“What am I missing?” Peyton asked, studying the dress intently. “This is a seriously gorgeous dress.”
“A really long time ago I saw this dress in a store and fell madly in love,” Remy explained, moving back to her spot on the bed. She tucked in her robe when she sat cross-legged, and Salem promptly climbed back onto her lap. “I was with Asher when we walked by the store and I don’t think I stopped talking about it for weeks.” She hesitated, then realized something she hadn’t before. “Actually, the old dress shop store was where my shop is now.”
“Oh, my God, you’re right,” Kinsley said, reaching for the curling iron and getting to work on the curls again. “I totally forgot that dress shop was there. That’s kind of cool.”
“It’s perfectly right,” Peyton said, grabbing the blush brush and getting back to work on Remy’s makeup.
Remy’s gaze fell to the dress again. Okay, so maybe fate sometimes did get things right.
Forty-five minutes later, wearing the dress that was a tad too tight but thankfully fit, Remy followed the girls down the staircase, with her hair in flowy waves around her face. When they reached the kitchen that led to the outside, Peyton smiled. “Ready?”
“Beyond ready.” Remy nodded.
Peyton left through the back door and then a beautiful feminine voice filled the silence. Remy made a note to make sure to thank the regular singer at Whiskey Blues for lending her voice to the ceremony.
“I’m so happy for you, Remy.” Kinsley gave Remy a quick kiss on the cheek. “Let’s go get you married…again.” She laughed as she headed out.
Remy followed, immediately greeted by every cop in Stoney Creek and some even from Whitby Falls. The rest of the people in the yard were friends that both she and Asher had gained over the years, and, of course, MaryJane and her gossip crew were there to witness something they could talk about for the next month, even though they all seemed confused there was a second wedding.
Remy carefully made it down the wooden stairs of the deck and then her focus narrowed on Asher. He looked slick and sexy in his black suit and a light green tie. He stood between his mother’s flowerbeds, which looked alive again with the green plants that Remy had bought, and the girls had gotten planted. Boone and Rhett stood off to the side, standing up for him. Judge Mulroney was in front of Asher.
With each step Remy took, Asher’s eyes warmed. Right as she passed the first flowerbed, nearly reaching him, two mourning doves suddenly flew out of the flowerbed closest to Remy and then rested on the white wooden arbor.
“See, she’s here.” Remy smiled when she reached him.
Emotion danced in his eyes as Asher took her hand and kissed her palm. “You brought her back here.” He tugged her forward until she pressed against him and his hand sprawled along her back. “You brought life back here…and to me.”
She smiled up at him, not caring they weren’t following wedding protocol. Life was on their terms now. “If these are your vows, you’re off to a good start.”
He chuckled and arched an eyebrow. “Baby, I’ve had years to think of what I’m about to say to you.”
She slid her hand up to cup his face. “Just promise me forever, Asher. That’s all I need.”
His mouth brushed across hers. “Don’t kid yourself, Remy. Me and you, we’ve always had forever.”
Epilogue
Five months later…
The heat didn’t seem to quit. Sweat dripped down Remy’s back as much as it had earlier this evening when Peyton and Boone became husband and wife. The trip to the tropics had been six days of pure bliss and relaxation, but today had been all about Peyton and Boone and their love. They’d been married on the beach at sunset, had a private dinner with just the six of them, plus Hank, and then Boone and Peyton returned to their honeymoon suite, while Asher and Remy strode the beach, the sand squishing between her toes.
“What if we never go home?” Asher asked as the waves crashed up on the rocky shoreline.
She hugged his arm and leaned into him. “I’d lose my shop. You’d lose your job. And we’d never see our lifelong friends again.”
“Shit. Good point.” Asher chuckled and winked. “This has been nice, though. We need to do this vacation thing more often.”
“Definitely.” Over the past five months, everyone kept wondering if Joaquin would make contact again, considering his unusual behavior in the end, but he never did. And Lars was in jail. Life had returned to easy days filled with love and happiness and everything in between. “You know, I really hate to disappoint you, but taking another vacation might soon be hard for us.”
