Charming Fiona

by Jessica Prince

  “Fuck you,” he hissed, dropping the box on the trunk of his car. “It’s not enough that that slutty bitch of yours got me fired, she had to go crying to her daddy so he’d blackball me. I worked my ass off for this bullshit company, and what do I have to show for it? I’ll be lucky if I can get a job anywhere in Washington now, motherfucker.”

  Keeping from plowing my fist into his face took more self-control than I thought I had. “See? Now that’s exactly what I meant about you being a dumb fuck. Call my woman a bitch or a slut one more time. I dare you.”

  The cock-sucker sneered, convinced he was untouchable. “What’re you going to do, huh? You touch me and I’ll press charges.”

  I grinned as I took a step closer. “Oh, but I don’t think you will.”

  He tried to hide it, but I could see his confidence waver when he sized me up and realized he lacked the height and muscle needed to take me in a fight. It was all bravado as he squared his shoulders and tipped his chin up, asking, “Oh yeah? And why’s that?”

  I took another step. “Because if you press charges, then you’ll have to admit to the cops that the reason you got your ass beat was because you purposefully broke into a woman’s phone, stole her private photos, and distributed them for purposes of revenge. Now, I might be a little behind on the legislature, but last I checked, laws against revenge porn can range anywhere from a misdemeanor to a class C felony.” His entire face blanched, but I wasn’t finished just yet. “And considering that I have close familial connections with several of the men who wear robes in this state, I’m sure that after Fiona presses her charges, they’ll be inclined to lean toward a felony. And make no mistake, she will press charges.

  “You think you’re blackballed now? Just wait until the judge presiding over your case finds out that the only reason you spread personal, intimate photos of a woman from a well-known and respected family was because she rebuffed your advances. They don’t take too kindly to women with outstanding reputations being harassed and assaulted. Which is what the state of Washington considers your little stunt.”

  Proving that Todd Walden was as stupid as I already knew him to be, he gritted his teeth and hissed, “Fuck you, and fuck that bitch.”

  “Don’t say I didn’t warn you,” I said, right before slamming my fist into his jaw. His head flew to the side, blood and what looked like a tooth flying from his mouth at the impact. I landed one last blow, and the sound of his nose breaking was so much more satisfying than I would’ve imagined. Then I walked away, leaving Todd a crying, writhing mess on the dirty cement floor of the garage. I’d done what I set out to do, stripping the jackass of the only thing he had left: his pride.

  Now it was time to get back home to my girl.

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Fiona

  I rested back on the huge plush couch, sinking deep into the fluffy cushions as I watched Deacon add a few logs to the fire. It had been a week since the incident with those photos, and I still hadn’t gone back to the office. Honestly, I wasn’t sure if I was ever going to feel comfortable going back.

  When Deacon told me The Black Sheep had to be shut down for a few days due to construction and suggested an extended weekend away with just the two of us, I’d jumped at the chance.

  We packed up and headed to my parents’ cabin in the mountains. It had been four days of private bliss with the love of my life. We hiked through the snow, we talked, we made love by the fire. It had been perfect in every way. But our time alone in our cabin hideaway in the woods was drawing to a close, and we were heading back to the real world tomorrow.

  I was sad for it to end.

  “Hey,” Deacon said, pulling me from my morose thoughts. “What’s on your mind, sweetheart?”

  “I was just thinking that I’m going to miss this when we head home tomorrow,” I answered as I lifted my knees so he could sit on the cushion next to me. Once he was situated, he pulled my legs across his lap and began idly massaging my feet.

  “Yeah, I know what you mean. This weekend has been pretty great.”

  I studied his profile in the firelight as he concentrated on my feet, and I suddenly saw everything I wanted with such clarity. It was like a veil had been lifted, revealing my picture-perfect future, and it was right in front of me, just waiting for me to grab it. All I needed to do was reach out. It was that simple.

  “Deacon?”

  He kept his focus on his ministrations as he replied, “Yeah, baby?”

