He sighed and patted her leg, and Amy dutifully slid off of his lap.
“Kyle. Lina.” Jamie stood and faced them. Behind Kyle’s ever-present dark shades, Jamie knew his icy blue eyes were narrowed.
“Jamie.” A nod. “Amy.”
“We thought this had gone on long enough,” Lina said bravely. “You two are brothers, so... start acting like it, okay?”
The two men stared at each other for a long minute until Kyle nodded. Jamie held out his hand. Kyle took it.
It was a start. The hour-long ride wasn’t the easiest. There were plenty of awkward lapses in conversation, but the important thing was, they were talking again.
“We did good, didn’t we?” Amy asked uncertainly to Lina as she poured coffee from the carafe provided.
“Yeah,” Lina exhaled. “But it’s going to take time.”
“Good thing they have us, then.” It was a wishful statement. After today, Amy hoped that was still true.
“Yeah,” Lina smiled. “It is.”
“That was a hell of a stunt you and Lina pulled today,” Jamie said much later that night as they drove back to Birch Falls.
Amy didn’t know what to say. Jamie had been unusually quiet after the train ride and during the special dinner reservations for two. She couldn’t tell if he was angry or not. Every now and then she’d flick sideways glances his way, but his gaze had remained fixed on the road ahead.
“I’m glad you did it.”
She let out the breath she’d been holding, “You are?”
“Yeah.” He reached over and curled his hand around hers.
“I thought you might be angry with me for interfering.”
His lips quirked. “I think I was more surprised than anything. I didn’t know you could be so devious.”
That welcome relief she’d felt only a few moments earlier shriveled at his choice of the word ‘devious’. “I’m sorry, Jamie. Lina and I thought... well, I don’t know what we thought. She’s my friend, you know? And I really care about you.”
“Do you?”
“Yes! I want you to be happy, Jamie. Maybe I was wrong, but I thought this unresolved thing between you and Kyle was weighing you down.”
“Unresolved thing? Amy, my brother married the woman I asked to marry me.”
Amy reclaimed her hand and stared out the window, willing the sudden moisture in her eyes not to fall. After all this time, after everything that had happened, she thought he was ready to put it all behind him and move forward. Apparently not. She’d been a fool to think that—-
“And thank God he did.”
She sniffled, snapping her gaze back to him. “What did you say?”
“I said, thank God he did. Because otherwise, I wouldn’t be able to do this.”
Jamie pulled off the road onto a scenic overlook. He got out of the car, walked around to her side, and opened her door.
“Jamie, what are you doing?”
He smiled patiently. “Just go with it, okay? It’s my birthday.”
She did. She stepped out of the car, inhaling sharply when she saw the gorgeous view of Birch Falls lit up below them.
“Amy?”
She turned back to find Jamie on his knee and gasped.
“Amy, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”
Her hands flew up to her mouth. “What?”
Jamie grinned, holding a glittering solitaire in his fingers. “I’m proposing, Amy. Marry me. Be my wife. I know we’ve only been seeing each other a few months, but if there’s one thing the Cupids taught me, it’s that when it’s right, it’s right. And there is no doubt in my mind, Amy Stewart, that you are the right one for me.”
Tears spilled over her lashes, but this time, they were tears of joy. Unable to speak, she nodded. Jamie rose and slipped the ring on her finger, then pulled her into an embrace.
“You know what else they told me?” he whispered against her ear.
She was almost afraid to ask. “What?”
“That proposal sex is better than make-up sex.”
Amy laughed. “Is that true?”
“I don’t know. But I don’t think we should simply take their word for it...”
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Ready for Johnny?
You met Celina’s older brother Johnny in Book 1. He’s overprotective, sexy, and a bit on the wild side. The second full-length book in the Connelly Cousins series is all about Johnny and his croie, Stacey Mallory – also known as erotic romance author Salienne Dulcette.
Check out this excerpt from Johnny: Connelly Cousins, Book 2...
* *
The music changed.
Stacey’s eyes popped open. She’d been dozing on and off to the soft rock station, her body relaxed, her mind subconsciously turning the lyrics of each song into a story. At some point, the easy love ballads had switched to pounding bass and screaming guitars.
Why had the music changed? And when?
Now alert, Stacey strained her ears to hear over the music. It was faint, but it definitely sounded as if someone was moving around out there. Her heart began to pound, brutally aware that she was buck naked and immersed in a hot tub – not exactly the best position to be in for receiving unexpected company.
Unexpected was the operative word. Her imagination began to run wild as she lifted herself to the edge of the tub. What if it wasn’t company? What if someone had broken in?
Stacey turned off the jets and listened intently. The clink of a bottle, the clank of a dish. Someone was in the kitchen, but not trashing the place. Her worries eased down just a notch. It was probably just Lina coming to check on her, she thought, reaching for the towel hanging from the arm of her wheelchair. Besides, an intruder would never have made it past the state of the art security system Lina had shown her...
Oh, crap. She had remembered to activate that after Lina and Kyle had left, hadn’t she? She’d thought about it, but she couldn’t remember actually doing so. She’d been so eager to start working on the opening scene of her book and had been distracted.
The fluffy white towel wasn’t cooperating. She tugged again; it was stuck. With her panic rising at the fear of being caught au naturel, Stacey gave it a desperate, hard pull. The towel came loose, but the brake lever on her chair disengaged in the process. Stacey watched in abject horror as her chair began to roll away. She lunged for it, but it was too late. Her wet bottom slid along the smooth edge of her tub and she plopped right back into the water, watching helplessly as her wheelchair came to a stop behind one of the potted palms.
