Spotlight – Once Upon a Halloween Night Anthology

06 Friday Oct 2023

Posted by romanticreadsandsuch in Blog Tour, Sneak Peek

Tags

Courtney W. Dixon, Dating in Disguise, Ghosted, Halloween Dance Floor, Haunted Melodies, Hot Hex on a Platter, Hurricanes & Halloween, Kate Stacy, Katrina Marie, Lauren Helms, Louise Lennox, Masked Love, Mel Walker, Once Upon a Halloween Night, Susan Renee

Join us this Halloween for the exclusive Once Upon a Halloween Night bash in the New Orleans Warehouse District for an evening of fun, costumes, and romance. The Indie Pen PR and Beyond the Bookshelf Publishing are excited to kick off spooky season with seven brand-new, fun, and sexy novellas from Lauren Helms, Kate Stacy, Mel Walker, Susan Renee, Kartina Marie, Courtney W. Dixon, and Louise Lennox.

Once Upon a Halloween Night

by Lauren Helms, Kate Stacy, Mel Walker, Susan Renee, Katrina Marie, Courtney W. Dixon, Louise Lennox

Blurb:

Congratulations!

You’ve been invited to attend the exclusive Once Upon A Halloween Night bash.

This year, join us in New Orleans Warehouse District on Halloween Night for an evening of fun, costumes and… romance?

Wait. What?

That’s right.

The Indie Pen PR and Beyond the Bookshelf Publishing is proud to host Lauren Helms, Kate Stacy, Mel Walker, Susan Renee, Kartina Marie, Courtney W. Dixon, and Louise Lennox – in this fun Halloween romance anthology.

So, throw on your best costume and get ready to sit back and enjoy seven brand new novellas to celebrate spooky season with a romantic twist.

Add to Goodreads!

Buy Now: https://books2read.com/u/3k2QKG

*****

She sets the drink down and turns to me. “You must love Robin Hood if you’re willing to invest.”

“Robin Hood and I have a lot in common, actually.” I inform her.

Her nose scrunches. “Oh really? How so?”

“Well, for starters, I’m a master archer”

“Nope. I don’t believe it.” She giggles.

“I am. Really. I learned at summer camp when I was twelve. Hooked ever since.” I tell her almost defensively.

“Ah, okay then. What else do you have in common?”

“I’m glad you asked. See, I’m also a master of disguise.”

Her eyes widen playfully, “Oh my. I can see that. Is this even your real face?”

I lean my head back and smirk at her. “Everything about me is real, baby. Truth is, I’m not worried about disguising myself tonight, so what you see is what you get.”

“I’ve heard that he’s also a charmer. A ladies’ man. Obviously, that checks out.” She grins.

I nod. “I was born a charmer. It’s in my blood.”

“Right.” She nods in understanding, laughter dancing all over her face. “So what you’re saying is that you are the embodiment of Robin Hood.”

“Oh, I like that. The embodiment of Robin Hood.” I snap my fingers. She’s brilliant and beautiful.

Her brows furrow, “Does that make you an outlaw then?”

“Nah, I mean, if stealing from the rich and giving to the poor is considered breaking the law…”

She huffs out a laugh. “Stealing is totally considered breaking the law.”

I shrug, “Meh, maybe, but I’ve got a heart of gold, so that’s all that matters.”

“I suppose that’s true.” She reaches for her drink and sips it, keeping eye contact with me over the glass. She’s flirty and I’m digging it, but she’s not getting all touchy-feely with me, so I’m a little unsure of where this is going.

“Come with me,” I say, grabbing hold of her hand.

Remi’s laughter rings through the night air as I lead her between the cathedral and museum, slipping into one of the alcoves there. The joy in her voice mirrors the twinkling stars in the sky, and her eyes sparkle with a mix of amusement and excitement. Fuck, she’s beautiful.

Carefree looks incredible on her.

Shrouded in shadows, I watch Remi as her laughter subsides into a contented sigh. She looks at me and smiles, so I kiss her again, pressing her body against the hard stone behind her.

I can’t get enough.

The way she tastes.

The feel of her body against mine.

“Luke,” she murmurs breathlessly against my lips.

