In Too Deep (The Lovers Duet) (28 page)

“What was that all about?”

“We eavesdropped on your little meeting outside.” I held up my hand to stop him from speaking. “I’m not upset and I understand your reasoning for doing what you did. If Dizzy demands we have protection then we deal and we’ll see this through like anything else.”

Linx smiled before he embraced me. “How the hell did I get so lucky to have a woman like you in my life?”

“A big cock.” I deadpanned before we both burst out laughing.

“Seriously, I thought you were gonna freak out and it’s the only reason why I haven’t told you what was going on.”

We parted yet still held hands as I looked into those gorgeous cornflower blue eyes of his. “You know what I’ve discovered about life?”

“What’s that?”

I smiled as the tears fell from my eyes but they were happy tears. “The trick is to keep breathing. Life isn’t always pretty or perfect but eventually, everything will come full circle and we will be able to live again. Normal lives. Healthy lives. Content lives. Unfortunately, it doesn’t have the same meaning as it does to most people but I knew what I signed up for when I married a rock star.”

“And a biker.”

“Well, that part came after we were married so I never agreed to that but I have
accepted
it.”

Linx slid his arms around my waist. “I hope to God our daughter doesn’t have your temperament because I will be beating ‘em off with a stick when she gets of age.”

“I’m normally not a betting gal but since we’re here in Vegas, I wouldn’t put a wager on that.”

“Now that I think about it, neither would I.” He kissed my brow and held me close within his arms.

We slow danced together though the contemporary music playing downstairs could barely be heard and it was exactly what I needed to get through this night.

I leaned my head against his chest and closed my eyes. Then I took my own advice as I inhaled his delicious scent into my nostrils and exhaled through my mouth.

The weight of the world fell off my shoulders like a heavy cloak and it was at that moment I realized I was exactly where I should have always been.

My destiny had caught up with me and held me in a death grip but I could do the most important thing in the world.

I no longer held my breath waiting for the other shoe to drop.

I tossed fate into the hands of whatever was above us and I let go.

I could breathe again and that was better than any other feeling I’d experienced in the past nineteen years I’d lived in this world.

My life was far from over; another chapter was just beginning and in the end, we would ride this storm out. The sun would shin upon us again and we would always find contentment no matter where we were because I was with the man I loved.

The same man who loved me unconditionally in return.

And we could except each other, flaws and all.

Together, we were invincible and could battle any problem ever thrown our way—including a pissed off MC like the White Knights.

Trista and Linx’s story has come to its conclusion however they will be featured in a third and final novel.

Above The Fray (The Epilogue)

Coming Summer of 2014

Excerpt from
His Ever After

By Jessica Ingro

Release date: October 29, 2013

© Jessica Ingro

The room is dark except for the faint light being cast by the lamp in the corner. It’s pathetic my life has come to this. I have no idea how it got so out of control. Some might say I’m a pussy, hiding in my own home, but I’ve found it’s easier to avoid conflict rather than provoke it. Besides, putting myself through this torture is far easier when I’m alone and no one is aware of the extent of my soul crushing loss.

A year ago, I had the world in the palm of my hands. The one woman I saw myself growing old with was sitting across the table from me in a pub in Pennsylvania. She was more beautiful than I remembered – if that was possible. And when she smiled at me, I felt like the only man in the room. Now, here I am, wallowing in self-pity while she’s playing house with her husband. She’s probably painting the mother-fucking nursery right about now. I feel my hands clenching into tight fists at the thought.

I can picture her, clear as day, with her hair pulled back in a messy knot that always looked so adorable on her, wearing her signature yoga pants and glowing as she smiles at something that son-of-a-bitch said. It should be me she’s smiling at. It should be me who gets to wrap his arms around her and
my
hands lovingly caressing
my
child that’s growing in her belly.

Unfortunately, it’s not me doing all those things and it’s all because I’m a dumb fuck who thought with his dick and screwed up the best damn thing to ever happen to me. When Brooke came into my life, she was so sweet and loving. She reminded me so much of Sam that I thought with her, I had a chance to have it all. I never thought Sam would have left Aiden for me. I waited so damn long to hear her say those words. Too bad the timing of them was complete shit.

Time
. All I needed was some time before Sam and I could be together. I didn’t realize the night I pushed Sam away and asked for more time, it would be the last real chance I got to be with her. If I knew then what I know now, things wouldn’t have gotten so out of control. Hind sight is always twenty-twenty.

I pound back the last of my bourbon, listening to the ice clink against the glass and echo into the silence.

These days I crave the silence. This is the time when I can sit alone and remember. The time when I can close my eyes and smell her, feel her warm, soft skin and hear her magical laugh. I can pretend we’re lying on the couch together, wrapped up tightly while watching a game. Or that we are snuggled in bed after a bout of really hot, mind-blowing sex. It’s also the time when I can read her words and surround myself in the warmth of the time we spent together. My memories are all I have of her now.

