by A. K. Evans
“I love you so much,” she cried, nuzzling her face in my neck.
I held her tight and stroked my hand up and down her back. “Kiss me,” I urged her.
Leni kissed my neck before she lifted her head and brought her mouth to mine. After we kissed a long time, we managed to tear ourselves away from one another.
“Thank you,” I whispered.
Tipping her head to the side, she asked, “For what?”
After a moment of hesitation, I answered, “For proving to me that it was okay to surrender to what I felt for you. For being the woman that you are and showing me that you’ll always protect my heart.”
More tears fell from her eyes.
“I promise I’ll protect yours just the same, Leni.”
She held my eyes briefly before sliding her arms tight around my shoulders and burying her face in my neck again.
“You are the best thing that’s ever happened to me,” I shared.
“I feel the same way about you,” she rasped.
I gave her a squeeze and simply held her while she pulled herself together. When she did, she asked, “Can we celebrate?”
“I planned on it. What did you have in mind?”
She swallowed hard, looked up at the house, and back at me. “I want to tell my grandma first. Then, I want to go out dancing with you.”
“Anything you want, sweetheart.”
“That’s what I want,” she confirmed.
With that, I gave her another kiss before I turned and carried her to the house. Once we got there, she went in and told her grandmother the good news. Then, we got ready to go out dancing.
And after I made love to her that night and had her beautiful body tucked tight to mine, I didn’t immediately fall asleep. I took a moment to think about the woman I was holding in my arms. Leni changed my life in a way I never dreamed was possible. For that, I owed her a debt of gratitude. I’d spend the rest of my life working to make sure she never felt that it was a mistake to surrender to her heart and fall in love with me.
Need more Holden and Leni? I’ve written a bonus epilogue for their story. You can download your FREE copy here.
To my husband, Jeff—Surrendering my heart to you was the best decision I ever made. Thank you for never making me regret it. I love you.
To my boys, J&J—You are always exactly where you are meant to be in your life. No matter what obstacles you face or where your heart takes you, Daddy and I will always be there to support you through it. I love you.
To my loyal readers—Thank you never seems like enough. I’m not sure I’ll ever have the words to tell you just how much it means to me that you continue to read my stories. I love each and every one of you.
To S.H., S.B., & E.M.—You’re like the dream team. I’m grateful for all three of you. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
To the bloggers—Thank you for all that you do. You don’t get nearly enough credit for what you do to help authors get their books into the hands of readers. I appreciate you all so much.
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The Everything Series
Everything I Need
Everything I Have
Everything I Want
Everything I Love
The Cunningham Security Series
Obsessed
Overcome
Desperate
Solitude
Burned
Unworthy
Surrender
Betrayed (Coming February 11, 2020)
Revived (Coming June 16, 2020)
Road Trip Romance
Tip the Scales
Play the Part (Coming December 10, 2019)
One Wrong Turn (Coming early 2020)
A.K. Evans is a married mother of two boys residing in a small town in northeastern Pennsylvania, where she graduated from Lafayette College in 2004 with two degrees (one in English and one in Economics & Business). Following a brief stint in the insurance and financial services industry, Evans realized the career was not for her and went on to manage her husband’s performance automotive business. She even drove the shop’s race cars! Looking for more personal fulfillment after eleven years in the automotive industry, Andrea decided to pursue her dream of becoming a writer.
While Andrea continues to help administratively with her husband’s businesses, she spends most of her time writing and homeschooling her two boys. When she finds scraps of spare time, Evans enjoys reading, doing yoga, watching NY Rangers hockey, dancing, and vacationing with her family. Andrea, her husband, and her children are currently working on taking road trips to visit all 50 states (though, Alaska and Hawaii might require flights).