I trail kisses along her jaw, groaning when she tips her head back, giving me access to more of her soft, silky skin.

“Luke,” she says again, and I want to hear her say it a thousand times more. “We can’t do this here.”

“Afraid of things that go bump in the night?” I murmur, smiling as I kiss down the column of her throat.

She sucks in a breath.

“No. Just charges for indecent exposure, public lewdness, or—”

Chuckling, I take her mouth with mine, kissing her deeply.

“You promise to wait for me?” She asks the question, already knowing the answer. At a concert in Detroit that had technical issues with the lighting and sound equipment, Aaliyah spent nearly an hour reaming out the organizer. She came out an hour later and was shocked to see me waiting for her. I committed to her that day that I would never leave a venue without her.

“The rest of my life if I have to.” The words slip from my heart to my lips without thinking. My chest thumps heavily with my misstep. She twists to read in my eyes the meaning of my words.

Lights bounce off her glasses, and I fail in my attempt to read hers. An explosion of cheers erupts in front of me, and I look up to investigate. Ali is bowing at the front of the stage. The performance has ended.

The house lights rise in the theatre, and Poppy leads the girls back to their families. Whistles and cheers continue to float in the air.

A warm set of lips land on my cheek. I hold my breath and record this moment, stored alongside a treasure trove of protected memories.

Aaliyah’s lips linger for a heartbeat longer than normal, a hesitation I pick up on because when it comes to her, I notice everything. “Really good work today. Congrats. See you in ten.”

“Here, let me …” I take her hand to help her out of the pit. I chew on my tongue to distract myself from the spark that shoots through my body.

“Such a gentleman. Someday, some lucky woman will …” She doesn’t complete the sentence. The words hang like a challenge.

A challenge I’ve yet to answer.

My eyes linger on Aaliyah as she navigates the narrow aisle. She moves with a purposeful stride, a woman on a mission. My eye refuses to look away until she disappears out the exit. Only then do I take a breath. Only then do I realize I hadn’t.

Like I said, I got it bad.

She has work to do. But I’ll wait. I’ll always wait for her. I whisper the words I don’t have the courage to say to her face. The words I pray may come true someday. “Someday. Someday that lucky woman will be you.”

“How do you make it so easy to breathe, Scarlett?” Oliver asks me, his forehead pressed to mine.

“Because I don’t expect you to be someone you’re not, Oliver. You’re free with me. Zero expectations. Consider me your safe space.”

“I’m finding myself overwhelmingly attracted to you,” he says. “And I’m sorry if that’s too much. Maybe Rowena was right. I’m not good at hiding my feelings.”

“It’s perfectly fine to have feelings. I have them too.” I bring my hands to his cheeks. “I wasn’t sure how this day was going to go, but somehow, you’ve managed to make every moment perfect. You let me take the lead instead of treating me like your personal arm candy. You’ve asked about my feelings. My desires. What I want for myself and for my future. Do you know how long it’s been since a man has asked how I feel? Hell, I could marry you right now and have no remorse given what I was about to walk into.”

“I’m really fucking glad you didn’t marry him.”

“Me too.”

“My bad.” He doesn’t look sorry at all. The wide grin he’s sporting as he watches the people still staring at us says he’s pretty proud of himself. I don’t blame him, though. He never would have had the confidence to do that at eighteen. Now, in our mid-thirties, he’s sure of what he wants. Even if that person lives hours away from him, and has no idea how we are going to make this work.

“It’s all good.” I lean my head on his shoulder. “I’d say it was more than worth it.”

We sit in silence as the DJ continues to play music downstairs. There are still a couple of hours until this thing ends. And as much as I want to ditch the rest of the party and head straight to our hotel room, I know we should stay a little longer. Especially since our tickets were essentially free. I know the payoff will be fine with Kelly, though. This was her moment to play fairy godmother. Her way of making my wildest dreams come true.

“Want to see what else this party has to offer?” Patrick squeezes my knee. It might be my imagination, but I think his hand moved further up my leg. There’s a good chance he’s having the same thoughts I am. Both of us are too polite to voice them aloud.

