Promise Me
Page 30
“I just got off the phone with Nigel.”
“Oh?”
“He had an interesting meeting today.”
“Really?”
Vaughn takes my chin between his thumb and finger and turns my face to his. “The flowers were going to be a thank-you. You went to bat for me.”
“It was nothing.”
“It was everything.”
“You’ve done so much for me, Vaughn, and I haven’t thanked you nearly enough. You’ve fought for me from the start, and it was time I fought for you. When I heard you’d gotten the job and then lost it, I had to do something. You’re selfless, you speak from your heart, you’re perceptive, and America Rocks needs you as their host.”
“Nigel agrees.”
There’s a moment where everything stands still as those words sink in. A second later, I tackle hug the next host of America Rocks and knock him flat on his back. “Yay! That’s fantastic. Congratulations!” I kiss him all over his face, capturing his smile against my lips, swallowing his laughter with my own.
He rolls us over, careful to cushion my landing with his palm spread across my back. Looking up at him is better than looking at a double rainbow. Better than gazing at a sunrise. Better than a sky full of the brightest stars in the galaxy.
“Thank you,” he says.
“There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for you.”
“Really?” He’s half teasing, half asking. I get it. He needs confirmation of where I stand.
I’m about to answer when Snowflake comes barreling across the lawn, yapping away like we’re hiding her favorite bone and she’s bound and determined to retrieve it.
Vaughn scoops her up and returns to a sitting position beside me with Snow in his lap. “Hey, girl. Your timing sucks.”
I sit up. “How did she get out?”
“It’s not the first time. I think I know where she escapes from. Come on. I’ll help you close it up.” He moves to stand.
I stop him with a hand to his arm. “Wait.”
This moment right here is one I will never forget: our eyes locked, the air still, the only sound our beating hearts. “There’s nothing I want more than to be there for you. I’m sorry I got scared. I’m sorry I let you walk away like I did.” I take his hand in mine. “I love you. I love you so much I can’t imagine my life without you in it.”
Vaughn smiles. It’s big, bright. Mine. It rearranges my molecules. Makes me feel safe. Cherished. “Are you putting the ball back in my court, Kendall? Because I’ll warn you now, I’m keeping it.”
I smile in return. “That’s exactly what I’m doing. What you said on national tele—”
He kisses me. It’s lips and tongues, love and passion. I feel it everywhere, but most of all, in my heart. He pulls away way too soon. “You’re staying in L.A.?”
“Yes. This might sound weird, but I’ve found myself in the things that matter most,” I say. “Art in Progress. My sisters. You.”
Another full-watt smile lifts his mouth, lights his face, and renders me momentarily speechless. He puts Snow on the grass, gets to his feet, and lifts me up, spinning me around with my feet flying behind me.
“Vaaaauuuughn! Put me down!”
“No way. I’m not letting you go ever again.”
“Okay,” I say as he slows and eventually lowers me so my feet touch the ground. True to his word he doesn’t release me.
“I love you, Kendall. For the girl you were, and the woman you are.”
“Thanks for being patient with me.”
“Always.”
“Thanks for being mine.”
“Easiest thing I’ve ever done. And”—he kisses me—“something I will never take for granted.”
I smile. “I feel the same.”
“What do you say we take this mutual admiration society to my bedroom?”
“I say that sounds great.”
Snowflake barks. Vaughn and I laugh.
“How about my bedroom?” I ask.
“I don’t care where we go as long as I’ve got you to myself for the rest of the day.”
“That can be arranged.” We hold hands and lead Snow home.
“My life is about to get a lot more frenetic,” he says. “But no matter what, my priority is you. I can’t promise to shield you from everything, but we can keep our private life private. We don’t have to—”
“Hey, let’s take it one day at a time. I don’t need to hide anymore, even though I do like the idea of keeping things private.”
“We will then.”
“I have no doubt. You’re my someone, Vaughn. The person I want to share everything with. The person I want to treasure and protect and who will treasure and protect me in return. I wasn’t ready before, but I am now. As it turns out, I’ve had someone at my back this whole time.”
He stops our strides and cups my cheeks. “Always.” He kisses me softly on the mouth. “You had me at ‘Look out!’ you know. I kept looking at you and thinking this girl. She’s your soul mate. Don’t fuck it up. Promise me you’ll always be mine.”
“I promise.”
We kiss again, then tucked under his arm, we make our way up the driveway and toward something…more. We’re walking toward our future. No holding back. No shying away. I’m no longer stuck in my past. I’m no longer distracting myself from living life to the fullest. I’m in love. With Vaughn. And more importantly, with myself again.
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Acknowledgments
Big THANK-YOUs to:
All the usual suspects at Entangled—Stacy, Liz, Heather R., Curtis, Holly, Riki, Nancy Cantor, and the rest of the team.
Our readers—to the extent you don’t overlap, we hope you do now! We know your free time is precious, and we appreciate you spending some with Kendall and Vaughn.
To our families for their support of a year’s worth of weekend coffee dates and joint writing sessions.
To Social Butterly PR for helping spread the love!
To Nicola and Sandii, our unbribed beta readers, who disproved the notion that one gets what one pays for.
And last but not least, thanks to each other. Couldn’t have done it without you!
About the Author
When not attached to her laptop, USA Today Bestselling Author Robin Bielman can almost always be found with her nose in a book. A California girl, the beach is her favorite place for fun and inspiration. Her fondness for swoon-worthy heroes who flirt and stumble upon the girl they can’t live without jumpstarts all of her story ideas. She is a 2014 RITA Finalist, loves to frequent coffee shops, and plays a mean game of sock tug of war with her cute, but sometimes naughty dog, Harry. She cherishes her family and friends and loves to connect with readers. You can sign-up for her newsletter here: http://bit.ly/1E140Y4
Samanthe Beck lives in Malibu, California with her husband, their young son, a furry ninja named Kitty, and Bebe the trash talkin’ Chihuahua. When not writing fun, contemporary, melt-your-Kindle sexy romances for Entangled Publishing’s Brazen imprint, she searches for the perfect cabernet to pair with Ambien.
Also by Robin Bielman
the Wherever You Go series
Talk British to Me
Lips Close to Mine
Too Hard to Resist
the Kisses in the Sand series
Keeping Mr. Right Now
Blame It on the Kiss
The Best Friend Bargain
Yours at Midnight
the Take a Risk series
Worth the Risk
Risky Surrender
His Million Dollar Risk
the Secret Wishes series
Kissing the Maid of Honor
Her Accidental Boyfriend
Wild About Her Wingman
Also by Samanthe Beck
the Tropical Temptation series
Dirty Games
the Compromise Me series
Compromising Her Position
Hard Compromise
Compromised in Paradise
the Love Emergency series
Emergency Engagement
Emergency Delivery
Emergency Attraction
the Private Pleasure series
Private Practice
Light Her Fire
Falling for the Enemy
the McCade Brothers series
Lover Undercover
Falling for the Marine
Wicked Games
Best Man with Benefits
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