by K. C. Lynn
His lips move to my cheek, kissing away the tracks before he takes my lips. “Mine,” he whispers.
“Yours.”
He threads a hand through my hair in a soft caress, letting it trail down my back to my bottom, his fingers gripping my flesh. “Mine.”
“Yours,” I whisper, a little more breathless.
He lifts his hips, bringing him deeper inside of me. “Mine.” I nod in agreement, unable to speak from the pleasure soaring through me.
Starting at my cheek he trails a finger down my neck to my chest, stopping at my heart before pressing the softest kiss there. “Mine.”
“Forever.” I promise.
His face remains buried in my chest, his arms holding me tight. “You’re never going to leave me. I won’t let you.”
“Never. I’ll love you for eternity.”
Lifting his face, his lips find mine, sealing the promise between us that this will be forever, we will be forever.
On their own accord my hips start seeking his pleasure again. With a groan he lies down to his back and it brings him so much deeper. “Ride me, baby. Show me how much you want it.”
My teeth sink in my bottom lip as I brace my hands on his chest and begin taking every inch of him.
His burning gaze never leaves mine. “Jesus, you look like a fucking angel over me like this.”
I smile, his words warming me from the inside out, and spurs me on to give him more. When his hands move to my breasts, his palms brushing my nipples, I moan and pick up pace.
“Good girl, fuck me.” His hips start picking up their own speed, his cock hitting that hidden spot deep inside of me.
“Oh god, Nick. I’m going to come,” I whimper, my nails digging into his hard flesh.
“Do it, Kate, come all over me, baby.”
When his fingers grip the hard points of my nipples, bordering my pain threshold, I explode around him. My head falls back as ecstasy rushes through my veins. In the middle of my pleasure, I feel Nick take his own release.
I drop down on him, my body limp with pleasure. “I love you,” I murmur, kissing his chest.
“I love you more.”
A small smile takes my lips. I’ll never tire of him saying those words to me.
After cleaning me up, he situates us back in bed, our naked bodies tangled with one another. I look up at him, a big, silly smile on my face. “We’re going to get married and have a baby,” I whisper excitedly.
He smirks. “Yeah, baby. I’ll take you to get a ring tomorrow.”
“I don’t care about that.”
“I do. I would have gotten one before but I was in a hurry to get back to you.”
I raise a brow at him. “In a hurry? It felt like you were gone for an eternity.”
He drops a kiss on my lips. “I know, but there was lots of shit to take care of, and I shouldn’t need to go back except to help Pop pack up when the ranch sells.”
“I’m excited for him to come here. I’m glad you asked him.”
“Me, too. I think it will be good for him. We just need to find him the right place. He’s used to the ranch.”
“Maybe we can buy an acreage like Cade and Faith, and have a guest house for him. That way he can still be in the country but won’t need to worry about the work.”
I watch him roll the suggestion over. “Yeah, that’s a good idea, and I’m sure he’ll love being that close to us, especially now with the baby,” he says, his hand finding its place on my tummy.
My hand covers his, everything feeling right in my world. “What did you do with your stuff from your apartment?”
“Ryder is holding most of it for me until I can arrange for movers to bring it down.”
“What did they say when you told them you were moving?”
He shrugs. “Ryder didn’t seem all that surprised even though he’s not happy to be getting assigned another partner,” he says with a smirk. “Emily was Emily, happy but blubbering.”
“And your chief?” I whisper, remembering what Emily told me.
Nick grunts. “He’s a miserable bastard but he gave me the transfer because he knew I was leaving either way.”
“I hate that you’ve left so much behind just to be with me,” I admit softly, guilt building inside of me.
His eyes hold mine. “Don’t. I told you, Katelyn, nothing matters more than you. This is where I want to be.”
I give him a halfhearted smile, still feeling bad. Then an idea forms, one I’m hoping I can make happen.
He pulls me in close when a yawn escapes me. “Sleep, baby. We’ll talk about everything else tomorrow.”
His fingers begin trailing down my spine. A soft sound of contentment escapes me as I listen to the steady thrum of his heart.
