Happily Ever After Collection

by Melanie Moreland

  “Awesome. Did you help?”

  “Yes. I mixed the brownies and looked after Theo!”

  I kissed her again and handed her a bunch of daisies. They were her favorite these days. “These are for you for being such a good girl.”

  She squirmed from my arms, heading for the door. “Mommy! Look, I got flowers!”

  Smiling, I followed her, enjoying the feeling of home when I walked in the door. Sam had created a warm, loving space for us. The bungalow had needed a lot of TLC when we found it, but we liked the area and the huge backyard. There was a newer pool, which I had fenced off, and we were still working at making it ours, but it had come a long way since the first time we saw it. The hardwood floors gleamed under my feet as I made my way to the kitchen we had gutted and redone. It was Sam’s domain, and she chose every single detail that went into making it hers.

  She turned as I entered the room, holding Theo close to her chest as she gave a small vase to Chloe. I set down my messenger bag, handed Sam some flowers, and took my son into my arms.

  Then I kissed my wife. It was a long, lingering kiss of “Hello” and “I missed you.”

  “Hey,” I murmured against her hair.

  “Hi,” she whispered back.

  Theo squirmed, and I glanced down, grinning. “Hey, buddy. I see you. And I didn’t forget about you.” I slipped a new squishy bunny into his hand, laughing as he grabbed on to it, flinging his arm around and grunting in curiosity.

  “I hear there’s a picnic happening.”

  Sam chuckled. “We’re celebrating we get you for six months.”

  I grinned. “We’ll see if you’re celebrating at the end of it.”

  Sam and I split the year-long parental leave that the Canadian government allowed. I kept working and she took six months off, and now our roles were reversing. I wanted the time to spend with my son. He changed so much every day, and I hated to miss it. I had barely taken a day off since I went to medical school, so the prospect of six months with just my family and no patients was both exhilarating and frightening. Sam was only returning part-time for the next six months, so we would have lots of downtime together. She planned to work around Theo’s schedule, and I planned to accomplish some renovations and quality time with my wife and children.

  After a lengthy conversation, Alan had relinquished his parental rights, and now, legally, I was Chloe’s dad. I never wanted her to think she meant anything less to me than Theo or any other siblings. She was my daughter, and I loved her.

  I settled Theo on my shoulder, and we carried the picnic out back. Sam had the table set, and we enjoyed the fun meal she had made, finishing it off with brownies.

  I sat back, Theo asleep in his carrier and Chloe happily swinging on the set Marv and I had built for her. Her family of Stitches sat on the table watching her—the original Stitch looking his age and definitely worse for wear. Or as Sam would say, “Well-loved.” I lifted him from the table, examining his many repairs.

  “He needs to be retired,” Sam commented.

  I chuckled. “Little guy brought us together. I owe him.”

  “Our little matchmaker.”

  “That he is. Without his penchant for getting lost, I never would have found you.”

  Sam smiled. “Then I guess we better keep him around.”

  “Yep.”

  I took Sam’s hand, kissing the palm. “I can’t wait to see what the next six months bring.”

  She laughed, leaning over to tuck Theo’s blanket a little higher. Then she pressed her hand to my face. “The time since I met you has been wild.”

  I pretended shock. “What are you talking about? Don’t other people meet, fall in love, get married, have a baby, adopt a daughter, buy a house, move, and change jobs in a short time frame? That’s not normal?”

  She smirked. “Maybe for us it is.”

  “How about we chill, hang with our kids, demo a couple rooms, and just enjoy life, then? Try something a little different?”

  “As long as it’s with you, I’m game.”

  I leaned over, kissing her.

  “Always, sweet Sammy. Always.”

  Chapter 1

  Jackson

  There was a loud crunch of gravel as tires going too fast spun on the loose rock, shooting dust and debris into the air. Brakes squealed as a vehicle shuddered to a halt.

  Someone was obviously in a hurry.

  “Shit,” Tom muttered. “Heads up, Jackson.”

