Although I was immensely grateful to Jake for being willing to foot the eye-popping legal bill, I was elated when the judge requested the two idiots pay Aaron’s fees. I still remember the look of disbelief on Clark, Jasper and Paula’s faces. I had to bite the inside of my lip to avoid smiling in front of the judge. Since my ex and his business partner had money stashed away, the judge granted me my fair share because it wasn’t money stolen from investors to fuel their Ponzi operation.
“I really can’t believe it’s almost over.”
“You better believe it. You’re innocent of all wrongdoing and you’ve been able to clear your name.”
I nod, silently thanking the man who came to my rescue. “On a different topic—” The bell on the state-of-the-art Swiss-made machine interrupts me.
“Coffee?” He arches his eyebrows, perked up by the idea of finally being able to savor some dark goodness.
“Please.”
Jake steps away from me to fix my cup, having learned in the last few weeks of living together how I like mine, and hands me a cup filled to the rim with piping hot liquid—an Americano.
“Thanks.” I blow into it and take my first sip, watching him over the porcelain cup.
“How is it?”
“Perfect, like always.”
“You were saying?” He hugs his own cup and leans against the counter.
“Did you have to spend a lot of time with Brett this morning?” I ask, meeting his gaze. He swallows and sets his cup on the counter.
“Nah. I texted him, but he said he was good and he had the weekend crew working and on schedule. I didn’t bother going out. I figured I’d spend this Saturday with my sexy girlfriend since we have the ranch all to ourselves…”
Darn. I grin into my next sip.
Since landing a number of very lucrative contracts with top restaurants from across the country, Jake and Hunter’s business has been bursting at the seams. In order to keep things running smoothly at the ranch and to avoid getting too involved in the day-to-day operations, they had no other choice but to hire a weekend crew and a top-notch manager. Brett Peeters comes from a long line of ranchers and he’s impressed the heck out of everybody since day one.
“You mean all to ourselves other than the ten men working on the property right now?”
“I mean without Riley, the kids and Hunter.”
My boss is back in California shooting more episodes of her outrageously popular food reality show and she took her kids and her nanny with her. Hunter’s grandmother is doing so well, his entire family organized a little party to celebrate the fact she’s walking again. It’s just my super-hunky boyfriend and me for the next few days.
“Exactly. We get to run around naked without a nosy little person barging in announced,” he says, taking a step closer to me again.
“First off, Riley isn’t little. She’s five-eleven. And second off, that’s no way to talk about your sister.” I chuckle.
“Just because she’s my younger sibling and she’s your boss, she thinks she can waltz in here anytime she wants to catch up. She doesn’t get it. Riley has always been completely oblivious to other people’s need for privacy.”
God, things have changed so dramatically in such a short period of time. Someone needs to come up with a better word than ‘happy’ to describe my current life.
When I called Gwyn to announce that Jake and I had opened up to each other, she nearly passed out. The phone went dead on her end for what seemed like an eternity. I could hear her breathing, but I figured it was such big news she needed time to absorb it all. Once she got over the initial shock, she insisted on having us over for dinner to meet the man who stole my heart.
Jake and Gaven got along famously while Gwyn spent the better part of that evening bouncing her eyes from mine to Jake’s in disbelief. Before we left that night, she hugged me so hard I thought she was going to squeeze every last breath out of my lungs. Her happiness for me overflowed and I enjoyed every second of it.
Jake had a heart-to-heart with his best friend the second Hunter got back from Los Angeles. Although it was clear from the hints he kept dropping Hunter knew well before we were willing to admit anything and it’s really no surprise he nearly killed himself laughing when Jake and I finally ’fessed up to our feelings for each other.
