by Anna Brooks
She snuggles into me in the car, and as much as I love it, it’s not really her norm. She’s not the cuddliest person, so it sends up a flag. When we arrive home, we head right upstairs and get ready for bed. Once we crawl under the covers, she scoots close to me, and I pull her close.
“I want to move to California.”
I have to ask her to say it again because I really don’t think I heard right.
“I want to move to California,” she repeats.
Yep, okay, so I did hear her right. “What happened to make you change your mind?” She was pretty positive about wanting to stay here, so the sudden change concerns me.
“Nothing happened. I just think it would be good for us to have a fresh start away from here. Away from all the bad shit. And I know you have horrible memories there, but you also have a lot of good ones.”
“I do.”
“You might not have realized it, but you were a different person there than you are here.”
I prop myself up on an elbow so I can see her. “What do you mean?”
“You were just happier. More carefree. And I could see how much you love the guys at the security place. There’s nothing here for me, Erik. I really don’t have anything but you, and I want you to be happy. Because you make me happier than I ever thought I could be. Plus, I really like the ocean.”
“Why do you sound so sad when you say that, baby?” I run my finger along her jawline.
“Not sad, Erik.”
“Promise?”
“Yeah.” She rolls from her side to her back. “I promise. It wasn’t until we were back here that I realized how much I’d rather be somewhere else. Away from everything and…”
“Did you tell Brad you wanted to go back there?”
“No, why?”
“Because he asked me to at least give him notice when we moved.”
She rolls her eyes. “He’s such a smartass. I think he saw how excited I got when I talked about it. It really was so pretty, and I don’t know if it’s even possible, but I’d love to live at the beach house.”
“We can do that.” Hell, I’d live wherever she wanted to.
“Do you want to, though? You have a much more important job than I do here, and you have friends.”
“Smith is like a damn brother to me. His family was there for me, and when I lost them, I lost a part of myself, too. More than was even lost before.” I take a breath to control my emotion. “But he doesn’t even know as much about me as you do. It’s like I purposely made a point to keep one life private from the other. I know it seems irrational because he didn’t even know about Sophia and me, but I felt guilty for having something back in Cali after we lost her. So I limited how much I saw him and what I allowed him to see.”
“He doesn’t know about the protection firm?”
“No. I mean, he knows who my parents were and how they died, and just the other night, I finally told him a little bit about The Firm. That I owned it and stuff.”
“How did he take it?”
I grunt. “He was fine, I suppose. But I imagine a little hurt that I hid yet another thing from him.”
She sighs. “I want to start our life. I want to get married and start a family. But I really think that we need to get away from Pleasant Valley. We need to start over where we don’t have shadows creeping on up. Back there just seems like the right place.”
“I completely agree, baby.” I lean down and kiss her, not as long as I’d like, but then again, forever wouldn’t be enough time. “Let’s move to Cali.”
Chapter 26
Polly
One and a Half Years Later
The soft swoosh of the ocean is the first thing I hear when I wake up in the morning. Erik’s arm wrapped around me is the first thing I feel. They’re also the last things to comfort me every night before I fall asleep. With no nightmares.
We’ve lived in California for a little over a year now. When I told Erik I wanted to move here, he was more than willing to accommodate me. But instead of jumping the gun, we waited for Erik to find a replacement at Complexity. Brad already had an ad out for another waitress, so he didn’t have any trouble finding a couple of servers easily.
We sold my piece of shit car and waited for his house to sell, which took a couple of months. I never did tell him I saw Wyatt at the store and that that was the catalyst for my wanting to move. I knew starting a life together would be perfect and amazing no matter what, but I really thought at that moment that doing it somewhere away from The Valley would be the cherry on top. It’s not that I was hiding seeing Wyatt from Erik, but I know that if he knew I’d seen him, he would go all crazy possessive over me going anywhere without him while we were still in Pleasant Valley.
And I like that I know he’s there to protect me and look out for me, but I didn’t want to put that pressure on him. I really did realize how much I loved him at that moment I saw Wyatt. Because for the first time in my life, I knew that if I was scared, I could call him, and he’d drop absolutely everything to be there for me. I’d never had that security, that much trust and love in another person, and I just knew that nothing would ever change that.
I try to lift the boulder that’s draped over me, but Erik’s bicep flexes. “Why are you up already?” He pushes his morning wood into my butt, and I giggle at him.
“I wanted to make breakfast.”
Rayne and her mother took me under their wing and gave me so many cooking lessons before we moved that all their teaching somehow stuck. I can proudly say that I can make a killer pancake and can fry bacon to perfection. My lunches are on point, and as long as it doesn’t involve pasta (I can never make the noodles right, and my relationship with garlic bread is still on the rocks), dinner is kind of good most of the time.
“We’re bringing donuts in today, remember?” Erik reminds me.
“Oh yeah, that’s right. Royce is finally twenty-one.” I can’t believe I almost forgot my own idea. That’s the other thing that’s been a big change. I work at The Firm now, too. They had another receptionist quit, so I offered to help out when we moved here and just never left the position.