I’ve read her book at least a half dozen times. I love reading about how much she loved me. And I love sitting back and remembering our time together. It’s always wild to hear the stories being told from her point of view. It’s also validating to know that she felt our connection as well, and was as crazy about me as I was about her.

What I don’t like is hearing how lost she was after I hurt her. How my betrayal aided her downward spiral to what she calls her rock bottom. I could kick my own ass for hurting her so badly. If only I could tell her that our “love square” wasn’t actually a square at all. If only I could tell her that I love her with an intensity that is destroying me inside.

I had my chance at happily ever after, though. I held a precious, beautiful butterfly in my hands but let it get away. I could never do what every fiber of my being is begging me to do. I could never tell her how I feel and potentially cause her more heartache. They say if you love someone enough, you need to set them free. And I love Sam enough to step back and let her build the life she deserves with Aiden. That isn’t me being a good man… because I’m not. It’s me giving her the one thing I have to give.

I flip the pages of the book until I come to one of my favorite parts of the story, when fate handed me the perfect chance to reconnect with my one true love.

Excerpt from
Sky Cowboy

By
Kasey Millstead

Release Date: October 15, 2013

© Kasey Millstead

Eight Years Earlier

I was twenty and devastated; looking to drown my sorrows. My horse, Jarrah, had passed away during the night. I’d had her since I was five and she ten when my dad bought her. It was old age and for the best; she’d been riddled with arthritis. Even though I knew it was coming, it still hurt like a mother bitch. Mid-afternoon, I took myself off to the local pub, The Cow and Calf, to wipe myself out. I walked in and sat myself up on a wooden bar stool next to Skip. Skip is an older man who’s lived in Pine Creek his entire life. He got his nickname because he’s fondly renowned for skipping in and out of the bar many times during the day to grab a beer or two.

“G’day Ava, how’ve you been?”

“Been better, Skip. What about yourself?”

“Same old, same old,” he mutters in reply.

“What can I getcha, Ava love?” Doreen asks. Doreen is the owner of The Cow and Calf. She’s also a born and bred local and has the huskiest voice on a woman I’ve ever heard. She’s one of the nicest and most sincere women I know.

“Hey Dory, I’ll have a shot of tequila and keep ‘em comin’,” I demand.

“Bad day?” She replies, cocking an eyebrow.

I nod my response.

“You got it.” She hurries off to get the alcohol and then places the bottle and a shot glass on the bar in front of me. I set a fifty dollar note on the bar and begin to annihilate myself with good old Patron.

I’d managed to down about half the bottle by the time Jeremy strolled in looking as edible as always. Dark wash Wrangler jeans covering his bottom half, black, collared shirt with Wrangler written down his left side. Scuffed high top boots on his feet – his jeans not tucked in. Usually a man wearing his boots un-tucked annoyed me. I thought it looked ridiculous. But on Jeremy Henley it looked fucking delicious.

“Hey, Jeremy,” I slur. The alcohol was definitely bringing out my inner bravado.

“Hey Ava.” He smiles at me and I melt. I feel like I could slide right off the stool and pool on the floor in a big alcoholic puddle. “What’s going on?” He says nodding towards the Patron.

“Nothing much.” I slur again and then use my fingers to shove my tongue back in my mouth and wipe away any escaping drool at the same time. “Want some company?” He grins cheekily and all I can do is stare at his mouth; hypnotized. I’m pretty sure my tongue is hanging out but I can’t do anything about it. My reflexes are too slow and besides, Jeremy is just too delicious.

He chuckles, snapping me out of my reverie, and slides onto the stool beside me.

As we finish off the bottle of tequila together, we start to flirt. Harmlessly at first, but then things start getting heated. I shift in my seat as he blows in my ear and whispers something that I can’t make out. It doesn’t matter though, it’s still hot as hell.

“I need to pee,” I slur. Wobbling as I stand, I make my way slowly outside, towards the ladies room. Once there, I use the facilities and try to give myself a pep talk. I need to calm down. Focus. Sober up a bit so I can enjoy Jeremy and actually remember having this time with him in the morning. I wash my hands and walk out, running smack bang into a hard wall of warm solidness.

“Sorry,” I giggle before looking up into the hypnotizing clear blue eyes of Jeremy. He grips me around the waist and pushes me back into the wall. His hand travels down my leg, pausing at my knee to lift up. Automatically, I curl my limb around his waist. He leans in and I smell his sweet, warm, alcohol induced breath as it mingles with mine for a split second before he touches his lips to mine. I moan involuntarily and then gasp as he grinds his hardness against my softness. His tongue sweeps in and teases mine in an erotic dance. My hands dive into his soft chocolate brown hair and I grip and tug causing a deep groan to rise from his throat.