Love Is In the Air Volume 1

by Susan Stoker

  I slide into her, and as her warmth squeezes me like a vice, I get this feeling like I’m home. No matter where in the world I am, as long as she’s by my side, it’ll be home.

  I drive into her, the futon hard and unforgiving beneath us as our moans mingle in the air into a symphony of passion and desire. She flexes her hips to meet mine, and the nerves dissipate as they’re replaced with something rich and meaningful.

  I’m only moving in and out of her for a few short minutes when I reach down to thumb her clit between us. That’s the magic button, and her entire body clenches onto me. Her pussy squeezes my dick, and my balls draw up as I feel the familiar release edging its way toward me. I grunt and growl, and then I roar as the pleasure overtakes me and I fly into an intense, mind-numbing climax.

  It’s over far too soon, but my gut tells me that won’t be the only time we do that this weekend.

  In fact, as I settle onto the futon beside her, my legs too long for it as my body scrunches into a strange angle to fit, I see our entire future before us.

  “Whoa,” she murmurs as we both fight to regain our breath.

  “Yeah. Whoa.”

  She chuckles. “That was...” She trails off, suddenly timid when she wasn’t before.

  “What?” I prod. I lean up to look at her face. Her cheeks are flushed and her lips are swollen and her hair is a halo around her head. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a more beautiful sight than a freshly fucked Nicki.

  “The best,” she says simply, and I grin.

  “You’re damn right it was.”

  Once we’re clothed again and standing awkwardly across from each other, I have this sudden urge to be fully honest with her. I clear my throat. “That was...”

  She holds up a hand to cut me off. “The best,” she finishes. “It really was.” She looks away, her eyes melancholy. “And I get it, Josh, really. You don’t have to say any more. I know you’re heading off to the NFL and graduating college and the last thing you want is some college chick holding you back. I promise it won’t change anything between your sister and me now that we’ve gotten that out of our systems.”

  “Out of our systems?” I repeat.

  “Well, yeah. The sex. We’ve done it, and now we can move on. Let’s just put it behind us so we don’t have to have the awkward conversation, okay?”

  I grab both her hands in mine and duck down to try to catch her eyes. “No, Nicki. That’s not okay.”

  Her brows dip, and it’s her turn to be confused. “You want to talk it out?” She gives me a doubtful glance as she moves to pull her hands out of my grasp. I don’t let her, instead tightening my hold there.

  “I don’t want it to be a one-time thing. You’re not some college chick holding me back. You know what’s holding me back? Lying about how I really feel about you for the last four years.”

  The crease between her brows deepens. “How do you feel?”

  I press my lips together as anxiety pierces my chest. I clear my throat. Tell her. Just tell her. “I’m pretty sure I’m in love with you, and I want you to be a part of my future. I want you by my side when I get taken in the first round of the draft. I want you cheering me on in the stands when I play. I want to see where this can go and what sorts of mountains we can climb together.”

  “Together?” she repeats.

  I nod as I finally drop her hands and pull her closer to me. “Together.” I lean down, and I’m centimeters from taking her mouth beneath mine again when I murmur, “But only if it’s what you want, too.”

  I back up enough for our eyes to lock, and a pretty smile graces her lips. “It’s all I’ve wanted for four years, Josh Nolan.”

  One side of my mouth lifts up, and then my mouth crashes down to hers.

  We’re interrupted when the door opens with such brute force that it knocks loudly into the wall, reminiscent of the way Nicki walked into the room last night when I was asleep.

  “Oh Jesus,” Ellie mutters, catching the two of us mid-embrace. At least she walked in now and not ten minutes ago when we were both naked and fucking on a futon. “Did you two finally admit how you feel about each other? Because I’ve been waiting for years for that to happen but does it really have to be right this second?”

  Nicki laughs gingerly as she backs away from me, and I feel a wicked sense of loss. Though I guess if she’s still got two years in college and I’m playing pro football, having her move out of my arms is something we’re going to have to get used to.

  Ellie wrinkles her nose. “Did you two have sex?”

