Love Me Knots (12 page)

His arms laced around her, holding her so close only the fabric of their clothes came between them. “Will you marry me? Not because it makes any kind of financial good sense or because of what we can teach one another. Just because you love me?”

She pulled back, wanting to look in his eyes as she gave her answer. She wanted him to see the lack of indecision in her own gaze. “Yes, David. I’ll marry you. And I’ll spend the rest of my life loving you too. Probably longer,” she added with a grin that took nothing away from her honesty.

He reached into his pocket for the old silver ring. It slid onto her finger with perfect ease, the weight of it feeling right and real for the first time. “This was my mother’s ring,” he added quietly. “It’s the only thing of her I have left.” His voice was solemn as he twined their fingers together. “It means everything to me when I see it on your hand.”

She touched the gleaming stone, a haze of guilt tingeing her at having thrown something so precious. Never again. She lay her head on his shoulder and sighed. This was what her heart had been missing. What she’d been dreaming of since he’d first opened that door and walked into her life. “I’ll never take it off again,” she promised, her whole heart in the vow.

David looked in her eyes, his smile growing. Heartfelt, relieved, pleased and wide. The kind of smile that could have broken hearts…but made hers whole.

Krista kissed him, taking that smile in, bubbling with laughter and happiness. As always happened, she felt the spark of heat catch fire. There was nothing to fear about it, either. She wasn’t lost, loving him alone. There would be no nagging emptiness ever again. Pulling back, she ran her palms over the sides of his face. “Make love to me?”

David nodded, taking her hand and helping her up from his lap. She let him lead her into the bedroom, quietly walking in the darkness, the candlelight from below offering a romantic glow though the glass bottom in the living room. Part of her wished they could be out there, in the glow of his gift, but she wanted to relax. To languish and savor this loving. To fall asleep in his arms afterward and know in her heart that everything was finally the way it should be.

In the bedroom, they undressed each other slowly, hands grazing over each other as if they were touching for the first time. She caressed his chest as she opened his shirt. He kissed her shoulder, his fingertips trailing down her spine. For the first time, each touch felt shared. Not an apology. Not a sacrifice. Not a lie.

A gift.

By the time he lowered her to the bed, rolling them onto their sides, Krista was trembling. “Tell me this isn’t a dream.”

“It’s not a dream.” He kissed her softly, scooping her thigh upward so that her leg was propped up over his hip. She reached down to take his erection in hand, stroking him toward her, the heated silk of his skin sliding across her palm like a brand and he groaned. “This is a dream come true.”

She stopped. Her stroking, her breathing, even her heart beating. “David…”

“What?” For a second he looked nervous, his muscles tightening as he tried to guess what he’d said wrong this time.

“It’s all right, I’m sorry.” Krista kissed him again, apologizing by guiding him to the heart of her, slipping him through the slick folds until he was embraced inside. He hissed, his hand finding her hip to keep her still and yet pull her closer so he could fit deeper inside. She folded her leg around him tighter. “It’s just…” She sighed, feeling full and happy and absolutely positive that from this moment on, their lives could only get better. “That’s the most romantic thing you’ve ever said to me.”

Her body clutched him, reveling in the sensation, in the closeness. They didn’t need to move. She could lie here forever, joined with him heart, body and soul. His hand drifted from her hip, over the curve of her waist, to wrap around her back and tug her closer.

“I’ll learn more,” he whispered.

“I’ll listen better,” she vowed, her lips parting when he began to stroke, slowly moving in and out of her body with the sweetest precision.

For a long while, they didn’t need to say anything, their bodies flowing into one another in a way that defied words. No rush, no blind passion, but loving and trusting of the deepest kind. And when the end came, Krista held on with both hands, taking him with her over the edge.
This is how it’s always going to be
, she sighed to herself, wrapped in his arms, wrapped in his love.
This
was worth waiting for.