  I glanced around and stifled a groan as the driver’s side of the large black pickup was flung open and a pair of shapely legs slid out, the delicate feet encased in shoes that had no business being close to a construction site. Those small feet marched my way, carrying the petite, dark-haired woman—the boss’s daughter—Laura Simmons.

  “Jackson,” she greeted me, her tone caustic. “I was worried you’d perhaps fallen into a cement mixer or off the scaffolding when you didn’t return my calls. I’m thrilled to see you alive and well.”

  I resisted the urge to laugh. I was pretty sure “thrilled” wasn’t the word she wanted to use.

  I feigned surprise. “You called?” I made a show of pulling my phone out of my back pocket. “The damn thing’s been acting up lately. I must have missed your voice mails.”

  She glared at me, crossing her arms, which pushed her pert breasts together, the hint of cleavage peeking through the vee of her dark-red shirt. I snapped my eyes away from the glimpse of the smooth skin and instead focused my attention on the tall man following Laura at a leisurely pace.

  “Jackson,” he said with a tilt of his head and a smirk playing on his lips partially hidden by his heavy moustache. His gray hair gleamed in the sunlight, and his blue eyes twinkled in amusement. “Phone trouble again?”

  I smirked back. “Damnedest thing, Hank.”

  Laura snorted—a distinctly unladylike sound—and held out her hand. “Give me your phone, and I’ll take it into the Apple Store and have them check it out.”

  “No, I’ll take care of it.”

  “I insist.” She smiled sweetly. “It is, after all, company property.”

  “No, really,” I ground out between clenched teeth. “I’ll take care of it.”

  She opened her mouth to protest, but Hank interrupted her. “Leave it. If Jackson says he’ll take care of it, he will.”

  She snapped her mouth shut, those pouty, plump lips thinning out. Her blue eyes, the exact shade as her father’s, spoke volumes, though. They were shooting lasers at me, which I ignored.

  “What’s up, Hank?”

  “We need to go over the budget. I asked Laura to set up a meeting with you, but she was, ah, unable to get in contact. I decided to come see you, and she tagged along.”

  “I understood you were out of town, Laura.”

  “I got back early.”

  “Awesome.” I nodded and turned back to Hank. “You want me to come to the office, or you want to do it here?”

  “Come to the office after you’re done.”

  “You want me to grab us dinner?”

  “Angelo’s?” he asked hopefully.

  “No,” Laura snapped. “No pizza for you, Hank! You know what the doctor said.”

  He rolled his eyes. “He said to watch it, not that I couldn’t have pizza on occasion.”

  “When’s the last time you had it?”

  “Weeks ago—maybe longer.”

  She pivoted my way, her hands on her hips. “Jackson?”

  I held up my hands. “I’m not your father’s keeper. I have no idea what he eats.”

  She pursed her lips, her foot tapping on the gravel, glaring at both Hank and me. It was a nice change not to be the only one with whom she was annoyed.

  “No bacon or sausage,” she snapped. “Light on the cheese.”

  “Sure.”

  Hank caught my gaze and rolled his eyes, letting me know what he thought of her command. I could work something out and keep them both happy. She’d probably only stick around fo
r a few minutes. Maybe I’d grab two pizzas—one to make Laura happy, and one for Hank and me, and once she left, I’d bring in the latter.

  My plan would have worked—except she didn’t leave. That evening, back at the office, I spent a couple of hours being grilled by her over the budget and glared at by Hank for handing him a pizza covered in vegetables and a dusting of cheese. The fact that half had pepperoni on it didn’t help since Laura watched which half he ate from, slapping his hand when he reached for the pepperoni. His mood darkened even more when she had the audacity to eat the pizza he felt should be his. He got even by sitting back and letting her pick apart every decision I had made.

  When she got up to get a file, I growled, “Thanks for the backup.”

  “Thanks for the lousy dinner.”

  “I have a full works in the truck.”

  “Oh yeah?”

  “Good luck getting it after you let ‘The General’ at me,” I snarled, using the nickname the guys had for her.

