Authors: Kate Perry
Tags: #Romance, #Women, #sexy, #love story, #Romantic, #fun, #sweet, #Contemporary Romance, #beach read
A smile flirted with her lips. "Are you
trying to get me into trouble?"
"Definitely."
She looked at his hand, took a deep breath,
stepped forward, and put her palm in his.
He twirled her around into his arms. Pressed
chest to chest, he brushed her hair out of her eyes, reveling in
the feel of her.
This
was right. "I shouldn't have withheld
Jennifer's deal from you. I'm sorry about that."
"And I'm sorry I didn't trust you," she said.
"We share equal responsibility."
"Yes, we do, and I want it to be like that
from now on."
"Where you piss me off, and I piss you off in
return?"
He tugged her hair. "I'm trying to channel my
most sincere Patrick Swayze, and you're being a wiseass."
"You make a great Patrick Swayze. Hot." She
pulled the sunglasses off his face and tucked them into his shirt
pocket. "That's better."
"You didn't answer me."
"Yes."
"Yes, you didn't answer me?"
She rolled her eyes. "Yes, I want 'from now
on.' I love you."
"I love you, too." He kissed her softly, and
then kissed her again more deeply because he could. Because he was
happy. Because she was his.
The enthusiastic clapping invaded both their
consciousnesses at the same time. They looked up to find a crowd of
onlookers cheering them on. The loudest stood in the doorway of the
gourd store, a bohemian looking woman in a bright skirt with a
wickedly loud whistle.
Madison ran to them and threw her arms around
them both. They squeezed her between them. He closed his eyes,
simply grateful. Simply happy with his life for the first time
ever.
Madison looked up at them, excitement written
all over her face. "For the record, I'd like a little sister, but
if it's a brother, I'm okay with that, too. And maybe you can give
me one soon? I'm kinda getting old."
Lola grinned at Sam. He didn't know if she
was okay with more kids—he didn't know if
he
was—but he
could see she was definitely okay with the act of it. He winked at
her.
His daughter gasped. "Daddy, you missed the
best part of the plan."
He groaned. "Do I have to?"
"Yes." She ran back to the car and turned the
music up. Then she crossed her arms and impatiently tapped her
foot.
He turned to Lola. "I was supposed to sweep
you away with my dancing."
Lola hugged him close. "You got moves in you,
Patrick?"
"I've got all the moves you need." He pulled
her close and began to dirty dance her along Sacramento Street's
sidewalk. Their audience hooted and hollered as he led her in a
random series steps.
Throwing her head back, she laughed. "This is
the best ending ever."
"Sweetheart"—he pulled her even closer and
whispered in her ear, just for her—"this is only the
beginning."
Lola took the glass of champagne Sam handed
her and thanked him by saying, "I'm not wearing underwear."
His own glass, which had been on its way to
his mouth, stopped abruptly, and his gaze fell to her strapless
dress. "None?"
"Not one scrap of lace." Sipping her drink,
she looked around the Presidio's Log Cabin, which Eve had
transformed into a wedding wonderland, with white flowers and
candles. Toward the back there was a small altar set up with chairs
circling around it. Eve had told her she and Treat wanted to be
surrounded by their family and friends as they exchanged their
vows. "It's beautiful in here, isn't it?"
"Yes." He leaned toward her, brushing her
hair from her shoulder. "But I'd rather discuss your
underwear."
She shivered, feeling the tug of his desire.
"There's nothing to discuss. Literally."
"I'd like to see that for myself." He hand
ran down her back and over the curve of her butt.
"Hey there." Gwen bounded up to them,
dragging her boyfriend Rick along. She winked at Lola. "Is this
your new stud muffin?"
"Stud muffin?" Sam asked.
"Just go with it." Lola patted his chest.
"Gwen has a way with words. And pumpkins."
Her friend snorted.
"This is Gwen and Rick," she said. "And this
is—"
"Sam Taylor," Rick finished for her.
Sam blinked in surprise. "Have we met?"
"I had Rick run a report on you," Gwen said
without shame.
Lola groaned. "
Gwen
."
"What? I was concerned about you." Her friend
turned to Sam. "Rick is a private detective, and he knows
everything about you, so you better behave."
"What if I don't want him to behave?" Lola
protested.
Rick chuckled and offered his hand to Sam.
"They're nutty, but they're ours."
"Amen to that." The men shook hands and
promptly sidled away to discuss football.
Lola accepted a mini quiche from a passing
waiter. "Eve outdid herself."
"She lives for stuff like this. Personally,
I'd have eloped to Vegas and had Elvis marry me."
"There's something lovely about being married
in front of your family and friends though."
"Says the romance writer." Gwen grinned and
poked her. "I can just see the insanity when you decide to take the
plunge."
Actually, she and Sam had been talking about
going someplace far away and tropical and getting married in a
private ceremony—just them and Madison. Lola realized it was all
she wanted—that and the perfect dress. A girl shouldn't compromise
too much.
She just wished her mom could go, too, but
her mother wouldn't be able to attend even if they stayed local.
