by Sands, K A
“You’re coming home?”
Twirling in the middle of the room, she gave me a coy smile, a tip of her head, and a come-hither finger motion. She was irresistible, I’d never say no to anything she desired. Anything.
Meeting her, she entwined her fingers through mine and pushed her fat belly against my waist. I closed my eyes and rested my chin atop her head. No place else I’d rather be.
“Home is with you.”
“Home is with me,” I repeated.
Epilogue
“Come on, shove it in.”
“It’s too big, too tight.”
“Yeah, I’ve never heard that before, baby.” I snickered.
“Gross!”
After five minutes of moaning, pushing and manoeuvring, Lucca finally got the copper pipe into the bottom of the bath. “This for you, or that wife of yours?” he asked.
I got up from the floor, groaning when my back ached, and placed my hands on my hips. “It’s Taylor’s claw foot tub, not mine.”
A hearty snort erupted from his mouth. “Yeah, right.”
I scoffed. “Uh huh. You telling me you don’t use yours? It’s like a fucking boat. We’d all fit in it.”
“Well, thanks for the mental image - not!”
Lucca got to his hands and knees then rose up onto his feet, stretching out his back much like I did mere moments ago. We’d been plumbing this bath in for four hours and I was glad to see the bloody thing done. The last bit of DIY, bar the floor, for now. Taylor and my baby girl would be home in two short days and I wanted the place liveable.
“Right. Clean up, I refuse to be your slave any more today.”
“Oh, ha ha. You’ve been my bitch for years, bro. Why stop now?” I felt the thud of his fist connecting with my shoulder as he walked past to collect the brush laying against the wall.
Lucca was a different man these days, so not the boy I’d met all those years ago, so not the man that married his bitch of an ex. He was lighter; laughed more, looked relaxed. He most likely saw the same thing in me. It seemed like it had taken an eternity to finally get where we were.
And you know what? It was worth each minute. I had no doubt we were both in a place we belonged. Who’d have thought we’d fall for sisters? But we did, and I’m not ashamed to admit I am head over heels for Taylor.
My baby mama.
Oh yeah...remember when I said I was going to put a baby in that belly of hers and an obnoxious ring on her finger? Well, I did. Me, I did that. And today - I’m a father. Who’d have thought it? Just shows you, one good person can flip your world on its head, so you no longer know which way is up.
Taylor Hamilton did that. Flipped me, took me on, warts and all.
“What time’s the appointment?”
I scratched at my sweaty head eyeing the gargantuan bath tub wishing I could fill it and sink into the water. I wanted to save that moment for another time, to share it with Taylor. For now, I’d have to settle for a shower. I turned my wrist and peered down at my watch.
“We’ve got three hours.”
“The floor’s gonna have to wait, dude.” Yeah, I supposed it would, my ink appointment couldn’t.
“You’re doing it?” It wasn’t disbelief in my tone, Lucca had ink, but I thought the one piece of chicken scrawl across his chest would be his lot. Apparently not. He’d been with me while I’d had many of my tattoos done but had never cared for any more than he had. Now though, he was marking his skin for the love of his life.
Much like I was.
“Let’s clean up and grab some food, call someone to come fix this floor.”
Scanning the room, he was right. Perhaps it was time to call in Warren’s friend.
Two and a half hours later, Lucca and I were standing in Inklers catching up with our old friend and tattooist, Clive. He had a chain of five parlours across the country, it was simply luck he was down in Brighton for the week and could squeeze us in.
“If he cries, take a video.” I chuckled as I bumped Lucca’s hip.
“Fuck off!” he growled.
“You got any skin left to ink, man?” Clive looked me up and down as I climbed into his chair, sans t-shirt. I pointed to the gears inside the steampunk mechanical heart across the left of my chest.
“Been saving a spot.”
I guess I didn’t fully believe in my own cynicism, because two of the three gears which signified the coronary arteries, didn’t contain names.
In an hour they would.
Taylor and Emily.
Mother and daughter.
Love and Life.
The End
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Sneaky Peek
Changing Tides, Book #2, The Razer Series
Shaun.
“You still want him dead?”
“That’s what I said. Yes.” She glanced around the semi dark alleyway, her blonde hair catching in the street lights.
“Look, bitch.” I closed the distance between us. “I get my cock wet and sell you some drugs. I ain’t no contract killer. What the fuck do you think this is? How many times I got to tell you?”