I was extraordinarily nervous the day my boyfriend and I sat down with Riley to let her know things had changed between us. I wasn’t sure if I was still going to have a job or not. You can imagine my shock when my boss jumped to her feet, clapped her hands and started screaming joyously. Both Jake and I looked at her as if she had lost her marbles until she revealed she’d had a strong gut feeling during my first Skype interview with her that I would be the perfect woman for her big brother. She had hired me not only because of my talent and skills, but because she was hoping to play matchmaker. She was doubly elated to find out I was staying in Fort Collins since Cynthia had decided a few days ago that serving others in poorer countries was her true vocation. Turns out Cynthia loves living in Africa far more than she ever expected and she has no plan to come back soon.
“You’re too hard on her.” I gently punch his arm with my free hand. “Riley misses you because she’s away half the time. Between the TV show, her blog, her own cooking show and the new eatery she’s about to open in Denver in the fall, she rarely sees you. I’m sure when she’s on the ranch she wants to spend every waking hour with you.”
“Yeah, well, it’s her fault for taking on so much. She doesn’t have to open a restaurant in Denver. She already has too much on the go,” he says, curling up his lips like an unimpressed boy.
Riley’s popularity seems to explode every week to another level. She’s become a mini-celebrity in Colorado and a few months ago a wealthy restaurateur approached her with an opportunity of a lifetime—her own restaurant with the backing of someone who had deep pockets and years of experience in the business.
“Admit it, you have a soft spot for my sister.”
“I have no other choice but to root for Team Riley because she’s my boss and also because I love her to pieces.”
“Enough about my matchmaker-slash-celebrity chef sister. What do you want to do today?”
“Well, when you put it like that… It’s the beginning of another glorious day in Fort Collins. We can go to the farmers’ market, or we can take a long drive, or I can ride behind you and we can go all the way up to the river. I’m pretty easy-going.”
“All great ideas, but I was thinking of something a little bit more low-key.”
“Oh, I see where this is going.” I roll my eyes. “If this involves us staying in bed all day, I might be convinced into giving you what you want.”
“Good, because I need a lot of your affection.” He lowers his eyes and I follow his gaze. I’m greeted by a massive erection I’m aching to jump on. “Do you see what you do to me? I can’t even contain myself around you. I must have made you come at least four times last night, but I want more of you and I won’t take no for an answer.”
“Shouldn’t we have breakfast?”
The smile pulling at his mouth speaks volumes. “I want to devour you before breakfast, after breakfast and every hour on the hour after that.”
“You don’t say,” I purr. “So what do you have in mind?”
I curl my lips into a knowing smile when his attention moves over my face, to my chin, and down to the swell of my breasts. Since I’m completely naked under my robe, I’m sure he’s able to catch a glimpse of my boobs. I stare up at him—at the familiar dark lashes and electric blue eyes, his five o’clock shadow at seven in the morning, and the sly smile he’s been wearing since I woke him up—for the second time last night—three hours ago with my mouth on his cock. You’d think living together would slow things down for us, but it hasn’t.
“Let’s hear it. What type of debauchery do you have in mind, Mr. Carrington?”
“Oh, baby.” He smiles warmly at me.
“How
do you want me? Are you going to pull me by the hair all the way to the barn and tie me up again like you did a few weeks ago when we had the ranch all to ourselves? Have you bought new sex toys that will threaten to make me lose my mind? Or will you fuck my ass by pressing my body against the granite counter over there?” I say, pointing my finger over his shoulder. “Honestly, I don’t care. You know you already own me and I’d never dream of refusing you.” I step into him and nuzzle my body into his.
“Ali, you’re my beautiful, wonderful and sweet little indulgence.”
“Are you buttering me up for something even raunchier?” I side-eye him, waiting for his witty repartee.
I expect him to make a dirty comment, but his gaze softens. He looks away, almost shy, before returning his attention to me. What’s going on in his head?
“I love you, Ali,” he blurts out.
“What?” I gasp, pulling away from him, my eyes wide and jaw dropped open. “Are you kidding me right now?” I squeeze my eyes closed for a millisecond, heart pounding.
