Fractured Lines

by Jen McLaughlin

  He snorted. “I’d hope so.”

  Smiling, I hid my face in his shoulder. “You were right.”

  “Oh?” He lifted onto his elbows and looked down at me with a furrowed brow. “About what?”

  “I totally lost count how many times you made me come.”

  He kissed the top of my head and grinned cockily. “I know.”

  “Of course you do.” Rolling my eyes, I snuggled in even closer and yawned. “This feels like heaven. I never want to move again.”

  “Me neither.” He hesitated. “But morning will come eventually.”

  I nodded. “It always does.”

  “Once you’re better, I was thinking we could have your parents watch Susan and take the bike to the beach?” He rose up on his elbows and smoothed my hair back, a tender smile on his face. And his eyes…those eyes shone with so much love for me. “Once you’re better, we could maybe even go out in the water for a little bit? It always soothes my mind, so I thought maybe it would be good for you, too.”

  I leaned up on my elbows, excitement making my heart race. “Oh my God, yes.”

  He smirked. “I think you just said that a few minutes ago.”

  “Finn.” I smacked his arm. “I’m serious.”

  “I know.” He kissed my nose. “We’ll go in a few weeks, but not until you’re fully healed. But no big waves for you, and you have to promise to listen to me out there. Out there, I am the ruler of the sea. You obey my every command without question. We’ll just go out there and get the feel of the waves again.”

  “I’ve heard this speech before. I promise that I’ll obey your every command in the water.” I trailed my hand down his chest. “But out of it…”

  He rolled me underneath of him and nipped at my neck. “You still obey me.”

  “In the bedroom maybe.”

  “That’s all I ask.” He kissed me, keeping it light and gentle. I knew he was worried to push me too hard, and it made me feel so cherished and loved. Pulling back, he caressed my cheek with a featherlight touch. His blue eyes shone down on me, and I couldn’t help but smile up at him with tears in my eyes. “I love you, Ginger.”

  “I love you, too,” I whispered.

  Despite everything we’d seen, everything we’d done, we’d survived. More than that? We’d lived. Life would never be easy, and we still had a million obstacles to overcome. There would be a million more, too, I was sure. But love…well…

  Love had conquered all.

  Carrie

  Christmas Eve

  One year later

  Taking a deep breath, I smoothed my dress, walked through the foyer, and into the living room. The bright tree decorated in colored lights stood in front of the window, and Finn sat on the couch in front of the fireplace with Susan in his lap. Cinnamon potpourri tickled my senses as I came closer.

  He read her The Night Before Christmas.

  She listened intently, her blue eyes locked on the pages and her little hands wrapped around his thumbs. She’d grown so much over the past year—heck, we had, too—and one thing was for certain. She was daddy’s girl. Every morning, she woke up calling out for him. And every night, she insisted he be the one to lie her down.

  It never failed to make me smile and thank my lucky stars I’d walked out of that party all those years ago and found him. Thank God I’d found him.

  “Daddy.” She pulled at his thumb. “What’s that?”

  “A bunny.” He kissed her head. “And he’s hanging his stocking over the fireplace, just like we do.”

  I watched them, tears coming to my eyes. Happy tears.

  The love they shared was the most pure love I’d ever seen, and I’d never get sick of it. Ever. Finn smiled at me and continued to read the book, doing silly voices as he went along. I grinned, as into the story as Susan was. Maybe even more. I loved it when Finn read out loud.

  Especially when he read me one of my romance books.

  When he finished the book and closed it, he nuzzled Susan’s neck and made snorting noises. She giggled and cried out, “Daddy, no!”

  “Stop torturing my baby,” I said, walking forward with a big smile on my face.

  Finn was doing so much better, and so was I. We’d stopped jumping at loud noises. We confided in each other, making sure we kept each other updated on how we were doing. We were open and honest and happy. So happy.

  “She likes it,” he said in defense, his blue eyes shining. “Right, Susan?”

  Susan smiled up at him lovingly.

