“Don’t try to put ideas in my head! It’s a damn tub, I mean we did just celebrate our anniversary a couple of weeks ago. It’s probably a late anniversary present.”
“Yea maybe if it was just the tub, but dinner and candlelight? That boy is up to something big,” Heather says as I hear Wyatt calling her name. “Alright babe I gotta go, but I’ll see what information I can get out of Wyatt.”
“No, please don’t. I want to let the evening play out however it may. It is bad enough you’re in here filling my heads with ideas,” I grumble into the phone before hanging up without saying goodbye.
Sinking down a little lower into the tub, I can’t help but wonder if Heather is right. Cole and I have been doing great for the last 6 months. He is my other half, and don’t tell Heather, but also my best friend.
Although our relationship has been on fast forward since the beginning, we’ve been together for a year. Why wouldn’t he be thinking of taking the next step in our relationship? Guilt suddenly starts consuming me. Here I was looking for an apartment to move into, closer to the school I teach at, and Cole was planning our future.
“Get your shit together, Addy. No matter what happens tonight you and Cole will be fine.” I try to give myself a pep talk, but I know deep down that I’ll be disappointed if he doesn’t ask me to marry him. Damn you, Heather!
* * *
Once I’m out of the bath and dressed, I head toward the dining room. I’m shocked by what I see. Who knew that Cole could be this romantic?
OMG! OMG! This is happening!
I take a deep breath before heading into the dining room. “Your seat, my lady.” Cole gives me a mock bow as he pulls my chair out. Trying to stifle my giggle I give him a small bow before taking my seat.
“Thank you, kind sir.”
Pushing my chair in he heads into the kitchen and returns quickly with a bottle of white wine. After pouring me a glass, he sets the bottle down in the center of the table.
“Dig in! It looks delicious.” he gives me a wink before he begins eating.
“It really does.” I pick up my glass and take a huge gulp, hoping to calm my nerves. If I keep this up, I don’t think I’ll even make it through dinner. Let’s hope he doesn’t wait too long to ask.
* * *
Dinner was delicious, but it did nothing to calm my nerves. I have already had a few glasses of wine, thanks to Cole. He has made sure my glass has been full during the entire meal. Not to mention he has barely said two words to me this whole time. He tries to play it off as just enjoying his dinner, but after being together for a year I can tell he’s up to something.
“Addison, before I bring out dessert, I need to ask you something.”
My breathing starts to pick up, as he reaches across the table for my hand. Holy shit! He’s really going to do this!
“Addison this past year has been amazing! I couldn’t imagine my life without you in it. In just the past year you’ve turned my world upside down, but in a good way.” He stops to clear his throat, I take a second to try and calm my breathing. I don’t want to maul the poor guy while he’s trying to ask me to marry him. “With all of that I want to take our relationship to the next level.” Before he can even get the question out of his mouth, I scream, “YES!OH MY GOD, YES!”
Jumping up from my seat, I run into the room to grab my phone. Quickly dialing Heather, I start bouncing back and forth waiting for her to answer.
“I didn’t think you would get this excited,” Cole comes strolling into the room like nothing happened. Just as I’m about to open my mouth to respond to him, Heather answers the phone.
“Did he ask?” Heather squeaks into the line.
“Yes! He did!” I squeal into the line, barely able to control my excitement. “I never thought he would ask, but he did.”
“Bitch, have you learned not to doubt me yet?”
“Never again, cousin. Never again.”
Heather get really quiet for a moment, and I start to worry. Heather is never quiet unless something is wrong. My fears are unfounded when she bellows into the phone, “Where’s my picture of the ring. I need to make sure he didn’t fuck this up.”
Suddenly I stop and think. “He hasn’t given me one. I was too excited and immediately ran in here to call you.” Quickly turning around to face Cole. “Where’s my ring? I mean we can’t get engaged without a ring right.”
Cole’s face immediately turns white as a sheet. “Ring, what ring?” he stutters before taking a step closer to me. “Why would I need a ring to ask if you wanted to live with me permanently?”
“Oh shit,” Heather whispers. “I’m gonna let you deal with that. Call me later.” I don’t even have time to answer her before she hangs up. I sink down onto the floor, suddenly the tears begin to fall.
