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He had, after all, promised. And, as I'd seen firsthand, Jack wasn't one to go back on his word.
As part of the visit, I figured we'd stay with Anna and Flynn. But as it turned out, Jack had another idea entirely.
Chapter 79
Jack
I felt like a bastard for keeping her away from home for so long. But the way I saw it, she deserved a surprise – a good one for a change. So when we turned onto the narrow road leading to Flynn's secluded estate, it was all I could do to keep a straight face.
We'd nearly reached his front gate when Becka said from the passenger's seat, "Oh man, Flynn must hate that."
I stopped the car. "Hate what?"
She pointed to the property directly across the street from Flynn and Anna's private domain. "Look," she said. "Someone's building right across from them."
I looked to where she pointed. Sure enough, a new driveway was leading into the wooded lot directly opposite Flynn's front gate.
She said, "I'm surprised it could even happen. I mean, Flynn's so private. I guess I always assumed that he owned all of the land around him."
At one time, he did.
Not anymore.
With a shrug, I said, "You know what? Let's check it out."
"I’m not sure we should," she said. "I mean, it's private property."
"I don't see a sign."
"Yeah, but it must be private," she said. "Why else would there be a driveway? It must lead somewhere."
She was right. It did.
I eased off the brake, and the car moved forward. Trying like hell not to smile, I said, "We won't know 'til we find out."
As I turned into the long, curving driveway that led into the woods beyond, I gave Becka a sideways glance.
Sometime in the last few seconds, her expression had changed from concern to suspicion. She turned in her seat to face me. "You know something."
"Do I?"
"Definitely. I can tell."
But it wasn't until we reached the nearest clearing and saw the small cabin that she said, "I knew it!" With a happy laugh, she turned to me and said, "You didn't."
I grinned. "Didn't what?"
"Is this your cabin?"
In reply, I opened my car door. "Don't move."
"Why not?"
"Just hang on, all right?" And with that, I got out of the car and strode around the front of the vehicle. The air was frigid with the promise of snow, but I felt nothing but warmth as I opened Becka's door and held out my hand. "Let's check it out."
She placed her hand in mine and practically leapt out of the car. "So it is yours?"
"No."
Her smile faltered. "Oh."
"It's ours."
She laughed. "Seriously?"
"On one condition."
"What?"
"Make that two conditions," I said. "First – you've got to help me build a new place."
She glanced toward the cabin. "What do you mean?"
"I mean, the cabin's awful small. Let's call it a guest house."
Her eyes were bright and beautiful with excitement. Laughing, she said, "Okay."
"So we'll need something bigger, right?" I pointed to a cleared spot off in the distance. "I'm thinking right there."
She turned to look, and her breath caught. "It's beautiful."
"Not as beautiful as you." I squeezed her hand. "Becka?"
She turned to face me. "What?"
"The second thing – it's a lot tougher."
"Really?"
"Really," I said. "And you wanna know why?"
"Why?"
"Because…" I said, going down on one knee. "…it'll take a lifetime." I smiled up at her. "So I want you to think long and hard."
From the look in her eyes, thinking was the last thing on her mind. Breathlessly, she said, "Oh?"
It was time. "Becka Burke?"
Her breath hitched. "What?"
Finally, I pulled the ring out of my pocket. I held it up between us and asked, "Will you marry me?"
Her eyes filled with tears. "Oh my God. Yes. A million times yes."
It was the answer I'd been waiting for, just like I'd been waiting for Becka all of my life, even if I hadn't realized it.
As I slipped the ring on her finger, I felt more happiness than a guy deserved.
And, as if I weren't lucky enough already, she leapt into my arms the moment I stood. "You know what we should do?" she said.
"What?"
"Celebrate." With tears in her eyes, she said, "I want you. Now and always."
I knew exactly how she felt. "Now and always," I repeated.
She gave me an impish smile. "And speaking of now… I don't suppose there's a bed in there?"
Chapter 80
Becka
Turns out, there was. Or at least, that's what Jack told me, just before sweeping me up into his arms and carrying me across the clearing toward the front steps of the cabin.
With one hand, he opened the front door and then carried me inside. As he did, I looked around in amazement. "Oh, my God. So it's done? Like completely done?"
I'd been half-joking about the bed. With the way I felt now, I would've gladly done it on the floor – or even in the car – and considered myself a very lucky girl.
But my yearning for him, even as strong as it was, couldn't dim my astonishment at the condition of the cabin. The place wasn't just furnished. It was decorated, too.
Everywhere I looked, there was something new and beautiful to look at. I saw throw-pillows and pictures, and fresh flowers everywhere.
There was even a cheerful fire going in the fireplace.
Breathlessly, I asked, "How'd you do this?"
"Do what?"
"The cabin, the furnishings, everything."
"By phone, email, you name it," he said. "And as far as the furnishings, I had plenty of help."
