by Sable Hunter
Dr. Reese gave him a smile. “She’s going to make it. I removed the shrapnel and repaired the tear in her heart and her lungs. We still need that blood, she can’t survive without it long – but she’s out of the woods for now.”
Saxon sank to his knees and cried.
* * *
“Titus, I don’t know how to thank you. Having your NATO friend step in to help saved Alivia’s life. I appreciate you more than words can say.” Saxon shook his hand.
“Hey, what are friends for?” Titus laughed, and Saxon agreed.
“Right, what are friends for.” He sat near Alivia’s bed, ready for her to wake up. The doctor said it could be a while. Her small body had gone through a great deal of trauma. Now, that she’d received the RH Null blood transfusion, there was no reason she wouldn’t make a full recovery. Still, the waiting was agony.
Over the last few days, he and Savvy had stayed with her. The robot stood guard at the foot of her bed like a sentinel. Saxon’s admiration for what he affectionately called their ‘bucket of bolts’ had risen to mega proportions. After all the excitement had died down, he realized how instrumental Savvy had been in saving Alivia. She’d known where the other people with RH Null lived and she’d known about the research on the blood substitute. Many people might consider themselves to be Alivia’s friend, like Violet, her assistant, but Saxon knew that Alivia had no greater friend than Savvy.
Other than himself, of course.
“I think it’s time, Savvy. What do you say?”
She nodded. “I think you’re right. You’d better do it before she wakes up.”
Taking a ring box from his pocket, Saxon took out a brilliant diamond ring and slipped it on Alivia’s finger, kissing it, then kissing her hand. “There. How does it look?”
“Beautiful. She won’t be able to say no.”
“God, I hope so.” Saxon bowed his head and rested it on the bed next to Alivia.
“That’s right, try to get some sleep. I’ll watch over her,” Savvy promised. “I’ll watch over you both.”
… “Saxon! Saxon!”
Savvy’s voice roused him. “I think she’s waking up.”
Jerking upright, Saxon saw that Alivia was shifting, her small pink tongue darting out to lick her lips. “Water,” she whispered.
“Water!” Saxon sprang up and almost knocked his chair over getting to the plastic pitcher of water on the bedside table to pour her a glass. “Get the nurse, Savvy! She’s awake!”
While Savvy rolled over to the side of the bed to press the call button, Saxon held the water to Alivia’s lips, so she could drink. “Hey, beautiful. It’s wonderful to see you.”
She drank, then met his gaze. “Hey, it’s good to see you too. I’m alive.”
Saxon laughed. “Yes, you are. I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
“Stubborn mule,” she muttered as the nurse and doctor came in to check her out.
Savvy and Saxon gave them room to work, but when she was pronounced safe and on the mend, they were glad to find themselves alone with Alivia once more.
“So, what’s going on? When can I get out of here?”
Her voice was hoarse and weak, but it was the sweetest sound Saxon had ever heard. He came to her, pulling his chair close and taking her hand. Savvy rolled up closer, wanting to be near too. “You gave us quite a scare.” His tone started out light, but fast grew serious. “I don’t ever want to feel so scared again. I don’t want to live without you.”
“Neither do I,” Savvy told her.
“What am I going to do with the two of you?” Alivia asked softly.
“Keep us, I hope.” Saxon kissed her hand again. “How do you feel?”
“Weak. Sore.” She squeezed his hand. “Grateful to be alive.”
Tears began to stream down Saxon’s cheeks. “I’m the one that’s grateful. I don’t know what I would’ve done if I’d lost you.”
“Or I you.” Alivia began to cry too. “So many people died, Saxon. Mindy. Victoria. Josephine. All the others.”
“I know, but we stopped him,” he told her. “Victoria was buried yesterday. I didn’t leave you to go to the funeral, of course, but I sent flowers, and Destry knows what he means to us. I sent flowers to Josephine’s service from us also.”
She noticed the way he was speaking, including her in everything.
Us.
“I wish I could’ve been there.”
“You’ll be up and about in no time,” Savvy chimed in. “I’ll be glad.”
“Me too,” Alivia assured her.
“Savvy came through for us, Alivia,” Saxon explained what the robot had done to save the day, then finished with, “We wouldn’t have known about Mr. Blair or Allan Dolman if it wasn’t for her.”
“Thank you, Savvy.”
“You’re welcome.” She held up her arms. “Look, I finally got the clothes Saxon ordered me from QVC. How do I look?”
Alivia admired the pretty pink dress. “You look fantastic.”
Saxon cleared his throat and nodded toward the door. “Savvy, could you give us a moment?”
Savvy hesitated, trying to figure out what he was up to. Jerking his head toward the door, he winked. “I need to talk to Alivia alone. Okay?”
“Oh!” Her eyes widened. “Okay. Good luck.”
As she left, Alivia frowned. “What’s going on?”
Saxon gave her a brilliant smile. “We needed some privacy. I have some things I want to say to you.”
Alivia began to tremble. “Really?”
