I'll Show You Mine

by Lauren Gallagher

  “Me too.”

  Neither of them spoke. For once, there was nothing left that needed to be said—the comfortable silence said it all. He knew, and she knew, and here they were.

  She had regrets. There were things in her past she’d have changed if given half the chance. In the end, this could turn out to be a mistake too. Or at least a relationship that wasn’t cut out for the long haul.

  But for once in her life, Alyssa was optimistic that this was the right thing. That it could work out.

  Whatever the future held, at least for right now, as she slowly drifted off beside Shane, she was sure of one thing.

  Tonight, she was right where she needed to be.

  Epilogue

  Not quite a year later

  Much like their wedding, Jake and Hannah’s enormous one-year anniversary party was the place to be. Every friend and family within a hundred-mile radius had been invited, and the two of them had no doubt pulled out all the stops to put on the kind of bash people would be talking about for months.

  Shane tugged at his tie. He didn’t usually have quite so much trouble with a Windsor knot, but tonight, he was lucky he’d remembered how to tie his shoes.

  In the bathroom, the shower turned off. He glanced at the closed door in the mirror and smiled to himself, but it faded quickly as he remembered his nerves. What he wouldn’t have given for a quiet—or not so quiet—night at home with Alyssa instead of at a party with people who still couldn’t cope with their relationship. Those who’d been convinced Shane and Alyssa would fall apart before they even got off the ground.

  There’d been a time or two when Shane had wondered himself. Things had been great, but they hadn’t been all sunshine and roses, and they’d hit a snag or two along the way. Settling into a relationship with all the baggage hanging over their heads wasn’t easy. And it wasn’t just the two of them navigating things—their friends and family had had mixed reactions, and not everyone had gotten over it yet.

  Hannah and Jake had lost their shit when they found out about the relationship. Jake had never particularly cared for Alyssa, and had no use for her after what happened with her ex-husband, but eventually, he’d warmed to the idea of the two of them dating.

  “If you’re happy with her, then I’m happy for you,” he’d said a few months ago, and that had been the end of it.

  Hannah, however, wasn’t thrilled. As far as she was concerned, Shane was a ticking time bomb. A repeat offender waiting to happen. But family was family, and after some horrific blowouts with Alyssa and her parents and siblings, Hannah had conceded. Sort of. As long as Alyssa kept Shane on a tight leash—love you too, bitch—then he could come with her to family events.

  Alyssa’s older sister, Wendy, was even worse. She hated Shane and never missed an opportunity to let Alyssa know that. After Alyssa and Shane figured out that Wendy was encouraging her husband to try to provoke Shane—usually by way of political comments—they stopped visiting altogether. Life was just too short for that kind of crap.

  On the whole, though, people around them were slowly getting used to the idea, especially since they’d moved in together a couple of months ago. Shane’s parents and sisters adored Alyssa right from the start, and once they were certain Shane had been completely honest with her about his past, they’d been great.

  Alyssa’s parents were relieved that someone had been willing to give their daughter another shot in spite of that scarlet letter, though they hadn’t been so sure about her taking a chance on an ex-con. A few slightly awkward dinners later, they’d relaxed. And after Shane had offered to help her dad fix a motorcycle he’d had sitting around for the last several years—and he’d actually gotten the damned thing running—her folks had decided he was okay after all.

  Nate and Shane had to settle into things, too. Alyssa had introduced them several months ago, and it had taken Nate a while to adapt to Shane’s presence.

  The weirdest part? Meeting Nate’s father. Turned out Grant was a pretty good guy, though, and once they got past the initial awkwardness, they actually started becoming friends. Shane had even set Grant up on a date with a good friend of his, and two months in, that pair was inseparable.

  So, little by little, things were getting better.

  Except at events like, say, the one they were going to tonight.

  Shane swore under his breath. People were never outwardly hostile anymore, but the tension was undeniable. The disapproval was palpable, especially when extended family was there, as they would be tonight. As if Shane and Alyssa were reckless teenagers who couldn’t be trusted to choose their partners wisely, and their relationship would inevitably end in disaster.

  “You ready to go?”

  Alyssa’s voice turned him around, and just as it always did when he saw her dressed up like this, his breath caught. She was wearing that little black dress she’d worn the first time they’d gone out together, and she looked just as hot tonight as she had back then. Her hair was down, tumbling over her shoulders, and her makeup was perfectly subtle, the only obvious enhancement being the smoky eye shadow.

  He cleared his throat. “Ready to go whenever you are.”

  Her shoulders sank a little, and she blew out a breath. “As ready as I’ll ever be.”

  “Lyss.” He touched her face, careful not to smudge her makeup. “You okay?”

  “Yeah. Yeah, I’m…” Shaking her head, she sighed. “I just hate the way my sisters treat you.”

  Shane slipped his hand into hers. “Maybe we need to stop pushing this. Forcing harmony, spending time with people who obviously don’t like us.”

  Her eyes widened. “What are you suggesting? Cutting off our families?”

  “No, not at all. But maybe spending less time with the ones who stress us both out. I can see how much it stresses you out.”

  She glanced down at their hands. “So what do you think we should do?”

