"Definitely, Sir. Oh, just the thought is making me crazy."
"Because you know that's where you belong," he whispered, his lips at her ear.
"Yes, Sir," she murmured, sighing as he slid his finger inside her. "I do, and I love it."
"By the time you go to sleep tonight you'll feel punished and content, but I'm pretty sure you'll think twice before tryin' to pull a con on this cowboy again."
EPILOGUE
When Robert Hoffman returned and found his house torn apart, after wandering around in a shocked stupor, he reached for the phone to call the police, but abruptly gripped by fear he changed his mind. A couple of rough-looking bikers were parked across the street! Entering his office he discovered the many items that once sat on his desk were gone, replaced by a single sheet of white paper. Hurrying across he picked it up and read two terrifying sentences.
We know who you are and what you've done. It would be smart to leave town.
Quaking with panic, he packed a suitcase and checked into The Beverly Hills Hotel, but as the days passed, everywhere he turned a biker would be staring at him, sometimes blatantly taking a photograph. Deciding the thugs must be working for Brett's Ukrainian friends, Robert set about the mortifying task of withdrawing large sums of money from his various accounts, stuffing the cash into bags, and making the humiliating deliveries.
But there was one bright spot.
The day before he'd left on the fool's errand to meet Andrew Stern at The White Feather Lodge, he'd received a surprise call from a lawyer with an offer to buy Undercover Publishing. He'd turned him down flat, but once back in Beverly Hills and dealing with the nightmare situation, he quickly realized the proposal was a blessing in disguise and called him back.
The lawyer claimed to represent a large publishing house choosing to remain anonymous, and while the dollar amount made Robert cringe, the offer was one he couldn't refuse. With his computer blown up, compiling the company's records hadn't been easy, but he managed to provide enough information to satisfy the buyer. The electronic copies of the publishing contracts had been lost, but hard copies existed at his attorney's office. The transaction moved with lightning speed, but when Robert signed on the dotted line, in spite of the dire circumstances, he chuckled. If Brett Preston wanted to put Undercover Publishing out of business, he'd be faced with the daunting task of dealing with the bureaucracy of a large corporation.
The cash from the sale of his company, and what he had left after paying back his victims, Robert Hoffman had barely enough to reinvent himself, but he wanted to get as far away from Beverly Hills as possible. He chose the affluent suburb of North Coconut Grove in Miami. His research revealed wealthy widows to charm, gorgeous girls in bikinis to ogle, and celebrity-owned homes. Celebrities always had secrets, and ferreting out secrets was his greatest talent.
Though he knew his house would sell quickly, heavily mortgaged and afraid to stay in town to handle the sale, he had to pay another realtor, which meant most of his profit would be eaten up by the commission, but as the movers finished loading all his worldly goods, Robert felt optimistic. Sliding into his Bentley convertible he headed towards the freeway. The car was leased. Turning it in early would be costly, and if he wanted to land a rich woman he needed to swan into Coconut Grove with style.
But Robert had made a fatal mistake.
He'd bought a new computer.
It never occurred to him to change his email address.
He'd made arrangements for the rental of a home, hired the movers, and transferred his funds to a bank in his new neighborhood, all on his just purchased, supposedly secure laptop.
While he was cruising down the freeway into his new life, Spike was reaching out to his biker buddies in Miami.
* * * * * * * * * *
Three Months Later
It had been a busy, exciting, festive summer.
With the announcement of Steve and Jasmine's engagement, Brett insisted Steve's cabin be renovated, a second bedroom added, and the living areas enlarged. The couple were ecstatic, but Brett wasn't surprised when Steve refused help, and brought in several of his friends to do the construction.
Though Amber had moved into the master suite, she adored the bedroom Brett had decorated for her. Not wanting to give it up, they converted the living room into an office, and with the studio just across the hall, Brett would often stop in to whisk her onto the four-poster bed.
Visitors had been frequent. Brett's parents, his sister, her husband and daughter stayed for two weeks. Brett had kept Amber's presence a surprise. They'd been thrilled to see her, and even more excited that the teenage sweethearts were reunited. Amber's mother and father were also welcome guests, staying for several days, and Brett took them into his confidence. They were astounded the tubby boy they once knew was now the muscled superstar.
Brett's band also made an appearance, staying at the compound with their kids and dogs. Brett and his musicians spent hours in the studio. When their girlfriends and wives weren't with them, they shopped and lunched in the small town, and enjoyed trail rides, with Steve as their instructor and guide.
The compound also welcomed a new addition, courtesy of Spike.
After spending time with his horse at Heath's Ranch on the weekends, he'd often swing by to have dinner. On one such visit at the end of summer, he didn't ride up on his Harley, but drove through the gates in his Mustang convertible. When Brett and Amber walked out to greet him, they discovered Spike had brought an odd-looking, multi-colored, medium-sized, very fluffy, exuberant dog.
