Queen of Hearts (Gambling on Love Series Book 4)

by M Andrews

  “Wouldn’t it be cute if they got married someday.” Lucky gently rubs Charlotte’s head. “You better treat my granddaughter like a princess, Logan or you’ll have to deal with me.”

  “Believe me Logan, Aunt Lucky is scarier than Uncle Ryder.” I’m only half teasing. No one messes with Lucky and the people she cares about. If they do they will end up in a body bag.

  Brooke looks down at my hand and sees the new ring. “Lucy, is that what I think it is?” She looks over at Hunter then back at me. “Hunter, get over here,” she demands.

  Hunter slides his arm around my waist. “Lucy and I have some good news of our own. I asked Lucy to marry me this morning and she said yes.” He dips his head and kisses me softly.

  “I am so happy for you both. This is amazing.” Brooke hands Lucky Logan so she can hug Hunter then me. “I’ve been praying for this day for so long. You’re going to be my sister.” She squeals.

  “It’s about damn time you grew a pair and locked that down,” Lucky teases Hunter. He chuckles and shakes his head. “Looks like this Christmas is full of miracles.”

  I agree with her. We are all finally getting the happy endings we all deserve. It has taken moving mountains for some of us, but all the struggles and tears and broken hearts were worth it, because in the end they shaped us into the people we are today and made getting the love we have now that much more sweeter.

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  Hunter

  It’s three in the morning, the night before my wedding, and I’m wide awake. Not because I’m having second thoughts, but because I’m so damn excited to marry Lucy in fifteen hours. We should have had a morning wedding because this waiting is killing me. In the end it will be all worth it to spend the rest of my life with Lucy.

  I stare up at the ceiling of my sister’s guest room watching the light dance in the dark room. The soft lines reminding me of the soft curves of Lucy’s body. My fingers trace the lines while my mind wishes they were trailing along the curve of Lucy’s hips and up to her supple breasts. I can hear her moans in my head when the pads of my finger flicks over her hard, pink nipple. With that I’m pitching a tent under the sheets. This sleeping away from each the night before the wedding is total bullshit. I’m never going to be able to sleep without Lucy in my arms.

  I flip back the blankets back and climb out of bed, thinking a drink will help knock me out. As I pad down the hallway I hear Logan fussing in his room. Instead of going and waking up Brooke, I decide to help out and give Logan his 3am feeding. “Hey buddy, looks like we both could use a drink.” I lift Logan out of his crib and we make our way downstairs.

  Logan shies away from the bottle at first. “I know buddy, I feel your pain about not being able to have your favorite boob in your mouth, but you’re just going to have to take this bottle like a man. Just like I’m going to have to deal with not being face deep between Aunt Lucy’s boobs.” I try the bottle again and this time Logan takes it.

  Logan stares up at me while he eats, his tiny hand resting on top of mine. I love these bonding moments with my niece and my nephews. I’ve been here for all of their births. No matter what was going on in my life or where in the world I was, I dropped everything to be here for my sister and for them. There were times after our mom died that I wasn’t around. It’s a regret I live with and why I made a promise to myself and her that I would always be there for them, no matter what.

  A click of a camera takes my attention away from Logan. I look up and see Brooke standing in the doorway of the kitchen with my camera in her hand. “Not very often that I get to play photographer with you.” She grins and takes another picture of me and Logan.

  “Don’t get too used it.” I wink. “What are you doing awake, I was trying to let you sleep.”

  “Thank you, I do appreciate that, but my inner clock is on Logan time and as soon as three o’clock comes my eyes are open.” Brooke shuffles over to one of the bar stools and takes a seat.

  “Do you want to feed him?” I ask.

  “He’s looking nice and cozy in Uncle Hunter’s arms, I don’t want to get in the way of your bro moment.” She softly smiles at us both. “You look good holding a baby, and I am so excited to see you holding your own baby someday.”

  “Hopefully you’ll get to see it soon.” This perks up Brooke’s sleepy eyes.

  “Is this your way of saying Lucy is already expecting?” she asks hopefully.

