Stevie might have gotten a little more adventurous about where we have sex over the months that we’ve been together. But she’s not into exhibitionism.
And I’m not into anyone seeing her naked but me.
But I sure as hell will never look at a mixing desk again without thinking of Stevie.
I drive the car up the dusty track that will one day soon be a driveway, and I park the car up in front of the building site.
I climb out of the car. Stevie gets out too.
I meet her round the front of the car, standing next to her.
“You brought me to see a building site?” she says.
“What do you think?” I ask.
“Well … it’s nice. As far as building sites go. I’ve not seen many, but I’d say it’s the best I’ve ever seen.”
I chuckle. “Such a smart-ass,” I say.
“Always.” She grins up at me.
I lean down and press my lips to hers. I’ll never tire of kissing Stevie.
I sling my arm around her shoulder. “One day soon, this building site will be a house, babe. With five bedrooms, six bathrooms, a double garage, and an outdoor pool. Six and a half thousand square feet of living space. With panoramic views of the lake and mountains.”
She tips her head back, looking up at me. “Did you get a job as a realtor and not tell me? ’Cause right now, I feel like you’re trying to sell it to me. Heads-up, it’s like a million south of my price range.”
“Try two-point-five million,” I tell her.
She lets out a low whistle.
“And I’m not trying to sell it to you because it’s already yours. Well, ours. Because I bought it.”
Her mouth drops open. She’s staring at me. Not blinking. And no words are coming.
Stevie is rarely speechless. She always has something to say. And when she doesn’t, it’s either really bad. Or really fucking good.
I’m praying for the latter.
“I know maybe it was presumptuous of me to go ahead and buy it for us. But I fucking adore you, babe. You’re my best friend. The only woman I’ve ever loved. And you really do give great head.”
“Oh, I know.”
She smiles, and I can breathe. She’s not mad that I bought it. Thank fuck for that.
My lips curve up. “You’re also stunningly modest. And sexy as fuck.”
“Also true.”
“So, will you live here with me?”
“In the unbuilt house? It could get drafty. And if it rains, we’ll be fucked.”
“When it’s completed, smart-ass.”
“Oh, well, in that case, I’d love to move in here with you when it’s completed.”
I grin. Then, I pick her up, lifting her off her feet, and I kiss her stupid.
“I know I probably got carried away,” I tell her when I finally let her up for air. “But I wanted to surprise you. I want you to know that I’m committed to you. That I’m here to stay.”
She smiles softly. “I already knew that, babe. But five bedrooms though,” she says, her fingers sifting through my hair. “There is only two of us.”
“Well, I was hoping, one day, in the far-off future, we’d fill those extra bedrooms.”
“With Raze, Levi, and Cash?” she quips, and I chuckle.
“More like I was thinking I’d knock you up in the far-off future, and we’d have lots of babies.”
Her nose scrunches up in that cute way of hers that I love so much. “How many is lots?”
“Four. One for each of the extra bedrooms.”
Her eyes widen, almost comically. “Four?”
“Okay, so maybe not four. Two or three. We’ll probably need the other bedroom for Cash. He’ll be with us for life. No woman will be crazy enough to live with him.”
“True dat.” She grins. “But call it two babies, plus Cash, and you’ve got a deal.”
“Two babies, plus Cash, it is.”
Then, I brush my lips over hers, sealing the deal.
“Storm?”
“Yep?”
“In this far-off future when we’re having these two kids and adopting Cash, will we also be married?”
“Yeah, of course.”
“How will you ask me?”
“You really don’t like surprises, do you?”
“One word: skunk.”
I chuckle.
“So, how would you ask?” she probes.
“Well … I’d probably buy you a half-built house. Drive you up to the half-built house. Sweep you up off your feet. And then ask you to marry me.”
“Storm?”
“Yep.”
“Are we still doing the hypothetical right now, or are you actually asking me?”
I put my hand into my jeans pocket and pull out the ring that I bought last week and have been carrying around with me ever since, trying to figure out when the right time to ask would be.
Seems the time is now.
“Holy shit,” she breathes, staring at the ring. Her eyes flick back to mine. “You’re really asking?”
“Yeah, babe, I’m really asking. And I know it’s probably too quick and we haven’t known each other for long. But, honestly, I think it’s overdue. I’d have married you the day I met you. That lecture about the disposal of cigarette butts sold me. I knew in that moment that I’d marry you one day.”
“Now, I know you’re joking.”
“Okay. I am about that. But not about marrying you. I fucking love you, Stevie. Like the crazy kind of love. The love that people like me write songs about. And I want to keep writing songs about you, babe. And loving you. Forever. So, marry me?”
She stares into my eyes. Then, she lifts her hand up, giving me the ring finger on her left hand.
