We Own Tonight

by Corinne Michaels

  “I’m sure he’s being restrained by Randy so he can’t come find you.” Savannah laughs. “Eli isn’t known for his patience.”

  “No shit,” Nicole agrees. “Who the hell plans a wedding before asking the bride?”

  “I think it’s romantic.” Kristin grins.

  I agree with Kristin. On one hand, he’s crazy, but on the other, he’s sweet. “Well, he does leave for filming soon, so we either did it now or waited a few months.”

  After a bit, Kennedy comes in and instructs us where to go. She fusses over each of my girls, getting their dresses perfect.

  Nicole turns to me and pulls me close. “He’s the one, Heather. The one who deserves you.” She pulls a note from her freaking cleavage, and I know what that is. “I wanted to do this before we left, but I forgot until now. Stephanie said this was only to be given to you on your wedding day to a man who truly deserved you.”

  My hand reaches out, shaking as I take the paper. “I can’t read this,” I admit.

  “Do you want me to read it to you?”

  “No,” I sigh. “I just mean I’m going to lose it.”

  She touches my hand. “I’ll hold Kennedy back. Take your time.”

  Nicole makes good on her promise, informing Kennedy that she’ll make her walk the plank if she comes in here. I sit on the chair and open the note. My sister is always with me, and today has been tough, but I pray this won’t wreck me.

  * * *

  Heather,

  I really hope you get to read this, and for real, don’t cry!

  You were meant to be loved by someone special. You have given yourself to everyone around you, and I hope you’ve found a man who will finally fill you up. I don’t remember Mom and Dad’s marriage like you do, but from what you’ve told me, I pray you’ve found that kind of love. I hope the other half of your soul is a fraction as wonderful as you are.

  While I can’t be there, know that when you finally open this note, I’m smiling down on you. If it’s sunny, it’s because I’m shining. If it’s raining, it’s because I wanted to make your makeup run, because that’s what sisters do. However, if it’s a hurricane, then Daddy is probably trying to send you a message or you just have really shitty luck.

  I hope you’re happy today. I want you to smile all day, even when you miss me. I’m never far from you because you’re a part of me. I love you so much. I wish I could tell you how special and beautiful you are right now, but this letter will have to do.

  Last, let him know if he messes up, I probably have other ghost friends by now, and I’ll make sure he never sleeps again.

  I love you.

  Stephanie

  P.S. You get the next letter when you either have a kid or turn fifty. Either way, I’ll be back . . .

  * * *

  I tuck the letter into my bouquet of flowers so she’s with me down the aisle and look out at the now coral-and-purple sky with a smile. She’s such a turd, even from the grave she still messes with me.

  My sister would’ve loved this. I can imagine her giving me crap about the color dresses, the flavor of cake, and pretty much anything else she could make a fuss about. The way she would’ve gone to war with Kennedy and then with Nicole. She would’ve loved Eli. They only met a few times, and I know she’d be completely on his side. He has this way about him that she wouldn’t have been able to resist. It’s annoying how charming he is.

  There’s a soft knock on the door, and I open it.

  “Ready?” Brody asks with a smile.

  “I’m ready.” I loop my arm in his.

  Brody kisses my cheek, and we start to walk. “I’m happy for you. Eli’s a good dude.”

  I chuckle. “He is.”

  “You doing okay after the letter?”

  “I actually am. I miss her. I miss her so much, but she’s with me all the time.”

  Brody stops me at the bottom of the stairs. “She would be so proud of you.”

  Now the tears start to come. I look up, fanning my eyes and hoping to keep them until at least the vows. “Damn it.” I laugh. “No more talking. I’m not crying before the wedding.”

  “All right, let’s focus on you not tripping.”

  “Agreed.”

  We make it to the upper deck, and nerves have me gripping Brody’s elbow a bit tighter. I think about how different my life is. I’m not afraid anymore, and that’s all thanks to Eli. I don’t sit and wait for the floor to drop out, I dance on it, enjoying what we do have. He’s been there each step of the way, always holding out a hand for me to hold. When he wanted to leave his show, we talked about it. He wanted me to quit my job, and we talked through my staying. I’m there by his side at his doctor appointments, but I’m not the one running it all. There may come a time when things will change for us, but that’s okay. If it does, we’ll do it together.

  Kennedy makes her way over and fixes my veil. “Here we go.”

  The double doors open, and I continue to cling to Brody’s arm so I don’t falter in my steps. The space is more stunning than I could have imagined. There are blue and green flowers, beautiful white chairs, and twinkling lights fill the space. It’s absolutely perfect.

  The music cues, and the room no longer is what I see. The man I love more than life comes into view, and I melt. His black tuxedo frames his body, showing off his broad shoulders and trim waist. Our eyes connect, and he smiles. My chest clenches, and I fight the urge to run toward him. Suddenly, I can’t wait.

