by Kira Archer
“You’re seriously crazy, you know that?”
“Crazier than you?” he said, the sexy grin changing to one of sheer amusement.
“Oh. By far. Do you have any idea how many rules you’ve just broken?”
He leaned forward, trying to capture her lips, a difficult task since his hands were still tied behind his back. He stared into her eyes, and her head swam. She could drown in the depths of those gorgeous hazel eyes. “Some people are worth breaking the rules for.”
His words burned through her, imprinting themselves onto her heart. She was going to get that tattooed into her skin so she could look at it every day of her life. That totally earned him a kiss. She closed the distance between them, kissing him until they were both breathless and Chase cleared his throat with a laugh.
She broke away and grinned at him. “Sorry.”
He just laughed and leaned his head back against the wall behind them. “Don’t mind me. For the first time in my life, I have a serious case of brother envy.”
“Just the first time, huh?” Nash said with a laugh.
Iris smiled and wrapped her arms around Nash, snuggling against his chest.
“So,” she asked. “What now?”
“Well, assuming they let us out of here…”
“And they will,” Chase butted in. “My old roommate is the best lawyer within five hundred miles of here. He’ll get us out of here in no time.”
Nash nodded at him. “When we get out of here, I had thought about taking a nice little vacation on some island somewhere. You need a date for that wedding you’re going to?”
Iris sucked in her breath and Nash chuckled. “Breathe, Cookie.”
She released her breath in a rush and hugged him tighter. “That would be incredible. Really?”
“Well, that was the plan. Not sure they’ll let me back on a plane under the circumstances, though. Not for a while, anyway.”
“It doesn’t matter. I wasn’t going to go,” she said.
“What?” His eyes widened in surprise, confusion, or both, she couldn’t tell.
“I couldn’t do it. Couldn’t leave without you. I was coming to find you.”
He grinned. “You were?”
“Yeah. I tried calling and texting but you didn’t answer.”
“My phone’s dead. I tried calling you, too.”
They both laughed, and he rested his head against her shoulder.
“So. You’d really give up a week in a tropical paradise to hang out with me at my little brother’s graduation?”
Iris smiled. “Only if you’re there.”
“Darlin’, I’m never leaving your side again.”
“Good, because I’m never letting you go.”
She threw her arms back around his neck, and he kissed her until her toes curled.
Chase’s lawyer friend entered with a security guard and after some paperwork, serious threats of dire consequences, and the promise of a hefty fine that would arrive in his mailbox soon, they were on their way. Chase tactfully went to retrieve the car while they wandered along behind him, taking their time.
When they reached the loading zone outside, Nash turned to look at her. “How about we explore somewhere else, just the two of us?”
Her brow rose. “That’s awful spontaneous of you, Hazel.”
He shrugged. “I’ve learned to loosen up a bit in my old age and just go with the flow.”
She laughed. “Sounds good to me. So,” she said, winding her arms around Nash’s waist. “Where to?”
“I don’t know. Why don’t we rent a car and just drive?”
Her laughter echoed through the air. “You want to go on a road trip?”
He shrugged. “Isn’t that how your friends ended up together? Seems like a good omen to me.”
Iris smiled up at him, joy radiating from her. “You’ve got yourself a driving partner. I don’t care where we end up. As long as we’re together.”
Epilogue
Lena fanned out the train of Iris’s fitted 1920s style gown behind her and quickly moved to the side so the photographer could snap another photo. Iris grinned for the thousandth time that day. Her cheeks ached, but her heart was too full to care.
“That looks great,” the photographer said. “All right. You ladies can take a break for a minute. I’ll go get some of the groom with his groomsmen, and then we’ll do a few group shots.”
Iris leaned against the railing, sighing with relief. “I didn’t realize weddings would be so exhausting.”
Lena laughed. “Oh yeah. I swear by the time Elliot and I climbed into the car at the end of our reception we were ready to sleep for a week.”
Iris raised an eyebrow.
“I’m not saying that’s what we did…” Lena said, coyly.
Iris laughed. “I know what you mean. Honestly, I’d settle for just sitting down and eating something. I’m starving.”
“I hear ya. My feet are killing me.” Lena kicked off a heel and trailed one foot in the grass beneath her feet.
“My feet actually feel great,” Iris said, grinning.
Lena shook her head. “I still can’t believe you wore those things to your wedding.”
“What?” Iris asked, putting on her most innocent face. She raised the hem of her dress to reveal her well-worn cowboy boots. “They’re surprisingly comfortable.”
Lena laughed. “They got you, didn’t they? Turned you into one of them.”
Iris looked over to watch Nash laughing with his brother and college buddies. “One of them did.”
Lena leaned next to her on the railing and gave her shoulder an affectionate little nudge before turning around to gaze at the spectacular setting. The sun was almost ready to set, shining through the Chicago skyline and painting the sky with vivid oranges and pinks that reflected off the lake.
“This place is incredible,” Lena said. “Why did you pick it?”
Iris glanced over at Nash, who was walking toward her. She gave him a slow smile and wrapped her arm around his waist as he came to stand beside her. “Oh, this place is very special to us.”
