Love, Laughter, and Happily Ever Afters Collection (Eight Fun, Romantic Novels by Eight Bestselling Authors)

by Violet Duke

Tears I’ve been holding in slide down from my eyes. I sit as close to Brad as possible, my head resting on his shoulder, and I feel him stroking my hair. I missed him so much. “I was so scared,” I whisper. “I thought I’d lost you.”

  Ever so quietly, he says, “I’m not going anywhere. We superheroes are invincible.”

  I smile and I’m surprised I remember what it feels like. It’s the first real one I’ve had in over a week. Brad’s eyes begin to close. He looks so drained. We both fall asleep until I feel someone nudge me on the shoulder. It’s Matt and he’s smiling for the first time, too.

  “He’s really going to be okay, Gabby.”

  CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

  BRAD��S HOSPITAL ROOM is an improvement from the Intensive Care Unit he was in until a few days ago. The nurse came in and removed all of his tubes and monitors, with the exception of the IV, so he’s much more comfortable. He’s still sleeping, so I take a moment to watch him. He looks so peaceful. Those long lashes fanning his face, that crinkle in his forehead, those soft lips. God, I love him. Leaning forward, I lay my face on his chest so I can feel his warmth again.

  I must’ve fallen asleep, because when my eyes open, I feel Brad’s fingers strumming my cheek. I sigh, relishing the feel of his hand, and look up. He looks so much better today. The bruises are finally fading and he looks more like himself. I’ve never been so happy to see him.

  His eyes meet mine and I chuckle. “To think you were worried about me walking around the city by myself. Looks like you needed your own guardian angel.”

  Brad looks at me with such emotion I feel like my heart’s going to burst. “I already have my guardian angel.” He drops a kiss on my nose.

  Matt pokes his head in to see if Brad’s awake and joins us. He’s heading back to Los Angeles today. I’m kind of sorry to see him go. It’s been nice to have him here. “So listen, Bro, you better do exactly what the doctors tell you to do; no messing around.”

  “I will, man.” Brad looks teary-eyed. It’s hard to say goodbye to your family. Especially if you actually like them.

  Matt gives Brad the biggest hug. I’m so glad they have each other. Then he walks around the bed and pulls me into one.

  Brad scowls. “Hey, watch it! You’ve stolen enough of my girlfriends.”

  We both laugh, but not before Matt says quietly in my ear. “Take care of him, okay?”

  With Matt gone, and the nurses no longer hovering, we’re finally alone. My lips reach up and smother Brad’s face with kisses. Mid-kiss, he stops me. “I don’t know if that’s such a good idea, baby.”

  My face contorts in my favorite eight year-old pout. “Why not? I feel rejected.”

  Brad points down at the bed with his index finger. “Let’s just put it this way. This is a very thin hospital sheet, and I wouldn’t want to give the nurses an eyeful.”

  I laugh. “Hmmm…true. But how about I lock the door, and you can give me an eyeful right now?”

  He laughs. A rich, full laugh that I’ve missed and that reminds me why I love him. “Don’t tempt me, baby.”

  Just then, Fran barges through the door. “Hey, lovebirds! I’ve come with an offering of coffee and…” she pauses and eyes Brad’s crotch. “Whoa. If I’d known you’d be this happy to see me, I would’ve come sooner.”

  I throw an empty dishpan at her.

  “Oh, and by the way Brad, your brother is freaking hot!” She ducks as my shoe flies past her.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

  BRAD’S COMING HOME from the hospital today. After five days of crappy hospital food and a really uncomfortable bed, he’s definitely ready. If we had trees in Manhattan, I’d say he’d be home just in time to see the fall foliage. The nurses are going to miss him, I’ve heard them giggling about him from time to time. It makes me laugh. He’s certainly not an eyesore around here.

  When I walk into his room, he’s got a smile so big it makes my heart happy. He motions me over to the bed and I sit down by his side.

  He takes my hand in his as he leans forward and reaches me with his lips. “Hi, baby.”

  I look up at his lovely face and I’m suddenly filled with guilt. “I’m so sorry.”

  “For what?”

