Each step we take from the apartment all the way through the lobby and out onto the sidewalk, Raylynn focuses on her breath, taking deep breaths in and out. She freezes for half a second when we hit the pavement but laces her fingers with mine and steps forward.
Tonight’s adventure doesn’t take us far, just three blocks away but in the opposite direction from where Sawyer tried to nab her.
La Roux is packed when we arrive, I called ahead and made a reservation, so we don’t have to wait long for our table.
Over dinner, Raylynn’s mood seems to continuously improve. When she begins to open up to me about some of the things she’s worked on with her therapist, I’m able to relax and feel confident that we’re both on the right path.
She takes a bite of her pasta then says, “The biggest thing is that I have to believe in myself and trust those closest to me. Which, I feel like I already do. Laura reminds me at each session that it’s okay to feel whatever it is I feel in that moment but that I can’t live in that spot. I have to work through it and move on. And I realize she’s right. That night changed my life. It changed a lot of lives actually. It’s up to us to decide how we let it dictate the future. Two weeks isn’t a lot of time but it’s still time, and with each day the memories fade a little more.”
“Laura sounds wise,” I tell her. What her therapist is telling her is something I’ve heard often over the years. Especially when I’ve had to do the unthinkable and shoot someone.
“Having a gun pointed at you and being dragged through an alley. Watching someone you love get shot at, it really puts things in perspective.”
It takes my brain a second to catch up. Surely, I heard her wrong. “Run that by me again?”
Raylynn reaches across the table and takes my hand in hers. “I said, seeing you get shot put a lot of things in perspective. Like how being just friends isn’t what I really want.”
I give her hand a squeeze and smile back at her. “About fucking time, darlin’.”
“I’m sorry about the whole crazy ex thing too. I still can’t believe that he thought he could force me to marry him and cash in on an inheritance that even I didn’t know existed.”
“Honey, I don’t think you could have controlled anything about that train wreck.” I assure her.
“About my parents, I never told you how they died.” She sighs. “They were so in love with each other. Childhood sweethearts. I remember catching them slow dancing together in the kitchen, sneaking kisses when they thought I wasn’t looking. For as long as I remember, they went on date nights once a month. Sometimes Dad would come home from work with flowers and he’d ring the doorbell and ask for Mom. She would be upstairs and make him wait a good five minutes before she’d walk down the stairs, like some scene out of a chick flick and off they’d go. They were on their way home from one of their dates when they were in an accident. It was snowing and they debated not even going out but since they didn’t plan to really travel far and thought they would be home before the roads got too bad, they went anyway. I was home, studying for finals when the police came knocking on the door.” Her voice cracks but she holds it together. “They were both killed instantly.”
I stand up from my seat and move over to wrap her in a hug. “I’m so damn sorry babe.”
“Enough of this depressing shit. What do you say we get out of here?”
I hold up my hand, “Check please!”
Chapter 31
Raylynn
Telling Harley that I love him was easy. Admitting it to myself before that was the hard part.
Now that he knows I’m ready to move on with him, he’s pulled out all the stops. Like, telling Jameson and Oliva that I’m moving out. He wasted no time making sure our friends knew that not only were we officially together but that the first day he had off, we would be moving all of my stuff into his apartment.
I could have protested, and for a few minutes, I considered it. What would be the point though? More often than not, over the last handful of weeks, I’ve been staying at his place and slowly, some of my things have already migrated over.
I think deep down, we’ve been together, even when we weren’t really.
So, instead of fighting Harley on moving, I’m spending my last Saturday with Jameson and Liv watching movies and eating popcorn on their couch. Only because I talked them both into helping me move all my things into Harley’s apartment while he’s on duty today. Now, I’ll wait until he comes home and calls to ask what the fuck happened.
“I’m going to miss having you here.” Liv sighs and leans her head on my shoulder while Bridesmaids plays on the TV.
“I’m going to miss when you cook dinner. Can you still do that, like twice a week?” Jameson asks.
Liv throws a piece of popcorn at him that lands on the floor, and Peaches is all too happy to clean up.
“What? It’s an honest question. You know you’re a great cook too. Raylynn cooking means there are fewer nights when I have to. Teamwork.” He shrugs and takes a drink of his beer.
“I’ll make you both a deal. We can have family dinners once a week. Like we used to all throughout school, back in Georgia.”
“Only if Harley has to cook a meal once a month,” Jameson agrees.
Liv is about to scold Jameson, I’m sure of it, when there’s a knock on their door. To skip her sarcastic wrath, he hops up and answers it.
“Oh, hello, Officer. Is the TV too loud? We can keep it down,” Jameson jokes.
“Where is she?” Harley’s strained voice goes right to my lady bits. Suddenly my whole body is perking up.
Jameson sing songs, “Somebody’s getting arrested,” as he steps back to let Harley in.
“Olivia,” Harley says curtly in her direction. “Raylynn.” I’m rewarded with the brow raise.
He’s still in his uniform though his weapon, and the rest of his duty belt is gone.
