by Kim Loraine
“Shit,” he said as Lena bolted from the bed.
“The cinnamon rolls.”
Running into the smoke-filled kitchen, he pulled open the oven door. More smoke poured into the house and flames covered the ruined breakfast.
“Son-of-a-bitch!” Slamming the door shut, he reached for the fire extinguisher he’d stashed under the sink. “Stand back,” he directed, as Lena jumped to the side. She rushed around the house, sliding open windows as he opened the oven, spraying down the interior.
When the fire was out, he sat back against the island, breathing heavily and laughing. “Fuck. What is wrong with us?”
Her hand snaked over his bare chest as she snuggled up behind him. “I don’t know, but that was the hottest thing I’ve ever seen. A half-naked firefighter in my kitchen, saving my life and destroying our oven.”
Pride rushed through him. “You don’t have to burn down the house to get me half naked. I’ll get all naked anytime you need me to.”
With a soft groan, she cupped his growing arousal and licked a line up his neck. “Promise?”
“Come on, let’s take a shower and I’ll show you.”
Walking hand in hand on the beach, Lena smiled as Michael pulled her closer. The house still smelled of burned food and chemicals after they left the shower, so she’d suggested they take a walk on the beach. They had a lot to talk about, and she knew she couldn’t avoid it any longer.
“So, are you going to tell me more about your freak out earlier?” he asked, reading her like an open book.
Kicking the surf as she walked along the water’s edge, she looked down at the swirling foam as it caressed her toes. “Where do I start?”
“Let’s talk about me. I can help you with that. I don’t know about the rest.”
She stopped in her tracks and turned to face him. “I just realized how dangerous your job is. The moments in the hospital before Chief Roman told me you were alive . . . I felt hollow. Even after Klipper, I thought I was fine because I had you. But then yesterday, all I heard was a siren and my chest felt like it was being crushed. Am I going to feel that way every time you’re on duty? It really hit me that every day you put yourself at risk. Every day I could lose you.”
He wrapped her in his arms and pulled her tight against his body. “Baby, I know. I can’t promise nothing will happen. I can’t know that, but I can promise I’ll do everything in my power to come home to you after every shift, for the rest of our lives.”
She fought off the urge to cry. She’d shed enough tears today. Hugging him tightly, she pressed her nose to his chest and inhaled the spicy scent of him. “I guess I need to tell you about my dad now?”
Pressing a kiss to her forehead, he chuckled, the sound rumbling in his chest. “It seems like something I need to know about.”
Steadying herself, she took a deep breath and led him to a driftwood log, settling on it before beginning. After she finished, he stared at her with an unreadable expression on his face.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
Surprised, she stared at him. She’d expected shock, maybe some anger toward her mother for keeping this from her for so long. Warmth spread through her at the realization that he’d put her first. “I don’t know. Everything I’d based my beliefs on turned out to be a lie. Who knows if my dad would have wanted me? He didn’t get that chance.”
Taking her hand, he squeezed. “He’d have wanted you.”
“How can you be sure?”
“Because you’re amazing.”
Leaning into him, she tilted her face up and pressed her lips to his. The kiss grew from light and innocent to something fiery and deep in seconds. Before long, his hand crept up her shirt, fingers tracing the lace detail at the band of her bra.
“We’d better head home. We’ll get arrested out here.” His voice was rough and needy against her lips.
Pressing her breast into his palm, she moaned and caught his bottom lip between her teeth. He let out a harsh groan and lowered her to the sand, his hips pressing her legs apart.
“I don’t care. No one is out here right now. It’s the middle of the week,” she murmured as he trailed his mouth over her neck.
“I don’t have a condom.”
Excitement raced through her. “It’s fine.”
“Are you on the pill? I thought you couldn’t take it. You said it made you sick.”
“I said it’s fine.”
Confusion furrowed his brow. “Baby. We’ve been reckless the last few times.”
“I’ve been thinking . . . about a lot of things. And, I think I’d be okay. You know, if it happened. I’ve learned so much about myself, about us, over the last year. I was afraid of being tied down, of ending up like my mom. I didn’t want to risk being a single mom. I thought I wanted to travel the world for the rest of my life.”
His eyes widened as she spoke and she could feel the rapid beating of his heart against hers.
“I’ve been all over the world. I’ve seen and done remarkable things. That used to be enough, but now, I think the most amazing adventure I could go on is starting a family with you.”
“Are you serious?” His voice held a note of wonder as he stared down at her.
“I am. You’ve shown me what real love looks like. Not just by how you treat me, but your willingness to be a father to Mitchell, your love for him in spite of the circumstances. I know if you thought it was the best thing, you’d have let him live the rest of his life thinking you were his dad. The fact that you were able to see that the truth was what he needed shows me how much you love him.”
“But you don’t want kids.”
“I didn’t. Until I realized I wouldn’t be doing it alone. I don’t want just any kid. I want yours.”