This is my place, where I’m always meant to be.
Just as I’m about to slip into a peaceful slumber, he presses a kiss to my head and whispers words that have been engraved into my soul forever: “You are more.”
EPILOGUE
Nick
One month later
“So, Slick Nick, are you excited to be starting your new job on Monday?” Kayla asks, popping the cherry from her drink into her mouth.
Cade and Faith’s backyard is filled with people for a barbecue since Faith insisted on having a celebration for Katelyn’s and my engagement and the news of our baby. The whole group is here, including the one couple I hadn’t met yet—Anna and Logan. Even Pop made it in time; he and George have been shooting the shit for the last hour and running around with all the kids.
“Yeah, RoboCop, you excited to get back on the job and catch those bad guys?” Kolan taunts with a smirk.
Dickhead.
“He’s not RoboCop, he’s Miami Vice,” Katelyn corrects him, giving me a sassy wink that turns my dick hard.
“I still like Slick Nick,” Kayla says. “It’s a damn good name if I do say so myself.”
“Whoa, wait.” Sawyer cuts in. “Why the hell does this asshole get three names and I don’t even have one?”
“You do have one. Sexy Sawyer,” Jaxson mocks, making everyone chuckle.
“Only my woman gets to call me that, jerk-off.”
“All of you guys have one,” Kayla says with a shrug. “We just need to find one for Kolan now. I’ve been thinking hard about this one but you’re a complicated guy there, Slade.”
Kolan grunts.
“Hulk,” I toss out, remembering the way that asshole smashed into me.
“Can’t, that’s Jaxson’s.” Kayla punches him in the shoulder. “Isn’t that right, Hulkmeister?”
He stares at her unimpressed, while Julia snickers.
“Wait? We all have one?” Sawyer asks.
“Yep.” Kayla points at Jaxson. “He is Hulk because he’s a spaz. Cade is Thor because he’s silent and very un-smiley. Sawyer, you’re Iron Man because…well, you’re the most arrogant.”
Sawyer rears back, offended. “Fuck that. I’m Iron Man because he’s badass and the most intelligent of the bunch.”
Grace rolls her eyes and Kayla waves him away. “Whatever, you have no say. We choose them.”
“Oh yeah? Then who’s your husband?”
Kayla eyes Cooper with a seductive smile. “He’s my favorite. Captain America, or sometimes Officer Sexy.” She shrugs. “Whatever I feel like at the moment.”
Cooper stares back at her, seeming as unimpressed as the others.
“So these guys get to be superheroes and I’m Slick Nick?” I ask, trying to see where the fairness is in that.
“No, asshole, you’re RoboCop.”
I glare over at Kolan, ready to punch the smug grin off his face. “You know, I just thought of the perfect name for you.”
“What’s that?” Kayla asks.
“Catwoman.”
“Catwoman?” she repeats, her face scrunched in confusion. “Why on earth do you think that?”
“Because she loves her whips and leather,” I say, trying to suppress my smirk.
<
br /> Kolan’s eyes narrow, his amusement vanishing. Even though we like to piss each other off, things are better between us. We’ve come to an understanding, an agreement that the only thing that matters is Katelyn and her happiness. He knows I’d die for her. I’ll protect her with my life. I think the fact that I locked his father up for what he did to both of them helped, too. Thanks to the chief for putting in a call to the bureau down in Montana, I made sure the arrest was kept quiet and any remaining photos of Katelyn will never go public because they’ve been destroyed. Nothing or no one will ever hurt her again—including me. Kolan respects that and I think one day we will even have the friendship back that we lost, I know it’s something Katelyn wants.
“Am I missing something here?” Kayla asks, still confused.
“No!” The quick shout comes from both Katelyn and Cooper.
Before anyone can say more, the sound of a vehicle pulls up. Katelyn turns to me, a huge smile taking over her pretty face as she claps her hands excitedly. “It’s your surprise!”
Surprise?
She stands from her chair, waving at something behind me. Turning around, I tense in shock when I see Ryder and Emily walking over with Rosa.
