Stay With Me

by Kristen Proby

“The other day. When I texted you.”

  I tilt my head to the side. “You waited two weeks from when I left it to listen?”

  “I was having a . . . rough time.”

  “Yeah? Well, me too. Let me lay this out for you, Wyatt. The man that I loved, who claimed to love me too, decided he was so angry at me that he wouldn’t let me anywhere near him. You shut me out completely, without a word. Without a chance. And now you want a chance.”

  My God, I want to run into his arms and make all of this hurt go away. He’s like a freaking magnet to my heart.

  “I need a chance,” he replies with a nod. His voice is still soft. He sighs, the muscle in his jaw clenching as he seemingly pulls his thoughts together. “I had an inexcusable knee-jerk reaction. That’s the best way to describe it. Lia, when I heard you say that you weren’t divorced yet, it cut me at the knees. I was the victim of adultery, and I would never do that to someone else.”

  “I hate that word when you use it in regards to us,” I reply. “Because that’s not what we did.”

  “I see that now,” he says with a nod. “And I apologize for ever implying that that’s what it is.”

  “Was,” I correct him. “Because we don’t have anything now.”

  He blinks rapidly, watching me with eyes full of heartache, and I want to pull the words back. Except, they aren’t untrue.

  “This isn’t love, Wyatt. Accusations and the silent treatment? Not listening and talking through issues? That’s not love. And I’ll be damned if I do that again because I deserve to be loved.”

  “You are loved, damn it.”

  “Am I?” I prop my hands on my hips now. “Let’s say we work this out, and we are together. I’ll always be afraid of saying the wrong thing, or making a mistake and having you walk out the door again.” Tears fill my eyes, and I brush at them impatiently, feeling the hurt surround my heart at the memory of it all. “I couldn’t survive it twice.”

  “I’m so sorry.” He pushes his hands through his hair and paces in a circle. “Jesus, I want to reach for you so badly my body aches with it.”

  “Don’t touch me.” I hug my arms around myself and shake my head slowly. “I can’t have you touch me.”

  “Amelia, I fucked up so big. I get it. It’s all I can think about. I miss you.”

  He swallows hard, and I can’t look away from him. My tongue is glued to the roof of my mouth, and all I can do is listen.

  “You set my soul on fire. Does that sound cheesy?” He smiles softly. “I didn’t know that the fire was gone until I met you, and it was like I was in the middle of an inferno. You gave me a new purpose every day. Every. Day.

  “I was so afraid to love you, to really give you all of my love because love had hurt me in the past—”

  “Love didn’t hurt you,” I interrupt him. His hands fall to his sides. “Someone incapable of loving you, hurt you. Don’t get it twisted, Wyatt. This is something I’ve had to learn myself.”

  “You’re right,” he says with a nod. “I hadn’t thought of it that way.”

  “I can’t be punished for her lack of love,” I reply softly. “I need someone fearless in their love for me. Someone who is more afraid of losing me than of the possibility of being hurt.”

  “That’s accurate,” he says with a nod. “We both deserve that. And, Lia, you have it. I wish I could adequately explain this to you, so I’m going to try. I get lost in you, in the best way there is. I look into your eyes, and I see myself there. I see my own feelings shining back at me, and that’s completely new to me.

  “Your voice gives me butterflies. Your touch ignites every nerve ending in my body. And when we’re together, well, it’s the closest to heaven that I’ll ever be, I’ll tell you that. I look at you, and I just love you. I love you so much that it terrifies me, and fills me with so much joy I think I might die from it.

  “I’m so sorry for the way I acted, and I feel like a complete fool for not listening, for not working with you through it. It’s the biggest regret and mistake of my life, and I’m standing here, baring my soul to you, praying that it’s not too late to make it all right again. I need you, Amelia. I need you every fucking day of my life.”

  I chew on my lip, tears streaming down my cheeks. If this right here isn’t love, I don’t know what is.

  “We have to work on it. This is going to be the most important job of our lives, Wyatt.”

  He swallows hard.

  “Does this mean that you’ll give me another chance?”

  I nod, and I’m suddenly caught up in his arms, being swung around and hugged tighter than I ever have been.

  “I thought I’d lost you,” he says and sets me on my feet, framing my face in his hands and staring intently into my eyes. “It almost killed me.”

  “You broke me,” I admit softly as he brushes a tear with his thumb. “I don’t know that I’ve felt pain like that before, Wyatt. I need you to promise that it won’t happen again.”

  “Never.” His voice is firm and sure. “I’ll never intentionally hurt you, my love.”

  “And I would never hurt you, either. You need to trust and remember that when you feel insecure or worried.”

  “I know.”

  He tips his forehead to mine.

  “I’m so relieved that you’re home.”

  I smile and grip his wrists in my hands. “Guess what?”

  “What?”

  “That technicality that almost ended us? It’s done. As of yesterday, I’m a divorced woman.”

  “Thank Christ.” He crushes his mouth to mine and lifts me effortlessly into his arms, carrying me to my chaise lounge and sits with me in his lap. “The idea of him still being tied to you made me homicidal.”

