Cherished (Wanted) (51 page)
It felt like my heart dropped to my stomach.
What does he mean by that?
“I’m not playing any games, Lark,” I whispered.
Right then, Katy Perry’s “Dark Horse” started playing. The smile that spread across his face shocked me. I wasn’t sure if I should be turned-on or if I should turn around and run. He pulled my hair, making my head tilt back some, exposing my neck to him.
He leaned down and put his lips against my neck, and right before Katy started singing, he whispered, “Do you want me to make you mine, Azurdee?”
Chills ran up and down my body instantly. The moment the beat started, he pulled me to him and started dancing with me so seductively that I could feel my face blushing yet again. I didn’t know if it was the way he was dancing with me or the song itself, but I felt like I was falling deeper and deeper into a trance, and he was in total control of every single one of my emotions.
I’d never danced like this before, and I had never felt so incredibly turned-on like I was. The way his body was grinding into mine had me going insane. If he were to tell me to strip down for him and make love to him right here in front of everyone, I would do it. His hand was moving up and down my body, and I was quickly falling faster and faster for him.
I want him more than ever.
He let go of my hair and moved both his hands over my body. Everywhere he touched, I felt like I had been zapped by tiny bolts of electricity. He placed both of his hands on my face and tilted my head up to him. Then, he just stopped moving. I had to hold on to something to keep my legs from going out underneath me. I grabbed on to his arms and stared into his eyes. He brought his lips barely up to mine and stopped just short of kissing me. I could feel his hot breath, and I was trying like hell not to seem desperate for his kiss.
“Who’s the guy you’re with?” he asked.
I shook my head to clear my thoughts. He had me pressed up against his hard-on, and I was going insane with lust.
“Um…just a friend. He’s just a friend.”
He smiled as he tilted his head and looked down at my lips. Then, he looked back up into my eyes and said, “What’s your answer?”
“My answer?” I asked, confused as hell.
He lightly brushed his lips against mine, and I let out a moan. I was inwardly cursing myself for seeming so needy. He dropped his hands and took a few steps back from me.
No!
I wanted to call out and reach for him to pull him back against my body. I needed to feel him close to me. I needed to feel his heat.
The farther he moved away, the colder I felt.
“If it’s a yes, Azurdee, tell him he can leave anytime, and the sooner, the better because I really want to make love to you.
Now
.”
He turned and started toward the house. I stood there, just watching him walk away from me, as I tried to catch my breath. He turned back around and smiled at me right before he walked into the house.
Oh dear God. This is the moment I’ve been waiting for, dreaming about since the first time he ever looked into my eyes.
He had been the one I was saving myself for.
I looked around to see if anyone had been watching us. I could feel the heat burning my cheeks. I took a deep breath in and slowly let it out. I looked around and found Paul, my date for the wedding.
As I walked over to tell Paul good-bye and to thank him for coming, I had the strangest feeling that I was about to give my heart and soul to someone who could possibly take it and crush it into a million pieces. I knew one thing for sure though. I was about to walk into something that both excited and scared me.
It was the perfect storm indeed.
I’d like to first and foremost thank God for the many wonderful blessings in my life.
There are a few people who have been with me since the beginning of this journey, and without them, I don’t think I could have done what I’ve done. So, I’d like to thank them first.
Darrin Elliott
—I love you. I love that you support me. I love that you put up with my postings about you on Facebook, and I love that you inspire so many stories. I love that you love me.
Lauren Elliott
—Thank you for putting up with the crazy world we have adapted to this last year. I’m so proud of you, Lauren, and I love watching and seeing the amazing person you are growing up to be. Now, if I could just get you to read! Damn it.
Ari Niknejadi
—Thank you so much, sweets, for always believing in and me and being such a huge part of this series. You always kept me going and helped me so very much those first few months. I will forever be grateful to you for that. Thank you for your friendship!
Patricia Winn
—You are not only my big sister but probably my biggest fan. You will never know how much it means to me that you stood by me when so many didn’t. I love you and love your never-ending support. You are my very own personal cheerleader.
Elizabeth Bartell
—Thank you for being such an incredible friend. Your help with
Wanted
will never be forgotten. I’m so blessed to have you in my life.
Molly McAdams
—Oh, Molly. Molly, Molly, Molly, how I adore you and our friendship. You have been such an amazing force in my life this past year, and I hope you know that. You make me laugh…like ALL the time. If it wasn’t for you, I think I would go insane. Thank you so much for all of your support, and most importantly, thank you for your friendship. I value it more than you know. #PeasAndCarrots
Heather Davenport
—Heather, we have been through this from almost the very beginning. You were one of my very first supporters, and our friendship has grown so much this last year. I can’t even begin to tell you how much I adore you and how thankful I am for everything you do for me. I hope you know how much I appreciate it.
