He bent down close and she arched up on tiptoes. His lips met hers and he set to work convincing her. Cambree could hear the bellow of the crowd around them and she finally pulled back, staring into his dark eyes. “I love you, Emmett Hawk.”
“I love you too, Cambree Kinley.”
“Hey, you two are on the jumbotron,” Bridger said.
Cambree tried to pull back, but Emmett didn’t release her. “So do you approve of my crazy family?” he asked like they weren’t being videoed for the entire stadium to gawk at.
Cambree laughed. “I think I take the cake on the crazy family. Your family is perfect.”
“You’d better claim her, bro,” Bridger put in. “She told me I’m the backup plan.”
Emmett growled. “You’d better stay back or I’ll thump you good.”
“I’d like to see you try.”
“Boys,” Caroline cautioned. She put a hand on Emmett’s arm. “She’s a doll, Emmett. Great game, my boy. I’m so proud.”
Emmett released Cambree from the hug to enfold his mom in his arms. “Thanks for being here.”
“You know I’d never miss a game.” She pushed at him. “You stink, my love.”
“Cam didn’t seem to mind.” He winked at her. He shook his dad’s and Callum’s hands, receiving their congrats, then put Bridger in a headlock.
Cambree glanced around and noticed they had a pretty good crowd around them. Luckily the guy who made fun of her earlier was nowhere to be seen. Little kids held out footballs and papers to be autographed as their parents watched with smiles.
Emmett glanced at her. “I’m gonna work this crowd, then go shower. I’ll see you later?”
“If I’m impressed by your crowd-working.”
He grinned and gave her one more quick kiss, then slipped around her to start signing autographs. He was so comfortable and confident. Her stomach swooped, and she worried again if she could really do this, really be the girlfriend of a superstar like Emmett. Then he glanced back at her with a huge grin, and she had to return that smile. It was a special smile, reserved for the woman he loved—her.
Caroline put her arm around Cambree’s waist. “Will you come with us to dinner? We’re going to Los Tios. It’s kind of a staple with the Titans. Emmett will meet us there.”
“I’d love to.” She glanced at Emmett again. “I bet you’re bursting with pride,” she said to his mom.
Caroline beamed at her. “Yes, I am.” She lowered her voice. “And I’m praying you’ll say yes when he proposes. I know how much he loves you, and I already love you too.”
Cambree had to blink at the sudden tears forming in her eyes. She’d been worried if this classy lady would even accept her, but Emmett’s mother was so filled with love she was impossible to resist. “Thank you, Caroline.”
Tom put his arm around Caroline and escorted her up the steps. Callum gestured for Cambree to go ahead. He was on his phone again, but he did offer Cambree a welcoming smile, and she’d never forget how he defended her earlier. Bridger offered his arm and Cambree walked up the steps with Emmett’s family. She, Cambree Kinley, felt like a part of the renowned Hawk family. All because of Emmett. She hated being separated for him for a moment, but as she glanced back and saw him ruffling a small boy’s hair as the boy beamed up at him, she knew he needed to be where he was. She’d get time with him tonight, away from the cameras. If the happy bubbles in her stomach were any indication, tonight was going to be fabulous.
Chapter Seventeen
Cambree slipped her high-heeled sandals off and sank into Emmett’s leather sofa. The view from his downtown Dallas condo was unreal, high above the entire city, the lights sparkling far below.
“So this is how the richie half live, eh?” she asked.
Emmett sat next to her and handed her a water bottle.
“Thanks,” she said, taking a long drink. The dinner with his family had been fun, lots of teasing and stories, and even when she said something too blunt, they all laughed and seemed to like her. Even Callum relaxed a little bit and put his phone away during dinner. Callum’s show of support at the game had really endeared him to her, and she could allow herself to trust his family to treat her like an equal and be there for her.
“You like it?” Emmett gestured to the view.
Cambree turned and focused on his handsome face. “Very much.”
Emmett grinned and leaned closer, softly kissing her.