  Sitting beside them, I took a second to appreciate the moment. I’d learned to start doing that, too. “Are you ready for Santa to come?” I asked, laughing when she looked at me with wide eyes. “Or maybe not…”

  Finn laughed and hugged her closer. “I don’t think she knows who that is yet.”

  “He’ll bring you presents and put them under the tree tonight. When you wake up?” I pointed to the tree with a huge smile. “Everything you could ever want will be there, waiting for you.”

  She stared at me with wide eyes before turning to Finn. “Daddy too?”

  “Of course.” When she glanced away, he turned to me. “But what if I already have everything I could ever want right here on this couch with me?”

  Susan hopped off his lap and took off, heading for the tree. We’d had to secure it to the wall because she loved to tug on it. My heart stuttered and sped up. “Funny, I have the same issue.”

  “Hmm…” He leaned in and kissed me, lingering when he pulled away. “Maybe I should put this little princess in bed, and then we could see if we could think of anything else we might like?” Finn asked, his voice low and husky.

  I smiled against his lips. “I think I could work with that.”

  “Good.” He stood and stared at Susan, the warm smile on his face going right to my heart. “I’m glad I came home early. It’s good to be home.”

  “We’re glad too. We missed you.” He’d gone to his coworker’s party at a nearby pub. I’d stayed home to watch Susan. And to prepare for the moment that was about to come. “Was there any good food?”

  “Yes, so much food it was ridiculous. I brought you home some of those brownies you like. Riley showed up, too, with some Scottish friend of his. I didn’t even know he had any Scottish friends.”

  “Yeah, from college.” I smiled. “Wallace, right?”

  “Aye,” Finn said in a fake Scottish accent. “All the lassies swooned over him.”

  “I can see why.” I trailed my fingers over his chest. “Keep talking in that accent, and I might swoon, too.”

  “You know what?” He narrowed his eyes on me, dropping the accent. “I don’t know whether to be jealous of myself or not.”

  Laughing, I rolled my eyes. “I vote for not.”

  “We’ll see about that.” He looked me up and down. “But anyway, half the people were wasted, so I cut out early. I’d rather be here with you guys than watch people drink until they forget their own names. I’m too old for that shit.”

  I rolled my eyes. “You’re not even thirty-three yet. Hardly that old.”

  He bent down, cupped my cheek, and ran his thumb over my lower lip. His tender gaze met mine, and I swear I saw straight to the depths of his very soul. “Thank you.”

  “For what?” I asked, my breath hitching in my throat.

  “For believing in me again.”

  “Thank you for believing in me, too.” I smiled. “I love you.”

  “I love you, too.” He crossed the room, took the red ornament out of Susan’s hand, and picked her up. “I’ll show you just how much as soon as she’s asleep.”

  “Noooooooooo!” Susan squealed, arching her back. “I’m na tired!”

  “Sure you’re not, Princess.” He kissed her head. “Are her PJs in the crib waiting for us like usual?”

  My heart picked up speed, and my legs went weak. He was about to get my early present to him. One I’d only just gotten earlier this morning. “Yep. Mmhmm. It is.” I laughed.
“I mean they are. They’re there. Waiting. For you. In the crib.”

  He eyed me, rocking Susan back and forth in his arms. She smacked his jaw and tried to get down. “O…kay. I’ll be right back.”

  I listened to his footsteps retreat. Once they hit the hallway upstairs, I tiptoed after him. As I crept down the hallway, I heard him talking to Susan about Santa, and presents, and love, and how lucky we all were.

  It made me smile, because he was about to feel even luckier.

  I know I did.

  Through the crack of the door, I watched as he took her Christmas Eve dress off and picked up the pink shirt I’d bought earlier today. The one that told him my news with perfect clarity. He tossed it aside, choosing to put the striped Christmas-themed pants on first.

  He was torturing me.

  After he had the pants in place, he picked up the shirt and pulled it over her head. As he guided her arms through gently, he tsked and shook his head. “Mommy once told me red and pink don’t match. That’s why she doesn’t own anything pink. Yet look what she got you, also a redhead. A…pink…shirt…that…says…”

  When he didn’t finish talking, and just stared at Susan, I opened the door the rest of the way. It creaked on the hinges. He didn’t turn around.

