by Milly Taiden
Lucky almost wanted to cry as Jared lifted her suitcases from the back of his car. She was only going back to Florida to pack and get the business ready to transfer to New York, but the thought of not seeing him or being in his bed for more than one night broke her heart. She still hadn’t told him she was pregnant. She was saving the news she’d just learned that morning until her return trip. She wanted to make it really special.
She sniffled. “Thank you for dropping me off. I’d rather you be the last person I see instead of the back of some old taxi driver’s bald head.”
He’d make such a great husband and father. The light glinted off her engagement ring. Maybe she should tell him now? In an airport full of people? Not really the best place to find out he was going to be a father.
“Really?” Jared said. “You think I would ever let you go without holding on to you until the last minute? I’m tempted to buy my own ticket just so I can sit with you at the gate.”
Lucky giggled at his silliness. He succeeded in making her smile. That’s part of what she loved about him. She huffed, telling herself to man up. She’d see him again soon enough.
“Okay, I need to go. Who knows how long it’ll take to get through security.” She stretched on her toes to kiss him.
Jared wrapped his arms around her and planted a big, hot one on her lips. God, he tasted so good. She held tightly to him. Cat calls and a few whistles broke them apart with smiles.
She grabbed the handles to her luggage and stepped back, licking her lips. A deep growl came from him. Lucky winked then turned to walk inside, letting her hips sway a bit more than usual. Looking over her shoulder, she saw him discreetly adjust his crotch as his eyes fixed on her ass. What a man.
Inside the terminal, the crowd was as thick as normal. After checking her luggage and dragging through security, she headed for the first bathroom on the way to her gate.
As she passed the sinks, she saw a beautiful, slender blonde washing her hands. Lucky swore the woman glared at her under lowered lashes. But without looking directly at her, she couldn’t be sure. She’d never seen the lady before.
All the front stalls were occupied and she had to go around to the back side where every booth was available. The last ones usually had a better chance of having toilet paper, anyway.
Her business done, she headed to the front, hoping a sink with soap would come free. Walking passed the double-sized handicapped stall, the door opened and Lucky caught a glimpse of blond hair. Then a sharp pain whooshed over her skull and her world went dark.
* * *
Jared stood at the trunk of his car in the passenger drop-off area of the airport and watched his sexy woman walk away. Just the idea of having that body under him made him hard.
Shit, he needed to quit with those thoughts in public. He nonchalantly repositioned his guys for the suddenly tighter fit.
The line of cars dropping off passengers grew quickly. Security was hurrying people and cars along their way. Before the police got to him, he was in his car, ready to pull into the moving lane.
His heart felt heavy with the absence of the one who made him happy. But she’d be back soon, and he planned to call her once or twice or five hundred times a day until she returned. She’d already said yes to marrying him. Hell, she’d been shocked at the fact he’d been able to get Tiffany’s in the middle of the night so he could get her a ring and pop the question in bed.
When squeezing his way into the exit lane, his phone rang. Caller ID showed it was the family’s lawyer. What did he want? Then it dawned on him. The trial for his ex-fiancée’s attempted murder charge started in a few days. With meeting Lucky and spending time with her, he’d forgotten all about it.
“Hi, Lancaster,” Jared said to the lawyer.
“Hello, Jared. We need to get you ready to testify. Are you available tomorrow to meet?”
“As a matter of fact, tomorrow is perfect. What all do we need to go over?” Jared asked.
“Just reviewing the facts and such since it’s been a while. You haven’t had any contact with your ex since filing the restraining order, have you?”
“No,” Jared said. “She’s actually been good and staying away. She probably has some other sucker wrapped around her finger by now. I still don’t know how she got out on such high bail.”
The lawyer snorted. “For his sake, I hope she doesn’t. That woman is vicious. I believe we may even have a case saying she’s completely mental. She would do anything to get what she wanted or to get revenge against someone who she thinks wronged her.”
Jared glanced in his side mirror on the passenger’s side. A white car with front end damage was coming up fast on the tail of the truck behind his car.
“Hey, Lancaster. Let me call you back in a little while. I’m driving right now.”
“Sure, Jared. I’ll just see you tomorrow at two here at our law offices.”
“Great,” Jared mumbled. “See you then.” He pushed the end call icon and tossed the phone on the seat next to his.
The white car had reached the truck behind him and started to pass. Jared swerved into the third lane and dropped back so the truck stayed between him and the passing car.
Jared watched as the car took the turn for the passenger pick-up area. He jerked the wheel to the side and made the exit before slamming into the concrete barriers that split the lanes.
He followed at a distance wondering if the car’s appearance was coincidence. He didn’t believe in that. Everything happened for a reason. His gut told him this was the car that hit them.