"From Anna and Flynn?"
"You know it."
I stifled a laugh. Part of me was dying to tell my sister right away about our engagement. But now, I had a sneaky suspicion that she already knew, which meant that I had all the time in the world to enjoy this moment alone with Jack.
I was still cradled in his arms. "Want to hear something funny?" I said. "I almost feel like a newlywed already." With an embarrassed laugh, I added, "You even carried me across the threshold."
"Say the word, and I'll carry you anywhere."
"Anywhere?" I teased.
"Anywhere."
I leaned my cheek against his shirt. "That rug in front of the fireplace looks pretty nice."
With a smile in his voice, he replied, "Yeah?"
I nodded against him and smiled with happy anticipation as he began heading in that direction. On his way to the fireplace, he grabbed a folded quilt off the back of the sofa and tossed it onto the rug before setting me down exactly where I'd wanted.
As he did, I pulled him close and kissed him softly at first, and then harder, with a need that felt too raw and hungry to be contained. I pulled back just long enough to tell him, "I love you so much. You know that, right?"
His eyes, so very blue, warmed with an expression that would've melted my heart if only it weren't already a gooey mass of pure bliss.
He smiled. "I love you, too, even if you are a trouble-maker."
I whispered, "Of the highest order?"
"Of the highest order."
The cabin felt warm and wonderful, but not half as warm as my thoughts and desires. Already, I was burning for him – to have him inside me, to feel his body against mine, to celebrate like only lovers can.
In my eagerness to get him undressed, I nearly tore his shirt. But he didn't object, and neither did I, not even when he did tear mine, sending buttons scattering in all directions.
With eager hands, I went for his pants while he went for my skirt. Soon, all of our clothes were scattered to who-knows-where.
I might've been embarrassed by my desperation except for the fact he was the same way, eager and
ready. And boy, were we willing.
As we kissed and caressed, naked in front of the fireplace, I let my hands roam and my mind drift as I considered just how many ways he'd made my life complete already.
Less than a year ago, he'd been a phantom, someone I'd admired from afar. But now he was mine to have and to hold no matter what.
Talk about unbelievable.
Overflowing with happiness, I rolled us over so I was on top. And then, I sat up, drinking in the sight of his handsome face and amazing body, along with the certain knowledge that he was mine for all eternity. And I was his.
As I guided his hard length to my opening, already slick with desire, I savored the sight of him, the feel of him, and even the sound of him when I lowered my hips and took him deep inside me.
As our eyes locked, and our hips moved, I felt so deeply connected that it barely seemed real. But it was. And it always would be, now and forever.
Afterward, I wasn't even sure how long we lay there, warm and sated in front of the fireplace. But I do know what made me sit up with a start. It was the sound of footsteps on the front porch, followed by familiar, hushed voices.
Anna and Flynn.
I looked to Jack and smiled. "Were you expecting company?'
He grinned. "Maybe."
I giggled. "And you didn't think to tell me?"
"And miss that?" he said, wrapping both of us up in the warm blanket. "Forget it."
Yup, he was a trouble-maker, all right. But he was my trouble-maker. And I was his.
For always.
The End
Sneak Peeks & Bonuses
Anna & Flynn's Story
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Sure, I swooned over him. But everyone did. He was only Flynn Archer, the swashbuckling, brooding bad boy who starred in the biggest movie production on the planet. But me? I'd known him before all that, when Flynn had gone by a different name in a different place. We hadn't been friends. But I owed him, bigtime. And now, he'd come to collect.
More Loathing-to-Love Romance!
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Allie Brewster has a problem, and his name is Jaden Bishop – the most impossible person she's ever met. So why, oh why, is he haunting her dreams like some kind of rock-hard shirtless nightmare? It's all so wrong, especially when hating him feels so right…right up until Allie realizes something terribly inconvenient. Turns out, there's a lot more to her billionaire boss than meets the eye, and just maybe, she's been haunting his dreams, too.
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Sneak Peek of First Chapter
© Copyright 2019 by Sabrina Stark
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any manner whatsoever without written permission from the author except for brief quotations in critical articles or reviews.
This is a work of fiction. Names, places, businesses, characters and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, actual events or locales is purely coincidental.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Chapter 46
Chapter 47
Chapter 48
Chapter 49
Chapter 50
Chapter 51
Chapter 52
Chapter 53
Chapter 54
Chapter 55
Chapter 56
Chapter 57
Chapter 58
Chapter 59
Chapter 60
Chapter 61
Chapter 62
Chapter 63
Chapter 64
Chapter 65
Chapter 66
Chapter 67
Chapter 68
Chapter 69
Chapter 70
Chapter 71
Chapter 72
Chapter 73
Chapter 74
Chapter 75
Chapter 76
Chapter 77
Chapter 78
Chapter 79
Chapter 80
Sneak Peeks & Bonuses