by Virna DePaul
Pulling up to the curb at his house, I snagged a tissue from the glove box, wiped the tears from my cheeks and flew out of the car. I raced up the walkway and pounded on the door, my breath coming in pants.
His door swung open. My chin quivered and my eyes pooled.
Immediately attentive, he stepped over the threshold and grasped my shoulders. “Shelby, what’s wrong?”
“You were right,” I sobbed. “I love you. I never stopped loving you. And I should have told you back then.”
Logan grinned. “It’s about time.” The next instant, I was in his arms, his hands stroking my hair.
I bawled, drenching his t-shirt. I felt like a fool letting it all out on his front porch for all the world to see. But I was beyond caring. I was tired of denial. At that point, even if he changed his mind and dumped me, in a way I’d be free. But something told me he wouldn’t.
He hugged me tighter and eventually my crying turned into a soft sigh. “Better now?” he asked.
“Yes.” Much better, now that he was holding me. I’d have to thank Ginny. Later though. I had things to do first — namely, Logan. I lifted my head from his chest. “Can you forgive me for not telling you then?”
Logan brushed my hair off my face and met my eyes. “We’ll trade. You have to forgive me for being a coward for the nine longest years of my life.”
“I can do that.” I smiled through the new tears.
He cupped my face and lowered his mouth to mine. His gentle kiss ended all too quickly, leaving me shivering. Then he scooped me up and carried me inside.
I needed to say it again, to make sure he knew. “I love you.”
“Forever this time,” he whispered.
THE END
ABOUT VERONICA BLADE:
Veronica Blade lives in Southern California with her husband and children. By day she runs the family business, but each night she slips away to spin her tales. She writes stories about young adults to relive her own childhood and to live vicariously through her characters. Except her heroes and heroines lead far more interesting lives -- and they are always way hotter. You can visit her website at www.veronicablade.com
Other books by Veronica Blade:
Something Witchy This Way Comes:
Brainiac Tessa McClean’s newly discovered magical powers give her an escape from her self-absorbed parents. But the thrill of being a witch fades when she learns of a rival coven and begins to suspect her own coven’s motives. Evidence tells Tessa to trust one side, but instinct drives her toward the other.
When the school’s scrumptious delinquent, Hayden Anders, offers Tessa self-defense lessons in exchange for tutoring, his timing couldn’t be better. Although hanging out with him is a necessary evil in Tessa’s fight to stay alive, resisting a bad-boy she secretly yearns for might be more than she can manage.
Together, Tessa and Hayden work to unravel the mysteries behind the two covens to discover why they’ll stop at nothing to lure Tessa to their side. She must form an alliance with one of the covens before it’s too late. But the wrong decision could cost Tessa the lives of all who she holds dear — including Hayden.
A Bite’s Tale: A Furry Fable:
A Cinderella who spends her nights as a wolf. A prince with a taste for blood.
Seventeen year old Cydney struggles against her werewolf nature, trying to keep everyone around her safe. No way will she risk exposing the beast at the prince’s ball, no matter how her two cousins try to persuade her. Even as she attempts to get on with her life, Cydney can’t forget the boy she loved three summers ago — or what she did to him after losing control.
Turned into a vampire to save his life, the prince refuses to live up to his royal duties. He just wants to find the girl he loved and lost...the werewolf girl who bit him. But his father, the king, commands him to attend a ball where he must choose a wife. Can he find his Cinderella before he's forced to marry another? He doesn’t even have her real name, much less a glass slipper.
WILD FOR HIM
by Virna DePaul
* * * * *
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Thank you to Susan Hatler, who is not just a true friend and invaluable critique partner, but an inspiration, a shoulder-to-cry-on, a sounding board, and pure fun to be with. Sunny Slope all the way!
Also thanks to Veronica Blade, whose kind heart and wicked sense of humor have been a joy to get to know. This was a fun project!
Thanks to Rochelle D, Cyndi F and Tina Folsom for your crits and invaluable friendship.
