Twisted Arrangement 4 (20 page)

“What’s that look for, sweetheart?”

Emma smiled back at him, letting herself fall into the luminescent pools of his eyes. Ever since she’d first met Josh, she’d spent so much time worrying about what was coming next... if she’d be able to pull off the robbery, whether or not Josh would discover her duplicity, how they were going to fool Ransler and everyone else with their charade... what she would do with her life without Josh. For the first time in what felt like forever, looking forward didn’t feel her with anxiety. Now, excitement and pleasure burned equally bright in her veins.

Whatever came next, she and Josh would be together. And that’s all that mattered. She cupped his cheek, stroking one of those devastatingly high cheekbones with her thumb.

“I’m looking forward to my future.”

~ Epilogue: Surprises ~

“You’re not going to believe what I just found,” Emma called from the bedroom. She was unpacking the last of her things. Unlike the first time around, she’d actually brought all of her possessions to the mansion this time, and had been busily integrating it with his, where she could. The sight of her knick-knacks and toiletries, her throw pillows and gewgaws, scattered around the house, made Josh smile.

“What’s that?” He asked as she appeared in his office doorway, a bemused expression on her beautiful face. She was holding what looked like a silver gilt picture frame between her palms, studying it.

After a moment, she raised brilliant green eyes to his. “At my wedding shower...” She trailed off, cocking her head. “Do you think people will be mad if I have another one? I suppose that’s greedy.”

“We can always use more lingerie.” Josh waggled his eyebrows, grinning in remembrance at some of the more risqué gifts she’d gotten. Emma laughed, shaking her head.

“Anyway, Maisie asked me not to wait and not open her present there. I thought it must be something really embarrassing... especially after the lube.”

Josh was actually quite fond of that lube. Just remembering the glide of his flesh against Emma’s had him instantly hard. He coughed, adjusting himself beneath the cotton slacks. “I can’t see Maisie Ransler giving you lube as a wedding shower gift.”

“She didn’t. She said I’d know when the right time to open it was, but what with one thing and another, I totally forgot about it. I just found it when I was unpacking and opened it. Look.” She took another step, around his desk, and extended the 8x11 picture frame to him.

Josh accepted it, admiring the shining scrollwork around the edge. It took a second for the picture to register.

A photographer had caught Josh laughing, looking down at Emma with glittering intent. One arm was around her waist, his hand possessively resting at the small of her back. Emma clung to him, one hand in the hair at the nape of his neck, mouth quirked in a mischievous, come-hither smile.  They were dancing. The crimson fire of her gown was echoed in the satin of her mask.

“Do you think she knew the whole time?” Emma asked, her voice soft as she reached out to touch the picture of them at the masquerade ball.

Josh considered the picture, and what he knew of Maisie Ransler. “Seems like it. I don’t know how. I didn’t realize this was you. How could she?” He looked down at the picture again, shrugging. Why else would Maisie Ransler give them a picture of them at the ball. There were precious few people who knew Emma had been there that night as a guest.

Emma smiled as she took the frame back, stroking her fingers over the glass. “Oh, well... she knows a little something about girls in over their heads and what trouble they can get themselves into.” She chuckled. “Maybe she just recognized the look of it.”

There was clearly some meaning behind those words he was missing, but Josh wasn’t concerned at the moment. He snaked his arm around Emma’s waist and tugged her into his lap. Beneath the desk, Chewie gave a soft ‘wuff’. He ignored the dog and nuzzled against Emma’s neck.

“So, have you decided where you want to go on our honeymoon yet?”

She squirmed deliciously in his lap, angling her head to give him better access to her throat. He nibbled obligingly as she chuckled. “I have to plan the wedding first. It’s a lot more involved this time around.”

“It is?” Josh relinquished his lip-lock on her neck and pulled a stack of mail over, leafing through. He was waiting on the modified copy of a contract and it was supposed to be here already. “Well, tell me all about it. I figured you’d still have everything in place from last time.”

She tapped him lightly on the shoulder. “Last time was nice, but it wasn’t really
us
, you know? We were rushing and just going through the motions.”

Josh sorted through the mail, remembering how he’d been surprised that Emma hadn’t added any little quirks to the vows. “I know what you mean. Like the vows. You said you’d obey me.” They both snorted at that. Josh dropped a kiss on her shoulder. “So, we’re customizing this time, eh?”

“Exactly. The ceremony and party should be bigger too. But we’ll tell people they don’t have to get us gifts again.”

“Do we have to do that part? I like the presents.” He squeezed her and she chuckled.

“Like you couldn’t buy whatever you want anyway,” she grumbled, but she kept smiling.

He paused on a wide envelope with an embossed seal. “Are we expecting anything from Napa County?” All of the film permits for the area should already be on file. He hoped there wasn’t some problem that would require them to scramble for a new location. Emma frowned, clearly thinking the same thing.

“Not that I know of.”

She took the envelope from his hand and slid her fingernail beneath the flap to open it. When the thin sheet of creamy ivory paper slid into her hand, her frown deepened. Josh glanced over her shoulder, taking in the gold embossed seal and the elegant, almost Old English style writing at the top of the...

He sucked in a breath. “Is that...?”

“Our... Josh, why do we have a marriage certificate?” Emma sounded as shocked as he was, and when he glanced up at her, her eyes were round and bright. He looked back down at the paper in Emma’s hand. Sure enough, at the top it said ‘Certificate of Marriage’. And there was his name, and Emma’s. Below theirs was Pastor Rob Enkle’s signature.

“Who the heck is Pastor Enkle?”

