Danielle reached down and took Hawk’s hand in hers. The warmth—real, human warmth, not from the whisky bottle, but from the woman he loved—made him shake all the way to his marrow. He more than loved this woman; she held the other part of his soul, she completed him. He held his breath, waiting for her answer.
“I’m not going to let you destroy me in absentia. If what we have together isn’t going to work out for
any
reason, then you have to come talk to me. Don’t leave me like that. My heart can’t take it again.”
Oh, sweet Jesus, she would give him a chance. He would
not
fuck this up.
“I’m so sorry, sugar.” Planting little kisses all over Danielle’s face, Hawk’s voice broke with emotion, and he thought he would choke on everything he needed to say.
“I promise you, Danielle, that as long as there is a breath left in my body, I will love you and as long as you’ll have me by your side, that’s where I’ll be. Please, can you forgive me? Will you let me back into your heart?”
Danielle cupped his face in her hands, her crystal-blue eyes shimmering. “You never left my heart, Hawk. Don’t you know that? Don’t you know how much I love you?”
“I think I’m beginning to get the idea,” he said and captured her mouth with his.
After several long minutes of kisses, Hawk pulled away before he ravished her a second time. “Now, Detective Delacroiux,” he teased, lightening the mood, “being the super sleuth that you are, you probably noticed we just had some extremely sweaty sex.”
“Why, yes, Mr. Charbonnet, I believe I did notice that,” she laughed. “And I deduce from the hard poking against my thigh, that we might be getting ready to have it again.”
“Ah, but there you would be wrong.” He was delighted to see her eyes widen in surprise.
“Wrong? It doesn’t feel like I’m wrong,” she said with a laugh, reaching for his cock. “I am a detective, after all, a trained observer.”
“God, give me strength,” he muttered, dramatically looking up at the ceiling. He shifted his gaze to her and stroked a finger along her cheek.
“You’re wrong, because I want to take you into the shower and wash every last sweaty inch of you,” he said.
“Ah, sounds delicious,” Danielle purred, now stroking his already fully revived cock in her hand.
“And then,” he laughed, pushing her hand away and scooting back toward the edge of the bed, “I’m going to feed you.” Hawk caressed her side. “You’ve lost weight since I’ve been gone.”
“Oh, shit!” Dani said.
“What?” Hawk asked with alarm.
“I’m supposed to have pizza and beer for Tolley and Deuce in my apartment at seven.”
Hawk glanced over at his clock. There was still enough time. “I’ll take care of everything,” he said.
After a quick call downstairs, he carried Danielle to the shower, and stepped in with her still held tightly against his chest. Setting her on the stone bench in a stall large enough for three or four people, he soaped a washcloth. Starting at the bottom, he worked his way up, touching and caressing every inch of the woman he loved.
He gently toweled her dry, wrapped her in his robe, and then set her on the bed while he dressed in his jeans and a tee. He called down to the front desk again to confirm Danielle’s place was still empty, then carried her through the elevator to her own bedroom so she could get dressed.
He waited in the living room, unhappily eyeing the stacks of moving boxes. He suddenly knew what he would do. What he
wanted
to do, he mentally corrected. He really needed to stop imitating a bulldozer.
When Danielle came out, dressed in shorts and a tee, he wanted to carry her to his apartment and make love to her once again. He fought back the urge. She needed the comfort of building a normal relationship with him as much as he needed to know she would be in his life, not just in his bed.
He crossed to her and cupped her face in his hands. “You look beautiful, Danielle.”
He loved the blush that crept up her cheeks. “Thanks. You’re pretty beautiful, yourself. Help get the table set; the food and the guys should be here any minute.”
“I will, but on one condition. Will you sleep with me tonight, Danielle? Will you stay in my bed and let me hold you? Will you let me make love to you tonight and we’ll greet the morning together?” He kissed her then, with all the tenderness he hadn’t shown her earlier, all the love in his heart exposed for her to see.
The door to the elevator slid open, and Tolley and Deuce came in, loaded down with Deuce’s suitcase, pizza, and beer.
