Solid reasons.
“Amber—”
“Mike—” she said at the same time.
He laughed. “I’d like to say ladies first, but I really need to tell you something.”
She grinned, her smile easing the knots in his stomach. “You traveled three thousand miles and a double loop, double corkscrew. Somehow I think you’ve earned it.”
“I appreciate that, but first—” He reached out and cupped her head in his hands, pulled her toward him and covered her mouth with his, the way he’d been dying to since the moment he saw her again.
Amber didn’t hesitate. She kissed him back, looping her arms around his neck and aligning her body with his. The kiss went on and on, his tongue delving deep into her mouth, devouring her as if they’d been apart years instead of days. He couldn’t get enough. Would never get enough.
And he didn’t want to.
She piqued his arousal, his interest, she tugged at his heart and found a place inside him forever.
It wasn’t easy, but he broke the kiss, leaving her panting. His own breath wasn’t steady. “I was such an idiot,” he told her. “Pushing you away when you were everything I ever wanted.”
Amber’s throat filled. Her heart swelled. But fear still managed to work its way through. “What about that little problem with you and roller coasters?” she couldn’t help but ask.
He stroked her cheek with his hand. “I just didn’t understand them before.”
She blinked back tears. “And you do now?”
He inclined his head. “That ride wasn’t so bad,” he said, teasing her.
She didn’t laugh. “That’s not enough, Mike. You can’t go from hating something to that wasn’t so bad. You can’t settle.”
“Have I said or done anything since stepping onto that roller coaster that indicates I’m settling?” he asked incredulously. “I love you, Amber. I. Love. You. I flew here to tell you just that. I rode the roller coaster to prove that not only do I want the fun and the exhilaration that being with you brings, but I can handle it.”
She couldn’t tear her gaze from his clear blue eyes, so full of love and hope. She’d never seen the combination burn so bright in them before.
“Say that again.”
“The whole mouthful?” he asked in horror.
She laughed, her heart full. “No, silly. Just the three most important words.”
“I don’t know. You haven’t said them yet to me.” A smile worked at the corners of his mouth.
“I said them back at the bus station!”
“You said to Marshall, ‘I don’t love you, I love him.’ That’s not the same thing.”
She opened her mouth, then closed it again. He was right. Even when she’d come to him and asked for a chance to make their marriage work, she’d never said those three words.
“I love you, too, Mike. I love you and your father and your cousin Derek and his wife, Gabrielle. I love your life and I want—” She realized what she was doing and she clenched her jaw shut tight.
“Go on,” he said, laughing.
She shook her head. “No. Not this time. You came out here, you say what you need to first.” Because she didn’t want to misread or misinterpret what he wanted for their future.
“I love you,” he said, giving her what she’d asked for. “And in case you aren’t sure what that means…” He paused and reached into his front jeans pocket, pulling out the large, gaudy ring he’d won for her, the one he’d found in his father’s house after she’d left. “So here is your engagement ring, back on your finger where it belongs. On your wedding-ring finger,” he clarified as he slipped it onto her left hand.
Laughing, she admired her bauble. “I do love it,” she said.
“And this is the wedding ring I hope you’ll wear from now on.” Taking her completely off guard, he pulled a small pouch from his other front pocket and removed a diamond band.
“I…Wow…When…”
“A lot’s gone on since you left, but there’s time to fill you in later. Let’s just say, I wasn’t coming to get you without a concrete symbol of commitment. Something beyond this.” He pointed to her huge fake diamond.
Amber grinned. “I love it, but how did you ever afford it?”
“Are you forgetting the money we won in Vegas?” he asked.
At the reminder, she sobered. “Have you forgiven me?” she asked softly.
“For what? Being you? Loving your father so much you’d do anything for him?” Mike wrapped one arm around her waist. “You’ve already invested so much of that infinite love into me and my family. There’s nothing to forgive.”
“Thank you.” Eyes damp, she brushed her lips over his. “Can I wear my wedding ring now?” she asked.
He shook his head. “Not yet. Not until I ask your father for his blessing.”
His words took Amber off guard and she fell in love with him all over again. “I want you to see him, but you do realize that he can’t give you an answer?” she asked, saddened at the notion.
Mike nodded. “I know. But he deserves the respect due him as your parent. I want to ask.”
Proof, Amber thought, that this man knew what was most important to her and would always go out of his way to make her happy. Just as she’d do for him.
“What about Edward? Can he handle a real marriage between us?” she asked, equally worried for Mike’s father.