  “It’s…my fault that you got hurt.”

  Brad raises my face up to look at him. “Gabby, listen to me. It’s not your fault. Do you hear me? It’s not your fault.”

  “But…”

  Brad takes me in his arms and cradles me against his chest, stroking my hair with his fingers. “No, baby. It’s not your fault. It happened. It’s over and I’m fine. That’s all that matters.”

  I swipe at my wayward tears. Brad lifts my face to his and grazes his thumb over my bottom lip. “Gabby, you didn’t hurt me, your love is what saved me.”

  CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

  IT’S BEEN A MONTH since Brad left the hospital. He’s fully recovered and back at The Brew House. Digging through my purse, I find the note that Brad made me promise not to read until I got to work.

  Dear Gabby,

  I can’t wait to see you tonight, and show you with my body what I feel with my heart.

  I love you.

  Brad

  I take a deep breath, running my fingers over the words I love you. I’m eternally grateful that I got another chance. It’s a miracle to get two chances at love, especially love like this.

  I’m so excited about our date tonight that it’s hard to get through the day, especially after that note. I can’t wait to see him. The accident is behind us now and we can finally move forward. Together.

  It’s really windy tonight, so I take a taxi to Brad’s apartment. I don’t want my hair plastered to my face when I get there. When the door to his apartment opens, I’m immediately warmed by the smooth trill of Jeff Buckley’s voice playing softly in the background. I can’t help but smile. It reminds me of our first dance.

  I barely have a chance to get in the door when Brad grabs me. “Baby, dance with me.”

  As if I could ever refuse him anything. “Sure.”

  Brad pulls me to him, so close that I can feel his sweet breath massage my neck, the scent of him pulling me into a dizzying whirl. His fingers slowly brush my cheek as the warmth in his eyes wraps around my heart. He guides my hands to the back of his neck, the smooth strands of his dark hair tickling my fingertips. This moment here with Brad is like a dream, one I don’t want to wake from. But as his lips find mine, I know I’m not dreaming. He folds his arms around my waist and slips his warm tongue into my mouth, gliding over my teeth and sucking gently. The thin fabric of his polo shirt presses against my tender breasts, inciting tiny sprinkles of electricity and sparking my desire, a desire that only needs the nearness of him to be ignited.

  Untangling his wet lips from mine, his tongue brushes the delicate shell of my ear as he makes his way to the curve of my neck. I let my head fall back and the feel of his heavy breath on my skin causes my heart to pound rapidly. A soft moan slips out. “Brad.”

  The oven timer alerts us that something is ready in the oven. He whispers a curse then pauses for a moment and looks up into my eyes. “Hungry?” he breathes.

  There’s only one thing I want right now, and food is definitely not it. “Not so much,” I whisper.

  He leaves me, but only for a moment, to walk over to the oven. When he returns, he threads his fingers through mine and leads me down the hallway to his bedroom. Before we step inside, I’m rewarded with his soft, warm lips. “Wait here, baby.”

  My anticipation builds and I’m suddenly grateful that I took Fran’s advice and wore my brand new Victoria’s Secret l
acy black bra and matching underwear. I want to be sexy for him. In fact, I’ve never wanted anything more.

  He sashays out of the bedroom, dreamy brown eyes alive with mischief, and motions for me to come in. When I enter, what I see takes my breath away. Candles alight the room. A trail of red rose petals lead to the bed, a single red rose on one of the pillows. Tears sting the back of my eyes at his thoughtfulness. It’s so romantic and perfect, just like him.

  He walks over to me and I sweep the hair off his brow, my eyes taking in his beautiful face, looking up at him in wonder. “I can’t believe you did all this for me. Are you for real?”

  He looks at me, a teasing smile playing on his lips. “Baby, I’m about to show you just how real I am.” He grabs my hips, pulling me snugly against him, his erection pressing into my groin. His lips brush softly against mine. “Does that feel real to you? ‘Cause that’s what you do to me. You and only you.”