  “‘I’m the big sister,’” I supplied. “That’s what it says.”

  “Carrie.” He spun on his heel, his eyes soft and tender and excited. “Is it true?”

  “It is.” I nodded, smiling so big it hurt. “I just took the pregnancy test today. When it came back positive, I rushed out to buy the shirt. I couldn’t think of a more perfect time or way to tell you than—”

  He strode across the room in three giant steps, swept me up in his arms, and spun me in a huge circle. “Oh my God, Carrie. You’re fu—freaking incredible.”

  I clung to him, squeezing my eyes shut. “Morning sickness!”

  “Oops.” He stopped spinning me instantly, but didn’t set me down. “I love you so much, you know that?”

  “I do.” I cupped his cheeks. “And I love you, too.”

  “I know,” he said, grinning up at me. “Believe me, I know.”

  He turned out Susan’s light, carried me out the door, and walked right into our bedroom. As soon as he laid me on the bed, he rested his hands on my belly, staring at it in awe. He pushed my shirt up and kissed my stomach. “A baby. Another baby,” he whispered. “It’s a miracle, Ginger. A fucking miracle. I can’t believe how incredible you are. How happy you make me every single day.”

  I blinked back tears. We’d been trying to get pregnant since I’d lost the other baby. For a while there, I’d thought maybe I couldn’t have more children. I’d thought it was something that asshat Kyle had taken from me. Maybe Finn had feared that, too.

  But I’d been wrong. We were blessed again.

  “You make me happier,” I said. “A million times happier.”

  He shook his head and kissed my stomach again. “Billion.”

  “Trillion,” I whispered, threading my hands into his hair. “Are you happy?”

  “So fucking happy.” He climbed up my body and lowered his face to mine. “You?”

  I grinned. “So much it should hurt.”

  “You saved me,” he said, taking a deep breath. “You saved me so many times.”

  “You saved me as many times.” I tugged on his hair. “We’re equal. I’m sure of it.”

  “Me too.” He nipped at my lower lip. “As a matter of fact, I’m positive as a proton about it.”

  Grinning, I kissed him. “Me too, Finn. Me too.”

  I smoothed his hair off his face, studying the scars that reminded me of all we’d been through. All we’d survived. All the odds that had been thrown at us and tried to rip us apart, but we hadn’t given up. We’d stayed strong and fought for our love. For each other. We’d come out stronger. Better. More in love than ever.

  How many people could say the same?

  Blurred Lines, an OUT OF LINE book, will be out January 26th, 2015. The book features Riley from the OUT OF LINE series. Enjoy the following sneak peek.

  Love, Jen

  Riley

  I parked my car in the driveway and just sat there, staring up at the house I shared with my fiancée, Sarah. It was dark outside, and somewhere in the distance, a dog barked. It sounded pissed as hell, but that wasn’t why I didn’t get out of the car. It wasn’t why I was sitting here, feeling empty as hell and just as lost.

  The truth was, I wasn’t going inside because I knew my fiancée wasn’t in there alone. I’d seen the car parked down the road, conveniently hidden behind large shrubbery. On any other man, it might have worked. I might not have noticed it when I drove by on my way to my next meeting. But I’d know that fucking car anywhere.

  It was Sarah’s ex-boss’s car.

  The same one she’d once dated.

  When we’d met, they’d been freshly split up. He’d broken her heart, and she’d sworn him off forever. After that, we’d dated a suitable amount of time. My parents had liked her, and so had I. It had been an arranged marriage of sorts, but in my circles, that wasn’t such a strange thing.

  Our fathers were political affiliates. We were expected to marry. Once upon a time, I’d hoped to have more. I’d hoped to have the kind of love that consumed your soul.

  I hadn’t found it.

  So, I’d asked her to marry me. She’d said yes. I’d thought she loved me. I’d been fairly certain I would grow to love her. But if she really loved me…

  Why the hell was her ex-boyfriend’s car outside my house?