  “No, but we are trying,” I reply. I only wish Lucy was already pregnant.

  “You won’t be able to see it in my face, because I haven’t slept in four months, but I am so incredibly happy for you and Lucy. I know losing Mom was hardest on you and dad, and I know you did the things you did to protect yourself. But I hoped and prayed you would find someone worth unlocking your heart for. I’m glad it was Lucy. You two are so perfect together.” Her eyes gloss over with tears. “I love you both so much.”

  I walk around the island to where Brooke is sitting and slide my free arm around her shoulders. “Thank you for always looking out for me Brookie. None of this would be happening if it wasn’t for the push you gave me.”

  “I just want my big brother to be happy and if that meant pulling a little underhanded move to make it happen then it was well worth it.” She grins.

  This is the one and only time I appreciate being manipulated by my sister. I wouldn’t be marrying Lucy if it wasn’t for that stunt she pulled. I needed that push to get my shit together.

  ****

  I step into my room and my eyes catch a shadowy silhouette laying in my bed. My lips curl into a knowing smile, hands twitching at my side, hungry to touch the bare curves waiting for me. I reach behind my head and pull off my shirt followed by my sweatpants. In the light coming from the streetlights outside, I can see Lucy licking her lips as she watches me climb into bed next to her.

  “How did you get in here?” I whisper, capturing her lips in a gentle kiss while my hand cups the curve of her ass, pulling her close to me. Our bodies come together and I feel whole again.

  “I snuck in while you were in the kitchen with Brooke. This whole sleeping away from each other thing was a stupid idea. I needed to be with you.” She moans the last part as my hard length slides between her folds. “I never want to spend another night away from you again.” The nights we spent apart after Colton came back were the toughest of my life. It was unsettling. Being away from her tonight brought back those feelings of unrest.

  “You’ll never have to worry about that ever again,” I promise, slowly pushing inside her. Soft moans fall from her lips. Her arms wrap around me and I am home. “I promise to be a safe place for you to land, to make you laugh every day. To always be by your side. You are my queen, Lucy, and I will love you from now until eternity.”

  Chapter Thirty-Eight

  Lucy

  A cool breeze blows up from the ocean, making the hammock Hunter and I are lying in sway. The sound of the ocean beneath us and Hunter’s deep soothing voice reading from one of my books is lulling me into a blissful peace. I wish we could stay like this forever. Hunter surprised me with a honeymoon in Bora Bora. I think he was using Bailey to get ideas of where to go. One day I caught her looking through my Pinterest boards, one of which was a board dedicated to Bora Bora. I’ve always wanted to stay in one of the beach huts out on the water, and Hunter made that dream come true.

  We haven’t left our little bungalow in the past eight days. When we aren’t in bed, we are either in our private pool or out in the ocean. I have to say, sex out in the ocean is one of my new favorite things. Most of the time we are in the hammock reading to each other. It’s been absolute heaven. It’s a shame we have to leave soon.

  “Should we actually venture out to the resort for dinner tonight?” Hunter asks. He knows the answer will be no. Hello, it’s been my response since night one. I think he asks just to hear me get all possessive over him. I’m sure the main resort is beautiful, but I don’t want to share my husband with the res
t of the world yet.

  I love saying “my husband.” At the wedding, I couldn’t stop saying it. I whispered it in Hunter’s ear between telling him the things I wanted to do to him once the reception was over. I say it to myself whenever I look at him. Hunter McCoy is my husband, women all over the world are collectively crying at the loss.

  “I’m not ready to leave our little piece of heaven.” I smile up at him.

  “Whatever my wife wants.” He returns my smile. As much as I love calling him my husband, I love it even more when he calls me his wife. I am his and I was always meant to be his. It’s been a winding road to get here, but every stop along the way shaped us into the people we are today. We had lessons to learn, experiences we needed to have before we could be together. I wouldn’t change a single moment, because it brought me to this place. A place of happiness and joy with Hunter.