“Uh-huh,” Nash agreed. “In fact, I think we’ll name our first son Adler.”
Iris burst out laughing. “We’ll have to think on that.”
A shriek of childish laughter rang out and they stopped to watch a frazzled looking Oz chasing after his two-year-old daughter, who had her dress over her head and was having the time of her life. The adults laughed, secure in the knowledge she was his responsibility.
Cher, Lena’s sister-in-law, wandered over to them, her newborn son on her shoulder. “I swear, I don’t know where that child gets her energy.”
“Not from me,” Oz said, coming over to collapse against the rails.
Lena’s son, Tyler passed by, towing the precocious tot by the hand to join Iris’s sister, Lily and her daughter, who stood looking at the lake. Cher’s twin brother, Elliot, joined the group, wrapping his arms around Lena’s waist and pulling her back against him. Iris smiled at them all, her friends and family, her heart so full, tears pricked at her eyes.
Oz held out his hand to her. “May I have this dance?”
She smiled up at the man she’d always considered an older brother. “But of course.”
Lena handed her the little loop that went over her wrist to keep her train from trailing and Oz led her back onto the makeshift dance floor that had been set up in the courtyard. Several guests nodded and smiled and Iris settled happily into Oz’s arms.
“You look happy,” he said.
“I’m very happy.”
“Good. I used to worry about you.”
She laughed. “Oh, whatever.”
“Nah, it’s true. You’re the second little sister I never wanted.”
“Oh, thanks,” she said, barely resisting the urge to stick out her tongue at him. His words warmed her to the very core. She’d always seen Oz as a big brother, and to have him feel the same touched her more than she could say.
&
nbsp; “I’m very happy for you. Nash seems like a great guy,” he said.
Iris glanced over to where Nash had Tyler on the ground with his hands and feet behind his back so he could demonstrate how to hog-tie a calf. Her laughter pealed out again. “He’s one of a kind, that’s for sure.”
“Well, I hope you know that our door is always open. Even if Lena isn’t in town. With her always traveling to New York with that husband of hers, it’s impossible to know when she’ll be around.”
“Listen to you. That husband of hers.” Iris snorted. “You love Elliot, and you know it.”
“Yeah, well I’d love him more if he wasn’t always whisking my sister and nephew away.”
“Like you even have time to miss them. Lena said your new book is doing pretty well.”
Oz’s smile instantly brightened. “It is! Honestly, I didn’t expect it to.”
“Why not? I never doubted it. You’re a great writer. I never miss your columns, either.”
“You’re a sweet kid, Iris. Always were. Must be why I like you.”
She laughed. “You despised me until we graduated.”
He put on his best offended face. “Not true.”
“Uh-huh.”
The song tapered to an end, and Oz pulled her in for a quick hug.
“Well, kid, the offer stands. You ever get homesick and want to come for a visit, don’t hesitate.”
“I won’t, Oz. Thank you.”
She hugged him hard, sad that she didn’t get to see him all the time anymore. He’d been a huge fixture in her life since they’d been kids.
Before she could go back over to their main group, Elliot appeared. “Do I get a turn with the bride?”
“Sure,” she said with a smile, though she wasn’t quite as comfortable with him as she was with Oz. She hadn’t had the chance to get to know Elliot very well since she had moved to Montana to be with Nash about the same time he’d moved down to North Carolina to be with Lena. Still. He was her best friend’s husband. It was kind of sweet he wanted to dance with her.
He pulled her loosely into his arms and led her easily around the floor.
“It was a beautiful wedding,” he said.
Iris smiled up at him, agreeing wholeheartedly. “I’m glad you were able to come. I know Lena would have hated to be here on her own.”
“Ah, she wouldn’t have missed it for the world. You mean a lot to her.”
A stronger streak of sadness rippled through her. Moving away from Lena and Tyler had been one of the hardest decisions she’d made. “She means the world to me, too, her and Tyler. I miss them.”
“They miss you, too. In fact, that’s what I wanted to talk to you about.”
She glanced up at him, curious. “What do you mean?”
“First of all, I hope you know you are always welcome to come visit us. In North Carolina or in New York. You ever want a girls’ weekend or something with Lena, you just let me know, and I’ll make sure it happens.”
Iris was touched. “That’s a wonderful offer. I’ll definitely take you up on that.”
“Lena and I were also wondering if maybe Tyler could come out to visit you this summer.”
Iris stopped dancing and stared up at him, elated surprise running through her. “Really?”
Elliot grinned. “Yeah. Well, you know Lena and I have a bunch of stuff with the foundation coming up, and we need to travel to a few new factory locations for her balm products. There’s not much for Tyler to do with us being in meetings all day. He’d have much more fun out at a real horse ranch. Plus, I know he misses his Aunt Iris like crazy.”
“Oh.” She wrapped her arms around him and gave him the biggest bear hug she could muster. “That would be wonderful!”
Elliot laughed and hugged her back. “Good. It’s settled then. You and Lena can make all the arrangements.”
“She’s a lucky girl,” Iris said, giving him a quick peck on the cheek.