The car pulled alongside the median for departing flight passengers. Jared tucked his car among others at the back of the line. He watched as a thin blonde in a mid-thigh length skirt and heels struggled out the baggage claim doors, lugging a huge duffle bag on wheels. She looked haggard, like she’d been fighting. She also looked familiar.
The man in the car rushed to her and grabbed the duffle. He, too, had difficulty rolling the luggage.
Jared left his car in line and raced toward the couple. He didn’t know what was going on, but the fact the white car had damage to the front end was enough for him to question the driver.
The driver clicked his remote and the car’s trunk popped open. The couple spoke to each other, but with all the people and vehicles in the area, it was impossible to hear anything not close.
At the trunk, they attempted to load the duffle into the back. The woman’s skirt was too short to allow her to bend over to lift her side of the bag. Jared came up behind her, ready to help. Until he recognized her. It was his ex’s sister.
“Clarise?” Jared hollered. The lady spun around and snarled at him. Snarled. What the fuck?
“Get away from me, you bastard.” She brought her fingers up to claw at him. Jared jumped back.
“Whoa, look, your sister is the bad guy, Clarise, not me. She tried to kill me.” The long bag that lay on the ground started moving. He heard Lucky’s muffled voice.
The man dropped his side of the bag and ran. Jared gave chase and took him down and pummeled his face. A high-pitched screech erupted behind him and Clarise jumped onto Jared’s back, trying to pull him off the man.
Whistles and a siren quickly surrounded them. Hands pulled at him and the woman pounding on him. He broke loose and rushed back to the duffle on the ground behind the white car.
Unzipping the zipper, his beautiful love’s face appeared. Jared scooped her up and held her close. “Lucky, my god, are you okay?”
She seemed a bit groggy, but awake. “I think so. What happened?”
He brushed strands of hair from her face. “Clarise, my ex-fiancée’s sister and her husband tried to kidnap you. I’m sure they were going to use you for ransom.”
“Ransom?” she said. “Why?”
Police brought Clarise and her husband to where Jared knelt holding Lucky still halfway in the duffle. Jared said, “Officer, this is her car. Earlier this week, they tried to kill us. The damage on the front is evi
dence of that.” The officer holding Clarise looked at the front of the car and pulled his cuffs out.
“I see. Looks like we’re all going down to the station to get this figured out.” The officer looked down at Lucky as more security personnel joined them along with police cars arriving. “Ma’am, you’re safe now. Do you need medical assistance?”
Lucky shook her head. “No. I just want to go home.” She looked at Jared. “My new home.”
* * *
Jared hired movers to get Lucky’s stuff and asked Jazz personally to ensure everything went without a hitch. Jazz was ecstatic to be the one in charge for once and promised to ensure all Lucky’s stuff got to them in perfect shape.
Once they were back in his home, with Lucky showered and in his bed, in his arms, she realized that with the craziness of the day, she hadn’t told Jared the important news.
She glanced up from where her head lay on his chest. “Do you want kids?”
He chuckled. “I’ve only been promising to get you pregnant since the first time we had sex. I proposed asking you to be the mother of my children. I tell you every time I come inside you that tonight’s the night we make a baby. Sweetheart, I don’t want kids. I want kids with you. Only you. I never thought about wanting a family until I met you.”
She gasped, her heart flipping for his love filled words. “Really?”
“You’re the only woman I want to spend the rest of my life with, love. I want our family to start as soon as possible. I want all the babies with you.”
She smiled and slid up to kiss him. “I’m so happy to hear you say that.”
He kissed her back and stroked his hand down her spine, cupping her ass. “Why’s that?”
“We’re going to have a baby.”
He stopped and met her gaze. “Really?”
She nodded. “I know it’s fast”
He cupped her face and met her gaze, so much love in his gaze. “No, it’s perfect. You’re perfect. God, how I love you, baby. I’ve never been this lucky in my life. You’re the reason I’m happy now. Finally.”
“Well, you did chase me,” she laughed. “It was a lucky chase. I love you, forever and ever.”
“I love you forever and ever,” he whispered, his lips brushing hers. “both of you.”
Epilogue
Lucky grinned at all the family and friends filling Come Again. It was a special celebration. The club had been decked out to welcome Adalia Karly Carter, Andrew and Alex’s daughter.
The room broke into soft applause the moment the proud parents walked into the club with the newborn.
Lucky felt exactly what her name implied. After the attempted abduction at the airport and Jared saving her, Clarise and her husband where convicted and awaited their sentencing.
After Clarise and her husband’s failed attempts to kill Jared and Lucky by rear ending their car and pushing them into traffic and then the snake in the pool, their plan was to take Lucky and use her to either get money out of Jared and his family or have them drop the case against Clarise’s sister, Jared’s ex-fiancée.
It seemed the entire family was plotting to beg, steal, or borrow to get out of financial trouble they brought on themselves.
Now with all three in prison for a long time, she felt safe and relaxed to once again focus on her family and friends.