  “I’ll call room service while you call Bailey.” Hunter climbs out of the hammock then helps me to my feet. I enjoy the view of Hunter’s ass while he walks back inside. It’s a damn shame he has shorts on hiding that magnificent ass of his. I’ll be sinking my teeth in that ass later or maybe while we are waiting for room service.

  I walk into the bedroom and grab my phone from the charger. The screen lights up and I take notice of the date. For some strange reason the number triggers a random thought in my head. I’ve been so distracted with finalizing Colton and I’s divorce, the holidays, and planning a wedding, I completely missed the fact that I haven’t had a period in almost two months.

  “Dinner will be here in forty-five minutes.” Hunter’s arms snake around my waist. His lips on my neck. “That’s enough time to make my beautiful wife come at least four times.” His tongue glides up my neck.

  “Hunter, that sounds wonderful, but I think we might need to actually leave our room.”

  “And why is that?” he asks, pulling the string of my bikini open.

  “We may need to see if they have a pharmacy near the resort.” Hunter’s hands freeze right above my breasts.

  Hunter moves around to face me. “Baby, are you sick?” Worry takes over his face.

  “I’m fine, but I think I might be pregnant.”

  Hunter’s eyes widen, and an excited smile takes over his face. “Lucy, are you serious, do you really think you’re pregnant?”

  “I haven’t had a period in almost two months, so the signs are pointing to yes.” My excitement matches his. If this is true, then that means I got pregnant on St. Patrick’s Day, during Ryder and Lucky’s anniversary party. Lucky would be so proud to know a baby was conceived at one of her parties. Bailey is going to freak out, she’s been wanting a baby brother forever. All three of us have been suffering from baby fever.

  Hunter scoops me up in his arms. “We’re having a baby.” His face is beaming.

  “We don’t know for sure, but yes we could be.” I’m trying not to get my hopes up too high, I’ve skipped periods before.

  “I know you are. I can feel it in my bones.” Hunter carefully sits me down on the bed. “You stay here and relax while I will go see if I can find a test.” He kisses me then bends down to kiss my stomach. His stubble tickles my skin. “Don’t you go anywhere either baby,” he says to my stomach. He looks like a kid at Christmas.

  ****

  Hunter and I sit on the bathroom floor watching the timer on his phone. The seconds feel like they are taking an eternity to tick by. Hunter went a little test crazy, he came back with six different tests, saying he didn’t want any stone left unturned. He’s crazy and I love it. I would have done the same thing.

  “Are you ready for all of this if these tests come up positive?” I ask. I don’t know why I’m asking, Hunter is an amazing uncle to his niece and nephews, and he’s already so good with Bailey. Maybe it’s more of a question for me. I was completely overwhelmed when I had Bailey. Most new parents are, but at least the new mom has a significant other to help out. Colton was gone for all of that. It was just me doing all the work and it didn’t help that I was also mourning the loss of my husband. It was a tough road, but I survived, and most importantly, Bailey survived and so far, she’s turned out great. I didn’t completely screw her up. That whole experience made me stronger, and now I do have Hunter and I know we will be a great team.

  “I am more than ready for all of this. I’m going to be there for every doctor appointment, crazy food craving, I’ll hold your hair when the morning sickness kicks in. I will be there for those three a.m. feedings. I am a champion diaper changer.”

  “You really are the perfect husband. It eases my mind to hear you say that. I raised Bailey on my own for most of her life.”

  “I will always be here for you Bailey, and our future children. You are my world and I don’t want to miss a single moment of our lives together.” I climb into his lap and capture his lips in a deep kiss. Hunter is a real dream come true. When I was with Colton, I still felt alone. That time taught me how to take care of myself, it made me stronger, but it would have been better to have someone there to catch me when I was feeling the weight of the world on my shoulders. Hunter is that for me. He lets me be me, he’s there for me, and I am there for him. I finally have a real teammate in this world.

  Just then the timer chimes on Hunter’s phone. Both Hunter and I hold our breaths as Hunter lifts us both off the ground. We gaze down at the counter filled with purple and white sticks. Six tests all reading positive. Hunter’s excited roar echoes through the small bathroom while tears of joy stream down my face. Hunter sets me down on my feet and drops to his knees and places soft kisses on my stomach. His attention comes back up to me and he says, “Thank you for making all my dreams come true.”