Taylor looked down at the baby in her arms, watching it watch her. She moved her head left and the baby’s intense blue gaze followed, his head movement matching hers with eerie perfection. Turning her head right…same thing.

She glanced up at Krista. “You sure this one ain’t broken? I haven’t heard him cry once yet.” Or spit anything up, muss his black wavy hair or complain in the tiniest way. If he weren’t pudgy, warm or covered in that baby scent of powder and milk, she’d think the kid was a cyborg. All the kids she’d known while growing up—and dear God, there had been a lot of them—were squirmers, desperate to chew on something or someone. They’d at least have smacked her cheeks, trying to get a hold of her face. But not this one. Calm, curious and cute. Scary.

Krista smiled at the six-month-old in Taylor’s hold, indulgent as possible. “He’s just fine. I keep telling you, he likes you.”

Taylor wasn’t so sure. “If that’s the case, kid, you got problems.”

“Or good taste,” a deep voice rumbled behind her.

Frankie. She had to work hard to keep the sigh quiet, having given up a long time ago when it came to not sighing over him.

She felt a squeeze at her hip just before he pressed a kiss to her cheek. “You look good like that, Tay.”

Taylor scowled at him. “Don’t get any ideas.”

Krista did pretty much nothing to stifle her snort of laughter. Even giving her a dirty look didn’t make Taylor feel better, because in the five years since they’d all become friends instead of just assistant and boss, Krista had learned good and well that whatever Frankie asked of her, he was going to get.

Hey, Tay, let’s move in together.

Hey, Tay, what do you think about getting married?

So, Tay, why don’t we buy a house?

Well, not this. Frankie Delles was not about to knock her up and turn her into mother of the year. Not in this lifetime.

“I give you about three months,” Krista said knowingly, popping a breath mint into her mouth and tucking it into her cheek. “Tops.”

“Oh, screw you,” Taylor replied, unfortunately without heat. She had the sneaking suspicion Krista’s estimate was overly generous. Rather than think about that, she bounced the latest addition to the Ellison family in her arms while they waited by the pews for the baptism service to begin. Krista sat down when her firstborn, Steven, tugged on her hand.

Taylor didn’t like to admit it, but she had a big, squishy soft spot for that kid. She wasn’t the only one, she knew, but still, it was not the kind of thing she liked people to know about. She was his godmother, too. All of four years old, the boy was tall like his parents, smart like his father and pretty like his mom. All rosy in the cheeks and doll faced.

No one really had a clue that the kid was a born card shark, which was just the way Taylor wanted to keep it. In another year or so, she fully planned to graduate him from Go Fish to poker. To quote his father, it was never too soon to start a college fund.

But this little stinker, she thought, looking down at the cherubic face studying her so intently. Who knew what this little guy was going to have in store for them?

“You and David still planning more?” Frankie asked over Taylor’s shoulder. Frankie-code for “See,
other
people like kids”.

“Oh definitely. We’re hoping for a houseful.” Krista’s attention shifted when they heard the excited twittering of Cobb entering the church. Krista smiled and stood up to go greet both Cobb and Jake, who had finally put everyone out of their misery last year and started dating. Krista was giving enthusiastic hugs and David was giving handshakes. Just like with little Steven, Jake was going to co-godparent. Frankie and Cobb had dibs on any girls the Ellisons eventually had. Which meant the pastor was going to have that much longer to figure out how to fudge listing two godfathers.

“You’re not cute, you ass,” Taylor growled at Frankie, resolved not to be affected by her husband’s oh-so-innocently deepening dimples.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Riiiiight. I told you, I’m not having kids.”

“You say a lot of things you don’t mean, hon.”

She scoffed, mostly because that was true, damn him. “Isn’t that what you always say you love about me? That I say what I mean and I mean what I say?”

“Sure is.” Frankie blinked his giraffe-style lashes three times fast. “Unless you’re lying.”

The growl in her throat could never be mistaken for a loving sound. “If I didn’t have this kid right now, I would so be putting my foot in your ass.”