Emma looked at him, one brow raised. “He was the officiant at our fake wedding. Though, it appears it wasn’t so fake after all.” Her lips quirked with amusement. She waved the marriage certificate in front of his face.

Josh stared at it, thinking. “Oh. Well.”

“I thought the plan was for you to pocket the license after we signed the thing in front of him, so it would never be filed.” She cocked her head. Josh rubbed the back of his neck.

“That
was
the plan.” But he couldn’t say he remembered much of anything he’d done or said after he’d seen Emma walking down the aisle toward him. He vaguely remembered signing the license with Todd and Ben as their witnesses. He’d meant to take it. But had he? His eyes traced the words on the certificate in Emma’s hand.

Emma’s lush lips curved. “Are you meaning to tell me that you forgot to grab the validly signed and witnessed marriage license when we left the church?” Her green eyes twinkled. Josh shrugged.

“Yup. Looks like good ol’ Pastor Enkle took it upon himself to mail it in for us, out of the kindness of his heart.” He pressed his lips together, fighting the smile. Emma didn’t. She snaked her arms around his neck and leaned into him. Josh took the marriage certificate from her hands and laid it reverently on his desk. He wrapped his arms around her waist.

“So we’ve been legally married this whole time?” She brushed her lips over his, once, twice, three times. Teasingly. Josh grinned against her mouth.

“Guess so. How’s that for irony?” He ran his tongue along the seam of her lips, swallowing the little moan that leaked from her mouth.

Emma pulled back slightly, thin dark brows furrowed. “Does this mean I don’t get my do-over wedding?”

Josh laughed, pulling her mouth back to his. Their tongues tangled, wet and hot as he kissed her with every ounce of love he felt. “Sweetheart, you get whatever you want. Just ask and it’s yours.” The heated gleam in her gaze made Josh’s heart lurch in his chest. Emma’s fingers stroked down the front of his shirt to his waist.

“Whatever I want?” She toyed with his pants pocket, looking up at him from beneath her lashes. Josh traced a finger along the curve of her cheek, her jaw, marveling at her delicate beauty. He stroked her lips, groaning when she sucked his finger into her mouth and laved it with her tongue. His cock jumped in response.

“Yes.” His voice came out hoarse. A response and a moan of pleasure. Josh slid his other hand beneath the hem of her shirt to caress the soft skin there. Emma’s teasing fingers slid into his pocket. Josh shifted, seeking her touch.

“I want,” she began breathlessly, leaning in until her mouth almost touched his.

“What do you want, sweetheart? Tell me.” He slid his fingers into her silky hair, twining the soft strands around his palm and then smoothing them out. Emma’s grin was wicked.

“To play...” Her thumb edged along the seam at the crotch of his pants, brushing over his rigid length. Her tongue touched the corner of his mouth. “Madame Butterfly.”

She was out of his lap and dashing for the office door before enough blood returned to Josh’s brain for him to realize she’d snatched his watch. The pocket watch she’d bought him as an engagement present, to replace the one she’d stolen. ‘
For
our
children
’, she’d whispered, eyes shining. Just the thought made Josh’s heart race.

Hard as a rail spike, but laughing, Josh leapt from his chair. “Why, you little thief!” He lunged for her, but she was already in the bedroom, bare feet (her toes were cherry red today) pattering across the carpet.

A wad of fabric – her t-shirt – slapped into his chest as he skidded through the door. Another, silkier – her bra – followed.

“Catch me if you can!” she called from the other side of the bed.

Josh grinned, circling until he could slide his hands around her waist and pull her to him. Her skin was hot and silken beneath his hands. Her mouth was soft and wet and all his. For real. Forever.

“I always do, my love. I always do.”

Dearest Morlings!!

I want to thank you from the bottom of my naughty little heart for bearing with me as I completed this fourth and final installment in Josh and Emma’s story. I know you were as impatient as I was to see them get together. I hope you enjoyed reading their HEA as much as I did writing it. I love those two.

Now that their story is complete
(for now, at least *wink, wink*)
, I know you’re probably anxious to hear what’s next. At least, I hope you are :)

Well, you asked for it.  Sooo, I’ve decided to give Todd his own book in order to tell his story.  This won’t be a series though, just a single novel.

I’m going to try and get this to you before the end of October. 

If you’re already on my Private VIP email list then no need to worry as I’ll let you know the release date In Advance and maybe I’ll do something special for you again ;)

If you aren’t already on my Private VIP List then please quickly add yourself by following this link:
http://launchii.com/mora-earlys-private-email-list/
   It’ll take you a few seconds and it’ll be worth your while (I promise), just ask any of my other VIPs, some are right here on my Facebook Page:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mora-Early/643936402285177
.  When you stop by
don’t forget to say hello. I love interacting and sharing with you.

Now, without further ado... I’ll leave you with a little sneak peak of the upcoming novel. Enjoy! ;)

~xxx Mora

Chapter 1 ~ Then: A Bet, a Bitch, a Savior

Todd Ness had made a big mistake. Again. The feeling – that bottom-dropping-out-of-your-stomach, muscles jumping, heart clenching feeling – wasn’t a new one. He firmly believed that screw-ups were just part of the process when you took as many risks as he did.

Usually, it was no big deal. If things went wrong, you just dusted yourself off and kept moving. On to the next adventure. That was what life was about. And sometimes, the best things came out of the worst situations.

But Todd doubted this was one of those occasions.

Ray Combs wasn’t the kind of guy who waited for explanations. His square-jawed face was nearly purple with rage and his big, blunt-fingered hands were curled into white-knuckled fists. His tobacco-stained teeth were bared in a lip-curling snarl. Ray’s watery brown eyes narrowed as he took in the scene in front of him.