His lips twitched and a smirk turned up one corner of his mouth. “Right now?”
Unable to control her laughter, she pushed at his chest lightly. “Maybe not right at this moment. But like I said, if it happens, I’m fine with it.”
He didn’t say another word, just sealed his lips over hers and kissed her breathless. There was nowhere she’d rather be, and in that moment, Lena knew that the impulsive decision to marry him in a little chapel in Vegas had been the best thing she could’ve ever done.
Epilogue
Six months later
“Baby, are you ready to go?” Michael called from the front door as he waited for Lena.
“Yeah. Just a second. I can’t find my damn camera bag.”
“It’s in the car. I loaded it this morning.”
He smiled when her beautiful face appeared from the door to the studio he’d finally finished. After his break down and destructive rampage months earlier, he’d decided to do something productive and turned the demolished room into a home photography studio for Lena. He’d put in a dark room, a small office for her and Hallie to work out of, and a place for her to do interior shoots. When he’d finally finished it and let her inside, she’d rewarded him with a beaming smile and later, other things.
Rushing outside to the car, Lena laughed when she looked at the pile of wrapped presents filling the back seat.
“I think you went a little overboard,” she said.
Heat crept up his cheeks. “Hey, listen, it’s not every day we get a new family member. My parents gaining permanent custody is a huge deal.”
“I just think this might overwhelm him a little.”
Shrugging, he opened her door and, after she was inside, he headed to the driver’s side. Glancing back at the full car, he chuckled. “You might be right.”
When they pulled up outside his parents’ house, a tightness filled his chest at the sight of Alex’s car in the driveway.
“Alex is here,” Lena breathed, surprise in her voice.
�
�Looks that way.” He hadn’t talked to his brother in months. Not for lack of trying. “You ready?”
With a squeeze of his hand, Lena nodded and smiled. “Let’s get in there and welcome your nephew to the family.”
His parents were all smiles as they welcomed them inside. The house was filled with the scent of barbecue sauce and smoked meat.
“Mama, did you make ribs?” he asked.
“Of course I did. We’re celebrating. Besides, your dad has been begging for an excuse to use his new smoker since he got it at Christmas.”
His dad piped up. “Damn right. She wouldn’t let me outside in the cold. But now, it’s springtime and I’m going to smoke everything I can get my hands on.”
“Excuse me for not wanting you to get frostbite for the sake of smoked meat.”
Michael laughed and walked into the kitchen to grab a beer. Alex was standing at the bar looking like a shell of himself. His brother’s eyes were ringed with dark circles, a heavy beard covered his normally clean-shaven jaw. He looked like hell.
“Hey, Alex. How’s it going?”
Alex let out a bitter laugh. “Oh, you know. Aside from my life fucking falling apart, it’s going great.”
“Is Roxie okay?”
“I wouldn’t know.”
Popping the cap off his beer, Michael settled on a barstool next to Alex. “What are you talking about?”
“She left me.”
“What?” He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Alex and Roxie had been having a hard time since her miscarriage, but they’d been together since high school. There’d never been a moment where Michael had doubted their commitment.
“She, uh, she left about a month ago.” The tremor in his brother’s voice made him feel sick.
“Is there anything I can do?”
Raking a hand through his shaggy blond hair, Alex closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “No. She hasn’t been the same since we lost the baby. She won’t go to therapy. I don’t know how to reach her.” With a sigh, Alex squared his shoulders. “Sorry, man. I’m not trying to bring the day crashing down. I’ll pull it together.”
Clapping his hand on his brother’s shoulder, Michael said, “You let me know if I can help. Okay?”
Alex offered him a nod and a wan smile peeked out from under his beard. “It’ll be fine. I’ll get her back.”
“You will.” He hoped it was true. Alex had spent over half his life with Roxie. Michael wasn’t sure how he’d move on if they didn’t work things out.
“Hey guys, what’s going on in here?” Lena asked, breezing into the kitchen with a grin on her face. The answering silence sat heavily between the three of them. “Okay . . . sorry I asked. So, where’s Mitchell? Hallie is here and ready to get this photo shoot going.”
The sound of feet hitting the stairs had them turning their heads. Mitchell’s bright eyes and wide smile changed the mood of the entire room as he bounded up to them. “Uncle Alex, Uncle Michael! Guess what? I’m your brother now.”
A light laugh escaped Michael. “No. You’re still our nephew. But you get to live with Grammy and Papa now for good.”
“That’s why I have to wear this stupid bowtie.”
“Yeah. Sorry about that. Grammy likes to get dressed up for family pictures.”
Mitchell pursed his lips and tugged at his tie. “She said I can take it off after.”
“Well, what are we waiting for then?” Scooping the little boy into his arms, Michael headed out to the living room where his parents were waiting. “You guys ready?”
They stood on the beach, the waves crashing in front of them, his childhood home in the background as Hallie snapped photo after photo of the family. They smiled, laughed, and held each other tightly as the sun started to dip below the horizon.
