by Jess Bryant
It was just sex. His heart had no part in it. Good sex just had a way of making things foggy and sex with Victoria was never just good. It was always the best of his life each and every time.
After a long moment of silence she opened her eyes warily, “We uh… should probably stop doing that.”
“You’re probably right.” He agreed even as he rolled onto his elbow. His cock stirred back to life as she lay there, open and naked and sexy as hell, trying to figure out how to get out of his bed without causing a scene and while he fully intended to let her go, he had no intention of doing so just yet, “Tomorrow. We’ll stop tomorrow.”
He circled her nipple with his fingertip then lowered his head to follow the path with his mouth and she moaned, her eyes fluttering shut again as her lips parted on a sigh, “Definitely tomorrow.”
This was a quick glimpse of Austin Evans and Victoria Sands. For the whole story, don’t miss It Had to be You coming February 2016.
Meet the Harden’s...
Rayna Harden hung up the phone after wishing her twin sister a Merry Christmas. She and Reba had always been close, it was impossible not to be when you looked alike and shared everything growing up. They were sisters and though they lived a couple hundred miles apart now and had ever since she left Fate for the big city, they still talked every day. Not being able to spend the holidays together was hard, it had always been hard and she wasn’t sure it would ever get easier, but with them both having children, grown children now, in separate cities, it was impossible to get everyone together in the same place.
Except of course, when there was a wedding.
It was hard to believe now that just a few years ago, Reba had called her crying on Christmas. She’d spent the day with her three sons and loved every minute of it, but once she’d gone home to her small apartment alone, the sadness as it always did had set it. Her husband, Ellis, had been gone for nearly twenty years now but that never got easier for her sister. Losing the love of her life had nearly destroyed her but that wasn’t what had saddened her the past few years.
It was that her sons had been lonely too. They’d been alone. They’d had each other but they’d shut everyone else out. It had been those three boys against the world from the moment they put Ellis into the ground and despite the fact they’d all grown into men that hadn’t changed. Their insular group had come at a cost though and they’d never let anyone close to them.
Reba had mourned the fact that her sons would never let themselves find the kind of love that she had shared with their father. She’d been afraid that they would never let a woman close enough to love them for the great men that they’d become. And she’d been sad that she might never get the chance to have daughters she adored and grandchildren she cherished.
But my, oh my, had her fears been unfounded.
Just a couple of months ago they’d all been present as her youngest son, Riley, pledged his eternal devotion to the love of his life. In the years before, they’d ventured to Fate for Devin’s wedding and Zach’s as well. She’d been there when her first great-niece was born and gotten phone calls from her sister letting her know there were many more grandbabies to come.
Now when she and Reba talked, it was all she could do not to let her jealousy show.
She was happy for her sister. Reba deserved a huge, loving family to dote on. She’d been alone so long, without Ellis for so long, and Rayna couldn’t imagine going twenty days let alone twenty years without her beloved Keith, but still she was jealous. She wanted what her sister now had and enjoyed daily.
She wanted to see her children happy and settled. She wanted to see them find the kind of love that she had found in the relationship she had with her husband. She wanted them to know the joy of having children and seeing them grow.
And she wanted it now, dang it!
“Mom!” A call went up from the living room and she smiled, “Mom! Blake ate all the cookies!”
“Mom! Kat’s a tattle-tale!”
“Am not!”
“Are too. Always have been!”
She moved back into the living room to join the festivities and couldn’t help but laugh at the sight of all of them gathered together. Sprawled across the floor and sofa, lounging in the chair, picking and teasing at each other and sharing private jokes, these were her children. No matter how many years passed or how they grew or became adults, this was the image of them she wanted to keep and preserve forever.
Her oldest son, Adam, was sitting in the armchair closest to the fire, presiding over the group as he usually did. He kept himself removed from the craziness, only getting drawn into it when one of his younger siblings teased him, which of course they took turns doing. He always had a smile for them, indulging their jokes and taunting in return, but he was separate from the scene at the same time in a way that he had been for years. It was something that worried Rayna as a mother, his aloofness, his seriousness, but she knew the others would never let him become hard.
Even now, curled up right at his feet, just as she had been from the time she was old enough to crawl, Kat winked up at him as they shared a private joke, no doubt at Blake’s expense.
Blake was the second-oldest of the group and if Adam was the president then he was the general. A Marine, she’d held her breath every time he went overseas and wasn’t sure she’d ever let it out until she was able to put her arms around him again. Now he was home, for good he said, and she was thrilled to have him sprawled out across the floor, propped on an elbow in front of the fire, relaxing with his siblings. Some of the shadows he’d brought home with him looked like they were finally beginning to fade as he teased his younger sisters and she thought that was a true Christmas miracle.
