by Stacy Gail
She knew what she wanted.
She’d known from the moment he’d told her that he’d been looking everywhere for her.
But that didn’t mean she was ready to forgive him just yet.
“I’ve got a list of wants, now that you mention it,” she said, trying to organize her thoughts. “First and foremost, if you ever patronize me or what I’ve chosen as my career, I’m gone. It’s an important part of my life, so if you call it unimportant, you’re calling me unimportant. I deserve far better than that, and I think we can agree that no one needs that kind of grief.”
He shook his head. “Damn my stupid ass for ever making you feel like you have to even state that out loud. That was such an asshole move on my part.”
Good. He understood. “So, does that mean you understand what I’m saying?”
“That’s exactly what it means, and you have my word that it’ll never happen again, because I can’t stand the shame of knowing I hurt you. Swear to God, I’ve never been sorrier about anything in my life.” He took another sharp, short breath. “Next?”
A wave of relief swept over her. He was sorry. That had to mean something. “We both have to work on our flexibility when it comes to scheduling. It should be understood that while we’re at the top of each other’s respective list of priorities, every once in a while work will rear its ugly head and demand our attention. It will always be a temporary thing, and work could never become more important than you, or me. Agreed?”
“Agreed.”
“I want kids, but not right away,” she heard herself say, while the chaotic mess of her emotions slowly eased enough for her to get down to the heart of things. “I think taking a nice, long while to settle into a life together would actually be the smart thing to do before starting a family. I mean, I’ve never lived with anyone before, so seeing if we’re compatible is a big deal. For all we know, we might make each other crazy once we’re under the same roof, so we shouldn’t rush into any baby-making conversations, like having a daughter together, for at least a year or so.”
“Wait, back up a sec.” He went very still, almost statue-like, with only his eyes alive and burning over her. “Did you hear what you just said?”
Mentally she replayed the words she’d just babbled out. “Um… yes.”
“And you heard what I said?”
“Which part?”
“All of it.”
Again, she gave it some thought. This was an important conversation, after all. “I think I’m okay with all of it.”
“Joelle.” He took another step toward her. “You’ve got to be sure about this, you understand? Once I have you, I’m not going to let go. All that crap about if you love someone, you set them free? Bullshit. When I get you where I want you, it’s going to be forever.”
Everything inside her began to quake. “Oh, boy. You’re in love with me, and you just used the word forever. This has honestly been the wildest twenty-four hours of my life.”
“I know it’s a lot, but I swear I’ll dedicate my life to make it good for you, my lady. I swear it.” At last he was right there with her, coming to kneel between her knees so he could pull her flush up against his chest. One hand dived into her hair, while the other slid down her back, as if he needed to refamiliarize himself with the feel of her. “Just give me the chance to show you that I fucking worship every part of you, from your ambitions to your dreams, and everything in between. They’re a part of who you are, and I love who you are. Let me show you that I’ll do whatever it takes to make your dreams come true.”
That sounded wonderful, except for one thing. “I don’t want to be worshiped, Gus,” she whispered, not sure whether to laugh or cry from the rising happiness inside her. “I’m no goddess, okay? I just need to know you value all of me, even the parts that might not fit the image of what you want your dream woman to be.”
“I do value you, and the reality of you is way better than any dream I could’ve ever come up with. You’re talented and funny, brilliant and ambitious, stubborn and so confident you could defeat an entire army with a smile. Hang in there with me, my lady, and I’ll find new ways to prove to you that I’m a man you can believe in. I’m a man you can come to love.”
“Oh, I know that already,” she said, and at last she relaxed enough to loop her arms around his neck. “I fell for you about thirty seconds after you fell for me. And I’ve been falling ever since.”
Again he went statue-still. “What?”
“I love you,” she whispered, and she knew without a shred of doubt that she would forever treasure the memory of joy and triumph kindling in his dark eyes. “I’m so grateful you found me. I didn’t know I had a dream man until you came along. You’re it, pushy tendencies and all.”