Mike let out a groan. “That’s something else we need to talk about. Good thing we’ll have those long hours on the flight home.”
Home.
The word settled in her heart, warming her straight to her toes. “I have so much to take care of here before I can leave for good. And my father…”
“I have Gabrielle researching good-quality facilities close to Boston. She’ll have a list and we can go check them out together.” He pressed a long kiss against her forehead. “It’ll be okay,” he promised. “I’ll fly out weekends to help you get things wrapped up here and we’ll come back often so you can get your fix of roller coasters and Las Vegas excitement.”
She blinked, dizzy with how fast her life had turned around. “I just called my old boss and asked him to find me a concierge position in Vegas.”
Mike shrugged as if there was no problem. “Call him back and tell him you need a hotel in Boston instead.”
She laughed. “I think I’ll do that. I just hope there’s an opening available.”
“There will be,” Mike said as he looked into her eyes.
She frowned, not as certain. “How do you know?”
“Simple. We’re on a lucky streak, sweetheart. Nothing’s going to stand in our way.” He sealed his certainty with a kiss that left no doubt in Amber’s mind.
They were meant to be.
EPILOGUE
AMBER THREW a belated wedding reception for herself and Mike. Family only and extremely casual, the event took place in Edward’s backyard. With the lake in the background, the early fall provided a beautiful backdrop of green leaves that hadn’t yet been touched by color. Amber couldn’t wait to experience her first autumn season out East. For now, though, she was happy just to celebrate the present.
True to his word, Mike had presented her with a list of facilities for her father. They’d visited all and chosen one, settling him in with no problem. Things in the job department had also gone well. The Crown Chandler corporate offices had been so excited to have Amber back on board, they’d created an executive position in Boston just for her. Her increased salary enabled her to choose one of the better homes where she knew her father would be cared for and she’d be able to visit often.
Since his move to Boston, Sam hadn’t been so agitated, which Amber took as a sign her father was content. In a new suit, he attended today’s reception along with a private nurse she’d hired for the occasion. Amber wanted to believe somewhere inside him, her father understood what was happening and he was not only happy for her, he heartily approved.
Mike’s family was more complicated, but
then they always had been. Gabrielle, now safely out of her first trimester, had begun to show and beamed with happiness. She also arrived in her favorite pair of heels, prompting Derek to remain close by with a hand beneath her elbow to steady her. As much as the other woman claimed to hate his hovering, she clearly reveled in the attention.
Derek’s daughter from his first marriage, Holly, had come for the party. She wore skinny back jeans with a T-shirt that emphasized her teenage body, along with a fringed linen scarf wrapped around her neck. A minifashionista at thirteen, and already beautiful, she clearly idolized Gabrielle. Derek definitely had his hands full with the two women in his life.
Jason Corwin had turned into a sullen man, frustrated by the turn his life had taken, and angry that he hadn’t made any progress in clearing his name. With the Olympics only a few months away, it looked as if he’d never have his chance to compete. The family tried to fix him up with women, but he wasn’t interested. Not that they’d stop trying, anyway. The Corwin women liked to defy the curse and they were determined to find Jason his own happily ever after.
Then there was the older generation.
Amber had been horrified to find out about Edward’s panic attack, but it had all worked out in the end. He was responding well to his new medication and life was starting to look much brighter. Unfortunately, like all Corwin men, he liked to hold a grudge for too long. Though he’d agreed to all the psychiatric tests at the hospital, he was still annoyed with his son for imposing the psych consult on him at all. Even if he was improving daily.
Clara had moved in with him, a situation that necessitated daily adjustment on both Clara’s and Edward’s parts. And as Edward emerged from the fog he’d lived in for years, he had trouble coming to terms with his lost years and past behavior. His embarrassment led to angry outbursts, something Edward, his doctor and Mike were dealing with.
Amber’s only concern with today’s party were Edward’s brothers. She and Mike couldn’t exclude them, but when all three were in one place, trouble was likely to follow.
So when Hank Corwin arrived along with his brother Thomas, Amber prayed that common sense would win out.
But Hank immediately zeroed in on Clara and Edward, and headed their way. Thomas walked after him.
Amber quickly followed in an attempt to head off a confrontation that would ruin the family gathering. She hadn’t forgotten Thomas’s interest in Clara or how fragile Edward still was.
She intercepted them before they reached the couple. “Hi, Hank, Thomas. I’m so glad you could make it,” Amber said, greeting them each with a kiss.
