Her skin shivered. They were still naked and on top of the covers.
“Get under with me,” Devin suggested, and in seconds she was under the blankets with him, curled up in his arms, their legs intertwined.
“Devin?”
“Hmmm?”
There was that syllable again. Ella would never get tired of hearing it.
“Remember the night I came back to town?”
He chuckled, the sound rumbling in his chest and warming her from the inside out. “Like I could forget.”
“I paid two thousand dollars for a weekend with you.”
“A fool and his money…” he teased.
“Best money I’ve ever spent,” she retorted, giving him a jab in the ribs. He laughed, pulling her closer until a hair wouldn’t have fit between them.
“Dev…” She felt a little hesitancy now. She’d been the one to insist time and time again that he give her a divorce. Now to be swinging so far the other direction… But she loved him. She didn’t want to go on without him.
“Devin…”
“What, honey?”
She rose up now, tucking her hair behind her ears. She took a big breath, gathering her courage.
“What am I bid for more than a weekend with me…and our baby…” She beseeched his eyes, suddenly so nervous, so afraid and needing him to understand what she was asking. “For maybe a lot longer than a weekend.”
He laughed then, a big, glorious laugh as he pulled her back down on the mattress. “Lord, I love you, Ella. I don’t want to fix what was wrong between us. I want to start over, the right way.” He kissed the tip of her nose, looked into her eyes, his own alight with mischief. “What am I bid, you ask? Only everything I am, and everything I have. Would that be enough?”
“If only Scooter Brown were here with his gavel.”
“He’d be getting an eyeful. What’s the verdict?”
“Going once…” She slid her hand up his calf.
“Going twice?” he asked, running his fingers over her shoulder.
“Sold,” she whispered, reaching for his hand and covering her heart, “to the highest bidder.”
Epilogue
The bell over the door tinkled as another customer came in. Ella looked up at Devin with a wide smile. The bell had been tinkling non-stop since one o’clock—the moment she’d sat in a chair and started signing copies of her first novel.
“Ella, honey, you need a cup of tea or water or anything?” Betty Tucker, fully recovered and back to her old self with a full head of hair—it had come in dark brown—touched Ella’s elbow. During the months of Betty’s recovery, Ella had seen the older woman exhibit a strength of spirit that was so inspiring. Many times Ella or Devin had sat by her bedside as the chemo raged away at the cancer, had laughed as they’d picked out scarves and hats and had cheered with her when the first scan came back clean, only weeks before Jackson’s birth. Ella had dedicated the book to Betty, for without her their reunion never would have taken place at all.
“No thanks, Betty, I’m fine.” She smiled up into Betty’s face, seeing a woman who had become not only a friend but a mother and honorary grandparent to her baby. “But thank you. The whole afternoon has been wonderful.” She paused to sign a book and speak to the reader before turning back to Betty. “You’ve done a great job with The Nook. Dev’s business sense was right on the money. As usual.”
“Best job I ever had,” Betty replied with a lightning grin. “The boss is tolerable too.” She threw a wink at Devin, who was standing beside a stroller with a wide canopy. Ella signed another book, handing it to an enthusiastic customer and soaking in the sweetness of the moment.
Rather than the freelancing she’d planned, Devin had encouraged her to write a book like she’d always wanted—right after they’d taken care of the tiny detail of getting married again—this time for good. She’d still been pregnant when she’d sent the manuscript off to an agent with a wing and a prayer, never expecting her first attempt would sell but obscenely pleased with herself for accomplishing it. Now here she was, home in Durango, signing copies with her husband and their one-year-old son by her side.
Incredible.
Jackson woke from his stroller nap with a bad-natured fuss, and Ella moved to unstrap him. “I’ve got it,” Devin said, staying her hands with his and placing a light kiss on her lips. “Today’s your day. I get diaper duty while you get to be glamorous.”
When he returned, Betty had brought Ella juice and she was chatting to a couple of old school friends that she and Devin had double dated with.
“Devin, you remember Steve and Daphne.”
“Sure I do.” He shook hands with both of them, while Jackson sat on his left arm and played with the collar of his shirt. “You’re working construction now, aren’t you, Steve? For old man Durst.”
“That’s right.” Steve, six foot three and brawny, gave a nod.
“We were just saying how crazy it is that all four of us are back in town and still together, you know?”
“It’s crazy all right,” Devin replied. Jackson reached for Ella, so she took him from Devin’s arms and gave him a bounce. Ella smiled at Daphne, still so very cute in snug jeans and a pink T-shirt. “Have you got any kids?”
“Not yet,” Steve answered, and Ella dropped the subject at the way Daphne averted her eyes. A thin line of tension seemed to appear between the couple. Not long afterwards, Steve and Daphne departed.
The afternoon was winding down and Ella was down to only a handful of books when Devin and Jackson snuck up behind her again. “Did you have a good afternoon?”
She beamed up at him. “The best.”
“The best?” He emphasized the word, giving her a suggestive look. His dimple popped when her cheeks started to heat. He could still do that, even now.
“Well, maybe not the best, but definitely up there. Top five for sure.”
Betty was ringing off the till and Jackson was sucking on an animal cracker. To Ella, it was perfect.
“Then shall we go home, Mrs. McQuade?”
“Oh, I think so,” she replied, sneaking her arm around his waist and squeezing. “This wife has had enough glamour for one afternoon.”
They were almost to the car when she put a finger to her lips. “Tell me, Devin, which would you like first? A new book, or a new baby?”
He looked down at the stroller, and back up at Ella, his eyes begging the question. With a joyous laugh, she leaned up on tiptoe to give him a kiss before getting into the car.