“I’m only pushing for what’s going to be the best part of our lives—us, together, the way we were meant to be.” Then he moved in for a kiss, and as he did she couldn’t help but smile against his lips in wholehearted agreement.
Epilogue
One week later
“As Joelle's brother,” Felix said to the small gathering inside Gilded Swan’s ballroom, festooned with every autumnal flower Joelle and Alice had been able to get their hands on, “we've always had each other to lean on, but I knew a day would come when she would find her destined soulmate. Luckily, the destined soulmate she found is freaking loaded, so I am more than thrilled to welcome my new brother, Gus Bloch, to the family.” Grinning, Felix raised his champagne glass. “Cheers to the happy couple.”
“He's kidding,” Joelle hastened to whisper to Gus, seated beside her, and she placed her hand over his. The new diamond-encrusted gold wedding band and the five-carat diamond engagement ring caught so much light it was a wonder the entire wedding party wasn’t blinded by it. “My little brother might have had the same etiquette lessons that I did while growing up, but he’s still a classless idiot.”
“If lame jokes are as bad as your brother ever gets, I’ve got no complaints.” Smiling, Gus leaned over and kissed the side of her neck while the guests seated at a dozen or so round tables set up within the ballroom raised their glasses. Most of the guests were friends of the Fielding family or from her work, while Gus had invited a good portion of his clientele list. There were only a few people there whom he considered true friends, including a priest and several nuns from St. Ambrose. The Archbishop of Chicago presided over the ceremony itself, something she still couldn’t quite comprehend, especially since it was such short notice. But when Gus explained that the archdiocese was also one of his clients, it all became much clearer.
Her man had connections in high places.
Literally.
“Hey, Gus.” Felix wandered over to where they sat after the official toasts were done and the five-piece band started warming up. Her brother looked so dashing in his tux, his pale blonde hair buzzed on the sides and full up top, and as she looked at him, she had to fight the urge to cry. If only their parents had lived to see how happy and thriving she and Felix were now. “I know this probably isn’t the right time to talk business, but I’ve got a great deal cooking on the horizon. Rumor has it, the gym where I work out is going up for sale soon, and I’m thinking we could get in on the ground floor of that sweet little money-maker—”
“Hey, you. Are you bothering the happy couple?” Alice came from behind Felix and pretended to get him in an arm-lock that ultimately grew into a hug. “Let Jo and Gus get their first dance under their belt before you start acting like the third-wheel kid brother that you are.”
“You know, I’m really starting to like that foster sister of yours,” Gus remarked once Alice had dragged Felix away to the open bar. “She got anyone in her life right now? It just so happens I’ve got a pal who owns a Jaguar dealership across from Oak Park Country Club. I think they’d make a good fit.”
She gaped at him. “Are you legit wanting to set Alice up with one of your friends?”
He lifted a shoulder. “What’s wrong with that?”
“I neve
r imagined you as the type who would play Cupid.” But it was adorable that he wanted to.
Again he shifted a shoulder before giving a signal to the wedding singer. “Like I said, I like Alice, and I want her to know how crazy-happy you can be when you find your other half.”
“My husband is so sweet.” Joelle leaned over to kiss him as the band began to play. “I can’t imagine who could possibly be a match for Alice, but then I’m bad at that sort of thing. I never imagined I’d ever find a man like you—the most perfect man in the world for me. I can only hope I’ll always be the perfect woman for you.”
“Not exactly a worry, my lady.”
“I just hope you don’t regret marrying me so quickly,” she added, giving voice to the one dark cloud on her otherwise brilliant horizon. “If we’d just lived together for a few months and gotten used to each—”
“No way in hell am I giving you a chance to find an exit. When I put that ring on your finger and you put yours on mine, we made a deal to believe in each other, no matter what. And without a doubt, it’s the best damn deal I’ve ever made.” At the wedding singer’s prompt, he got to his feet and offered her his hand. “Now, stop sweating the small stuff and come dance with me, Mrs. Bloch. Let’s show the world how it’s done.”
