Charade
Page 21
“I’m taking that as a yes,” he said, taking her left hand and sliding the ring back on her finger. Erica looked down at the glittery jewelry, loving it all the more now, because now it felt like it belonged. When she looked up into Brock’s eyes, he stroked her cheek and then kissed her.
It was more magical than ever.
Then Brock stood, Erica’s hand in his, and she joined him. He said to his father, “I understand if you need me to leave, dad, but don’t make her go. She’s a brilliant—”
Brady Ford began laughing then, an infectious hearty chortle that had them all chuckling before he spoke. “Son, you’ve always been good with sleight of hand, and you’re an expert when it comes to making people see things the way you want them to. It’s what’s made you not just a skillful defense attorney but a strong litigator in general.
“You know my philosophies about marriage and how it makes you a better lawyer, yes, but I wanted to give my firm to all my sons, married or not.” Brady looked at Erica then and said, “But you would be a damn fool to let this young lady go. You might have just figured out you’re in love with her, but the rest of us have seen it all along. I think you’re perfect for my son, Ms. Larson, and I would be proud to call you my daughter-in-law—and one of the brightest attorneys at my firm.”
That Bret also smiled and nodded told Erica everything she needed to know. She was part of the family—all she had to do was say yes.
So she did.
And Brock kissed her again, holding her close.
When they left his father’s office, though, his arm around her waist, she needed to be absolutely certain. Away from any stray ears, she whispered, “This is real, right? We’re not continuing this charade…we’re really engaged?”
Brock started laughing and picked her up in his arms so that her feet no longer touched the ground, twirling her around. “Yes, I really want you to be my wife. You gave me a real yes, didn’t you?”
She smiled then and touched her nose to his. “Yes. I love you, Brock.”
“I love you, too, Erica. And even though I wasn’t able to prepare the most eloquent argument for your hand that I’m capable of, I hope you believe it.”
“I do—with all my heart.” And it wouldn’t be long before she said I do once more, this time for forever.
Epilogue
“WHAT’S THE TEMPERATURE there right now, dad?”
“You don’t really want to know, do you?”
Erica’s mother chimed in. “It’s two degrees here.”
Brock smiled as he walked through the door, hearing his new bride on a Skype conversation with her parents. “What about you? What’s the temperature there?”
“Last I checked, it was in the mid-seventies.”
“Oh, what a shame,” her dad teased.
“You’re just jealous,” her mother said, and Brock entered the bedroom area of their suite, bag in one hand, paper cup in the other.
Erica looked up from the laptop sitting on the coffee table and gazed into his eyes. He would swear this woman had become more beautiful since he’d proposed for real. She was more than a sight for sore eyes—she’d become his whole world, and nothing would ever be the same. And that was a good thing.
“Oh! Is that what I think it is?”
He grinned. Score! “It’s true. Starbucks is everywhere.”
Her mother’s voice came through the computer. “He’s definitely got your number.”
Erica cocked an eyebrow. “Well, let’s see. What’s in the cup, mister?”
“White mocha latte—and they asked if you wanted it hot. I said yes.”
Grinning, she said, “Oh, you’re a keeper!”
“I got us a little breakfast, too.”
“We’ll let you go, honey. So glad you’re enjoying your honeymoon.”
“It’s the best.” She blew kisses at the computer screen. “Love you guys.”
“Love you, too.”
Brock bent over and waved at them before Erica closed the window. She stood up and wrapped her arms around him, kissing him on the cheek. “What did I ever do to deserve you?”
“It’s me who should be asking that question.” After kissing her like it was the last time he would ever taste her lips, he said, “I got us some breakfast, if you want it.”
Erica put on a fake grimace and said, “Uh, no way. You’re already gonna make me run a mile on the beach. I don’t want to make it two.”
“Breakfast is the most important meal of the day.”
