by Calista Fox
Mags kissed Jenna on the cheek. “You’re going to be a fantastic godmother. I knew it the moment you touched my stomach and your eyes lit up.”
“That day at the bakery. I was so thrilled to see you pregnant. You’re so happy.”
“So happy. Now, you’ll have to excuse me so I can nurse her or you’ll end up seeing how very un-angelic she can be at times.”
Jenna laughed. “I bet she’s adorable even when she’s pitching a fit.”
“Yes, actually.” Mags smiled, then she and Geoff disappeared down the hallway.
Jenna said to Rafe, “I want you to meet my sister. I’m late because I stopped at her apartment to convince her to come today—if she’d speak to me, that was. She did.”
“I’m so glad you broke the ice, Jen.” He pulled her to him.
“You gave me good cause to do it, Rafe. You and your entire family. And oh, my God,” she said on laugh. “This is one Big, Fat Italian holiday!”
“The first of many I hope you’ll participate in.”
“Count on it. Maybe Linney too.”
“If Gio has any say in the matter…”
She kissed her devastatingly handsome ex-husband and murmured against his lips, “Please don’t ever doubt how much I love you. You and only you, Rafe.”
“Ditto, baby. Always.” He gave her a scorching kiss that had the family hooting once more. Jenna didn’t mind.
When they came up for air, she eased out of Rafe’s embrace and told him, “By the way, Tad’s been zapped by inspiration as well. He’s speaking to his parents today. I guess we’ve all needed a little shot of courage to get us moving in the right direction.”
“Spice, baby. You and I just needed to latch onto that inherent chemistry sizzling between us. Enough to ignite a blaze neither one of us can live without.”
She whispered, “I do like the way we singe the sheets.”
“We’re just getting started,” he assured her.
Exhilaration trilled along Jenna’s spine. “Interesting you should mention that. There’s something else I want us to address. Now seems like the appropriate time.”
He eyed her curiously. “Everything okay?”
Jenna reached into her purse and retrieved the black velvet box she’d always carried with her. “I want to give this back to you.”
Rafe’s brow furrowed. He flipped the lid and said, “Your wedding ring.”
An audible ripple of disappointment from his family made Jenna cringe. For once in their overly articulate lives, they were all deathly silent, their full attention on Jenna and Rafe.
She sucked in a breath to fortify herself. But love and devotion made it easy to surge forward.
She said, “I want to give it back so that you can put it on my finger.” She smiled up at him with misty eyes. “If you’ll agree to marry me. Again.”
Rafe stared at her for endless seconds. Jenna couldn’t read the expression on his face. So she clarified by saying, “I’m asking you to marry me, Rafe.”
“Yeah…” He shook his head, emotion flickering in his eyes. “Of course you are. Because the traditional thing would be for me to ask you. But as we all know, you’re not the least bit traditional.”
She nibbled her lip a moment, then mused, “I don’t know… I liked wearing the ring. And I’d really like to take your name this time around.”
Rafe was also stunned into silence.
From behind Jenna, Vesta murmured, “Tesoro mio.”
“For Pete’s sake, man.” Tonio was much more vocal, stating, “When the woman you love proposes to you, cuz—and she’s as beautiful as this one—the polite thing to do is slip the ring on her finger. Not leave her hanging. Capisce?”
“It’s okay, Tonio,” Jenna said. “He might need some more time to—”
“No,” Rafe cut her off. “I don’t need another second.” He stared deep into her eyes and said, “I’d ask Father Michael to marry us right here, right now. But…he’s spending the holiday in Florence with his family.”
Jenna’s stomach fluttered. “I would have agreed. Right here. Right now.”
Rafe gazed lovingly at her. “You get a kick out of throwing me for a loop, don’t you, sweetheart?”
“I can’t lose you again,” she simply said.
“Told you I wasn’t going anywhere.”
“That’s not good enough. For either of us. We are too perfect when we’re together to not really be together, Rafe. It’ll take time and work and trial and error. But I want you to know that you are the only man for me. The only one I’ll ever love like this. I’m ready to be your wife, Rafe. I’m ready to be a part of this family.”