Mrs. Bloch.
A dizzy thrill went through her as she placed her hand in his. “As you wish, Mr. Bloch.”
She couldn’t seem to stop smiling as they moved to the center of the dance floor. Turning into his arms, she smiled up at him and began to sway to the music, only to come to a stop to shoot the band a stunned look. “Oh, my God.”
“So you noticed.”
“This cannot be our song.” Another second went by before the wedding singer began to warble out his over-the-top emotional version of Madonna’s “Crazy for You.” She listened for another few bars before bursting out with laughter. “Holy shit, our song is a sappy ‘80s power ballad. I’m dying.”
“It’s perfect.” Laughing with her, he slowly spun her around the dance floor. “From the moment I saw you, I’ve been crazy for you.”
“Who knew that insanity could be contagious?” So touched by Gus’s surprisingly sentimental choice for their first dance as a married couple, she looked into his eyes. There she saw love and laughter and an unending joy, and for the first time she knew without any doubt that even if they’d waited a decade to get married, it wouldn’t have made a difference. This determined man who was a law unto himself was exactly what Felix had called him.
Her soulmate.
“I love you, Gus,” she whispered as the song slowly came to an end and other couples joined them on the dance floor for the next song. “Thank you for looking for me. Thank you for finding me.”
“My pleasure, my lady,” Gus whispered back, and bent his head to kiss her.
Please enjoy the first chapter from
HOUSE OF PAYNE: LOKI, featuring
Alice Halliday and Loki Colgrave!
Chapter One
Slow boil. Usually Alice prided herself in being the epitome of caution, refusing to give in to that legendary Halliday rage that burned so easily inside.
But now?
If she made it through the day without strangling someone, it’d be a miracle.
“Welcome to House Of Payne.” A tall woman approached, decked out in a ‘50s-style dress with petticoats for days, and hair as bright fuchsia as her dress. “Are you here for a tattoo? If so, I can get you checked in over there at the front desk.”
Alice didn’t bother glancing in the direction the shockingly pink woman indicated. “I’m not here for a tattoo. I’m here because I want to kill someone with my bare hands. Or at the very least, talk to him. Is a guy by the name of Loki in?”
She had to hand it to the pink lady. Her spectacularly made-up eyes barely widened. “Are you armed?”
For crying out loud. “Of course not.”
The pink woman seemed unimpressed with her indignation. “You did say you wanted to kill someone.”
“With my freaking hands, not with a gun. Guns are barbaric.” Then she took a deep breath and gripped her hands together, grappling with the horrible fury thrumming inside. Wanting to kill someone with her bare hands wasn’t cool. Saying she wanted to kill someone with her bare hands was even worse.
Considering that she was the child of a man who’d died as a rage monster, she seriously needed to get her shit together.
“Are you a woman he’s done wrong?” Understandably, the pink woman didn’t appear to be overly anxious to let Alice enter any deeper into the building, much less talk to one of their employees. “Because if you are, my sympathies, sister, and I sincerely mean that. But this is a place of business. That kind of soap-opera bullshit doesn’t get played out under this roof. You can wait to uncork whatever can of whoop-ass you want on Loki in the privacy of your own home. Dirty laundry doesn’t get aired here in the lobby, you understand me?”
“I don’t know him.” Nor did she want to, but by damn, someone had to hold the bastard accountable. “I’m not going to ask again. Is. Loki. Here?”
The pink lady took her time looking her over, and Alice was more than happy to shoot that look back in spades. They were almost the same height, though the pink chick had an inch or so on her, thanks to some wicked-looking stilettos. Flower tattoos decorated her upper chest and shoulders exposed by the dress’s scoop collar, as well as down the upper part of her arms. But, despite all the girly frills of pretty flower tats, spiky heels, cat’s eye makeup and ruffled petticoats, the set of the woman’s jaw and hard look in her eyes told Alice this woman had never been a pushover in her life. Not even in her diaper days.