“Yes,” I nearly squeak.
“Want to explain to me why there are snow globes all over my dressers, heels in my closet where my shoes once were, a fluffy pink-flowered blanket on my bed and throw pillows on my sofa?”
I almost lose it and burst into laughter. “Surprise, honey! I’m all moved in.”
“Man, be lucky we talked her out of putting up pink curtains in your living room,” Jameson once again adds his two cents.
Harley wiggles a single finger for me to come with him.
Liv snickers and Jameson gags.
“Guess I’ll see you all next week for dinner. Laters!”
I squeal when Harley scoops me up like some sort of deranged caveman and carries me next door. He marches straight to the kitchen and sits me down on the countertop.
“I thought we agreed to wait until I was off,” he asks.
“You said that. I took it upon myself to get it out of the way. Besides, I didn’t think you’d mind,” I add at the last minute.
“Oh, I don’t mind at all.” He kisses my neck. “I’m just thinking of all the spots in this apartment that need to be christened now that it’s ours.”
“Mmm. Can we start right here?”
“Hmm. I’m not sure.” He nips at my lips. “I was thinking you deserved to be cuffed to my headboard. I still haven’t had the chance to enjoy seeing you spread naked across my bed.” His hand slips under the waistband of my pants, and his fingers dip between my legs. “I think you like that idea better, don’t you?”
What I think is that we should have been doing this the whole time since I moved to New York and that I’m a fool for holding out on him. Instead, I choose to agree with him. Because being cuffed to his bed sounds like exactly what we both need.
Harley lifts me up and carries me to his room.
“Strip,” he orders while peeling off his uniform.
I freeze with my pants halfway down my legs, and my heart skips a beat with the sound of the Velcro on his bulletproof vest. Reading me like an open book, he pauses and reminds me to stay in the moment. “And if it gets to be too mu
ch, we’ll stop.”
I take a deep breath. It’s all over now. We’re safe. Harley’s here. I’m here.
“Are you with me?” he asks, standing before me now, completely naked.
“Yes,” I answer confidently as I take the last of my clothes off.
“Good.” He picks me up again. “First, I think we both need to relax in a hot shower. Then I’m going to drive you crazy until you can’t take anymore.”
Harley steps in the shower with me still in his arms and turns on the water. I bury my head in his shoulder, mentally preparing for the burst of cold water that usually comes first. Instead, a stream of warm water cascades down on us.
“Ohh,” I purr.
“It’s nice when you don’t have to wait for it to warm up, isn’t it?” he asks at the same time that he pins me to the wall and slips his hand between us.
“God, yes.”
“I don’t know that I’m going to make it out of this shower without being inside of you.”
I clench around his fingers. “I need you.”
It’s been too long. I need to feel that connection between us again.
Harley seems to read my mind as he rubs his cock between my legs, teasing me. “Are you sure?”
“Yes. Please, yes,” I beg shamelessly.
He rewards me by pushing inside me all at once. He lets out a long groan and pauses for a split second before his hips beginning to thrust. I wrap my arms around his shoulders and lean my forehead on his.
“I’ve missed this...missed you,” he pants.
“Uh. Hmm. I’ve missed you, too!” I practically scream when my first orgasm hits me out of nowhere.
Harley grunts and quickens his pace before pulling out of me and wrapping his cock in his fist. His release lands on my skin, and I feel owned by this man.
“Fuck,” he huffs, leaning in to kiss me. “I fucking love you.”
I kiss him even harder. “I love you too, and I can’t wait to do that again,” I say with a lazy smile.
Epilogue
Harley
The city lights glisten around us, music is playing, and we’re surrounded by our friends, and several of the other residents in the building. For that last night of the year in New York, I expected it to be much colder up here on the rooftop deck. I have to say though, the property managers did it up right and there are a lot of those outdoor heaters set up, plus the bar area is enclosed for the season.
Raylynn is tucked comfortably against my side as we mingle. The bruises on my chest and on Raylynn’s body have long since faded. We made it. I got the girl, and if I have it my way, we’ll be starting the new year off with a bang.
There’s a ring burning a hole in my pocket, and butterflies in my stomach.
I’m completely lost in the moment, soaking it all in while Jameson and Olivia tell some story about getting stuck in the elevator and giving both Jake and Thomas one hell of a free show. Raylynn laughs, the sound like music to my ears and warmth to my soul.
“Thirty seconds!” the DJ calls out and lowers the music.
We all turn to the East, where we can see the ball in Times Square.
Jameson flashes me a huge stupid grin, and when Raylynn turns her head, he gives me a thumbs up. Olivia is already starting to tear up.
The countdown clock hits thirty seconds, and everyone around us starts counting down. Like a well-rehearsed play, the minute everyone screams, “Happy New Year,” I let go of Raylynn and hit a knee beside her with the ring in my hand.
She covers her mouth with her hands and starts crying. Everyone around us goes silent.