His arms were suddenly around her and he lifted her off her feet as he squeezed her tight.
The entire family erupted in animated conversation, mostly in Italian. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught Linney vacating her chair, tentatively inching closer to the gregarious activity.
When Rafe finally released Jenna, she asked him, “What are they all saying?”
“Plenty about a church wedding, a huge reception, family coming in from Italy, twelve to fifteen bridesmaids, a dress with a six-foot train, seven flower girls—”
“Hives, Rafe,” she said on a sharp breath. “I’m about to break out in hives.”
He laughed heartily. “I’m just kidding, sweetheart. I have no idea what the hell they’re talking about. I’m too busy being blown away by you.”
She smiled, her panic vanishing. “You really shouldn’t tease me like that.”
“Sometimes, I can’t resist. And as much as I will forever acknowledge the fact that you were the one to propose this time, I do have to respect a time-honored tradition.”
He knelt on a knee. The conversation halted once more. Rafe took the ring from the box and slipped it onto Jenna’s finger. “Please don’t ever take this off.”
“I won’t.” She combed her fingers through his thick hair. “Ever.”
Vesta stepped forward. “This time, you must have it blessed by Father Michael when he returns, cara mia. For heritage sake…I insist.”
Through watery eyes, Jenna said, “We will, Aunt Vesta. I promise.”
The others burst into dialogue all at once, filling the house with laughter and cheerful toasts.
Jenna practiced her breathing. Linney sucked down more wine. Rafe accepted congratulations from his relatives.
It turned into the best Thanksgiving Jenna could have ever dreamed of, hoped for, envisioned… With a side of spicy peppers she made Vesta swear she’d make as a special tapas dish at the restaurant. Where Jenna intended to spend much more time.
As an official Sampogna.
Excerpt: Needing You
By Calista Fox
Description:
A slow burn that turns into a raging bonfire… Hollywood’s newest—and most unlikely—“It” couple find themselves in desperate need of each other—for reasons that will draw out torturous emotions and secrets. And ignite soul-deep passion and desires…
Silver Monroe is a sultry actress with a horrific past that haunts her. Kolby Marx is a sexy, carefree surf champion who lives for the sun, sand and sea. But when Silver’s best friend, a famous indie director/producer, unexpectedly throws them together in a steamy scene for his erotic film, the sparks fly!
Kolby is the direct opposite of Silver’s previous edgy on- and off-screen leading men. Yet she and Kolby are scorching-hot together. He’s got a world title to win, but Kolby can’t escape the magnet-and-steel effect he and Silver share. As they get to know the very deepest parts of each other—and themselves—Kolby and Silver realize the slow burn that started in a movie studio and grew into a raging bonfire is as emotionally poignant as it is sexually charged.
But their soul-deep romance comes with a price when Silver’s ex-lover stalks her—and her grisly past catches up with her. Can Kolby help Silver to finally release the torment within her, spawned by a lifetime of private abuse? Or will Silver give into the dark r
age…and lose Kolby forever?
The Set-Up: Silver and Kolby are unexpectedly reunited on a movie set for her best friend’s indie project…and Jimmy has one hell of a scene in mind for the two star-crossed superstars!
* * *
Silver could only imagine how many wet bikini bottoms Kolby Marx left in his wake, and how much drool accumulated on the beach when he hit the waves with his board.
Beyond his sex appeal, though, he had a very mature disposition that she appreciated. She’d enjoyed their conversation, and was slightly annoyed Jimmy had interrupted them. Though no more agitated by that than the fact he was canning her scene after she’d stressed over it for so damn long.
“Who’s going to tell Vaughn we’re not shooting together?” she asked. “You know how he gets about things like this. He’ll text me to the ends of the earth, thinking I can make you reconsider. Once he’s denied something, he becomes obsessed with it. And what do you want me to do instead of this film?”
