“I called my mom.”
Kyla stopped short at his declaration. Unable to believe what she thought she’d heard, she turned to face him. “What?”
Sawyer braced himself with his crutches and stared determinedly at her. “I called my mom.”
Kyla shielded her eyes against the harsh Vegas sun. “I, uh, why?”
“I thought about what you said in the hospital—that there are people who are worried about me. So I called her. I wanted to let her know I was okay.”
“Oh.” She really didn’t know what to say to that. He did it because of her? She was afraid to hope.
“It went about like you’d expect. Started out good but then turned kinda dysfunctional. Like every conversation with my family.”
Kyla’s heart clenched. She hated that they couldn’t see this amazing man like she did. “I’m sorry.”
“I’m not. It helped me figure out what I need in my life. What people I need around me.”
“I’m glad then.” She smiled wanly. “You’ve given me so much. I’m glad I could help out even a little bit. But I, uh, I should go.”
“Don’t leave.”
“Sawyer, I have to. I’m glad you figured things out, but so did I. This...us. It’s killing me. I can’t do this anymore.”
“No, wait. Just listen, please?”
Unable to deny the man anything apparently, she nodded tightly.
“I realized who I need in my life and what I need to do to make that happen. I’m not saying I’m gonna change everything. But I’ll be more careful.” He smiled wryly. “Wear a seatbelt.”
Kyla’s heart began to pound as she realized what she thought he was saying. But she couldn’t let herself say what was bubbling up inside her. She wanted to hear him say it first.
“And I’m keeping the house.”
“But you can’t. You don’t... It’s your business. You can’t just keep it.”
“Why not? I own it outright. And I can afford to. Besides, something tells me my girl wouldn’t want to play in the middle of my next dusty building site when she can have a soft, comfortable bed instead.”
“Your girl?”
“Well, yeah.”
“Me?”
Sawyer laughed. “Who else could I mean?”
Kyla’s mind whirled. He was keeping the house. Wanted to keep her. Someone pinch me—it can’t be real.
“Ouch.” She flinched at the sharp, pinching pain on her arm.
“Of course it’s real.”
Somehow in the few seconds of her confusion, Sawyer had limped toward her and now stood directly in front of her again. And the jerk had pinched her!
“What was that for?”
“What? You asked someone to pinch you.” Sawyer gestured at the deserted driveway. “I don’t see anyone else here. Plus you know how much I hate to disappoint a willing woman.”
Kyla snorted.
“Now, come on. Let’s go inside. My hands are killing me.”
Instantly concerned, Kyla grabbed his hand and brought it to her lips. “Oh my gosh. Are you okay? Should you even use crutches? That can’t be good for your hands.”
“Come on, Kyla. Let’s go inside. You can cluck over me all you want indoors. It’s freaking hot out here.”
Sawyer whistled for Gaston and they followed him up the walkway. As they hobbled to the front door, Kyla ran a soothing hand over his back. A rush of emotions swam over her. Elation. Disbelief. And a tinge of fear.
She must have gasped or hiccupped or something because once they entered the house, Sawyer turned to her and took her into his arms. His crutches crashed to the ground.
“I’m all right, poppet. I’m still here and you’re here.”
Kyla closed her eyes and let him absorb all those horrible doubts and feelings. “And you want me to stay.”
“Hell yeah.” Sawyer pulled back and looked at her with a stern expression. “And as soon as my hands heal up, we’re gonna have a little talk about you doubting my word. And about your little disappearing act at the hospital. You’re running up quite a tally already. I might just have to get a little creative with your punishment.”
She shivered as his wicked laughter filled the room. She couldn’t wait.
* * * * *
Can she make their one night last forever?
Find out in Gillian Archer’s Wicked Weekend, available now!
Wicked Weekend
Why did Lauren Vaughn introduce her sister to the man she herself was crazy about? Now Lauren is watching the happy couple at their combined bachelor/bachelorette party—while Lauren sits all alone at the bar. Until she spots a hot stranger with the telltale black handkerchief in his pocket: the signal for “seeks no-strings affair with sexy submissive.” Lauren can’t take her eyes off him. So when he comes over, she kicks her inner good girl to the curb and follows Jamie Forman to his room, where he makes her scream with pleasure all night long.
But Jamie is a complicated man. He can’t handle how desperately he wants her in his bed—and his life. It’s up to Lauren to teach him how to make all night last forever.
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About the Author
Gillian has always loved books. And has had a serious soft spot for romances ever since the tender age of twelve when she would steal her mother’s Harlequin books and read them under her covers with a flashlight. But the writing bug didn’t hit until more than ten years later after a dare from her husband. (It might have also involved a wall-bangingly bad book.) Now she can’t imagine doing anything else.
Outside of writing, Gillian loves to spend her time snuggling with her husband, playing with her dogs and traveling to exotic places. After living abroad for four years, she is very happy to be back home in the U.S. and enjoying the wonders of Walmart.
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ISBN-13: 9781426898044
UP IN KNOTS
Copyright © 2014 by Gillian Archer
Edited by Rhonda Helms
All rights reserved. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of publisher, Harlequin Enterprises Limited, 225 Duncan Mill Road, Don Mills, Ontario, Canada M3B 3K9.
All characters in this book have no existence outside the imagination of the author and have no relation whatsoever to anyone bearing the same name or names. They are not even distantly inspired by any individual known or unknown to the author, and all incidents are pure invention.
This edition published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.
® and ™ are trademarks of the publisher. Trademarks indicated with ® are registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office, the Canadian Intellectual Property Office and in other countries.
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Gillian Archer, Up In Knots
Up In Knots Page 18