She leveled a look at him. Okay, big guy, I’ve opened the door. Now it’s up to you. Nerves jumping like grease in a hot skillet, she waited.
His Adam’s apple leaped as he swallowed. He wiped his mouth with a paper napkin. Pushed the pizza box aside. Tunneled fingers through his hair.
One side of his mouth twitched up, deepening the dimple. “Hell, I’m no good at this.”
Annie’s heart sank. But no, to end it, all he had to do was stay away. He’d come because he loved her. She started to reach for him.
“No, don’t.” He held up both hands. “If you touch me, sweetheart, I’ll blank on what I need to say.” Heated intensity lit his eyes. “When you came to see me in the hospital and again just now, you were right about nearly everything you said.”
“Nearly everything?” She couldn’t help but smile. God, she loved the big galoot. He looked so gorgeous lounging there like some Regency rake, naked and decadent.
“I don’t know about sensitive and talented, but you were right to call me self-centered. You made me think. What you said and how I didn’t deserve you was all I thought about for the last week. That and how much I missed you.”
“Oh, Sam.” Heart swelling with love, she inched closer.
“Hold on. No base stealing.” His grin contained more confidence. “By yesterday, I had it worked out. You were also right that I don’t want to spend my life hiding in the woods.”
She winced to hear the insensitivity of her own words. “That was too harsh.”
“No, it was the truth. You made me see what I had to do. A guy from the Sox kept leaving messages, and I finally found the guts to return the call. I have a new job.”
“But you hated working in the office. You said it was hell. You don’t have to do that for me.”
“I didn’t. It’s a real baseball job. You’re looking at a new Sox batting coach.”
This time she didn’t let him stop her. She pounced and knocked him backward. Sprawled on top of his big body, she kissed his lips, his chin, his dimples. “Back to Boston? That’s wonderful, fantastic.”
“Not exactly Boston. It’s with the farm team, the Pawtucket Red Sox. I have to prove myself, work my way up the system.”
“Pawtucket’s near Providence. Only an hour from Boston. The job’s perfect, work you were born for.”
“You’re the one who made me believe I could do it. You kept calling me Coach and insisting I was a good teacher. You believed in me when I didn’t believe in myself. You were right that I’m in love with you. Hell, I love you so much it hurts.” He placed both hands over his heart. His eyes glistened with the power of his need.
“Sam, are you asking me to go with you?” She held her breath.
“I’m asking more than that.” He rolled, taking her with him, until she lay beneath him. He bracketed her with his arms, keeping his considerable weight off her. “I’m asking you to marry me.”
“Marriage.” She could barely breathe.
“I know we’ve only known each other a few weeks. It’s damned crazy. You probably still think I’m as arrogant as that tennis player. I’m worse than a bear in the mornings. You probably don’t—”
“Yes.”
“Yes?”
“Yes, Sam. I’ll marry you. I love you, you big jock.”
“You won’t mind leaving Portland?” When she shook her head, he frowned. “About the antiques and fancy china—”
“Porcelain.”
“Huh?”
“The figurines in the Louis XV breakfront. They’re porcelain, not china. German porcelain.”
“German porcelain.” His eyes glazed over.
She bit her lip, then laughed at the image of this rugged six-foot-four male perched on a silk-upholstered settee. “Sam, I sublet this condo furnished from antique-dealer friends of my mom’s. Don’t worry. I won’t make you sit on a Victorian loveseat or a French Chippendale dining room chair. This isn’t me. It’s been fun, but it’s like living in a museum.”
His shoulders lowered in apparent relief. “None of this is yours.” He sheathed himself, then wriggled into the cradle of her thighs. “Not even this infield-size bed?”
She punched him in the arm. “We can go bed shopping. When do you start the batting-coach job?”
“Right away. The other guy left to take a broadcasting job.” He shook his head at the insanity of that move. “And your job here?”
“No problem.” No need to explain for now. She hadn’t yet accepted the LA offer. “A couple of publishers have approached me about a true-crime book about Holden Smith."
His mouth turned down. "You want to relive that nightmare? Listen to his smarmy voice on the tapes?"
"The hefty advance New York is talking would take the sting out of all that. Writing it down would get that obsession out of my system."
"So where—"
"I can write the book anywhere. If memory serves, Providence has a newspaper. If they don’t need a reporter, maybe the Globe or the Herald does."
"You're getting the big bucks for your book. That says best seller to me. The newspapers will come to you.”
"My folks'll want a Maine wedding."
His smile nearly blinded her. “Mine too. I don’t care when we get married or where, big wedding or small. I need you with me.” He nudged his arousal against her.
She opened to him. “Now and always. We make a good team, remember?”
