Staking His Claim (A Line of Duty Novel) (Entangled Brazen)
Page 18
She looked down at it, then back up at him, tears in her eyes. “Matt?”
He kept his eyes locked on her face as her mother and father stepped out from behind the surrounding trees, along with Brent and Hayden. Troy and his girlfriend, Ruby. Story and Daniel were there, too. Every single one of them was smiling, happy about what he was about to do. Not dreading it, not wishing she would have done better. It made his heart swell until he could barely breathe.
Lucy let out a watery laugh and fell back on the bench. Right where he wanted her. She must have thought such a public proposal was hard for him, because when he got down on one knee, she reached out and clasped his face in her hands, rubbing her thumbs along his cheeks. Didn’t she know this was the easiest decision he’d ever made in his life?
“Lucy Mason, you brought the color in. You brought me to life when I didn’t even realize I’d stopped breathing.” He laid his hand over hers on his cheek. “Now I can’t get enough air. It’s everywhere because of you.” When he pulled the ring out of his jacket and popped open the lid, she didn’t take her eyes off his face for a second. “Be my air. Let me be yours. Forever. Marry me, Lucy.”
“Yes.” She knelt down in front of him on the ground, meeting him halfway as always. “Yes, Matt. Of course, yes.”
Everyone he’d invited to the proposal cheered around them, including a few bystanders who’d stopped to witness the scene. He held her tight against him, as the group closed in around them.
“Triple wedding. I hope you’re ready,” Story said on a laugh.
Lucy laid a soft kiss on his lips. “We’re ready for anything.”
Acknowledgments
To my husband, Patrick, whose association with my crazy ass finally paid off last year. Look, honey, I’ve amounted to something! And my darling little girl who stands outside my bedroom door as I type in bed, saying, “Mommy, you workin’ in there?” It reminds me why I’m working. I love you.
To Heather Howland, who can never be thanked enough. Thank you for being invested in my characters and their futures. Oh, and my future! I appreciate everything you do.
To Liz Pelletier, thank you for your amazing notes on this book. They encouraged me to add something I really loved that enriched the characters and I hope readers will love it, too.
To Cari Quinn, for being an all-around awesome lady and author. You’ve become a friend and an encouraging presence in my life who constantly boosts me higher when I need it. Thank you!
To Pamela Symes for translating a rather inappropriate ditty into French for me. And Jillian Stein (J-Sizzle), of ReadLoveBlog, for brokering that last-minute assistance (not to mention, being a superfly babe). Thank you!
To Bailey’s Babes, I love you guys! Thank for the daily encouragement and your excitement to read Matt’s story. Hope you love him as much as I do.
About the Author
Bestselling author Tessa Bailey lives in Brooklyn, New York, with her husband and young daughter. When she isn’t writing or reading romance, she enjoys a good argument and thirty-minute recipes.
www.tessabailey.com
Join Bailey’s Babes!
Also releasing this month…
She thought she’d sworn off military men for good…
Marine for Hire
a Front and Center novel by Tawna Fenske
Sam Kercher is every inch a wickedly hot Marine. But when his best friends call in a favor, Sam is forced to face an entirely new line of duty—playing nanny for their newly divorced sister and her seven-month-old twins. Problem is, Sheridan has sworn off overbearing military men, so Sam must hide his identity. And that he’s been ordered not to touch her. Ever. But even the most disciplined Marine has weaknesses...and Sheridan is one Sam might not be able to resist.
Amazon | B&N | iTunes
This soldier’s the perfect hoax…if she doesn’t fall for him first.
Temporarily Yours
a Shillings Agency novel by NYT bestselling author Jen McLaughlin, writing as Diane Alberts
Stats whiz Kayla Moriarity is en route to her sister’s wedding—without the fictional boyfriend she invented for her family. Fortunately, her plane comes complete with complimentary cocktails and ridiculously hot ex-marine Cooper Shillings in the seat beside her. Soon, Kayla’s inhibitions are sailing out the airlock. When he hears her predicament, Cooper offers to be her stand-in boyfriend. All Kayla has to do is ensure her family falls for the ultimate bluff, without falling for it—and Cooper—in the process...
Amazon | B&N | iTunes
For more of the scintillating cops you crave, check out…
Opposites don’t attract. They ignite.
Under the Covers
a Maverick Montana novel by Rebecca Zanetti
Juliet Montgomery fled to Montana to escape her not-so-law-abiding family, but when someone back home finds her in the small town near the Kooskia reserve, sexy sheriff Quinn Lodge must push aside his own demons—and try to contain his explosive attraction to Juliet—to keep her safe.
Amazon | B&N | iTunes
This matchmaker’s about to meet her match…
Dirty Trick
a Perfectly Matched novel by USA TODAY bestselling author Christine Bell
Grace Love can spot a match for someone else a mile away, but the only guy who makes her sixth sense tingle is SWAT officer Trick Matthews. The problem? He’s her playboy best friend, and there’s no way she’s risking their friendship for hot sex. But Trick plans to show her exactly how good they could be…and that he’s the only man for her.