  I wrap my fingers around the curve of his neck, drawing him in. His mouth inches closer to mine while his hands wander lazily down my skin, which is now burning for his touch. As his fingers begin to ease the bunched silk of my blouse up, our mouths find one another. His tongue traces the curve of my bottom lip, capturing it, sucking me into his mouth. I open my tender lips and he presses me more tightly against his toned body.

  I pull my blouse over my head and feel the ridges of his defined chest press against the thin lace of my bra, unruly breaths leaking out as he pulls me hard against him. I can feel every inch of his arousal. Small moans escape my lips and I hear him gasp as he whispers, “I love you, Gabby.” The air leaves his mouth and bounces off my skin, continuing to taunt me, my nipples tightening deliciously. Slowly, he moves behind me and lifts the silky hair away from my bare shoulder, spreading soft, tender kisses across each delicate blade. His fingers make their way to the clasp of my bra, unhooking it, and I arch back against him as he reaches around and squeezes my full breasts and rolls his fingers over my nipples, which harden against his touch. He glides his hands down to unzip my skirt and it slides down my legs, leaving me covered only by the thin lace of my panties. Before I know it, I’m facing him, trying to control my now uncontrollable breaths.

  Brad is staring at me, admiring me, loving me. “God, you’re so beautiful.”

  I move closer to him and gently tug at his polo shirt so I can lift it over his head. His chest is smooth and muscular and I move my fingernails slowly across it, a sexy groan leaving his hot mouth. Bending down on my knees, I pull off his jeans, noticing he’s practically bursting out of his boxers.

  He moves his mouth over mine tenderly before he slides his tongue inside and grabs me with his desire. Without ever leaving my lips, he walks with me until the back of my knees are touching his bed, then lowers me down gently. Never taking his eyes off mine, he eases my lace panties down my legs and I’m exposed, but not embarrassed. I want him to see me. All of me. Standing back up, Brad rids himself of the last bit of fabric covering his manhood. For the first time, I take my eyes off of his and glance down at his arousal, stirring the pot of desire deep in my belly. God, he’s so beautiful, inside and out.

  He crawls onto the bed, pushing me back onto the pillows, and lifts himself over me as his tongue skims over my body setting me on fire. His wet lips surround my nipple, sucking gently as his fingers tease my other nipple and tiny whimpers fall from my lips. His tongue dives back into my mouth, our bodies pressed together like two intricate pieces of a puzzle. The feel of his heated skin against mine, coupled with his familiar scent and his warm, rapid breaths makes me ache for him. “I want to taste you,” he whispers. His words make me swollen and wet. He rolls his tongue down the dips of my neck. Trailing featherlight kisses from my breasts to my belly button, he moves lower and my hips arch into his warm mouth as I let out a strangled moan. His tongue flicks back and forth over my dampness, causing my eyelids to flutter closed and my head to fall back against the pillow. When he comes back up, his lips are glistening with my desire, his eyes filled with heat. Raising himself over me, he takes in the length of my body before returning to my face. “I love you, Gabby. Pull me inside you.” His voice is hoarse and full of emotion and I grab his erection and lead him into the deepest part of me.

  I’m completely surrounded by his heat, by the feelings that seep through his veins. It’s like an infusion; he fills me with his love, and I’m lost.

  He continues to push inside me, rocking his hips back and forth, back and forth. Brad whispers, “I love you, Gabby. I love you,” over and over again, his voice broken from passion.

  I inhale the scent of our bodies loving one another. His lips find mine again, our tongues gently twisting in a motion that brings peace to our erratic heartbeats. We hold onto one another so tightly it’s almost painful, silently begging the other to never let go, until are bodies betray our desires and we orgasm together.

  It’s amazing what the body can feel when accompanied by the heart. It’s like a perfect symphony of feeling, of emotion, of a love you thought was impossible; until suddenly the impossible becomes inevitable.

  Our breathing calms, and my mind opens to the depth of this moment for me. Brad leans in and kisses my face again, and again, and again. The wetness on my cheeks causes him to look up at me with concern. “You’re crying, baby. Did I hurt you?”

  The words don’t come right away, only the tears. “I’m fine. It’s just that…I almost lost you…and I love you, Brad…I love you so much.”