“Okay, I want to get a few of you two,” Hallie said, motioning to Michael and Lena. “We haven’t taken your picture since your wedding party.”
Nodding, Michael pulled Lena to him. “Sounds good to me.”
“Michael, can you walk about twenty feet that way? Don’t turn around until I tell you. I’ve got something I want to try.”
He was used to being the guinea pig for Hallie and Lena. They were always testing new poses on him. Doing as he was told, he waited, hearing the shutter click over and over. The scent of Lena’s perfume filled his head and at the same time, he felt her hand link with his.
“Okay, turn around and face me,” Hallie called.
As he turned, he saw his family staring at them, grinning from ear to ear. “Now, look at Lena.”
He stared into his wife’s deep brown eyes and was surprised to see tears threatening to fall. “Baby, what’s wrong?”
“Look down,” Lena whispered.
His gaze traveled down to the chalkboard she held in her hands. Heart in his throat, he took in the words scrawled in neat lettering. You’re going to be a daddy.
“Are you kidding me?” His head spun as the weight of what he’d just read hit him.
Shaking her head, Lena blinked hard, letting the tears fall down her cheeks. “It’s been so hard to keep it a secret.”
Sweeping her into his arms, he held her tight and crushed his mouth to hers. Between kisses he murmured, “I love you so damn much.”
“I love you, too.”
Sneak-peek of Resolution
Lauren Garcia turned the letter over in her hands as she sat on the bed in the unfamiliar room she now called home. She shouldn’t open it. She knew that. But the curiosity she felt clawing at her resolve only grew as time went on.
“Don’t open it, Lo,” she told herself, staring down at the dusty envelope. The edges of the paper were tattered, a name scrawled across the front, just like all the others. Rae.
Pacing the room, she navigated the maze of unopened moving boxes and went to the closet. She stared up at the old shoebox she’d found tucked away in the back of the highest shelf. She should just put this thing away, forget the multitude of letters it held, and move on. But she couldn’t.
Slipping her fingers under the flap, she traced the line of folded paper before pulling the letter free.
Who was Rae? Maybe she’d stumbled upon a love story she could use to inspire her own passion for writing. These letters looked old, the box had been caked in a thick layer of dust. They probably chronicled an epic love that defied all odds from fifty years ago.
Settling herself down on her bed, she opened the letter and began reading.
Rae,
Happy birthday. I’m going to ask you to be mine forever today. It might not seem like it while we’re together, but there’s no one more important to me than you. You know I’m terrible at saying what I mean, especially around you. You make me forget everything when I look at you. All I want to do when I see you is kiss your beautiful mouth until we’re both breathless. So, as a way for me to remind you how I love you, I’ve decided to start writing you letters. Words on paper can’t be forgotten over time. We’ll always have these. And if you say yes, which I hope you do, when you need a reminder you can look back and remember the one thing at the core of us. Love.
I want to be the man you need for the rest of our lives. I know you’re the woman I’ll always need. Please say yes. God, I hope you say yes.
Always yours
Her heart swelled and she dropped the letter on the bed as she fell back against her pillow. That’s what she needed in her life. Where were the men who knew how to love a woman? Lost to the past most likely. That was why she’d broken her engagement. It was why she’d moved out of Dean’s house and into this ground floor duplex. This was supposed to be her chance to strike out on her own, be independent, make her own choices.
Sighing, she carefully folded the letter and slipped it back into the envelope, tucking it a
way behind the rest of the letters. She wouldn’t read any more.
At least not tonight.
Also by Kim Loraine and Soul Mate Publishing:
RESTORATION
After the tragic death of her fiancé, Grace McConnell turns to the only remaining constant in her life, her work. So when she’s offered the lead position for an international restoration project, she jumps at the chance to get away from her small town, full of John’s memories.
Drew Tensley has always been a hard worker. Dedicated to his family and community, he put aside his own London career to take over the family business after his mother’s terminal diagnosis. Five years later, he’s ready to start living for himself when he literally runs into his hometown’s newest architect.
Grace quickly discovers that traveling halfway across the world was the best decision she’s ever made. Until she meets Drew, a man whose personality and lifestyle are the exact opposite of John’s, but whose face is the spitting image. Struggling with her own motivations and feelings, research uncovers secrets she isn’t ready for; secrets that could ruin her second chance for true love.
Available on Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/nfxo38x
RENOVATION
Valerie Peters is done with bad boys and ready to start living for herself. She’s determined to settle for nothing less than a romantic, sweeps-you-off-your-feet, nice-guy. So when a sexy firefighter with the hottest reputation in town saves her from near-drowning, there’s no doubt he’s everything she shouldn't want.
Donovan’s looks and image have kept his nights entertaining and his ring finger empty. One-night stands serve as a short-term distraction to the flashbacks of his past he increasingly struggles to ignore. But a chance encounter with his best friend’s sister makes him realize that one night is no longer enough.