  “Can you look at me, honey?”

  Reading the meaning in my voice, his head shot up, his brow furrowed when his eyes came to me. “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing’s wrong,” I giggled, suddenly overwhelmingly giddy. “As a matter of fact, it feels pretty freaking right.”

  He released my feet, placing one arm on the back of the sofa and the other on the outside of my legs as he shifted closer. “What feels right?”

  Unable to control my growing excitement, I began to ramble. “My future. Well, our future. That is, if it’s still what you want.”

  Deacon’s blinding grin warmed my chest. “Baby, slow down so I can follow what you’re saying.”

  I pulled in a deep breath through my nose and exhaled through my lips before diving in. “I talked to my father before we left to come up here. Nothing was set in stone, but after this weekend, I know it’s the right decision.”

  “What’s the right decision?”

  A huge grin split my face as I admitted, “I don’t want to go back to Prentice Fashion. And before you say it, it’s not because of what happened with Todd. I mean, I’m not thrilled that everyone saw those pictures, but the real reason I don’t want to go back because I want to work at the bar. With you.”

  His chest swelled just before he asked, “Sweetheart, are you sure that’s what you want?”

  “I’ve never felt more sure about anything,” I replied with a resolute nod. “Just the thought of working alongside you makes me happy. Helping you build and maintain your dream is more important than anything else I could ever do. I think my father understands that, because that was all my mom wanted after she fell in love with him.”

  “Fuck,” he muttered, dropping his forehead against mine. “Just when I thought I couldn’t possibly love you any more than I already do, you go and prove me wrong.”

  “Does that mean you still want me working for you?”

  “With me,” he quickly corrected. “And hell yes. I can never get enough of you. Maybe having you beside me every day will start to alleviate some of that need.”

  I let out a happy laugh and caressed his cheek, loving the feel of the short beard he’d let grow during our trip rubbing against my palm. “Good, that leads me to my second thing.”

  Deacon pressed deeper into my touch. “There’s a second thing?”

  “There is. Deacon, I want to marry you.” He drew in a sharp breath and held it, his eyes flickering wildly at my declaration. “I’ve loved you since I was a little girl. You were my best friend, and now you’re the love of my life. I want to build a family with you. I want to give our kids what my parents gave me, a childhood where they see their folks so blissfully in love that they know what’s waiting out there for them is beyond anything they could imagine. It’s always been you, Deac, and I don’t want to wait a second longer than absolutely necessary to start our lives together.”

  He hooked his hand behind my head and pulled me forward, pressing his lips against mine in a kiss so full of love it stole my breath. “I’m glad to hear you say that, sweetheart.” He shifted to reach into the pocket of his jeans as he said, “This thing’s been burning a hole in my pocket for weeks. I can’t tell you how thrilled I am to finally put it where it belongs.”

  Grabbing my left hand, he slid a gorgeous diamond solitaire on my ring finger. Tears spilled down my cheeks at the sight of it. “How long—”

  “Since the day after you told me you loved me. I’ve just been biding my time, baby, because it’s always been you.”<
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  With a cry, I threw myself at him and wrapped my arms around his neck, peppering his face with kisses. “I want a short engagement,” I insisted.

  “You got it.”

  “And a small, intimate wedding.”

  “Works for me.”

  “And I want to get married to you at our special hideout. Under where our tree house used to be.”

  Deacon let out a loud belly laugh. “But if we get married there, it won’t be our secret place anymore.”

  “I don’t care,” I replied vehemently. “That place is special, and it’s where I want to celebrate the most important day of my life.”

  He clenched his fingers in my hair as he gave me that sexy, crooked smirk. “Whatever you want, I’ll give it to you.”

  I already knew that to be true. Deacon had proven it over and over again, with actions as well as words. “I want you. For the rest of our lives.”

  “Then that’s exactly what you’ll get.”