“I never said I wanted to bag the scene entirely,” Jimmy commented. “I still want you in my movie. As for Vaughn…you leave that to me. I know exactly how to deal with him. He’s two hours late, after all. You were supposed to rehearse. But he’s clearly taken the prima donna approach to shooting this past year or so. Rumor around town is that he’s keeping everybody waiting these days. But, no worries. I’ve got it covered.”
Jimmy gave her a soft, friendly pat on the knee to silently reassure her all would be well. He understood her need for gentle, caring physical contact, her lifelong lack thereof often serving as a negative catalyst that caused her to do erratic and irrational things. Like hook up with volatile men.
Jimmy knew her better than anyone. Sometimes it seemed he knew her better than she knew herself. And he’d kept every one of her secrets since childhood, never once betraying her confidence or their friendship. He was tried and true—and basically Silver’s lifeblood.
“I have a new vision for the vignette.” He handed over the iPad he’d set on the coffee table next to him and simply said, “Push play.”
She did. Her brows knitted as the video surged to life. There she was with Kolby, talking, the two of them huddled on the couch together, looking perfectly comfortable with the other, as though they’d known one another intimately…forever.
Silver found this curious. For one thing, she wasn’t prone to letting people get too close to her, yet she hadn’t given much thought to sharing a bit of herself with this man.
“You filmed us?” she asked, though she couldn’t take her eyes off the screen to look at Jimmy. He’d shot the footage in black and white, and it mesmerized her. Though he’d only had one angle, it worked fantastically, what with Kolby’s easy grins and her forlorn expressions, interspersed with an occasional smile that made her eyes sparkle. Silver couldn’t remember the last time she’d seen that glimmer in her gaze—in a movie or in a mirror.
She passed the tablet to the surfer as she asked Jimmy, “Why’d you record this?”
“I’d just wrapped Nick’s scene in the other studio and I walked in on you in this incredibly personal display of emotions and intensity, and I couldn’t help myself,” he admitted.
She studied him carefully, knowing something brewed in his mind that involved her and Kolby.
Jimmy said, “You used to sizzle with Vaughn, no doubt about it. But this is…different. The way you and Kolby interact and gaze at each other is mysterious and evocative. Like you’re on your own planet; in your own world. I instantly felt jealous and had the insane desire to be a part of that world. A compelling enough notion and sensation to not let it slide. Your chemistry is palpable. You two have met before, right?”
“Yes.” Kolby joined the conversation as he returned the iPad. “Only briefly, though.” His gaze flitted to Silver. “Regardless, I feel like I know you fairly well, given all the media attention you get.”
“Yeah, well, don’t believe everything you’ve heard or read about Silver Monroe,” Jimmy scoffed. “That’s all surface crap.”
“Jimmy,” she said, her tone bordering on a warning. Although she knew he’d never divulge anything confidential about her, she didn’t want him alluding to anything, either. She’d already shared more of herself with Kolby than she typically did with anyone, male or female.
She couldn’t say for sure why she’d been so forthcoming with him—perhaps it was because she’d been attracted to him when they’d met in Australia, and was drawn to him now.
It was more than just his hunky body and devastatingly handsome face that intrigued and excited her. She’d also been lured by his casual smile and his down-to-earth disposition. For a man who was a bit larger than life, he seemed wholly grounded. He was easy to talk to, and there was a sensual honesty in his beautiful blue irises that spoke volumes. And made her want to stay curled up on the couch with him for hours, talking about everything under the sun—or nothing at all.
Jimmy seemed to sense her feelings, because he said, “There’s a dynamic here. It’s not manufactured or forced. It’s natural and captivating.”
She narrowed her eyes on her friend. “What, exactly, are you getting at?”
He flashed a cocky grin, suggesting he’d cracked a golden nugget. “I want you to do a scene with Kolby.”
Shock and alarm reverberated within her. Silver shot to her feet. “Are you insane?” she quietly demanded, instantly unhinged. “I haven’t done this in four years and you want me to jump right in and do a sex scene with someone I barely know?”
“That’s the problem, Sil,” Jimmy said.