“We met the server bringing up the grub so we grabbed it,” Tolley said.
Then in unison, both men said, “What the fuck are you doing here?”
Dani whispered, “Yes,” against his lips. He smiled, just for her, and then turned to face the men.
“I’m trying to fix what I royally fucked up. So if you don’t mind, let’s eat so I can go ravish my woman.”
Tolley poured Dani another glass of sparkling cider, and she smiled her thanks. She was feeling very grateful tonight. They were in her apartment, still on the penthouse floor of Renaissance Tower. Hawk had made the case, very persuasively, that as long as they were together, she would be safer in the Tower, with all of its security features, than anywhere else. Tolley and Deuce were staying there, as well. At least for now, she reminded herself. She knew they were looking forward to a place of their own. She looked over at the two men, working closely together in the kitchen.
As Dani watched, Tolley leaned over and gave Deuce a lingering kiss, then they bent their heads to whatever task they were working on. This was the happiest she’d ever known her friend to be, and she would do everything in her power to make it last.
Over by the windows, Del and Nicolette were dancing, slowly swaying in time to the sexy jazz number that Deuce had picked out. Del was looking rested, but she knew he still fought the demons brought on by the unexpected reintroduction of drugs. He and Nicolette had decided to move out of Constantine’s place in order to build their own lives together. He planned to propose soon, he’d told her, but had sworn her to secrecy.
She knew her family would squawk at his choice, and Constantine would be livid. She was pretty sure she might be the only person who would be happy to think Del was committed to Nicolette Watkins. Dani was more than okay with his decision. She’d seen Nic while Del was hospitalized; she knew the woman loved him. Somehow, despite or perhaps because of the mistakes Del and Nicolette had each made in their pasts, love blossomed between them, and they would take care of each other.
She let her gaze drift to Hawk, and found him watching her. In the month since he’d returned she often found him watching her, with an inscrutable look on his face. Sometimes she felt as though he was trying to memorize everything about her, and that scared her, made her feel as though he might leave again. A shiver passed through her at that thought. She wasn’t sure either of them would survive if he left her.
As if sensing her sudden uneasiness, Hawk crossed the room to stand in front her. “Will you dance with me?” he asked, and his mouth turned into the little smile she loved.
Dani glanced over at Del and Nicolette again, then back at Hawk. “I don’t know how to dance.” Then remembering her promise to let him in, to tell him about her past and to learn about his, she added, “I wasn’t one for school dances. I wasn’t very popular in school so I just never went to the dances. Not my thing.” She shrugged.
“So, you’ll learn,” he said with a smile. “Slip off your shoes, sugar.”
“What? Why?”
He put his hand out expectantly. “Slip them off, and stand on my feet.”
Feeling exceedingly foolish, she let him pull her up, then she kicked off her sandals and put her bare feet on top of his. He began to dance her around the room, one hand pressed around her lower back, the other holding her hand close to his chest. He lowered his face to bury his nose in her hair.
She let him move her about the room, feeling a little silly. Trying to take her focus off her own feelings, Dani asked, “Where did you learn to dance, Hawk?”
“Mmm,” he murmured against her ear. “Boarding school, remember? Dancing is a part of the curriculum. They had to teach all of us young hooligans how to behave in proper society.”
She leaned back to look up at him, then. “Is that what you want to do? Teach me how to behave in proper society?” she said, unaccountably stung by his words.
Hawk threw his head back and laughed. “God, no! I wouldn’t ever want to change you from the delightfully genuine woman that you are. Don’t you know how perfect I find you, Danielle?”
“So then why do I need to learn to dance?” Danielle laughed, pleased beyond measure at his words.
****
Hawk nuzzled down against her neck, breathing in the scent of her, lemon and mint, and Danielle. He knew that nothing in his life had ever been so wrong as when he and Danielle were separated. His grief was bottomless when he thought she’d been killed. He never wanted to lose her again, never wanted to be apart. He wanted to take her home tonight and never let her go.