My official title got changed to Administration Manager, but that’s semantics. I’m actually able to put my degree to use and the realization was liberating.
I’ve grown close to all the guys, but they really liked me when I brought in donuts for Gio’s birthday. Now it’s a tradition, and I love that the guys get excited about it. But that’s just because they all eat like cavemen, so it really is a treat for them. Well, except Royce; he eats like a boy going through puberty.
“I need to use the bathroom,” I tell Erik. He kisses my shoulder, and I slide out of bed then go to the bathroom.
When I get inside, I close the door and take out a pregnancy test from the cupboard. Trying to be quiet, I rip the package open. After peeing on the stick, I wash my hands and lean on the counter watching the clock tick away. After three minutes has passed, I finally look down at the stick.
Erik walks in right on time, and when he sees the result, he hugs me from behind. “It’ll happen, honey.”
I can’t answer him because the heartbreak of seeing the negative lines on the test again are too much. We’ve been trying since we moved here and have been unsuccessful. I never thought that I’d want something so badly that I can’t have. He’s suggested going to a doctor, but I believe that if it was meant to happen, it will happen. And I just don’t think it’s supposed to happen this way for us.
“We should adopt.” I blurt out, not letting him continue with his speech, because each time this happens, he tries to tell me more and more about how everything will work out. Or how we just need to let it happen. “Think about it, Erik. I know I have.”
His eyes catch mine in the mirror. “I didn’t ever think about it, Polls, but I’m totally fine with it.”
“I want you to be more than fine.”
“That’s not how I meant it. I’d be deliriously happy to raise a child
with you in any way we could have one. There are a lot of kids who need homes.”
This idea has been swirling around in my mind for a few months now, and I’ve kept it close to heart. Now is a good a time as any, I suppose. “What do you think about adopting a teenager?”
He doesn’t show any feature changes in his face. “We can do that.”
“Are you sure?”
“I love you, Polly. And I’m happy as long as I have you. Kids, in any which way they come, would be a blessing, one I’m not sure I deserve. And if an older child is the direction you want to head, I’ll support and welcome it with open arms.”
“Why are you so damn perfect?” I ask. My arms wrap around his that are wrapped around my waist.
“I’m far from perfect, baby.”
“To me you are. I even dropped the terribly part when you married me.”
He throws back his head and laughs. “Still love that you put that in your vows, baby.”
“I promise that when I refer to how good we are for each other, I will refrain from using the word terrible in any form because nothing about what I feel for you is terrible.”
“You’re right, Polly. It’s not terrible at all. It’s fuckin’ perfect.”
Epilogue
Erik
Two and a half years after that
“Your territory, Polls. Deal with her; otherwise, I’m going to lose my shit.” I storm down the stairs, and once I reach the bottom of the steps, I go back up. When I get to the bathroom where Paisley is standing with Polly, I continue my rant, “You’re missing half of a dress! And the damn skirt has a rip in it up to your thigh! If you think for one second you’re walking out of this house dressed in that, you clearly have no idea who I am.”
“It’s not about you, Derik,” Paisley snaps. She calls me that because the first time she went to call me dad, she couldn’t do it, and she ended up combining my name and dad. I’m totally cool with it, though. It’s kind of a special thing that only she and I share.
It took us ten months before we were able to finalize the adoption papers, but I’ve never been happier. After only about two weeks our little family meshed, and I couldn’t love Paisley any more if she were my own flesh and blood.
It wasn’t even strange that she was already fourteen when we adopted her. And the ironic thing is she looks a lot like Polly. Same blond hair, same beautiful smile. But she’s also got my eyes. It’s uncanny that she looks like both of us.
I’ve loved this journey that Polly and I have been on. And adding Paisley was a miracle. Except right now. Because my blood pressure is about to soar through the damn roof.
“It isn’t about me. You’re right. It’s about all these horny bo—”
“Oh, my God,” Paisley shrieks.
“Erik,” Polly scolds me. Like I’m the one in trouble.
“What? You don’t think the stupid boys at this dance are going to want to try—? No, ya know what? Never mind.” I have a better idea. “You girls are right. I’m overreacting. Go. Have fun at homecoming. You look beautiful.”
They both stay silent, probably afraid to jinx my generosity.
I head downstairs and grab my phone then scroll through my contacts. He’s the only one who could pass for a younger kid, and I know for a fact he’s not working tonight. I press send on the phone and wait for him to pick up.
“What’s up, Erik?”
“Hey, Royce. I’ve got a job for you tonight.”
* * *
Paisley
I don’t know why he thinks I can’t see him. Maybe because he’s not trying to hide. I think he likes to know he’s making me nervous. I’d go over there and give him a piece of my mind, but I don’t want to draw attention to him. He’s already got the girls all giddy.
Ugh. I turn my back to him and walk outside to get some fresh air. I always feel so… so short of breath when he’s around. When I reach the sidewalk, I stop and turn around, knowing he’s right behind me. “What the hell are you doing here?”
Royce holds his hands out and drops his lower jaw. “What? I can’t come to a party? You know I love a good kegger.”