  Nicki turns bright red as she changes the subject without answering. “What are you doing back here so soon?”

  “Turns out Trevor’s not Prince Charming,” she mutters. “Total frog material. A big, fat, warty frog.”

  “Oh?” I ask. “Why’s that?”

  “Would Prince Charming casually grab your hand and stick it on his pants to show you that he’s hard literally less than ten minutes after you walk through the door?” she asks. She wrinkles her nose again. “It was just...not sexy. At all. It was rude.”

  “God, Ellie, I could do without the details.” I make a face. “But no, he doesn’t sound like a very nice guy. Remind me of his address so I can kick his ass before I head back to U of I.”

  Both ladies laugh, and that familiar laughter of my sister and my girl is one I know I’ll hear time and again.

  Now we just have to work on finding Ellie her own Prince Charming.

  Find out if Ellie meets her prince this March! Grab your copy of HOME GAME, the first book in the VEGAS ACES series here: https://geni.us/LS-ACES

  Getting fired and dumped in the same thirty seconds makes for a pretty bad Tuesday. But by Thursday, I’ll be in Vegas celebrating my brother’s wedding. Since I could use a fresh start, he offers me a place to stay with a buddy of his.

  At the bachelorette party, a raunchy game results in a quest to find me a one-night stand. When a hunk with dark blue eyes and perfect bone structure hits me with a silly line at the bar, my mission is complete.

  I vow to move on from our steamy night as I head to the rehearsal dinner, certain one of my brother’s hot pro football player groomsmen will be my Prince Charming.

  Then the best man turns around. Dark blue eyes. Perfect bone structure. A body I won’t soon forget.

  And apparently my new roommate.

  About the Author

  Lisa Suzanne is a romance author who resides in Arizona with her husband and two kids. She’s a former high school English teacher and college composition instructor. When she's not chasing or cuddling her kids, she can be found working on her latest book or watching reruns of Friends.

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  Marrying His Spitfire

  A Black Eagle Story

  Lynne St. James

  1

  “Umm, Rafe, what’s going on? Last time I checked, The Ready Room didn’t sell the stuff I need for the wedding favors,” Meghan Henley said as her fiancé Rafe Buchanan pulled into a parking spot in front of the bar.

  From the outside, it looked like a dive in the middle of a strip mall, but Pam Turner and Tony Ramirez, her boyfriend and the Ready Room head cook, along with her daughter, Sky, had given it a total makeover last year. Now it was like a diamond in the rough—sort of.

  “No, they don’t. But I’m craving Tony’s chicken wings, and I figured we could make a quick stop here on the way to the party store. We won’t stay long.” Rafe flashed his bright white smile before he hopped out of the truck to come around and open her door.

  They’d been together for just over two years, and that sexy look still raised goosebumps on her skin. Damn, she loved him. Not sure whether to thank Fate or Karma, but she owed one of them a huge debt of gratitude for delaying their plane on the night they met at Norfo
lk Airport.

  Meghan shook her head. Craving wings? That was a first. Especially since he’d eaten enough blueberry pancakes for four people after they spent the morning satisfying each other in bed and then the shower. Just thinking about it made her cheeks warm, and a shiver of desire raced through her.

  “You okay?” Rafe looked at her quizzically as he opened the door to help her out of the truck.

  “Yup, just wondering what you’re up to.” After cursing under her breath for the millionth time for being short, she took his hand and climbed down. She’d learned a while ago that if she didn’t let him help, he’d just pick her up and put her on the ground.

  “Me? Why would you say that? I’m hungry. It won’t take long to eat, and then, we’ll take care of everything else. Why are you being so suspicious?” Rafe twined his fingers with hers as they walked up to the entrance of the tavern.

  Meghan sighed. Maybe she had pre-wedding jitters? The wedding was in a week, and there was still so much to do before her family arrived. “I guess I’m stressed about having everything ready before my family shows up.”

  Rafe tilted her chin up, so she’d look up at him. “Don’t worry, babe. It’ll be fine. Nothing is going to ruin our wedding day. I don’t care if we’re in the middle of the Sahara Desert without water as long as you’re mine. I love you, spitfire.”

