Untouchable: (Unstoppable - Book 1) (The Unstoppable Series)

by Danielle Hill

  I fell on him, almost toppling us both, but sure arms fastened around my shaking body and lifted us both up. Head buried in his chest, legs threatening to give way, all I could do was nod.

  He eased back, tipping my chin. “Be nice to hear you say it, Ri,” he said, tone light.

  “Yes. Of course, yes,” I said through my tears. Reaching up to trace my hands over his jaw, nails scratching the scruff, I nodded again. “You are my future, Maddox Renner. Everything else... is just stuff, but this... us,” I held his gaze. “Is the single most important thing in the world to me.”

  He took my small hand in his big one, and slid the solitaire over my finger before pulling my hand to his mouth and brushing his lips over my knuckles.

  Two years later

  Reno

  “We’re gonna be late, Ri!” I shouted up the stairs, tapping my fingers impatiently against the wooden rail. Scrubbing a hand through my hair, I checked my watch, and muttered, “Christ, woman.”

  What the hell is she doing?

  Pacing down the hallway, keys swinging around my finger, still muttering about my wife’s inability to be on time for any fucking thing, I double checked the locks on the doors and windows, eyes quickly surveying the space around me.

  We’d bought a three bed house six months ago. It was on the same street as Leon’s mom and step-dad. Not too big, not too small. Little patch of grass out front and a decent sized yard out back. We had bigger visions, but it was home, and everywhere I looked, I saw Riley. Framed pictures of us adorned the walls and surfaces. Honestly, I could live in a cardboard box, if it was with her, I’d be good.

  Our relationship was like the ocean, calm and serene one minute, turbulent as fuck the next. It worked for us. Safe to say, we made up a lot, and I’d ride that damn storm any day. I was still goddamn crazy for her, and she still drove me crazy. But I’d tried life without her once, and it was like being half alive. I’d take her temper and irrationality, because she loved fiercely, with every fucking part of her. And being on the receiving end of that, was exhilarating. Humbling. Addictive. We’d never doubted our love for each other, not when I spent the night on the couch or she stormed out the house in a blaze of fury, putting the lives of every pedestrian in her path at risk. I loved the calm, I loved the chaos.

  I fucking loved her.

  My gaze landed on the candid black and white picture, framed by the word love, that had pride of place in the centre of the wall in the hallway. She’d never looked more beautiful. Walking down the aisle toward me on Le’s arm. I’d had to dig my heels into the ground to hold myself back. My heart had slammed into my ribs hard enough to crack them.

  That was a month ago. It was the second time I’d slipped a ring on her finger. There was no feeling in the world that compared to seeing them there. She was mine. She always fucking had been.

  Right now though, she was a royal pain in my goddam ass who was going to make us miss our honeymoon.

  “Riley!” I growled, tossing the keys back in the bowl on the table by the door. I started up the stairs, taking them three at a time to see what the hell the damn hold up was this time.

  Pushing open the door to our bedroom, I stuck my head round. Finding no sign of her in there, I backed up, and strode down the hallway to the closed bathroom door. “Ri?” I called.

  “Yeah.” Her voice was muffled by the wood, but it sounded off.

  My brows drew down. “You okay?” I asked, hand closing around the knob and twisting.

  My eyes found her immediately, sat on the bathroom floor, knees pulled to her chest, and her arms wrapped around them. Red-rimmed eyes met mine and my protective instincts flared, every muscle tensing into action. “What is it?”

  Her head swung wearily, forehead lowering briefly to touch her bent knees, before she raised it enough to make eye contact, and tipped her head over her shoulder toward the basin.

  Brow creased, my gaze shifted. And immediately landed on the thin white stick laying face up by the faucet. It wasn’t one of those ones that said the word, but I knew enough to determine what two pink lines meant. My gaze stayed on the stick for a while longer, my brain storing the information, placing it in a box marked come back to.

  Sighing heavily, I dropped down, shifting until we were sitting side by side with our backs against the tub. Stretching my legs out in front of me, I took one of Riley’s pale hands in mine, turning it over and running the pad of my thumb over her smooth skin. Looking at the side of her head, I said quietly, “Too soon?”

  We hadn’t planned this. It wasn’t a subject we’d discussed in any detail, Riley always shut it down. We’d touched on it early on, more at my insistence than Ri’s, and decided it was a conversation for the future. I knew why she was reluctant. I also knew why she was crying on our bathroom floor. And it had more to do with the past than the future.

  Her head shook as she tucked her chin into her knees and closed her eyes.

  I swallowed, chest burning. I couldn’t even focus on what that stick meant for us right now. I had to figure out how to comfort her, but I knew how I felt and what I wanted. I wanted this baby.

  All being said, I’d easily agreed to go along with whatever Riley wanted, to put it off indefinitely and wait until she was ready, but that stick changed things. I had no fucking idea what I’d do if she didn’t feel the same. “Talk to me, Ri.”

  She just shook her head, internalizing her struggle.