Amazon | B&N | iTunes
Friends with benefits just got hotter.
Wilde for Her
a Wilde Security novel by Tonya Burrows
Former homicide detective Camden Wilde craves more than friendship from his ex-partner, but Eva refuses to lose the only person she trusts, even after a scintillating night she’s trying—and failing—to forget. But when a murder-for-hire contract on his head lands her on his doorstep, Cam refuses to let the delectable detective ignore what’s between them, no matter how many demons from his past try to stop him.
Amazon | B&N | iTunes
Lose yourself in these angsty stories of love and loss …
He’ll fight for her life. She’ll fight for his love.
Fighting for Irish
a Fighting for Love novel by NYT bestselling author Gina L. Maxwell
When he learns a friend’s sister has forty-eight hours to make good on an ex’s debt to a crime boss, former MMA fighter Aiden “Irish” O’Brien heads to Louisiana to offer himself up as collateral. But to satisfy the debt, he has to do the one thing he swore he’d never do again: fight. With more than just money on the line, can Irish reclaim the man he once was for the woman he can’t live without?
Amazon | B&N | iTunes
She’s totally off limits, but this rocker wants a taste…
Crash Into Me
a Shaken Dirty novel by Tracy Wolff
After his fame destroyed his last girlfriend, rock star Ryder Montgomery swore he’d never fall in love again. So when Jamison, his best friend’s little sister and the girl he’s been in danger of loving for years, joins his band on the road, he’ll do anything to deny the sparks between them. But Jamison is determined to show Ryder that he’s worthy of love—her love—and that she’s all grown up…and ready to play.
Amazon | B&N | iTunes
You always want what you can’t have…
Her Forbidden Hero
a Heroes novel by NYT bestselling author Laura Kaye
Former Army Special Forces Sgt. Marco Vieri has never thought of Alyssa Scott as more than his best friend’s little sister, but her return home changes that. Now that she’s back in his life, healing wounds he never thought would heal, will he succumb to the forbidden temptation she presents one touch at a time?
Amazon | B&N | iTunes
She’ll soothe this soldier’s soul one night at a time…
One Night with a Hero
a Heroes novel by NYT bestselling author Laura Kaye
After growing up with an abusive, alcoholic father, Army Special Forces Sgt. Brady Scott vowed never to have a family of his own. But when a one-night stand with new neighbor Joss Daniels leads to an unexpected pregnancy, can he let go of his past and create a new future with Joss?
Amazon | B&N | iTunes
She’ll go to any lengths to keep his demons at bay…
Recipe for Attraction
a Madewood Brothers novel by Gina Gordon
Bad boy Neil Harrison may have sexy body and an even sexier smile, but there’s no way in hell architect Carson Kelly is falling for the elusive bachelor. He’s battling personal demons in one of the most dangerous ways possible: illegal street racing. But as their antagonistic work relationship ignites a passionate affair, Carson must decide if distracting Neil from his need for speed is the perfect outlet for her own restless desire, or if they’re on a one-way path to destruction.
Amazon | B&N | iTunes
Get your Tessa Bailey fix with these Brazen titles!
She’s running from the law, and the law wants her bad.
Protecting What’s His
a Line of Duty novel by Tessa Bailey
Sassy bartender Ginger Peet just committed the perfect crime. Life-sized Dolly Parton statue in tow, Ginger and her sister flee Nashville. But their new neighbor, straight-laced Chicago homicide cop Derek Tyler, knows something’s up—something big—and he won’t rest until Ginger’s safe…and in his bed for good.
Amazon | B&N | iTunes
The greater the risk, the hotter the reward…
His Risk to Take
a Line of Duty novella by Tessa Bailey
Homicide cop Troy Bennett had a reputation for being fearless until his partner was killed in a raid. Getting involved with reckless, stubbornly independent Ruby Elliott is his biggest fear, but when he discovers a connection between the beautiful pool hustler’s shadowed past and the case he’s working, Troy must fight to keep her in his arms.
Amazon | B&N | iTunes
His need to possess her is non-negotiable.
Officer Off Limits
a Line of Duty novel by Tessa Bailey
Playboy hostage negotiator Daniel Chase has never, not once, been refused by a woman, so when a debate over hospital snack foods with a delectable kindergarten teacher ends in flat-out rejection, he makes it his mission to seduce her. His only obstacle? She’s the daughter of his mentor who implicitly forbade Daniel from pursuing her.
Amazon | B&N | iTunes
The fighting was just foreplay...
Asking for Trouble
a Line of Duty novel by Tessa Bailey
Brent Mason and Hayden Winstead can’t stand each other. Unfortunately, their two best friends are deeply, disgustingly in love. Forced together, the mutual attraction simmering beneath the surface of Brent and Hayden’s non-relationship grows with every argument until it explodes into a night of mind-blowing sex. Hayden has a secret, though. To protect her wealthy family, she’ll have to forget the dirty-talking cop, but Brent has no intention of being forgotten.
Amazon | B&N | iTunes