“Final question,” Tim says into the microphone, making eye contact with me. I grin, knowing where this is headed. “Will Kourtney accept Kaden’s proposal?”
The room gasps — and by the time Kourtney turns to me, I am already down on bended knee.
“Well, answer the question,” I say with a smile, offering her a glittering diamond ring.
She slams her hand down on the buzzer. “Yes!” She leans down, kissing me, laughing, and so full of joy the whole room starts clapping, ordering shots and taking photos.
“I guess we’re the winners of this round,” I say, slipping the ring on her finger.
I stand and pull her into a kiss, thinking I’m the luckiest man in the world. I pick her up, spinning her around until we are dizzy with love. She wraps her arms around my shoulders, leaning in close. She smells like the ocean, salty and sweet.
“I know you said I guac’ed your world,” she whispers. “But Kaden, you’re the hot sauce my taco needs.”
Epilogue 2
Kourtney
Two years later…
The nursery is perfect, and as I finish folding the stack of tiny pink baby clothes, I feel tears prick my eyes. I always dreamed of finding love, but I never dreamed of being so incredibly happy.
“Baby, what’s wrong?” Kaden asks, finding me in the pink and white room that he painted on the weekends. “Are you crying?”
I swallow, wiping my eyes. “I’m just so happy. And so pregnant.”
He chuckles, wrapping me up in his arms. It’s a little awkward at this nine-month point, but somehow, I can still nestle my head against his chest. He kisses my head and I sink against him.
“God, I love you,” I tell him. “And I’m also hungry.”
“Good, because I got us lunch.”
I look up at him, tears filling my eyes again. “You did?” I swear I won the husband lottery. Turns out, being book smart does more than get you into a good college — it can also help you land the man of your dreams.
“Tacos.”
“Of course.” I giggle, smacking his cute ass as I follow him into the kitchen.
“You’re in a mood,” he says, unpacking our food. Tacos. Chips. Guac.
“I’m just finally feeling ready for Rita to be born.”
“Me too. I’m so excited to see our little baby burrito.”
I laugh at his joke, telling him he’s the perfect kind of cheese.
And even though the food is hot, it’s only Kaden who satisfies me right now.
“Come on, baby,” I tell him. “Let’s eat something else first.”
He grins, following me into the bedroom. We undress, our hands craving one another in a way lunch never could fix. He is so strong, so chiseled, so utterly manly. My body responds to his touch quickly, my pussy wet as he runs a hand between my legs, lowering me to the bed. He kisses me slowly, with intention, taking care of all of my needs.
“God, you taste so damn sweet.” He squeezes my butt and I shudder with pleasure, his tongue running over my juicy folds, making me melt into the bed.
Soon I am writhing in desire, needing to taste him the way he tasted me. “Come here,” I beg, drawing him to the bed, and I move my body, my mouth needing to taste his thick cock before anything else happens.
“Fuck, baby that feels good,” he groans as I wrap my lips around his big, rigid cock. His balls are tight, and I massage them gently, stroking his shaft as I take him as deeply as I can.
It turns me on, sucking him off, knowing his milky come is going to slide down my throat, marking me as his. I move my mouth faster, suctioning it around him the way he loves, and he runs his hands through my hair, making me feel like the most beautiful woman in the world.
“I’m gonna come, baby,” he warns and I smile, loving this part, when his hot ribbons of cream fill me up. He knows I like it, and I keep sucking him as he finishes, then I crawl on top of him, the same way I did the very first time we made love.
“I need you in me, Kaden. Now.” I stoke his shaft, his fingers deep in my pussy, finger fucking me the way I love. Soon he is rock solid again, and my whimpers turn to moans as my juicy pussy gushes over his hand.
“Oh God,” I groan, sinking down on his cock, swiveling my hips. “Yes, yes!”
We move as one, a perfect unit, a match made in heaven. Ready for the rest of our lives together.
We may have fallen in love over a game of trivia, but the answer is simple, if anyone asks: if you get a chance to share some free chips and salsa — splurge. Even if the guac is extra, it’s totally worth it.
Don’t Go Bacon My Heart
The Way To A Man’s Heart Book 4
I’m a cop, so when I see a damsel in distress, I jump into action.
But the crook isn’t who I want to handcuff… it’s Valerie, the sweetheart I just saved.
I’m ready to tie her up and make her mine.
Problem is, she’s my little sister’s best friend… and she thinks I’m just a nice guy.
But I want to be her guy. Now and forever.
When I take her to the local diner to talk some sense into her, I order eggs and hash browns, praying I won’t get a side of her bacon my heart.
Dear Reader,
Vance is a good cop who wants to play dirty.
Grab a pan, baby, let’s fry up something nice and hot.
He’s ready for this short & filthy breakfast date… are you?
xo, frankie
Chapter One
Vance
Halfway through my workout and all I can think about is the breakfast I’m gonna get after this. Usually, as a cop, I am a total cliché — donuts and black coffee — but today I am kicking some serious ass and have really worked up an appetite.
