by Virna DePaul
EPILOGUE
Max’s Magic Rule #19:
Visualize a standing O, prepare for it, perform, and reap the rewards.
Two months later, Max was in the Paradise Theater helping choreograph a new set that combined the Dalton Brothers’ magic tricks with a stunning acrobatic number courtesy of Louisa’s dance troupe. He’d just called for a break and was speaking to the show’s biggest investor—Jamie Whitcomb, Lucy’s ex—when the theater doors were flung open and Lucy came running down the aisle. When she stopped in front of them, she kept her gaze glued to Max as if Jamie didn’t exist. Jamie, however, looked at Lucy as if he wanted to throw her over his shoulder and head for the nearest bed. Actually, he looked as though any horizontal spot would do.
“Rhys and Melina are on their way to the hospital.” Lucy grabbed Max by the shirtfront and shook him even as she grinned and bounced up and down. “The babies are coming. Let’s go, Max.”
“I’ll get Grace and meet you in the parking lot,” Max said.
With a nod, Lucy turned to head outside, but froze when Jamie cupped her elbow.
“I’ll drive you to the hospital,” he said.
Lucy jerked away from his touch and narrowed her eyes. “If you want company, you can always hire a chauffer. Hell, you can hire ten. I’d rather walk down the Strip naked than go anywhere with you.”
Jamie’s fists clenched and his jaw ticked. “Damn it, Lucy. You’re being ridiculous. My money’s good enough to invest in this theater but nothing else?”
“I didn’t ask you to invest in the theater. Melina did. I simply told her I had no objection to her asking you. And I don’t. I have no objection because you mean nothing to me. You mean less than nothing.”
He crossed his arms. “If Melina wasn’t in labor I’d make you eat those words, Luce.”
“Dream on, Jamie.” She headed toward the door, calling, “Let’s go, Max!”
Max placed a hand on Jamie’s shoulder. “I’m sorry, man, but I’ve gotta go.”
“I’ll meet you there,” Jamie said.
Max wasn’t surprised Jamie was going to the hospital since he and Melina were friends before he’d started dating Lucy. He just hoped the two of them could keep their particular brand of drama under control when they got there.
Since Grace wasn’t working right now, she spent a lot of time at the theater. She planned on spending a lot more time helping Melina with the babies, too, but she was going to have to fight Max’s and Melina’s moms for that honor. Max found her talking to one of the dancers. “It’s time, Grace. Melina’s at the hospital.”
“Good Lord.” She said a quick goodbye to the other woman, grabbed Max’s hand and began dragging him to the back door. When they got to his car, however, she stopped.
“Melina’s goin’ to be a mama,” Grace said as tears filled her eyes.
Max hugged her close. “Your time will come, Grace.”
She laughed and shook her head. “I’m not thinkin’ about myself. I’m surrounded by family and I know I’ll have more someday. It’s just… Rhys and Melina… They’re perfect together. And now their lives are goin’ to be even more perfect.”
“If anyone knows about perfection, it’s you, Dixie,” he whispered as he ran his knuckles down her cheek.
She smiled, pressed a soft kiss on his jaw, then threw open the passenger door. “Come on! The babies are coming.”
***
A week later, Max and Grace had tears in their eyes but for slightly different reasons. Rhys had convinced Melina and both sets of grandparents to go out to dinner, leaving Max and Grace alone with his niece and nephew for the first time. Now, settled into the rocking chair in the nursery, Max cradled a baby in each arm, his expression one of utter adoration.
Grace was quite familiar with that look since Max pinned it on her frequently.
Not a day passed that she didn’t feel like the luckiest woman in the world because of it.
That’s why her tears were ones of happiness and regret. It scared her sometimes, how close she’d been to losing him.
Max sensed her mood and looked up from the babies to frown at her. “Dixie, what’s wrong?”
She reached out and smoothed the downy hair on each of the baby’s heads. Then she cupped Max’s face in both hands, leaned down and gave him a soft kiss.
He immediately angled his head and deepened their lip action, only pulling back when Charlie squeaked. She giggled when Tabitha gurgled in response. “I was right,” she said. “They’re perfect.”
Max sobered. “Tell me,” he said.
“I’m so happy,” she said. “And I know with you in my life, I’m only goin’ to be happier. I just can’t believe I was such a fool. That I didn’t see everthin’ you were from the beginnin’. What if I nevah came to my senses? What if I let you get away?”
“That was never going to happen. You saw me, Grace,” he said. “Long before you walked into Lodi’s.”
“What do you mean?”
“No way you would’ve approached me the way you did unless you knew I had more to offer than my—”
She slapped her hand over his mouth. “Don’t you dare,” she said. “Not in front of the babies.”
He puckered his lips and kissed her palm. When she removed it, he said, “All right. I’ll wait until we’re alone to start the dirty talk. Or on second thought, maybe I’ll let you do all the talking tonight.”
“You’re just sayin’ that because hearin’ me talk southern gets you hot.”
“Everything about you gets me hot, but yeah, the way you talk, Dixie? It made me hard and got me hot before I ever laid eyes on you.”
“The time we talked, that first night on the phone, before you dragged Melina onstage to make her grand play for Rhys?”
“How did you know?”
“Because that’s when I fell for you, too. You don’t need an accent, Max. I knew the moment we spoke you were the one. I was just too scared to admit it.”
“And now?”
“Now I just want to see you holdin’ these darlin’ babies, hopin’ that one day I’ll be lucky enough to be carryin’ your baby inside me. I love you, Max.”
It was the first time she said it even though she’d been certain of her feelings for quite some time. She’d just been uncertain what Max’s response would be.
But she should’ve known Max would beat her to punch.
“Reach into my shirt pocket, Dixie.”
She did and pulled out a playing card.
The queen of hearts.
On it he’d written, “I love you, too, Grace.”
She blinked back even more tears and whispered, “Gimme some shugah, magic man.”
He did.
And she knew, no matter what, even when things weren’t perfect between them, her life with Max would always be sweet.
THE END
Thank you so much for reading Bedding The Bad Boy!
If you enjoyed Bedding The Bad Boy, I would love to ask you a favor and have you go back to wherever you purchased this book and leave an honest review.
Authors live and die by their reviews, and the few extra seconds it takes you really helps us authors out.
And if you enjoyed this book, the sequel Bedding The Billionaire (Lucy and Jamie’s story) will be available soon. In case you missed it, I hope you’ll pick up a copy of Bedding The Wrong Brother (Rhys and Melina’s story). It’s available in eBook, print (Amazon), and audio.
Join my mailing list at http://www.virnadepaul.com for updates. In addition, you'll find the same heart and heat in my other books, whether they are contemporary, paranormal, romantic suspense, or erotic romance. However, here's a sneak peek at what's available:
Contemporary Romance:
Bedding The Wrong Brother (Dalton Brothers, Book 1)
Bedding The Bad Boy (Dalton Brothers, Book 2)
Paranormal Romantic Suspense:
Wraith’s Awakening (A Para-Ops Prequel)
Chosen by Blood (A Para
-Ops Novel, Book 1)
Chosen by Fate (A Para-Ops Novel, Book 2)
Chosen by Sin (A Para-Ops Novel, Book 3)
**Look for the Belladonna series, coming 2014
Turned (April 1, 2014)
Awakened (July 1, 2014)
Revealed (September 2014)
Contemporary Romantic Suspense:
Dangerous to Her (Harlequin Romantic Suspense)
It Started That Night (HRS)
Deadly Charade (HRS)
Shades of Desire (HQN: Special Investigations Group, Bk 1)
Shades of Temptation (HQN: Special Investigations Group, Bk 2)
Shades of Passion (HQN: Special Investigations Group, Bk 3)
Novellas:
A Vampire’s Salvation (Loveswept)
Wild For Mr. Wrong
Molly Wants A Hero (Harlequin Special Releases—Love Bites, anthology by Lori Foster)
Erotic Romance Novellas:
Arrested by Love (Loveswept)
contains the individual novellas:
Copping to It (Red-Hot Cops Series Novella 1)
Cop Appeal (Red-Hot Cops Series Novella 2)
Copping Attitude (Red-Hot Cops Series Novella 3)
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Virna DePaul is a former criminal prosecutor and bestselling author of steamy, suspenseful fiction. Whether its vampires, a Para-Ops team, hot cops or swoon-worthy identical twin brothers, her stories center around complex individuals willing to overcome incredible odds for love.
CONTACT VIRNA HERE
Website: http://www.virnadepaul.com (Sign up for my monthly newsletter for updates and contests!)
Twitter: @virnadepaul
Email: [email protected]
Facebook Fan Page: http://www.facebook.com/booksthatrock
* * * * *
BEDDING THE BAD BOY
Copyright © 2013 by Virna DePaul
* * * * *
All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of the copyright owner.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously.
License Notes
This e-book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This e-book 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 person you share it with. 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 author's work.
DEDICATION
Big hugs to all the readers who fell in love with Rhys and Melina, and looked forward to Max’s story. Your enthusiastic response has thrilled and inspired me, and I hope Max is all you hoped for. Thank you!
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Many thanks to my fellow writers and friends who helped me finish this book, including Susan Hatler, Cyndi Faria, Rochelle Davisson, Karin Tabke, Grace Chow, Tigris Eden, Rhyannon Byrd, Hannah Jayne and Marina Adair. Special thanks to my editor Rebecca Dickson.
Table of Contents
PROLOGUE
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Epilogue
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
CONTACT VIRNA HERE
DEDICATION
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