Now what the hell was she supposed to do?
Think, Mallory, think. The way she saw it, she had two options. One, lift her big ass out of the tub and skooch her way across the decorative hardwood to the chair and one of the terry robes, hoping no one came looking for her while she did. Or two, wait it out like a naked, sitting duck and hope it was Lina who eventually walked through that door.
Right.
Stacey kept her eyes on the door and began to ease out of the tub. She’d no sooner swung one leg onto the decking when the door handle began to turn. There was n
o way she as going to make it.
She flicked the jets back on and the tub lights off, then slid back into the water up to her neckline. Between the lack of light and the turbulent water, she might be able to hide her regretful decision to bathe naked. As an extra precaution, Stacey pulled the towel under the water and covered her girlie bits the best she could.
And then promptly forgot how to breathe, because it wasn’t Lina who entered.
It was a huge freaking Viking god.
He filled the doorframe. Long blond hair touched his broad, broad shoulders. Full male lips graced a strong, hard-angled face. Bronzed, muscled arms extended from the snug, short-sleeved T straining across a well-defined chest.
Stacey sank lower until the water touched her chin. With the familiar blonde hair and stunning green eyes she could make out even from where she was, he had to be one of Lina’s brothers. Stacey was going to have a stern word or two for her friend next time she saw her. Over the course of their friendship, she’d heard a lot about Johnny and Michael, but never, in all that time, had Lina ever mentioned this insane level of masculine perfection, and the photos she’d proudly shown had been of a much younger boy who hadn’t yet reached this level of supreme manliness. That had to break some unwritten girlfriend rule somewhere.
He didn’t see her at first. He walked in a few steps and set what was left of a six-pack on the bench closest to the door. Then he bent over (good Lord the man had a damn fine ass!) and untied his boots. He wasn’t going to...
... oh hell yes he was. After toeing off his boots, he grabbed the hem of his shirt and began to lift. A ripped set of washboard abs was revealed. Once again, Stacey forgot to breathe.
Talk about a dilemma! Carnal instinct warred with logic. Did she keep her mouth shut and enjoy the spectacular show? And it was a spectacular show. She’d seen professionals that didn’t look as good as he did without even trying. Each movement sent a delicious rippling effect over his upper body as his muscles worked in perfect harmony to remove that pesky cotton and reveal all... of... that.
Her other choice, of course, was to break the spell he was unknowingly weaving and announce her presence.
Beneath the water, she squeezed her thighs together, hard, and tried to rein in her rampant hormones. This was Lina’s brother. She had to do the right thing.
“Um, excuse me?”
He stilled, his faded jeans already halfway down his delectable ass. Those powerful green eyes, trimmed by thick dark lashes, turned her way.
She smiled, or tried to. Her mouth didn’t seem to be working properly. “I’m Stacey.”
He blinked. Once. Twice. Then rose slowly back into an upright position. Her eyes flicked down to where his fly was open and his zipper was down, a gorgeous trail of dark golden hair disappearing behind a black Hanes waistband. It was impossible to tell for sure, but if pressed, she’d guess boxer briefs.
She licked her lips and forced her eyes back to his face. It wasn’t exactly a hardship. “I guess Lina didn’t tell you I was coming.”
Why was he staring at her like that? Why wasn’t he saying anything?
* *
Want to read more? Click here to grab your copy of Johnny and Stacey’s story today:
https://abbiezandersromance.com/johnny/
Also by Abbie Zanders
Contemporary Romance
Dangerous Secrets (Callaghan Brothers, Book 1)
First and Only (Callaghan Brothers, Book 2)
House Calls (Callaghan Brothers, Book 3)
Seeking Vengeance (Callaghan Brothers, Book 4)
Guardian Angel (Callaghan Brothers, Book 5)
Beyond Affection (Callaghan Brothers, Book 6)
Having Faith (Callaghan Brothers, Book 7)
Bottom Line (Callaghan Brothers, Book 8)
Forever Mine (Callaghan Brothers, Book 9)
*
Celina (Connelly Cousins, Book 1)
Jamie (Connelly Cousins Novella, Book 1.5)
Johnny (Connelly Cousins, Book 2)
Michael (Connelly Cousins, Book 3)
*
Five Minute Man (Covendale Series, Book 1)
All Night Woman (Covendale Series, Book 2)
Seizing Mack (Coming Soon)
*
The Realist
*
Celestial Desire
*
Just For Me (Cerasino Family Novella, Book 1)
*
Protecting Sam (Special Forces Operation Alpha Kindle World – coming soon)
Time Travel Romance
Maiden in Manhattan
Raising Hell in the Highlands
Paranormal Romance
Vampire, Unaware
*
Black Wolfe’s Mate (written as Avelyn McCrae)
*
Faerie Godmother (Mythic Series, Book 1)
Fallen Angel (Mythic Series, Book 2)
The Oracle at Mythic (Mythic Series, Book 3)
Wolf Out of Water (Mythic Series, Book 4)
*
Falling for the Werewolf (Howls Romance)
*
The Jewel (coming soon)
*
Going Nowhere (coming soon)
Historical Romance
A Warrior’s Heart (written as Avelyn McCrae)
About the Author
Abbie Zanders loves to read and write romance in all forms; she is quite obsessive, really. Her ultimate fantasy is to spend all of her free time doing both, preferably in a secluded mountain cabin overlooking a pristine lake, though a private beach on a lush tropical island works, too. Sharing her work with others of similar mind is a dream come true. She promises her readers two things: no cliffhangers, and there will always be a happy ending. Beyond that, you never know...
Jamie: Connelly Cousins, Book 1.5 Page 5