“Raylynn, you walked into my life when I least expected it. You challenge me every day, and you complete me in a way I never thought possible. If there is one thing these past few weeks have taught me, it’s that time is fleeting, and tomorrow isn’t promised. I don’t want to waste another minute without you. Will you spend the rest of my tomorrows with me? Will you marry me?”
“Yes!” She gives me her hand, and I slip the ring on her finger. “Yes. I’ll marry you. A thousand times yes!”
I stand up and wrap her in my arms, pressing my lips to hers. Cheers and applause erupt around us. Olivia pulls us into a group hug, and Jameson slaps me on the back.
It’s when she holds her hand out for Olivia and a few of the others we know to see the ring that I hear her gasp, and I smile to myself.
“Harley,” Raylynn chokes back a sob. “How?”
The crescent solitaire and diamond-encrusted band is one I knew she would recognize.
“I had a little help.” I nod to Olivia. “She may have told me exactly where you kept things that were really important to you.”
Her parents may not be here to give me their blessing, but I did ask Olivia for hers. She told me how Raylynn kept her mom’s wedding rings and hoped that one day she’d get to wear it and Olivia told me exactly where to find them.
Raylynn playfully slaps my chest with one hand and wipes away the tears from her eyes with her other hand. “You snoop!” She laughs.
“Don’t worry. I didn’t try on your earrings or any of those obnoxious necklaces you keep in that jewelry box,” I joke and pull her in for another kiss. “I love you.”
“I love you too.”
“What do you say we get the hell out of here? I may have some champagne chilling on ice back at our apartment,” I whisper in her ear.
“Hell, yes.”
We quickly say our goodbyes and head for the elevator. When the door opens, I swoop her up in my arms, and she squeals. Everyone else laughs as I carry her onto the elevator car.
“You never cease to amaze me,” she confesses.
“I plan to spend the rest of my life amazing you, baby.”
She laughs at my cheesy humor. “I’m sure you will. You can put me down now.”
I’d give anything to spin her around and pin her to the wall, right here, right now. But I’m not willing to share any of her with anyone. Knowing we’re being watched is all I need to keep my hands mostly to myself and let her down only to tuck her back into my side.
I catch her staring down at her ring and smiling. My own heart bursts. I think I did right by her. For once in my life, I got it perfectly right.
“They would have loved you,” Raylynn breaks the silence and looks back up at me. “Dad would have given you a hard time, but in the end, he would have been honored to welcome you into the family. My mom would have fawned over you from the minute she met you. You would have charmed her, no doubt.”
“I hope they’re looking down and approve.”
“I held onto their wedding rings after the funeral because I always hoped I’d find a love like theirs. When Sawyer asked me to marry him, I never even mentioned the rings because I didn’t think we had a love like that. I realize I was a fool.”
“And now?”
The elevator stops on the fifth floor, and we walk off, hand in hand.
“I know I’ve found my love of a lifetime.”
Who the hell would have ever guessed that a fling on the beaches of Hawaii would lead to forever?
I guess it’s true what they say...425 Madison is the perfect place to fall in love.
Thank you for reading LOVE UNDER PROTECTION! I hope you enjoyed Harley and Raylynn’s story. Please consider taking a moment to leave a brief review on Amazon (even one sentence counts!). Reviews are the kind of love that keeps us indie authors alive. Many thanks!
If you loved LOVE UNDER PROTECTION, you’ll love the rest of the books in the 425 MADISON SERIES. Continue reading for a glimpse of Annika and Grayson’s story, plus details on the other books in the series.
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Love By Design - Book #16
Next from the 425 Madison Series
Love by Design, by Katy Ames
425 Madison Avenue, Book #16
Releasing 4/6/20
A
NNIKA
Cheating husband. On-air meltdown. Public humiliation.
Lucky me, I’ve experienced them all.
Oh, and the implosion of my career as an up-and-coming designer and renovation television darling.
But that was then.
Now, I’m in the TV studio, more determined than ever to prove to myself (and the few fans I have left), that I’m back for good. Nothing from my past—no man, no mistake—is going to knock me down again.
If only fate—and Grayson Hesse—had gotten the memo.
GRAYSON
Woodworker. Stone house restoration guru. And the new host of Hesse and a Hard Place.
This is what I know:
If this show’s a success, I’ll finally be able to give my family the financial stability they need. My chances of success go way up if I have the best designer in the business working by my side. And the best in the business (despite the lingering rumors) is Annika Hale.
She’s the triple threat: brilliant designer, restoration maven, and the woman who stole my heart six years ago…and hasn’t looked back since.
But that was then.
Now… Well, what is it they say? After all, 425 Madison is the perfect place to fall in love.
Each story is a complete stand alone, but trust me, you’ll want to read them all.
Visit www.facebook.com/425MadisonSeries for all the details
The 425 Madison Series
Welcome to 425 Madison Ave, the perfect place to fall in love! Seventeen delicious romances set in fast-paced & sexy NYC just waiting for you to read.
Love Under Protection (425 Madison Avenue Book 15) Page 13