With the moonlight shining down on them, Asher stopped and glanced at her, brows drawn together. “Why is that?”
“Well…” She took his hand and placed it on her belly, giving him a smile she hoped answered his question.
His head cocked and eyes searched hers for a long moment. “Are you…?”
“Pregnant?” She smiled, tears filling her eyes. “I am.”
He kept one hand on her belly, with the other he cupped her face. “But you’ve been drinking this week?”
“No, you thought I was drinking this week,” she countered. “I’ve been ordering virgins all week.”
It felt like he stared at her for another full minute before he asked, “How long have you known?”
The breeze rushed by, a blessed break in the heat. “I took the test the first day we got here.”
His expression was in full detective mode, revealing nothing. “Why didn’t you say anything?”
“Because it was really early when I took the test. I didn’t want to say anything until I took the test again.” She moved a little closer, feeling the warm pull Asher exuded. “But this morning, I took another test.”
“Shit,” Asher exclaimed, grabbing her and lifting her up and swinging her around. “A baby.” He grinned, full of manly pride before he dropped to his knee and kissed her tummy. “Our baby.”
Remy smiled, happy tears in her eyes. She slid her hands in his hair, holding him close when he hugged her belly. “Our family.”
He eventually rose and gathered her in his arms. “Our family.” He scooped her up in his arms. “Damn. Let’s get back to the room. I’m going to show you just how happy I am.”
She laughed, dropping a kiss on his neck, shivering at his low moan.
When they reached the path lit by lights, he let her back down on her feet. They walked along the path of lush tropical forest until they reached the block of rooms. Heading down the hallway toward their room, Remy quickly realized they weren’t alone. “Am I seeing this?” she whispered, freezing on the spot.
“You are,” Asher managed. “What. The. Fuck.”
What they were seeing was Kinsley and Rhett going at it. Hard-core. Rhett had Kinsley pressed against the wall, nearly ripping at each other’s clothes, kissing each other like they’d been starved of each other’s flesh. Kinsley managed to get Rhett’s shirt off right as he opened his suite’s door and then the door slammed shut behind them.
Sure, Remy hoped that maybe Rhett and Kinsley would get together one day, but she certainly wasn’t expecting it to ever happen. Or happen like this. She slowly glanced at Asher. “Are we ever going to talk about what we just saw?” she asked him in a whisper.
Asher barked a loud laugh. “No. Never.”
“Is Boone going to kill them?” Remy cringed.
Asher glanced down at her and grinned. “Yup.”
Acknowledgments
To my husband, my children, family, friends, and bestie, it’s easy to write about love when there is so much love around me. Big thanks to my readers for your friendship and your support; my editor, Lexi, for believing in me and my small-town shop owners and their hot detectives; my agent, Jessica, for always having my back; the kick-ass authors in my Sprint group for their endless advice and support; the entire Forever Yours team for all their hard work. Thank you.
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About the Author
Stacey Kennedy is an outdoorsy, wine-drinking, nap-loving, animal-cuddling, USA Today bestselling romance author with a chocolate problem. She writes sexy contemporary romance full of heat and heart, including titles in her wildly hot Dangerous Love, Kinky Spurs, Club Sin, and Dirty Little Secrets series. She lives in southwestern Ontario with her family and does most of her writing surrounded by lazy dogs.
Learn more at:
www.staceykennedy.com
Twitter @Stacey_Kennedy
Facebook.com/authorstaceykenne
PRAISE FOR THE DANGEROUS LOVE SERIES
Naughty Stranger
“A steamy and emotional romance with a generous dose of intrigue and suspense…The unpredictable twists and turns of this story will keep you on the edge of your seat and rooting for Peyton and Boone every step of the way.”
—Frolic
“An entertaining thriller hidden in a sizzling small-town romance.”