“I don’t need a guard dog, Royce. Besides, you’re too busy flirting with all the girls to even notice what I’m doing.”
He does that thing that makes my stomach all tingly. He smiles just enough for his dimples to make an appearance. If he smiles too big, they go away, so I like to think the dimples are reserved for me. “I’m twenty-three years old, precious, got no inclination to go to jail over a little girl.”
I can’t help the hurt that clogs my throat, and I cross my arms like it’ll somehow guard my heart. When his eyes dart to my chest, I’m the one smirking now. But just as fast as they were there, they go back to glaring at me, and I go back to feeling like a child under his inspection.
So I do what I do best when I feel cornered; I act out and turn into a brat. “You can go report back to Derik that I’m fine. Then you can leave me alone. Forever.” Waving him off, I turn to head back into the house.
“Sorry, no can do.”
Abruptly, my momentum stops, and he runs into me from behind. His hands, his strong hands, grip my arms above my elbows. I’m wearing four-inch heels, so his lips rest just at the top of my head, and the warmth of his body saturates mine. One hand releases and the tip of his finger slides all the way down my arm. He’s probably used to women who don’t shiver from a single touch, but I’m not one of them.
I’m a sixteen-year-old girl who has never even been kissed.
“I’ve had eyes on you all night, and ain’t nothin’ gonna change that, precious. This dress…” His fingertip slides across my bare belly, and I sway. “It shows so much skin, and all these horny little fuckers are just waiting to make their play for you. Nobody’s gonna touch this body while I’m around.”
I can’t move. Can barely breathe. Oh, my God, Royce is touching me. The ridiculously hot bodyguard who I’ve had a crush on since the moment I saw him. The guy who I dream about kissing me… he’s touching me.
I jump when his hand touches my outer thigh. “So much skin. They’re dyin’ to get between your legs and see if the rest of you is just as soft.”
“Royce.” I… what? Beg, cry, whine. I don’t even know.
“Yeah?” His scruffy face rubs against my neck, and his lips caress the shell of my ear. “Say my name, baby.”
“Royce.”
His throat rumbles, and then he’s gone, leaving me a shivering mess. My throat tightens, and I put a hand to it, feeling my pulse throbbing against my palm. When I turn around, he’s closer than I expected. I don’t know what to say or even what I’m feeling. He dips his head and aligns our eyes but doesn’t speak.
I can’t take the intensity, so I whisper, “Royce.”
His pupils flash and his lips part. “That’s why I’m here.”
“What?”
He stands straight and motions at my body. “’Cause someone gives you a little bit of attention and before you know it, you’ll be face down, ass up.”
I raise my arm to slap him, but he deflects it and grabs my wrist. I try with the other one and end up with the same result.
“You don’t wanna hit me, Paisley.”
I struggle with him, but he’s so strong. “Yes, I do.”
“You hit me, and I’ll bend you over my knee.”
I gasp at his admission and lose any struggle I had. I drop my head so he won’t see the tears welling in them. He releases my arms, and I shove him before I turn around and make my way back to the house. Just as I touch the doorknob, he reaches me.
“Shit, fuck. I’m sorry.” He stands much like he did on the sidewalk, right behind me.
“Just leave me alone.”
“Wish I could,” he whispers. Reaching around me, he pulls open the door, and just as I make my way into the house, he says, “It’d help if you weren’t so fuckin’ beautiful.”
I stop dead in my tracks and put my hands on my hips, then glare a
t him over my shoulder. “Yeah? Well, it’d help if you weren’t such a jerk.”
He has the nerve to show me his dimples. “Can’t wait for you to grow up, precious. It’s gonna be so good.”
Start the Pleasant Valley series with Fixing Fate.
Mellie Jamison is afraid of the world after her security and innocence were stolen as a teen. Now in her early twenties, she’s content with her secluded lifestyle and her cat… at least, that’s what she tells herself. When a grandfather she never met leaves her an abandoned house, she has no choice but to set out on a journey she never wanted to take.
Smith Porter was living his dream until he was forced to give up his job as a police officer and return home to take over the family business. He’s now alone in the world, merely surviving on memories and emotionless attachments. So when his old partner calls in a favor, Smith agrees to flip the neglected house and keep an eye on Jay’s baby sister.
He’s a master at restoration and rebuilding, but Smith never expected that tearing the walls down around Mellie’s heart to be his most difficult project yet. And when her life is threatened, keeping her safe is the most important job he’ll ever have.
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Make Me Forget (It's Kind Of Personal Book 1)
Prologue
Six months ago.
Even though I’m blindfolded, I squeeze my eyes shut, willing my body to cooperate, while my mind screams at me in protest. Todd grunts as he picks up his pace, effectively slamming my head into the wall. I’m grateful for the pain, as it distracts me from what I’ve allowed myself to become.
“I’m coming!” He never talks when he fucks me, except to tell me that he’s coming.
I can’t say anything, can’t move, can’t see. I can do nothing but wait. He collapses on top of me for a few minutes before pulling out and sitting up. Then he unties my ankles and wrists. Next, he removes the blindfold, followed by the gag. I rub my wrists and take a deep breath.