  “But—”

  Rafe slid his lips across hers and made Meghan’s words disappear. That was all it took to make her forget what she was going to say. Even his quick kisses made her toes curl in her shoes.

  “Can we eat now?” Rafe asked with a twinkle in his eye as he released her.

  Meghan’s cheeks were warm from his kiss. “Yeah, we’d better feed you, so you don’t waste away while we’re wandering around the party store. Or whine. You might whine instead.” Meghan smirked up at him, then broke into a giggle at the shocked look on his face. It was her way of getting him back for distracting her with the kiss.

  “I don’t whine.”

  Sure he did, but she didn’t care. He was home and safe, so life was good.

  “Whatever you say, big guy.” Meghan followed him into the bar.

  Rafe opened the door and stepped to the side.

  Meghan’s friends surged forward to surround her as they yelled surprise.

  Meghan was speechless as she took in her surroundings. They had decorated the bar with balloons and streamers and a big sign that said, “Congratulations Meghan and Rafe.” When she looked over at Rafe, his eyes were full of love and his smile was huge. Her heart squeezed in her chest, so full of love for him.

  Her childhood best friend and Ryan McLaughlin’s girlfriend, Chrissy Stillwell, was the first to hug her tight. “I wasn’t sure Rafe could pull it off, but from the look on your face, I’d say he nailed it. You didn’t think we’d let you get married without a bridal shower, did you?”

  “Hell yeah, he surprised me. I didn’t have a clue,” Meghan said as she hugged Chrissy. “Okay, maybe a small clue. Just because he’s never had a craving for Tony’s chicken wings. But I never figured it was a Bridal Shower. I should have known you’d plan something.”

  “I had to come up with something to get you here,” Rafe commented as the rest of the Black Eagle team greeted him and slapped him on the back while their girlfriends surrounded Meghan.

  Miranda Stanhope was next. She was the fiancé of Cam Patterson, one of Rafe’s teammates. “Surprise!”

  The rest of the women hugged her and dragged her over to where they’d pushed together a few tables to make room for all the gifts and an enormous cake. Tears welled up in Meghan’s eyes as she realized how much planning had gone into the surprise. These women and their men meant more to her than she’d have believed. They were truly a family.

  “I can’t believe you pulled this off,” Meghan said as Chrissy pushed her into a chair at the head of the table and sat down next to her.

  Sky Turner, Drew Murphy’s girlfriend, laughed. “Are you kidding? We had a blast doing this. The only problem was getting you here.”

  Rafe came up behind her and kissed Meghan on the head. He bent to whisper into her ear, “Have fun, spitfire, and don’t worry about buying the wedding favors. Chrissy took care of those, too.”

  Meghan didn’t know what to say, and she looked from Rafe to Chrissy. “You did?”

  “Yup. You’re my BFF. Did you actually think I wouldn’t make sure you had a shower and help with the wedding? Lizzie might be your matron of honor, but I’m your bestie.”

  She’d wanted Chrissy to be her maid of honor, but Chrissy had said that she didn’t care about that shit. So Meghan had asked her sister, Lizzie.

  “But you’ve been out of the country so much. I didn’t think about it,” Meghan murmured only loud enough for her friend to hear.

  “This is me we’re talking about. I figured out twelve different ways to pull this off. All we needed was Rafe, and if that failed, Miranda was going to drag you shopping. You should have known better,” Chrissy teased.

  “You’re right. Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome. Oh, and Lizzie sent a gift and a message. She was so upset she couldn’t make it.” Chrissy motioned to Dawn Randolph, Rafe’s sister and Jake Warner’s fiancée. “Can you grab that purple bag?”

  “Sure.” Dawn grabbed the sparkly, purple gift bag and gave it Meghan with a wink.

  “Now you can say hi,” Chrissy said.

  Meghan looked at her friend to see Lizzie’s face looking back at her from the iPad in Chrissy’s hand. While she’d been concentrating on Dawn and the bag, Chrissy had called her sister on Facetime.

