Authors: Tracey Garvis Graves
Heart-Shaped Hack (34 page)
Ian smiled, nodded once, and raised his glass. Chad leaned down and clinked it with his.
Kristin clapped her hands together and laughed. “Okay, let’s wrap it up.”
After dinner, there was dancing. Kate and her dad shared a father-daughter dance. Steve was actually smiling as he and Kate swayed to the music, so maybe he hadn’t drawn up the rough draft of an annulment just yet. Then Ian and Kate shared their first dance—and several slow, deep kisses.
“Have I told you how beautiful you look?”
“More than once,” she said, and that earned him another kiss.
He ran his hands down the soft silk of her wedding gown until they rested on the small of her back. He loved Kate’s body. Naked, she was truly a sight to behold. But there was something about seeing her covered in bits of tulle and lace that drove him wild. He knew what it was hiding. Knew what was waiting there for him and how it would feel.
Her soft skin.
Her warmest places.
“I can’t wait to see you in your lingerie.” Kate had insisted that he not see her in her wedding gown until right before the ceremony, which meant he hadn’t been around to see how she looked in what was underneath it.
“You really outdid yourself this time. It’s absolutely gorgeous.”
He’d given her La Perla again. The bustier was the same off-white color and tea rose pattern as the Chantilly lace babydoll nightie he’d given her for Christmas, and the Brazilian lace thong was likely going to drive him out of his mind. He’d also included a tulle garter with a silk-and-satin ribbon that he pictured encircling her long, slim thigh. When he took everything off later, he was going to leave that on.
After they cut the cake, Ian ditched his tie and shared a piece with Kate who was now sitting on his lap. She twirled the stem of her wineglass between her fingers and opened her mouth so he could feed her.
When they’d finished the cake, he set the plate on the table and reached for her hand, clasping it tight.
“I will be such a good husband to you.” He said it with conviction, and he meant it.
Her response was every bit as resolute. “And I will be a good wife.”
“My wife.” He kissed her tenderly. “You are my future, Kate Bradshaw.”
“And you, Ian Smith Merrick Bradshaw, will be my adventure.”
THE END
Follow Kate and Ian to Washington as the next chapter of their lives together unfolds in
White-Hot Hack
, the full-length, dual-narrated sequel to
Heart-Shaped Hack
. Publication details coming this fall. Sign up for my newsletter at
www.traceygarvisgraves.com
to get the latest updates.
I am deeply grateful for the contributions, assistance, and support of the following individuals:
My husband, David, because his encouragement means more to me than he’ll ever know.
My children, Matthew and Lauren. Thank you for being patient—again!—while Mom spent all that time with her laptop. I love you both.
Amanda Tadych. Thank you for your expertise on Northeast Minneapolis and for giving me the perfect neighborhood for Kate to reside in. Special shout-out to the gang at Twin Cities Live.
Elisa Abner-Taschwer, Stacy Elliott Alvarez, Trish Kallemeier, Hillary Faber, and Tammara Webber. Thank you for your encouragement and for helping me to see what I could not.
Peggy Hildebrandt. Even though you’re not a fan of reading a book in chunks, you agreed to read the first sixty pages of
Heart-Shaped Hack
. Your heartfelt enthusiasm and immediate request for additional pages encouraged me more than you’ll ever know. You are a true friend.
Megan Simpson. Thank you for answering my questions about public interest law. Your assistance was greatly appreciated.
Erika Stone Gebhardt. Thank you for every bit of your beta feedback and for coming to my rescue in Dallas. I’m sure swinging through the Walgreens drive-through to pick up my emergency Rx before meeting me in person for the first time wasn’t weird at all.
Sarah Hansen at Okay Creations. Your talent is immeasurable. This is truly my favorite cover and I spent a ridiculous amount of time just staring at it.
Anne Victory of Victory Editing. Thank you for your eagle eye and your words of encouragement. You helped me in more ways than one.
Jane Dystel, Miriam Goderich, and Lauren Abramo. You are truly the trifecta of literary-agent awesomeness.
Special thanks to the book bloggers who have been so instrumental in my ability to reach readers. You work tirelessly every day to spread the word about books, and the writing community is a better place because of you.
I want to express my sincere appreciation to the booksellers who hand-sell my books and the librarians who put them on their shelves.
My heartfelt gratitude goes out to all of you for helping to make
Heart-Shaped Hack
the book I hoped it would be. Words cannot express how truly blessed I am to have such wonderful and enthusiastic people in my life.
And last, but certainly not least, my readers. Without you, none of this would be possible.
Tracey Garvis Graves is a
New York Times, USA Today,
and
Wall Street Journal
best-selling author. She lives in a suburb of Des Moines, Iowa, with her husband and two children.
She can be found on:
Facebook at
www.facebook.com/tgarvisgraves
Twitter at
https://twitter.com/tgarvisgraves
You can visit her website at
http://traceygarvisgraves.com
She would love to hear from you!
OTHER BOOKS BY TRACEY GARVIS GRAVES
On the Island
Uncharted (On the Island, 1.5)
Covet
Every Time I Think of You
Cherish (Covet, 1.5)