“What the hell?” I mumble. Standing up, I follow Katelyn as she walks down the deck to greet them.
“I’m so glad you guys found it okay,” she says, giving Emily a hug.
“We did, thank you for the invite.”
I shake Ryder’s hand. “What the hell are you doing here? Missed me that much you came all this way for supper?”
He smirks. “Actually, I start my new job on Monday.”
I scowl in confusion. “New job?”
“Yeah, I got a transfer and they’re partnering me with some hotshot asshole who thinks he knows everything. Apparently, we make a good team.”
I stare at him, shock barreling through me. “Are you fucking serious?”
Emily is the one to answer. “Very serious. We’re moving here.”
“How the hell did you pull that off?”
“It’s all thanks to that pretty girl of yours!”
My head whips to the side at the sound of my chief’s voice. “Chief? What the hell are you doing here?” I ask, feeling like a broken fucking record.
Jesus, I couldn’t be more fucking shocked right now if Rosa grabbed my beer and started drinking it.
“I wasn’t about to lose the best damn agents I ever had. I’m the one who deserves all the credit for you two,” he grumbles and comes to stand next to Katelyn, putting his arm around her. “Nice to finally meet you, sweetheart. You’re as pretty as her,” he says, pointing at Emily. “What the hell are you doing with him?”
Emily and Katelyn both laugh, finding him fucking hilarious.
“Chief.” Katelyn greets him with a smile. “I’m glad it worked out and you were able to come, too.”
“Well like I said, I wasn’t going to lose my best agents. I’m the one who paired them. No one else is going to have them. Besides, the chief at this detachment was washed up, they needed someone more…qualified,” he adds with a grin.
Both Ryder and I grunt.
“So where’s the cake? This is a party, isn’t it?” he says rudely.
“It sure is,” Katelyn laughs. “This way. Let me introduce you to my friends and family.”
Emily looks at me apologetically but has an amused smile. “Sorry, he insisted on coming here with us.”
I’ll bet he did.
She moves in to hug me. “I’m glad Katelyn thought of this and we didn’t lose you. From the little bit of Charleston we’ve seen, I can tell I’m going to love it here.”
My eyes move to Katelyn as she walks arm in arm with the chief, still feeling in shock.
We join everyone else and Katelyn makes the introductions, pointing to each couple. “Guys, this is Chief Reynolds, Nick’s boss; Ryder, his partner; Emily; and their daughter, Rosa.”
“Great, more feds, just what I need.” Cooper grunts.
“Who the hell are you? And what do you have against feds?” Chief asks, affronted by the comment. “You a criminal?”
“Not quite, he’s the sheriff here,” I explain, amused.
And a damn good one I’d have to say. He’s another person that I’ve reached an understanding with, and if I wouldn’t have gotten that transfer I probably would have went to him for a job.
“The sheriff?” Chief bellows in surprise. “Well hell, why didn’t you say so? Let me pull up a chair and teach ya a thing or two, rookie.”
I chuckle at the look on Cooper’s face.
“You could even learn a thing or two from Starsky and Hutch here,” he says, pointing out Ryder and me.
“Starsky and Hutch!” Kolan barrels out an exaggerated laugh. “Holy shit, that’s the best one yet.”
Everyone else joins in on his laughter but Ryder and me.
“Well I’m glad there’s another sweet little girl to add to the group,” Julia says with a smile, pointing at Rosa.
“And there will be another baby soon enough,” Faith says, looking at Katelyn.
I pull Katelyn against me, my hand covering her stomach. It’s now my favorite part of her body.
“Now that’s something to cheers to,” Kayla says, raising her glass and taking a sip.
“Hopefully, it’s a boy,” Sawyer interrupts. “We’re starting to be seriously outnumbered.”
Grace elbows him then looks to Emily. “How old is Rosa?”
“Fifteen months.”
“That’s close to the same age as my Ella,” Kayla says, standing up. “Come on. I’ll take you over and introduce you.” She points to where Anna is holding her daughter out in the yard.