He stole a quick kiss. “Save the foreplay for later, babe. This
is
a church, you know.”

“You’re a jerk.”

“A jerk who can count,” he qualified, making her eyes widen.
Dammit
! “Don’t be scared, Tay. I promise. I change diapers.”

She should have known he’d notice. He always saw the things she didn’t want him to see. Knew her too well. “The same way you pick up your towels from the bathroom floor?”

“Um…I cook.”

She leveled him a look. Neither one of them could cook. If they had this kid, the poor thing was going to starve.

“Hey, I do serious drive-thru,” he corrected, attempting to look hurt. When she didn’t lighten up, he shrugged. “Don’t they just drink milk for like a year?”

“Oh, you plan to lactate now?” She might have the kid, just to see him try.

“Look at them,” Frankie said, avoiding the answer to that one about as smoothly as a faceplant. But she still followed his pointing finger at the Ellisons. David wasn’t as reserved as he used to be, but he was never going to be a charmer. Krista still ran her party-planning business, though she had agents working for her now, freeing her up to be there for her family. They stood side by side, each one holding the hand of their son between them. Five years ago, she’d been so sure they were doomed. Now, they were her friends, people she knew would be together and happy for the rest of their lives.

“I’m not saying it wouldn’t be a lot of work, but if those two can be happy, if they can have it all, why can’t we?”

Taylor scrunched her lips to one side. “I’m only a little late. I might not even be pregnant.”

“So?” Frankie grinned. “If you’re not, that’s fine. But if you are, hey…when have I ever let you down?”

Never. And he was the only one in her whole life who had that distinction. Well, almost. The Ellisons hadn’t either. They’d encouraged her through completing school, offering help where they could until she got her own CPA certification. And when David insisted she join his firm, she’d had to admit that maybe, just maybe, she had some excellent friends.

“Fine, I’ll
consider
parenthood.” She narrowed her gaze at him. “But you’re going to be the vomit patrol.”

“Is that burping up or spewing chunks?”

“Honey, if it comes out of any end, in any form, consider it your job.”

Frankie laughed, tugging her toward the group still standing at the doors. “Sounds good to me.”

So, even though he was such a sicko, such a happy little freak, Taylor walked with him to the family they’d all created together. And hell if it didn’t sound good to her too.

Dee Tenorio is a sick woman. Really sick. She enjoys tormenting herself by writing romantic comedies (preferably with sexy, grumpy heroes and smart-mouthed heroines) and sizzling, steamy romances of various genres spanning dramas with the occasional drop of suspense all the way to erotic romance. But why does that make her sick?

Because she truly seems to enjoy it.

And she has every intention of keeping at it!

If you would like to learn more about Dee and her work, please visit her website at www.deetenorio.com or her blog at www.deetenorio.com/Blog/.

Now Available:

Love Me Tomorrow

Kiss Me Again

Test Me!

Midnight Legacy

Midnight Temptation

Midnight Sonata

Betting Hearts

Coming Soon:

Burn for Me

Love Me Tomorrow

© 2009 Dee Tenorio

In the sleepy town of Rancho del Cielo, a killer arsonist is targeting firefighter Josh Whittaker’s friends, family and most importantly…the love of his life.

As fires encircle Josh’s life, his troubles mount. His best friend is dead. The woman he’d give his life to protect is pregnant. Secrets he’s held on to for years are spilling free. If he could just find his equilibrium, he could pull himself together. What he doesn’t know is that someone is dead-set on tearing everything he knows apart.

Losing a lifelong friend has finally awakened Miranda McTiernan to how much of her life has been spent in limbo. Now that she’s pregnant, a dream she never believed could happen, the reality isn’t quite what she’d expected. Instead of being happy and secure, she’s scared and hiding a secret that could ruin the future she’s worked so hard to create.

Assuming she has a future…

Warning: Includes a heroine out to get her man, a hero determined to do the wrong thing for the right reasons, and hormones gone wild. Reading with cookies recommended.