  “I’m so sorry I couldn’t make it. Then Chrissy came up with this idea, so I wouldn’t have to miss it. Mom is here, too.” Lizzie turned her phone a little so Meghan could see her mom waving at her.

  “Gotta love technology, right? Almost as good as being here,” Meghan said.. Tears welled in her eyes, and a lump lodged in her throat.

  “Open it. We want to see what you got,” Miranda prodded.

  “Yes, open it.” The grin on Lizzie’s face reminded her of the look she’d get whenever she’d pull a prank on Meghan when they were kids. She was in trouble. She’d sure seen it enough times when they were growing up.

  “I think I’m going to be in trouble,” Meghan said as she pulled open the purple bag and lifted out the first wrapped package.

  “We know you are.” Chrissy laughed. “Sooo much trouble.”

  Meghan looked behind her, relieved to see that Rafe and the rest of the guys were standing near the pool tables. Then she tore open the wrapping.

  “Holy shit,” Meghan exclaimed as she held up a set of fuzzy purple handcuffs.

  Chrissy and Lizzie burst out laughing.

  Miranda looked kind of scandalized. She was definitely the most sheltered of the group, but the rest of the Black Eagle women were working on fixing that.

  “I love them. Lizzie, you’re going to have to tell me where to get a pair of those. I think they’d look great on Murph,” Sky said as she laughed.

  “Open the next one,” Lizzie said.

  Meghan rolled her eyes at her sister, worried that the deeper she got into the bag, the more embarrassed she’d end up.

  As she unwrapped and held up the gifts to the cheers of the others, Meghan’s face heated. The massage oil wasn’t too bad, but when she unwrapped the royal-purple vibrator in triple extra-large, she dropped it back into the bag.

  “Oh My God, Lizzie,” Meghan exclaimed. She couldn’t have been more shocked that her sister actually bought that monster.

  Everyone was laughing so hard that the men came over to see what was going on.

  “Never you mind, Rafe,” Lizzie said as she wiped the tears from her face. “Y’all go back where you belong. Trust me, you’ll want these to be a surprise.”

  Meghan didn’t know how she was going to get her back, but the game was on.

  There were a few other naughty gifts in the bag, but finally,
Meghan reached the bottom of the bag and pulled out a shirt-sized box. Carefully opening it after seeing how the other gifts had gotten raunchier as she’d worked her way through them, she couldn’t have been more surprised when she pulled out tasteful lingerie.

  Meghan stood, making sure the guys weren’t looking, and held up the delicate nightgown. It was white silk with thin spaghetti straps and a bodice embroidered with seed pearls and iridescent sequins over lace. The rest was just smooth silk. Also in the box was a matching covering made of chiffon with a similar embroidery and decorations.

  “It’s gorgeous, Lizzie. Thank you. I think it’s prettier than my wedding gown,” Meghan said as she blinked back tears.

  Lizzie’s eyes were bright with tears, too. “I love you, Meggy.”

  “I love you too, Lizzie,” she answered, then carefully folded the gown and robe, and put it back in the box. Wait until Rafe saw it.

  While Meghan opened the rest of the gifts, Pam brought out trays of chicken parmesan, baked ziti, and salad fixings. She placed them on a table next to the table with the cake and presents.

  After Meghan finished opening all the presents, Chrissy put a huge floppy straw hat covered with bows and ribbons on Meghan’s head. Whoever had come up with the tradition should be shot.

  Everyone snapped photos with their phones, and Meghan dreaded seeing these pictures later.

  Then another thought hit her. “If any of you post these on Facebook, I’m going to kill you. It will totally ruin any hopes I have of being taken seriously,” Meghan said as she looked at all of her smiling friends. Oh yeah, it was probably already too late.

  “Don’t be ridiculous. Everyone has these pics online. It makes you human,” Sky answered, smiling and relaxed as she shook her blue-haired head.

  Meghan smiled. There had been a time not that long ago that she would have had a meltdown about a camera pointed in her general direction, never mind photos online.