“The problem is that no one’s seen me naked onscreen in four years? Do I need to lose more weight? Jesus Christ.” Her arms flapped in the air. “Of course, I do!”
“Silver.” He shook his head at her melodramatic side. “Your body is not an issue. You look wonderful. And you know I would never compromise your integrity. But the problem I inadvertently created is that the vignette actually is a sex scene. I wrote it with Vaughn in mind. That’s how you two were together onscreen, all hot and heavy. And the script I wrote is…incredibly gratuitous.”
She couldn’t dispute that, having read it a million times herself.
Jimmy said, “I’m not off the mark often, but I didn’t come even remotely close to the bull’s eye on this one. I’m scrapping my initial idea.” He reached for the script she’d set aside and tore it in half. “That’s passé. Total shit. This new idea…it’s brilliant.”
“Do I have a say in the matter?” Kolby deadpanned.
With another affable laugh, Jimmy said, “Of course. Just hear me out. That old scene was about pleasure, plain and simple. Not romance, just hard-core titillation. Instant gratification.”
“Well, that’s really all Vaughn cared about, anyway,” she said with a grimace.
“And that’s why it won’t work.”
Silver’s brow lifted.
“What I want,” Jimmy told them as he stood and began to pace, “is a deeper passion. Raw and genuine. Sweet, yet tormented. Controlled, yet emotionally frenzied. I want sensual and soft, but with an intense undercurrent of need and desire. A slow burn that’ll make viewers squirm in their seats with anticipation and their bucket of popcorn fall to the floor unnoticed, they’re so engrossed. I want them reaching for a napkin to fan themselves from the heat while their pulses race.”
His brain clearly whirled at warp-speed as he added, “They’ll be absolutely riveted. Every man will want to be Kolby Marx. Every woman will want to be Silver Monroe.”
As both she and Kolby remained his rapt audience, Jimmy came to an abrupt halt and turned to face them. “You’re star-crossed lovers, constantly bumping up against obstacles that have kept you apart. Until one fateful night, when you find yourselves alone in this room, years of longing and denial about to be erased by that first tentative kiss that builds into something sexy and impassioned as you re-familiarize yourselves with each other, release your yearnings, fulfill your desires.”
Jimmy said, “You have all the time in the world. No one is here to interrupt you, nothing will stand in your way or hinder you. Touch, taste, explore… You have a connection to reestablish—one that’s as strong emotionally as it is physically. This isn’t a sex scene, Sil. It’s an erotic love scene. One that’s built on trust and intimacy. Can you do it?”
She stared at him, dumbfounded, her jaw slack.
“Silver,” Jimmy said in an insistent tone. “Can you do it?”
* * *
Needing You by Calista Fox is on sale now at Amazon.com and free through Kindle Unlimited!
A Long and Short Reviews Book of the Month and The Romance Reviews Top Pick and 5 Stars award-winning romance!
About Calista Fox
Calista is a former PR professional, now writing fast-paced, steamy books to set your pulse racing! She writes for St. Martin’s Press, Grand Central Publishing and Harlequin. She has won many Reviewer’s and Reader’s Choice Awards, as well as Best Book Awards. Calista is a member of Romance Writers of America and is a Past President/Advisor of the Phoenix chapter.
Visit her at:
www.calistafox.com
www.facebook.com/calistafox
www.twitter.com/calistafoxbooks
www.foxknowshot.wordpress.com
Praise for Calista Fox
The Billionaires (Book 1 in The Lover’s Triangle series)
Romantic Times Magazine Top Pick! “…The characters are smart, funny and not afraid to confront tough issues…”
Recommended Read from Joyfully Reviewed: “Calista Fox has a hit with The Billionaires! Rogen, Jewel and Vin make for one hell of a fiery read! The Billionaires take passion to new heights as they discover the truth behind their family’s feud and their feelings for each other. The Billionaires is an erotic feast! However, it’s much more than just hot sex; there is an excellent story built around Rogen, Jewel and Vin’s sinfully delicious attraction and the emotional obstacles standing in their way. …”
