Say You're Mine

by Diane Alberts

  His hands splayed on her lower back, and he hauled her against his body, his touch possessive and domineering, yet somehow gentle. If she pulled back, if she gave any indication of wanting to end the kiss, he wouldn’t fight her. Wouldn’t try to change her mind. And there was heady power to that, and to her own willingness to see how far she let him go, that made her feel in control instead of him.

  And she suspected he did that on purpose.

  Groaning, he pressed even closer, his mouth ravaging hers as he gripped her dress tightly, seconds from ripping it off her. She could let him. Forget about all the things that needed to be said. Pretend it didn’t matter, and that they could build a future on this.

  But that would be a lie.

  And she wasn’t a liar.

  Breaking the kiss off, she rested her hands on his chest, gasping for air since he stole all hers with his touch and his kiss. And somehow, she managed to keep her wits about her long enough to sound coherent. Or coherent enough, anyway.

  “Dare accomplished. My turn. Do I still scare you?” she asked.

  He dropped his forehead on hers, letting out a tortured groan. “Cupcake…yes. I see my future in your eyes, and I see myself, too. But the thing that sucks is if you walk away, if you decide I’m not worth the risk? I’ll lose it all. Everything that matters to me most would be walking away with you, so, yeah, you scare the living shit out of me.”

  She gripped his shirt so tightly it hurt. “Steven…”

  “And even more, it terrifies me that you mean so much to me. That you leaving me would kill me. It’s a lot of power to give someone, when you hand them your heart. They could crush it. Break it. Tear it in two.” He skimmed his hands up her back, over her shoulders, and lifted her chin to his. His touch was gentle yet strong. Firm. Unwavering. “Or they could take it, and show you what the world could really be like, if only you dared to trust them. And that’s what you’ve done to me.”

  Cautious joy burst through her chest, spreading outward. “I—”

  “Wait, let me finish. I need to say this. No matter how this ends, you have my heart. You might not have noticed or even cared, but I gave it to you years ago. My brain was just too slow to catch on till now. I love you, Lauren Brixton. I’ve loved you my whole life, and I will continue to love you for the rest of my years.” He dropped down to his knees, holding onto her hands firmly. “This I swear to you, here and now. It is the most important promise I have ever made, or will ever make. I promise to love you till the day I die. Hell, screw that. I won’t stop even then. I promise to love you forever. I’ll never stop. Never waver. Never doubt. I love you, Lauren. So damn much it hurts. I only hope you can love me, someday, the same way you did before I broke your heart. Please say you can. That you will.” He took a deep breath. “Say you’re mine.”

  She blinked at him, unable to speak or look away. His speech, as impassioned as it was, came straight from the heart. She knew him, and how he liked to plan things. There was no way that was planned, and that only made it all the more special.

  So she needed a minute to fully appreciate it.

  But apparently she appreciated it too long.

  After a while, he tightened his hold on her chin, his jaw flexing, and cleared his throat. “Are you going to say something? I think I’ll take anything at this point. Even a comment on the weather would be acceptable. Or last night’s game…”

  A small laugh escaped her, and she covered her mouth to hold it back. “Ask me again,” she said softly, trying her best to keep her voice steady.

  “Ask you what aga—?” His expression lit up with knowledge, and something else she couldn’t name. Hope, maybe. “Oh. Oh. Do you still love me like that?”

  “With all my heart, body, and soul.” She fisted his shirt and pulled him closer. “Forever and always.”

  He lowered his face to hers, stopping just short of kissing her. “Is that a promise, cupcake?”

  “Oh, yeah. It’s totally a promise.”

  He gave her the most beautiful, pure, bright smile ever to grace the face of this earth, and he kissed her again. This time, his lips lingered on hers, and it went from a way to seal their promise to something a lot more out of control.

  It quickly became about getting closer to one another.

  Gripping the hem of her dress, he ended the kiss long enough to yank it off, then reclaimed her mouth with a predatory growl. “Mine.”

  She nodded, undoing his shirt with trembling fingers as he undid her bra with a flick of his wrist. Before she even had his shirt off, she was completely, utterly naked.

  “I win,” he breathed, grinning.

  Then he swung her into his arms, tossing her over his shoulder, and strode into her room. As soon as he got to her bed, he lobbed her down on it. She hadn’t even stopped bouncing before he was on her, kissing a path up her inner thigh.

  He didn’t waste time. Didn’t hesitate. Just closed his mouth over her clit and rolled his tongue over her wet, aching flesh. And, God, it felt good.

  It hadn’t been all that long, in all reality, since they’d been together. But for a while there, she had been sure she would never have this again. Never have him.

  So it had felt like a lifetime.

  He slid his hands under her butt, lifting her higher and holding her tightly. She rolled her hips against his mouth, seeing stars already and she hadn’t even come yet. That’s how good he was, and that’s how hers he was. He stroked and strummed her till she was primed and ready to go, and he always delivered.

  “Steven,” she cried, burying her hands in his hair and holding on for dear life.

  He growled and thrust two fingers inside of her, deepening his intimate kiss. That’s all it took to throw her over the abyss, and she came so hard her body literally vibrated from it. After he gently lowered her to the mattress, he undid his zipper with less than steady hands, kicked his pants off, and was on her.

