by Krista Lakes
“You found them! They're okay?” Kenna asked. “Security gave me a radio, but I was still worried. Where's Elliot?”
“He's still at the house with the others. I just came to get Ivy so we can go home,” Laura explained, shutting the door behind her to keep the snow out. “Thank you for watching her.”
“She was a perfect angel,” Kenna assured her. She let out a sigh of relief and smiled at Dallas. “Thank you so much for finding them.”
“It was Jace and Ella that found them,” Laura replied. “I just wandered around being panicked.”
Kenna chuckled. “That's basically what I did here, too.” She hugged Laura. “Thank you.”
Laura nodded. She didn't hold any hard feelings against Kenna for losing track of Dallas. Laura knew first hand how easily the kid slipped away. He was right at the age where he could be trusted most of the time, but would forget he should ask permission before he left to do things. He was definitely going to be grounded for the next ten years.
“Okay, Dallas and Ivy,” Laura said as Ivy put on her coat and gathered her things. The girl walked over and hugged her brother. Laura was glad she didn't know just how lost he had been. “Let's go home.”
With one more round of goodbyes and thank yous to Kenna, they headed back out into the snow. Laura walked silently, hand in hand with her siblings. She was thinking of everything that happened today, but the kiss kept floating into her mind. That kiss. Of all the things for her to focus on, it was a kiss that shouldn't have happened. She shook her head. She needed to forget about Ethan White.
Except, as they came to her old beaten up pickup truck, Ethan was standing in the snow waiting for them.
Chapter 11
Ethan
“I'm sorry. I didn't mean that. Forget I just did that.”
Ethan heard the words, but they didn't register as she pulled away and took off running. He stood in the middle of the shed, blinking for a good thirty seconds trying to figure out what had just happened.
His body knew exactly what had happened. The most beautiful woman he'd ever met had just kissed him. Her body had molded to his and his internal temperature was going through the roof with desire. Yes, his body knew what had just happened, but his brain sure didn't.
She didn't like him.
She shook his head, trying to figure out what in the hell she had meant with that kiss. It wasn't just a simple “yay!” kiss. There was way too much heat and desire packed into it for just a celebratory thing.
No, this was more than that, but she'd said to forget it. As if he could. He sighed and stepped out into the snow. He had a feeling he would never figure this out.
He walked slowly back to the main house. The snow was coming down hard, and now that he knew there weren't two missing kids stuck out in it, he was enjoying it's beauty. He didn't get to see snow often in California, so this was a treat.
He followed Laura's footprints through the snow up to the house. He could already hear the people inside and it made him smile. He opened the door to see both kids, and the dog, safe and sound. Laura had her arms wrapped around her brother. He could feel the relief coming off her in waves.
He smiled because she was happy, but he made sure to stay away from her. He didn't want to intrude on this moment, so he worked his way to the back of the kitchen where Emma and Mia were sitting. He leaned against the wall and looked over to see the other little boy, the one who had ruined Pluto for him, sitting happily in Ella's lap. Ella had her arms wrapped around him like she was never going to let him go, and given the way Jace was hovering around the two of them, neither was he.
“They look happy,” Emma murmured. She was watching Ella and Jace as well. “I have a feeling that little boy isn't going to be in foster care for much longer.”
Ethan turned to look at Emma holding her sleeping child. “Jace and Ella? You think they're going to adopt the kid?”
Emma chuckled. “I doubt they let him out of their sight for the next year after this,” she replied with a smile. “I don't think adopting kids out to billionaires was exactly what Mia was going for by opening this place up, but it's still pretty awesome.”
“I just wanted to help the kids have something for the future,” Mia said, joining in the conversation at hearing her name. “Getting Elliot a forever family definitely counts toward that goal. It wasn't exactly the plan, but I like it.”
They all watched as Elliot tugged on Jace's hand to pull him closer. Jace leaned over so Elliot could whisper in his ear. They couldn't hear what he said, but Jace laughed. Elliot whispered in Ella's ear and she joined in. They looked like a real family from where Ethan sat.
“We should get you and your sister home before the snow gets too bad,” Laura announced, standing up. She said her goodbyes to everyone but him. He knew better than to take it personally as she hurried out the door.
“Poor Laura,” Mia said as they watched her and Dallas leave. “She's been so strong through all this. I'm so glad Dallas is okay. It would have killed her if something happened.”
“What did happen?” Ethan asked. “She said something about her parents, but I didn't feel right asking her more.”
Mia let out a sad sigh. “Last fall, her parents left to take a quick trip. They were in a little private plane, and it crashed. They both died. Laura was suddenly responsible for these two kids. She's been doing a great job, but it's hard. She's had to put a lot of things on hold.”
Ethan nodded. He could still feel that kiss on his lips. He wasn't sure exactly what was going on between the two of them, or if it was all in his head. Yet, he felt drawn to her like he did that first time they'd met. It felt like fate.
He needed to know if it was possible. He needed to find out if this attraction could go anywhere. He murmured something to Mia and Emma before ducking out the door and going to the parking area.
