All She Wants

by Larkin Rose

  Not because Tessa didn’t want to marry Marci one day. She did. Very much. But Marci had already been down that road. Had already had her lavish wedding. And that marriage had crashed and burned, and she’d made it clear very early in their relationship that she had no intentions of doing it again.

  So Tessa had avoided that talk. Avoided her true feelings on the matter. Instead, she’d implied that proposals were overrated. That if or when someone ever proposed to her, it better not be that customary position.

  And watching Marci right now, down on that one knee, she hadn’t meant a damn word. This was exactly how she saw her own proposal. And right now, it was perfect.

  Marci was perfect.

  “Tessa?”

  Tessa couldn’t breathe. Her heart was beating so fast she had a moment of fear that this would be the last thing she ever saw. Marci down on bended knee.

  Marci pushed out a piece of paper that resembled a contract and held up a pen. “Will you buy this house with me?”

  Tessa burst out laughing, but regret washed over her soul. She’d thought that was it. The moment. Her time.

  “Wait. This house?”

  “Yes, ma’am. This house. With me. Will you buy this house with me?”

  Tessa flew across the room and sank to her knees in front of Marci. She flung her arms around Marci’s neck and kissed her cheeks, nose, lips, neck, so happy she could barely think.

  “Is that a yes?” Marci asked.

  “Yes! Yes! You know I’ll buy this house with you!”

  “Great. But first…” Marci pulled the pen in front of Tessa’s face and opened her fingers.

  A diamond ring dropped down from a string.

  “I really need you to marry me.”

  Tessa sucked in a startled gasp. Hot tears sprang to her eyes as she covered her mouth with her hand.

  “And I don’t want to hear a single complaint about this being my second go-round on this marriage thing.”

  Tessa stared down at that glimmering circle of silver bling.

  The one that would bind them forever. The only one she ever wanted to slide on her finger.

  A sob left Tessa’s lips as she looked back up to Marci.

  “Say yes, Tessa. Out loud.”

  Tessa let out a half laugh, half sob and flung herself into Marci’s arms.

  “Yes!”

  About the Author

  Larkin Rose lives in a blink-and-you’ve-missed-it town in the beautiful state of South Carolina with her partner, Rose (hence the pen name), along with a portion of their seven brats, a chunky grandson, and too many animals to name. Her writing career began years ago when the voices in her head wouldn’t stop their constant chatter. After ruling out multiple personalities and hitting the keyboard, a writer was born.

  Books Available from Bold Strokes Books

  All She Wants by Larkin Rose. Marci Jones and Tessa Dalton get more than they bargained for when their plans for a one-night stand turn into an opportunity for love. (978-1-63555-476-2)

  Beautiful Accidents by Erin Zak. Stevie Adams and Bernadette Thompson discover that sometimes the best things in life happen purely by accident. (978-1-63555-497-7)

  Before Now by Joy Argento. Can Delany and Jade overcome the betrayal that spans the centuries to reignite a love that can’t be broken? (978-1-63555-525-7)

  Breathe by Cari Hunter. Paramedic Jemima Pardon’s chronic bad luck seems to be improving when she meets police officer Rosie Jones. But they face a battle to survive before they can find love. (978-1-63555-523-3)

  Double-Crossed by Ali Vali. Hired thief and killer Reed Gable finds something in her scope that will change her life forever when she gets a contract to end casino accountant Brinley Myers’s life. (978-1-63555-302-4)

  False Horizons by CJ Birch. Jordan and Ash struggle with different views on the alien agenda and must find their way back to each other before they’re swallowed up by a centuries-old war. (978-1-63555-519-6)

  Legacy by Charlotte Greene. When five women hike to a remote cabin deep inside a national park, unsettling events suggest that they should have stayed home. (978-1-63555-490-8)

  Royal Street Reveillon by Greg Herren. Someone is killing the stars of a reality show, and it’s up to Scotty Bradley and the boys to find out who. (978-1-63555-545-5)

  Somewhere Along the Way by Kathleen Knowles. When Maxine Cooper moves to San Francisco during the summer of 1981, she learns that wherever you run, you cannot escape yourself. (978-1-63555-383-3)

  Blood of the Pack by Jenny Frame. When Alpha of the Scottish pack Kenrick Wulver visits the Wolfgangs, she falls for Zaria Lupa, a wolf on the run. (978-1-63555-431-1)

  Cause of Death by Sheri Lewis Wohl. Medical student Vi Akiak and K9 Search and Rescue officer Kate Renard must work together to find a killer before they end up the next targets. In the race for survival, they discover that love may be the biggest risk of all. (978-1-63555-441-0)

  Chasing Sunset by Missouri Vaun. Hijinks and mishaps ensue as Iris and Finn set off on a road trip adventure, chasing the sunset, and falling in love along the way. (978-1-63555-454-0)

  Double Down by MB Austin. When an unlikely friendship with Spanish pop star Erlea turns deeper, Celeste, in-house physician for the hotel hosting Erlea’s show, has a choice to make—run or double down on love. (978-1-63555-423-6)

  Party of Three by Sandy Lowe. Three friends are in for a wild night at billionaire heiress Eleanor McGregor’s twenty-fifth birthday party. Love, lust, and doing the right thing, even when it hurts, turn the evening into one that will change their lives forever. (978-1-63555-246-1)

  Sit. Stay. Love. by Karis Walsh. City girl Alana Brendt and country vet Tegan Evans both know they don’t belong together. Only problem is, they’re falling in love. (978-1-63555-439-7)

