by Taylor Hart
Sam sobered and reached for her. “Are you okay?”
She waved him off and started doing more dance moves. “Are you kidding? You’ve had three bullet wounds in the last two months. If you’re fine, then I’m fine.”
A slow smile played on his lips, and he tugged her into a spin move then took her out the other side of him. “I don’t think bullet wounds are a competition, but I could be wrong.” He teased.
She gently touched his face and brought herself closer to him. “Everything’s a competition.” She waited.
He stopped dancing and stared into her eyes. Something electric flashed between them. For a second, she almost wanted to cry, and she felt her lip begin trembling. He loved her. He loved her so much.
Their lips met, softly at first, then with more desire.
It was like the whole room melted in the background. His hands and the smell of his fresh rain cologne that beckoned her to him and made her forget about what had happened with Marco were the only things in focus.
The tango came on, and Sam gently pulled away from her and then forcefully pulled her into his body.
She put her cheek against his and another shiver went through her. This thing between them had always been there. From the very first time she’d met him in Boulder on campus there had been this tension. They’d flirted, and she’d felt this…this chemistry between them.
He spun her out and began the dance. His body felt strong, determined, filled with purpose.
The way she could feel his heart beating against her own chest when he pulled her in made her feel alive.
Suddenly Sam rose up and she met him, their hands pressed together, and she pulled herself down his body.
It was electric, explosive, the kind of thing that made her want to never leave him, never be apart from him, head to the Chapel o’ Love right this second.
By the way he spun her and then dipped her, ending the dip with his lips pressed to hers, she wondered if he might be thinking the same thing.
Then he was on his knee in the middle of the dance floor.
Another song started, but the people around them stopped dancing, staring at him. Before Alexa knew what had happened, the guy from the band was beside him.
“Gentleman, are you about to do what I think you’re doing?”
A mischievous glint came into Sam’s eye, and he nodded and held his hand out for the microphone. “May I?”
The band guy nodded emphatically and handed it to him.
Sam stared up at her, and then let her hand go to reach into his coat pocket.
Alexa was stunned when she saw him pull a little box out. He cracked the box open, revealing her mother’s ring.
She stumbled back, and Sam was up and reaching for her. He grinned and whispered in her ear. “Are you okay?”
Tears sprang to her eyes, and she knew she wasn’t okay. Warm chills washed over her. The same feeling surged into her heart. The one she’d always felt when she would go to the museum and stare at the Van Gogh picture of Starry Night. It was almost like her mother was here. With them. It was like her mother was telling her to heal.
Tears were in Sam’s eyes, too. “Are you okay, Lex?”
She knew what he was really asking, ‘can I do this? Here? Now? Are you ready?' “Yes.” She sniffed.
Sam held her for a second then went back down onto his knee. He kept her hand in his.
A hush had come over the whole dance floor.
He held the ring out to her and grinned. “Alexa Fulbright, I have loved you for seven years.” He swallowed and stopped for a second, his bottom lip trembling. “And now that you are back in my life there is only one thing I know. I want you there forever.”
There were gasps and happy laughter.
“Alexa, will you be my wife?”
The uncontrollable way she bobbed her head and croaked out yes sent the whole room into applause and squeals of delight.
The big band guy took back the microphone, and Sam stood up, picking her up and swinging her in a circle.
She threw her head back and laughed, enjoying this moment. This time. Remembering what her father had said about choosing what matters most in your life.
Sam put her down, gently took her mother’s ring, and put it on her finger. “I love you.”
She gulped back a mixture of a sob and a laugh. “I love you, too!”
Then they kissed, and the whole room let out another round of applause.
The band started again, and the next song was ‘It Had to be You.’
She fell into Sam’s arms, and they clung to each other. They danced through that song and countless more. They danced until her feet hurt and the server from their table came and asked them if they would like to have their meals re-made, at no extra charge.
They both declined the re-heating and, hand in hand, went back to their table. They didn’t talk while they ate the cold food, staring happily into each other’s eyes. Finally, after Sam had ordered another side of mashed potatoes and asked for chocolate mousse for them to share, he held up his water glass again.
She held hers up and clinked his. “To us.”
“To us.”
They both drank, and then Alexa held out her glass.
He grinned.
“To marriage.”
He clinked her glass, and his eyes shone with tears. “The best thing you’ve ever said.”
She grinned and couldn’t believe how everything felt different. Exactly the way it should have been a long time ago. “I can’t wait to tell my dad.”
Sam laughed and dug into the extra side of mashed potatoes the server had brought to him. “I think he’s been waiting for me to get down to business since Christmas.”
Understanding washed over her. “That’s when he gave you the ring?”
He nodded. “Yep.”
They finished the chocolate mousse and headed back to the beach house, holding hands and listening to soft jazz.
“That was wonderful.” She still felt magical and sparkly and so happy, like it didn’t matter what happened from here on out—they had each other and that would be enough.
Alexa never could have guessed, that enough was about to slip through their fingers.
Chapter 23
Sam had a feeling when he drove the car up to the house and the front door was open that something was wrong. “Where’s the other security detail?”
Usually an agent was posted in a car in front of the house, but nobody was there now.
