Connor is it for me; I have no doubt about that at all. And what better way to celebrate our love than with a new tattoo. Something to remind me every single day that taking a chance on Connor was the best decision I’ve ever made.
It must’ve been something that Connor had been thinking about too, because as soon as I mentioned it, he said he had the perfect idea. I went with it. Connor knows me better than anyone, and my trust in him is unwavering.
So here I am letting the man I love give me a tattoo, and I have absolutely no idea what it’s going to look like or what it’s going to say. I gave him two stipulations; the tattoo had to be in a different language, just like the other two, and I wanted it on the underside of my forearm, straight down from my pinky.
Time passes quickly, and before I know it, Connor turns off his tattoo gun. “All done,” he says, running a cloth over my skin to wipe off the blood. “You ready to see it?”
I nod excitedly, and he turns my arm so I can see the three beautifully scripted words he’s permanently etched into my skin. “Vivere senza rimpianti,” I whisper, trying my best not to botch the pronunciation. “It’s stunning,” I say, looking at Connor. His smile is beaming, and just like always, it melts my heart. “What’s it mean?”
“That’s the best part,” he says, bringing his lips to mine. He kisses me gently a couple of times before pulling back. “Do you remember when I promised that no matter what happened between us, you would never regret this or me?” I nod, my eyes welling with tears when I remember the heartache I caused that led to that moment. Grateful isn’t even a strong enough word to describe how happy I am that he decided to forgive me.
“No crying.” Curving his hand around the back of my neck, he tugs me in close. “It says ‘live without regret’ in Italian. I thought it would be perfect.”
My breath hitches in my throat. “It’s more than perfect.” Mindful of my fresh ink, I wrap my arms carefully around his neck.
Connor nuzzles his face in my hair. “I’m glad you like it.”
“Not like. Love,” I say, emphasizing the last word. “I love it. Almost as much as I love you.”
“I love you too, baby. More than you know.”
“Why don’t you take me home and you can show me just how much.”
Connor growls, his eyes eating me up from head to toe. “That’s a brilliant idea,” he says, pulling back so he can perform his aftercare on my tattoo. “You’re so damn smart. Just one of the millions of things about you that turn me the fuck on.”
“Connor. Hurry,” I say, wiggling in my seat. My need for this man hasn’t waned…not one bit. In fact, it’s grown to epic proportions.
“And Brittany,” he says, wiping salve on my arm, “just to give you some warning so you can prepare yourself…” I look at him questioningly, wondering what he’s going to say next. “I’m going to ask you to marry me and it’s going to be soon.”
My heart stutters to a stop, flops around inside my chest, and then restarts, kicking into high gear. “Not if I ask you first.”
Connor’s head snaps up, a shit-eating grin plastered to his face. “Well played, babe,” he says. “Well played.”
Pursing my lips, I give him a smug little smile.
I think I’m going to like playing this game.
THE END
(Or is it?)
First and foremost, I have to thank my husband, Tom. The endless amount of support and encouragement you give me while writing is truly amazing. Thank you for making sure the house stayed clean, the laundry got done, and the kids were fed. Thank you for taking over nighttime duty so that I could stay up late and write. Your love and support is what gets me through the day and I’m so incredibly thankful for you.
To my dear friend, Liz Berry. One of the highlights of my trip to Hawaii was getting to know you. You are such an amazing person and I am beyond thankful for your friendship. Thank you for your advice and encouragement, and thank you for taking a chance and reading my books. I am honored to have Live Without Regret featured in 1001 Dark Nights. Thank you so much for this opportunity.
A big huge thank you to Perfect Pear Creative Covers for creating yet another beautiful cover. You know my vision better than I do.
Stacey Ryan Blake, aka the best damn formatter in the world, thank you for making the inside of my books look beautiful. And, thank you for putting up with all of my last minutes changes. You’re amazing and you’re never getting rid of me ;)
Last and certainly not least, thank you to every single one of my readers. Thank you for begging for Brittany’s story. I hope you swooned over Connor just as much as I did. Your support means so much to me and without you and I wouldn’t be doing what I love.
K.L. Grayson resides in a small town outside of St. Louis, MO. She is entertained daily by her extraordinary husband, who will forever inspire every good quality she writes in a man. Her entire life rests in the palms of six dirty little hands, and when the day is over and those pint-sized cherubs have been washed and tucked into bed, you can find her typing away furiously on her computer. She has a love for alpha-males, brownies, reading, tattoos, sunglasses, and happy endings…and not particularly in that order.
If you enjoyed reading Live Without Regret as much as I enjoyed writing it, I hope you’ll consider leaving a review.
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Books
A Touch of Fate Series
Where We Belong
Pretty Pink Ribbons
On Solid Ground – a Harley and Tyson Novella
Other Titles
A Lover’s Lament
Continue reading for a preview of KL Grayson’s third full length novel in the A Touch of Fate Series, Just For Tonight.
Just For Tonight
By K.L. Grayson
Coming 2016
We all have our weaknesses…rich, decadent chocolate, fancy designer handbags, overpriced stilettos in every color under the sun. My weakness is Benny Catalano. To call Benny tall, dark, and handsome would be a massive understatement. His giant, tattooed, drool-worthy frame sits at an impressive six foot three. Thick dark hair sticks up in every direction, giving him that notorious I-just-had-crazy-monkey-sex look that most women love. And the five o’clock shadow on his perfectly square jaw could bring any woman to her knees. Benny wasn’t just smacked with the handsome stick. Nope, he was smacked and then beaten with the Adonis bad boy belt.
My only problem … he’s playing hard to get.
I’ve never had to work too hard for anything, especially not a man. My father is the most influential music producer in the world—I’m used to getting what I want. But if I’ve learned anything from dear ol’ dad, it’s that money can’t buy happiness and the best things in life don’t come easy. And Benny is worth having, although the way he’s been dangling the goods and giving nothing away, he sure as hell is making things difficult.
The question is, why?
What he doesn’t know is that this privileged socialite isn’t afraid to get her hands dirty. If the man of my dreams is the end result, I’m ready to put in the work to make him mine.
My name is Mia Brannigan, and this is my story.
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