“Sure.” I stand and he does the same. Grabbing my drink, I hook a finger into his belt loop. Not so accidentally grabbing his butt in the process.

“You keep doing that and I’ll carry you out of here.”

The drinks are working their way through my system because what falls from my lips next is something I’d never say. “Don’t make promises you can’t keep.”

Greyson sat back in the seat and stared out the window. We were almost there despite the heavy traffic. “How did we meet?” he asked.

“Hmm, how about at my favorite coffee shop? You spilled coffee on me.”

He waved a hand at me. “Ugh. Please. That trope has been done to death.”

I huffed a laugh. Seriously, I was going to give him wine more often. “And what would you suggest?”

“Let’s keep it relatively realistic and almost the truth since it will be easier to remember the lie.”

“Good at lying, are we?”

He smirked and leaned closer to me. “Did you just make a joke?”

“I never joke.” Which was also a lie.

“Anyway! Let’s say I applied to Nomadology, and you found me so hot and irresistible that I swept you off your feet, and you refused to hire me so you could date me.”

For the first time since I could remember, I barked out a laugh and enjoyed watching him blush.

“What? It could happen.”

At this point, I have tunnel vision. I’m focused on taking out the piece of shit who had the nerve to violate my woman. No one touches or hurts what’s mine and gets away with it.

I maneuver around him while he continues cursing and swinging, matching his speed and intensity as he advances closer to me with every step. As he reaches out with both arms to grab me, I take a chance, knowing I need to knock his big ass out and get this over with.

I hit him with a powerful uppercut that sends him sprawling onto the ground below.

He lies there motionless as I stare down at him with disgust; the power of my punch had been enough to knock him out cold, and between that and his intoxication, he’ll be down for a while.

Tessa rushes over to me, her face filled with worry as she glances at the man’s condition and grimaces.

“Thank You. But I had him under control. The violence wasn’t necessary.”

Her voice has a bite of annoyance, but the relief on her face is evident. She didn’t want to admit it, but she liked being rescued, but I’ll gladly admit that saving her has made my dick impossibly hard. I want to love. Protect, and fuck her until she passes out in equal measure.

Maybe there was a chance of staying out of her life if I hadn’t seen her in the flesh. However, now that she’s within arm’s reach, I know I’ll never let her go.

Her sister steps over the unconscious man, who is now snoring loudly and shakes her head. The man she was with was long gone. “Tessa, are you kidding me? You couldn’t control him, and I swear if I had known he was that disrespectful, I would have never dragged you up here.”

Tears well up in her sister’s eyes. “I’m sorry; I should have listened to you.”

Yeah, she should have.

Tessa gives her a sweet smile and pulls her into a hug. “It’s OK; you didn’t know how bad he could be because I never told you how he harassed me in high school. I was too ashamed and thought I was leading him on or something.”

“This fool harassed you in high school?” I roar. “He doesn’t deserve to breathe the same air as you.”

Both women look at me like I’m crazy, but I don’t care. The idea of him hurting my sweet girl in any way makes me want to wake him up to knock him out again.

Tessa looks at me warily. “Umm, thank you, I guess.”

She looks back at Foolio lying on the ground and ponders something before returning to me. I hate the look of worry on her face, and all I want to do is kiss every stress line away.

“Look, Marcus, it’s been a long night. We’re heading home, and you should probably get home before he wakes up. He will be furious, and I’d hate seeing you get into trouble on my account.”

I frown. “I’m not scared of him. Didn’t you see me lay his ass out?”

She rolls her eyes. “Yes, Action Jackson, we all saw you, but do you even know who you knocked out?”

Exasperated, I step closer and breathe her in. She smells like cherries and doesn’t flinch away like she did with the man lying on the ground. Instead, she subconsciously steps closer to me.

That’s because she’s mine.

I brush the back of my knuckles over her arm. “No, sweetheart, I don’t know, and I don’t care.”

Her sister Selene snorts and speaks up. “Well, you should care Romeo because he’s Richard Harris, the Chief of Police. What do you have to say now?”

I give her an incredulous look but say nothing.

This can’t be life.

