I open my arms as she slowly walks to me, the lack of sleep seeming to hit her as she reaches me.
Her soft body molds to mine as I hold her and kiss her hair. The smell of her shampoo tickles my nose as I smile. “I just missed you I think,” my words reflect my sleepy state.
She lifts her head to look at me, “I just wanted to get this one done before the baby comes.”
My smile only widens at her response. “We have three more months, sweetheart.”
She pouts in response, and it only makes me want to kiss her that much more.
Her lips part to give me some excuse, but I don’t let her say a word. I crush my lips to hers, spearing my fingers through her hair and deepening it when she melts into me.
Two years since I set eyes on her, and I don’t know how I ever lived without her.
When I pull away from her, Grace’s hands travel toward her belly and I know why; I can feel our little boy kicking her. She looks up at me in wonder, as if it’s the first time she’s felt him.
A chuckle escapes me as I push her hair out of her face and plant a chaste kiss on her lips.
She grabs my hand and places it on her belly and our baby kicks my hand just then. It’s hard enough that I would have pulled back had Grace’s hand not still been on top of mine.
“Is he why you can’t sleep?” I ask her playfully, my hands traveling over her swollen bump.
“No, the spray works really well to put me out.” My eyes reach hers again, and in them I see nothing but happiness. Cheryl and Ali have been over nonstop, giving her all sorts of things.
Grace happened to say once at Sunday dinner that she wasn’t sleeping well. The very next day the both of them were over here with all sorts of pillows and aromatherapy sprays.
I’ve never loved my family more than now. And I know Grace loves them, too.
We’re complete together; there’s no doubt in my mind that this is how it was supposed to happen all along.
I tip her chin up, holding her gaze for a moment before kissing her one last time and whispering, “I love you.” I can feel her smile on my lips before she whispers back, “And I love you.”
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Prologue
Violet
I shift a little on the blanket as the sounds of crickets from the woods behind us get a bit louder. We're alone out here on the outskirts of the state park. I can hardly breathe in this strapless lace dress, and it’s awkward sitting on the ground with it riding up so high. It’s the prettiest one I have though, and the most revealing. It’s not that it’s too tight, although it feels as if it is.
Tonight’s the night.
I peek up to my right at Hunter and give him a shy smile, feeling the warmth of a blush flood my cheeks. My heart swells, although I’m still a bundle of nerves. He looks so handsome even in his simple faded jeans and white tee shirt.
My lungs fill with the scent of his cologne. He smells so good. He’s never worn it before. He knows tonight is different, too.
We’ve been dating for almost a year. We're high school sweethearts. A full year. I’d say it’s my longest relationship, but it’s my only one ever. And I never want another. I want to be his, and only his. Tonight I’m taking a leap of faith.
I know when we graduate in three months, it’s going to be hard. He’s going into training, and I’ll be going to college. I lace my fingers between his; his hand is resting on my bare thigh. He looks down at me and clasps my hand while giving me a sexy smile. We’re going to make it work though. He’s my one and only. And I’m his.
His arm is wrapped around my waist and we’re seated on the edge of the blanket. My bare toes sweep along the grass as he pulls me closer to him. The spring air is a bit chilly at night, and goosebumps form down my arm. I didn’t bring a jacket. A small shiver runs up my shoulders and I curl up against his hot body. A deep chuckle rises up his chest. I love that sound. I love it when he laughs like that. He rubs his hand up and down my arm, warming me.
I lay my cheek against his hard chest and put my hand on the lower part of his stomach, against his shirt. My heartbeat picks up and I feel like I can barely breathe. My fingers dip down a little lower. The tips brush along his bare skin.
My breath stills in my lungs. I’m going for it. I bite down on my bottom lip and clench my thighs as arousal pulls between them. I slip my hand a little lower, past the deep “V” of his hips, and they just barely push into the waist of his jeans when his hand wraps around my wrist, holding me still. I can feel the coarse hair below.
“Vi,” he says, and there’s a hint of admonishment in his voice.
My heart squeezes in my chest. I know we shouldn’t, and he’s never pressured me, but I want him. I want this to happen. And I know he does, too.
“Hunter.” I feel brazen as I keep my fingers dipped below his waistband and meet his gaze. His eyes heat with a fire I’ve seen before.
“I know you want this,” I barely whisper. In the past, he’s been quick to pull away, but this time he only holds me tighter.
He closes his eyes and speaks just above a murmur, “Vi.” My name slips between his lips with a reverence I’ve never heard before. His grip on my wrist loosens and I pull away, but only to place my hand… down there, against him. My eyes widen slightly. I’ve never felt his dick before. I’ve never even seen one. I wasn’t expecting it to be so big, or so hard.
My hearts stutters in my chest and my pussy clenches around nothing. My hand itches to pull away, but instead I push it harder against his cock, to feel more. My fingers wrap around his length as best they can in this awkward position. I can feel everything in me pulsing with need.
“Violet,” he breathes my name.
In an instant, he looks back at me and moves me to his lap, pulling me away. I wrap my arms around his neck, feeling vulnerable and desperate for his love. It will crush me if he denies me. Please, don’t.