“Yea, Alivia, I do.” He came closer, close enough to layer his lips over hers and breathe the same air. “I want to be with you. I want us to work together, live together, love together.”
Alivia closed her eyes, then opened them to make sure he was still there. “All my life, I’ve been afraid to dream.”
“What do you mean, beautiful?” Saxon was confused. “You’re one of the few people who’ve made their dreams come true. You’ve created miracles with the power of your thoughts and the skill of your hands.”
Shaking her head, tears glistened on her lashes. “I’m talking about love and relationships. My family wasn’t good at those. I haven’t always been good at them either. Instead, I have this life plan of reasonable goals,” she spoke softly, smiling slightly. “Except for world domination, that might be a stretch.”
“Not a stretch, not for you. Not for us.” He gazed at her tenderly. “I just want to be a part of your life plan. I want to be a part of your life.”
“I’ve made mistakes. I’ve been hurt. Sometimes it’s hard to know if I can trust my dreams.”
Saxon stole a kiss. “You don’t have to trust your dreams. Trust me.”
“Trust you?” She did trust him. With her life. With her work. Could she trust him with her heart?
“Yea, trust me. I will always put you first. I will always take care of you.” He picked up her left hand and rubbed the ring on her finger. “I will always love you.”
She blinked her eyes, afraid her poor injured heart would quit beating – not from injury, but from sheer joy. Pulling her hand from his grasp, she feasted her eyes on the ring that now adorned her finger. “You love me?”
“More than life.” He looked at her tenderly. “You once said the only way a man would ever get an engagement ring on your finger is when you were unconscious.” He took her hand and wove their fingers together. “I took you at your word.”
“You’re crazy.” She opened her arms, and he eased down to her gently, so she could hug him tight. “I love you, Saxon Abbott. I love everything about you.”
“So, you’ll marry me? You’ll be my wife?”
She nodded, but someone else answered for her.
“Yes!” Savvy called from the doorway. “We’ll marry you!”
“Not so fast,” Alivia teased her. “You’re going to have to get your own guy, Savvy. This one’s mine.”
“Yes, and you’re mine, Gertrude,” he whispered teasing
ly. “Hail the conquering hero. I found you. I’ve staked my claim. You’re owned.”
She stroked his handsome face, basking in the warm light of love in his eyes. “Being Saxon’s Conquest sounds good to me.”
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About the Author:
Sable Hunter is a New York Times, USA Today bestselling author of nearly 60 books in 9 series. She writes sexy contemporary stories full of emotion and suspense. Her focus is mainly cowboy and novels set in Louisiana with a hint of the supernatural. Sable writes what she likes to read and enjoys putting her fantasies on paper. Her books are emotional tales where the heroine is faced with challenges. Her aim is to write a story that will make you laugh, cry and swoon. If she can wring those emotions from a reader, she has done her job. Sable resides in Austin, Texas with her two dogs. Passionate about all animals, she has been known to charm creatures from a one ton bull to a family of raccoons. For fun, Sable haunts cemeteries and battlefields armed with night-vision cameras and digital recorders hunting proof that love survives beyond the grave. Welcome to her world of magic, alpha heroes, sexy cowboys and hot, steamy to-die-for sex. Step into the shoes of her heroines and escape to places where right prevails, love conquers all and holding out for a hero is not an impossible dream
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SABLE’S BOOKS
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Welcome To My World
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The Key to Micah’s Heart
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Love Me, I Dare You!
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Godsend (Hell Yeah! Heritage)
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Because I Said So
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Love Found a Way: Hell Yeah!
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Godsend
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More From Sable Hunter
Godsend (Hell Yeah! Heritage)
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Godsend is the first novel in the Hell Yeah! Heritage series. If you ever wondered where those
McCoy men came from…these historical novels will take you to their beginnings. Deeply sensual stories of romance and adventure, they will capture your imagination and your heart.
History is definitely worth repeating.
Thrust from his home, Austin McCoy travels west to build a new life for himself in the wilds of Texas. Civilization has not yet arrived to the wilderness where he settles and his nearest neighbor is more than two days’ journey through Indian territory alive with bear, cougar and wolves. While difficult, carving out an existence amidst these dangers is not what weighs heavily on his heart. With nothing and no one to share his days, Austin is lost. The answer to his prayers comes from a very unexpected source…
Jolie Dumas has also been torn from the only home she has ever known. The beloved daughter of a plantation owner and his quadroon mistress, she is horrified to be sold into slavery after the death of her parents. Bought and paid for, she is chained and walked from New Orleans to Texas. Before she can be delivered to her master, the slave trader is killed and Jolie escapes. Alone and vulnerable, she seeks a safe place to hide, not knowing the sanctuary she finds may end up being the one place she truly belongs.
When Austin opens his heart and home to the beautiful woman, he has no idea the future she faces. Knowing what awaits her if anyone finds out the truth, Jolie hides her identity from him. Having been betrayed before by those she trusted, she has no idea that in Austin’s eyes she could not be more perfect.