  “No need for that,” I assure him and rest my head on his shoulder. “I have something else to tell you, and we might as well do this now in case it’s another deal-breaker.”

  “Okay.”

  He doesn’t even tense up under me.

  “Not worried?”

  “I don’t think I have any more deal-breakers where you’re concerned but go ahead.”

  I reach for my phone and bring up the photos from the shoot earlier in the week. “I’ve done well with my career, Wyatt. I make a good living and can afford things that make me happy. But I’m about to become a very wealthy woman.”

  I show him the photos, the campaign plans for the brand, the contract with Sephora’s branding at the top.

  “Why in the hell would this be a deal-breaker?”

  “Because maybe you don’t want to be a with a woman who earns more money than you.”

  He snorts. “Sweetheart, your job doesn’t affect my job. The fact that this is happening for you is so fucking amazing and wonderful, and the product of your own hard work. I’ll be happy to support you and help you in any way I can.”

  He kisses my forehead.

  “And you should know, I do pretty well myself.”

  “I know, and I’m proud of you, too. So proud.” I sit up so I can look into his eyes. “I think you’re brilliant and amazing.”

  “Thank you.” His lips twitch. “I’m not an asshole. Make millions. Buy all the things that you want. Quit your job tomorrow and become a tomato farmer for all I care. As long as I get to be standing next to you through all of it, I’m the happiest man in the world.”

  “I love you.” I kiss him and nuzzle into him again. “I’m finally home.”

  Three months later . . .

  ~Amelia~

  “Come with me.”

  I sigh as I finish breaking down a box and throw it on the pile by the front door. “I’m so damn tired of moving. It’s exhausting, and I’m over it.”

  “I know. We’re almost finished.” He pulls me to him and kisses me in that way he does when he’s feeling particularly in the mood.

  “I don’t have time for hanky-panky,” I say, pushing against his chest, but not too hard. I don’t want him to let go, after all. “And I’m sweaty. That’s not sex
y.”

  “You’re always sexy,” he says and kisses the tip of my nose. “And I have something for you.”

  “You already renovated one of the bedrooms for my studio space and made room for all of my stuff. You’ve done a lot.”

  “And I’ll keep doing it,” he says as if it’s really that simple. The past three months have been great. The misunderstandings have been few and easily worked through. It seems that those few weeks apart taught us both a few important lessons. “Now, come on.”

  He takes my hand and leads me out the back door to the grass where he has a big blanket spread out and a picnic set up.

  “Lunch,” he says simply. “And I need to talk to you about something.”

  “God, I’m hungry. You know, you have good timing with food.”

  “I’m glad you approve.” He passes me a sandwich, and I dive in. “So, where we’re currently sitting.”

  “Mm-hmm.” I nod and look around, still loving the view of the water. “What about it?”

  “It’s about to become a pool.”

  I stop chewing and stare at him. “Come again?”

  “I’m having a pool dug tomorrow. And this whole area will be patio space with a great area for you to relax and enjoy.”

  I set my food aside and climb into his lap. “I love you, you know that, right?”

  “I hope so.” His hands glide up and down my bare back. I’m wearing a sundress that dips low in the back, and his hands feel amazing. “I take it this means that you’re happy with the pool idea?”

  “So happy.” I kiss his cheeks. “The pool was the only thing that made me sad about leaving Nat’s house.”

  “I know,” he replies and smiles when I raise an eyebrow. “You loved that space, but I’m relieved that you love me more.”

  “Well, yeah. There are perks to being with you.”

  “And now you’ll have your pool.”

  My face sobers as he pulls my dress up around my waist and cups my naked ass in his hands. “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  I move against him and feel his hardness straining through his jeans.

  “This seems like it might be uncomfortable.”

  His lips twitch.

  “Maybe I should help you with it,” I continue and bite his lower lip.

  “That would be helpful,” he says and leans back so I can unzip his pants and free him, jacking him. He sucks in a breath, hissing through his teeth. “Fucking hell, Amelia.”

  “I’m fond of your cock.” I say it as though I’m making conversation about the weather. I rub my thumb over the tip, spreading the bead of precum around, and then, without further ado, I rise up and lower myself over him, making us both moan.

  I rock, feeling him easily slide in and out, and it’s not long before we’re both a panting, heaving, sweaty mess, right in the backyard.

  “Sorry that was such a quickie,” I say, trying to catch my breath. “Clearly, you do things to me.”

  “Can’t talk,” he replies. “Dead.”

  “You can’t die.” I laugh and bite his chin, then roll off him and pat his cheeks. “Wake up. I need you.”

  “For my pool.”

  “That’s one of the things,” I confirm and reach for my sandwich again. “Thank you. For all of it.”

  “I’m not done yet.”

  I frown. “Seriously, if you say you’ve bought me an island, I’m going to say you’ve gone too far. This is a lot, Wyatt.”

  He readjusts himself and reaches in the picnic basket, pulling out a tiny, red box.

  The kind of red box from Cartier that usually holds a girl’s best friend.

  “You are the best part of my life,” he begins as he rises up on one knee, holding the box in front of him, and here I am, holding a fucking sandwich.