Finally, thanks to C and my boys, who mean everything to me!
* * * * *
CHAPTER ONE
Sitting in a back room of the Sacramento Superior Court’s Staff Attorney’s office, Deputy District Attorney Bryn Donovon struggled to appear disinterested in what her friend was saying—even though disinterested was the last thing she felt.
“Come on, Bryn, be honest,” Tamara Logan urged as she waved a forkful of salad. “There’s no way you can face Daniel Mays in court each week and not fantasize about him. You’re a woman, you have eyes, and he’s gorgeous. He completed the Iron Man in the top five, for goodness sake!”
Bryn snorted, took a sip from her water bottle, then shrugged. “Did the triathlon add a new category? For ‘Men With The Biggest Heads,’ perhaps?”
Good, that was good. Her comment revealed none of the desire and wistfulness that had coursed through her body the second Tamara had mentioned Daniel’s name.
Tam laughed, sending her chandelier earrings jingling. “They sure did, only they weren’t measuring the head above his waist. He qualified because he had the biggest—”
Raising her hands to cover her ears, Bryn groaned. “Please. Spare me the gory details.”
“Unfortunately, I’ll have to.” Tam’s whole face lit up when she smiled, her eyes sparkling and the sides of her mouth dimpling, making it impossible not to smile back. Although their friendship was relatively new, eating lunch with Tam had become the highlight of Bryn’s day.
“I truly regret that I never got to see that man naked,” Tam said, waving her fork again. “Still, I know firsthand what a great kisser he is.”
At Tam’s words, Bryn struggled to keep her face blank. Tam had dated Daniel once or twice, but Bryn was the one plagued by recurring dreams about him. In last night’s dream, they’d been doing far more than kissing. His dark hair had been fluttering against her inner thighs and his tongue had been doing delicious things to her—
She sucked in a shaky breath. Even now, the memory of her heated, aroused state when she’d woken angered her. It also confused her. There were many attractive men in the world, but only Daniel Mays plagued her dreams, as well as her waking hours.
With sandy brown hair, green eyes, and the slightest cleft in his chin, the man was undeniably handsome. He had a broad, rangy body that towered over Bryn’s own slim 5’4” frame, an easy smile, a slight Southern drawl, and a laconic genuine charm that had made him the talk of the court’s female personnel.
Daniel’s dating record and his ability to remain friends with most of his exes showed that he appreciated the unique differences in each of his admirers and treated them well. In the two years she’d been in and out of the courts, he’d dated a variety of women: a statuesque blonde from Research, a petite Asian court reporter, and of course, Tam, one of the court’s three staff attorneys. He didn’t seem to have a type, but rather enjoyed the diverse company of smart, engaging, and complicated women. Yet, none of them seemed to hold his interest for long.
And despite his good looks, his good nature, and his obvious charm, Daniel Mays defended criminals for a living. That fact should have squashed her attraction long ago.
It hadn’t in the slightest.
Realizing Tam was staring at her, Bryn struggled to remember what they’d been talking about. Oh, yes. Daniel’s skill with kissing. “It’s no surprise he’s such a good kisser,” Bryn murmured. “He’s practiced enough.”
“He’s a
player,” Tam conceded, “but he’s single…who can blame him? It’s not like he has to try very hard. And his practice has paid off. What that man can do with his tongue is a miracle of nature. Vance is the exception, of course, but kissing Daniel Mays is more erotic than having sex with almost any man. And far more likely to make a woman come!”
Bryn threw the rest of her sandwich in its paper bag and squashed it into a ball. “Yes, well, I wouldn’t know nor would I want to. The only thing that holds less appeal for me than kissing Mays is what he does for a living.” And he obviously knew how she felt. In the beginning, he’d been friendly. Curious about her. When she hadn’t reciprocated, he’d ceased all efforts to get to know her better. He was courteous, but that was all.
“Defense attorneys aren’t monsters,” Tam said softly.