“Grady, wanna grab breakfast at Hot Spot after this?” I ask my buddy.
He grunts, finishing his push-ups. “Gotta get to work. Have an order of topsoil coming when I open.”
“What about you, Trent?” I ask the new guy. He’s a professor at the local college and just started working out with us. Lately, it’s been the three of us working out together. My other workout partners are dropping like flies with the new women in their lives. I swear, Josh, Matt, and Kaden all shacked up within the last few months. Something must be in the water at this gym.
Speaking of, Trent grabs a water bottle. “I wish. I got breakfast plans already.”
“Yeah?” Grady asks, mid-crunch. “With who?”
Trent shrugs. “A student. It’s a tutoring session.”
“It’s all good,” I say, starting my dead weight reps. “I can see if Georgie can come.”
“How is Georgie?” Grady asks. “Still going out a lot?”
I scowl. “Yeah, I don’t know what her deal is. Every night she’s out at some club.”
Grady shakes his head and I appreciate his concern. He’s my best friend for a reason. We’ve been through thick and thin together — when I got shot in the line of duty four months ago, he was the guy taking me to my doctor appointments every few days for weeks on end.
I text my sister, but she doesn’t reply. It’s annoying how MIA she’s been. To be fair, I remember Kaden saying the same thing about his sister, Trista.
Who knows — maybe everyone has lost their minds. I swear, every time I log into social media I get a glimpse that the world is falling apart.
I don’t want that to be true. Not until I get what I want. Selfish, maybe. But I mean it. I don’t want Antarctica to melt or a virus to sweep the world before I get the girl of my dreams.
So what am I waiting for? Already know who I want.
Valerie.
And the truth is, I want some breakfast backup. I don’t really trust myself going alone to Hot Spot. Valerie is a waitress there… and it’s hard not to think about all the ways I want to make her mine. Heart. Mind. Soul.
But she’s my little sister Georgina’s best friend and that complicates things.
Still, it doesn’t diminish the truth. I want Val
erie. Badly.
She is petite, with curvy hips, perfect tits, and a smile that makes me melt. Her laugh is soft, yet infectious. She is generous with her time and endlessly patient with my sister. She works hard, has fought for the life she’s got. After I got shot, she’d bring me lunch every day from the diner, my favorite matzo ball soup mostly, telling me I needed something to warm my bones. Even though it wasn’t my bones that were broken — it was the spot right beside my heart.
It was the best part of the day, her bringing me lunch. She’d never stay long — always had a reason to leave. To feed her cat. To do laundry. Another shift.
But God, how I wanted her to stay. Move in. Be my goddamn wife.
Still, I never made a move. But it’s been months now, and my feelings have only grown.
Maybe it’s time I man up and tell the girl how I feel.
After the workout is finished — and I get my name on the board for the best time of the day — I clean up quickly, putting on my uniform. My stomach growls and I’d be lying if I said my cock wasn’t hungry too.
Damn. Just thinking about seeing Val gets me all worked up. That girl has never once given me reason to believe she’d be interested in me. But she’s still the girl I want.
I cut through the alley on the way to the diner — and what I see stops me in my tracks.
Valerie
I’m good at pretending. At acting like I have my shit together… my life all sorted… but truthfully? I’m hanging on by a thread.
Rent is due, my cell phone is turned off for late payments, and my best friend is acting distant, leaving me alone with my thoughts… which isn’t a good thing.
I spent years in foster care, mostly a group home, which meant I had to fend for myself. But after the costs for a visit to the emergency room this winter when I came down with pneumonia, and two weeks out of work as I recovered, I haven’t seemed to catch up.
And I’m tired of facing the world alone.
I’m lost in my thoughts, my purse on my shoulder, my earbuds in. It’s only nine in the morning. Too early to already feel so defeated. But when I tried to check my texts this morning and realized that my phone was turned off, I admit that I had a good long cry. Georgie was still gone from the night before — and I was alone in our apartment. So I allowed myself the luxury of an old-fashioned shower-sob.
I turn the corner toward Hot Spot, where I’ve been serving coffee and pie for a few years, and take deep breaths, wanting to show up to work as if nothing is wrong. Because that is the kind of girl I am. Put on a brave face, smile, and pretend everything is okay.
But when someone shoves me against the brick wall of the alley in a mask, with a gun, grabbing my bag, I freeze.
Panic.
What is happening?
“Don’t scream,” the masked man hisses sharply. “Just give me your money.”
“I don’t have much,” I tell him, his forearm pressed against my throat. “Let me go,” I beg. I kick at him, trying to knee him, but he is bigger than me, stronger too, and the gun makes me second-guess that tactic. Tears stream down my face as he empties my pockets — not that there’s anything to take — and he pulls my wallet from my purse.
I think he is gonna get away, just like that — but then I hear someone shouting, telling him to raise his hands. “I’m a police officer and you are under arrest.”
I turn, eyes wide, cheeks streaked with tears.
Vance.
Chapter Two
Vance
I call for backup and soon enough, the masked man is handcuffed and carted away in a police cruiser. I call the station and let them know that I’m going to file the report when I get in.