It wasn't hard to figure out which car was Laura's. There were two booster seats and a horse decal on the back of a truck. It was the only car that made sense for her.
He tucked his hands in his pockets and waited.
The snow in her dark red hair was beautiful. The contrast was stunning as she walked toward him, a child in each hand and the three of them smiling as they headed toward their car. She stopped and stood like a deer in the headlights as soon as she saw him.
“We should talk,” Ethan said. He smiled his most charming, defense-lowering smile that he used on all his clients and lovers. It usually worked, but she just swallowed hard and didn't move.
“Okay.” She just stood there in the snow, staring at him.
“How about we put the kids in the car?” he suggested, motioning to the truck. “Get it warm?”
“Right.” She shook herself and motioned the kids forward. The two kids went to the back door of the truck and hopped inside as Laura started up the engine. Ethan helped Dallas click his seat-belt into place before closing the door.
Laura slammed her own door shut. She left the engine on to warm up as she came around to talk to him. Her arms were crossed as she stomped through the snow.
“Look, I'm really sorry about that kiss,” she said coming up to him. “It shouldn't have happened. I was just really relieved Dallas was okay.”
“It seemed a little more than that,” he replied.
Her cheeks pinked and it was all he could do not to kiss her again.
“No,” she told him, shaking her head. “You work with my boss, so this-” She motioned to the two of them. “This isn't going to work. Okay? Just forget it ever happened.”
“Is that what you really want?” Ethan asked. He took a step closer to her, like he might kiss her again. She hesitated with her answer for just a second too long and Ethan knew she didn't mean what she said next.
“Yeah. That's what I want.”
He lifted his hand and brushed a strand of hair from her cheek. Her lashes fluttered and she let out a tiny whimper that sounded entirely too much like desire.
“You sure?” he asked
, his own voice going low and gravely. He wanted to kiss her again so badly it was almost painful not to.
“Positive,” she whispered. She didn't pull away from his touch. He caressed her cheek with his fingers and she leaned into his touch. “Mostly positive? Maybe kind of positive?”
He chuckled, knowing that she did want this. She wanted this as much as he did. He was going to kiss her here in the snow. For real this time.
“Laura?” Ivy opened her window and yelled at her sister. “When are we going home? Dallas is kicking my seat!”
Laura froze for a second and then shook herself. When her eyes opened, the desire had disappeared from her beautiful green eyes, replaced with something that made his heart ache to look at. Responsibility and loss was there now. She stepped away from him, no longer the woman but the guardian of children.
“No,” she said, looking over at the car. “I can't. I can't.” She shook her head and walked away from him, going to the driver's side door of her truck. She quickly got inside and put the car in reverse. She didn't even look back at him.
Ethan stood there in the snow with his fingertips tingling with her touch and his lips still waiting. He watched her drive away and disappear into the swirling snow.
He didn't know what happened to keep them apart the first time. There was a reason, but given their chemistry, it didn't make sense anymore. Somehow, they'd missed their first attempt, but fate was giving them another.
He wasn't just imagining things. If nothing else, today proved that to him. They were meant to be together. He'd never felt this level of connection with anyone. It had to be her.
He put his hand in his pocket and a slow smile filled his face.
He wasn't going to let fate steal her away for a second time. He was going to win her heart and keep it safe. He had a plan to give her the kind of love she deserved…
Thank you!
Thank you for reading this short novella! Included below are two extended previews, one of “A Forever Kind of Love”, and one of “A Wonderful Kind of Love”, both available on Amazon!
Preview of A Forever Kind of Love
“I've wanted this all my life,” he said. “I want you.”
Carter
Between running a company and a recent attempt on his life, billionaire Carter Williamson doesn't need any more stress. So when a trio of orphan children breaks into the Colorado ranch he's hiding out in, his first instinct is to just let the police handle it. That was before their spunky social worker Mia showed up.
Mia
Mia Amesworth has worked hard to make sure that the Smith kids aren't separated from each other, but she can only do so much. With her own body unable to produce children, the kids are the closest thing to a family she's got. When the handsome ranch owner offers to let the three troublemakers pay for the damages with hard work over the summer, she happily accepts. When he suggests they go on a date, she can't say yes fast enough.
Even though Carter's secret assailant keeps threatening him, he feels like he might be falling for the small town girl. And though Mia knows that a family might not be in the cards for her future, she longs to create a life with Carter.
And then, a miracle happens...
Chapter 25
Carter
The sun dipped behind the mountains, turning the world into dark shadows and twilight. A cold autumn wind rattled the trees, and in the distance, a coyote howled for a meal. Carter checked his watch for what must have been the fifth time in ten minutes. He looked out the window again, waiting for Mia's car to arrive, even though she wasn't supposed to be here for another five minutes.
He just couldn't wait to see her again. It had been just over a month since their trip to Vegas, but he still felt just like he did that first night: giddy excited. Even after a month of regular dates, sleepovers, and fantastic sex, she still made him breathless and impatient to have her.