Her health hadn't bounced back. The doctors were perplexed by how
she'd steadily deteriorated over the past weeks. She'd become a
shell of her former self, even more withdrawn and silent.
She never knitted anymore.
Lola had taken Sam to meet her that morning
for the first time. She'd had to keep her crying to a minimum as
Sam had assured her mom he'd love Lola forever and always take care
of her. As he'd made the promise, her mom's hand had twitched, and
Lola knew Sally had heard his vow.
But she shook those thoughts off. Now was the
time for happiness.
"Did you see the cake?" Gwen asked, pointing
to the spot where the confection was set up. "It's four layers of
amazing
. Daniela Rossi is pastry chef to the stars for a
reason."
"I was really looking forward to seeing her
shop, but it isn't open yet. It's strange. Has she mentioned to you
what the hold up is?"
Gwen shook her head. "She doesn't talk to me
much. She mostly hangs out with Eve. She's a little standoffish,
but my theory is that she's shy."
"I think she's lonely," Lola said, spotting
the woman, who suddenly appeared with last minute garnishes for the
cake. "She seems sad and wary."
"You know who's not sad or lonely?" Gwen
pointed to the opposite end of the room. "Kristin."
They both grinned as they watched Kristin
trap her new beau in a dark corner. He looked like he didn't
mind—like he was precisely where he wanted to be. Who could blame
him? Kristin was smart and funny, and tonight she looked beyond
sexy in her little black dress.
Olivia walked over and slipped her arm
through Gwen's. "I've been sent to inform the best man needs to
report for duty, and that the rest of us need to sit down."
Rick's head perked up. "That's me." He kissed
Gwen and hurried to find his best friend, the groom, and the rest
of them ambled up to the front to take their seats.
Lola stared at Olivia's belly as they sat
down. She tried to picture herself round with a baby inside.
Madison was quite vocal about her desire for a little brother or
sister. Lola pictured a little boy with Sam's grin and thought
maybe.
Maybe.
The Vivaldi violin concerto began, and
everyone held their breath, waiting.
Eve's maid of honor, Freya, strode down the
aisle, her long-legged gait sure and her smile delighted. She
winked at Treat and Rick before taking her place next to where the
bride would be standing. Lola had met the tall redhead the week
before at the bachelorette party and had liked her instantly. She
looked forward to getting to know her better.
Then Eve entered in a long silky sheath.
Instead of watching her friend, Lola turned
around and watched Treat's expression as he saw his bride for the
first time. He looked in awe.
He looked in love.
Lola sighed. It was lovely.
Sam smiled at her, caressing her palm with
his thumb. In his eyes there was promise—a promise for later, at
home.
A promise for the future.
* * *
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* * *
Don’t miss the rest of the Laurel Heights
series!
Also fall in love with Kate Perry’s sexful,
playful novels of family and love including
Playing
Doctor
and
Playing for
Keeps
…
After catching her research
partner-slash-fiancé with the intern, Dr. Daphne Donovan returns
home to lick her wounds and figure out how to fix her life. It
doesn't take a genius to figure it out: being an uber-brilliant
Doogie Howser has made her life miserable while all the normal
people she knows are happy and content.
There's only one thing to do: become normal.
No more being the wunderkind of childhood disease research. All she
wants is a regular nine to five job, two-point-five children, a
white picket fence, and a blue collar husband.
Except normal isn't all it's cracked up to
be, especially after she meets Ulysses Gray. Gray is everything she
doesn't want: smart, incredibly handsome, and a doctor--just like
her ex-fiancé. She wants to deny him--and herself--but she can't
resist playing doctor...
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Since her mother's death more than fifteen
years before, Grace Connors has been the matriarch of her family.
She's put her own dreams on hold to raise her younger sisters and
keep her ex-marine father in line.
So when her sister Nell decides to get
married, it's on Grace to make it a wedding their mother would have
been proud of. It can't be hard to organize a party, right?
But then everything falls apart, including
her budding romance with her sexy best friend Pete. Caught in the
crossfire with the enemy at her back, will Grace be able to fix it
all before she becomes a casualty of love?
Get
Playing for
Keeps
now!
The Laurel Heights Series
Novels of Family and Love
The Guardians of Destiny
Standalone
Kate has tangoed at midnight with a man in
blue furry chaps, dueled with flaming swords in the desert, and
strutted on bar tops across the world and back. She’s been kissed
under the Eiffel Tower, had her butt pinched in Florence, and been
serenaded in New Orleans. But she found Happy Ever After in San
Francisco with her Magic Man.
Kate's the bestselling author of the Laurel
Heights Novels, as well as the Family and Love and Guardians of
Destiny series. She's been translated into several languages and is
quite proud to say she's big in Slovenia. All her books are about
strong, independent women who just want love.
Most days, you can find Kate in her favorite
café, working on her latest novel. Sometimes she's wearing a tutu.
She may or may not have a jeweled dagger strapped to her
thigh...
For more on Kate, visit: