For Kicks
Page 19
Breeze blinked, unsure how to respond.
“You can’t call it a proposal without a ring.” He took her hand and led her up the steps and out of the pool, the warm night air caressing her skin. “And I’m not going to have you telling our kids you proposed to me. No way.” He stooped to gather clothes in one hand as they made their way back into the house.
He pushed open the sliding glass door and pulled her inside. No lights were on, but she could make out the outlines of the counter and island in the kitchen from the blue glow of an octagonal aquarium in the next room. An empty aquarium as far as she could tell. Had he really made room for her in his home?
Maybe she and her careful planning were rubbing off on him too. She hadn’t expected to propose when she came here. Only get him to agree to go home with her and meet her parents. The rest was her heart talking, not her head. Good thing he didn’t seem to mind a bit.
“Stay here.” He turned and sprinted through the house.
“Logan, I’m dripping!” she called, but he didn’t respond. She took a deep breath, steadying herself to peer about the room for a lamp. Naked in the dark was one thing, but naked under fluorescents in the kitchen? Terrifying.
“Okay.” He ran back into the room, breathing hard.
“No towel?” She placed a hand on her hip and pouted.
“No, I like you wet.” He sank down on one knee at her feet and her mouth went dry. He held out a small wooden box and grinned, breathing even faster than before. “So there is a little story with this.”
“There is?” Now was not the time for stories and his continual barrage of presents. They were both naked, bare, with nothing to protect them from the question she’d asked outside.
“When my great-grandfather went into the war, he had no money. But he thought if he left, my great-grandmother would marry someone else. So he sold everything he had, everything and bought these.” He uncapped the box. Inside on a white satin pillow sat two gold rings. “They used them when they got married, but when he got back she made him buy her one with more than a flake for a diamond.
“It’s become a tradition to use it for the proposal and the wedding, and then you can pick out your own.”
“That is beautiful.” She wiped a tear from her cheek, trying not to let emotion overrun her.
“I always thought so. Never thought I’d use it though. I never imagined there was someone worse at sitting still than me. Someone who would look out for my heart the way you do.” He took her hand, her left hand, and kissed her ring finger. “Marry me. Please.”
“You cheated. You knew my answer before you asked.” She wiggled her finger.
“It’s still nice to hear the words.”
“I’ll marry you.” She choked on a sob as he slid the ring on her finger. She sank to her knees and held on tight.
“This is the story you tell the kids. Not jumping naked into my pool. Especially if we have girls.”
“No, I tell them the truth. You go after what you want.”
About the Author
By day, Jenna is faster than a speeding toddler, stronger than a stubborn husband, able to leap tall Lego structures in a single bound…but by night, while the family sleeps she writes romance novels where no one ever has to scoop up after the dog, change diapers, clip coupons, drive carpool, do laundry, mop floors, get silly putty out of hair, vacuum, empty the vacuum bag (gross!), exercise, count calories, apply Band-Aids, clean up puke…wait, where was this going? Oh, Jenna writes romance because it is glamorous. Just ask the dog. Check out what Jenna is up to on her website www.jennabayleyburke.com or blog jennabayley-burke.blogspot.com.
Look for these titles by Jenna Bayley-Burke
Now Available:
Her Cinderella Complex
Par For the Course
Compromising Positions
Pride and Passion
Private Scandal
He’ll let her have control…until he’s ready to make his move.
Pride and Passion
© 2010 Jenna Bayley-Burke
The only things Lily Harris inherits after her father’s untimely death are debt, scandal and loneliness. She doesn’t protest when her father’s business partner, Jake Tolliver, steps up to help with the mess she finds herself in—until Jake reveals the last promise he made to her father.
Jake may be as compelling to look at as a marble statue—and stir a frighteningly powerful desire within her—but no way will Lily agree to be his socially acceptable bride while he continues to bed his string of beautiful women—not without getting him to agree to a deal of her own first.
With a well-earned reputation as a feral hunter who goes after what he wants, Jake has his sights set on Lily, and her lack of options puts her right where he’s wanted her from the first moment he laid eyes on her.
Jake’s not above making Lily think she’s having it her way if that’s what it’ll take to have his way in the end. But once he grows tired of playing beast to her beauty, he’s not above changing the rules of the game until they’re both playing for the same prize.