“What did I do wrong? I knew I was going to figure out some way to fuck this up.” Cole comes rushing to my side, scooping me up into his arms, and carrying me over to the bed. Cradling me in his arms, he gently begins to mumble soothing words while rubbing his hand gently up and down my back.
“I’m sorry I messed this up, I just wanted to make this perfect for you. I knew you were looking for places to move. I couldn’t take the idea of spending my nights without you, the thought is unbearable,” Cole continues to mumble. “We can get a new place, we don’t have to stay here. A place you pick out all your own, whatever you want.”
I finally begin to settle down, he must think I’m a raving lunatic. Pulling back from his grasp, I look him in the eyes. The spark that was there earlier is missing, I did this to him. “So you don’t want to marry me?” I ask in a whisper.
“We can get married. I’m not opposed to the idea of being stuck with you for the rest of my life.” Cole smirks at me before placing a gentle kiss on my forehead. “But you need to do one thing for me first.”
My heart begins to flutter. “What’s that?”
“Beg,” he says before he lets out a full belly laugh.
If I can say one thing about mine and Cole’s relationship it would be that he’ll never let me forget how our relationship started. With that one statement, I know everything is going to be alright. This may not have been the proposal of my dreams, but I still got the man.
Just so we are clear, I didn’t beg.
Excerpt
Check out an excerpt from Served Releasing March 28th!
HEATHER
I give myself a pep talk before walking into Noble. “Walk right in like you own the place.” As per usual on a Friday night, Nobel is packed to the brim: College kids, recent graduates, business people wanting to unwind – the perfect place to be. However, I have no desire to be noticed right now. I’m looking for someone.
I force my way toward the bar where I find who I’m looking for. As I get closer, I spot him. Tall, with dark wavy hair and piercing brown eyes that can see all the way down into my soul. It’s been this way since the day we met – me chasing and Wyatt being oblivious to it.
A few weeks ago, I was sure I’d gotten through to him when he asked me out, but alas, it was just to help his friends. Taking a seat at the bar, I pinch the bridge of my nose. “I don’t understand why I put up with this shit,” I mumble to myself.
“Put up with what shit?” I almost fall off my bar stool when Wyatt’s voice comes from behind me. Heat rises to my face,I hate it when I blush, it’s a guarantee that at some point during a conversation with Wyatt it’ll happen, either from embarrassment or anger. He is the only man on this planet who knows how to bring my emotions to the surface.
“What the hell, Wyatt? You can’t sneak up on me like that, I’m delicate,” I say, placing a hand on my chest as if he scared me.
“Sweetie, there’s not a damn thing delicate about you, and we’re both aware of that.” He chuckles before heading back down the bar to help another customer.
Damn it. When is he going to see me as something other than just his friend? We tried and failed. Even though I can’t say I gave it the
maximum amount of effort.
It’s time to get over my infatuation with Wyatt and find someone that can get a clue.
I lean over the bar to get another bartender’s attention when I notice a blonde hair bimbo throwing her head back in laughter at whatever Wyatt’s saying. He’s chuckling but reaches back and rubs the back of his neck. That’s pretty much his sign that says whatever she’s doing, he wants nothing to do with.
I shake my head and continue to get the other bartender’s attention. Wyatt needs to tell that bimbo to take a hike, but he’s too nice for that. That’s one of the things I love about him. He will give you the shirt off his back if you ask for it, but he refuses to let people walk all over him. Unfortunately for me, he has no problem putting me in my place when I need it, but he also isn’t intimidated by my dominating personality. I gave up on Wyatt after our failed date and this is not the time to be sitting and reminiscing about how much I love him.
“Hey Heather. What can I get for you?” Liam, one of the other bartenders, asks.
“Hey, Liam! Can I get a Moscow Mule, please?” I ask with a smile. Liam has been working here for a few months now, and he’s something to look at. Tall, dark, and handsome all rolled up in one. I can get over Wyatt with this one. If I close my eyes and pretend, maybe.
I watch Liam make my drink and out of the corner of my eye I see the bimbo with her hands all over Wyatt.
“Hell no,” I mumble before pushing back from the bar and making my way toward them. I don’t understand what to call the connection between us, but she better remove her hands from him – he’s mine. When I get close enough, I pick up the beginnings of what they’ve been talking about.