  His joy-filled brown eyes surround me as he brings his fingers up to caress my cheek. “I love you, too, Gabby. Fate led me to you. It will always be you.”

  I lay awake and listen as Brad’s breathing slows and lulls him into a peaceful sleep. I don’t sleep, though. I don’t want to close my eyes for fear that this is all a dream. I push up on my elbows and watch him. I love him so much, and feel so grateful that he somehow managed to find his way through…through all the clutter, all the disappointment, all the pain, to finally find me. The real me. He loves me. Not who he wants me to be, not who he expects me to be. Just me, and that’s all I’ve ever wanted.

  I’m thankful now for every moment that has led me to this point. For all my life lessons, and the people who taught me them along the way. Without them, I would never have walked down this gravelly, uneven road. The road that led me here, to Brad. This is where I’m supposed to be, and my heart knows it because I can finally feel it.

  EPILOGUE

  BRAD

  ONE YEAR LATER

  “ARE WE REALLY doing this?” Gabby asks me anxiously as we make our way to the top.

  “What do you mean? Of course we are. It’s on your list.”

  I grab hold of Gabby’s hand. As much as she wanted to do this, she seems extremely nervous now that we’re here. We’re making our way up in the elevator at ten miles per hour, and were told by the guide that the trip takes all of 41 seconds. Wild. I’m pretty excited because I’ve never done anything like this before, but even more excited that I’m doing it with my girl.

  When we arrive at the top and step out, I’m in awe. The pictures and movies I’ve seen about the Space Needle don’t compare to how absolutely breathtaking it really is. You can see everything. The downtown Seattle skyline, the Olympic and Cascade Mountains, Mount Rainier, Mount Baker, even Elliott Bay.

  Gabby seems completely dazzled. She looks over at me. “Wow, babe. This is simply amazing. I never imagined it would be so extraordinary.”

  While Gabby goes back to admiring the view, I take a moment to admire her. She’s so beautiful. Her shiny chestnut hair reflects the sunlight, blowing gently off her shoulders with the light summer breeze. Her blue eyes penetrate my soul. The curve of her neck so subtly connects itself to the rest of her sculptured body. Her spirit is so full of life. The life
she fills me with every day.

  I walk over to her and wrap my arms around her slim waist. She instantly leans back so I can cradle her head under mine. Contentment is the only thing I feel.

  Gabby tilts her head back and I stare into those gorgeous blue eyes, then move in to grab a little slice of heaven from her lips. After, she settles again under the warmth of my chin.

  I have to shake myself because I can hardly believe I’m here with this girl. The girl who stepped out of my dreams and into my heart. I don’t remember ever smiling so much, feeling so much, or loving so much. She took everything I ever thought about love and turned it inside out. She turned me inside out.

  “So I’ve been wondering something,” I say nervously.

  “Hmmm…mmmm.”

  “About your list.”

  “Yeah. What about it?” she asks curiously.

  “Is marrying the man of your dreams on there?”

  She whips her head around, her eyes as wide and blue as the sky. I take Gabby’s delicate hand in mine as I lower myself to one knee. The tears are already beginning to form in the sweetness of her eyes.

  “Gabby. Before I met you, the air surrounding me was stale; I was gasping for something…anything. But then you crashed into me and I swallowed a big gulp of life. You helped me breathe again….You made me want to breathe again. That moment you spilled your coffee in my shop, and you looked up at me with those embarrassed blue eyes, something inside me clicked. You awakened my heart. You got it beating again, so I could really feel it. I love the way it feels. I love the way you make me feel. You’re the most beautiful person I’ve ever met, not just on the outside, but on the inside, where it counts. I want to spend every single moment of my life making you happy, making you smile. Gabrielle Willis…will you do me the honor of marrying me and spending the rest of your life with me?”

  Tears run slowly down Gabby’s cheeks as she stares into my eyes. Her lips move, but I don’t hear anything, so I lean in closer. The word “yes” squeaks out in a whisper through her tears. I slip the engagement ring onto her finger and she pulls me to her. The only place I want to be.