by Eden Ashe
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This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
All I Want
Copyright 2016 by Eden Ashe
ISBN: 978-1-68361-126-4
Cover art by Mina Carter
All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work, in whole or in part, in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means now known or hereafter invented, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher.
Published by Decadent Publishing Company, LLC
Look for us online at:
www.decadentpublishing.com
Table of Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Epilogue
All I Need (Spirits of Laken #1) by Eden Ashe
Dear Readers,
I never meant to write this story. And when I did start it, I had someone completely different in mind for Megan. Then halfway through the first chapter, I realized the hero was someone I’d created for a different Megan years ago. By realizing it, I mean Jess Thorn took over my brain, took control of my fingers, and forced me to write the story he wanted. For his Megan. Considering the guy’s size and the fact that he hunts demons for a living, I wasn’t brave enough to argue with him. Heck, I’m afraid of the freakin’ dark. I’m not about to poke an imaginary character twice my size.
But what’s really funny about this, is that I realized three-quarter of the way through the story that Thorn had managed to maneuver everything so his Megan was never in danger. *I* had every intention of putting her in this huge conflict scene, but Thorn had seen to it that she was nowhere near the actual fight. If anyone was going to be hurt, it would be him.
Then Megan laughed at him.
That’s why I love these two so much. She’s sunshine and light against his darkness, but they are exactly what the other one needs. They may move fast, but once he set eyes on her, Thorn’s heart was gone.
Hope you all love them as much as I do.
Eden
[email protected]
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Also by Eden Ashe
All I Need (Spirits of Laken Book 1)
All I Want
Megan Bannon is a small town girl, perfectly content to live her small town life, until Jess Thorn shows up at her vintage shop, looking for a family heirloom. He's hot, sexy as hell, with an edge of danger she can't quite pin down, and the longer he's in her shop, the more she starts to fantasize about ripping his clothes off. He's made it clear it would only be one night, because the second he finds the amulet, he's gone.
Jess is running out of time. From a long line of supernatural hunters, he discovered the amulet possessing his recently deceased brother’s soul had been accidentally sold in an online auction. Knowing he only had a brief window of time before his brother's spirit becomes angry, then violent, Thorn is desperate to find it before anything bad happens. Only he hadn't counted on meeting Megan.
After a lifetime of hunting the bad, shadowy things in the world, Thorn wants to soak up her goodness and never let her go. But his dead brother is angry, and when it becomes too late, the one person he suddenly can't bear to see hurt becomes the biggest target of all.
Dedication
To Scott. Hate you so much.
All I Want
Spirits of Laken Book 2
By
Eden Ashe
Chapter One
Barely noon or not, Megan planned to get drunk. Really, really drunk.
“Lemon drop martini, please, in the biggest glass you have.” Settling at the white wrought iron table on the patio, she smiled up at the waiter. “Thanks, Marc.”
“You’re welcome, Ms. Bannon.”
Dropping her purse into her lap, she crossed her arms on the table and lowered her forehead to them. Even the sun and gentle breeze were pissing her off.
“Migraine?”
She lifted her gaze long enough to acknowledge her best friend, Jilly, before closing her eyes and dropping her head back to her arms. “Bad day. In fact, I don’t want to seem overdramatic, but I’m pretty sure it’s the worst day ever.”
Metal scraped on stone before Jilly spoke again. “Wanna talk about it?”
“No. My stomach hurts.” Megan groaned and shook her head. “I have to fire Wally.”
A hand patted her shoulder. “What happened now?”
She sat up and blew out a breath, nodding at Marc as he set her drink in front of her and took Jilly’s order. Jilly waited patiently for him to leave then leaned forward, waiting.
Megan shrugged. “He screwed up the invoices again, and he catalogued yesterday morning’s delivery wrong. It’s going to take me a week to sort it out and reorganize it all.”
“Drink.” Jilly pushed her martini toward her. “Breathe. Luke and I can help if you need us.”
Her day immediately brightened at the happiness on her best friend’s face. “You just wanted to say that, didn’t you? ‘Luke and I.’”
Jilly danced in her seat, joy shining in her sky-blue eyes. “You have no idea. Which…. You up for hearing some good news?”
Megan beamed. She couldn’t be miserable when someone she loved so much glowed with happiness. That the love of her friend’s life was Megan’s big brother only added another layer to it all, especially since just the month before, her friend and Luke had been locked inside the manor home they’d co-inherited, with Jilly determined to keep her family’s home and Luke dead set against living under the same roof with her. Now, they were so stupidly in love it would have made Megan sick if she didn’t love them both so damned much. Jilly deserved a happy ending more than anyone she knew. Megan would be eternally grateful to Luke for giving it to her.