Bryn winced. She reached out to touch Tam’s hand but pulled back before she made contact. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t speak so generally. There are several defense attorneys I like and respect. Vance especially. But Mays is just a little too…too…”
“Distracting?” Tam smiled knowingly.
Too much so, Bryn thought. He certainly distracted her from what was most important—bringing justice to victims of crime; the same type of justice her sister had been denied. Sighing, she stood. “Casual. He’s a little too casual about what he does. But let’s not talk about him. How are you feeling?”
Tam stood as well, groaning as she did so. The rounded bulge of her stomach made her look like she’d swallowed a basketball. “Except for the backaches and constant need to pee, I’m peachy. I swear this baby only enjoys two things—tap dancing on my spine and lying on my bladder.”
Bryn tossed her garbage and walked towards the main office, but she paused in the doorway. She looked back at Tam, who rocked to a stop behind her. “So,” Bryn began, striving for a casual tone, “I was thinking about your offer to set me up with Vance’s brother. I know I wasn’t all that interested about the idea before, but do you know if he’s doing anything next Friday? Because…well…”
“Your sister’s engagement party is next weekend and you’re suddenly desperate for a man to run interference between you and your mother?”
“Something like that,” Bryn acquiesced. “I just don’t want to hear the same old song and dance about being a workaholic who’s going to die a bitter old maid with lots of cats and break her mother’s heart. Who knows, if Thad is free and he—”
Someone cleared his throat.
She jolted and swung around.
Daniel Mays.
He was leaning against a tall file cabinet, his arms folded across his chest. As always, her pulse kicked up. This time, in addition to the intense throbbing in her veins, her mouth dried up, and mortification formed a jagged lump in her throat. Chances were he’d heard them talking about him, and he was smart enough to know what had been behind her words—unwanted desire.
For him.
***
Just after noon, Daniel walked into the staff attorney’s office, pleasantly surprised to hear Tam’s voice coming from a back room. Usually Tam spent her lunch hour with her husband Vance, Daniel’s law partner and best friend, and the same lucky SOB who’d snagged Tam soon after Daniel had asked her out. Daniel couldn’t be happier for them. Vance was like a brother and Tam was quickly becoming a sister. A sister he’d kissed, he often teased Vance.
Chuckling, he started to walk toward her voice when he suddenly got the gist of her conversation. Amused, flattered, and thinking once again that Vance was a lucky guy, Daniel turned to leave. But then he heard Tam refer to her companion by name and stopped in his tracks.
Bryn Donovon, the uptight no-nonsense prosecutor, aptly nicknamed “Justice” by the legal community? He hadn’t even realized Tam knew Bryn let alone was friends with her. And apparently they were good enough friends to discuss men? And fantasies?
And him?
He should leave. He really should. Two women discussing men and sex and him wasn’t a conversation he should be spying on. But then again, after the loss in court this morning, he could use an ego boost.
When Tam mentioned the Iron Man triathlon, Daniel grimaced. Huh. Not quite the ego boost he’d been hoping for. That triathlon had nearly killed him. He frowned at Bryn’s reply, surprised despite himself. They weren’t friends, but he certainly hadn’t done anything to warrant such disdain. And his reputation with the ladies was way over-exaggerated. She of all people should understand the concept of being innocent until proven guilty.
He pushed away any residual guilt he’d been harboring for eavesdropping. He’d just come in to check on a motion. If the two women didn’t have enough sense to shut the door when they gossiped, that wasn’t his fault.
“Please,” he heard Bryn say. “Spare me the gory details.”
Daniel sucked in a breath. Gory?
His annoyance intensified with every word Bryn Donovan spoke. When she sneeringly dismissed his profession and expressed disinterest in his sexual prowess, Daniel had the crazy urge to burst in on their conversation and kiss her to orgasm, just to prove her wrong.
Whoa. Kiss Bryn Donovon? That was certainly a novel thought.
