by LuAnn McLane
“Wow, did you ever fall off?”
“Oh yeah. Seven stitches under my chin.” She reached up and touched the scar. “But I still did it afterward, even though I’d get scolded.”
Grady shook his head. “I just bet you were an adorable little kid.”
“There’s plenty of pictures in the attic. And isn’t the stained-glass window up there pretty? I used to love when the sun would shine through the colors.”
“I can see why this house is so special to you.” Grady followed her into the open dining area from the living room.
“There are pocket doors that close this room off, and I used to play with them like they were curtains opening to a stage.” She pointed to a chandelier. “That always reminded me of Beauty and the Beast. Isn’t it so delicate?” She pointed to a wide window at the far end of the room overlooking a small backyard. He followed her over to gaze into the waning light of the late afternoon. “I used to climb that big oak tree. I felt like I was on top of the world up there.”
“Any broken bones?”
“No, I was pretty agile,” she said, and his brain went to actions other than climbing trees. “I’ve been hoping for snow. Wouldn’t that be pretty?”
“Yes,” Grady agreed, wondering when he could get the opportunity to find the engagement ring. Searching through the sofa would ruin the moment. “Damn,” he said quietly.
“What?” Arabella looked at him in surprise.
“Damn, the house is sweet.”
“Oh.” She smiled and led him into a small kitchen. “I used to sit on top of the table and watch Granny York cook up a storm. She refused to get a dishwasher or microwave and perked her coffee. Nothing much changed over the years. The appliances are all really old but I don’t want to replace them with anything sleek or modern. It’s like stepping back in time, isn’t it?”
“I love the retro look,” he said, trying to focus on what she was saying.
“That door leads to the basement. The washer and dryer are down there but Granny York used to hang most of her clothes up to dry either in the basement or outside during the summer.” She glanced at him. “Sorry, is this incredibly boring? You seem in another world.” Although she smiled, Grady could tell that he wasn’t handling this right, and he tried to concentrate on the tour.
“I’m not bored. Being from Florida where there are no basements, I was always kind of fascinated by the idea of having space beneath a house.”
“It can be kind of scary. The furnace makes weird clunking noises. And every so often, a mouse would get in, scaring Granny and me to pieces. We hated setting traps.” She shuddered.
Grady chuckled. “Let’s skip that part for now.” Unable to wait one more second, Grady pulled her into his arms. “I’ve missed waking up next to you. I’ve missed your laughter.” He put his nose in her hair. “The way you smell. The way you taste.” He tilted her head up and kissed her tenderly but deeply and then held her close. “It’s only been five days, but—”
“I know.” Arabella nodded her head against his chest. “I needed to come here and reconnect, feel grounded, try to digest all that’s happened.”
“And did it work?”
“Is that your polite way of asking if I’m still overthinking? Having stomachaches?”
Grady chuckled. “Yes.”
“It did. And my mother was a big part of opening my eyes to so many things. We had a lot of catching up to do . . . like a lifetime’s worth,” she said softly. “And she has this bright red hair!” Arabella shook her head.
“Seriously?” Grady remembered Mindy Janson as being outgoing but in a fussy, mom kind of way.
Arabella grinned. “She’s really surprised me in so many ways. She and I need to get to know each other as adults.”
“Yes, and I can tell you’re going to have fun together.”
“I know.” She stepped back and took his hand. “I want to show you the upstairs.”
“But there’s something—”
Arabella put a fingertip to his lips. “Whatever it is can wait,” she said with an arch of an eyebrow. She tugged at his hand. “There’s one room I want to show you in particular,” she added.
Grady suddenly understood and felt his blood stir. He followed her up the creaky stairs, admiring her cute butt in the tight jeans. They came to a landing, then took three more steps to the left before they reached the top floor.
“Bathroom.” She pointed quickly. “Master bedroom, office,” she said, and then pulled him into “my room.”
Grady had to laugh when she tugged him hard and shoved him into what was sort of an Arabella museum of childhood things, from stuffed animals to trophies.
“Off with your clothes.”