He returned the gesture. “I’m definitely the lucky one. As is your Nash over there,” he said, nodding to Nash as he came to join them.
Nash took her by the hand. “Mind if I steal my wife for a minute?”
Everyone smiled good-naturedly at them, and Nash led her off a ways to where they were relatively alone. He pulled her back against his chest, cradling her in his arms as they stood together watching the sun disappear. He pressed a kiss to Iris’s temple.
“Thank you,” he whispered.
She craned her neck up so she could look at him. “For what?”
“For kidnapping me that night at the airport and showing me the best time of my life. And then refusing to leave.”
Iris gasped, feigning offense. “I did no such thing. You begged to come with me. And you were the one who refused to leave. I believe you showed up on my plane, shouting my name!”
“Hmm, best decision I ever made.”
“Ah, you’re just trying to butter me up so you’ll get lucky tonight,” she said, stretching up on tiptoe to give him a quick kiss.
“I kind of figured tonight was a given,” he said, grinning. “However, I might be buttering you up for a few nights from now.”
She squinted up at him, trying to figure out what he was getting at. His “getting lucky” was pretty much a given every night, and he knew it.
He reached into his tuxedo pocket and pulled out a pair of plane tickets. Iris took one look and squealed, jumping into his arms.
“Oh my God, really? You’re taking me to London?”
He chuckled and kissed her. “Happy?”
“Of course. But wait…why were you trying to butter me up? You’re taking me to England. I think your sex life is pretty much guaranteed for the foreseeable future. Not that it wasn’t to begin with,” she said, grabbing a handful of muscular butt.
He groaned and leaned in to her, nuzzling against her neck. “Yes, but there’s a particular attraction I want to visit with you.”
“And where’s that?” She leaned back so she could give him the full measure of her suspicious gaze.
He beamed at her. “There’s a brochure in my pocket.”
She reached in and pulled out the pamphlet. Her heart skipped a beat or two at the picture on the front. “The Eye? You want to take me to The Eye?” She laughed, a mixture of fear and exhilaration dancing around in her stomach.
“As I recall,” he said, rubbing a thumb across her lower lip, “you had a great time on your last Ferris wheel ride. I thought we could try out another one.”
Iris took a deep breath, a little shiver of excitement rippling through her at the reminder. “Well, Hazel. As long as you’re there, I think I might just manage it.”
“That’s my Cookie,” Nash said with a smile. He gave her a long, lingering kiss that made her wish they were back in that planetarium room with the star show going on over their heads.
“I love you,” she whispered.
“I love you more, my crazy, wonderful, beautiful girl.”
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Acknowledgments
Erin, you are my rock, the wind beneath my wings, the legs upon which I stand, the chicken in my noodle soup, the chocolate chips in my cookies, the…well, you get the point. Could not do this without you and wouldn’t want to! I so appreciate everything you do, from the million emails you always answer to the incredible work you do on these books. You are amazing, lady!
Heather, thank you for giving me the opportunity to spend time with these characters and build their stories. I have loved each and every one of them! You’ve not only helped me create stories I will love forever, but you designed gorgeous covers to help bring them to life. I don’t know how you do all that you do, but I appreciate ev
erything, more than I can say. You are an absolute rock star and I’m your groupie for life!
Sarah, one of these days I’m going to print out all our emails and make them into a book. There are too many gems in them that I never want to forget…besides, I think the thing I spend the majority of my time on should have something tangible to show for it. You make me laugh, encourage me when I need it, have confidence in me when I have none in myself, and nag the crap out of me when I’m lagging behind (which, let’s face it, I always am). Please keep it up. Because I’m behind schedule…again…
My family—I promise, I’ll clean the house as soon as I get this one last thing done. And there are clean clothes in the dryer. I think. And leftover pizza in the fridge. The fact that you put up with all of the above and still give me hugs even when deadlines are looming and time for showers is scarce, just proves how amazing you are. I love you more than words can express.
And to my readers—thank you so much for reading and reviewing and for all the emails and support. You all are just spectacular, and I couldn’t do what I do if it wasn’t for you!
About the Author
Kira Archer resides in Pennsylvania with her husband, two kiddos, and far too many animals in the house. She tends to laugh at inappropriate moments, break all the rules she gives her kids (but only when they aren’t looking), and would rather be reading a book than doing almost anything else. She has odd, eclectic tastes in just about everything and often lets her imagination run away with her. She loves a vast variety of genres and writes in quite a few. If you love historical romances, check out her alter ego, Michelle McLean.
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Discover the Crazy Love series…
Driving Her Crazy
Cher Debusshere hates being the black sheep of her posh family as much as she hates driving. When her flight to her sister’s wedding is grounded (fan-freakin’-tastic), oh-so-sexy Nathaniel “Oz” Oserkowski offers to share both the car rental and the driving duties. Now he’s just driving her crazy by assuming Cher’s some spoiled little rich girl. But as they bait and needle each other, their lust and longing is hot enough to overheat the engine. They have nothing in common…but sometimes it takes a journey to change the destination.