Kat and Brooke were the twins and though they looked exactly alike, just as she and her sister did, they were also as different as night and day in personality. As if to prove her point, Kat threw a pillow at Blake and Brooke immediately grabbed it out of the air where she was sitting near him on the ottoman and tucked it underneath her without saying a word. Kat stuck her tongue out at her sister but Brooke only smiled and continued eavesdropping on the conversation Casey was having with her youngest brother.
And Casey… well, he wasn’t her son, not biologically, but he was still family. He’d lived in the house next door since he was a child but he had grown up right here with her own kids. He was friend to them all and she knew they all thought of him as a brother too, she shot a look at Brooke who was giving him a wistful look, and corrected that statement because she wasn’t blind and not all of her children saw him as a brother even if they all loved him.
Kyle, the baby of the family, was perched next to Casey on the couch, deep in conversation about some upcoming football game. He was years younger than the others, just as Adam was years older, and sometimes she worried about him even more because of that. He could be reckless and unpredictable because all his life, he’d had his older siblings to look out for him, to take care of him and to get him out of trouble. Even now, they’d all gathered around him in a protective circle, unconsciously or not, so that he was in the center of them. She wasn’t sure what he would make of the world when he had to face it alone and so she prayed he never would.
After all, her children were so close. They were brothers and sisters yes but they were all friends as well. They had family dinners and they all got together but even when they didn’t have functions with their parents, they spent time together. She knew that wasn’t common in every family and thanked the lord every day that they were blessed to both love and like one another.
Did they have their problems? Of course. Did they have their fights and disagreements? Definitely. But when push came to shove, they had each other’s backs and that was what mattered.
Because they loved each other.
“There are more cookies in the kitchen.” She advised as she took a seat on the edge of the armchair where her husband was lounging watching the action and let him wrap an arm around her.
> “I’ll go get them.” Casey offered.
“Wait just a minute…” Keith cleared his throat, halting Casey still in his seat, “I think it’s time for us all to take a second and give thanks.”
Rayna smiled down at her husband. As usual, he had read her mind. It was a family tradition. Whenever they were gathered around the table after a long day, they’d all said something about that day that had been good, something they were thankful for, and now, on Christmas, it was even more important. All of the kids settled in, shooting each other knowing smiles as they got comfortable.
“Adam, start us off please.” She motioned to him to begin, as she always did, because he was the oldest and the leader of their little tribe.
“This year, I’m thankful for… the chance to grow the store.”
Kyle rolled his eyes, “Figures.”
“Shocking.” Kat teased as well.
“Hush, no mocking during thanks.” Keith gave them all a fatherly look, “I too am thankful for way the store has grown under Adam’s guidance and for all he’s done.”
She smiled when they exchanged a nod. Father to son. Her heart warmed in her chest.
“Blake…” She prompted, already needing to fight back tears.
“I’m thankful to be here spending the holidays with all of you.” He said quickly and gruffly before dropping his head to stare at the carpet.
Nobody dared mock or tease that. There had been a time not long ago they hadn’t known if he would ever make it home from overseas. When he had come home, it hadn’t been in the same shape he left and they were all still recovering from the realization that he wasn’t invincible like they’d thought, most of all him.
Brooke picked up the slack for him when silence reigned, “I’m thankful Blake’s home and I’m thankful for all he and his brothers in arms do for us that we may never know or hear about.”
Without missing a beat, Kat smiled, “And I’m thankful big brother Blake found that boxing gym over on Greenville because it is full of hot, sweaty, ex-military guys and he’s totally going to take me to it.”
Everyone laughed, just as they were supposed to, and Rayna managed to fight back her tears again. Because that was the way her kids worked. They supported each other and they teased each other. They built on each other’s experiences and layers to be the best of themselves.
“I am never taking you to my gym.” Blake grinned back at his sister now, all darkness momentarily beaten back.
“Oh come on… I’ll be good. Promise.” Kat whined.
“You? Good?” Casey snorted.
“I’m always good!”
“That’s not what I hear…” Kyle began but before they could get off on whatever wild story they were going to pull out of the past Keith cleared his throat and they tamped down on their laughter.
“I guess that means it’s my turn…” Casey nodded instead, “I’m thankful for all of you, as I always am, for including me, for being my family.”
Brooke reached out and squeezed his hand. He squeezed back. Rayna had to look away from the image the two of them made.
“Well, I’ll tell you exactly what I’m thankful for…” Kyle went on as if his sister wasn’t sharing a moment with his surrogate big brother.
“Oh, do tell…” Blake drawled.
“I’m sure this is going to be good.” Adam exchanged a look with him and they both shook their heads.