About the Author
To learn more about Donna Alward, please visit www.donnaalward.com, check out her blog at www.donnaalward.blogspot.com, or join her newsletter. Send an email to Donna at [email protected].
Look for these titles
Now Available:
Almost A Family
The Girl Most Likely
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.”
“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.”
Can a four-year-old girl, a snowball fight and a six-year-old diamond ring finally keep Molly and Jason together?
Almost a Family
© 2007 Donna Alward
Prominent lawyer Molly Schaeffer rearranges her life to return home and take care of her niece after a car accident leaves Molly’s sister hospitalized. Little does she know that Jason Elliot, her ex-boyfriend-turned-hot-veterinarian, is her sister’s next-door neighbor.
Jason’s been burned by Molly before and has no intention of letting it happen again. He’s made his own success with a lucrative practice. But what he secretly wants is a family of his own, and he knows that a career woman like Molly is not the sort to give it to him. Since Molly turned down his proposal six years before and left town, he’s kept his broken heart under wraps. Can they forgive each other enough to make a new start? Or is this the final goodbye they never really had?
Warning: This title contains some explicit sex.
Enjoy the following excerpt for Almost a Family:
Molly ran through the ankle deep snow to his house and pounded on the door. “Jason? Jason, open up! It’s Molly!”
He threw open the door, looking harassed with his mouth set in a firm line and his eyebrows pulled together in the middle, making a crease in his forehead. “Keep your shirt on!” he ordered, frowning down hat her.
At the sight of him, she started to cry without explanation. It didn’t matter that she had vowed not to need his help. It didn’t matter that they were still at odds over broken hearts and mixed messages. All that mattered was that Sara was missing. All she knew was that there was one person she could count on. Could always count on.
“Please,” she begged, her voice thick with tears. “Sara’s gone and I can’t find her anywhere and her coat is missing and…”
Jason grabbed her upper arms. “Get a grip, Mol,” he ordered. “She’s here. She’s asleep on the couch.”
The flood of relief almost buckled her knees and was immediately followed by hot anger. Anger at Sara for disappearing without telling her. Anger at Jason for not calling to let her know. And most of all anger at herself for losing it in front of him. Tears pricked again, relief and confusion and frustration all rolled together in one uncontrollable, blubbering mass.
“What in the blue blazes is she doing over here? And why didn’t you call to tell me?” She wiped her cheeks furiously, leaving them tearless and blotchy.
His chin flattened. “Now it’s my fault?”
“I thought she was in her room!”
He stood upright, indignant. “And I thought you had let her come over. That’s what she said.”
At that Molly’s eyebrows soared sky-high. “I wouldn’t let her come over alone! What sort of person do you think I am?”
He sighed, and his shoulders slumped a little. “The kind that would take great pains to avoid spending any time with me.”
Silence dropped like a bomb. Standing back, he pushed open the door so she could enter.
She did and took off her coat, not knowing what to say. He was right after all, she had been avoiding him. She peeked inside the living room to the right. Sara was laying peacefully on the sofa, covered with a soft blanket with a gigantic golden retriever’s face on it.
Watching the girl sleeping, Molly took several deep breaths to get under control. Tears smarted in her eyes at the supreme relief of knowing her niece was okay. Finally she said quietly, “You still should have called me. You have no idea what went through my mind. I was terrified.”
“I’m sorry,” he said quietly. “She said you’d said it was okay. I figured you’d dressed her up and made sure she got here. It’s only across the lawn.”
“I did not do any such thing. I was working in the kitchen and she was supposed to be upstairs in her room. I can’t for the life of me figure out how she got out without me hearing.”
“Well, she’s safe, anyway,” he said, and Molly felt the emotions draining from her slowly.
As the panic subsided, Molly caught herself staring up at him. She noticed for the first time what he was wearing, and her mouth watered despite the fear and anger still trickling through her veins. Bare feet and a pair of surgical scrub bottoms, paired with a white T-shi
rt. There was a day’s growth on his face. He looked relaxed and cuddly and she wanted to grab the drawstring on the front of his green scrubs and untie it. Pull him closer to her and feel his warm, hard body against hers. Let what was left of the adrenaline drain away in the shelter of his arms.
“That’s the main thing,” she whispered in response. Her aroused gaze lifted from the string to his face and she saw color creep into his cheeks. She’d embarrassed him, and the knowledge made one side of her mouth twitch.
Still, only four feet separated them, and the urge to touch was strong. Molly felt her jeans hugging her tightly, felt the tightness of her bra straps as she became aware of everything in their tiny sphere of existence. She saw Jason flex and unflex his right hand and she wanted to feel it cushioning her neck as he kissed her silly. She saw his chest rise and fall beneath his T-shirt and wanted to feel that chest against hers. The memory of it was so strong she could almost feel it now, warm and hard and smooth.
It took no longer than a heartbeat. Each took a step and a half and they were in each other’s arms. As she’d imagined, Jason’s right hand captured the back of her head as it had thousands of times before, while the other wrapped around her back and pulled her close against his hard chest. His mouth was firm and hot against hers and she pressed closer, losing herself in his taste and texture and confirming that nothing had changed. They were still a perfect fit.
Her hands lifted up and threaded through his dark hair, leaving trails in their wake as he stepped her backwards, pressing her against the foyer wall. His hips pinned her there while his tongue danced with hers. He made a soft sound in his throat and she felt a current run from her breasts to her core, and one thing only passed through her mind as his hand slid up her ribs. Sara is asleep.
Sold to the Highest Bidder Page 19
