TooDangeroustoLove
Page 28
The house was beautiful. Even with all the windows it was warm inside. Everything was spacious and spotless. It smelled like winter mint. Seth had explained it was rebuilt like her old home, just didn’t have all her artwork replaced yet. Brandt had fallen in love with it anyway.
Hella had known exactly where she was and it was obvious that she loved it here. She and Irk had played for a bit in the snow before he had walked around and explored. Now he stood out on the porch and watched his breath as it clouded in the cold air.
On the air, he heard the faint yipping of dogs. As it perked up the two dogs that were beside him, he figured it must be Serenity. A nervous knot began to form in his stomach. He had been less than gracious when she had come down there, what would his reception be?
The noise got louder and the dogs started down the steps until Brandt called them back. Maybe it was a pack of wolves? He had no idea. Irk barked and took off around the porch, so Brandt followed.
Over a small hill he noticed dogs running across the top of it. There were eight or nine of them harnessed and soon he saw a sled fly up over the hill and land with a jarring thump before continuing on at the same breakneck speed. Up alongside the lead dog he noticed a German shepherd running all out—Jax.
Brandt noticed that there was someone inside the sled in a bundle but it was the person driving the sled that caught his attention. It was Serenity. She had a huge grin on her face as she shouted commands to the dogs, bringing them right up to the house, where he heard her yell, “Brake and hook.”
Jax had run up the stairs to greet Hella, Irk, and Brandt while Serenity helped the woman out of the bag. Brandt stayed up on the top step while she talked to the other woman. “That was awesome, thanks, Carla.”
“No problem, hon. Anytime.” The woman stood on the runners of the sled, lifted the hook, and yelled to the lead dog, “Get on up, Taro. Let’s go. Hike.” And just like that they were gone in a flurry of barking and flying snow.
“Hello, Serenity,” he said as he walked down the steps.
“Hello yourself, Brandt.” She didn’t move.
Brandt took in her face that was ruddy from the cold. She had never looked more beautiful or alive. “I didn’t call, guess I didn’t want you to hang up on me.”
She didn’t respond. Just stared at his face.
“Can we talk?” he tried.
“Why did you come?”
That was his Serenity, always straightforward. “I missed my wife.”
“Your wife missed you,” she said without missing a beat.
Brandt dropped his cup, spilling the hot liquid into the snow, and scooped her up in his arms, kissing every bit of skin he could reach.
Serenity was doing the same, and soon they had fallen back into the snow. The fall broke them apart. “I love you, Brandt.”
“Does this mean I get to wake up next to you?”
“For as long as you want to,” she said as her hands cupped his face, her tongue tracing his lips before kissing him again.
“That would be forever, sweetling. Forever.”
“Now you can tell me the truth, are we really married?”
“As sure as my ass is freezing off in this snow,” he said as his strong hands pulled her even closer to his pillar of hard muscular warmth.
“Want to come inside?”
“Thought you would never ask.” That was the truth. He wasn’t sure she would even want to talk to him after their last meeting. Brandt stood and lifted his wife as if she didn’t weigh anything. For his carpenter’s strength, she didn’t. He didn’t allow her feet to find the ground, electing instead to carry her up the ten steps to the hand carved door that led to the beginning of the rest of their lives. Together.
Brandt set her down on the area rug and watched eagerly as she stripped out of her thick jacket and boots. She still wore the black pants, but they fit her body and showed off her figure beautifully. For a shirt, she wore a rich chocolate three-quarter length sleeve. The color of the shirt matched her eyes, the eyes he had fallen into and never wanted to be rescued from.
He watched as she moved lithely in stockinged feet across her living room floor and disappeared into the kitchen, before sticking her head out to look at him and say, “Are you coming?” With a rugged smile, he slipped off his shoes and eagerly went to the warm kitchen. Although they were damp, he knew his clothes would dry soon or be removed completely.
* * * *
Serenity watched as her husband—amazing how one word could mean so much to her—filled the doorway to her large kitchen. He wore a dark blue turtleneck which really offset his eyes and black slacks. It was a sin for a man to look this good.