I slide the diamond onto her finger. And it looks fucking perfect. Almost as perfect as she is.
I take hold of her hand and kiss the ring on her finger. Then, I kiss her beautiful mouth.
“So, I’m taking it, that’s a yes?” I say against her lips.
She smiles, and it’s the absolute best feeling ever. “Yeah, babe. It is unquestionably, definitely, one thousand percent yes. The easiest yes I’ve ever given.”
“Purple Haze” by Jimi Hendrix
“The Monster” by Eminem, featuring Rihanna
“Thunderstruck” by AC/DC
“Enter Sandman” by Metallica
“Don’t You (Forget About Me)” by Simple Minds
“Dreams” by Fleetwood Mac
“Love Shack” by The B-52s
“I Wanna Dance with Somebody” by Whitney Houston
“White Heat” by Madonna
“Paradise City” by Guns N’ Roses
“Summer of ’69” by Bryan Adams
“Afterlife” by Avenged Sevenfold
“I Don’t Care” by Ed Sheeran and Justin Bieber
“Hysteria” by Def Leppard
“God Is a Woman” by Ariana Grande
“Don’t Cry” by Guns N’ Roses
“Is This Love” by Whitesnake
“Glory of Love” by Peter Cetera
“Home Sweet Home” by Mötley Crüe
“Love Is a Battlefield” by Pat Benatar
Craig, Riley, and Bella—You are the best people I know. And considering I made the latter two of you, I’m taking all credit for your awesomeness. The three of you put up with my odd ways, my long working hours, and my random outbursts while I’m sitting, writing on my laptop. I know living with a writer isn’t easy. Yet you all still love me. And I love you three like I didn’t even know possible.
Jodi—I was literally shitting myself, sending the initial chapters of Finding Storm to you. Knowing how important Jake is to you, I was terrified that Storm would never measure up. Then, you messaged me and told me that you loved Storm and Stevie, and I knew I’d hit the jackpot with this story! LY, Bird.
Nicky, Natasha, Zoe, Jodi, Vic, Charlie, and ZoeElle—I laugh the most with all of you. It’s great to be mates with a bunch of women
who share the same weird sense of humor as I do. Bring on the next Venga Bus!
Jovana—You are the best editor in the whole world. A total editing ninja! You put up with my flaky, last-minute ways, taking it all in your stride. I honestly couldn’t do this without you. So, don’t ever leave me. Please.
Najla Qamber—You are quite simply awesome. The best cover designer I have ever worked with.
My agent Lauren Abramo, agent extraordinaire—I’m so lucky to have you. You handle my weird writer ways. My changes of plan. Taking away the worry and stress that I’m feeling with a few calming words. I get to see my books in stores, in foreign print, and hear them on audio because of you. You are fabulous. So, you can’t leave me either. Please. Also, a big thank-you to Kemi Faderin for handling my foreign deals and keeping everything in line.
Wether Girls—As always, the best place on Facebook to be! Our group continues to grow but remains the exact same. In there, I am surrounded by wonderful, supportive women, and it warms my heart to see and helps to restore my faith in the human race daily.
Thank you to each and every member of the blogging world, who works tirelessly to help promote books without ask or complaint. We authors couldn’t do it without you. You are truly appreciated.
And as always, to you, the reader—You are the reason I get to live my dream. And stay home and work in my pajamas! Thank you from the never-ending depths of my heart.
OTHER BOOKS BY SAMANTHA TOWLE
STAND-ALONE NOVELS
River Wild
Under Her
Unsuitable
Sacking the Quarterback (BookShots Flames/James Patterson)
The Ending I Want
When I Was Yours
Trouble
THE GODS SERIES
Ruin
Rush
THE WARDROBE SERIES
Wardrobe Malfunction
Breaking Hollywood
THE REVVED SERIES
Revved
Revived
THE STORM SERIES
The Mighty Storm
Wethering the Storm
Taming the Storm
The Storm
PARANORMAL ROMANCE NOVELS
The Bringer
THE ALEXANDRA JONES SERIES
First Bitten
Original Sin
Samantha Towle is a New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal best-selling author.
A native of Hull, she lives in East Yorkshire with her husband, their son and daughter, three large furbabies, and their small, grumpy cat.
She is the author of contemporary romances The Storm Series, The Revved Series, The Wardrobe Series, The Gods Series and stand-alones Trouble, When I Was Yours, The Ending I Want, Unsuitable, Under Her, River Wild, and Sacking the Quarterback, which was written with James Patterson. She has also written paranormal romances, The Bringer and The Alexandra Jones Series. With over a million books sold, her titles have appeared in countless best-seller lists and are currently translated into ten languages.
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And lastly, Bookbub, just because.
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