Right now, I have something else to worry about.
Valerie.
She’s wrapped her arms around herself, and gives her story to Officer Jones, who I called in.
“Anything else?” Jones asks.
“Not that I can think of,” she says softly, wiping her eyes. “It all happened so fast. If Vance hadn’t been here…” Her eyes lift, finding mine.
My heart stops right then. In a different way than it did when I saw her being accosted in the alley. That was fear stopping me in my tracks.
This time it’s something else. Hope.
“I’m glad you’re okay. Do you need a ride home?” Jones asks.
“Actually, I have work in a half-hour, right around the corner.”
I step forward. “Let me walk you.”
She nods, licking her lips. “Thanks, Vance, that would be nice.”
Jones leaves us then, and it’s just Val and me in the alley. Face to face. She can’t seem to stop crying. I want to wrap her in my arms and tell her she is safe now. I can’t decide how professional that is though — I’m in uniform and I don’t want to upset her even more.
“Are you okay?” I ask, seeing the circles under her eyes. The deep worry knit between her brows. This is about more than that man attacking her.
She doesn’t answer with words. Instead she steps toward me and buries her face in my chest. “I’m so glad you were here, Vance. Out of anyone in the world… I’m so glad it was you.”
“You are?” I ask, wrapping my arms around her.
She nods, looking up at me. “Yeah, I’ve always felt safer with you around. I think that is part of the reason I made Georgie become my friend. I knew her big brother was a cop, and that with you around, I’d be okay.”
“I wish I’d been here sooner,” I tell her.
“Why were you here at all?” she asks.
I give her a half-smile, wishing I could give her the whole damn world. “I was coming for breakfast.”
“You were?” Her face brightens. I nod. “Come on, then,” she says, her hand in mine. “Let me thank you properly for saving my life.”
I know she is just being nice… but I keep hold of her hand. Not wanting to let go. Not for a second.
Valerie
When we walk into Hot Spot, I tell Vance to take the corner booth, letting him know I am just going to check in with my boss and let her know what happened.
“Want me to come with you?” he asks. His hand is still in mine. Strong. Secure. Is it wrong that it feels so good? What would Georgie think?
“No,” I assure him, wanting a moment alone in the bathroom. “I’ll be right back.”
He squeezes my hand before letting it go and the current of electricity is palpable. In the kitchen, I find Linda, my boss, and tell her about the alley.
“Oh my God, sweetie, that is awful!” She tells me to take the day off, but I tell her I’m just gonna calm down over breakfast with the cop who saved me, and then get to work.
“Honestly,” I tell her. “I can’t afford to skip a shift.”
Linda gives me a hug. “Oh, Val, I’m so sorry. I wish we all had some more money because I’d love to retire, sell this diner to you.”
“Same,” I tell her honestly, knowing she’s been thinking about selling Hot Spot for the last few months. Selfishly I wonder what will happen to my job if she does.
In the bathroom, I splash cold water on my face and try to calm down. Truth is, Vance finding me in the alley was the answer to my deepest, most precious desire. I’ve always been in love with him — a man who is more than funny and handsome. Whenever I am around Vance, I feel like I have someone taking care of me.
And it’s funny because it was me trying to take care of him the last few months after he was shot. I brought him so much soup he was probably sick of seeing me. Yet I kept coming, staying just long enough to drop off the food, never trusting myself to stay any longer. Because I have a habit of staring at him. And seeing him propped up in bed? Gah. It made every inch of my skin prickle with want.
Just being in Vance’s house calmed me though, made me relax, like I didn’t have to keep any of my walls up. Even if it was for only a few minutes, I’d take it. After a lifetime of facing the world alone… it’s a blessing to know there is one person in the world who feels li
ke a soft place to land.
Not that he thinks the same of me.
What could I offer a man like him?
When I get to the booth, I scoot in across from him. Linda is here pouring coffee, thanking Vance for being my knight in shining armor and setting plates of hash browns, bacon and eggs on the table.
“If you want anything else, just let me know, okay?” she says before leaving us alone.
“This okay?” I ask him.
“It’s perfect,” he says. “So long as you hear me out, Valerie.” He picks up a piece of bacon and takes a bite. Chewing slowly, as if thinking something over.
“Hear you out?” I tilt my head to the side, confused.
He clenches his jaw, and I wonder what he is getting at. “The thing is, Valerie, I’ve been in love with you since the day we met.”
My mouth falls open, shocked. He nods, reaching for my hand. And even though it’s the one thing I have always dreamed of hearing, his words send a jolt of fear through me.
“You have?”
He nods, giving me a sincere smile that should wash any lingering fear away. But it doesn’t. I’m terrified. Vance has no idea what he is saying.
“I do, Valerie, and I don’t want you to go bacon my heart.”
Chapter Three
Vance
When Valerie was in the bathroom, I made a quick decision: there is no time like the present. She needs to know how I feel.
I try to make it funny. Cute. Easy.
The Way To A Man’s Heart: Books 1-10 Page 10