  I start to move, but Brody holds me steady.

  Each step I take eases the tightness around my ribs. The closer we get, the easier I can breathe.

  We reach the end, and Brody places my hand in Eli’s as a tear falls. I look at my best friend who has been a brother to me. He winks and kisses my cheek. “You have a new partner now.”

  Another tear drops, and I nod. “Thank you.”

  “Be good to her,” Brody says as Eli shakes his hand.

  “Always.”

  The minister calls attention to us all, and I feel the greatest sense of calm. Here, surrounded by our family and friends, we confess our love. Eli slips a diamond eternity band on my finger, and I place a titanium ring on his. When we picked out our rings, Eli said my ring was to be wrapped with no break in stones. I chose one that was the strongest metal.

  “Ellington and Heather have decided to write their own vows,” the minister explains. “Heather, you’re first.”

  I take a deep breath and confess what’s in my heart. “I never believed in fate. My world was exactly what I made it to be. I felt that by believing there was something else controlling the things around me, it meant I wasn’t worthy of much because my life was a mess. Therefore, I controlled anything possible. And then I met you. A day that was a way for my friends to force me out of the house for a good time, became my future. I didn’t know that one instant could alter everything I ever believed in, but you did that. You showed me that it was okay to take chances. You gave me a safe haven through the storm. You give me the ability and the strength to believe in tomorrow.” A tear rolls down his face, and I swipe it away like he’s done for me so many times. I take his hand in mine and squeeze hard. I want him to know how much I believe in us. “I promise that I’ll never run from you, not even if you push me outside my comfort zone. I promise that even when our lives feel like they’re crumbling, I’ll stand beside you. I will be your strength when you need it. I promise you will never have to wonder if I love you because I’ll show you in every way. You are the other half of me. You are my belief in fate. You’re my reason for going on. You’re my salvation, and I love you so much. I give you my heart, my soul, and my life from this day forward.”

  I release a shaky breath and try not to cry, but I fail. Nicole hands me a tissue, but Eli wipes it away before it falls. We smile at each other and the minister nods at him.

  “Love wasn’t something I was ever looking for. I didn’t seek it out or hope it would come along, but then I found you. Through a sea of people
, my eyes met yours. I suddenly didn’t know how to breathe. All I wanted to do was talk to you, touch you, know you, and I had to find a way. I had no idea that moment would flip my entire world upside down. That the words to that song would be exactly what you are, my once in a lifetime. I had no way of knowing that one night could alter every tomorrow. Knowing that you’re with me gives me all I need. Heather, I would chase you over a thousand more fences if it meant I had the next day beside you.” I giggle through the tears, and he grins. “I won’t ever give up on us. I’ll fight every darkness that threatens to blind our love. I’ll never let you feel alone because you’ll always have me. On my bad days, I promise to come to you and lean on you for support. On your bad days, I promise to be your rock. I will love you through every doubt, fear, laugh, cry, and emotion that you may have. When we’re apart, I will love you through the distance. From this day forward, I promise that you’ll be my day, night, and my tomorrow.”

  Tears of happiness fall down my cheek, and all I want to do is kiss him. The minister speaks but I don’t focus on him, all I see is Eli. He steps closer and brings his hands up to cup my face. Before the minister is finished declaring us man and wife, Eli’s lips are on mine, sealing all our promises until the end of time.

  Thank you for reading We Own Tonight. If you enjoyed this book, be sure to check out Beloved which is currently FREE on all platforms!

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  Books by Corinne Michaels

  The Salvation Series

  Beloved

  Beholden

  Consolation

  Conviction

  Defenseless

  * * *

  Return to Me Series

  Say You’ll Stay

  Say You Want Me

  Say I’m Yours

  Say You Won’t Let Go: A Return to Me/Masters and Mercenaries Novella (Coming 4/10/18)

  * * *

  Standalone Novels

  We Own Tonight

  by: Kendall Ryan

  * * *

  Synopsis

  Gavin Kingsley burst into my life in a sharp and unexpected twist of fate. You know his type—arrogant, dangerously handsome, and impossible to ignore.

  * * *

  Something dark within him calls to the shadows inside me. I long for the kind of heart-wrenching passion I’ve only read about, and his tragic past reads like one of my favorite literary classics. Raw. Visceral. Captivating. Together, we’re a perfect mess.

  * * *

  The deeper I fall into his world, the more I crave him like a drug—he pushes every boundary I have, and challenges everything I thought I wanted. I want to unlock his heart. I want his dirty secrets.

  * * *

  But in the end, will he be the blade that cuts me . . . or the bond that makes my life complete?

  Chapter One

  Emma

  My entire morning revolved around this thirty-second encounter. And if I timed it poorly and missed it? My whole day would be shit.

  I needed it like a shot of adrenaline to start the day.

