His Tempting Love
Page 22
Garrett stood and kissed her deeply, passionately. She whimpered into his mouth as she kissed him back. Then he lifted his face and said, “I love you, Cora. And I want the full package. I want all of you. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about Gail being here and what she was trying to do. I wasn’t sure that you wouldn’t run away, and I was terrified because I loved you the moment I saw you.”
She never would have thought that this big tempting Dom would be the one who needed the reassurance. “In the future, I do expect complete honesty. Some of it’s my own issue. You see, Jeff always promised me that he would be careful. The night he died, before he left our house to head into the station, he promised me that with Milo on the way he would stop taking risks on the job. And then he didn’t, he broke his final promise to me. So I’ll admit I overreacted the other night.”
He cupped her face with his big hands as if she was precious glass. His gaze bored into hers. “Cora, I will spend every day from here on out proving to you that you can trust me and to never doubt me again. I’m sorry that Jeff broke his promises to you. But I won’t be him, I swear to you I won’t ever do that to you again.”
“That’s good because I’m not the only one who fell in love with you. Milo loves you too,” she said, her eyes brimming with tears. But her heart was near bursting with love for him as she clung to him.
“The feeling is mutual. I want you both. I need you both in my life. Where is the little squirt, by the way?” he asked.
“Spencer is watching him.”
“Then you have some time?”
“I’m all yours.” And she had been since the moment they’d met. It had just taken her a bit to realize that he was the one she wanted to be with, the man she needed above all others.
“That’ll do,” he said and scooped her up into his arms. She wrapped her arms around his neck as he headed toward a set of stairs.
“Where are you taking me?” she asked.
“I think it’s time we try out my private dungeon, don’t you?” he said with a seductive, tempting grin.
“Yes, Sir, I do. You know you’ll have to teach me, train me to be a proper submissive—in the bedroom, of course.”
“I know. And we’ll start on your lessons tomorrow, because tonight I plan to show you just how much I love you,” Garrett said as he climbed the stairs.
And he did show her repeatedly that evening just how much he did love her, until they were both too spent to move—or so she thought. But then Garrett, the man she never expected to find or allow into her heart, drove her home and slept beside her, right where he belonged.
As Cora fell asleep, wrapped in his arms, she knew that sometimes all it took was one night for your heart to know the one for you. And she wouldn’t waste a minute, but would treasure the days filled with laughter and the nights filled with love.
Epilogue
Three months later
Jitters were alive and well in his chest as Garrett and Milo put the finishing touches on dinner. Cora and Milo had finally moved in with him two weeks ago. It had taken some major convincing on his part but eventually she had caved.
She still taught a few classes at Matt’s place but had finally taken the position at the resort. Garrett had stopped working eighty hours a week and had brought in a manager to help with the workload. So far it was working. Now that Cora no longer worked at the club in the evenings, they spent that time together and with Milo.
He had folded them into his life and he didn’t regret a minute of it. They put the finishing touches on the table with the steak and noodles; Milo’s idea. But they had prettied it up with napkins and silverware. The meal was on the table and everything was set. They were just waiting for Cora to get back home from a yoga class.
Then Garrett withdrew a small circle of platinum from his trousers and asked, “So, squirt, you think your mom will like it?”
“Oh, yep, she’ll like the sparkly.” Milo nodded, his eyes wide with excitement. Then he asked, “What’s proposing?”
Garrett knelt down until his gaze was level with Milo’s, studying the boy’s face. He rested his elbows on his knees and said, “Well, what it means is that I’m going to ask your mom to marry me. So she’ll be my wife, and that will make you my son.”
“You’ll be my daddy?” Milo asked, his eyes wide.
“Yeah. How do you feel about that, squirt?” He held his breath.
“Yay!” Milo launched himself into his arms and almost knocked him down.
Milo’s enthusiasm made Garrett’s heart light. Cora’s deceased husband may have helped give Milo life, but Garrett would hopefully one day be the one Milo considered his father. Garrett didn’t want to take anything away from Jeff and would ensure Milo remembered him, just like Cora did. He let Milo hold the ring and study it, watching him carefully to make sure he didn’t put it up his nose.
“What in the world is going on in here? I thought we were having dinner and not going to the circus,” Cora said from the doorway. She was in a pair of black yoga pants and a form-fitting yellow tank top with her hair in a braid. She had never looked lovelier.
“Mama, Garrett’s going to marry you and be my daddy,” Milo said, holding out the ring toward her. Leave it to a three-year-old to deliver an epic proposal.
Garrett studied her reaction, the warmth in her gaze, and the love he spied there was more than enough to tempt any man to take a bite from the forbidden apple.
She gave him a secretive smile and then looked at Milo with a raised brow. “Oh he is, huh?”
Garrett stood, holding Milo with one arm and sliding his other around her waist, drawing her close. Looking down into her eyes, he said, “Yep. What do you say, want to marry me, Cora? Let me love you forever?”
Tears lined the dark rims of Cora’s lashes, but it was the smile on her face and the love he found in her eyes that made his heart light.
“Mama, say yes,” Milo urged, waving the ring in front of her face.
“Oh, all right, yes. Want to put the ring on me, Milo?” she said, holding her hand up to Milo and showing him which finger to put it on.
“Yeah?” Garrett said when she looked up at him with his ring on her finger.
“Yeah, most definitely,” she replied, her gaze full of love for him.
And then he kissed her, with Milo cheering until they were all laughing together. This one woman had changed everything for him, had tempted him, so that his entire world revolved around her and around Milo—his family.
* * *
~The End~
Anya Summers
Born in St. Louis, Missouri, Anya grew up listening to Cardinals baseball and reading anything she could get her hands on. She remembers her mother saying if only she would read the right type of books instead binging her way through the romance aisles at the bookstore, she’d have been a doctor. While Anya never did get that doctorate, she graduated cum laude from the University of Missouri-St. Louis with an M.A. in History.
Anya is a bestselling and award-winning author published in multiple fiction genres. She also writes urban fantasy and paranormal romance under the name Maggie Mae Gallagher. A total geek at her core, when she is not writing, she adores attending the latest comic con or spending time with her family. She currently lives in the Midwest with her two furry felines.
Don’t miss these exciting titles by Anya Summers and Blushing Books!
* * *
Dungeon Fantasy Club Series
Her Highland Master, Book 1
To Master and Defend, Book 2
Two Doms for Kara, Book 3
His Driven Domme, Book 4
Her Country Master, Book 5
Love Me, Master Me, Book 6
Submit To Me, Book 7
Her Wired Dom, Book 8
* * *
Pleasure Island Series
Her Master and Commander, Book 1
Her Music Masters, Book 2
Their Shy Submissive, (Novella) Book 3
Her Lawful Master, B
ook 4
Her Rockstar Dom, Book 5
Duets and Dominance, Book 6
Her Undercover Doms (Novella) Book 7
Ménage in Paradise, Book 8
Her Rodeo Masters, Book 9
* * *
Cuffs and Spurs Series
His Scandalous Love, Book 1
His Unexpected Love, Book 2
His Wicked Love, Book 3
His Untamed Love, Book 4
His Tempting Love, Book 5
* * *
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