by L. Wilder
“Yeah.” She raked her teeth over her bottom lip as she nodded. “It really does.”
“Then, say yes.”
“You make it all sound so simple.”
“Because it is.” I smiled as I continued, “Just say yes, and I’ll prove it.”
“Okay, Mr. Walker. You’ve got yourself a deal. I’ll move in with you, but I should warn you about a few things first.”
“Such as?”
“My feet get really cold. I try to wear socks, but it doesn’t always help.”
“Already knew that.”
She grimaced as she admitted, “I’m a little grumpy in the morning.”
“Already picked up on that one.”
“I eat a gross amount of Tootsie Rolls when I write.”
I chuckled as I told her, “Noticed that one, too.”
“How?”
“Spotted the wrappers in the trash along with the ones you left on the coffee table.”
“Oh. My bad.” She giggled, then leaned closer and whispered, “There’s one more thing.”
“Um-hmm.”
“I love you.”
“That’s the only one that matters.”
I slipped my hand behind her neck and pulled her to me, kissing her long and hard. It was at that moment I knew my Christmas wish had been answered. Leslie was mine. Now and forever.
Epilogue
Epilogue
Six Months Later
As it turned out, choosing to be a little naughty on my trip to Montana ended up being one the best decisions I’ve ever made. I’d only been living with Colton for a few months when he surprised me by asking me to marry him. We both knew it was fast, but just like when I’d agreed to move in with him, it felt right. Colton was the love of my life, and I intended to hold onto him as long as life would allow it. Without hesitation, I’d agreed to his proposal, and a few months later, the day had come for us to say our vows. It was an incredible wedding. With all the trees and flowers in bloom, it was absolutely beautiful, but what made it so special was that all of our family and friends had come to share the day with us.
I was worried my kids would think I was making a mistake by getting married so quickly, but to my pleasant surprise, they were both extremely happy for me. I think it had helped that Colton had been so understanding about their feelings. Nathan and Grace both wanted me to be happy, but at the same time, they didn’t want to lose their mother. Understanding their concern, Colton had insisted I keep my house in Tennessee, so we could visit them whenever I wanted. It had meant a lot to me, but I think it meant even more to them.
After the wedding, Colton had planned a big party to celebrate. He and his boys had put up lights in all the trees and under the oversized white tent, and even created a make-shift dance floor next to the band so everyone could dance. The party was just getting started when Colton and I rushed upstairs to change out of our wedding attire. I’d just put on my dress and was trying to finish my hair when Colton came up behind me and slipped his arms around my waist. He lowered his mouth to my shoulder and started trailing butterfly kisses along the curved of my neck. “You look beautiful, Mrs. Walker.”
“Why, thank you, Mr. Walker. I’m glad you think so.” When he pulled me closer, I felt his growing erection poke me in the backside. Knowing he was up to no good, I turned to look over my shoulder as I fussed, “Colton.”
“Um-hmm,” he mumbled between kisses.
“We don’t have time for any shenanigans right now.”
“We have a few minutes.” My lips parted in surprise as he backed me up against the counter. The kiss was possessive and demanding, leaving no question as to what he had in mind. I gasped into his mouth when he pulled my hips closer to his, and my entire body melted in his arms. His mouth roamed over the curve of my neck as he whispered, “I’ll never get enough of you.”
“Colton …” I breathed.
I loved the way his hands felt on my body. Even though we were pressed for time, I let my inhibitions fall away and reached for his suit jacket, pulling it from his body and tossing it onto the bed. I bit my bottom lip as I lifted my arms over my head, waiting eagerly as he reached for the hem of the dress and slipped it over my head. Once it was gone, he looked down at me in my lace bra and panties and growled, “So damn perfect, and you’re mine. All mine.”
“Yes, and you are mine.”
His fingertips roamed over my bare skin, only stopping when he reached my breasts. He slipped his hands inside the cups of my bra, pulling my breasts free. I couldn’t stop myself from squirming as he gazed down on me. A low growl rumbled in his throat as his hands ran up my back and unhooked my bra. My fingers gripped his shoulders as he lowered his head to my breast, flicking his tongue across my sensitive flesh. My breath quickened as he moved to my other breast, and a shiver ran over me when the cold air hit the spot where his mouth had been.