  Epilogue

  Deacon

  A year and a half later

  “Remind me the next time you ask for my help to tell you to go to hell.”

  I slid the hammer back into my tool belt and glanced over at Caleb. “Will you quit your bitching already? We’re almost finished.”

  “Well thank God for that,” he grumbled. “My blisters have splinters, for Christ’s sake.”

  “Aw, poor baby Caleb. Never had to work a day of manual labor in his life,” Dominic laughed. “Is real men’s work too tough for you?”

  Caleb shot the bird in Dominic’s direction. “Says the man who gets manicures.”

  “It was one time!” Dominic shouted. “Sophia dragged me along. What was I going to do, just sit there bored out of my mind?”

  Grayson wiped the sweat from his brow and shifted his gaze between our pain-in-the-ass friends before rolling his eyes. “You two think you can get your shit together long enough for us to get this done? I’d like to have dinner with my family tonight, not be stuck out in the middle of the goddamn woods, watching you two bicker like little girls.”

  Caleb and Dominic stopped fighting and got back to work. Without the distractions, we managed to finish an hour later and headed back to my parents’ house. It was the Fourth of July, and everybody had gathered at the Lockhart house to celebrate the holiday with beer, barbeque, and family.

  Dad was manning the grill on the back porch with Calvin and Maury gathered around, getting in some guy time well away from all the womenfolk. Nana was lying on a lounger in typical Nana style, with a pair of giant sunglasses on her face, a big floppy hat on her head to block out the sun, and a margarita in her hand that spelled trouble. My mom ran around with Evelyn and Elise, setting up huge spreads of food on the outside tables while Caleb’s mother flitted around the yard chasing after Evie and Liam, Grayson and Lola’s little boy, while somehow managing to hold Sophia and Dominic’s three-month-old daughter, Annabelle, on her hip with surprising ease.

  I scanned the area until my gaze landed on the one person I was looking for. Fiona sat near the pool with Lola, Sophia, and Daphne. The four of them were in a tight huddle, talking and laughing without a care in the world, and just like it had all my life, my heart flipped at the sight of her gorgeous smile.

  I broke off from the guys and made my way to my wife, stopping about five feet away. When her attention turned to me, I lifted my hand and crooked my finger, chuckling under my breath as she rolled her eyes at my caveman antics. She said something to her girls before standing and heading in my direction. I watched in fascination as she moved, the swell of her belly prominent beneath her filmy sundress. There was nothing more attractive in the world than the sight of my wife heavy with my child. When she held that stick up seven months before, the two pink lines clear as day, I finally understood what my father was talking about when he described the pride he felt when it came to his children.

  “You summoned?” she teased once she made it to me.

  “There’s something I want to show you. Can you spare a few minutes away from the band of merry misfits?”

  Her face scrunched with curiosity as she examined my sweaty T-shirt and dirt-covered jeans. “I think I can make a little time for you.”

  My lips quirked in a grin as I took her hand and started leading her toward the tree line past my parents’ backyard.

  “Ooh,” she cooed playfully, tugging on my hand as we got farther and farther away from the party. “Are we sneaking off for a quickie? Why, Deacon Lockhart, you’re so naughty.”

  My head fell back on a burst of laughter as I continued leading her deeper into the woods. “As enticing as that sounds, that’s not why I’m bringing you out here.” I hooked my arm over her shoulder and pulled her into my side, kissing her temple. “At least not yet, anyway,” I added, because her idea definitely held merit. But first….

  Fiona jerked to a stop with a loud gasp. “Oh my God. Deacon.” She looked from the tree house to me, tears welling in her beautiful eyes. “You… oh my God, you built me a tree house.”

  “Well, we can’t keep calling it our secret hideout if there’s nowhere to actually hide out in, now can we?”

  “It’s… it’s….” She let out a hiccupped sob and reached up with her free hand to cover her mouth. “This is the most perfect tree house ever.” Spinning into me, she wrapped her arms around my waist as best she could with our baby growing between us and burrowed into my chest. “I’d go inside”—she let me go to look down and rub her belly—“but this little guy’s throwing off my center of gravity. I don’t think I could make it up the ladder.”