“I like that very much too,” she muttered against his lips. “Especially since you don’t smell like my brother’s hockey gear he hasn’t washed in two years anymore.”
“Oh, ouch.” Emmett put a hand to his chest. “I was that bad after the game?”
Cambree laughed. “You were close, but I can take a little stink.”
Emmett set his water bottle on the coffee table and took hers also and set it down. He wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her closer. “You’re the toughest woman I know. I think you could handle anything.”
Cambree bit at her lip. “You think pretty highly of me, but I don’t know if I can handle all of this.” She gestured around at the condo that was nicer than any place she’d ever seen, including his high-dollar fitness camp.
Emmett studied her. “Cam. If you want me to sell all my houses and live in a trailer like your mama, I would do it for you.”
“H-houses?” she squeaked out.
He nodded.
“Where are these …” She gulped. “Houses?”
Emmett pressed his lips together, then finally spilled out, “Sun Valley, Park City, Maui, and Costa Rica.”
“Hmm. So lots of snow-skiing and lots of beach time?”
He nodded.
“And you’d give all that up … for me?”
“In a second.”
Cambree stared at him, her heart thumping quicker and quicker. “Ah, you sweetie.” She cupped his cheek and kissed him once softly, then harder. Emmett pulled her in tight and kissed her and kissed her and kissed her. His mouth was demanding yet gentle. When he deepened the kiss, her stomach smoldered with heat.
Cambree finally came up for air and had to rearrange her hair back out of her face. “Whew, you do know how to heat a body up.”
Emmett threw back his head and laughed. “And you do know how to make me so happy.” He lifted her onto his lap and trailed kisses along her neck before capturing her mouth again. Cambree clung to his strong shoulders and enjoyed every movement of his lips and his hands.
“Marry me?” he murmured against her lips.
Cambree drew back quickly, gasping. “Wh-what? We haven’t dated long enough to—”
Emmett cut her protests off with another kiss, even more intense than the last. He deepened the kiss and the pleasure receptors in her mouth went nuts. She had no clue which way was up when he released her mouth and whispered, “Please marry me, sweetheart.”
Cambree tickled her fingers through his hair and stared at his handsome face. “If you’ll promise to tattoo ‘Cambree’s boy’ across your forehead.”
Emmett whooped and laughed. “Done!”
“I was joking. I don’t want any tattoos on this perfect face. Maybe across your chest, but … hmm, wait, that’s perfect also.” She winked and cupped his cheeks with her hands, loving the short hair under her palms.
“I hate needles, but I’d do anything for you, Cam.”
“Wimp.” She smiled as she ran her fingers down across his shoulders. He was the toughest man she’d ever met. “I’m super proud of you, by the way. You showed everyone how tough you were today.”
“Thanks. It was a hard game, but it felt great too.” He got a mischievous grin. “I’m always ‘super proud’ of you, but I’d be prouder of you if you’d agree to marry me.”
“Then I guess I’d better make you the proudest man in the world and say yes.”
“Yes?”
Cambree took a breath and closed her eyes. She opened them to study his handsome face. His dark eyes so full of yearning
… for her. “Yes,” she whispered.
“Yes!” He punched a fist in the air. “That’s my girl.” He tucked her in close for a kiss she would always treasure.
His words rang through her head. She was his, and he was definitely hers. The only things sweeter than those truths were the tantalizing kisses he bestowed on her.
The Stealth Warrior
Prologue
Kiera Richins clung to Creed Hawk’s broad back. She could feel the perfect ridges of muscle through his t-shirt. He’d been home on leave from the SEALs for less than a week, and in the morning, he would leave her again. Why did it feel like this was truly goodbye instead of see you soon? She ached more than if she’d been en pointe for hours on end. Physical agony, she could handle. Losing Creed? Her world would shatter.
Creed pulled back slightly, and his dark gaze focused on her. The moonlight sparkled off of his handsome face. The waves rolled and gently crashed into the sand beneath their feet as they stood on the beach near his parents’ Sands Point home on Long Island. Kiera hardly took notice of the saltwater drenching the hem of her floor-length sundress. All she could focus on was Creed, and all she could wish was he wasn’t going to put his life on the line again. He was honorable and heroic, and she loved him for it, but why did it have to hurt so much to constantly be ripped apart from each other?