Her two eldest sons didn’t see eye to eye on a lot. They were very different men. Adam had gone the professional route, taking over the family business. Blake had joined the military straight out of high school and been gone a long time. They saw the world differently but if there was one thing they seemed to agree on it was that their baby brother was still a little kid no matter how old he may have gotten.
Kyle grinned once he had the attention of everyone in the room, “Cookies.”
“Oh come on…” Brooke rolled her eyes, “Be serious Kyle!”
“I knew it.” Adam sighed heavily.
“Ridiculous.” Blake agreed.
“I mean, we all like cookies.” Kat smirked, “But you have to come up with something better than that.”
“I know. I was only joking.” Kyle grinned, “Kind of…”
Rayna laughed when he shot her a pleading look, “Oh goodness, you’ll get cookies when we finish.”
Apparently appeased, Kyle softened, “I’m thankful for Mom and Dad.”
“Awwww.” Kat cooed.
Brooke smiled, “Sweet.”
“Kiss-ass.” Blake added at the same time Adam snorted, “Suck-up.”
“I’m serious.” Kyle shrugged at his older siblings, “I’m thankful to have Mom and Dad. We’re lucky. We all know that. To have you both as our examples, to see what unconditional love looks like, you’ve set the bar and if any of us are half as lucky as to find what you two have, that would be a true miracle.”
Rayna dabbed at tears. Even Keith seemed a little choked up. Nobody made any smart remarks to that which only warmed her heart more. Because Kyle had always been the most vocal of her sons, never doubting that what he thought should be shared with the world or that anyone would question what he meant or felt, but she hadn’t expected that from him. He was still so young, in life and compared to his siblings, but he understood and she realized now that all of her children did.
They wanted what she wanted for them. A happy life, someone to love and cherish and spend forever with. They wanted the kind of love that she had found with Keith, the kind that made you a better person, brought out all of your best qualities and made you the person you were always meant to be. And to know that they wanted it because she and Keith had shown it to them, it gave her hope.
Hope that they would find it, and soon, because she loved each and every one of her children and couldn’t wait to meet the people that would love them, heart and soul, the way that they deserved.
“That was a beautiful thanks.” Keith cleared his throat, “Thank you Kyle.”
“Thank all of you.” Rayna sniffed, “You’re all beautiful people inside and out and I think when you find the person that is meant for each of you, it’s going to be perfect.”
“Oh lord…” Casey chuckled, “She’s making a Christmas wish we all get hitched isn’t she?”
Adam laughed with him, “I told you we shouldn’t have let her talk to Aunt Reba so early in the day.”
“She’s been trying to send us down the aisle since Zach got married.” Kat snarled her nose, “That’s why she keeps setting me up. Like somehow I’m the one that should be first? I don’t think so. Middle child here. Adam should go first.”
“Go ahead and hold your breath until that happens.” He snorted.
“We don’t have to get married in some weird chronological order just because Zach, Devin and Riley managed it.” Brooke smiled.
“Okay sis, I volunteer you for first.” Kyle laughed.
“I’ll second that motion.” Casey added.
Brooke blushed, “I wasn’t saying… I just meant… oh shut up all of you.”
“Stop teasing Brooksy.” Blake cut in, “If anybody is going down the aisle soon it should be the only one of us with a significant other don’t you think?”
“Oh, good point.” Adam nodded immediately.
“Blake makes a valid argument.” Kat giggled.
“True.” Brooke smiled and Casey laughed, “I think now we’re all in agreement.”
Everyone turned to look at Kyle who flushed furiously red. Rayna barely held in a laugh. She heard her husband snort. It was a rare occasion when they all managed to gang up on the baby of the bunch but it was always funny when it worked out that way. Kyle fidgeted as they all laughed at him because he knew it was true.
At the moment, he was the only one with a steady girlfriend. It was the same girlfriend he’d had on and off for years. A girl they all knew and loved. If they were lucky, she would stick by Kyle as he finished growing up but they were so young, Rayna hadn’t even b
egun to think that they would be first to give her the wedding of her dreams.
“And on that note…” Kyle stood suddenly, “I think it’s about time for those cookies.”
They all laughed and continued to tease him as he left the room. Rayna exchanged a look with her husband and he smiled softly. He was thinking the same thing she was. If all of their Christmas wishes came true, by this time next year they’d have a few more faces gathered around the fire to share this special day and their special children with.
She kissed her husband and smiled, “To a very merry Christmas and a happy new year.”
This was a quick introduction to the Harden family. Get to know them a little better as they find their own versions of happily ever after. Hard to Love kicks off the series in 2016 with Brooke Harden so don’t miss out!