If pressed, he would have to describe her as average, at best. Dark hair, slender build, impeccable posture, plain clothes. Inoffensive but nothing noteworthy. Certainly not flashy, and nothing to indicate she had a fun or warm personality. Daniel didn’t need flashy, but he needed fun and warmth.
There was something to be said for spunk, though. And Bryn had spunk. Most definitely she had spunk. Suddenly, he couldn’t get the idea of kissing her out of his head.
Had he completely missed the mark with her? Was he simply overworked? Had he thought of her as a professional adversary so long it had skewed his perceptions?
Daniel shrugged and grinned. No time like the present to find out. He crossed his arms across his chest, leaned against a file cabinet, and waited for the women to come out into the hall. When they stopped in the doorway, chatting, he grew impatient and cleared his throat, calling Bryn’s attention to him.
When she turned around and saw him, he should have been pleased by her flustered reaction. Instead, he had his own unexpected reaction to deal with. As her face flushed and her eyes widened, Daniel realized for the first time—how was that possible?—that her eyes were anything but average.
They were a warm golden brown surrounded by dark lashes that complemented their slightly exotic shape. He tried not to, but his gaze took in the whole package.
What an idiot he’d been.
Bryn was gorgeous.
Her shiny ebony hair without a hint of curl.
The enticing curve of her calves above those utilitarian black pumps.
The fullness of her lower lip, which even now she punished with straight, white teeth.
And her eyes. Man, her eyes.
He pictured those golden eyes dazed with pleasure, pleasure he could give her in so many ways. Verbally. Physically. Lying down. Standing up. Soft and slow. Then hard. Then harder still.
As if she could read his mind, she flushed, but said nothing.
Tam grinned at Daniel over Bryn’s shoulder. Tall, and wearing heels despite the watermelon in her stomach, she towered over Bryn’s petite frame. She fluttered her fingers in a cheery wave. “Well hello, handsome. We were just talking about you.”
Bryn looked ready to strangle Tam with her bare hands. Instead, she tilted up her chin and walked past Daniel.
Or rather, she attempted to. Daniel blocked the exit. Despite the arousal coursing through him, he stifled the urge to laugh. “Really? It sounded like you were talking about getting Thad to take Bryn to an engagement party.” He snuck a sideways glance at Bryn. “But I’ve known the guy for years and—even if he wasn’t in an exclusive relationship right now—” He saw Tam’s eyes widen and narrowed his infinitesimally. Immediately, she pressed her lips together to suppress a smile. “—I’m not sure how he’d feel about being used as a—let’s see, wh
at should we call it?—a diversion. Can’t say I blame you, though. I have an eternally optimistic mother, too.”
Bryn’s gaze flickered, indicating that despite her best intentions, he was getting to her.
“But who would’ve thought it. Apparently something does scare you, Ms. Donovon.” He grinned, wanting to get those ramrod stiff shoulders to relax. From the way she’d talked with Tam, she obviously had a sense of humor to match her acute intelligence. Maybe once she relaxed she’d be more fun and warm than he’d ever imagined she could be. “Careful or you’ll mar your trial dog reputation.”
She blushed. For her, that was the equivalent of stuttering and getting knocked on her ass. “Excuse me, but I’m late for court.”
Daniel lifted his gaze to the office clock. “Court doesn’t start for another ten minutes.”
She tilted her pert nose in the air. “Perhaps I’d rather stand outside the courtroom than stand here with you.”
Spunk, he thought again.
“Yes, get out of the way, Daniel,” Tam interrupted. “You don’t want Bryn to get physical with you, do you?”
Tam winked covertly from behind Bryn’s back.
Daniel straightened, stepped to the side, and swept a hand in front of him. As Bryn slid past him, he said, “I guess it depends on what she has in mind. Say, for example, she wanted to rip off my—oh, I don’t know—big head…?”
Bryn froze and Daniel heard her barely concealed gasp.
“That could be kind of fun,” he said, openly grinning now. “What do you say, Justice?”
Shoulders tense, she slowly turned to face him. “I say I’d rather face a jury in my underwear.”