  “Well, we could start by blowing off tonight.”

  Her eyes widened, but then something in her expression relaxed, as if she’d been waiting for him to suggest it. “Really?”

  “Absolutely.” He slid his arm around her waist. “If people can’t cope with us, especially after all this time, then why should we put up with it?”

  Her shoulders sagged and she released a breath. “God, I was hoping you’d say that.”

  “Good.” He exhaled too. “I thought you might be upset.”

  “Not at all. Watching them look down their noses at us upsets me.”

  “Me too.” He kissed her forehead. “So let’s just fucking skip it.”

  “Yes. Please.” She paused, looking up at him. “But, what do we do from here on out? Just keep blowing off family commitments until they come around?” She scowled. “That could take a while.”

  “Yeah, it might.” Shane’s heart sped up. “Maybe…” He swallowed hard. “Instead of being at the mercy of people who treat us like shit, maybe it’s time we became a family of our own.”

  Alyssa’s lips parted. “A…what?”

  He smiled, his heart pounding. “Just because time with our families is miserable and uncomfortable doesn’t mean all family time should be. Especially if we are our family.”

  “Shane…”

  As he got down on one knee, Alyssa’s free hand went to her lips.

  With his stomach turning and pulse racing, Shane could barely speak. “I love you, Alyssa.” He reached into the pocket of his trousers. “I want to be with you, even if other people can’t cope with that. I want you and Nate to be my family now.” He held up the little red velvet box and whispered, “Will you marry me?”

  Hand still over her mouth, she nodded as her eyes welled up. Lowering her hand, she said simply, “Yes.”

  Her hands were shaking as badly as his, but between the two of them, they managed to get the ring onto her finger. They bo
th paused, her hand cradled gently in his as the small diamond sparkled in the warm light.

  Then he stood, wrapped his arms around her and kissed her. He’d been a nervous wreck since he’d picked up the ring three days ago, and on the verge of losing his mind all damned day today, and now he was so overwhelmed, he could barely keep his emotions together.

  She wiped her eyes and looked down at the ring on her finger again. “People are going to talk, you know.”

  “Let them talk.” He kissed her forehead. “I don’t give a shit.”

  “They’re going to assume it’s a shotgun wedding.” She lifted her gaze. “Guaranteed.”

  Shane laughed. “That rumor won’t last once they figure out you aren’t—”

  Something in her eyes gave him pause.

  A little grin played at her lips, and his heart flipped.

  “Alyssa…”

  The grin got bigger.

  His knees damn near buckled. “Are you…are you serious?”

  She nodded, her eyes welling up again as her smile broadened. “Completely.”

  “And you’re—” He cleared his throat as his voice threatened to crack. “You’re sure?”

  “Three tests at home and one at the doctor’s office.” She sniffed sharply. “I’m sure.”

  So much for keeping his emotions together. Even in the past year, as they’d grown closer and smoothed over the bumps that inevitably rose in any relationship, he’d been waiting for the other shoe to drop. For her to decide this wasn’t what she wanted.

  But here she was. In his arms, with his ring on her finger and thrilled to be carrying their baby. How many times had he been convinced he’d screwed himself out of a real family? And now…this? Not only a woman who was willing to love him in spite of his past, but Alyssa. The woman he’d fallen for harder than he’d ever believed possible.

  He kissed the top of her head as he stroked her hair. “I love you, Alyssa.” More than you can imagine.

  “I love you too.” She drew back and looked up at him, then lifted herself on her toes to kiss him. “Guess we both had a little surprise up our sleeves tonight.”

  He laughed and wiped his eyes. “I guess we did.”

  As they both composed themselves, she cleared her throat. “So now we’re all dressed up with nowhere to go. What do we do with the rest of tonight?”

  “That depends.” He trailed his fingertip along the zipper running up her back. “How badly do you want to go out?”

  She shrugged, which let one of the wide straps slip dangerously close to falling down her shoulder. “I’d be fine with staying home if you are.” She reached up and tugged at his tie. “But it does seem like a crying shame for you to clean up like this and not give me a chance to show you off.”

  Shane laughed. “And you know I normally wouldn’t miss an opportunity to show you off like this”—he gave her a down-up, which made her blush—“but I have to admit, I like the idea of having you all to myself tonight.”

  “Do you?” She grinned wickedly and arched an eyebrow. “So if you have me all to yourself, what will you do with—” Her breath caught when he started drawing her zipper down.

  “That answer your question?”

  “Maybe you should spell it out.” She licked her lips. “Just in case.”

  He hooked a finger under one strap and nudged it over her shoulder. Then he did the same with the other. As the dress pooled at her feet just like her bridesmaid’s dress had done a lifetime ago, he asked, “That clear things up?”

  “Mmhmm.” She stepped out of the dress and, holding onto his tie, pulled him back toward the bed. “One condition, though.”

  “Hmm?”

  “Remember that first night?” She let go of his tie and reached behind her. As her bra went slack, she added, “When you fucked me with your tux on?”

  Shane swallowed, loosening the tie she’d just used as a leash. “How could I forget?”