“It’s all right, love,” Creed said, understanding her unspoken worries. “Only four more months, and then my enlistment’s up. Then you’ll never have to say goodbye to this handsome face again.”
She smiled, knowing his over-confidence was more to tease her, keep her from wallowing over his imminent departure. Creed didn’t actually care that he was the best-looking man on the planet. He and his famous brothers had heard it often enough. Her smile fell away. “I don’t want you to give up the SEALs for me. You live and breathe it.” Though it was true, she hated saying those words. Hated trying to be brave when she felt anything but.
“I live and breathe you,” he murmured, touching his warm lips to hers. Their mouths got caught up in an intricate dance that was better than any ballet or salsa move she could perform with her body. That was saying a lot since she’d been focused on mastering both disciplines from the day she started to walk. She sometimes wondered how Creed choreographed their kisses to be so all-encompassing, so perfect, but right now, she couldn’t spend any time wondering, she simply let herself feel and savor.
Creed pulled back, but Kiera tugged him closer, running her hands over his shoulders and his broad back. “I want to be with you,” she said quickly before she lost her nerve. She wanted to become one with him and know that they were bound together by something stronger than the promises they’d made. If she lost him, she wanted to have this memory, this night together. As her awkward words escaped, she knew all the saints in heaven were muttering prayers over her right now. Her staunchly Catholic abuelita would ring her neck if she was still around to curse and cuss Kiera like she had been wont to do.
“You are with me,” Creed said.
Kiera gulped and didn’t know if she could spell it out. She truly shouldn’t spell it out, should just hug him and move on, but she couldn’t resist him any longer. She needed the bonding of their love to sustain her when he left tomorrow.
“All the way with you,” she whispered, guilt rushing in as quickly as the words escaped.
Creed’s eyes widened, and then he studied her with a smoldering look that made fire rush through her. Kiera felt so alive yet terrified at the same time. They’d stayed strong for many years. One of them would always be sane enough to cool the fires before they raged out of control. What would the next step do to their relationship?
Creed’s gaze swept over her, warm and filled with desire. Then he laughed. It wasn’t a short, easy laugh. This laughter rumbled through his chest and blasted out of him. He laughed so hard he could hardly catch a breath.
Kiera gasped, pulled away from him, and folded her arms across her chest. “I’m glad my awkward offering could give you something to cackle about.” She threw the words at him.
Creed stopped laughing though he was still smiling. “I know I’m irresistible, but did you really just proposition me?”
Kiera turned away, humiliated. “Don’t think so highly of yourself, Creed Hawk. It was a once-in-a-lifetime offer that’s gone now.” She snapped her fingers at him.
Creed chuckled again, but then he sobered and turned her toward him, pulling her in tight. She didn’t even attempt a resistance. “Sweet Kiera,” he whispered huskily. “You have no clue how badly I want you, but remember our promise?”
Of course she remembered their promise. That promise had kept them from doing anything more than kissing for the past eight years, since he was a senior in high school and she was a sophomore. She’d fallen head over heels for Creed Hawk. They’d always been so in love it had been hard to stop their physical need for each other, but Creed was strong and disciplined, and so was she. They’d promised to save themselves for marriage and for each other, and though she loved their promise and had worked hard to honor it, she couldn’t deny that she wanted more right now.
“It’s still true, love. Our bond is stronger than a physical one, and when we’re bound together before God, his angels, and all of our loved ones, being together will be magical for us.” He kissed her softly and whispered against her lips, “I promise.”
“But what if you don’t come back to me?” She felt like a whiny little girl instead of the accomplished, renowned dancer she was. She was one of twenty dancers out of thousands of applicants to win a spot on America’s Got Talent: Just Dance. She’d worked her entire life to be at the top. Right now, she didn’t care about anything except Creed coming back to her, and if wishes could come true, never leaving her.
