s the dream, babe. Sharing the responsibility of the girls with you. Feeding, bathing, and entertaining them together. Tucking them into bed with woman I love at my side.”
In the evening light, her dark mocha eyes glistened with doubt. “Dream? Now I know it’s the adrenaline. I’m sure you’ll come to your senses tomorrow and realize—”
“I won’t change my mind.” He risked a step forward, squishing the girls between them, ignoring the giggles from down below. “You and me, getting married, having a family of our own, growing old together.”
He captured her face between his hands, hoping beyond hope she could see everything he was feeling in his eyes. “I’ve realized the past has nothing to do with our future. Here, now, we have a chance to build something special. We’d be fools not to grab each other and hold on tight. I love you. I’ll love you till my dying breath and beyond.”
Tears filled her eyes. And with only the tiniest hesitation, she wrapped her arms around his neck, pulled his head down, and whispered against his mouth, “I love you, too.”
He lowered his head, his mouth claiming hers for one warm, delightful kiss that lasted milliseconds—or hours—he didn’t much care because he had forever in her arms. When he lifted his head, he smiled down at her. “I surrender my heart, my life, my love to you. For the rest of my days, I want to wake up with you in my arms. I want to make love to you every night, give you babies to hold to your breast, and keep you safe.”
“Yes,” she breathed.
He pressed his mouth to hers, while one of his hands worked its way from her cheek to her neck and downward. Somewhere in the vicinity of his legs, he heard a tiny voice whisper, “He’s going for her booby.”
Gage caught his hand back before he made contact, and Harley smiled against his mouth. He reached down and scooped her into his arms, ignoring the pinch in his heart and the giggles from down below. “Minds. Hearts. Bodies joined. I surrender my love to you for the rest of my life.”
She looped her arms around his neck, an impish grin on her very kissable mouth. “I love the way you surrender.”
“Honey, I’m gonna surrender to you every day for the rest of my life.” He entered the bedroom, laid her on the bed and covered her body with his own, while the girls crawled up his back and under the covers. “And then I promise to love you for the rest of yours.”
Gone were the shadows in his life, the emptiness in his heart. He had a lifetime to show this woman how much he loved her and he didn’t intend to waste a moment of it.
As soon as the munchkins and his mom were in bed, he’d prove it to her with his mouth, then his hands, then his body. And tomorrow, he’d start all over.
From the doorway, he heard his mom’s happy voice. “The tea is ready, but since I’d rather have another grandbaby, I’ll just get the girls out of your hair.”
He glanced over his shoulder at the woman who had tried her best to protect him from harm, and gestured her forward. “We’ll take care of that later, Mom. For now, come join our family.”
One of the girls climbed onto his back—Lisa, no doubt.
He reached over his shoulder, rolled her onto the bed, and tickled her on the feet where she loved it the most.
His heart swelled with joy.
He finally had his family, his future, forever.
Other Books by Sheila Seabrook
Find out every time Sheila releases a new book by going to http://www.sheilaseabrook.com/newsletter and signing up for her Newsletter now!
Novels & Series:
Rocky Mountain Romance Series:
ALWAYS REMEMBER
Sometimes the truth turns out to be a lie…
All Romance eBooks: http://bitly.com/GA5tYS
TERMS OF SURRENDER
Family, future, forever…
THIS TIME FOREVER
(Coming early 2014)
Novellas:
WEDDING FEVER
Liz Templeton, Bandit Creek’s star reporter, is about to have her life turned upside down.
Amazon US: http://amzn.to/NL6Gu8
Amazon CA: http://amzn.to/1a04LMZ
Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/16itoWs
THE VALENTINE GRINCH
Hearts, cupids, and diamond rings … bah humbug!
Amazon US: http://amzn.to/Un2rek
Amazon CA: http://amzn.to/1c6aO7N
Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1bwVYUS
Anthologies:
Fool’s Gold: BABY FEVER
Baby cribs and baby swings and a winking, blinking doll. Oh my!
Amazon US: http://amzn.to/Y3uzRq
Amazon CA: http://amzn.to/16itUE9
Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/GA5353
Dear Reader
Thank you for picking up a copy of Terms of Surrender, book two in the Rocky Mountain Romance series. I hope you enjoyed it.
As the mother of two boys, I always thought my youthful secondary characters would mirror my children. I mean, I love the male species, whether they be young, old, or anywhere in-between. I love writing from their point-of-view, and with two wonderful boys and a loving husband, I have plenty of opportunity to delve into the male psych.
But then my youngest sister gave birth to a couple of sweet little girls, and I fell in love with my two precious—and precocious—nieces. Naturally when I began to write Terms of Surrender, and Laura and Lisa slipped onto the pages, their personalities picked up many of my nieces’ traits.
It seems I’m destined to write about manly men who are surrounded by females of all ages.
If you enjoyed Terms of Surrender, please help others find it by recommending it to family, friends, readers groups, and discussion boards, or leave a review on one of the many online review sites.
I hope you’ll look for me on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Goodreads. To keep up-to-date with new releases and special offers, visit my website at http://www.sheilaseabrook.com and subscribe to my Newsletter.
Until next time, happy reading!
Sheila Seabrook, author of Always Remember & Terms of Surrender
About the Author
Sheila Seabrook, a two time Golden Heart finalist, writes contemporary romance and romantic women’s fiction from her home on the Canadian prairies. Her parents taught her that family is number one—even when you want to sometimes smother them with a pillow. Needless to say, when Sheila’s not writing, her life is filled with family, more family, and more family still. Fortunately these sometimes odd and strange people are the inspiration for her quirky secondary characters.
When Sheila’s not writing, she can be found staring out the office window or sitting on the deck, watching the wildlife wander through her yard.
To keep up-to-date with new releases and special offers, visit Sheila’s website at http://www.sheilaseabrook.com and subscribe to her Newsletter.
Copyright
Terms of Surrender
Copyright © October 2013 by Sheila Seabrook
ISBN #978-0-9877069-5-9
This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This eBook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the work of this author.
This eBook is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Cover by http://www.hotdamndesigns.com/
Table of Contents
Title Page
Story Synopsis
Dedication
Acknowledgment
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Other Books by Sheila Seabrook
Dear Reader
About the Author
Copyright