Gary Taylor
—I just don’t even know what to say. As I type this, it will have been almost a year since you came into my world. It feels like we’ve known each other for a lifetime. Thank you for being the amazing friend that you are. Thank you for supporting this crazy dream of mine, and thank you for always making me laugh when I just want to cry. I hope you know how much that means to me. You truly are like a brother to me. Love you, cowboy!
Kristin Mayer
—Thank you for the Magic 8 Ball. Thank you for your endless laughs each day. You keep me sane, I swear. Thank you for finding the picture that I used on this book. Your talents amaze me! I can’t tell you how much I enjoy our banter each day. Love you, girl!
Jovana Shirley
—
Holy hell
. You. Amaze. Me. These books would not be what they are if it wasn’t for you and your editing talent. I don’t think you realize how just your simple little notes off to the side where you say I made you laugh mean to me. You are incredibly good at your job, and if you ever gave it up, I very well might crawl into a hole and cry for weeks, possibly even months. Thank you for everything. Thank you for your friendship as well. I love you, girl!
Sarah Hansen
—Thank you so much for the two amazing covers you did for me for
Wanted
and
Saved
. You truly are talented at what you do, and I feel honored to have had two of my book covers done by you.
Angie Fields
—What can I say? You, my dear, are one talented lady. You have rocked out four of the most amazing book covers ever, and you are truly a joy to work with! Thank you so much for dropping everything for me to do the book cover for
Cherished
. I will never forget it.
To my street team, Kelly’s Most Wanted
—Y’all are an amazing group of people, and every day, I thank God for you and your support. I’m in awe of y’all, and I know that’s not the first time I’ve said it.
To all my friends/readers
—This journey would not be possible if it wasn’t for y’all. I can never truly thank you enough. You’ve made my dreams come true on more than one occasion. I hope that I can continue to share with you the voices in my head.
To all my wonderful friends
—I wish I could list each of you but know you are in my heart!
“Wasting All These Tears” by Cassadee Pope—Jessie is on the plane heading to Belize.
“Cold as Stone” by Lady Antebellum—Scott finds out why Jessie thinks he cheated.
“Better” by Maggie Rose—Jessie spends the day with Trey.
“Baggage Claim” by Miranda Lambert—Gunner walks into the Wild Coyote Bar and sees Scott drunk.
“Trouble with Girls” by Scotty McCreery—Gunner, Jeff, and Scott talk about women.
“3” by Britney Spears—Trey and Jessie dance together on Christmas Eve.
“Don’t Let Me Be Lonely” by The Band Perry—Jessie and Trey dance together at the club in Belize.
“Can’t a Girl Change Her Mind” by Sarah Marince—Jessie realizes she was wrong about Scott and Chelsea and tries to call Scott.
“On My Way” by Boyce Avenue—Scott goes to Belize to get Jessie.
“When I Look at You” by Miley Cyrus—Josh and Heather make love on Christmas night.
“Come Back to Me” by Keith Urban—Scott walks along the beach after Jessie tells him about Trey touching her.
“Dare to Believe” by Boyce Avenue—Scott asks Jessie if she’s still moving in with him.
“Stay” by Florida Georgia Line—Scott tells Jessie she needs to make sure she doesn’t have feelings for Trey.
“Mine Would Be You” by Blake Shelton—Scott asks Jessie to marry him.
“Love Somebody” by Maroon 5—Lark fights his feelings for Azurdee.
“Echo” by Jason Walker—Ellie and Jeff’s father tells them he has cancer and asks for their forgiveness.
“We Were Us by Keith Urban—Lark and Azurdee dance together for the first time.
“I Feel Like That” by Jason Walker—Gunner and Ellie’s son, Colt, is born.
“Two Is Better Than One” by Boys Like Girls—Lauren is born, and Scott is dancing with her.
“My Girls” by Christina Aguilera—The girls are getting ready for Jessie’s wedding.
“Even the Stars Fall 4 U” by Keith Urban—Ari and Luke dance in the kitchen while making breakfast.
“She’s Amazing” by Love and Theft—Jeff tells Ari how happy he is with her.
“Shake That” by Eminem—Heather and Ellie dance on the pole.
“All for You” by Keith Urban—Josh and Heather make love at The Driskill Hotel.
“Me and You” by Kenny Chesney—Jessie and Scott dance to their wedding song.
“God Gave Me You” by Blake Shelton—Scott and Jessie make love on their honeymoon.
“Puzzle Pieces” by Justin Young with Colbie Caillat—Will and Alex are in the barn.
“Must Be Doin’ Something Right” by Billy Currington—Azurdee asks Lark to dance.
“Dark Horse” by Katy Perry—Lark and Azurdee are dancing, and Lark tells Azurdee he wants to make love to her.