  Swallowing hard, I pushed the words out through layers of resistance. “You don’t want it?”

  Her head shot up instantly, face crumbling and watery eyes wide. “Of course I do,” she said, and relief rushed through me. My fingers squeezed hers. “But... I’m scared.”

  Her small voice twisted at my insides. Reaching across, I wrapped my hands around her biceps and lifted, settling her over me, legs braced either side of mine. Using both hands, I swiped the matted hair from her damp face, curling it over her ears before framing her face with my hands. “Everything is going to be fine, baby. I promise.”

  Her head shifted in my hands, but I held firm, keeping her eyes on me.

  With a despondent shrug, hands lifting up helplessly before landing on my chest, she said, “I don’t know if I deserve it, not after...”

  “You did nothing wrong last time, baby,” I said, fierce determination in my words. “And you damn well deserve it, Ri, do you wanna know why? The fact that you feel this way, that you’re worried you don’t, proves how much you do. What happened before won’t happen again, there’s no reason to think that it will. I know you’re scared, but whatever happens, Riley, I’ll be here. Right here with you,” I vowed emphatically, holding her watery gaze and refusing to let go. “Whatever comes our way, good or bad, we face it together, and we get through it together, you hear me?”

  She pressed her lips together, sniffling as she nodded, those green eyes shining like emeralds through long spiky lashes. Her lips lifted the tiniest bit on one side, eyes wide. “I can’t believe it. I’ve been taking birth control, never missed, I don’t know how...”

  “Doesn’t matter,” I said, reassuring her.

  Eyes locked on mine, she inhaled a long breath, chest lifting with the motion. “Do you... are you... happy?” Her voice was tentative.

  My face broke into a grin before I slammed my lips down on hers, hands angling her head for better access. The emotions I’d put to one side smashed into me at full force. Happy? Didn’t even fucking come close. Easing back, lips still hovering over hers, I shifted to look at her. “Yeah... I’m really fucking happy, Ri,” I breathed, wonder in my words.

  Her lids fell, but her face broke into a wide smile.

  My hand found her stomach between us, palm splaying across the still flat surface. Awe swept through me, right along with joy. Pure unadulterated fucking joy. My chest was struggling to contain it all. My baby was in there.

  Our baby.

  I might have been waiting for this for six years.

  Voice gruff,
thick with emotion, I repeated, “I’m really fucking happy, Ri.”

  Her hand covered mine and she shook her head lightly. She was beaming.

  “Me too,” she breathed.

  Fuck, I loved her.

  THE END

  If you enjoyed Untouchable and want to know what's coming next, keep up to date with Danielle here:

  Website: www.daniellehillauthor.com

  Facebook: www.facebook.com/AuthorDHill

  Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/Danielle_Hill

  About The Author

  Danielle Hill

  Danielle Hill is a contemporary romance author from the North of England. She lives with her husband, who’s learned to live with the fact her head is full of other (fictitious) men, and two gorgeous kids, whom she mostly remembers to feed and water, in between writing stories.

  When she’s not writing, you’ll find her curled up with a book, watching a riveting box set and talking all the way through it (to her husband’s delight), or eating cookie dough cheesecake while promising to hit the gym tomorrow… not once has anyone found her in a gym. Don’t bother looking there.

  She enjoys reading and writing about strong guys and girls who overcome all the odds to find their happy ending.

  Also By DANIELLE HILL

  The Unstoppable Series

  Untouchable (Riley & Reno's story)

  Unthinkable (Liss & Leon’s story, TBR)

  Acknowledgements

  To my husband and children. You guys have been so patient, supportive, and understanding while I’ve been half in this world and half in my book world—not even batting an eyelash when the only clean socks available don’t match. I love you all more than every star in the sky.

  To my loud, crazy, wonderful family. You guys are the best, and my biggest supporters. Thanks for providing me with a constant supply of material for my stories, and for being there whenever I need you.

  To my sister Samantha, the poor soul who had to read my first draft. You were the first person to ever read this story and your response gave me the courage to keep going. Thank you <3

  To my cousin Stephanie, the only other book addict in my family. No, it’s not weird that we believe characters from books are real, or that we consider them close personal friends. Thanks so much for reading this story, and for loving Riley and Reno as much as I do!

  To my hilarious, insightful, and totally inappropriate critique partners, Rachel and Melissa. Thank you huge amounts for all of your input. The time and effort you spent helping shape my book is truly appreciated. A massive thank you to every other person who provided me feedback on this story.

  To Beth at Magnolia Author Services. Thank you for your guidance, support and hard work!

  And lastly, but most importantly, to every single reader who picked up my book… THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart for taking a chance on an unknown author. I hope you enjoyed Riley and Reno’s story. If you did, I would be so grateful if you would consider leaving a review. As my first published book, Untouchable holds a very special place in my heart, but I have so many more stories to share with you, including Liss and Leon’s story, coming early 2021.

  Thank you,

  Danielle

  xo