“I’m ready, Hunter.” I stare into his gorgeous green eyes. I swallow thickly and keep my voice as even as I can as I say, “I love you, and I want you to know it.”
“I already know,” he whispers as he brushes my hair out of my face. It tickles as it moves over my shoulder, and another shiver runs down every inch of my body. This time it hardens my nipples as his lips graze the sensitive skin of my neck, just below my ear. His hot breath forces a small moan from my lips.
“I love you, Vi.” I close my eyes as he plants open-mouthed kisses up my neck and along my jawline. I love it when he says my name. He’s the only one who calls me that.
I believe him. I believe he loves me. And I know I love him.
He pushes his lips against mine. There’s a tenderness that I haven’t felt before. I reach up and spear my fingers through his hair. I part my lips and press my body against his.
I want him to know how much I need him. All of him.
I kiss him with desperation. He groans deep in his throat and splays his hand on my back, lowering me to the blanket. He breaks our kiss only for a moment to look down at me.
My lips are parted, and my eyes are half-lidded with lust.
When he lowers his lips to mine and his hands travel up my dress, slipping it up past my thighs, I know this is really going to happen.
"Promise me you'll love me after this?" I sound weak, but in this moment, I need his reassurance.
"Always, Vi," he says before crushing his lips against mine.
I gave him a part of me I can never get back. Even worse, I gave him my heart.
…That was four years ago. Back when I was young and naive. Back when I thought we’d always be together, and that he hadn’t lied. He dumped me right after graduation and left me to join the military. He said I shouldn’t wait for him; it didn’t matter that I wanted to. I would have waited for him. I was a fool. It was all a mistake.
That was then. I know
better now.
Chapter 40
Violet
I take a deep breath and exhale slowly as I push the glass door to the convenience shop open. The bells above my head chime and Marcy gives me a bright smile from behind the cash register on the small counter to the left. She’s an older lady; I’ve known her most of my life. She doesn’t make a move from her seat and barely looks up from behind her thick, dark-rimmed glasses. Her eyes wrinkle as she smiles slightly and returns to watching the small television behind the counter.
Just like everyone else in this town, she’s content going through life with the same comfortable routine. For her that means sitting behind the register. This store is small, with only a few aisles to my right, and the counter to my left. I give her a small smile in return, though my heart’s not in it and I resume walking the few steps to get what I came here for.
It has been such a long day. I look like crap, and I know it. I’m in my penguin flannel pajama pants and a long baggy sweater. It’s my favorite sweater though, especially on these grey rainy days. The sleeves come down over my hands, and for some reason it makes me feel more comfortable. And I always wear these bottoms when I’m sick. They make me feel better, or at least I like to pretend they do.
I don’t have an ounce of makeup on. I have bags under my eyes to prove I’ve had no sleep at all in the past few days. This is the first time I’ve been out of my little apartment in days, and I’m going right back home as soon as I can. Fall colds are the absolute worst.
I sniffle a little as I walk down three of the four aisles in the small store to get to the row with the cans of chicken noodle soup. I may be miserable, but I know I’ll feel better after a hot bowl of chicken noodle. I’m in need of comfort food.
My mama never made home-cooked soup, but the stuff in the can worked for me when I was little, and it’ll work for me now. It’s a bit more expensive here in the convenience shop, but it’s Sunday so the grocery store’s closed down. Most everything’s closed down, including my bakery.
I’m sure people will be talking about me coming out like this, the extensive rumor mill being one of the main drawbacks of small-town life. Mama’s phone will probably be ringing before I even get home. Marcy may look like she’s an innocent old lady, but all of the people in this town live to gossip.
But they can all get bent. I just need my soup and some cough medicine, and I’ll be on my way.
I sigh at the simple thought. I need way more than soup. I need to get back to work.
I can hardly afford the part-time help from April and Nicole, two high school girls I’m paying to work the registers and help me in the evening. Everything else I’m doing on my own, and it’s really taking its toll on me. Plus I’ve had to close the bakery for the last week since I’ve been sick.
It’s hard work running your own business; there’s so much more to it than I originally anticipated. I can’t keep doing this on my own for much longer. And with one of the ovens broken, and none of the commercial grade mixers working, I’m struggling to meet product demands.
I close my eyes and push those negative thoughts away. I’m doing everything I can. It’s going to work out. It has to. I just need that damn loan from the bank.
I push that thought down, too. I can’t think about it now, or I’ll be sick for an entirely different reason.
Right now, I just need the chicken noodle soup I'm holding in my hand, and my penguin PJs.
I’m not paying much attention when I hear the bells chime above the door and Marcy squeaks a slightly flirtatious, “Hi there,” at whoever walked in. Marcy may be old, but she’s not dead.
I stifle a huff of a laugh at my own little joke. At least there’s a hint of a real smile on my lips now.
I turn around carelessly, ready to go to the counter where the meds are lined up in front of the register so I can grab the cough syrup and check out. I look up and start to yawn as I try to take a step forward, but my mouth slams shut and my feet stay bolted to the floor.