Warning: This title contains a hero used to getting what he wants, a heroine determined not to give in to him, some indecent proposals, a fair amount of pride, and enough passion to burn up everyone’s control.
Enjoy the following excerpt for Pride and Passion:
He made his way through the dark house without turning on any lights. The full moon provided just enough illumination to keep from bumping into things on his way to the kitchen. He pushed open the door and reached for the light switch, flicking it on.
Lily stood in front of the refrigerator, a carton of milk in her hand, at least until she spied him and dropped it with a gasp. His eyes widened at the sight of Lily in a pale pink nightie, her golden hair loose about her shoulders. The light material dipped low between her full breasts, delicately revealed the curve of her hips, and gave an alluring view of her bare thighs.
She wasn’t so mesmerized. She cursed, then reached for a towel on the counter and bent low to clean up the spill. Jake pulled his libido back in check and moved to help her. He took the towel from her and she stood. He had to bite back a groan at how the hem of her nightie came right into his line of sight.
“I’m sorry,” Lily said, walking around him and returning with another towel. “I didn’t expect anyone.”
“Obviously.” He finished the task and stood, enjoying the way her chest hitched with each breath as he looked down at her. “What are you doing down here?”
“Having a glass of milk, or trying to anyway. That’s what I do when I can’t sleep.” She kept her gaze locked on his, except for fleeting moments when it dropped to his bare chest.
He grinned, glad he wasn’t the only one hyper-aware after midnight. “That’s because you sleep alone.”
Her cheeks pinked, but she recovered quickly, narrowing her eyes. “You know, I think you may be right. It’s time I find someone willing to marry the penniless virgin and cure her insomnia.”
She tried to walk past him, but he caught her arm, turned her around and pulled her flush against him. “Try it, and you’ll find my patience exhausted quickly.”
“While you expect me to live a life in perpetual understanding of your need to go through mistresses faster than socks.” She tried to shake off his hold, but he pulled her closer.
“I’ve never claimed to be a saint. But I’m not going to spend my life feeding into your insecurity. I want you, only you, and have from the moment I saw you.
“I watched you, this golden angel gliding across a room, and I wanted you to be looking for me, not one of those worthless idiots you dated. We hadn’t even met, and I couldn’t get you out of my mind. Maybe I did use your father to get closer to you. It seemed kismet that we were in the same industry. Will became my friend, but he became my partner because of you. I had no other choice. I had to protect you somehow, and you never would have looked twice at me had I not thrown myself in your way at every opportunity.”
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“You’ve been watching me?” Her haughty tone cut him to the quick. He was never going to be enough for her, never going to measure up to the vapid boys always trailing after her simply because he hadn’t lived their life.
“And you’ve been watching me, wondering what it would be like if you were only brave enough to step outside your perfect world for a minute and indulge in all I can offer you.” He took a step forward, moving them both until she was backed up against the kitchen table.
“What do you think you’re doing?” Her eyes flashed with an emotion he hadn’t seen in her yet. True fear, or excitement?
“What you’ve wanted me to do since you first started watching me. You think there’s something beneath what the world sees. Maybe it’s time I show you what that is.”
The last thing she needs is a hero…
Off the Clock
© 2011 Donna Alward
First Responders, Book 1
Paramedic Gabe Brennan’s job is saving lives. When he witnesses an accident and rushes in to help, the victim brings back memories of the night that marked him forever. The night he almost couldn’t save his best friend, Brandon. Brandon’s sister is in the car. She’s pregnant. And his longing for her is just as sharp as ever.
Carly’s never been so glad to see a friendly face. Gabe’s gallant rescue—and the gentle kiss he bestows upon her at the hospital—resurrect feelings she buried long ago. Having just closed the book on a crumbling marriage, she’s not too keen on opening herself up to hurt again. Not even for the one man who’s always seemed to be there when she needed him most.
Gabe knows he shouldn’t be falling for Carly, especially since she insists she’s off the market. But the chemistry still simmering between them after all these years is no accident. Now all he has to do is convince her she belongs in the empty space he’s always held open for her. The one next to his heart…
Warnings: Contents—and paramedic hero—may be too hot to handle!
Enjoy the following excerpt for Off the Clock:
Now he had a chance and he didn’t want to ruin it. She was too important for that, too special. He was smart enough to know that she was overwhelmed right now with adjusting to parenthood. Not just being a parent, but a single parent. Now it was Carly who needed time, and he’d give it to her. He stuck the spoon in his mouth, trying to divert his thoughts.
But it was no use. It was why he’d stayed away the last few times he’d mowed her grass. He knew what he wanted. And it was too important to push. Not now.
“What are you thinking, Mr. Serious?” Carly opened her eyes. “It looks as though you’re pondering the world’s problems.”
Not the world’s, just his. He needed to take it slowly. He’d known Carly for so long that the idea of wooing her seemed funny. It also gave him a kind of strange, jumped-up feeling. Some might call it anticipation. He wanted her so much he ached. But it wasn’t a matter of slaking his thirst for her and letting go. It wasn’t anticipation. Gabe called it being scared to death of screwing up.
“Not much.”
She laughed a little. “It has to be something. You need to lighten up.”
“I don’t know what to say.”
“You could start with why you’ve been avoiding me.”
He put down his gelato cup. “I haven’t.”
Nathan’s eyes had opened and Carly rocked the carrier seat lightly with her foot. “Sure you have. You haven’t even stopped in to say hello lately.”
“I was busy,” he said, knowing it sounded like a paltry excuse. Maybe he had been avoiding her, but only because he wanted to be with her, not the opposite. But how could he possibly explain that without putting any pressure on her?
“It doesn’t matter. I know I’m not the best company these days. I always end up with something on my shirt and my house generally looks like a tornado blew through it. Who knew one tiny baby could cause so much havoc?”
Even with mystery stains and messy hair she was the most beautiful woman he knew. And again he bit his tongue, knowing his compliment would be unwelcome. “You think I stayed away because of some spit-up and dust bunnies?” He crossed his ankle over his knee and put an arm along the back of the bench. “Believe me, that’s not the reason.”
“Then what is?”
Why had he responded at all? Now she was neatly boxing him in to a genuine answer and he wasn’t sure what to say. He looked out over the fields below them and watched an eagle catch a draft of wind, gliding on the current. Maybe the truth was best.
“To give you space.”
“Space?”
“You said it yourself, Carly. You have enough to deal with without me hanging around. I know how much the divorce must have hurt you. I know this isn’t how you expected your life to be. You’re adjusting to a lot. I wanted to give you room to do that. A little yard work—that’s just my way of giving a little helping hand to a friend. No strings.”
It sounded perfectly reasonable when he put it that way, didn’t it? And it was a complete and utter lie. What he knew for sure was that if he’d gone in to see her—again—he’d end up kissing her. Wanting to take her to bed. And probably ruining everything in the process.
For Kicks
Jenna Bayley-Burke
If the shoe fits…run with it!
Breeze Cohen senses something is missing from her life, but her career doesn’t leave time for anything but retail business strategy—particularly the upcoming product launch for her cornerstone client, Nitrous.
No way is she going to let live-for-the-moment Logan Chandler tarnish her professional reputation. Even if the ex-athlete poster boy for Nitrous makes her heart pound like she’s run a marathon.
After surviving a near-fatal accident, Logan doesn’t want to waste a minute of life. It’s meant to be lived, ravished, enjoyed—and there’s no one he’d like to ravish more than Breeze. There’s a deep pool of mutual desire beneath her icy façade. He can feel it every time they touch.
When a training snafu at Nitrous launches Breeze into damage control, Logan is ready and waiting to lace up and take her for a run on the wilder side—if he can catch her.
Warning: Side effects may include a desire to melt chocolate with body heat, spontaneous phone sex, and an intense drive to find loopholes in your workplace fraternization policy.
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This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locale or organizations is entirely coincidental.
Samhain Publishing, Ltd.
11821 Mason Montgomery Road Suite 4B
Cincinnati OH 45249
For Kicks
Copyright © 2012 by Jenna Bayley-Burke
ISBN: 978-1-60928-568-5
Edited by Heidi Moore
Cover by Scott Carpenter
All Rights Are Reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
First Samhain Publishing, Ltd. electronic publication: January 2012
www.samhainpublishing.com
Table of Contents
Dedication
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
About the Author
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