Tolley and Deuce could have this place, Nicolette and Del could take one of the apartments downstairs. He would surround Danielle with the people who loved her and who would support her choices. To hell with both of their families. He would spend the rest of his life showering her with happiness. It was time.
“Hawk? Why do I need to learn to dance?” she asked again, looking up, her face full of laughter and love.
“So you can dance at our wedding. Dance with me, Danielle Delacroiux?”
Danielle’s eyes filled with tears and she nodded, even as he came to a stop.
Hawk pulled the box from his pocket, lifted Danielle from his feet so he could go to one knee. He removed a beautiful diamond solitaire, surrounded by aquamarines that were as blue as the eyes of the woman he loved.
“Danielle Delacroiux, I love you more than life itself. I want to spend my life with you, loving you, holding you, making you happy. Will you marry me?”
When she nodded again, Hawk whispered hoarsely, “Say it for me, Danielle.”
She smiled and cupped his face, and in a voice husky with tears, said, “I love you, Hawk Charbonnet, and yes, I would be honored to be your wife.”
The other couples in the room clapped as Hawk slipped the ring on her finger.
Hawk knew the road ahead of them might not always be easy; they had so much family baggage. Together, they would find the key to stopping Julian, Constantine, and anyone else who tried to hurt those they loved.
Hawk pulled Danielle onto his bended knee. He took the hand bearing his ring and brought it to his mouth. “Thank you,” he whispered, overwhelmed by his love for this woman.
“You asked me once not to let you fall alone and I didn’t. You should know by now that you never need to thank me for loving you. As long as we’re together, Hawk, we can face anything,” Danielle whispered against his lips.
“I promise you this, sugar. As long as there is breath left in my body, neither of us will ever be alone again.”
~~The End~~
Raised in California, Laura likes it hot, which explains why she ended up in Arizona via such diverse places as Japan, Maine, and Florida, and many more places in between. After retiring from the US Navy, she found a niche working for land management agencies, including the National Park Service and the Bureau of Land Management. Though she has held many jobs around the world, her favorite was working and living in Grand Canyon National Park. Working (and eating) in New Orleans was a close second. You will find many of her books are set against the rich backdrops provided by coastal Louisiana and northern Arizona.
When asked how she started writing, Laura tells of waking on Boxing Day a few years ago, with a woman named Elena MacFarland yammering in her dreams, demanding her story be told. Despite never attempting to write fiction before that morning, Laura ignored all of the holiday visitors and the Highland Destiny series was born. She doesn’t believe it was a coincidence that the great grandmother who died when Laura was just a baby was named Elena MacFarland. Destiny does play a hand.
Laura became a full-time writer in 2012, and now she spends her time writing, watching her Arizona Diamondbacks, and working on her very own version of the Willow Springs Ranch in north western Arizona.
Laura is a multi-published author of erotic romance, mystery, and urban fantasy and her books can be found at all major online retailers.
Connect with her online:
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http://twitter.com/lauraharner
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http://facebook.com/lauraharner
For her blog, book news, and to read free excerpts visit:
http://lauraharner.com
Hot Corner Press and Pulp Friction Books
(Promotional material not included in word count.)
Rescued: Three’s Allowed
Elizabeth Ashford runs into the wilderness near a highway rest area, trying to escape her abusive husband before he kills her. Self-made millionaire and expert in high tech security, Michael Enwright is at the first rest stop of his long overdue sabbatical when he sees the fleeing woman and intervenes, saving Elizabeth's life, while nearly losing his own. When Michael's help is misinterpreted, he ends up handcuffed and face down in the dirt before Elizabeth can set her former lover, Sheriff Graeme Kennedy, straight. In order to protect Lizzie, Graeme is forced to work with Michael and brings both of them to his cabin for protection.
Now Graeme finally has Elizabeth under his roof, right where he's always wanted her. So why is he jacking off to visions of the drop dead gorgeous and take-charge Michael? Some things never change.
Highland Shift, Highland Destiny Book One
The Highland Destiny saga begins in Highland Shift, a tale of betrayal, murder, and magick spanning two continents and hundreds of years.
Elena MacFarland wonders what everyone else knows about her new farm that she doesn't, and whether she'll live long enough to find out. Betrayed by her fiancé and the powerful Worthington family, Elena fights back and negotiates a comfortable settlement with one small caveat: she must live in Scotland for two years.
One kidnapping and two attempts on her life later, the darkly arrogant Scot, Faolan MacGailtry declares himself her new protector and moves into her farmhouse. Major problem? He was present at all three incidents. Elena decides to follow the adage to keep her friends close and enemies closer--but which is he? One by one, Elena uncovers Faolan's darkest secrets: his Druid heritage, his connection to her past, and finally, the deadly curse that is powerful enough to destroy them both.
Reader notes: This is the first book of the Highland Destiny series and includes multiple paranormal elements, including Druidry, Fae, shapeshifting and magick. Heat level: slowly builds from extreme sexual tension toward "bring-some-ice-water" hot!
~*~
Honey House
Former con artist Katherine "KC" Carmichael inherits the Honey House, a Bed and Breakfast located in the tiny town of Juniper Springs, AZ, a hot bed of the paranormal tourism industry. It doesn't take her long to discover that both the town and the House are keeping secrets. The town entices thrill-seekers with special photo-safaris at "The Way They Were" Ranch, to take advantage of the rumors that werewolves have been spotted in the area. KC realizes something doesn’t add up when the local sheriff throws her in jail for breaking the town’s full moon curfew. She soon discovers werewolves and witches are real, and she wonders what other fairy tales might be waiting to come to life. With multiple murders and men to distract her, KC needs to discover her own hidden magick in order to survive.
~*~
Willow Springs Ranch Boxed Set
This eVolume contains the first three books in the Willow Springs Ranch Series:
Ty Hard:
Tyler has used Don't Ask, Don't Tell as a shield against the truth since he was seventeen. Now, Ty finds himself cut loose from his Navy career after months of rehab from a debilitating head injury. At a loss as to what to do with his life, he travels to Willow Springs Ranch in Arizona to visit his surrogate father, only to arrive minutes after his oldest friend's death. Ty must come to terms with the loss while he fights to keep the PTSD from pulling him under. The last thing he's ready to think about is his growing attraction for another man.
Rancher Cass Cartwright's relationships never last more than a few hours, and that's just the way he likes it. Now he's in danger of doing the one thing he swore never to do: fall in love. Can Cass convince Ty to let go of his past or will sabotage at the ranch kill their love before it has a chance to grow?
Hold Tight:
Sheriff Holden Titus had organized his fresh start down to the last detail. Except for the part about the bomb that blew his plans all to hell. Now he’s running out of time, without a job, without a home, and struggling to get back on his feet. Literally.
Despite the impolite rejection, Drew knows he didn’t have the wrong impression months ago when he asked the sheriff to dance, but he never expected to have Holden’s life in his hands. Literally.
Thanks to some meddlesome matchmaking, the two men are now temporary housemates at the Willow Springs Ranch and Drew is determined to help Holden heal, both physically and emotionally. Even if it means he has to drag the other man kicking and screaming to physical therapy…and out of the closet. In fact, that might be kind of fun.
The problem is, Holden doesn’t consider himself in the closet…but not all secrets are created equal.
Taking Chance:
Officer Chance Carter is pretty sure he'd still enjoy being on either end of a good ass reaming--just not the one from his supervisor that lands him on an involuntary extended vacation. Another holiday season with nothing to do except visit an old friend.
Former hospital corpsman Bryan Mitchell doesn't feel less than honorable, but that's what his discharge paperwork states. Now he is down and out in Kingman, Arizona until the charity of a stranger lands him a temporary job for the holidays.
When two federal employees go missing during a highly controversial wild horse roundup, the two Willow Springs Ranch newcomers are drafted to help in the search, but if rumors of a local anti-government militia are true, Chance and Bryan may be in serious trouble—and from something far more dangerous than their mutual attraction.