  I set it aside, again, and swallow quickly as he keeps talking.

  “You challenge me, make me laugh, and frankly, you’re everything to me, Amelia. Will you please do me the absolute honor of becoming my wife? Build a life with me. Marry me.”

  He opens the box, revealing a stunning round diamond ring. But it’s his eyes that I can’t look away from.

  “I love you so much,” I say.

  “Is that a yes?”

  I laugh and hold out my hand, giddy as he slides the ring onto my finger, and then launch myself into his arms.

  “That’s a yes times a million, Wyatt Crawford.”

  The End

  Don’t miss KISSING JENNA, releasing this summer!

  Read on for an excerpt and preorder now!

  KISSING JENNA

  A Big Sky Novel

  Prologue

  ~Christian~

  “Do you have your shit figured out?” Luke Williams is sitting across from me in a restaurant in downtown Seattle, where he summoned me a week ago. I just flew in this morning, on his private jet, to meet with him. I cleared my full schedule for this.

  No one in Hollywood says no to Luke Williams. Not if you want to succeed, that is. It seems Luke has the Midas touch when it comes to blockbuster movies, and I admit that I want to work with him. I’ve admired him for the better part of my life. Taking this meeting was a no-brainer.

  “What shit would that be?” I sit back, my sunglasses still on my face, and take a sip of my room-temperature water with a squeeze of lemon. His blue eyes narrow as he watches me intently.

  “I live in Seattle, not Mars, Christian. People talk in our little world. I know you’ve had some challenges in the past few years.”

  Try since I was six.

  Being a child actor, turned adult super celebrity isn’t without its challenges. And it suddenly occurs to me that Luke might be one of the only people in the world who would understand that.

  He starred in some of the most successful movies ever made about a decade ago.

  “I’m doing alright. I won an Oscar last year.”

  “You also got yourself a DUI and had a very public breakup with your girlfriend.”

  He’s not smirking, he’s just watching me while stating facts that anyone who reads a tabloid would know.

  “I’m doing fine,” I repeat and take my glasses off, tossing them on the table. “And I’m curious as to why you brought me all the way to Seattle, just to have lunch. So you could grill me about my very public private life? Are you that nosy? You could have just called.”

  I expect him to smirk, but he doesn’t. He rubs his fingers over his lips before sitting forward. “There’s a movie that I’m producing. It’s big budget, and I think it could snag you another Oscar.”

  “You could have just called my agent.”

  “I could,” he replies with a nod. “But, I wanted to talk to you in person. This isn’t an action movie like the ones I’ve been making the past few years.”

  I tilt my head, my interest piqued.

  “This one is based on a true story. It’s about a skier.”

  “Is there a book for me to read?”

  His lips twitch now. “Of course, there’s a book.”

  “I don’t know how to ski,” I warn him, but he just shrugs.

  “That’s fine. In fact, it might be good for you to get out of town for a while and prepare for the role, learn to ski, enjoy a change of scenery.”

  “I haven’t taken the role yet.”

  “I hope you will,” he says. He spends the next ten minutes selling me on the film, and when he’s finished, he writes down a figure that makes even me swallow hard.

  “That’s a lot of money.”

  “This is a big deal,” he replies and rests his hands on the table. “I know you need to talk to your agent and your attorney, but frankly, you’re the only actor that I’m considering for this. I want you.”

  “Why?”

  “You’re talented. And I think you’ll bring some grit to this role, an edge that it needs.”

  “I am gritty these days,” I reply with a laugh.

  “Which is better than the pretty boy that you were as
a teenager,” Luke adds, making me narrow my eyes in return. “It’s not easy to transition from a child actor to an adult one. I know that. But you’re doing it, despite the bumps in the road.”

  “Thank you. I think.” He smiles, and I find myself smiling back at him. “I guess I’d better start looking for a ski resort so I can get some lessons in.”

  “Excellent,” Luke replies. “Just don’t break a leg. I don’t want to have to postpone filming.”

  “I’ll do my best.”

  Kissing Jenna releases on July 10, 2018! You can preorder today!

  Jenna Hull owns and manages vacation rentals in her hometown of Cunningham Falls, Montana. She’s just completed the construction of her most exhausting project, the one she’s put her heart and soul into. The inviting, opulent Snow Wolf Cottages are the first ski in/ski out tree houses in the world.

  Her biggest dream is about to come true, and she can’t let anything distract her.

  Christian Wolfe is Hollywood’s it actor. If the magazines are to be believed, he’s the sexiest man on earth. He’s preparing for the biggest movie role of his life, and his agent has booked him in a hot new ski lodge in Montana, tucked away from crazy fans. He can’t wait for the break.

  But what Christian isn’t prepared for is Jenna. With a face that could easily co-star with him in a movie and her ambition to put her stamp on Cunningham Falls, he can’t stay away. But even more intriguing than her beauty is the fact that she’s not at all impressed with his celebrity status, only turned on by the man behind the fame.

  The love they’ve found is perfect—but time is running out before real life intrudes. Can they survive with both their dreams—and hearts—intact?