  “Hold on tight, cupcake.” He skimmed his hand up her leg and hauled it against him. He pressed his cock against her clit, slapping it once. “I’m gonna make up for lost time.”

  That short amount of pressure sent her over the edge all over again. “Oh my—Steven.”

  “Damn right,” he growled. He thrust inside of her with one hard, long stroke. “All.” A thrust that made her toes curl. “Fucking.” Another that made her cry out. “Yours.” This time, he reached that spot that most people only ever dreamed about.

  And she came again.

  He kept moving inside of her, his expression open and vulnerable and so damn sexy it brought tears to her eyes. He held nothing back from her, not anymore. And it was easily the most moving moment she’d ever experienced, watching him as he found his own pleasure. But he wasn’t content to leave her there, even though he already made her come too many times to keep track of.

  Licking his finger, he reached between them and massaged her clit, grinning when she tensed beneath him and dragged her nails down his chest. His fingers kept moving, and he kept thrusting inside of her, and impossibly, the pressure inside of her built up again. She couldn’t keep track of the words that exploded from her mouth.

  Pleas. Curses. Threats. They all came.

  There was no controlling herself.

  The pressure inside of her built higher, until finally it all just exploded, and euphoria spread through all her limbs. And this time, he was right there with her. He stiffened and came, pressing inside of her one last time before falling on top of her.

  Rolling to the side, he dragged her with him, so she lay half across him, and half on the bed. He caught her hand, curling his fingers around it and holding tightly.

  “Thank you for giving me a second chance.” Lifting it to his mouth, he kissed the back of it, his chest rising and falling in time with hers. “I love you, Lauren. I will always love you. And I’m going to spend the rest of my life loving you more and more every day. I’ve never been surer of anything.”

  She smiled and buried her face in his sho
ulder, inhaling his crisp, manly scent. “I love you, too, and I plan on doing all those things and more. You make me happy. Secure. And that feeling is something I never thought I’d get.”

  “Well you better get used to it,” he said, hugging her closer and kissing her temple. “I’m not going anywhere.”

  “Thank God for that,” she murmured, tracing a heart on his chest.

  “Despite everything I said, and how angry I got, I was drowning myself in things I shouldn’t have been. I was on a downward spiral, and you saved me.” He smoothed her hair back from her face, staring at her with an open honesty that made her heart stop. “You saved me, time and time again, and I’ll never forget that. I only wish I’d realized I loved you sooner. But I’ll make up for the time we lost together. I swear that.”

  As her lids drifted shut, he continued to gently massage her scalp. There was no doubt in her mind that he meant every word. And that was amazing. Inspiring. Life changing. All this time, she wanted him as hers. She’d just been waiting for him to want those same things. And for whatever reason, he finally had.

  He was hers.

  And she was never letting go.

  Epilogue

  “She’s so cute, and tiny, and that strawberry blonde hair is adorable,” Lauren said, smiling. The moonlight lit up her hair, and she was hauntingly beautiful in the dim lighting. Like usual. “And Rose is such a pretty name. I wonder how they thought of it?”

  Steven laughed. He knew exactly where the name originated. “She’s a Doctor’s companion. Their favorite. If you watched it, you’d know that.”

  “I wonder if our baby would get your strawberry blond hair,” she said, her tone lost in thought as she ignored his comment. “And maybe my eyes.”

  “I don’t have strawberry blond hair. Only girls have it. Like Strawberry Shortcake, and Lydia. Mine’s red.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Okay, honey. Whatever you say.”

  Laughing, he climbed the stairs. He held their takeout dinner in his arms, and even though it was after ten o’clock at night, they’d just left the hospital. After five hours of labor, Lydia had delivered a healthy baby girl. She and Holt had been so happy, and so in love, that it had been beautiful. When they smiled down at their baby girl, holding her and glowing with happiness, it had hit Steven pretty damn hard.

  He wanted that. A baby.

  So badly it fucking hurt.

  But more than a baby, he longed for a family. One that he and Lauren created together out of love and trust. A week ago, he bought a ring. He’d been waiting for the perfect time to ask her to marry him, but he hadn’t found it yet.

  Tonight was it.

  He was ready.

  Unlocking the door, he opened it and tried to smile at her as she passed, though he probably looked deranged. His suspicions proved right. She paused and blinked at him. “Are you all right?”

  Widening his smile, he nodded. “Yes, of course.”

  “I spooked you, didn’t I?” She walked past him, shaking her head. “I wasn’t saying I was ready to pop out a few kids right now, just for the record.”

  He set the food down and swallowed hard, patting his suit jacket pocket. It was still there. He shrugged out of it and tossed it across the chair. Without speaking, he walked into their bedroom and retrieved the one thing he needed.

  “Do you?” he called out. “Want kids, that is?”

  She didn’t answer. When he came out of the bedroom, she hadn’t moved from where he left her. Her face was pale, and her lips were parted, and she stared down at something between her feet.

  The box. With a ring inside of it.

  Shit.

