Unbridled (The Monroe Series Book 2)

by Nicole Dykes

  Luke sits down heavily on the couch, turning sideways and plopping my feet across in his lap, totally content and comfortable, sitting in the silence of his home.

  The only lights on in the house are from the large Christmas tree we picked out together and the small lamp on the table next to the couch.

  “Did you have fun today?”

  “I had a blast. I love your family so much.”

  He grins, “They love you too.”

  His hand moves to the front pocket of his jeans and he very slowly pulls out a small, black box. It’s not made for a ring, but possibly a necklace or some other type of jewelry.

  He hands it to me, “Merry Christmas.”

  I take it cautiously, we had already exchanged presents at Brooke and Dylan’s house. I gave him season tickets to the Kansas City Chiefs because I know he still loves watching football even if he doesn’t want to play it anymore. He bought me a bottle of my favorite perfume and a beautiful diamond necklace.

  “Luke, this is too much.”

  “You haven’t even opened it yet. Open it, and quit being a pain in the ass.”

  I laugh at that and give in, opening the box. There is a small piece of paper with a gorgeous sketch of a purple motorcycle. “You are getting me a motorcycle?”

  He scoffs and teases me, “Please. You can barely drive a car. No, this is your tattoo.”

  I study the design closer, as my heart rate increases with intense excitement, “My tattoo? You designed it?”

  He pulls the paper out of the box, “Yeah, I just sketched it at work, no big deal. But I thought it would be cool, if you really wanted one, for me to design it myself.”

  I take the sketch from his hand, “It’s truly beautiful. I would just make one change.”

  “Oh yeah, what’s that?”

  I point to a gas tank of the motorcycle, “I would add your name here.”

  He swallows hard, clearly excited by that idea, “You want my name on you?”

  “Absolutely. Forever.”

  He rests his hand on my thigh, “That we can do.”

  We’ve been through so much together and as crazy as it may seem, I cannot wait to see what else life has in store for us.

  Chapter 54

  Luke

  New Year’s Eve

  Hannah is staring at herself in the mirror again, examining the short dark green dress that Alex forced her to borrow for tonight.

  I walk up to her and wrap my arms around her waist, and kiss the brand new tattoo on the back of her shoulder. It’s only a week old, and it came out exactly the way I sketched it. The fact that Hannah wanted not only my work, but my name etched on her body, still turns me the fuck on.

  It’s small and “tasteful” as she called it, but it’s visible anytime she isn’t wearing a shirt with sleeves, and it’s fucking beautiful. I went with her to get it, for support, but she didn’t need it.

  Hannah is a fucking champ.

  “For the tenth time, you look fucking gorgeous. Not a hair out of place.”

  “Well, it’s a formal party. I can’t help wanting to make sure.”

  I spin her around to look at me. How she can even question how she looks is beyond me. There isn’t one look on Hannah I don’t like.

  I’ve loved having her here during winter break and I’m not ready to let her go. But even when she goes back, I know that I’m hers and she’s mine.

  “We better get going, we’re gonna be late.”

  “Okay relax, I’m coming.”

  We put our coats on and I drive down to the Plaza and valet my car.

  When we walk into the old hotel, we go to the left, where Dylan said the ballroom will be.

  Sure enough, there it is.

  We check our coats and then go inside to join about fifty people all dressed in formal attire.

  You see, Brooke and Dylan got engaged two years ago on New Year’s Eve. So now we all have to endure a very formal, catered party every single year to celebrate them.

  I see Jax right away, messing with his tuxedo jacket, and we walk over to him, “Can you believe she actually made us wear tuxedos? I mean, seriously.”

  I laugh, but I’m in a damn tuxedo too, because that’s what Brooke wanted. We all call her Mama Bear because we don’t mess with her. What she says pretty much goes and honestly, it’s the way we all like it.

  “So, where is the happy couple?”

  He nods toward the dance floor, and I smile when I see them holding on to each other, dancing in the middle.