  Slowly, I opened my car door and made my way up the driveway. My heart thudded in my ears, and I knew what I’d find when I opened that door. There was no doubt my fiancée was naked and doing the nasty with another man.

  And yet, I went inside anyway.

  The door creaked when it opened, and I froze, half expecting to hear frantic shouting and retreating footsteps. Nothing moved. I crept inside the rest of the way, leaving the front door open. As I walked, I found a man’s sweater on the floor. I stepped on it. Another step and I scored a pair of men’s pants and a skirt.

  There was no doubt anymore, if there ever had been, that my fiancée was cheating on me. I didn’t need to go any farther. I had confirmation. But still…

  I kept going.

  For some reason, I needed to see it with my own eyes to believe it. I’d truly thought Sarah was an honest woman. One who wouldn’t sleep with someone behind my back. I’d thought she would be a good partner for life. A trustworthy one.

  I reached the couch. The couch I’d picked out.

  Sarah was kneeling between her ex’s feet. She was naked, and so was her ex. The man’s bare ass was on my fucking couch. I didn’t know what upset me more: that, or the fact that she was giving the dude a BJ.

  She never did that with me. Said it was undignified.

  So was fucking a dude on my couch.

  And, yes, I knew that the fact that those two things bothered me just as much as the actual betrayal did was fucked up. But I hadn’t loved her. I’d wanted to…

  But I didn’t really know what real love felt like.

  Fisting my hands, I cleared my throat. “I’m home early.”

  Sarah shrieked and flew to her feet, grabbing the throw blanket off the arm of my couch and covering her body with it. Which was absurd, really. We’d both seen her naked before, obviously. The man also stood, grabbing a pillow and covering his half-hard dick with it.

  “You can keep that now,” I said drily, not taking my eyes off Sarah. She was pale and shaking. I forced myself to remain calm. To act as if this hadn’t completely taken me off guard, even if it hadn’t broken me like it should have. “So, I take it the engagement is off, then?”

  “Riley, I’m so sorry.” Tears streamed down her cheeks. “I didn’t want you to see this…”

  “Obviously,” I said. “Cheaters rarely do.”

  She shook her head, her blonde hair flying eve
rywhere. “No. I’m not a cheater. I just—”

  “Seriously?” I threw my arms out. “If this isn’t cheating, what the hell do you call it?”

  Her cheeks flushed. “I love him, Riley. Actually, really love him.”

  I froze then, the unforgettable knowledge that she’d felt the same way about me that I felt about her—and I hadn’t even known it. I’d naïvely thought she actually loved me, instead of just, well, accepting me as a suitable partner. How had I missed that?

  “I thought you loved me,” I said softly, scratching my head. “I didn’t know…”

  “I do.” She came up to me, resting her hand on my heart. The same hand that had been cupping another man’s balls moments before. That skeeved me out. “I love you, Riley.”

  “But you’re not in love with me,” I said, swallowing hard.

  I might not love her till my dying breath, but the reality of what was happening had hit me pretty hard. We’d been together for three fucking years, and it was over now. We’d just mailed the wedding invitations out last week.

  And she’d been fucking him.

  “I’m sorry,” she whispered, tears falling down her cheeks.

  I had no doubt she was. She’d always been a nice person, which was why this came as such a shock. I’d never suspected this of her. Hell, we’d made love last night, and she’d spent half an hour talking about wedding dresses and centerpieces.

  I locked eyes with her bright green ones. “When did this start?”

  “Riley…”

  “When?”

  She crumbled. “A week ago.”

  The dude finally spoke up. He took a step forward. “Look, man, I’m sorry, but—”

  Without thinking, I cocked my fist back and punched him right in the fucking face. He’d broken her heart, and now he was going to do it again. She might think he’d changed, but any man who would fuck another man’s fiancée on his own couch was not a changed man. He was scum, pure and simple.

  And she’d fallen for him again.

  “Don’t speak to me,” I snarled. I went after him, even though he stumbled backward and tripped over a fallen pillow. “Don’t you ever fucking—”