He removed his mouth and hands from my breasts, letting my bra drift to the floor, and then reached for my waist, quickly turning me to face the mirror. I placed my hands on the counter, bracing myself as he inched closer. Goosebumps prickled against my skin when he placed his hands on my hips and slowly dragged my panties down to my ankles. Colton trailed the tips of his fingers along my inner thigh, and my breath caught when he slipped his fingers between my legs. “I need to be inside you, baby.”
He quickly unfastened his belt and eased down his zipper, and I groaned with anticipation as he reached between us, positioning himself at my entrance. With one hard thrust, he buried himself deep inside me. “Fuck!”
A hiss escaped my lips as my body tightened around him. His hands reached up to cup my breasts as he started to rock forward with shallow thrusts. My grip on the counter tightened when he started driving into me with longer, deeper strokes. Damn. He felt so good my entire body trembled as my climax quickly approached. Knowing I was getting close, Colton reached around and began teasing me with the pad of his thumb.
“Oh, God! Don’t stop,” I cried when my orgasm took hold and surged through my body. When my legs started to buckle, he brought his hands to my hips, holding me steady as he continued with his unrelenting rhythm. I felt his body tense with his impending release. His thrusts became harder, more relentless as he quickened his pace. Seconds later, he came deep inside me with a satisfied growl echoing around the room. He didn’t move. Instead, he just stayed buried deep inside me as his breath started to slow. After several moments, I glanced over my shoulder and whispered, “Colton. That was amazing, but we have to get downstairs.”
“Just one more minute.”
“They’re waiting for us.”
“I don’t care.”
“They’re going to know ...”
Before I could finish my thought, there was a knock at our door, followed by Natalie saying, “Leslie? You in there?”
“Yes!” I answered as I quickly pulled free from Colton’s hold, then started gathering my undergarments from the floor. “I’m changing. I’ll be right out.”
“Changing? Yeah, right,” she giggled. “I know what you two love birds are up to in there. He’s giving you the meat!”
“Oh, good God, Nat. Will you stop?”
At this point, Colton was smiling like the Cheshire cat—clearly amused by our exchange. I gave him a scornful look as I rushed towards the bathroom. Trying his best not to laugh, Colton asked, “What? I can’t help it that you just got busted by your buddy.”
“Colton Walker!” I stuck my head out of the bathroom as I fussed, “I wouldn’t have gotten busted if you’d listened when I said we didn’t have time.”
“You have a point there.” Colton leaned towards the door as he shouted, “It’s my fault, Natalie! She’s just too damn tempting. I can’t keep my hands off her.”
“I knew there was a reason why I liked you,” Natalie snickered. “I’ll see you two downstairs.”
“Okay. We’ll be right down.”
By the time I’d cleaned up and put my clothes back on,
Colton was dressed and waiting for me at the door. As I got closer to him, I noticed a spark of mischief flash through his eyes. I shook my head as I warned, “Don’t even think about it.”
“Too late. Already thinking about it.”
“Well, you’re going to have to wait.” I walked over to him and gave him a quick kiss. “We have some celebrating to do, Mr. Walker.”
“That we do, Mrs. Walker.” He placed his hands on my hips and inched me closer. “Just in case you didn’t know, I love you very much.”
“I love you, too. More than you know.”
After one more kiss, he took my hand in his and led me down to the party. It was our first night as husband and wife, but Colton Walker had owned my heart from the first night we’d met, and he’d continue to own it for the rest of our lives.
THE END
Acknowledgments
Acknowledgements
I am blessed to have so many wonderful people who are willing to give their time and effort to making my books the best they can be. Without them, I wouldn’t be able to breathe life into my characters and share their stories with you. To the people I’ve listed below and so many others, I want to say thank you for taking this journey with me. Your support means the world to me, and I truly mean it when I say I appreciate everything you do. I love you all!
PA: Natalie Weston
Editing/Proofing: Lisa Cullinan-Editor, Rose Holub-Proofer, Honey Palomino-Proofer
Promoting: Amy Jones, Veronica Ines Garcia, Neringa Neringiukas, Whynter M. Raven
BETAS/Early Readers: Tanya Skaggs, Jo Lynn, and Jessey Elliott
Street Team: All the wonderful members of Wilder’s Women (You rock!)
Best Friend and biggest supporter: My mother (Love you to the moon and back.)