“I’m always up for good news.” She lifted a brow and sipped on her martini. “Shoot.”
“We’re getting—” Jilly’s words cut off as Megan leapt to her feet and launched at her best friend, nearly knocking her out of her chair. “Married.” She laughed when Megan squeezed her tight. “We’re getting married, and I can’t breathe.”
“Oh, sorry.” She pulled back enou
gh give Jilly a smacking kiss on the mouth. “I’m so excited for you! Have you set a date? Does anyone else know? How did he propose?”
With a radiant expression, Jilly waited while Megan slid back into her seat. “It’s all a long story, so how about we do a girl’s night tomorrow and I’ll give you all the details?”
Megan bobbed a nod, surprised at the wetness on her cheeks. “God, I’m a sap. Why am I crying?” She swiped at the tears. “I’m so happy, Jills, you have no idea.”
“I know. So.” Jilly crossed her arms on the table and studied Megan’s face. “You okay? I know you hate firing people.”
Lifting one shoulder in a shrug, she sighed. Cliché or not, her shop meant everything to her. She’d spent a long time turning Megan’s Closet into one of the biggest tourist draws in the quaint coastal town of Laken, South Carolina. And she’d done it on her own, despite all the help her parents, brothers, and sisters offered in the beginning. Not that she didn’t love every one of them desperately, but the stubborn middle child in her ran strong. Doing it alone had always been important to her, no matter how difficult.
Firing Wally would be one of the hardest things she’d ever done. An average employee, he didn’t always pay attention. Plus, he focused more on video games and hitting on her than he did his job.
A finger tapped her hand. “Megs?”
“It has to be done,” she murmured. “Fixing the new delivery miscataloging is going to be difficult enough, but the inventory screwup could potentially cost me a month’s rent.”
Jilly wrapped her fingers around Megan’s. “Want me to come with for moral support?”
“Nah.” She finished her martini then got to her feet and dropped a twenty on the table to cover the drinks. “But I’ll take a hug before I leave.”
“You got it.” Jilly threw her arms around her neck and squeezed then hooked their arms together. “Come on, I’ll walk you.”
They started toward downtown, Megan’s head resting against her friend’s shoulder. “Jills, you know I’m happy for you, right?”
“Of course. Why?”
Glad when Jilly’s gaze didn’t immediately swing to hers, Megan said, “Because then, when I tell you I’m jealous, you won’t hate me so much.”
“I’m not going to hate you for that.” Jilly snorted and stopped walking. “I’d be jealous if you were getting married first.”
“Yeah.”
Turning the corner toward her shop, they both stopped short. Jilly whistled low.
Megan’s jaw went slack. “Okay, he’s hot.”
Jilly’s ponytail bobbed as she nodded. “Please tell me he’s part of your new delivery.”
“Good God, I wish.” For the first time in her life, Megan actually wondered what it would be like to climb a man like a tree. He wore his jet-black hair pulled back at the sides and twisted into a knot at the back of his head, and his eyes were so light a blue in his dark, bronzed skin—actually the prettiest eyes she’d ever seen. “But I didn’t order any drop-dead gorgeous men the size of mountains this week.”
Her friend nudged her. Hard. “He seems to be waiting for you.”
He lifted a hand to rub at the back of his neck, and Jilly let out a small sigh of pure female appreciation.
Megan said, “Would it be sad if I said I’d give my right arm for that to be mine?” Thick biceps bunched with the movement, and her stomach actually fluttered. “I guess I should go see what he wants.”
“Dude.” Jilly clamped a hand on her wrist. “You’d better call me the second he leaves and tell me what he wanted. And what his voice sounds like. And if he kisses as good as he looks.”
Megan laughed. “Okay, one, you’re engaged to my brother so don’t make me hurt you, and, two, I’m not kissing him.”
Jilly let go and stepped toward the curb. “I wouldn’t count on it. He’s spotted you and staring.” She waved her fingers and jogged across the street.
Telling herself she had no reason to be nervous, Megan closed the distance to her shop and smiled at him as she dug her keys out of the back pocket of her jeans skirt. Holy damn, he was even bigger up close. Most men were only a few inches taller than her five foot seven, but she barely reached his shoulders.
A scar bisected his right eyebrow, but didn’t diminish the pure gorgeousness of his face even a little. No man in the history of ever had made a black polo shirt and jeans look so ridiculously hot. He had to be of pure Native American descent, which made the light color of his eyes even more striking.
Aware of the saliva pooling in her mouth, she forced herself to stop staring. “I’m Megan Bannon. Can I help you with something?”
“Yes.” He jerked his head toward the door of her shop and shoved his hands into his pockets then moved back a step. “I believe you have something that belongs to me. Something purchased online a few weeks ago?”
Thorn couldn’t decide if he wanted this woman to have the amulet or not. While there were a million reasons being closer to her could be a damned good idea, not the least of which was her smile that did odd things to his gut, he had as many that told him to run in the opposite fucking direction.
Chickenshit.
The voice in his head that sounded exactly like his brother Jake needed to learn when to shut up. Bite me. When the voice stayed quiet, Jess fisted his hands and focused on the hot chick in front of him. While the blonde ex-cheerleader type normally did nothing for him, this woman, with her smoking curves and killer dimple, somehow managed to hit every single one of his hot buttons. Long, tanned legs seemed to stretch for miles under the jean skirt she wore, and the pink tank top hugged everywhere he wouldn’t mind exploring.
Aware of her watching him, waiting for him to say more, he cleared his throat. “It’s an amulet shaped like a sword and etched with runes. I tracked the buyer’s address to this shop.”
She chewed her lip and stared up at him, as if debating whether to let him in or not. Not that he blamed her; he knew how intimidating he could be. But what she saw didn’t even scratch the surface.
After a moment, she blew out a breath, turned to unlock the door, and opened it. She let him step in first. “I’m sorry, Mr—”
He cocked his head. “Jess Thorn.”
“Hi.” She held out her hand. “I’m Megan Bannon. Unfortunately, I don’t remember purchasing anything that matches that description, but….”
He shook her hand and decided not to let it go yet. “But?” he prodded.
She eased her fingers free, not answering. Scooting around him, she made a beeline for a large wooden counter. “An employee screwed up an invoice. It’s possible it was purchased without my knowledge, but to make things even more fun, he then categorized everything all wrong. Even if I can find the purchase order for your amulet, it might take me awhile.” She canted her head toward the showroom floor. “Normally, I could tell you where to find the smallest button, but there’s no way of knowing what he did with anything.”
Shit. Thorn nodded and scanned the showroom floor. While it appeared like every other antique store in the country at first glance, there were little things that stood out and intrigued him. The place had a whimsical feel, with pewter fairies and dragons hanging from the ceiling, and gargoyles and wolves protecting the corners.
Tugging the strap of leather holding his hair, he shoved his fingers through it and growled low. “I hate to ask, but this is important. That amulet’s been in my family for centuries, and it never should have been sold. Would you mind if I searched around for it? I’ll stay out of your way.”
She tapped her fingers against her hip for a long moment before bracing her arms on the counter and leaning forward. “Fine, but you’re buying dinner tonight.”
His lips twitched. While he’d had no intention of being in town that long, he saw no reason to snuff out the adorable light in her eyes. So he nodded once and rolled his shoulders. “Deal. Where do we start?”
Chapter Two
&nbs
p; Megan swallowed hard. She didn’t even care if he caught her staring. Between the deep, purely masculine voice and an earthy sexuality she’d never believed actually existed, the man screamed hot, mindless, sweaty sex. He had a heavy aura of confidence in his eyes, and it showed in the way he stood, the way he breathed, the way he smiled, like he knew he ruled his own little world. Like he knew he could give a girl a dozen screaming orgasms and still leave her begging for more.
Yeah. Beyond that, the guy happened to be romance novel gorgeous, and she wanted to ride him like a train.
Thorn cocked his head, his dark brows pulled into a frown. “You’re blushing.”
“No, I’m not. You’re hot. I mean, it’s hot in here. Isn’t it hot in here?” With her face about to go up in flames, and afraid she’d pass out any moment from embarrassment, she moved behind the counter and snagged a folder to fan herself with. “I don’t think you’re hot.”
“Good to know.” His words were deadpan, his face devoid of emotion, but humor danced in his light-blue eyes. “I don’t think you’re hot, either.”
She blinked and busied herself searching under the counter for something, anything, sure if she didn’t hide her face, he’d see disappointment written all over it. Her brothers teased her relentlessly about her inability to hide her emotions. She’d never actually considered it a fault, though, until right that second. While she naturally wanted him to tease her, trying to gauge his expression would only give hers away.
Finally, sure she had the blushing under control, she straightened to find him watching her, his face still completely unreadable, except for the new tic in his jaw.