by Katie Ashley
“Oh, trust me, we bought something.”
“I can’t wait to call him and tell him the news. Let’s see, if it’s nine o’clock here, then it’s three o’clock there. What would he be doing right now?”
“Your dad will have just picked him up from school, and they’d be heading back to the shop or to his and Stella’s house. They’ll probably make a pit stop at Harts and Flowers for Linc to get a snack and for your dad to get a coffee.”
It warmed my heart that Gabe knew the little ins and outs of Linc’s schedule. “You’re right. We’ll call him the minute we get back to the hotel room.”
“Speaking of the hotel room, what do you say we head on back?”
“But it’s only nine o’clock—the night’s still so young. I mean, they don’t call it the City of Light for nothing,” I protested.
Gabe pulled me into his arms. Nuzzling my neck, he asked, “Don’t you want to go back and make love for the first time as an engaged couple?”
As his warm breath fanned over my skin, I shivered. “Yes, I do,” I murmured.
“Then let’s get the hell out of here.”
Although I wanted to stroll the streets until the wee hours of the morning, I decided to give in to both my fiancé’s voracious sexual appetite and my own—but I wasn’t going down without a fight. “Let’s make one thing clear, Mr. Renard: tomorrow there will be no sex of any kind until I’ve toured the Louvre and seen Notre-Dame.”
“What happens if I wake up with morning wood?” Gabe asked as we started for the elevator.
Batting my eyelashes, I replied, “You can jerk it out during the shower you’ll be taking so we can leave the hotel to see the Louvre and Notre-Dame.”
Throwing his head back, Gabe chuckled heartily. “Wow, I thought the sex wasn’t supposed to wane until after the wedding, not after the engagement.”
“I only said I was momentarily withholding in order to see the sights. Once I’ve seen those two things, you can take me back to the hotel and ravish me continuously until it’s time to go to dinner, which will be at a romantic restaurant of my choosing.”
“Damn, you drive a hard bargain,” he replied playfully as we got on the elevator.
“But you love me anyway, don’t you?”
He smiled down at me. “I sure as hell do.” He dipped down to plant a tender kiss on my lips. “I love you more than I can ever say, even with the words I can string together in the lyrics of a song.”
“I think you did a pretty amazing job with the ones on Ray of Light.”
“True, but I wrote those before we were engaged, before we were really truly and completely in love. I can’t imagine how I will write now.”
When he furrowed his brows, I gasped. “Don’t tell me you think you’re going to get another case of writer’s block?”
“Are you kidding? Between getting engaged and getting married, I’ll have plenty of material to work with.”
I exhaled a relieved breath. “You had me worried there.”
“Sorry. I was only trying to think how I could possibly put everything that has happened this last year into just twelve to fourteen songs.”
“If anyone can find a way to do it, it’s you. You’re an amazing songwriter, not to mention an amazing fiancé.”
“And lover?”
“Oh yes, very much an amazing lover. You’re going to be an amazing stepfather to Linc, too.”
As we started out into the crowd leaving the Eiffel Tower, Gabe said, “I’m not so sure about being Linc’s stepfather.”
His words and tone caused my heart to shudder and restart. “You aren’t?” I asked tentatively.
Gabe shook his head. “He and I were talking, and I think it would be better if I adopted him.”
Oh. My. God. Had he just said what I thought he had? My knees gave out and I lunged forward. I would have face-planted in front of the Eiffel Tower if Gabe hadn’t caught me.
“Jesus, Rae, are you all right?” Gabe demanded as he slid a strong arm around my waist.
“I’m fine. It was just a little bit of a rush.”
Since I was still a little shaky, Gabe steered me over to a bench. After I sat down, he knelt in front of me. “Feeling better?”
“Yes.”
Frowning slightly, he said, “If you don’t want me to adopt Linc, I don’t have to.”
“You think I almost passed out because I don’t want you to adopt my son?”
“Yeah.”
I cupped his face in my hands. “I would be honored for you to be Linc’s father. Besides marrying you, nothing would make me happier.”
Gabe’s face lit up. “Really?”
“Yes, really.”
“Even though I don’t easily relate to kids and can sometimes be impatient?”
I laughed. “You’ll do fine. You have so much love in your heart to give to Linc.”
“And to our children.”
Sweeping my hand to my forehead, I said, “Whoa now, let’s not get too crazy.”
“You don’t want to have five or six?” Gabe asked teasingly.
“Do you seriously want me to pass out?” I replied.
“All joking aside, Rae, I want us to be a complete family. I want you and Linc to carry my name.”
“So do I.” I smiled at him. “And I want to give you a baby. Maybe not five, but I want to see you hold a piece of yourself in your arms.”
“I’d like that very much.”
“Then let’s go back to the hotel and start practicing for the day when you get me pregnant.”
Gabe laughed. “I like that idea very much.”
Eternal gratitude always to my beta reader/plot adviser extraordinaire , Kim Bias.
To my content editor and manuscript magic maker, Marion Archer—I always say I can never put out a novel without you, and it’s the truth.
Thanks to Lauren Perry of Perrywinkle Photography for the wonderful photoshoot of the Chatwin’s. It was so fun flying out to Salt Lake to watch the shoot.
Thanks to Darick and Cara Chatwin for being my cover couple. It was amazing not only to find twins who fit the descriptions in my mind, but to find they were both married to the female counterparts I needed was truly amazing.
Thanks also to Lori Jackson for the beautiful interior design and gorgeous teasers.
And many, many thanks to the readers who loved the Runaway Train series and wanted to see books about Eli and Gabe.
Katie Ashley is a New York Times, USA Today, and Amazon Best-Selling author of both Indie and Traditionally published books. She lives outside of Atlanta, Georgia with her daughter, Olivia, her spoiled mutt, Duke, and her cats Harry and Hermoine. She has a slight obsession with Pinterest, The Golden Girls, Shakespeare, Harry Potter, Star Wars, and Scooby-Doo.
With a BA in English, a BS in Secondary English Education, and a Masters in Adolescent English Education, she spent eleven years teaching both middle and high school English, as well as a few adjunct college English classes. As of January 2013, she became a full-time writer. She loves traveling the country and world meeting readers.
www.katieashleybooks.com
[email protected]
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