“Wouldn’t miss it for the world!” Hank said. “We’re all still praying the curse won’t touch you and Mike, or Derek and Gabrielle—”
Amber cleared her throat. “We don’t discuss the curse here. House rules,” she reminded him, as she had each time she’d seen him since her return.
A quick glance at Edward told Amber he wasn’t paying attention to his brothers. He was looking out toward the lake. He still tended to withdraw into himself. The doctor explained his behavior as being a combination of fear, anxiety and embarrassment. And they were still trying to get the right medication for his conditions. Therapy and medication could take a long time to work correctly and in sync.
“Is everything okay here?” Mike walked over to his family. He placed an arm around Amber’s waist.
“We’re all great!” Amber said. “Isn’t that right?”
Hank nodded. “Where’s the beer?” he asked.
Mike gestured to the bar area they’d set up, and Hank ambled over. “Uncle Thomas, thank you for coming.”
“I couldn’t be happier for you two,” he said sincerely. “How’s your father doing?”
“It’s a slow process, but he’s coming along.”
“Would it be all right with you if I said hello to them?” Thomas tipped his head toward Edward and Clara who sat a few feet away.
“As long as you behave,” Amber warned him in her sternest voice.
Thomas gave her a salute and a kiss on the cheek. “I do like this lady,” he said to Mike.
“Me, too.” Mike squeezed her tighter.
Thomas turned and walked away. “Edward, Clara, it’s so nice to see you!” He headed straight for Clara first, kissing her on the cheek a bit too long.
Amber took a step toward them, but Mike held her back. “It’ll be okay. Let it play out,” he said.
She narrowed her gaze. “I don’t like how Thomas gets around Clara. It’s as if some kind of spell or something comes over him and he can’t resist her.”
“Like I can’t resist you?” Mike asked, nuzzling her cheek with his lips.
“Mmm,” she murmured, loving the feel of his warm touch. Her body tingled in anticipation. “Stop trying to distract me or I’ll have to lure you to the boathouse so I can have my way with you,” she said, only half-kidding.
“Promise?” He slipped his hand beneath her shirt, easing his fingers into the waistband of her jeans.
Like newlyweds, they couldn’t keep their hands off each other. Amber hoped the honeymoon period never ended.
“No! I’m kidding. We’re surrounded by family.”
“I forgot what a prude you are when there are people around.” He often teased her about the way she’d acted the first time she stayed in this house. Because now that they were happy and officially together, he knew she’d have her way with him anywhere, anytime, as long as they were discreet.
She turned into his arms and a feeling of pure happiness and contentment washed over her. Surrounded by their family, the people who meant the most to them, and secure in each other, Amber’s lucky streak had indeed continued.
“I love you, Detective Corwin.”
He grinned. “I love you, too, Amber Rose.”
Her entire body melted at his words.
Until a loud shout interrupted them. When they turned to look, they saw Edward standing on a chair, shouting at Thomas. “You want her so badly, take her. She’s yours. Maybe then the damn curse will leave me alone and start working on you!”
“Eddie, you get down at once before you fall and break your hard head,” Clara yelled up at him.
Amber grabbed Mike’s hand and they ran toward the ruckus.
“Dad, I warned you not to go near Clara,” Jason said, approaching his father.
“I didn’t do anything except compliment the lovely orange color of her dress, dammit,” Thomas exploded.
Mike rolled his eyes and glanced at Amber. “Are you sure this is what you want to deal with for the rest of your life?” he asked his wife.
The woman he’d traveled across the country to reclaim.
A female shriek reverberated around them.
Amber and Mike turned fast.
“Daddy, that’s a skunk!” Holly shouted as she leaped onto the rectangular buffet table. The extremely portable, unstable table came crashing to the ground, the food along with it. Holly got up, fine but embarrassed.
Mike winced.
Amber laughed.
“Just what is so funny?” he asked, tension mounting.
Amber placed her hand on his shoulder to calm him. “Your question? You wanted to know if I wanted to deal with this for the rest of my life.”
Mike clenched his jaw. “Maybe I shouldn’t have asked.”
She shook her head. “I’m glad you did. Because you need to know, I love our loud, crazy family and I wouldn’t have it any other way. My old life was sad and lonely.” She met his gaze with a warm, reassuring one. “I’m lucky to have you.”
Relieved, Mike shook his head and tipped his head toward hers. “I’m the lucky one.”
And that was something he never intended to forget.
ISBN: 978-1-4268-3393-9
LUCKY STREAK
Copyright © 2009 by Karen Drogin
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