*****

Author Info:

Lauren Helms is a romance author her nerdy and flirty contemporary words. Lauren has forever been an avid reader from the beginning. After starting a book review website, that catapulted her fully into the book world, she knew that something was missing. While working for a video game strategy guide publisher, she decided to mix what she knew best–video games and romance. She decided to take the plunge and write her first novel, Level Me Up. Several published novels later, Lauren created PR company, Indie Pen PR, to help other authors promote their books.

Lauren lives in Indianapolis, Indiana sharing her love of books and video games with her own Gamer Boy husband and three young kid nerds who will hopefully grow up to share the love of things that united Lauren and her husband on their own happily ever after.

Author of emotionally-gripping, contemporary romance, Kate Stacy’s novels feature sassy heroines, swoony heroes, life, love, friendship, and all the angst. When she’s not writing or spending time with her family and friends in small-town North Carolina, Kate can most likely be found nose deep in her Kindle. She stays up too late, swears too much, and loves too hard.

Mel Walker has been writing fiction most of his adult life. Specializing in Short Stories and Contemporary fiction and Romance Novels. A native New Yorker and life-long frustrated NY Mets fan. He loves to write about ordinary people placed in difficult situations, especially as it relates to their closest relationships.

Mel Walker is a rare bird, the male romance author. Specializing in heartfelt small town romance, he enjoys telling compelling romances with all the feels. A native New Yorkers and life-long frustrated NY Mets fan, he enjoys long walks, bike rides and taking in the energy of the city.

Susan Renee wants to live in a world where paint doesn’t smell, Hogwarts is open twenty-four/seven, and everything is covered in glitter. An indie romance author, Susan has written about everything from tacos to tow-trucks, loves writing romantic comedies but also enjoys creating an emotional angsty story from time to time. She lives in Ohio with her husband, kids, two dogs and a cat. Susan holds a Bachelor and Masters Degree in Music Education and a self-awarded Doctorate in Sass and Sarcasm. She enjoys laughing at memes, speaking in GIFs and spending an entire day jumping down the TikTok rabbit hole. When she’s not writing or playing the role of Mom, her favorite activity is doing the Care Bear stare with her closest friends.

Katrina Marie lives in the Dallas area with her husband, two children, bonus child, grandchild, and fur babies. She is a lover of all things geeky and nerdy. When she’s not writing you can find her at her children’s sporting events, curled up reading a book, or binge watching her favorite shows.

Courtney W. Dixon loves to write steamy romance, but in each story, she gives her character’s challenges and struggles. She writes m/f and m/m stories within one series to add a variety to her characters. And she writes her characters as having flaws, imperfections, and who don’t always do the right thing. Humans are never perfect, and make a lot of mistakes in their lives. In the end, she tries to help them grow to be better as they achieve their HEAs.

You can find Courtney working in Central Texas with her husband, two boys, and two crazy dogs, none of whom know how to knock on a door while she’s working.

Contemporary romance Author Louise Lennox is a hopeful romantic writing steamy romances full of heart and healing.

A Spelman College and Georgetown University graduate, Louise provides women with diverse and meaningful representation in romance novel pages. Not seeing enough women like herself headlining positive love stories, she launched #HappyBlackRomance; a community of readers and writers committed to the creation and sharing of positive romance stories featuring Black heroines.

Louise Lennox plots highlight the joys of Black relationships across the diaspora; pushing readers from all cultural backgrounds to admire them for their strength and downright sexiness. In her novels sparks always fly; the sex amazes; and the characters always leave the world better than they found it through their love.

When she’s not writing, Louise is enjoying her work as a school leader, wife, and mother of the two cutest dragons to ever walk the earth!

To learn more about #HappyBlackRomance and to score a free book or two, check out her website http://www.lovelouiselennox.com.

*****

This promotional event is brought to you by Indie Pen PR

Spotlight – The Book Boyfriend

26 Monday Sep 2022

Posted by romanticreadsandsuch in Blog Tour, Sneak Peek

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Tags

Kate Stacy, Meet Cute Book Club series, The Book Boyfriend

In THE BOOK BOYFRIEND by Kate Stacy, Mila Cross never expected to find love, but when bad boy Crossland Parker comes into her life and sweeps her off her feet, suddenly she’s falling hard for the man from the wrong side of the tracks. But when a secret from his past is exposed, will its revelation destroy everything? Fans of small-town, opposites attract romances will enjoy this must-read wrong-side-of-the-tracks romance from the Meet Cute Book Club Series.