No one had ever kept his interest for this long. He knew that meant something, but he tried not to think about it. He wasn't ready to confess his feelings for her or to tell her just how serious he wanted to get. The last thing he wanted to do was scare her off.
Besides, once the death threats were over, he would leave the ranch and go back to his regular life. For not the first time since having that realization, he almost wished for more threats to come. He shook himself, telling him to snap out of it. Even if he wasn't at the ranch, he could still be with her. He did own a private jet.
Still, he was keeping his feelings to himself for now. He was going to shower her with attention, but he didn't need to say the words. That wasn't his style anyway. He was much more about action than talking.
Finally, she saw her headlights drive up the road. He tried to school his face into something suave and sexy, but a happy smile kept popping up and ruining it. As she opened the door, he stopped trying. She knew the real him anyway. He didn't need to impress her.
She opened the door, and his jaw nearly dropped. He didn't know how she did it. She was stunning. She'd changed into a cute white sweater with a pair of dark jeans that made her curves look amazing. It didn't matter if she was wearing a ball gown or a t-shirt, she managed to make everything look sexy as hell. The only thing he liked better was seeing her in nothing at all.
“Hey,” she said, closing the door behind her. Her cheeks were flushed with the cold, and the wind had blown her hair into her eyes. She smiled at him, and he felt his blood speed up.
He kissed her, tasting the cold on her skin and the heat in her body. She moaned softly as he dipped his tongue into her mouth. His hand curled around the back of her neck, pulling her into him as he tasted her sweetness. She tasted like heaven.
He had planned to wait until after dinner. He had planned to romance her. He had a fantastic meal ready to go, and candles and flowers, but as he kissed her, he knew he didn't want to wait. That he couldn't wait. She was just too irresistible to him.
He pulled back, crossing his arms and grabbing the hem of his shirt to pull it off over his head. He loved the way her eyes traveled his body like she was hungry and he was an all-you-can-eat buffet. He pulled at his zipper and hooked his thumbs in his pants. She licked her lips as he pulled them down.
“This wasn't quite the meal I was expecting, but I'll take it,” she commented, her eyes dark with desire. She dropped to her knees in front of him.
“You sure?” he asked. His plan was to get her naked, but when she looked up at him from her knees, all coherent thought vanished. She was so damn beautiful and good. He didn't deserve to have her subservient before him.
She reached out and stroked the growing bulge in his boxers. “I want to,” she told him, her voice husky with desire. “Please.”
Carter wasn't one to say no to a lady, so he just nodded.
She reached out and touched him again, finally hooking her fingers into the waistband and tugging the fabric down. The air was cool against his skin, but everything else in his world was hot. She looked up at him again, leaning forward to give him one long lick from stem to stern.
He nearly lost it right there.
To have the most beautiful woman in the world pleasuring him simply because she wanted to was enough to make any man's dreams come true. That she was damn good at it had him convinced he had died and gone to heaven. Or that he was dreaming.
She looked up at him through her eyelashes as she guided him into her mouth. The heat and the pressure of her tongue drove him wild. Heat raced up his spine, and his thoughts turned to mush. He groaned, tangling his fingers in her soft hair as she worked her tongue along his length.
He pulled her hair gently away. He'd planned tonight as a way to spoil her, not to be spoiled. She pouted as he stepped back, her perfect lips in a downturn. All he could think about was having them wrapped around him again, but he shook his head.
“You have far too many clothes on,” he told her. Her frown gave way to a small smile. He helped her stand, catching the hem of her sweater as she rose. With a smoot
h motion, he lifted it up and over her head, tossing the soft fabric to the side. She wore only a lacy bra underneath, and it had him panting as soon as he saw it.
He gently caressed the soft swells of her breasts, forcing himself to take his time. All he really wanted to do was pick her up and carry her caveman style into the bedroom and have his way with her. Hell, he didn't even need to go to the bedroom. All he wanted to was to fill her and hear her voice cry out his name.
His hands went to her hips. She'd already undone the button to her dark jeans and was inching them off. Inch by inch, smooth skin on long legs appeared. He stared, loving every centimeter of her being. She kicked off her jeans to join her sweater, standing before him in nothing but a matching lacy set of bra and panties.
“I thought you might like these,” she said, tossing her hair behind her shoulder and watching his reaction. He felt his whole body twitch with desire and she grinned.
“I do,” he promised. “But, I need to see what they look like on the floor, too.”
She chuckled, low and deep. The sound went straight into his core, filling him with lust. He wanted to be a part of that chuckle, to feel it from the inside. He fought himself for patience, knowing it would only get better if he waited.
He put his mouth on her shoulder, gently sucking and moving his teeth against the smoothness of her. She tasted delicious. Salty and clean, with the scent of rose. “You are so beautiful, Mia,” he murmured huskily.
From her shoulder, he moved down to her collarbone, to her breast. He teased her nipples for a moment before sliding down further, dropping to his knees to kiss her belly. He found her hipbone and pressed his mouth against it.
He looked up just in time to see her mouth open in surprise. He liked her mouth open like that, so he went back to kissing her hips.