—Fresh Fiction
“From the very first page Naughty Stranger will have you hooked, once I got started I just couldn’t put it down. Its sultry and suspenseful story line and captivating characters drew me in and had me teetering helplessly from the edge of my seat!”
—Reds Romance Reviews
“I really enjoyed this story, and I loved watching two broken souls find hope, and love, in each other. Especially amidst a crazy murder plot, and all their friends’ nosiness!”
—Alpha Book Club
Are you ready for Kinsley and Rhett’s story? Keep reading for a preview of RUTHLESS BASTARD, available in early 2020.
Chapter 1
The sun began to set over the forbidding mountains, giving a slight reprieve to the brutal heat soaking Rhett West in sweat, but the constant screaming and echoing of gunfire remained. As part of the Army Rangers, they’d been deployed on a top secret mission to capture a high-value target, but upon arriving to the town tucked away in the treacherous mountains, they were surrounded by enemy forces and immediately under rapid gunfire. He kept his gun aimed, his focus steady, and fired bullets, watching bodies drop. He never looked at their faces. Never made it personal. This was a job.
His fellow Rangers stayed close, tucked safely behind boulders while they fired.
Rhett felt a body fall next to him, heard the roar of pain. He reached out, grabbing his buddy Matthews by the vest and yanking him back behind the boulder. After a quick assessment, he grabbed Matthews’s hand. “Got shot in the thigh.” He squeezed his hand around Matthews’s leg. “Don’t let go.”
Matthews nodded quickly. “Yeah. Fuck. Yeah.”
Rhett took aim again and saw the enemy forces moving higher up the mountain. Hundreds of them, compared to ten of Rhett and his men. He shut his eyes, knowing perhaps this time, death had come calling.
Until he heard the sound of fighter jets overhead, followed by explosions rocking the ground beneath him.
Rhett shook himself out of the dream. He had gotten out of Afghanistan alive. That was what he needed to remind himself. After serving twelve years in the military, he retired from the Army Rangers with a medical discharge after an M-60 machine gun, 7.62 NATO caliber tore into his shoulder, and he brought home every single dark memory of grounds littered with bodies. Men. Women. Children. War was war, and it wasn’t pretty. He ran his hands through his hair and drew a deep breath.
For the past three years, he worked as a detective for the Stoney Creek Police Department, and he took pleasure where he could take it. Most times that happened in bed with a lithe woman back home in Stoney Creek, Maine. But he’d come to the tropics to watch his childhood friend and fellow detective Boone Knight marry Peyton Kerr, the newest member to their group. Also on the trip was his other buddy and detective, Asher Sullivan, as well as his wife, Remy Brennan…along with Boone’s sister, Kinsley Knight. Rhett shook his head. His plan had gone accordingly, until he got into the whiskey earlier.
After that, he couldn’t quite piece together coming back to his hotel room or how the gorgeous brunette got into his bed.
Not just any woman. Kinsley, Boone’s little sister.
Dehydrated, naked, and with a mother of all headaches, Rhett stood up and looked down at the biggest mistake he’d ever made lying in his bed. He glanced down to the floor, finding three open condom wrappers.
Fuck.
Sure, he’d wanted to kiss her since the day he suddenly looked up and realized she was a beautiful woman and no longer the kid that used to drive them crazy. Yeah, they had passion that was hot and addictive and totally off-limits. But it was this damn tropical island, seeing her strutting around in a string bikini with barely anything covering her ass. He wanted a taste of her sun-kissed skin, and apparently, he’d done just that last night.
“Why are you staring at me?” Kinsley groaned, her face buried in the pillow.
“Did we fuck last night?” No beating around the bush. He needed answers. Now.
She turned her head a little and peeked open an eye. “Ugh. There’s two of you, and both of you look really pissed off.”
“Kinsley, answer me,” Rhett said sharply. “Please tell me this is a nightmare and we actually didn’t sleep together last night.” But every moan, every hot kiss was there burned in his memory.