"Meet June!" he exclaimed. "If you don't want her I'll take her home, but I live in a condo. I'm sure she'd be much happier here."
"Of course we'll keep her," Amber said excitedly as the dog jumped out and immediately began to play with Jonny and Cash. "She's gorgeous. Where did she come from?"
"I found her in the alley behind the store. Poor thing was starving and a total mess. I asked around for about a week, called the shelter and the local vets, but no-one had reported her lost, so here we are. Now your family is complete. Johnny, Cash and June."
"Johnny, Cash and June," Brett repeated. "I love it, Spike, and I love her. She's a doll," he exclaimed as the dog bounded up to meet him.
A week later the change of seasons abruptly hit. The nights suddenly nipped and sweaters appeared. Brett had an appointment in the city, and as he hugged Amber goodbye, he could see a mischievous twinkle in her eye.
"What are you up to, Sassy Lassy?"
"Me? I'm not up to anything."
"You would'n't be tellin' me a little white lie, would you?"
"You are so annoying. How am I supposed to surprise you when you can see right through me?"
"A surprise? No kiddin'. Now there's a coincidence."
"Why?"
"There just might be a surprise in the works for you too."
"Like what?"
"You'll just have to wait and find out," he said with a wink, then fervently kissing her, he climbed into his Range Rover and drove off.
For two hours Amber worked diligently, making sure everything would be ready for his return. When she heard him enter from the garage, she hurried into the kitchen to meet him.
"It's rainin' like crazy in town," he declared, pulling off his coat. "I reckon it'll be here pretty soon."
"Are you ready for your surprise?" she asked breathlessly.
Tilting his head to the side, an enigmatic look crossed his face.
"Is that a no?"
"I'm tryin' to decide if I wanna go first."
"Can we do it at the same time?"
"I guess we could, except I wanna give you mine in the truck."
"Oh, my gosh, that would be perfect."
"It would? Great. Fetch it. I'll be waitin'."
Hurrying down the hall to her office, she picked up the package, took a deep breath, then made her way to the garage. As she entered and spied him in the truck, nerves hit, but refusing to let them stop her, she marched over, opened the door and clim
bed in.
"I need to go first," he said hastily. "Sorry, but I'm burstin'."
"Don't apologize. I'm glad. I want you to."
"Amber, do you remember when I asked you to move in with me? I told you this truck was where we started, where I first kissed you, where we sat and talked for ages."
"Of course I remember when you said that, and I still remember those times like they were yesterday."
"The thing is, I thought about doin' this in a fancy restaurant, or in the sacred garden in front of the totem pole, or maybe out on the trail—"
"Do what?"
"Then I realized there was only one place that was right," he continued, ignoring her question as he reached into his pocket. "Except I can't get down on one knee in here."
"One knee?"
The two words had been gasped.
"What Spike said about June makin' our family complete, it hit my heart. I want us to be a family, Amber, an official family. You know how much I love you, and you know I never want us to be apart," he said, opening a small, black velvet box. "I wanna be your husband, Amber. Please will you, uh, please will you marry me?"
Staring at him in joyous disbelief, her eyes filled with happy tears.
"David! Yes, yes, a thousand times yes," then dropped her gaze to the ring. "It's the most gorgeous thing I've ever seen—except for you. I think my heart is about to explode."
"Give me your hand."
Lifting it from the box, he slid it in place, and as she brought her arms around his neck, he sank his lips on hers. The gentle kiss grew fervent, then languid, their mouths drifting in endless need. Finally breaking apart, he hugged her tightly, then pulled back and wiped her wet cheeks with his thumb.
"You called me David."
"Yeah," she said breathlessly. "When I said this ring is the most gorgeous thing I've ever seen, except for you, I wasn't talking about now. I was thinking about that night at the lake when the moon was so huge it looked as if it was going to drop into the water."
"I remember. We were sittin' on the grassy bank. You were upset 'cos the kids had been teasin' me and you couldn't understand why I didn't seem to care."
"You had your arm around me, trying to make me feel better. I'd been staring at the moon's reflection, and I turned to say something, but I couldn't speak. Your eyes, they were like crystals, they were sparkling like this ring, and I was filled with this…this…I can't find the words, but you absolutely captivated me. I felt as if I was living a fairy tale and you were my Prince Charming. That was the moment I fell in love. David, your heart and who you were made you gorgeous to me. All your money, your fame, none of it has changed you. You're still that boy on the bank with the crystal eyes unfazed by the cruelty of others, and I'm still the girl next to you, hopelessly and madly in love."
"Damn, girl, you're gonna make me cry now," he mumbled, swallowing back the heat in his throat. "What made you think of all that?"
"Working on the surprise I have for you," she said, taking a deep breath and handing him a thick manila envelope. "This started it because you challenged me to do something sneaky."
"I did?"