  Okay, come on, who wouldn’t want to honor that couple?

  I see Hannah grinning and watching them. I take her hand and lead her to the dance floor, holding onto her.

  I swear, I will never let her go again.

  Acknowledgments:

  A very special thank you to my Beta Readers, Jo-Ann, Beth, and Elizabeth! I want to thank you for your time and for your constant encouragement.

  Also I want to thank my editor, Dena Mastrogiovanni. You are truly talented and I look forward to working with you in the future. If anyone is looking for an amazing editor that understands being on a deadline and will still do an incredible job please contact me and I will help you contact her.

  I also want to thank the group S.A.S.S. You all have been so amazing to me and helping me spread the word of my books.

  I honestly don’t know what I would do without any of you!

  Last, but not least I want to thank Jessica Hildreth for my BEAUTIFUL cover! I’m still in love!

  I love chatting about all things reading and books so please don’t hesitate to contact me in any or all of the following ways:

  https://www.facebook.com/Author-Nicole-D-1607194522867504/?ref=aymt_homepage_panel

  https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13701591.Nicole_Dykes

  https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=nicole+dykes

  https://twitter.com/nicoledykes87

  Email me at Nicole_dykes@yahoo.com

  Thank you all so much for taking a chance and reading my books!

  Now a preview of the next book in the Monroe Series! It’s Jax’s story! Enjoy! J

  Sneak Peek:

  Prologue

  Fuck! I hate this fucking tuxedo. Why the hell Brooke made me wear it I have no idea. Yes, it’s New Year’s Eve, but this thing is just not my style.

  I’m a jeans and a t-shirt type of guy. That’s me, Jackson Garrett, a simple man.

  I’m the co-owner of, Tricked, a badass custom bike shop in Kansas City and Oklahoma City, where I was born and raised. I moved to the Kansas City area to help my best friend and business partner, Dylan when he had some fucked up shit go down with his family, but he has it made now.

  The dude actually got married and settled down—even has a kid on the way—on fucking purpose. How he went from the crazy, out all night getting laid and partying, Dylan, I knew a few years ago to the domesticated family man he is now, I’ll never know. But I’ve never seen him happier and if he’s happy I’m happy.

  Besides his girl Brooke is pretty badass herself and I’ve grown pretty close to her and their entire family.

  There is just something about the Monroe clan that draws you in and actually keeps you there. I didn’t grow up with much family, so they have become my family and there isn’t anything I wouldn’t do for them.

  I glance around the large, formal party, scoping out a potential easy score for tonight. I spot Dylan’s younger brother, Luke and his girlfriend, Hannah, in the corner of the large ballroom. They are lost in conversation, Luke’s arm wrapped around her, pulling her in close. That boy never had a fucking chance when she came back into his life. He’s barely nineteen and in it for the long haul.

  I move my eye line toward the right and see the youngest Monroe child, Gabby, pouting at the table. Gabby is only nine and is probably upset because her dog, Toby, wasn’t allowed to come tonight. She brightens up when Dylan and Brooke bring her over some kind of gelatin dessert.
/>
  Next I see Michael, who is thirteen, and seems to be having a great time slow dancing with his little girlfriend. On that same dance floor I see the oldest girl, Cassie, she just turned seventeen and is doing everything she can to drive us all crazy with her crazy-ass hormones.

  Teenage girls. If you can avoid them, do it. I care about her like she is my own sister, but that girl tries my fucking patience.

  Like right now, she’s all over Luke’s old football teammate, Hunter. Hunter seems like a good kid and I would really hate to break his face, but Cassie is really pushing her luck.

  One good thing about this scene in front of me, it’s not her douchebag ex-boyfriend, Brent, that’s she’s grinding on. That kid was really fucking close to getting me sent to jail on more than one occasion.

  I narrow my eyes at Hunter and I’m pleased when he puts space in between Cassie’s body and his own.

  Okay, now that the family is accounted for I can finally move on to my original goal, a nice, easy play thing for after the party.