“So, we’re back to bossy pants.”
Arabella tugged her tight Tinkerbell shirt over her head and shimmied out of her jeans. “Bossy, no pants.”
Grady laughed again, thinking that her coming here was the best thing she could have done. He could feel the difference in her, almost as if she had shed whatever had held her back from loving him completely without hesitation or fear. He came up to his elbows, looking at her. “It says Thursday on your underwear.”
“It is Thursday. Hey, day-of-the-week panties used to be a popular thing.”
Grady laughed. “We need to get you to the mall to get clothes. Although you sure look cute.”
“Why aren’t you naked?”
“Because I’m having too much fun looking at you.”
Arabella unhooked her bra and shed her Thursday panties. “Well, I’m going to have to do this for you,” she said, and tugged his shoes off.
Grady helped her, and in nothing flat he was naked. He laughed again when she straddled his thighs.
“Wow, you look so masculine in this frilly room. Very sexy,” she said, and trailed her fingertips down his chest and then put her hand around his cock. When she stroked him, Grady sucked in a quick breath.
“You need to slow down.”
“Not a chance,” Arabella said, and a moment later she came up to her knees and guided him into her wet heat. She braced her palms on his chest and rode him quick and hard. Grady watched the jiggle of her breasts, and he reached up and cupped the fullness, rubbing his thumbs over her nipples. She gasped and cried out, and when he felt her tighten around him, he thrust upward and felt the pleasure of his white-hot release.
When Arabella collapsed against him, Grady held her tightly, cradling her against him. He loved the feeling of having her fragrant hair spread across his chest. He threaded his fingers through the tresses and then slid his hands over the delicate curve of her back. “I love you,” he said next to her ear.
“I love you too, Grady. I’m going to stop running away from you and run to you instead. I really do need you in my life,” she said gruffly. “And I like the feeling.”
Overcome with emotion, Grady held her close. After a few moments, he said, “You probably won’t ever hear me ask this again.”
“What?”
“Put your clothes on.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, and then meet me downstairs in a few minutes in the living room.”
“Can’t we snuggle for a little bit? Take a little naked nap?”
Grady kissed the top of her head. “No.”
“So it’s your turn to be bossy pants?”
“No, that title belongs to you. Please, just join me?”
“Okay,” she said, but in a tiny bit of a grumpy tone.
“Give me five minutes.”
“I hope this is about you fixing me a sandwich.”
Grady laughed and then tugged his boxers and jeans on. “It’s cold in this house.”
“Welcome to the Midwest, Florida boy.”
Grady hurried down the steps and over to the sofa. He removed the cushions and foun
d the little blue box. Just seeing it made his heart pound and his hand shake. He swallowed hard and then shouted, “You can come down now.”
“Are we playing hide-and-seek?”
“I already did that and found you here,” he said, and heard her footsteps on the stairs. As soon as she walked into the room he dropped down on one knee and extended the box.
“Oh my gosh.” Arabella’s eyes widened and she put her hands to her cheeks.
“Arabella?”
She nodded silently.
“Will you marry me?” He opened the blue Tiffany box to reveal a heart-shaped diamond in a four-pronged classic setting.
“Yes,” she whispered, looked at him, and then shouted, “Yes!”
Grady laughed and then slipped the ring on her finger. She looked at the ring and burst into tears.
“You don’t like it?”
“No, I . . . I l-love it! A heart? P-perfect.” She held her hand up and danced around the room. “I can’t stop looking at it. I’m going to run into things because I’ll be looking at it all the time.”
Grady laughed. “Give me your hand. I want to see it too.”
Arabella extended her trembling fingers, and when he saw the diamond heart sparkle he felt moisture gather behind his eyes. “You’re right, it’s perfect.”
“Oh, I’m really going to be bossy pants after I’m your wife. You just wait.”
Grady laughed but then pulled her close and kissed her. “I can’t wait,” he said, and then picked her up and spun her around.
“Can I call my mom?”
Grady grinned.
“She knows?”
“Yeah, and I asked your dad for permission.”