Creed smiled that irresistible smile of his. “You’re the reason I will come back.”
He held her tight. Her head rested in the crook of his neck like they’d been designed for each other. She clung to him and blinked the tears away. Creed was strong, brilliant, and determined. He would come back to her. Then they’d get married and be together. He’d promised. So why was her stomach rolling, and why were her palms clammy with a premonition that all their love and promises might be swept away faster than the next wave?
Several weeks had passed since Kiera had been in Creed’s arms. She savored the memory every chance she got, but she’d also worked fourteen to sixteen-hour days getting ready for the chance of a lifetime—the finals of America’s Got Talent: Just Dance. Miraculously, she and her partner, Milo, had won the competition. The moment was amazing, with her parents being there to celebrate and so many friends and family supporting her. Creed’s parents had also been in the crowd, but sadly, Creed couldn’t be there.
The celebration continued as she and Milo were interviewed on daytime shows. Offers to not only dance on the biggest stages in the world, but to be the focus of the show, started rolling in.
Soon, it was back to work, which Kiera actually preferred. She hadn’t minded the interviews and the hype, but she’d worked long days for so many years to be where she was at, and she simply loved to dance, to move, and to improve her dancing. Milo was a well-matched partner for her. They’d worked together on Broadway before they’d taken the shot at Just Dance. Since it had paid off, they were spending a lot of time together. He was a nice guy and an amazing dancer, but Kiera had had to draw lines a few times and explain she’d already found the love of her life.
Someday, she and Creed would be together. That dream and her memories of Creed were a part of everything she did, giving her strength, direction, and hope.
Kiera and Milo were practicing in a rented studio for a show in London tonight. They finished an intimate bachata-style salsa number, and Milo ran his hand down her waistline, giving her a smoldering look. Kiera straightened and tried to move away, but Milo grasped her waist and pulled her in tight.
“The song’s over,” she said, hoping her voice sounded
cold and unemotional.
“But you and I could just be starting,” Milo whispered.
Kiera jerked free and folded her arms across her chest. “There is no us, Milo. I told you I have a boyfriend.”
Milo stepped closer, his chest brushing her arms. “What kind of an idiot boyfriend can’t even be there for the biggest events of your life?”
Kiera unfolded her arms and pushed hard at his chest. He instinctively stepped back. “You’re the idiot. Don’t ever come on to me again or we’re done as partners.”
Milo rolled his eyes and gave a disgusted grunt. “We’re fabulous together, Kiera. You have to see that.”
Kiera would lose a lot of contracts if she dumped him as a dance partner, but at the moment, she didn’t care. Why did Creed have to be so far away? If he was here now, he’d whip Milo’s butt, and the guy would never try anything like this again.
“We’re fabulous as dance partners. That’s all.” She arched an eyebrow and dared him to challenge her. If he couldn’t keep things platonic between them, she’d have to find another partner. The thought made her neck tighten. It would be a nightmare to find a partner with Milo’s talent and dedication. On top of that was the fact they had won Just Dance as a couple. What would happen to all their contracts if they split up?
Milo spread his hands and lifted his shoulders. “You can’t blame a guy for trying.” He grinned at her.
“That’s what you think.” Kiera turned and strode to where she’d left her water bottle and purse by the edge of the wooden floor. “Let’s take a break,” she said.
Milo shrugged, clicked off the music, and headed for the bathroom.
Kiera took a long swallow of water, trying to calm her racing heart. Milo made her so mad, bagging on Creed like that, but she needed him if she was going to be successful in her career. Maybe it was time to keep her eyes open for another partner, quietly have her agent put out some feelers. This wasn’t the first time Milo had made a pass at her, and she doubted it would be the last. She blew out a breath. Ah, Creed. Why did he have to be on some secretive mission? She missed him but at the same time, she was so proud of him. Creed had been born to succeed in the military, and he was on an elite team of SEALs now. She knew he was doing amazing things for their country, and it made her love him even more, no matter how badly she missed him.
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