  Every morning, careful to make sure my makeup was perfect and my hair was in place, I’d stop at the coffee shop on my way to work. I’d linger, staring at the rows of gourmet pastries and handcrafted mugs.

  And every morning, promptly at ten to eight, Mr. Tall, Dark, and Sinful strolled inside and ordered a double shot of espresso to go.

  Our routine had gone unchanged for the last ten months, and even though I cherished every second of our time together, we’d never spoken a single word. Hadn’t even made eye contact. For all I knew, he thought I was one of the commuters grabbing a mug of something hot and strong on my way to work. Just like him, I assumed. Or worse, maybe he didn’t even notice I existed.

  Until one morning, I’d stepped into line behind him and, for some inexplicable reason, he’d turned and looked deep into my eyes. I couldn’t say how long the eye contact went on, probably only a fraction of a second. But even so, I felt like my lungs would collapse from the weight of his hazel stare boring into mine.

  Since then, I’d tried a few times to recreate the moment, to wear some new perfume that might catch his attention, or pull my brown hair into a different style that might catch his eye. But nothing had made a difference. No, I was certain he didn’t even know I existed. Which was for the best, since I was pretty sure this was borderline stalking.

  But then, that had been before everything changed. It was the precursor to something that would alter my life forever. Something that would make everything richer and sweeter and deeper . . . only to have it all fall apart, leaving me to piece together the shattered fragments.

  Luckily for me, though, every instant was etched perfectly into my memory, even now as I struggled to decide if it felt more like a curse or a gift.

  That morning, the scent of roasting coffee beans had filled the air, and steam formed inside the windows from the warmer-than-usual foggy September day.

  I was standing in the corner, admiring the new array of teas for the fall, when the door chimed behind me, forcing me to turn around and look for the man I knew would be there.

  He was dressed in his charcoal-gray suit—one of my favorites. The fine material stretched across his sculpted biceps and wide shoulders enticingly. His crisp dress shirt was navy, contrasted by his silver tie. Every inch of him was polished. But it was the scowl painted on his chiseled features that made my knees weak.

  In the months since I’d first seen him, I’d imagined a life for him, even come up with a few names and rough ideas of what his office and apartment might be like. I never saw what he drove, but I was certain it must be something fast and sleek.

  As for his job, I was sure he had a high-powered career as a corporate attorney or a stockbroker, or maybe a real estate investor. Something where he was in control, and his powerful body and almost overwhelming presence could do most of his talking for him.

  “Espresso—” he said, his voice rough but sensual, deep and intoxicating. I’d often imagined the way my name would sound rolling off his tongue.

  “Double shot, to go,” the barista finished for him, smiling.

  It seemed I wasn’t the only one who had him pegged. The man was nothing if not predictable.

  He gave her a curt nod, his gaze drifting to the smartphone in his hand that had just let out a demanding ping. From where I stood a few feet from him, I glanced over, trying to get a peek at the background of his screen to see if there was a picture of him with a woman, or maybe one of a child set as his screensaver, but no. Just the standard factory presets.

  He was all business. There was little fanfare, no good morning or other greeting to the staff at the café, not even a friendly smile. But that voice, though . . . pure sin.

  I swallowed hard and stepped in line behind him, thinking of it now as he stood inches from me. If I introduced myself, I might get him to say my name, another moment to carry with me late at night when I lay awake thinking of him with my hand down the front of my panties.

  Instead, the barista set the cardboard cup down in front of him. He handed her a black matte cred
it card, waiting with his hand outstretched as she swiped it.

  Almost as if in slow motion, he turned. Shooting a look over one broad shoulder and holding my gaze, he dropped something into the glass jar in front of the register. Then he grabbed his coffee cup and strolled away like nothing had happened.

  And for a second, nothing did.

  “Nice tip, asshole,” the pink-haired barista muttered as the door chimed closed behind him. She plucked a business card from the tip jar that was otherwise filled with crinkled dollar bills and coins, then tossed it into the trash can behind her before ringing up my order for a small tea.

  I waited, staring at the discarded rectangle as a sense of panic washed through me.

  Maybe it was because I was standing on the cusp of thirty, or because I was suddenly single for the first time in forever. Maybe it was because the possibility of ending up as a sad cat lady now seemed like a very real possibility. Whatever the reason, I did something reckless.

  My heart pounded out an unsteady rhythm as I reached toward the barista. “C-can I see that card?” Totally pathetic and I knew it, but I couldn’t help myself.

  She eyed where it rested on the top of the trash can—seemingly stuck to the side of that morning’s new trash bag—and then looked back at me.

  “Please,” I added, letting a hint of my desperation show.

  Rolling her eyes, she picked up the card, brushed off a few errant coffee grounds, and extended it toward me. “No skin off my ass.”

  I plucked the card from her fingertips and muttered an apology, unable to help the fact that I was acting like a crazy person.