  He smirked as Laura swept back into the room, her skirt hem flipping up as she sat down, giving me a glimpse of her knees. Her soft, rounded knees.

  “Now, about the overtime,” she started.

  Hank held up his hand. “The overtime was necessary. The client wanted the changes and knew it would cost them.” He crossed his legs. “In fact, I’m pretty sure I remember okaying most of these expenditures. The ones I didn’t I know about, Jackson wouldn’t have spent if they weren’t necessary.”

  We both gaped at him. He stood, stretching. “You head home, kiddo. You must be tired. I need to talk over a couple other things with Jackson. I’ll call you on the weekend.”

  She gathered up her files and left the office, muttering. I waited until I heard her car leave the parking lot, and I glared at him. “Just like that? Suddenly, everything is fine because you want to get your hands on that other pizza? You’re such a jerk.”

  “That was only part of it. I do enjoy watching the two of you spar. I can’t believe you let her tell you what to put on the pizza.”

  I groaned. “You’re my boss, Hank, but let’s face it—she runs the show. I didn’t dare bring in the other one.”

  He huffed. “Will you ever get along?”

  I wasn’t sure what to say, so I shrugged. “Maybe one day.”

  He shook his head. “The two of you drive me nuts. Go get the other pizza before she thinks of something else and comes back to keep arguing.”

  I laughed, because she would.

  A while later, I pulled into the garage, smiling in anticipation. My girl’s car was parked on the other side of mine, which meant she was here—waiting for me.

  I stopped in the mudroom, shedding my clothes and stepping in the shower, ridding myself of the dust and dirt of the day. The hot water pounding against my aching back felt great, but I kept it short since I was anxious to see her. Wrapping a towel around my waist, I grabbed another one and ran it through my hair. I studied myself in the mirror. My hair was still a sandy brown, a few silver strands around my forehead starting to make an appearance. My face was still unlined, aside from the crinkles around my hazel eyes. I kept in shape, hard work and time at the gym making my muscles strong and my posture straight. My girl called me sexy and like to show me how much she appreciated my body. I enjoyed it immensely and returned the favor as often as I could.

  Tossing the towel I used on my head in the hamper, I made my way down the hall to my bedroom, pushing open the door. She was curled up on my bed, her dark hair spread out on the pillow, smiling that smile—the one only I ever saw. Filled with warmth, light, and love. Love for me.

  I dropped the towel and slid into bed, pulling her to me. “God, I missed you. I hate it when you go away.”

  “I hate it too,” she whispered.

  “Tell him no next time,” I murmured against her lips.

  “I can’t.”

  “I know.”

  Fisting my hands in her thick hair, I brought her sweet mouth to mine. Our breath mingled, lips ghosting together. Her velvet tongue touched my bottom lip, and I was lost. With a deep groan, I crushed her to me and kissed her deep. Hard. Our tongues met, stroking and delving, wet and wanting. She clutched my shoulders as I clasped her tight, my need for her overwhelming and strident. My body hummed with arousal; the feeling of her lush curves molding to my hard planes was perfection. She was made to fit beside me. She belonged right here. I hovered over her, staring into her lovely blue eyes, caught in the emotions they reflected back at me.

  “I need you,” I rasped.

  “Have me,” she moaned, wrapping her legs around my hips, guiding me to her heat. I thrust forward, hissing at the sensation of being joined with her again. Every time was like the first time. Every time, I was overcome by the feeling of coming home. I moved within her, groaning her name against her skin as I ran wet, openmouthed kisses on her neck, burying my face in her hair and breathing her in.

  The intense pleasure of her mouth against my skin, the press of her body on mine, and the heat of her surrounding my cock were too much. I came forcefully as she gasped and shuddered around me, her muscles clamping down, milking my orgasm as I shouted and slammed into her as deep as I could.

  She wound her arms around me, pulling me to her chest. Gentle, long strokes of her fingers in my hair caused a slow, contented sigh to escape my mouth.

