“Lance, I need…”
“Wait, before you say anything, can I show you another piece I did?”
“Okay,” she happily agreed, since she didn’t have a clue how she was going to break the news to him that a stork would be dropping off a delivery in nine months, or however long it took to grow a human.
He scrolled on his phone and turned it toward her. It was a pinup, and it had her face.
“Wait is…is that me?”
“Yes.” His smile grew wider. “It was the first tattoo I did the day after I got here. I didn’t even realize that I’d done it until I was going through my pics to update my Instagram on the flight here. From the moment I saw you, you were part of my soul. My DNA. You were a part of me. I love you, Leah. I didn’t even know what love was, what real love was until I met you.”
Leah felt tears well in her eyes, it was everything she’d wanted to hear. But would he feel like that after he found out that she was carrying his baby? Would he think she’d tried to trap him?
“Can I show you one more tattoo?” he asked. “I did it right after I finished Marisela’s.”
“Sure.” She felt her breathing grow shallow.
He pushed up the sleeve on the gray thermal he was wearing, revealing his forearm that was filled with ink. Her eyes scanned his skin, wondering which one he meant. Then he turned his arm and she saw it. It was a question written in old English. It said, Leah, Will You Marry Me?
She clapped her hand over her mouth and gasped in shock.
“I am so sorry for walking out.” Lance got down on one knee and pulled a ring out of his pocket. “If you let me, I want to spend the rest of my life making it up to you. Leah Porter, will you marry me?”
“Um…” Tears were falling down her cheeks as her hands trembled so bad she was barely able to pull the ultrasound out of her pocket. “First I need to show you something.”
She handed it to him and waited for him to say something. To do something. But he just stayed down on one knee staring down at it. She wanted so badly to tell him everything she was feeling and thinking, but she didn’t. She waited to hear what he had to say. She needed to really hear him, not just hear what she wanted to hear.
“Is this…are you…?”
“It’s an ultrasound. I’m six weeks pregnant. It’s yours. And as much as I love you and I want to say yes, I need you to know how I feel about this first.”
His eyes were filled with caution. “Okay.”
“I love you, Lance. I do. I love you so much I’d be willing to give up wine and murder shows for you. But I also love Bean.” She looked down at her belly. “And I’m going to have this baby. If that’s not what you want, it’s totally fine. I understand that. But it’s both of us or neither of us. We’re a package deal.” She felt her lip trembling and she pulled it between her teeth. There was no way she wanted him to do this because he felt sorry for her.
His eyes began to water right before he wrapped his arms around her, hugging her tightly around her waist as he pressed his cheek to her stomach.
“Deal.” He mumbled against her. “Deal.”
She was glad he was holding her because her knees buckled with relief, with happiness, with more joy than she’d ever felt in her life. And she knew that this was just the beginning, the beginning of the rest of her life with a tattooed, motorcycle-riding bad boy with a heart of gold.
THE END
Just One Touch
Don’t Miss
JUST ONE TOUCH – Leo & Jasmine
Coming January 2020
A Note From Melanie and Shawna
Hello chickadees and chickadudes!
Melanie and I LOVE getting to know our readers so if you would like two new besties (yep, you get two for the price of one like!) please connect with us on our Facebook page. And if you want two new besties-for-life then come join our tribe of happily-ever-after junkies in our reader group: Club HEA with Melanie Shawn.
We hope you enjoyed Leah and Lance’s rocky road to HEA. We loved their story! *cough* even though it took them long enough to get the bow-chick-a-wow-wow *cough*
Want to know the soundtrack of Leah and Lance’s HEA? Check out their playlist below.
Crazy In Love – Beyoncé
Bleeding Love – Leona Lewis
The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face – Roberta Flack
Hero – Enrique Iglesias
How Do I Live – LeAnn Rimes
Un-Break My Heart – Toni Braxton
She Will Be Loved – Maroon 5
Just The Way You Are – Billy Joel
Iris – Goo Goo Dolls
It Must Have Been Love – Roxette
Two Occasions – Babyface
You’re The Inspiration – Chicago
And to keep up with all our new releases, sales, and general book (and life) shenanigans make sure to sign up for our newsletter!
And as always we wish you love, laughter, and happily ever after!
Shawna & Melanie
Other Titles by Melanie Shawn
THE CROSSROADS SERIES
My First – Book 1
My Last – Book 2
My Only – Book 3
My Everything – Book 4
Tempting Love – Book 5
Crazy Love – Book 6
Actually Love – Book 7
Fairytale Love – Book 8
My Love – Novella 8.5
All He Wants – Book 9
All He Needs – Book 10
All He Feels – Book 11
All He Desires – Book 12
Just One Night – Book 13
Just One Kiss – Book 14
THE HOPE FALLS SERIES
Sweet Reunion – #1
Sweet Harmonies – #2
Sweet Victory – #3
Home Sweet Home – #4
One Sweet Day – Novella #4.5
Snow Angel – #5
Snow Days – #6
Snowed In – #7
Let It Snow – #8
Perfect Kiss – #9
Secret Kiss – #10
Magic Kiss – #11
Lucky Kiss – #12
Christmas Wish – Holiday Novella #12.5
Fire and Love – #13
Fire and Foreplay – #14
Fire and Romance – #15
Fire and Temptation – #16
WISHING WELL, TEXAS SERIES
Teasing Destiny – Book 1
Convincing Cara – Book 2
Discovering Harmony – Book 3
Taming Travis – Book 4
Claiming Colton – Book 5
Trusting Bryson – Book 6
Seducing Sawyer – Book 7
Unwrapping Jade – Book 8
STEAMY WEEKENDS SERIES
Charming Cupid
Seducing Cinderella
Resisting Romeo
VALENTINE BAY SERIES
Protecting My Heart – Book 1
Rescuing His Heart – Book 2
Rocking Her Heart – Book 3
Playing By Heart – Book 4
Unbreak My Heart – Book 5
WHISPER LAKE SERIES
Whisper of Love – Book 1
Whisper of Surrender – Book 2
Whisper of Attraction – Book 3
Whisper of Temptation – Book 4
About the Author
Melanie Shawn is the writing team of sister duo Melanie and Shawna. Originally from Northern California, they both migrated south and now call So Cal their home.
Growing up, Melanie constantly had her head in a book and was always working on short stories, manuscripts, plays and poetry. After graduating magna cum laude from Pepperdine University, she went on to teach grades 2nd through 8th for five years. She now spends her days writing and taking care of her furry baby, a Lhasa Apso named Hercules. In her free time, her favorite activity is to curl up on the couch with that stubborn, funny mutt and binge-watch cable TV shows on DVD (preferably of at least eight seasons in length – a g
irl’s gotta have her standards!).
Shawna always loved romance in any form – movie, song or literary. If it was a love story with a happy ending, Shawna was all about it! She proudly acknowledges that she is a romanceaholic. Her days are jam-packed with writing, being a wife, mom aka referee of two teens, and indulging in her second passion (dance!) as a Zumba instructor. In the little free time she has, she joins Melanie in marathon-watching DVDs of their favorite TV programs.
They have joined forces to create a world where True Love and Happily Ever After always has a Sexy Twist!
You can keep up with all the latest Melanie Shawn news, including new releases and contests, at:
melanieshawn.com
and
facebook.com/melanieshawnbooks
Just One Look - Leah and Lance (Crossroads Book 15) Page 26