“Yeah, you’ve got trouble written all over you,” the pink lady announced, and Alice blinked. It was like she was reading her mind. “You wanna know what I see when I look at you?”
“No offense, but I don’t actually care what you see.”
“I see a hardcore, cast-iron bitch who gives zero fucks when it comes to playing nice with others,” the pink lady went on, clearly ignoring her. “How close am I?”
Alice gripped her hands that much tighter. “It’s like you’ve known me since birth. Do you have a point?”
“Yeah, you definitely don’t play nice,” she muttered, as if to herself. “Fact is, I spotted you from all the way across the lobby. That’s why I came over. Is there any point in trying to talk you out of this?”
“This is happening, one way or another.”
“Figured.” She studied Alice through narrowed eyes. “Before I say whether or not Loki is here, I’m going to give you some advice.”
Ugh. “Must you?”
“Yeah. I must.” The woman threw out a sassy hip and planted a manicured hand on it. “It’s more like information rather than advice, but here it is. While I give you props for your honesty, you need to know that everyone under this roof is considered family. Loki might be a dick, but he’s our dick. You roll up on him, you roll up on all of us. That should at least give you pause. Does it?”
“No.”
Pinkie’s mouth tightened. “He’s also about twice your size and weight, so that means the only person who’s going to get hurt around here is you if you keep bearing down on whatever problem it is you’ve got with him. Walk away now while you still can.”
“I get what it is to have family you find along the way.” Alice struggled to swallow the simple fuck you that desperately wanted to come out. Pinkie wasn’t the target of her anger, after all. “Loki busted up my foster brother, landed him in the hospital, and took the payroll he’d had with him. That, in turn, lost me my job at my foster brother’s gym, because he’s decided the only thing left for him to do is declare bankruptcy and crawl away with his tail tucked between his legs.”
Her eyes widened. “Why haven’t you gone to the police?”
“My foster brother won’t go. Out of all the injuries Loki gave him, the injury to his pride seems to be the most crippling.”
&nbs
p; Pinkie waited a beat. “And you believe him?”
What the hell. “I believe my foster brother has a broken jaw and eight teeth he’s never going to see again. I believe I have an empty bank account and can’t make rent, just like all the other gym employees, because the payroll was taken by Loki. I believe this Loki asshole needs to give that money back before we’re all out on the streets, and I believe that I can persuade him to do it. That’s why I’m here. That’s why I won’t give up until I find a way to make him do what’s right.”
“Not under this roof, you won’t,” came the flat reply, and there was no softening in the other woman’s eyes. “Under this roof, it’s nothing but calm professionalism that caters solely to our clientele. I take great pleasure in crushing troublemakers like bugs if they come in here trying to disrupt that peace.”
Fuck. “Great. Thanks for wasting my time.”
“But,” the woman went on when Alice started to stomp away, “whatever happens beyond these walls isn’t my problem. You’re on a mission, I can see that. Gotta say, it’s an unbelievably stupid mission, because it won’t fix whatever actually happened to your foster brother and his money. Nor is it going to bring your job back, and it’ll likely get you landed in a hospital bed right next to your foster brother. So, yeah—stupid. But I can also see nothing is going to stop you until you land your stupid ass in that hospital bed, so I might as well try to minimize your damage as much as I can and keep some kind of control over this crappy situation.”
Alice scowled. How many times had she been called stupid? “Besides calling me stupid three times over, what exactly are you saying?”
“Loki parks his chopper out back in the employee parking lot.” The woman ignored her comment—no doubt Pinkie deemed it as stupid as the rest of her—and pulled a phone from her skirt’s slash pocket to tap on it. “It’s the only Harley out there, and he loves it more than anything. In fact, it’s probably the only thing in the world he’s ever loved, which tells you a lot about what kind of person he is, but whatever.” Clearing her throat, she brought the phone up, but didn’t put it to her ear like Alice had expected. Instead, she put it to her mouth, looking up toward the second-floor level. “Attention, House employees. Attention.”