  Where the Lies Hide by Renee Roman. As P.I. Camdyn Stark gets closer to solving the case, will her dark secrets and the lies she’s buried jeopardize her future with the quietly beautiful Sarah Peters? (978-1-63555-371-0)

  Beautiful Dreamer by Melissa Brayden. With love on the line, can Devyn Winters find it in her heart to stay in the small town of Dreamer’s Bay, the one place she swore she’d never remain? (978-1-63555-305-5)

  Create a Life to Love by Erin Zak. When sixteen-year-old Beth shows up at her birth mother’s door, three lives will change forever. (978-1-63555-425-0)

  Deadeye by Meredith Doench. Stranded while hunting the serial predator Deadeye, Special Agent Luce Hansen fights for survival while her lover, forensic pathologist Harper Bennett, hunts for clues to Hansen’s disappearance along the killer’s trail. (978-1-63555-253-9)

  Death Takes a Bow by David S. Pederson. Alan Keys takes part in a local stage production, but when the leading man is murdered, his partner Detective Heath Barrington is thrust into the limelight to find the killer. (978-1-63555-472-4)

  Endangered by Michelle Larkin. Shapeshifters Officer Aspen Wolfe and Dr. Tora Madigan fight their growing attraction as they work together to destroy a secret government agency that exterminates their kind. (978-1-63555-377-2)

  Incognito by VK Powell. The only thing Evan Spears is focused on is capturing a fleeing murder suspect until wild card Frankie Strong is added to her team and causes chaos on and off the job. (978-1-63555-389-5)

  Insult to Injury by Gun Brooke. After losing everything, Gail Owen withdraws to her old farmhouse and finds a destitute young woman, Romi Shepherd, living in a secret room. (978-1-63555-323-9)

  Just One Moment by Dena Blake. If you were given the chance to have the love of your life back, could you ignore everything that went wrong and start over again? (978-1-63555-387-1)

  Scene of the Crime by MJ Williamz. Cullen Mathew finds herself caught between the woman she thinks she loves but can no longer trust and a beautiful detective she can’t stop thinking about who will stop at nothing to find the truth. (978-1-63555-405-2)

  Accidental Prophet by Bud Gundy. Days after his grandmother dies, Drew Morten learns his true identity and finds himself r
acing against time to save civilization from the apocalypse. (978-1-63555-452-6)

  Daughter of No One by Sam Ledel. When their worlds are threatened, a princess and a village outcast must overcome their differences and embrace a budding attraction if they want to survive. (978-1-63555-427-4)

  Fear of Falling by Georgia Beers. Singer Sophie James is ready to shake up her career, but her new manager, the gorgeous Dana Landon, has other ideas. (978-1-63555-443-4)

  In Case You Forgot by Fredrick Smith and Chaz Lamar. Zaire and Kenny, two newly single, Black, queer, and socially aware men, start again—in love, career, and life—in the West Hollywood neighborhood of LA. (978-1-63555-493-9)

  Playing with Fire by Lesley Davis. When Takira Lathan and Dante Groves meet at Takira’s restaurant, love may find its way onto the menu. (978-1-63555-433-5)

  Practice Makes Perfect by Carsen Taite. Meet law school friends Campbell, Abby, and Grace, law partners at Austin’s premier boutique legal firm for young, hip entrepreneurs. Legal Affairs: one law firm, three best friends, three chances to fall in love. (978-1-63555-357-4)

  The Last Seduction by Ronica Black. When you allow true love to elude you once and you desperately regret it, are you brave enough to grab it when it comes around again? (978-1-63555-211-9)

  Wavering Convictions by Erin Dutton. After a traumatic event, Maggie has vowed to regain her strength and independence. So how can Ally be both the woman who makes her feel safe and a constant reminder of the person who took her security away? (978-1-63555-403-8)

  A Bird of Sorrow by Shea Godfrey. As Darrius and her lover, Princess Jessa, gather their strength for the coming war, a mysterious spell will reveal the truth of an ancient love. (978-1-63555-009-2)

  All the Worlds Between Us by Morgan Lee Miller. High school senior Quinn Hughes discovers that a broken friendship is actually a door propped open for an unexpected romance. (978-1-63555-457-1)

  An Intimate Deception by CJ Birch. Flynn County Sheriff Elle Ashley has spent her adult life atoning for her wild youth, but when she finds her ex, Jessie, murdered two weeks before the small town’s biggest social event, she comes face-to-face with her past and all her well-kept secrets. (978-1-63555-417-5)

  Cash and the Sorority Girl by Ashley Bartlett. Cash Braddock doesn’t want to deal with morality, drugs, or people. Unfortunately, she’s going to have to. (978-1-63555-310-9)

  Counting for Thunder by Phillip Irwin Cooper. A struggling actor returns to the Deep South to manage a family crisis, finds love, and ultimately his own voice as his mother is regaining hers for possibly the last time. (978-1-63555-450-2)

  Falling by Kris Bryant. Falling in love isn’t part of the plan, but will Shaylie Beck put her heart first and stick around, or tell the damaging truth? (978-1-63555-373-4)

  Secrets in a Small Town by Nicole Stiling. Deputy Chief Mackenzie Blake has one mission: find the person harassing Savannah Castillo and her daughter before they cause real harm. (978-1-63555-436-6)

  Stormy Seas by Ali Vali. The high-octane follow-up to the best-selling action-romance, Blue Skies. (978-1-63555-299-7)

  The Road to Madison by Elle Spencer. Can two women who fell in love as girls overcome the hurt caused by the father who tore them apart? (978-1-63555-421-2)

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