needed her. “Stay with me.”
She squeezed his wrist. “I’m not going anywhere.”
He pressed deep a final time and let his orgasm ride over him.
Epilogue
Three Months Later
“How are you holding up?” Harrison asked, squeezing her shoulders.
“There are so many of them.” Stacey watched wide-eyed as Harrison’s family— her family—milled around her new kitchen.
Harrison slid his arms around her, pulling her back against his chest. “Yeah, second only to staying past their welcome, Duvals excel at the whole reproducing thing.”
The family had come to celebrate the completion of the house renovations. Harrison’s siblings and parents were here along with some cousins and a handful of people she wasn’t convinced were actually related. But everyone was happy and wine was flowing.
Across the room, Addison grinned at Stacey and held up her left hand—as if anyone needed reminded of Addy and Chase’s recent engagement, but Stacey grinned and leaned into her husband.
It had been three months of bliss. Her father had checked himself into a program. Stacey had never seen him so clean and so productive. She was proud of him and was beginning to believe this might last.
“Speaking of procreating…” Harrison murmured in her ear.
She turned to him and raised a brow. “Harrison Duval,” she hissed, “if you’re going to ask me to slip upstairs with you, I already told you I’m not doing that while your parents are here.”
He chuckled and pressed a kiss behind her ear. “You’re such a spoilsport, but that wasn’t what I was going to ask.”
“Sure you weren’t.”
“If you agree to make a baby with me,” he whispered in her ear, “I will be more than happy to wait until everyone is gone.”
She froze then spun in his arms. “You want…?”
His lips quirked in a smile. “If you’re ready.”
She grinned. “I am.”
“Okay!” Harrison shouted, pulling himself to his full height. “Party’s over, everyone!”
“Harrison!” Her cheeks blazed. “You guys, he’s kidding.” But people were already placing their glasses on the counters and exchanging goodbyes.
“Nope. I’m not kidding.” He drew Stacey to his chest. “I’m not apologizing either.”
Someone grumbled something about newlyweds, and Kaleb crossed the kitchen to give Harrison a high five.
Harrison turned her to face him. “Remember,” he whispered, “you have to pretend like you like me.”
Then he kissed her, and Stacey stopped worrying about their guests and let herself be happy.
THE END
Excerpt from UNBREAK ME
Maggie
“You’re not going to flake out, are you?”
I blink before realizing what my sister means. It’s time. Time for me to face this. Time for me to pretend everything is just fine.
Time for me to walk down the aisle.
The words swim in my head. Walk. Down. Aisle . As if it’s no big deal. As if I’m okay with this.
Lizzy gives me a shove toward the doors.
I can hear it now. The organ. Processional music. The hum of the crowd’s whispers.
“Put a smile on your face and march ,” Krystal hisses.
I show her my middle finger before pushing through the doors.
“It’s going to be okay,” I hear Lizzy say. “She’s going to do it.”
My sisters’ murmurs fade as I focus on my task.
My stomach pitches and my hands shake behind my bouquet, but I plaster on a smile and time my steps to the organ’s heavy chords.
That’s when I see him.
William Bailey stands at the front of the church, hands clasped in front of him. His eyes are hot and desperate and all over me. Can the guests see it too? The longing that rolls off him in waves as I approach?
Is he thinking the same thing I am? That this is supposed to be us? That this is supposed to be our wedding?
Or is he thinking I was the biggest mistake of his life?
I can’t go there. Not here. Not now. I pretend not to notice the questions in his eyes, pretend not to notice the hum of gossip swelling
She squeezed his wrist. “I’m not going anywhere.”
He pressed deep a final time and let his orgasm ride over him.
Epilogue
Three Months Later
“How are you holding up?” Harrison asked, squeezing her shoulders.
“There are so many of them.” Stacey watched wide-eyed as Harrison’s family— her family—milled around her new kitchen.
Harrison slid his arms around her, pulling her back against his chest. “Yeah, second only to staying past their welcome, Duvals excel at the whole reproducing thing.”
The family had come to celebrate the completion of the house renovations. Harrison’s siblings and parents were here along with some cousins and a handful of people she wasn’t convinced were actually related. But everyone was happy and wine was flowing.
Across the room, Addison grinned at Stacey and held up her left hand—as if anyone needed reminded of Addy and Chase’s recent engagement, but Stacey grinned and leaned into her husband.
It had been three months of bliss. Her father had checked himself into a program. Stacey had never seen him so clean and so productive. She was proud of him and was beginning to believe this might last.
“Speaking of procreating…” Harrison murmured in her ear.
She turned to him and raised a brow. “Harrison Duval,” she hissed, “if you’re going to ask me to slip upstairs with you, I already told you I’m not doing that while your parents are here.”
He chuckled and pressed a kiss behind her ear. “You’re such a spoilsport, but that wasn’t what I was going to ask.”
“Sure you weren’t.”
“If you agree to make a baby with me,” he whispered in her ear, “I will be more than happy to wait until everyone is gone.”
She froze then spun in his arms. “You want…?”
His lips quirked in a smile. “If you’re ready.”
She grinned. “I am.”
“Okay!” Harrison shouted, pulling himself to his full height. “Party’s over, everyone!”
“Harrison!” Her cheeks blazed. “You guys, he’s kidding.” But people were already placing their glasses on the counters and exchanging goodbyes.
“Nope. I’m not kidding.” He drew Stacey to his chest. “I’m not apologizing either.”
Someone grumbled something about newlyweds, and Kaleb crossed the kitchen to give Harrison a high five.
Harrison turned her to face him. “Remember,” he whispered, “you have to pretend like you like me.”
Then he kissed her, and Stacey stopped worrying about their guests and let herself be happy.
THE END
Excerpt from UNBREAK ME
Maggie
“You’re not going to flake out, are you?”
I blink before realizing what my sister means. It’s time. Time for me to face this. Time for me to pretend everything is just fine.
Time for me to walk down the aisle.
The words swim in my head. Walk. Down. Aisle . As if it’s no big deal. As if I’m okay with this.
Lizzy gives me a shove toward the doors.
I can hear it now. The organ. Processional music. The hum of the crowd’s whispers.
“Put a smile on your face and march ,” Krystal hisses.
I show her my middle finger before pushing through the doors.
“It’s going to be okay,” I hear Lizzy say. “She’s going to do it.”
My sisters’ murmurs fade as I focus on my task.
My stomach pitches and my hands shake behind my bouquet, but I plaster on a smile and time my steps to the organ’s heavy chords.
That’s when I see him.
William Bailey stands at the front of the church, hands clasped in front of him. His eyes are hot and desperate and all over me. Can the guests see it too? The longing that rolls off him in waves as I approach?
Is he thinking the same thing I am? That this is supposed to be us? That this is supposed to be our wedding?
Or is he thinking I was the biggest mistake of his life?
I can’t go there. Not here. Not now. I pretend not to notice the questions in his eyes, pretend not to notice the hum of gossip swelling
Similar Books