"Kind of, when we were driving back from Chips the second day I was here, but that doesn't matter now, because it became a labor of love. The thing is, I've written the book. Your book. Actually, our book. That's what you're holding."
"Our book? You told me you were writin' a novel, but—"
"That's true, I have written a novel. I've written our story, but as a fiction romance, with all the happiness and the angst we went through, and it picks up with us meeting again, just the way we did."
"You're kiddin' me? I don't know what to say."
"I've printed it out, and it even has a cover."
"I'm blown away, and—damn—this is really bizarre. I planned to tell you this when you finished writin', and I guess that time is now. I bought Undercover Publishin'."
"You did what?"
"Hoffman didn't know I was the buyer, but yeah. I got the rights to all the books, then hired someone to take them off the market, but more importantly, I have all Hoffman's records and resources. He may have been a scumbag, but he was a smart guy. I bought it so you could self-publish with your company already set up. All you have to do is change the name. Everything is in place. You'll be amazed how easy it is to publish a book."
"That's incredible! Wait. Are you saying you might want this book to be out in the world?"
"If you've written it as a romance novel, why not? No-one will connect the story to us, and who knows, maybe one day I'll spill the beans."
"I've been trying to think of an alias in case you want to. A.B. David or B.D. Cane. I think that would be fun. This is so exciting! Except—I just hope you like it."
"Amber, of course I'm gonna like it. I'm gonna love it. Can I see the cover?"
"Shoot, yes, of course, it's in the envelope. I hired a professional and told her what I wanted and sent her the photographs. I love what she created. There's room at the top for my name, and at the bottom for the subtitle if I decide to use it."
Lifting the flap, Brett withdrew a glossy print.
A handsome cowboy was standing in front of his restored aqua truck, Soldier stood in the background, and the title, splashed across the front in a fancy font, jumped out at him.
"Do you like it?"
"To Con A Cowboy! Amber, it's perfect, just like you."
"Like us, BD. Like us."
THE END
HUNKS AND HORSES
Visit old friends and meet new hunky handlers!
KINDLE UNLIMITED
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COWBOY: HIS RANCH. HIS RULES. HIS SECRETS.
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TAKING CHARGE: BLAZING ROMANCE SUSPENSE SERIES
BOOK ONE
COWBOY: His Ranch. His Rules. His Secrets.
SASS, SIZZLE, SUPSENSE, AND A SPLASH OF THE SUPERNATURAL.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
BOOK TWO
SPY: His Mission. His Orders. His Promise.
A LONG LOST LOVE. SMOKE AND MIRRORS. SIZZLING SUSPENSE.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
BOOK THREE
SHERIFF: His Town. His Laws. His Justice.
STRICT AND SHIRTLESS. WILY AND WILLFULL. STALKING DANGER.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
BOOK FOUR
WARLOCK: His Coven. His Magick. His Soulmate.
IS THERE SUCH THING AS ETERNAL LOVE?
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
BOOK FIVE
BOSS: His Power. His Wealth. His Demands.
HE THOUGHT HE HAD IT ALL- UNTIL HE MET FIERY REDHEAD.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
BOOK SIX
TYCOON: His Money. His Harley. His Conrol.
A DIFFERENT KIND OF BIKER BOOK.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
* * * * *
ALPHA MALE MASTER SERIES
Each Book HEA and Stand Alone
DRAKE
Vigilante Bodyguard
SCARY HAS NEVER BEEN SO HOT!
Dark-haired, green-eyed Courtney Hall is a dedicated criminologist. Working with law enforcement she helps catch the bad guys, but she never thought she'd become a victim herself. Abducted by two psychopaths and taken into a dark forest in the dead of night, she is rescued by a handsome stranger out for a midnight jog. The villains are caught and arrested, but she's just learned they've been relea
sed.
They know where she lives!
She needs protection. There's only one man she trusts. The man who saved her. Drake Steele.
But Drake leads a dangerous double life.
While the city sleeps he confronts muggers and rescues damsels in distress, sometimes teaching both thug and victim a lesson. His deeds have become legendary, and he's been labeled The Victim's Vigilante.
When Courtney tells him the monsters who assaulted her are back on the streets he insists she stay with him. Very quickly a white hot chemistry fires their passion, but he discovers she harbors a deep hatred towards the men who turned her life upside down, and won't rest until she has her revenge.
How can he protect a woman willing to risk everything to rid the world of the two evil men? He is a dominant, but dare he expose his true nature? Can he use his unique expertise to stop her from putting herself in danger?
DRAKE: Vigilante Bodyguard is Maggie Carpenter's latest novel in the Alpha Male Master series. If you enjoyed the sizzle and suspense of the other books, you'll love this dark romance. PLEASE NOTE: The author does not condone or support citizens taking the law into their own hands.
To Con A Cowboy (Hunks and Horses Book 3) Page 19