My heart does a flip and flutters in my chest as I catch a glimpse of Hunter.
Like… Hunter Hunter. My lungs stop moving and I quickly hide behind the aisle, nearly knocking bags of chips off the shelf. My heart hammers, and I have to blink a few times. He’s here. He’s back. My throat closes with intense emotion. He can’t be back.
I barely peek around the corner, very much aware of how awful I look.
It’s him. He’s not a boy anymore. He’s come back from overseas as a man.
And a badass one at that. I heard he’s a sharpshooter now. Or was. I wouldn’t know, since I did my best to stay far away from anyone who uttered his name. I had to.
Now he’s home. I can’t believe it. I seriously cannot believe my eyes. If he was home, someone would have told me.
It’s a small town, and people talk. They sure as hell talked when he broke my heart and left me. But I’ve been sick and stuck inside for days while I recover from this bug.
I try to calm my racing heart and breathe easy, taking in the sight of his simple white tee shirt that’s snug over his broad shoulders and corded muscles. He’s always been tall, but his ripped muscles give him even more of a dominating presence. He has the same handsome face with a touch of stubble that has my fingers itching to touch him.
His hair is short on the sides and a little longer on top. I could spear my fingers through the top and just barely grab onto it. It’s loosely styled so it looks a little messy, like he just rolled out of bed looking like a sex god.
I search his body for every little change. And there’s a lot to look at. His muscles, his tattoos, his scars.
A soft sigh escapes my lips as I remember how those arms used to hold me. My chest fills with a comforting warmth.
His dog tags clink together as he turns slightly to the right.
I suck in a breath with wide eyes and quickly duck back. I hide behind the loosely filled shelves, praying he didn’t see me. My heart races with anxiety, and my blood heats.
I can’t believe Hunter’s back.
He left me four years ago after high school graduation with a broken heart, taking a piece of me with him that I could never get back.
He ruined my reputation.
He shattered my trust in men.
And now he’s back.
Chapter 41
Hunter
This town hasn’t changed a bit.
I drive slowly through the main strip, looking at the too-familiar buildings. Since I’ve been gone, very little has changed in the landscape. A new diner at one end of town, a gas station at the other.
But Hallow Falls looks about the same. It feels just like it did when I was younger. Younger and dumber, maybe.
Hallow Falls may not have changed much, but I have.
The sudden wave of nostalgia that comes over me is bittersweet, almost painful. After everything I left behind here, only to come back four years later empty-handed, it’s all a little overwhelming, to say the least. I feel like I’ve traveled back in time. Back before I ever enlisted in the Navy, before I ever thought about becoming a SEAL.
When my hands were less blood-soaked.
I frown at the steering wheel of my truck, trying to focus on driving to the store. Focus on the errand. But the images play through my head as I slow down at the stop light. The rain pounds against the metal roof of the truck, and logically I know it’s just drops of water, completely harmless, but for a moment I can easily hear the ricochet of bullets and the smattering of gunshots in its place.
My heart beats faster, and my grip tightens on the steering wheel as though it’s my gun. My breathing comes in even, it always does, no matter how hard my heart hammers and my blood heats. Physically, I’m still. I have to concentrate, they’re all counting on me. I run my hand through my hair, trying to relax, but in my vision all I can see is the scope of the gun. Trying to find the bastards shooting bullets in our direction. The breeze from the cracked window morphs into the bullets whipping past me. I
have to find them first. I can’t let them live, or we’ll all be dead.
A loud beep of a horn makes my eyes shoot open; my heart is beating fast, and a sheen of cold sweat is over my skin. I slowly push the metal pedal down and easily continue the drive.
I’m home. It’s just rain.
My hands twist on the leather wheel and I relax my tense body, controlling my breathing and pushing away the thoughts and memories that haunt me. I’m home. It’s just rain.
I haven’t gone anywhere since I’ve been home. I’ve got enough saved up that I can take my time figuring out what I’m gonna do next. My only job has been killing people for the last few years, and now I don’t know what’s left for me.
I huff a humorless laugh and look out of my window at another shop that at least has a new coat of paint on it. I need to get out and start getting my shit together. I’d at least like to get the hell out of my parents' house. That was the plan when I came back home. I was only supposed to stay with them while I was looking for a place of my own. But I’ve been hesitant to put a bid on anything. I’m worried about leaving my niece, Abigail. My chest tightens with pain; I owe it to her. The thought of leaving makes me feel like I’m turning my back on her. She’s grown so much, and it’s hard to believe how much time has passed.
My sister Haley hasn’t asked a lot from me since I came home. In fact, a late night run to the store is pretty much the only thing she’s wanted. It’s the least I can do. She deserves more than that from me.
Mostly she’s either been busy chasing her daughter, Abigail, around the house and tucking her in for her naps and bedtime, or she’s kissing me on the cheek as she slips out of the house late at night. My parents watch her with furrowed brows and worried eyes, but she just laughs it off.
Knocking Boots (Sexy Standalone) Page 20