She rolled over then, and Rhett caught a full view of her incredible breasts. At the sight of them, he remembered sucking on those while she rode him until they both orgasmed. Jesus Christ. He quickly turned around. “Get dressed.”
“You’re naked too, you know,” she said with a smile in her voice. “And it’s quite clear you still want me.”
He glared at her over his shoulder and then scowled at his hard cock. “Get dressed. Right now.” He moved to the dresser and then took out a pair of shorts. He slipped into them and then turned to find her sitting up in bed with the blankets up, covering her chest. His mind stuttered at the sight of her. Dark, rustled long hair, gorgeous blue eyes, both were a stark contrast against the white pillows and sheets. “Jesus Christ,” he said aloud, moving to the chair, as far away from her as possible, considering he was contemplating climbing back into bed with her. “What the fuck have I done?”
“Me,” she said with a laugh. “And damn, it was good.”
He dropped his hands. “Kinsley,” he said in a warning tone.
Instead of responding, which was what he expected, she pushed away the sheets and rose. Rhett’s cock went from hard to rock hard so fast, he grunted. She was perfect. Every single inch of her. Curves in all the right places. Her skin smooth and creamy. But those eyes of hers—filled with heat and sass and something he couldn’t put a name on—unraveled him. “What are you doing to me?” he grumbled.
“Making this as painful as possible.” She laughed, then moved to her panties and bra on the floor. When she reached for them, she turned her heart shaped ass to him and bent over.
“It’s working.” He groaned.
She quickly dressed in her sexy thong panties and black lace bra, then slid back into her slinky bridesmaid dress, reminding Rhett that they were there at the resort for her brother’s wedding. He was a fucking terrible friend.
When she turned back, she gave him a soft smile. “You can relax. Boone will never know about this.” She moved closer and stared down at him, her pretty hair curtaining her face.
Rhett clenched his fists, fighting against his desire to tangle his fingers in their strands and to bring her right back onto his lap. “This shouldn’t have fucking happened.” He rose. He saw the way her pupils dilated. The same way they always did when he got close. It was why he kept his distance. She deserved better than him. Kinsley was sunshine and light, and radiated warmth. He was darkness.
Boldly, like she always was, she took a step forward, closing the distance. “We both knew eventually this would happen. Now it has, and we can finally get over thi
s push and pull we’ve had going on for years.” She gave him a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “Don’t worry, you can go back home and let everyone keep thinking you’re a ruthless bastard.”
“I am a ruthless bastard,” he called out to her as she headed for the door.
Her hand froze on the door handle and then she turned back to him. She didn’t need to say a word. All the guards he felt like he had up against the world suddenly broke and fell apart. Kinsley did that to him. She slayed him. “Rhett,” she said. “We both know that’s complete and total bullshit.” And then the door shut behind her.
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From USA Today bestselling author Stacey Kennedy comes a thrilling, sexy romance about a woman in danger and a small-town police detective who will do anything to keep her safe.
After a sudden tragedy blew her world apart, Peyton Kerr fled her big-city career and started over in Stoney Creek, Maine. So far, she’s loving small-town life—no one knows about her past, and her easy flirtation with Boone Knight gives her a reason to smile. But then someone is murdered in Peyton’s store, and her quiet, anonymous existence is instantly destroyed. To make matters worse, Boone—a police detective—is assigned to the case, and Peyton knows she can’t keep him at arm’s length any longer. She’s resisted the simmering heat between them—but now this gorgeous man is promising to keep her safe—and satisfied…
Boone Knight doesn’t want the complications of a relationship. But when he volunteers to protect his town’s newest—and sexiest—resident, he finally admits he’d like to explore their sizzling attraction. And after one incredible night, everything changes for Boone. Peyton is sweeter—and braver—than anyone he’s ever met, and with her in his arms, everything makes sense. He just needs to convince her to trust him enough to reveal her secrets, or risk losing her to a merciless killer who seems to grow bolder with each passing day.
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