She started laughing. Ah, he would never grow tired of the sound of her amusement. His heart swelled with gratitude. Not only had this woman opened up a part of him he hadn’t known still existed, a part last seen in the fourth grade when he’d defended a school acquaintance from the playground bully, but she’d opened his eyes to love and all its possibilities. He was a richer man for it…and now, although he loved work, it was no longer his whole world.
Everything out there was open to him.
And with that realization dawning—and before his father officially retired—they chose Valentine’s Day as their wedding day. The entire family—mother, brothers, and sisters-in-law—all thought it was a great idea, although Lisa was a little saddened that she couldn’t help with the wedding, considering it was a quiet, fast wedding on the beach with two strangers serving as witnesses. To appease Lisa, though, Erica said they’d love to have a reception sometime in the spring, and her new sister-in-law could handle the whole thing. After all, she’d said, her side of the family would want to celebrate, too.
The wedding and honeymoon in Hawaii were ten days—and, now that they’d been there for five, Brock was beginning to think they should have taken a month. They’d have to come back again for a vacation and soon…and he would forever associate this place with his lovely bride.
For now, though, he wanted to consummate their union once more.
“I haven’t had my workout yet, though. I’m thinking we could get in a little exercise before we eat.”
Erica cocked a brown eyebrow, and just that look made his blood begin to swirl, all of it wanting to congregate in his eager member. “Are you thinking exercise between the sheets, handsome?”
“I thought you’d never ask.” As his erection grew, he pressed it into her, kissing her again.
“And that, Mr. Ford, is why I haven’t actually run along the beach with you yet. We spend too much time in bed.”
“You say that like it’s a bad thing, Mrs. Ford.”
“That’s Larson-Ford, mister…and if you want to ravish me, you’d better do it now before that white mocha latte begs me for attention.”
Brock started laughing and literally swept her off her feet and into his arms. Breakfast? A jog along the beach? Coffee? They could all wait.
But making his new bride feel eternally loved couldn’t. So he was off to rock her world and then cradle her in his arms like there was no tomorrow—because there wouldn’t be if it wasn’t for her.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jade C. Jamison was born and raised in Colorado and has decided she likes it enough to stay forever. Jade’s day job is teaching Creative Writing, but teaching doesn’t stop her from doing a little writing herself.
Unfortunately, there’s no one genre that quite fits her writing. Her work has been labeled romance, erotica, suspense, and women’s fiction, and the latter is probably the safest and closest description. But you’ll see that her writing doesn’t quite fit any of those genres.
And Jade is a-okay with that!
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You might also enjoy these
BOOKS BY JADE C. JAMISON
STANDALONE TITLES
Heat
To Save Him
Savage
Substitute Boyfriend
Finger Bang
Quickies: Sexy Short Stories and Other Stuff
Old House
Then Kiss Me
MADversary
Laid Bare
Fabric of Night
Crossing the Line
TANGLED WEB SERIES
1 Tangled Web: A Steamy Heavy Metal Novella
2 Everything But
Punctured, Bruised, and Barely Tattooed (companion novel)
3 Seal All Exits
BULLET SERIES
1 Bullet: An Epic Rock Star Novel
2 Rock Bottom
3 Feverish
4 Fully Automatic
4.5 Christmas Stalkings
5 Slash and Burn
6 Locked and Loaded
FEVERISH SERIES
1 Feverish
1.5 Boiling Point
2 Scorched
NICKI SOSEBEE SERIES
1 Got the Life
2 Dead
3 No Place to Hide
4 Right Now
5 One More Time
6 Lost
7 Innocent Bystander
8 Blind
9 Fake
10 Lies
11 Dead Bodies Everywhere
CODIE SNOW SERIES
1 Fool Me Once
WISHES SERIES
1 Be Careful What You Wish For
VAGABONDS TRILOGY
1 On the Run
2 On the Road
3 On the Rocks
NONFICTION
Indie Writer Companion
COMING IN FALL/WINTER 2017:
Picture Perfect – November 13
All I Want for Christmas - December