He slid inside, and she gasped with the power of their joining. They remained still, content with the sense of connection.
“I remember.” His carnal gaze turned possessive. “Your baseball swing needs work, but you have one hell of a right cross. Our kids’ll have a choice of sports. You do want kids?”
“We can work on that on our honeymoon. Can we stay in that cute little cabin on the Eagle River?”
As response, he sank deeper. Inner muscles pulsed, beckoned.
And then neither could find the breath to speak.
*****
From Susan:
Thank you for reading Primal Obsession. I hope you enjoyed it. If you did, please help others find the book by writing a short review at the retailer where you purchased it.
*****
TO PURCHASE SUSAN’S BOOKS
http://www.amazon.com/Susan-Vaughan/e/B001HPK2LY/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0
More buy links at http://www.susanvaughan.com
LOOK FOR THE TASK FORCE EAGLE TRILOGY
When federal agents Rick Cruz, Jake Wescott, and Holt Donovan go after a Mexican cartel kingpin, they face unexpected hazards—to their hearts.
BOOK 1 - NEVER SURRENDER (short novel)
When charming DEA Agent Ricardo Cruz, has a lead in Maine to the cartel that killed his brother, his vanished suspect’s loyal sister, Juliana Paris, refuses to cooperate. Threats force her to accept Rick’s protection, and their search leads them into deadly danger and each other’s arms.
BOOK 2 – ONCE BURNED
ATF Agent Jake Wescott, undercover in his Maine hometown, becomes the reluctant protector of Lani Cameron, scarred in the long-ago fire that killed her twin. As they uncover secrets, they face dangers more explosive than they feared.
BOOK 3 – TWICE A TARGET
Disaster strikes DEA Agent Holt Donovan twice, when a gunfight ruins his mission and a car crash kills his brother and sister-in-law. Home on the Colorado ranch to raise his infant nephew, Holt enlists a nanny, Maddy McCoy, who once jilted his brother and is now a nomadic photographer. As they cope with old resentment and new desire, their investigation of the crash leads them into danger and a shocking discovery.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
SUSAN VAUGHAN is the multi-published author of romantic suspense novels. Her books have been an RT Book Reviews Magazine Reviewer's Choice Nominee and a finalist for the Booksellers’ Best and Daphne du Maurier awards. Her books have been translated into German, French, Spanish, and Icelandic and published in more than eleven countries. She’s a West Virginia native, but she and her
husband have lived in Maine for many years. Her Web site is www.susanvaughan.com. She loves to hear from readers: [email protected].
Also by Susan Vaughan
TWICE A TARGET
ONCE BURNED
NEVER SURRENDER
DEADLY MEMORIES
BREAKING ALL THE RULES
CODE NAME: FIANCÉE
GUARDING LAURA
DANGEROUS ATTRACTION
Reviews
“Susan Vaughan writes an intensely romantic thriller.... This is an excellent tale of people at their best and worst learning to work together through adversity.” - The Romance Studio about PRIMAL OBSESSION
“The strong characterization of Annie Wylde and the multi-faceted characterization of all the characters in the book, the meticulous attention to detail, and the riveting storytelling pushes this book way beyond good and entertaining—well into the realm of an unforgettable and powerful experience. A definite MUST READ.” – WRDF Review about PRIMAL OBSESSION (4)
“Primal Obsession is a romantic suspense of high quality and of stinging, heart thumping excitement. This book delivers suspense at multiple levels, producing excitement and a keen sense of anticipation from the first page. Don’t pick this book up unless you have time because you’ll have a hard time putting it down.” – Long and Short Reviews (4.5)
“If you are into a book that combines action and romance, then read on. Download this today!” – Reader Stephen S - 5 stars on Amazon.com about NEVER SURRENDER
“ONCE BURNED is the second installment in her series collectively known as the Task Force Eagle and it bristles with both suspense and romance - as well as plenty of well-written escapist mystery.” – Grady H., Amazon Top 50 Reviewer
"TWICE A TARGET gives you heart pounding excitement from beginning to end.... This is the third of the author's [Susan Vaughan] series Task Force Eagle. I did not read the other two, and it is not necessary in order to enjoy the thrill of this one, but I certainly plan to put them in my TBR pile." --FRESH FICTION
“An action-packed story with a sizzling romance at its center. This is a fast-paced read with a great, hot romance between two people who couldn't be more mismatched.” – RT Book Reviews Magazine about DEADLY MEMORIES (4.5)
“This is a fast paced romance with plenty of action and adventure, and a wonderful tale of an emotionally hurt woman with a life full of secrets and the one man who can erase it all.” – Coffee Time Romance about BREAKING ALL THE RULES (4)
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