His eyes, it was his eyes that held her spellbound. They were filled with emotion. Not just lust, desire, or anything else sexual, but the look of primal satisfaction that one acquired from knowing the object in question is yours. And yours alone.
For a space in time she just stood there behind her breakfast bar staring at him. He actually made her ache inside, her love was that strong. And the fact that she could admit that to herself spoke volumes of this man’s power. He was the one who fought back the demons. It was Brandt that she struggled with her feelings for, for him, for his love. For her chance to be happy, with him.
* * * *
“What are you staring at?” His smooth voice broke into her concentration.
“You.” She gestured to a barstool. “Cop a squat.”
One black eyebrow arched but he did as she suggested. “What a lovely way to tell me to take a seat.”
Those pooling brown eyes got serious in a second. “We have to talk.”
He tried to ease her tension with a small joke, “You know, if we were dating and you said that I would think that you wanted to see other people.”
It didn’t work, for Serenity didn’t even crack a smile. “Look, all joking aside. We still have a lot of things to straighten out.” As she looked at him the corner of her mouth turned up into a slight smile, allowing his heart to begin beating once more. “Like living arrangements. I mean, you have your job down there and I am working for my parents up here. Your dad is there and mine are here.”
Serenity walked over and poured herself a cup of coffee, adding sugar and creamer before she turned back around. “Don’t get me wrong. I really like your home in Kentucky, but honestly I feel so much more alive here. Alaska has always brought me a sense of peace, so even if we can’t stay here full time I will want to visit often.” She took a drink of the steaming liquid and smiled as the heat raced through her body.
Brandt couldn’t believe what he was hearing, her willingness and acceptance to try and work this out with him. He knew how hard it was for her to compromise, and he loved her even more. Sliding off the stool, he walked over to her as she stood with one shapely hip on the counter and took her coffee from her.
“What?” Her single word came as her eyes darkened with love and desire.
* * * *
“I love you.” Every single thing she had learned about reading body language told her that it was true. “I don’t want to live with my father, Serenity. That’s his house. Not mine.” His hands cupped her face, still warm from holding the cup they made her tremble. “I love your home…our home. And if you want to stay here then we will stay here.”
“But your work,” she protested.
“Don’t worry about it,” he said as he leaned down and gently kissed away her frown.
“Brandt,” she tried again.
“Yes, sweetling. You will say my name many times before the night is over.” He swept her off her feet and headed back into the living room to the staircase. “I don’t want to talk right now, I have other things in mind.”
Content in his arms, Serenity knew that her nightmares would be few and far between, and on the rare occasion that one reared its ugly head she would have her own knight there to help her slay her dragons. With a sultry look, she licked her lips before settling against the sheer strength of
his chest as he moved them effortlessly up the stairs and to her bedroom.
By the time the morning had arrived Brandt had turned it into their bedroom. The Fowlers had found that love could overcome even the most dangerous enemies, obstacles and circumstances. Two halves of the same whole had come full circle. Love had finally found its way home.
THE END
Also by Aliyah Burke and TEP
Denim and Spurs
With This Ring
Dream Lover
You Don’t Know Jack
Graham Family
Justice Is Always Ready
And We’ve Come Full Circle
· · · ·
Just a Dream
Under the Mask
· · · ·
The Maddoxes
The Detective’s Lover
· · · ·
The Quad Series
A Little Taste of Home
Too Dangerous to Love
Someday My Prince Charming Good Ole Boy Will Come
(Coming in September 2017)
Black Queen
(Coming in October 2017)
· · · ·
May You Always (Coming in 2017)
Beyond His Control (Coming in 2018)
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Aliyah Burke is an avid reader and is never far from pen and paper (or the computer). She loves to hear from her readers and can be reached here
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or Twitter: @AliyahBurke96
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She is married to a career military man. They are owned by three Borzoi, and a DSH cat. She spends her days sharing time between work, writing, and dog training.
Twisted E Publishing, LLC
www.twistedepublishing.com
Table of Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Other TEP Books by Aliyah
About the Author