“There is no way a man like you is single. If you say so, I sure can show you a good time.” She’s attempting to be sexy, but in all reality, she sounds like a slut. When I get close enough, I step in between them, blocking bimbo’s path.
“Can I help you?” I ask with my arms crossed, hip cocked out to the side. I’m sure this bitch can tell I mean business.
“No, but you can get out of my way,” she snarls before trying to step around me. I move a few inches to the left and right as she continues to make her way past me.
“Look here, Barbie. It seems you’ve got two choices. You leave with your face intact, or you leave after I put my fist through it. Either way, you’re leaving. I call that a win for me. Do you want to make it a win for you?” I step closer, into her personal space. It’s as if all sound has been cut off around me. The bimbo’s breathing accelerates at an alarming rate as she stands in front of me.
“Heather, calm down. Everything is cool. Madison was chatting with me about things to do in the area. She recently moved here.” Wyatt reaches out and places his hand on my shoulder. The warmth seeps through my shirt and into my skin, helping me relax until this bitch opens her mouth again.
“Yea, and you told me you were single. If I were you girl, I would get my man on a tighter leash. That’s how you lose them.” She gives us both a dirty look before heading toward the exit. My anger has now reignited as I whip around and let Wyatt have it. I am so tired of keeping this bottled up inside.
“What the fuck is wrong with you? I was sitting down at the other end of the bar, and you sit here and flirt with some bimbo right in front of me.” He opens his mouth to interrupt, but I keep going. “That was a rhetorical question, dumb ass. What, are you, blind? I’ve done nothing but throw out signals about how I feel about you for years. YEARS! And still nothing from you. You treat me like I’m one of the guys! We even went on a date, but then Cole…”
Before I’m even finished, Wyatt slams his lips on mine. I gasp in shock from the contact. He takes advantage of the situation and slides his tongue into my mouth, massaging mine with his. There is no fight for domination with this kiss because he owns me.
His groan of pleasure vibrates through my body as he reaches across the bar and grips the back of my neck to pull me closer. The only thing that stops my body from colliding with his is the bar top. I break the kiss and hiss in pain, fuck that hurt.
“Well, that was an interesting development,” I say, looking down at the floor, unable to meet his eyes.
“I couldn’t think of any other way to get you to shut up.” I lift my eyes to his face and find him smirking at me. “How about we have that date we never got? I’ll pick you up at seven?”
The shock of the entire situation hasn’t even worn off yet, so I nod my head and turn toward the exit. I guess I’ve got a date to get ready for.
COMING SOON
Also by AJ Alexander
Standalone
The Good Doctor
SEAL’ed Series
Honor
Love
Fate
Power
Faith
About AJ Alexander
AJ Alexander is a wanna be psychologist, writer, and author of the recently completed, SEAL’ed Series. AJ’s passion is writing angst filled, happily ever afters that have to be earned by her characters. Women with no backbone need not apply. AJ uses sarcasm and an unlimited supply of song lyrics to bring her romance novels to life.
AJ lives in the angst capital of the world, Seattle Washington with her own personal knight in shining armor and her two beautiful girls.
If you would like to be notified when I release new works sign up here. I would really love to hear from all of you! Feel free to contact me via any of my social media sites.
Acknowledgments
To say that the journey to writing my first book was a long one would be an understatement. Hell, I had to rewrite it in order to get it right. Hopefully I was finally able to do Addison and Cole’s story justice.
Jenny Dillion, my editor is my sanity! This woman, there are no words to describe what she means to me as both an editor and a friend. No matter what I need, when I need it, she is there for me. I believe that she was sent to me for the exact purpose of keeping me from quitting this journey of becoming an author. Thank you love from the bottom of my heart. My words, this book, heck the journey, would never have been possible without you.
The newest members of my team, Jessica Rousseau from Elemental Editing and Proofreading, you have helped make everything shine. The missing part that I wasn’t even aware was missing. Thank you for helping make my story shine.
Most importantly thanks to all of you. Thank you for taking this journey with me. Whether this is the first thing of mine that you have read or if you have joined me from reading the SEAL’ed series. I hope you take a little something from my writing. Thank you for sharing your precious time with me. Whether you loved this book or hated it, please consider leaving a review.
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