  I placed my hands over hers and tangled our fingers together right above where our son grew healthy and strong. “It’s not going anywhere. Unlike the last one, this tree house has been built to last. It’s a gift for you as well as this little guy right here.”

  She sniffled and looked back to the tree house. “I can’t believe you did this for me, Deacon,” she whispered, giving me her eyes once more. “It’s amazing.”

  Moving my hands from her belly, I lifted them and tangled my fingers in her thick, fiery red hair. “When our son is old enough, we’ll bring him here and tell him stories about his parents’ friendship growing into something so much more. We’ll teach him what real, unconditional love is, and maybe one day, when he finds the girl he knows, down to his bones, he’s going to spend the rest of his life with, he’ll bring her here and make it their own special, secret hideout. Just like his dad did with his mother.”

  A tear slipped free and made a track down her cheek. I caught it with my thumb and leaned in to kiss her rosy pink lips.

  “You’re being awesome again, Deacon,” she said in a mock scolding tone.

  “Better get used to it, baby. This is only the beginning.”

  Her sigh was filled with contentment as she leaned into me and gave me a hug. “I love you, Deacon. Around the world and back again.”

  I breathed in the scent of her hair, relishing the fact that this amazing woman was mine for the rest of my life, and responded the same way I always did. The same way I always would. Forever.

  “And I love you to Jupiter and back again.”

  The End

  I hope you enjoyed reading about the Fiona, the other ladies of Girl Talk, and the men who won them. For more laugh-out-loud romance keep reading for a sneak peek at Fire & Ice, the first in my Locklaine Boys series

  Fire & Ice Excerpt

  Prologue

  Pepper

  I’d seen the love of my life approximately four times in the span of nearly a decade. And every single time I laid eyes on that picture of male perfection my heart rioted in my chest, my skin grew clammy, and my stomach flip-flopped so many times it could give a gold-medal gymnast a run for her money.

  The first time I met Griffin Locklaine I was only twelve years old. He was friends with my older brother, Dexter. He and his cousin, Rowan, had come home with my brother for Thanksgiving break. It was love at first sight. My
tiny, pre-teen heart went all a-flutter the moment he walked through our front door. He was everything a girl could ask for in her dream man. Tall, muscular, with a face so beautiful it belonged on a magazine. His brown hair was so dark it looked almost black, and the unruly waves flopped over his forehead, making him look almost innocent. And I knew he had to be intelligent if he was going to NYU with Dex. They didn’t let just anybody in there, after all. Or at least that’s what my mom loved to say every time she bragged about my big brother.

  But it was his eyes that drew me in the most. From the moment his icy blue gaze hit me I knew that was it. He was The One—capital letter worthy—and in my little girl imagination I was already planning our wedding, complete with a horse-drawn carriage and doves releasing the moment we kissed. It was all grotesquely romantic, completely unrealistic, and kind of nauseating whenever I thought back on those particular fantasies.

  Unfortunately for me, there wasn’t much a twelve-year old girl could do to hold the attention of a twenty-one year old man. I was still in a training bra for God’s sake! So there I was, suffering in silence for an entire week, holding my love deep inside so no one could have possibly guessed how I felt.

  Oh, and just an FYI, if you hadn’t yet figured out that I was an overly dramatic kid, let me just clear up any misconceptions.

  I totally was.

  Anyway, back to the topic at hand.

  I was in love. And the object of the slightly obsessive, somewhat misguided fantasies barely even knew I existed. The only words he spoke to me the entire week were, ‘What’s up, red?’ causing my pale skin to glow as brightly as the fiery hair I’d inherited from my father’s Irish side. It was in moments such as those that I cursed my handsome brother for getting everything from our mom’s side while I was stuck with hair that shined like a glowing beacon under any and all florescent lighting.