  I run my hands through his mess of curls. “We made each other’s dreams come true.”

  Epilogue

  Lucy

  “It’s okay my sweet girl, Mommy is here,” I whisper, picking Amelia up from her crib. Her fussing stops as soon as I put her against my chest. I rub Landon’s sleeping head. It’s hard to believe he is five now. It seems just like yesterday the doctor was laying him in my arms. Every day he looks more and more like Hunter. He’s my little prince, so sweet and loving, just like his daddy. He is completely obsessed with his new baby sister. The first night we brought Amelia home, we found him asleep in her crib and he’s slept there every night for the past two months. Not that this is surprising, since Bailey did the same thing when we brought Landon home from the hospital. It’s sweet how much they love each other.

  Me and Amelia climb into bed with Hunter, who is already awake and getting my pillows ready for me to nurse Amelia. Hunter definitely wasn’t lying when he said he would be there for those three a.m. feedings. The first little cries from Amelia, Hunter is up, ready to change diapers and helps any way he can with her. He is amazing with all our kids as I knew he would be. He proved that with Bailey before we got together. I love to watch him play in the middle of the floor with Landon, read books with Bailey, and rock Amelia to sleep. He is an amazing father and husband. He makes me so happy it almost feels like a dream.

  Hunter turns in our direction and smiles when he sees us. “There are my beautiful girls.” He helps me back into bed then slips under the blankets next to me. He kisses my shoulder and softly strokes Amelia’s head while she eats. She stops just long enough to smile at her daddy’s touch. Amelia has been a daddy’s girl since she was in my belly. She would wiggle around whenever she heard his voice. It was cute to watch her movements follow his voice across my stomach. It became a silly game Hunter would play at night while we were lying in bed.

  “She’s looking more and more like you,” Hunter softly says, then kisses the top of Amelia’s head.

  “I think she is a mix of us both. I do hope she gets your curly hair.” I think Amelia would look so adorable with Hunter’s curls. Landon got his daddy’s good looks and his curly hair. My sweet boy is going to drive all the girls crazy with that deadly combination.

  A sleepy Landon s
huffles into our room and climbs into bed. Someone must have realized Amelia was no longer in her crib. “Hey buddy, what are you doing awake?” Hunter asks, letting Landon snuggle on top of his chest.

  “Just making sure Amelia is okay.” He yawns.

  “She’s okay. She’s just eating,” I assure him. He’s already the protective older brother.

  “What’s going on?” Bailey rubs her eyes as she walks in our room.

  “It’s Amelia’s first breakfast of the morning. Come lay in bed,” I suggest. Everyone else is in here might as well add one more to the party. Bailey climbs into bed, first giving Hunter a kiss on the cheek, then kisses Landon on top of the head before snuggling up between Hunter and me. She gently rubs Amelia’s back.

  I look across the bed at my sweet little family and feel completely blessed. I never thought a day like this would ever come, where I would be able to give Bailey the family she wanted or find the happiness I so desperately wanted. Hunter didn’t just give me my every dream, he gave me his heart, and trusted me to take care of it. In doing so, he brought me back to life, and I will love him for that every single day of our lives.

  THE END

  All or Nothing

  A Gambling on Love Bonus Short

  All or Nothing originally appeared in the Because Beards Anthology. Now that the anthology is no longer available, I didn’t want anyone to miss out on Dylan and Zoe’s sweet sexy story.

  Chapter One

  Zoe

  Looking up at the clock hanging above dishwashing station, I anxiously wait for the minute hand to click over the three. Everything around me seems to be moving in slow motion. Each second that goes by feels like a lifetime. I hold my breath as the minute hand moves. My heart beats excitedly out of my chest when I hear the door to the café creak open, and the strand of bells hanging from the handle jingle, signaling he’s here. My sweet SWAT officer is here. Technically he’s not mine…at least not yet.