Lush (26 page)
“Am I happy? Oh, darlin’. When you told me in my office about the baby, it was a kick to the gut after a beating. All I kept thinking was how I’d lost the right to be there with you, how I wouldn’t get to see my children every day. I thought I’d lost you all forever. I’m happy. I’m so damn ecstatic I can hardly hold it in.”
“Really?”
He cupped her face and grinned down at her. “Really, darlin’.
Really
.”
“Can I…? Can I stay here tonight?”
“You can stay wherever you like.”
“I want to sleep in our bed. With you right next to me. I want to wake up wrapped in your arms, and I want to burn through a couple of options. If you’re up to it.”
“I’m up to all of that.”
“Then what are you waiting for, cowboy?”
He scooped her up off the couch and took the stairs two at a time. “This, darlin’, is going to be option number fifty-five.”
Dedication
For the survivors of domestic violence—the ones who got out—and for those still looking for a way out.
And as always, to my husband, Mr. Y, for buying into and supporting every single one of my crazy Lucy and Ethel schemes…including the one where I thought I could write a book.
*****
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence there is help through the National Domestic Abuse hotline.
Trained advocates are available to take your calls toll free, 24/7 hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233).
Donations to support the hotline can be made at www.thehotline.org.
Acknowledgements
I’m grateful for my family who supports my writing career and especially for my sons who get teased about the sexy books their mom writes. Sorry boys. Just try to remember that each books gets us that much closer to the pool you want. My thanks to my mom and my sister, who are the last set of eagle eyes to review all of my books before publication. Any mistakes are totally theirs not mine. To the fine women of The Keeper Shelf—the mighty, mighty unicorns—you are truly my New York.
Also by Beth Yarnall
A Deep and Dark December (coming in March 2014)
Dyed and Gone
The Pleasure at Home series
Rush
Lush
The Misadventures of Maggie Mae series
Wake Up Maggie
You’re Mine, Maggie
Find Me Maggie
Project Innocence series
EXONR8 (coming November 2015)
FR33D (coming February 2016)
LIBER8 (coming July 2016)
About the Author
Best selling author
, Beth Yarnall
, writes mysteries, romantic suspense, and the occasional hilarious tweet. A storyteller since her playground days, Beth remembers her friends asking her to make up stories of how the person `died' in the slumber party game Light as a Feather, Stiff as a Board, so it's little wonder she prefers writing stories in which people meet unfortunate ends. In middle school she discovered romance novels, which inspired her to write a spoof of soap operas for the school's newspaper. She hasn't stopped writing since.
For a number of years, Beth made her living as a hairstylist and makeup artist and even owned a salon. Somehow hairstylists and salons seem to find their way into her stories. Beth lives in Southern California with her husband, two sons, and their rescue dog where she is hard at work on her next novel. For more information about Beth and her novels please visit her website-
www.bethyarnall.com
.
Find Beth’s newsletter at
http://www.bethyarnall.com/?page_id=2639
Copyright © 2014 Beth Yarnall
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