“You get your cock wet?” Blue eyes stared at me, her tone disgusted.
“What the fuck did you think I was doing?”
“I thought we were more, baby.” She smiled at me sweetly, tapping her blood red fingernails against the button of my jacket, the tap, tap, tap seeming too loud.
My gut churned at those words. “Like fuck.” She was a hole, a high class fucking dirty one at that, but she was still just a hole. “Look, lady. You were good for a shag, suck cock like a fucking champ and I lined my pockets with some green. But this...” I thought back to how many times I’d banged her arse and cringed. Too many.
“The money’s in the envelope.” She tried to hand me the guaranteed jail sentence again. I swatted her hand away.
“Are you fucking stupid?”
“You’re refusing?” Hard lines crossed her forehead as the stupid bitch glared at me.
I took another step closer and pushed her hard against the brick wall. Crushing my upper body against hers. I reached down and gripped her cunt, nudging my thighs between her legs.
“Listen to me, and listen good, you fucked up bitch.” I grabbed a fistful of perfect blonde hair and tipped her head roughly. “The answer’s fucking no, you get me?”
I squeezed her pussy harder still and watched as she winced, her eyes finally giving me a clue she wasn’t as in control as she’d thought she was. She was fearful, and she had every right to be. I wasn’t a good man to get on the wrong side of, not by any means.
“Don’t come looking for me again or it will be more than my fat cock fucking you up the arse. You feel me?”
I pulled at her hair and was satisfied with the yelp of pain that came from her lips. I didn’t let go immediately, waited for my words to penetrate. She didn’t say a word but glared at me, like she wanted nothing more than to put me to ground. She could try. I yanked on her hair one last time before I pushed away from her.
“Stay the fuck away, bitch. I mean it.”
*Please note - unedited and subject to change. Hopeful release - April/May.
Taylor
Book #0.5, The Razer Series.
After eight long years of running, Taylor Hamilton has had enough of looking over her shoulder.
Tired and emotionally spent, she comes face to face with her past. Walking away had never been her intention. But how can she come back to the man whose heart she broke, right along with her own?
Can Taylor find the home she so desperately craves, without putting those around her at risk?
Can she come home again to the man who promised her forever?
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; Acknowledgements
This is my third release and not one has gone smoothly, for different reasons. This time I’ve been ill, and I lost two weeks of edits, and getting this book ready. I couldn’t push back the pre-order as I get penalised for doing so. I hope this book lives up to the hype - many of you are dying to get your hands on Ryder. Enjoy x
My beta team are ladies that are absolutely amazing. Once again, the ending took a bit of jiggery pokery and a couple attempts to get right. My team was right on the money again. LJK, STS, ELL, MG and SS - beautiful x Shout to MG for Sapori D’Italia!!
Thank you so much to the bloggers and reviewers. If I keep writing, I hope you keep reading. Your support is very much appreciated, your hard efforts are seen and noted, and heartfelt thanks are extended to you x
I have been blessed with having a couple of readers who are enjoying what I’m writing. This is immense, warms my heart like you wouldn’t believe. Thank you so much for the words of encouragement. I hope Ryder is another that you enjoy. Thank you xx
My family - you mean the world. Love you always xx
Author’s Bio & Links
K A Sands is an exciting new author who has a passion for reading and can be found with her nose stuck in a book much of the time. She loves angsty, dark reads but is not averse to the fun, light hearted side either. Typically, a romance reader, of most genres/sub genres, she loves reading a debut herself. Her passion for the written word goes back to her childhood and she has always dreamed of writing and telling the world her stories.
Not quite a stay at home mum, K A Sands has a busy life which she shares with her husband of twenty-two years and her little monkey boy. Her adult children have flown the coop already, but still manage to come home for ‘mama’s lasagne.’
Avid eater of mayonnaise and chips, anti-get-fitter, lover of cheesy music and a fierce advocate of things close to her heart. She enjoys photoshopping (as opposed to just shopping) and would love to be a whiz using it... maybe one day. She has a bucket list as long as her arm, which includes sky diving and visiting Cambodia. And oh - wants to travel the world.
Great believer in second chances, insta-love (because her love is a product of that), fairy tales and monsters... K A Sands wants to write all the words for you.
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DREAMS...