  “You were a sight for sore eyes today.”

  “I missed you so much, I caught an earlier flight. When Dad said he was going to see you, I almost ripped the keys out of his hand,” she admitted. “I couldn’t wait another minute—even if I had to act pissy.”

  I grinned against her neck, nipping the silky skin sharply. “You do it well, sweet girl. I almost bought your act.”

  “It was hard. All I wanted to do was fling myself into your arms.”

  “You’re here now.”

  “Why didn’t you answer my calls?”

  “I wanted to—but I was surrounded the whole day. I thought you were still away, and I missed you so fucking much I was sure anyone hearing me talk to you would know. I was going to call you back as soon as I was free.”

  “So, you weren’t ignoring me?”

  “I could never ignore you. Ever.”

  “Good.”

  I chuckled as I kissed her head. “Nice try getting my phone away from me, though. After what you did to it last time, I am not falling for that again.”

  “I thought you liked the ringtones.”

  “Barry White? I don’t think so. Never mind the pictures you put on it. Christ, I had a raging hard-on every time I looked at my screen.” I paused. “The ‘reminders’ popping up didn’t help either.”

  7 p.m.—Lick my girl’s pussy until she screams.

  8 p.m.—Take my girl hard.

  9 p.m.—Make my girl suck my cock.

  She smirked. “It worked, though. You didn’t forget.”

  “I could never forget needing to fuck you.” I growled, knowing it would make her giggle.

  She didn’t disappoint, her breathy little sounds filling the room. Then a large exhale of air left her mouth.

  “What was that sound for?”

  “I hate acting angry at you all the time. I feel like I’m two different people.”

  “I know. It’s the only way we can be together—at least for now.” I nuzzled her head. “We’ll figure this out.”

  “Promise?” she asked, her voice anxious.

  “Yes.” I tightened my grip. “How was your mother?”

  “Worse than ever. This house needs to be done—and soon.”

  I chuckled. When Hank’s ex-wife had decided to fully renovate her house, she insisted Hank make the arrangements for her, even though she lived halfway across the country. Still unable to deny her anything, he did as she requested, but she was a horrible client, constantly changing her mind, causing everyone grief. Mimi’s phone calls were endless, and being the coward Hank was, he sent Laura to deal with the problems when they couldn’t be fix
ed over the phone.

  “You need to tell him to deal with this shit. He’s the one who can’t say no to the woman.”

  “I know. I’ll talk to him and make him go next time.” She snuggled closer. “I could hardly wait to get back to you.”

  “Welcome home, baby.”

  “I love you, Jackson.”

  I sighed into her hair, content now she was back where she belonged, even if it had to be in secret. “More than I can say, Laura. Love just isn’t a big enough word.”

  She relaxed, slipping into sleep. I held her tight—the two women in my life once again melded into one.

  Laura Simmons—the bane of my existence by day.

  Laura Simmons—the love of my life and the one woman I was forbidden to have.

  Chapter 2

  Jackson

  Hank hung up the phone, passing a hand over his face. I glanced over from the desk I was using with a frown. “Problem?”

  “My daughter’s coming home. She’s decided to take me up on my job offer.”

  “This isn’t good news?”

  “It should be. With Sheila leaving, Laura is the perfect person to take over her job. She’s got experience, she’s organized, and she won’t take shit from anyone.” He ran his finger over the picture of her he kept on his desk. I had seen the picture often—his daughter, Laura, was a pretty girl; long, dark hair with blue eyes that sparkled with mischief.

  I had worked for Hank for two years but never met his daughter. He usually went to visit her, and the occasions she was in town, she never came to the office. A couple months ago, Hank had shared the news she was separating from her husband—news he wasn’t exactly upset about. Craig, in Hank’s opinion, was lazy, always willing to take the easy road for everything and didn’t look after his little girl the way he should. Laura, it seemed, had been carrying the load for far too long. Hank had been after her to come home and work for him so he could keep an eye on her. He worried about her constantly and talked about her so much, I felt I almost knew her.