He takes a small step back to look at me for several long, heavy beats. His smile straightens, his eyes moving over my face in that way that feels like a lingering caress. He leans in and kisses me once, twice, and a third time.
“I said, I love you.” He knows perfectly well his words are rocking my world.
I need a moment to collect my thoughts, inebriated by this enchanting interlude, before I speak again. “Jake, I love you too,” I say between breaths.
“My feelings for you deepen every single day I wake up with your body nestled against mine.”
“I love waking up every morning in your bed.”
“Our bed,” he corrects me.
“Our bed,” I say in a whisper.
“I want you so intensely, Ali, all the time. Every day since you’ve moved in you’ve seduced me more and more. Everything about you is so attractive to me—your sultry looks, your arresting curves, your dazzling smile, your endless generosity and the way you so willingly submit yourself to my desires—no matter how naughty they are.” He laughs. “Everything about you lures me in, makes me want you more, makes me want it all with you.”
My mouth drops open. Oh. My. God. How many times have I dreamed of this moment? I tilt my head and hold his gaze, my whole body tingling with expectation.
“Jake, I’m wholeheartedly yours,” I confess, standing on my tippy-toes and kissing up from his chest to his neck to his chin all the way up to his lips.
“I know we’ve only been together for a month, but I can’t imagine not having you in my life anymore.”
Oh, Lord. Is this really happening to me? His words are so dizzying my legs give in and he has to hold me to prevent me from falling from the shock of his love declaration. My heart’s beating at such an insane rate, I’m certain he can see my pulse thrum.
“Jake, I think I fell for you the day you took me in the barn. I’ve never felt like this for anyone else in my life. My heart aches when we’re apart and it swells with contentment when I seek refuge in your home at the end of the day.”
“Our home.”
“Our home.” I grin from ear to ear, unable to contain this torrent running through my veins.
His lips crush mine, hard and demanding. His tongue penetrates my mouth and my body detonates. I moan into our kiss as thrilling excitement rips through me in waves of pure, smoldering bliss. I can’t stop moving against him, greedy for the feeling to go on and on—forever.
God, I love him so much.
And They Lived Happily Ever After
* * *
Allison, Jake and Hunter’s ménage romance was sizzling hot, but now that Allison and Jake have found their Happy Ever After, what happens to Hunter?
Find out how a business trip to expand the ranch’s growth turns bad boy Hunter’s world upside down.
You’ll reunite with many of the characters you’ve come to love and you’ll discover a few new ones you’ll fall hard for.
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Sizzling Romance!
Hunter Evans' Steamy Tale
Acknowledgements
Thank you to my family and friends who have been so supportive in helping make my dreams come true. And to the wonderful Canadian hunk who shares my life.
To my fans and readers, I want to thank you for your emails, messages and testimonials. They mean the world to me. I can’t express how thrilled I am that you were as excited about Sofia and Bryce’s story as I was. Your encouragement got me here and keeps me going every single day. I absolutely loved writing this story and I sincerely hope you enjoyed it.
To R.J. Locksley for being the best editor—ever! I’m so grateful you’re a copy-dominatrix and you wouldn’t allow for errors or typos.
Thank you to Chrissy Becker. I’m so grateful you’re a proofreader queen with superpowers to catch everything I miss and make me sound more American.
I also want to say a huge thank you to my Sirens. I love how the sexy readers from my Street Team keep me on my toes.
Last and certainly no least, I want to thank all the bloggers, reviewers and romance Facebook groups who helped me get the word out about this series. Without you, this naughty story would remain lost somewhere on Amazon.
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; All Rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of required fees you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this book. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse-engineered or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known, hereinafter invented, without express written permission of Absolutely Naughty Publishing. For more information contact Absolutely Naughty Publishing. The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party websites or their content. This book is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents and dialogue are drawn from the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. While reference might be made to actual historical events or existing locations, the names, characters, places and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.
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