Alexa bolted out of the car and up the stairs of the beach house. “Dad!”
“Alexa!” Sam’s voice was commanding. “Get back here.” He pulled his gun and his training kicked in. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and tossed it to her. “Stay back and call 911.”
Sam was trained not to overreact when he was in a situation like this, but he was still unsettled. Given the recent events, Sam was on full alert. He steadied his gun with both hands and started into the house. “Frank!” He yelled.
There was a breeze going through, and it had thrown papers from the table all over the floor. The kitchen windows were open and so was the back door.
Sam moved through the house, taking it slow, clearing every room he came to quickly and efficiently. He heard Alexa talking to the police. He heard her hang up just as he finished the main level of the house. “Alexa, come here please.” He had to go upstairs, and he knew from experience that he wasn’t going to leave Alexa out of his immediate sight. Marco and his men had always been fast, and it wouldn’t take long for them to grab her.
Sensing the severity of the situation, she followed him. “Give me your other gun, Sam.”
He frowned. “Where’s that other agent?” Sam had seen him following them back to the beach house a few minutes earlier.
“The gun!” Alexa demanded.
He wouldn’t leave her weaponless. He tugged his second gun from his shoulder holster, and then both of them rushed up the stairs, clearing every room together.
Nothing.
As they came back down the stairs, they heard a noise coming from the kitchen and the distant sound of sirens.
“What the…?”
They stumbled into the kitchen and saw Gary, his eyes bloodshot. He held up a note that read ‘Come Get Him.’
“I found this on the back door.” He shook his head. “I got a call about twenty minutes ago. An anonymous tip that told me my people weren’t as safe as I thought. He shook his head and looked at Alexa. “My team was compromised. They have your dad. Marco’s people took your dad, and we think they’re already out of the country on their way to Columbia.”
Sam felt Alexa stumble, and he moved her to a kitchen chair, taking the one next to her. Sam felt both helpless and frustrated, but he knew he couldn’t dwell on useless what ifs. They had overcome so much together, and right now he needed to focus on how they were going to fix this.
Gary shrugged. “I’ve already got approval to send in a team.” He looked at both of them. “The Bureau thinks if you two go in together there’ll be a better chance of drawing Marco out.” He stared at Sam. “What do you say? Do you want to take the girl in?”
***
To be continued…
I hope you enjoyed Going Rogue! To receive updates when Get You Back—the 3rd, and final book in The Real Thing Series is out—sign up for my newsletter HERE.
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Additional Works by Taylor Hart
Sixteen-year-old Lacy O’Donnell discovers her best friend has cast a spell, putting everyone in a time loop, forcing them to relive the same four days before prom over and over. The good thing—Lacy doesn’t remember the loop. The bad thing—Drake Davis, the guy she’s been stalking, does. Only true love’s kiss can break the spell, but true love’s kiss has to happen at a precise moment. It’s not exact science…it’s exact magic. Purchase HERE!
Seventeen-year-old Delanie Hart has a past she wants to keep hidden. Moving to a new state and attending a new high school seems to be just the thing — until she accidentally sees a mark exactly like her own. When the people she is running from come after her, Lanie is left with a choice — give up what she wants or save her friends.
Purchase HERE.
Clean Contemporary Romance
Alexa Fulbright doesn’t expect the man she’s been trying to forget for the past 7 years to show up on assignment from the FBI…and she really doesn’t expect him to kiss her.
Sam Dubois doesn’t want to be on this assignment, even though he requested it. He doesn’t want to see Alexa and he definitely doesn’t want to put away the thug she calls her boyfriend…but most things in life aren’t fair when it comes to her.
After Sam shows Alexa proof that her boyfriend is a drug dealer with connections to the Columbian cartel, she refuses to believe it. Until a gun is pointed at her head and ‘said boyfriend’ puts a bullet in Sam’s shoulder.
Now Sam has to get her out of dodge and Alexa has to make a choice—face the past or live a lie that could destroy her and everyone she’s ever loved.
Purchase it HERE.
When high school football star and ex-marine, Ryan Hardman, comes back to Hidden Falls, he doesn’t care that his company wants to buy the ranch he’s always loved. He doesn’t care that he hasn’t seen his two brothers in seven years. And why would it be any of his business that Charlotte Love isn’t married anymore. It’s not.
Charlotte Love doesn’t believe in fairytale endings or happily ever after. She doesn’t want it, either. To say that she’s not the least bit concerned Ryan Hardman is back in town—would be saying she even cares that much. All she wants is to raise her son and run her bookstore.
After Charlotte discovers the ranch Ryan wants to buy—is hers…and a news story releases information surrounding the mystery of why Ryan hasn’t been back, they are left with a choice—run or fight.
Purchase it HERE.
Molly O’Hare gets the utterly ridiculous prediction that she will kiss her true love on Christmas Eve. But when she returns to Snow Valley and comes face to face with Kevin Snow, suddenly the kiss thing seems…a lot less ridiculous. Too bad the reason she left still has the power to make her deny her real feelings. Now Molly is left with a choice—forget the home town and the boy that she never quit loving or let Christmas work out a miracle all on its own.
Purchase it HERE