  “Well, I sure haven’t.” She grabbed his lapels and pulled him another step toward the bed. “And I want you to fuck me like that again tonight.”

  He didn’t need to be told twice.

  And even as he fucked her just the way he knew she wanted it, he still couldn’t believe this was real. That she was wearing nothing but his ring, that she wanted to be with him forever.

  People would talk. Anyone who knew a thing about either of their pasts would have something to say.

  But Shane didn’t care.

  The past was in the past. He was in love. He already had a wonderful stepson, and now a baby on the way.

  And his future with Alyssa looked brighter than he’d ever let himself believe it could be.

  About the Author

  Lauren Gallagher is an abnormal romance writer currently living in the wilds of Omaha, Nebraska. She and her husband, along with a coyote-iguana hybrid and two and a half cats, are thought to be in hiding from the Polynesian Mafia and a debt collector in search of a fine for an overdue book from the Library of Alexandria. Lauren continues to skillfully, if somewhat clumsily, elude them, but continues to have run-ins with her archnemesis, M/M erotic romance author L.A. Witt. The implementation of Operation: I Don’t Think So is expected to resolve that problem soon enough.

  Website: www.loriawitt.com

  Twitter: @GallagherWitt

  Blog: gallagherwitt.blogspot.com

  Look for these titles by Lauren Gallagher

  Now Available:

  Who’s Your Daddy?

  All The King’s Horses

  The Princess and the Porn Star

  Coming Soon:

  The Saint’s Wife

  Writing as L. A. Witt:

  Nine-tenths of the Law

  Out of Focus

  Conduct Unbecoming

  General Misconduct

  The Walls of Troy

  The Distance Between Us/Wilde’s Series

  The Distance Between Us

  A.J.’s Angel

  The Closer You Get

  Meet Me in the Middle

  No Distance Left to Run (with Aleksandr Voinov)

  Tooth & Claw

  The Given & the Taken

  The Healing & the Dying

  The United & The Divided

  The Only One

  The Only One Who Knows (with Cat Grant)

  The Only One Who Matters (with Cat Grant)

  Coming Soon:

  No Place That Far (with Aleksandr Voinov)

  She’s got the moves. He’s got the heat. Will their hearts catch the rhythm?

  The Princess and the Porn Star

  © 2013 Lauren Gallagher

  Rachel Taylor’s manager has to be kidding. A porn star dancing beside her in her next music video? She didn’t claw her way back from near obscurity in the pop music world only to become a laughingstock all over again.

  Yet the moment she meets Lee, a.k.a. the infamous Buck Harder, their chemistry sizzles. There’s much more to the man behind the stage name than the obvious attributes that make him so successful, and soon she’s fantasizing about sharing more than just a stage.

  In only a few steps, they find a perfect, dance-floor groove hot enough to melt the camera lens. But when the video’s release blows up in their faces, her record label exercises an obscure but ironclad clause—stay away from each other. Or else.

  Meeting in secret seems the most delicious solution. But they can’t hide this kind of heat for long…and when the paparazzi sniff them out, she realizes choosing to stay with the man she’s fallen for could cause her to fall off the pop music map—permanently.

  Warning: Let’s just say there’s a reason Buck Harder went into his line of work, and it ain’t his pretty smile. Wink wink.

  Enjoy the following excerpt for The Princess and the Porn Star:

 
; Thank God Olivia was halfway across the room when I first saw her. And thank God there were people, equipment and cords between here and there, because that gave me half a minute or so to get my tongue untied before I reached her.

  It wasn’t like I’d never seen her before. Not in person, maybe, but back when she was famous the first time, I’d been a fan. And maybe, just maybe, I’d kind of had a crush on her. At one time. A long time ago.

  So when I found out I’d be working with her, I’d fully expected to be a little starstruck, but this? Holy shit.

  The pretty-in-pink image she’d had back then was long gone. Her hair was darker now and longer, tied back in a messy ponytail. And that dress. Christ. It was the kind of look that could be slutty or it could be sexy, and on her, it was definitely the latter. Her breasts weren’t falling out of it, and it wasn’t so short it looked like it was meant for someone half her height. Sexy and provocative but tasteful at the same time.

  Olivia Taylor had grown the fuck up.

  She looked healthier now too. That last year before she fell off the radar, she’d been scary thin and pale. Even before that, she’d always been just thin enough to keep eating disorder and—especially toward the end—drug abuse rumors flying. She was still slim now, but her face wasn’t gaunt anymore, and the way her hips and waist curved inside that dress made my mouth water. And I was going to be dancing with her? With my hands on her while I wore tight leather pants?

  God help me.

  I stepped around a ladder and over a cord, and there we were.

  “Hi,” I said.

  She responded with a thin smile and a quiet, “Hi.”

  “So you’re Olivia.” I extended my hand. “Buck Harder.”

  She shook my hand. “I’m Olivia, yes. Well, Rachel.”

  “It’s nice to meet you.”

  “You too.” She let go of my hand, and I didn’t miss the hint of a smirk. I was used to that. Price you pay for a stage name like mine. I supposed I could have made things easier by telling her my real name, but that was something I kept guarded. The fewer people who knew Buck Harder was really Lee Peyton, the better.