“So…” Jazz’s voice caught her attention.
She watched him sip a fruity drink from a blue bendy straw. Geez. He really liked those things.
“So?” Nina frowned at Jazz. Her face was even more golden than normal from her recent honeymoon.
“So, which one of you is going to hook me up with my very own Mr. Sexy?” Jazz grinned expectantly. “Now that Lucky’s engaged and going to be marrying Mr. Sexy Jared, I need a turn being hooked up with tall, dark and well-hung.”
Lucky laughed and glanced at the dance floor where her sister was trying to look like she was dancing with her friend and world-renowned chef, Sev. Instead of dancing, though, they looked like they were in a heated argument.
“Lucky?”
She jerked back to glance at Jazz and Nina, who were also watching the couple on the dance floor.
“Oh Jazz, honey, I think Kay may need some help next.” Nina grinned.
Uh-oh. If she was going to play matchmaker with Kay, her poor sister was in trouble.
The buzzing of her phone caught her attention. She glanced at the screen and grinned. It was a photo of a deck of cards and a message saying: “Want to play?”
She laughed and replied: “Okay, who knows, this might be your lucky day.”
A moment later, Jared’s hard body rubbed up behind her. His hands went around her waist, hauling her into him.
“I don’t think I can get any luckier,” he whispered by her ear.
She turned in his grasp to glance up at his smiling face. Licking her lips, she rubbed her body over his, loving the feel of his hardness on her.
She slid her hands into his and pressed the ace card she’d taken from his boat into his palm. There was no need to keep the card when she already had the man.
“Oh, I think you can. Are you feeling lucky?”
He grinned. “Maybe. I’ve been known to chase luck a time or two.”
She laughed. “You’re very possessive man, aren’t you?”
He kissed her lips softly. “Very. I take my luck seriously. You’re the only woman who has gotten so deep in my heart from the moment I met her. I’m never letting you go.”
“I don’t ever want you to,” she whispered and hugged him tighter. So far none of the others knew their secret and she loved having something private she shared with him and nobody else. Soon, everyone would know that their baby was growing in her belly. For now, she’d keep it their special secret.
“I love you, Luciana. Forever and ever.”
“I love you, Jared. Forever and ever.”
THE END
About the Author
New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author
Hi! I’m Milly Taiden. I love to write sexy stories featuring fun, sassy heroines with curves and growly alpha males with fur. My books are a great way to satisfy your craving for paranormal romance with action, humor, suspense and happily ever afters.
I live in Florida with my hubby, our boys, and our fur children “Needy Speedy” and “Stormy.” Yes, I am aware I’m bossy, and I am seriously addicted to iced caramel lattes.
I love to meet new readers, so come sign up for my newsletter and check out my Facebook page. We always have lots of fun stuff going on there.
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If you liked this story, you might also enjoy the following by Milly Taiden:
Sassy Ever After Series
Scent of a Mate Book One
A Mate’s Bite Book Two
Unexpectedly Mated Book Three
A Sassy Wedding Short 3.7
The Mate Challenge Book Four
Sassy in Diapers Short 4.3
Fighting for Her Mate Book Five
A Fang in the Sass Book 6
Shifters Undercover
Bearly in Control Book One
Federal Paranormal Unit
Wolf Protector Federal Paranormal Unit Book One
Dangerous Protector Federal Paranormal Unit Book Two
Unwanted Protector Federal Paranormal Unit Book Three
Black Meadow Pack
Sharp Change Black Meadows Pack Book One
Caged Heat Black Meadows Pack Book Two
Paranormal Dating Agency
Twice the Growl Book One
Geek Bearing Gifts Book Two
The Purrfect Match Book Three
/> Curves ‘Em Right Book Four
Tall, Dark and Panther Book Five
The Alion King Book Six
There’s Snow Escape Book Seven
Scaling Her Dragon Book Eight
In the Roar Book Nine
Scrooge Me Hard Short One
Bearfoot and Pregnant Book Ten
All Kitten Aside Book Eleven
Book 12 (Coming Soon)
Raging Falls
Miss Taken Book One
Miss Matched Book Two
Miss Behaved Book Three (Coming Soon)
FUR-ocious Lust - Bears
Fur-Bidden Book One
Fur-Gotten Book Two
Fur-Given Book Three
FUR-ocious Lust - Tigers
Stripe-Tease Book Four
Stripe-Search Book Five
Stripe-Club Book Six
Other Works
A Hero’s Pride
A Hero Scarred
Wounded Soldiers Set
Wolf Fever
Fate’s Wish
Wynter’s Captive
Sinfully Naughty Vol. 1
Club Duo Boxed Set
Don’t Drink and Hex
Hex Gone Wild
Hex and Kisses
Alpha Owned
Bitten by Night
Seduced by Days
Mated by Night
Taken by Night
Match Made in Hell
Alpha Geek
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