Both Grace and Julia follow. Kolan stands next and pulls Katelyn from me, giving her a hug. “All right, I’m out of here. But you and Starsky have a good party… Or are you Hutch?” he asks, looking at me smugly.
“You’re leaving already?” Katelyn asks sadly.
“Yeah, you know me. This is enough entertainment for one night, but I’ll stop by tomorrow.”
“Okay,” she mumbles, wrapping her arms around his waist. “Thanks for coming. I know it’s not your thing.”
“Anything for you.”
“You’ll like it better once you get married,” I say, knowing the comment will get under his skin.
He grunts. “I would say I’ll never be shackled down like you but you’re lucky to even breathe the same air as my sister, let alone marry her.”
Can’t argue with him there.
After bidding everyone else a good-bye and thanking Faith, he leaves.
“Hey, Jameson,” Chief bellows. “Come over here and tell this guy about the Lux case we just closed.”
Sawyer claps Cooper on the shoulder with a laugh, getting a kick out of the chief and even offers him a beer.
Katelyn turns around, her arms going around my waist as she stares up at me, and I pull her in close. “Are you surprised?”
“Very. You didn’t have to do this. Not that I’m not happy about it, but it wasn’t necessary.”
She shrugs. “I think it was. I want you to be happy and to be surrounded by everyone who cares about you. I don’t want you to sacrifice just to be with me.”
“I never sacrificed when I left. I only gained.” Bending down just a little, I lift her off her feet, bringing her face level with mine so I can kiss her sweet lips. “All I need to be happy is you. Then I have everything.”
She gives me one of her pretty smiles that always knock me off my feet. “Well now you have more, just like you deserve, and our baby will have even more family now. Family that matters. We’ve come full circle, Nick.”
She’s right, we have. Going from keeping everyone at a distance because of my past, I now know that some people are meant to stick around. The people in this yard, new and old, are some of them and the girl in my arms is the most important of all.
A girl I could never live without.
*
<
br /> Please turn the page for a letter from the author.
Dear reader,
With every book I write, I not only grow as an author but as a person. I change. Because with every character I pen, I become them. I laugh with them, cry with them, live through their highs and lows, feel their pain and sorrow. I live their journey as if it were my own, so how can one not grow from that? I feel like I’ve lived many lives and I’ve loved every one of them. I’ve learned something from each character I’ve ever written. Some more than others. Especially in recent books where I’ve written about sensitive topics that I felt needed to be brought to light. Sarge being a prime example.
I remember when it came time to sit down and write Nick and Katelyn’s story. I thought…okay, this won’t be one of those books. Of course I knew I would grow, especially because Nick and Katelyn have a lot of pain in their past. I knew I’d feel that with them, and boy did I ever. But I didn’t think I would have a defining moment like I did with Sarge or a few other characters I’ve written. Until at the end, when I wrote that letter to Nick from his mother. A character who I hated from the beginning, because how could she leave her little boy like that? Feeling Nick’s pain this entire story, I didn’t think I’d ever feel anything for her but hatred, except then I got into her head and it was one of the most defining moments I’ve ever had. I’ve never cried so much or felt another’s pain as I did when I got into her head. To feel her self-hatred, her regret, and loneliness—it gutted me like nothing ever has and it was then I understood how someone with a drug addiction may feel. Oftentimes they come off selfish, when in reality it’s because they don’t love themselves enough.
I hope you loved this story as much as I did writing it. Nick and Katelyn will hold a special place in my heart forever, as will Lila Stone.
Next in the series is Kolan and Sophie’s book. An Act of Obsession. However, before that, will be Sawyer and Grace’s novella. No permanent release dates yet but Sawyer and Grace you can expect springtime, and Kolan and Sophie’s hopefully early summer. For more information on upcoming books and news please visit my website www.authorkclynn.com or my Facebook page, https://goo.gl/yjnvqm. I will post Kolan and Sophie’s prologue on my website once I’m finished so make sure to check in. Also, if you haven’t read about Emily and Ryder yet and would like to know their story, you can read it in Beautifully Insightful.