“Bigger and better than the old one. The woman you saw in the picture? Ian introduced us last night. He was there, by the way. At dinner. Along with Alex Dare. I guess whoever took the photo waited for just the right moment to catch them both away from the table.”
Fucking vultures, all of them.
“Sarah Shaw is the woman in the picture. She specializes in projects like the one I’m planning—one I hope you’ll be an integral part of, by the way. What you saw was the two of us leaning over the table to sketch out rough building plans on dinner napkins. Not some clandestine meeting. Please tell me you get that, Abby. I need to know you don’t doubt how I feel about you.”
“I don’t want to doubt you, Tanner. I want to feel free to love you, but I’m scared.”
Ah, Christ.
“I know, babe. And I know it’s my fault. I’d do anything to take away the pain I caused you. You know that right? I’d dig my heart out of my chest with my bare hands rather than see you hurt.”
He let go of her and reached into his pocket. She gasped as he showed her the ring he’d carried with him the last ten years.
“You kept it,” she whispered.
“I left you,” he choked out. “But, you never left me.” He held the ring up, watching the light catch the stones. “I wore this on a chain around my neck the first few years. Then I carried it in my wallet. Eventually, I put it in a drawer. Would you think me a pathetic loser to learn I would pull it out sometimes, on nights I’d had too much to drink? I’d hold it in my palm and imagine what our life might’ve looked like.”
“What if I can’t do it, Tanner? What if I can’t let go of the past?”
His heart threatened to crumble to dust, but he quickly rallied, unwilling to accept that she would never truly forgive him.
“Maybe we were foolish to believe starting over would be easy. That doesn’t mean it’s not worth doing.” He opened her palm and placed the ring in her hand. “So, we take things one step at a time. When I’m still following you around in thirty years, you’ll understand I’m not going anywhere. Not this time.” And there’s the smile he wanted to spend the rest of his life encouraging. The wild emotion of it made him greedy. “Do you love me, Abby-girl?”
He watched as she caressed a finger around the edge of the ring. Held his breath as she slid it onto her finger.
She let out a light, tinkling laugh as it wedged halfway down. “My finger grew. I guess you had that not-easy thing right, huh?”
“We can get it sized.” He went for the ring but she jerked her hand out of his reach.
“Until then … yes. I love you. It scares the hell out of me, but there it is.”
Warm, liquid possession filled him as she slid the ring down her pinky finger. One day he would replace it with another, one of the more permanent variety.
“What about you?”
Tanner slid his hands up the outsides of her thighs. What was his little over-thinker searching for now?
“What about me what, love?”
“Do you love me?”
The question stunned him. “How can you ask me that after last night? I’m not the young arrogant prick who thought he could find someone better. There is no one better. Not for me. You’re the one. Let me be real clear. I love you. I’ve always loved you. I love you.”
“Do you mean it?”
I need you to mean it.
Tanner groaned as her words from last night hit home. His cock filled, primed and ready to drive deep. “Oh yeah, babe. I do.”
She crawled backward onto the bed and it was then he realized she wasn’t wearing any panties.
She licked her lips. “Prove it.”
Note From Parker
Thank you for reading Dare’s Wild! I hope you enjoyed Tanner and Abby. If you could take a moment to leave a review, I’d be ever so grateful!
Do you like edge-of-your-seat-sexy romantic suspense, hot and steamy sports romance, and/or western romance? Be sure to check out my other books. There’s no … um … shortage of dirty talking alpha men or feisty women who bring them to their knees! For a full list, visit my website: www.parkerkincade.com/books.htm
Keep reading for a sneak peek of more Dare to Love KindleWorld stories, all available now!
Enjoy! I dare you!
~Parker
About Parker Kincade
USA Today Bestselling Author, Parker Kincade, writes edge-of-your-seat-sexy romantic suspense, hot and steamy sports romance, and contemporary western romance. Her first novel, One Night Stand, won the 2013 Reader’s Crown Award for Best First Book, the category of Best Erotic Romance in the Celtic Hearts Romance Writers Golden Claddagh contest, and was named finalist in the Romance Writers of America/Passionate Ink Stroke of Midnight contest.
Parker lives in the southern United States. She loves to read, play golf, spend time with her family and friends, snuggle with her beloved boxer, ice cream from the ice cream truck, and watching old musicals.
Links:
Website: www.parkerkincade.com
Blog: www.parkerkincade.blogspot.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/parkerkincade
Twitter: www.twitter.com/parkerkincade
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6475101.Parker_Kincade
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/parkerkincade/
Books by Parker Kincade
The Martin Family Series
One Night Stand
Shadow of Sin
Ties That Burn (Coming Fall 2016)
Game On Series
Spring Training
Southern Heat
Shadow Maverick Ranch Series
White Collar Cowboy
Borrowed Cowboy
Cowboy Redeemed
White Collar Wedding (short story)
Short Stories
Devlin
Two of Cups (Love in the Cards Anthology)
Subscribe to Parker’s newsletter for news about latest releases, giveaways, appearances, and more!
http://www.parkerkincade.com/Newsletter.htm
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Dare To Love Series: Dare's Wild (Kindle Worlds Novella) Page 10