“Oh, that’s so sweet. Do your brothers know?”
“I had all kinds of advice on how to propose. They are waiting to know if you said yes and they’ve been blowing up my phone. I would have asked sooner, but I lost the ring in the cushions of the sofa.”
“No . . . that’s hilarious. Wait, that’s when you found the remote?”
Grady nodded. “I had it in my pocket and I was afraid you’d see the outline of the box and ruin the surprise. I’ve been a nervous wreck since I got here.”
“And here I thought I was just boring you.”
“You will never bore me, Arabella. I would be bored without you in my life. And cranky. Just ask my brothers.” He tugged her over to sit beside him on the sofa. “Time for a selfie and to let them know you said yes.”
“Did you really think there was any way I wouldn’t?”
Grady shrugged. “I hoped not.” He lifted her hand and looked at the ring. “I knew it was the one I wanted as soon as I saw it. Hold it up for the picture,” he said, and took several pictures with his cell phone. After he sent his brothers one of the pictures, his phone wouldn’t stop pinging, making them both laugh. “I don’t want to wait a long time before getting married, if that’s okay with you?”
“Oh, I get the feeling my mother is going to be totally on top of planning a wedding.”
Grady had to laugh. “She was so excited that I was sure she was going to somehow give it away.”
“Looking back, she almost did, but I was oblivious.”
“Well, good, it made it more fun.”
“And so did losing the ring in the sofa. Makes for a better story.” She giggled but then grabbed his hand. “Grady?”
“Yeah, baby?”
“I don’t want to hold you back from doing anything you want to do with Heartbeat. I think it’s important for us both to be able to be a team but to also have the freedom to pursue our own ambitions and dreams. Promise me you’ll do that.”
“I thought you didn’t like promises.”
“I’ve changed my mind. I promise I’ll come to you always, instead of running. I trust you and believe in you. My days of doubt are over. I feel stronger, a feeling of power saying those words. Loving you, needing you doesn’t mean I must give up my independence. It just means I get to share it with you,” she said, and leaned against his shoulder.
Grady kissed the top of her head. “I understand, Bella. I was afraid too. After losing my parents, I thought that loving someone meant risking that heartbreaking loss. I know the same fear has held my brothers back from finding someone in their lives.”
“Well, hopefully they will see how happy we are, how our bond, our love, makes us stronger and not weaker.”
“I’m glad they intervened and offered you the choreography job. I think they knew all along what was bound to happen,” he said with a grin. “You know, back when we were kids, I thought you were all I ever wanted.”
“And now?” Arabella asked.
“Now I know it.”
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I want to thank my daughter, Cara McLane, for so many nights of listening to boy-band music while I outlined the Heartthrob series. When we took over the jukebox at a sports bar, you were my ally.
I also want to thank my editor, Melissa Bendixen, for her support and enthusiasm for the Heartthrob series. Your keen insight and attention to detail made All I Ever Wanted a better story. And I want to give a shout-out to Polly Watson and Kayley Hoffman for making copyedits so much fun. I’m so excited to be part of the Pocket Star team!
As always, I want to give a huge thanks to my agent, Jenny Bent. Having you in my corner while the industry continues to change has kept me focused on simply writing a good book.
Finally, I want to thank the boy bands who make young girls sigh. You are our first crushes and will live in our hearts forever!
Find out what happens next!
Can Oliver, the youngest Heart brother, go solo?
It's Gotta Be You
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
LuAnn McLane’s books have appeared on bestselling lists, including USA TODAY, Barnes and Noble, Rhapsody, and Doubleday Book clubs. When she isn’t writing, she enjoys family, friends, cooking, reading, music, travel, and University of Kentucky basketball.
FOR MORE ON THIS AUTHOR: Authors.SimonandSchuster.com/LuAnn-McLane
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THE HEARTTHROB SERIES
By LuAnn McLane
All I Ever Wanted
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This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real places are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and events are products of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or places or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Copyright © 2017 by LuAnn McLane
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First Pocket Star Books ebook edition July 2017
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ISBN 978-1-5011-7252-6