  “You weren’t supposed to see that yet,” he said. He curled his fist around the small, circular object he held. “I wasn’t ready.”

  “It fell out of your coat.” She bent down and picked it up, pressing her other hand to her heart, which was more than likely racing. He didn’t blame her. His was, too. This was a huge fucking step. “Steven…”

  “I know. Believe me, I know.” He walked over to her, not hesitating in his stride, or his decision. He loved Lauren and was ready to spend the rest of his life with her. This was, in a lot of ways, the easiest, simplest choice he’d ever made. “I love you.”

  “I love you, too,” she said quickly, a little bit more color suffusing her cheeks. “So much.”

  “I want to marry you.” He knelt at her feet, on one knee. “But this isn’t a decision I came to quickly. It took me years and years. Hell, I even asked you to marry me years ago. It wasn’t a joke, or a backup plan. You have always been my life. My heart. My happiness. And it’s time to take the next step. To promise myself to you forever and ever, officially.”

  Tears ran down her face, and her lip quivered. Hopefully they were those damn happy tears, instead of painful ones. Why were women so fucking hard to read? “Steven…”

  “It might seem fast, but we’ve been best friends for our whole damn lives. I held this very ring up to you at the lake all those years ago.” He held out the twist tie between two fingers. She bit down on her lip. Hard. “And I asked you to marry me. Well, I’m asking you again. This time, with a real ring. And a real promise behind it.” Setting the old ring down, he took the ring box out of her hand. She didn’t want to let go. He had to pry it loose. After popping the lid, he met her eyes and asked, “Lauren Brixton, will you do me the incredible honor of becoming my wife?”

  She dropped to her knees and cradled his face, not even glancing at the ring. “I said it on that lake, all those years ago, and I’m saying it now. Yes. God, yes. So much yes.”

  Laughing, she kissed him. She tasted like tears and heaven and her. He’d never grow tired of that. Or of her. She made him better. Happier. Whole. He took over the kiss, capturing her lips under his, and he rolled her onto her back. He lay on top of her, in his favorite place in the world, and pulled back. Smiling, he kissed the tip of her nose. Taking the ring out of the box, he grabbed her hand.

  As he slid the ring on her left ring finger, he felt a rush of satisfaction. She was his. And, more importantly, he was hers. “This makes it official.”

  She wiggled her fingers and smiled at the princess-cut diamond. “I hate to break it to you, but it was official at the lake all those years ago. I was just waiting for you to see it, too.”

  “Sorry it took me so damn long.” He grunted, rolling his hips so his dick pressed against her sweet pussy. “But I’m here now…”

  “Yes.” She wrapped her legs and arms around him. “And, by the way, my answer to your other question is yes, too.”

  He skimmed his hand up her thigh, pausing just short of her ass. “What question?”

  “Kids. I want them.”

  His heart skipped a beat, and rushed straight ahead. “You do?”

  “I do. Anytime. I’m ready when you are.”

  “Let me marry you first,” he said, kissing the spot on her neck where her pulse raced. “And then…we start on the honeymoon. For now…let’s practice.”

  He kissed her, and she clung to him. This was it. His forever. It might have taken him years to see it, or even consider it, but it was here. In her arms.

  And he was the luckiest bastard in the world.

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  Acknowledgments

  As always, first and foremost I want to thank my husband, Greg. You’ve always supported me, even when I didn’t really want the support and wanted to quit, and you’re my number one fan. Here’s to many more years and books.

  Thanks are due to my children, Kaitlyn, Hunter, Gabriel, and Ameline. Thank you for being so understanding when I say I’m on deadline and need to work. You make some real sacrifices playing t
hose videogames for extra hours when Mom is in a pinch.

  To my editors, Candace and Liz, my copyeditor, my managing editor, the blurb writer, the cover artist, the formatter, the publicists, and everyone else who had anything to do with my book at Entangled, thank you for everything you do to make this book shine!

  To the rest of my family, thanks for understanding the missed phone calls, parties, and the times I fell off the grid for days and you started to wonder if Greg finally got rid of me. Mom, Dad, Tina, Cynthia, Mom M, Dad M, Erick, Ashley, Connor, Riley, Danny, MeeMaw, and PeePaw—love you!

  To my buddies to whom I talked to about this book for endless hours, or whined about deadlines and life in general, you’re the real MVP. Jay, Liz, Joanne, Megan, and everyone else out there, I love ya!

  Thanks to my agent Louise Fury at the Bent Agency, for your endless work to get me where I want to be. You’re the best, and I’m so happy you’re my agent. And a special shout out to Team Fury, too!

  And last, but certainly not least, a huge grateful thanks to all of you readers out there. It’s an honor to write books for you, and for you to enjoy them. See you next time!

  About the Author

  Diane Alberts is a multi-published, bestselling contemporary romance author with Entangled Publishing. She also writes New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling new adult books under the name Jen McLaughlin. She’s hit the Top 100 lists on Amazon and Barnes and Noble numerous times with numerous titles. She was mentioned in Forbes alongside E. L. James as one of the breakout independent authors to dominate the bestselling lists. Diane is represented by Louise Fury at The Bent Agency.