The Book Boyfriend

Meet Cute Book Club series

by Kate Stacy

Blurb:

Escape with the Meet Cute Book Club, where meet cutes don’t happen only between the pages of romance novels, and one by one, all the members find their own happily ever afters.

Mila

I never thought I’d have a real-life meet cute, but the minute Crossland Parker walks into my life, it starts feeling like I’m living in the pages of a romance novel.

He sweeps me off my feet, and I find myself falling fast and hard for the rough around the edges mechanic. He’s a troubled bad boy with a heart of gold.

Cross fits into my life effortlessly, even sharing my love of books. He’s everything I didn’t know I wanted in a man. Attentive, sweet, a little bit possessive. He’s also my biggest source of support when I decide I want to buy the building next door so I can expand my business. So what if he has a criminal record? No one is perfect.

Unless you ask my stepfather. He expects nothing less than perfection, but not even I could ever come close.

Cross

After spending too many years wandering when I was released from prison, I came back to Abbott Ridge to start over.

I wasn’t expecting Mila Santos to fall into my arms, but I’m irrevocably drawn to the curvy little beauty who owns the bookstore. She’s a good girl, too good for a guy like me?

Our relationship develops faster than most, but I spent too many years of my life locked up. Now that I’m out, I refuse to waste a single second. I’m still not sure I deserve someone as sweet as Mila, but if she accepts me and all my faults, there’s no way I’m letting her go. Only a fucking fool would do that.

My past is no secret, and I knew the day would come when someone would try to use it against me. I just didn’t expect it to happen so soon.

Is happily ever after possible when a good girl falls for the guy from the wrong side of the tracks?

The Book Boyfriend is a standalone, wrong side of the tracks romance that is part of the Meet Cute Book Club multi-author series.

Add to Goodreads!

Read Now!

*****

Excerpt:

She’s fucking adorable.

Mila is still standing in the spot where I left her when I pass by the bookstore’s front window.

Grinning, I toss her a wink and keep walking, picturing the beautiful blush that stains her skin when she’s flustered.

I love how affected she is by me.

I knew Mila was gorgeous when I saw her from across the street yesterday, but up close… damn.

She’s a stunner.

Easily the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.

And I get to see her again on Friday.

I came to the bookstore today hoping to see her even though I knew there was a good chance that she wasn’t available, but I had to shoot my shot. I’m fucking relieved she isn’t with somebody. It would have sucked if I put myself out there only to find out I didn’t stand a chance. I’ll admit, part of me can’t believe she agreed to go out with me, but I’m happy she did.

Halfway back to the garage, reality sets in.

What was I even thinking going in there?

Mila is sweet as hell, far too good for a roughneck like me.

I’m a felon for fuck’s sake.

No. Fuck that.

My criminal record doesn’t define me.

I have to stop letting my past rule my life. I’m more than some guy who got locked up for trying to defend someone who didn’t deserve it. I paid the price for my mistakes. I did my time and now I need to move on.

I deserve happiness as much as anyone else.

As long as I’m honest and don’t try to hide it, Mila doesn’t seem like the type that would hold my past against me. I’ll be up front with her about it and let the chips fall where they may.

I’ve got a good feeling about her.

“Who’s the girl?” Bishop asks as I walk into the garage.

My brows dip low in confusion and I look around the bay, not seeing anyone. “What girl?”

“The girl that put that goofy ass smile on your face,” he says with a knowing look. “Only a woman can make a man smile like that.”

I hadn’t realized I was smiling when I came in, but I feel one stretch across my face now.

“Her name is Mila.”

“From the bookstore?”

“You know her?” I ask, closing the distance between us.

“I know of her.”

At my look of surprise, Bishop rolls his eyes. “You said it yourself yesterday, Cross. Abbott Ridge is a small town.” He turns his attention back to the engine he’s working on. “Pass me that wrench.”

Knowing which one he wants without asking, I grab it and hand it over.

“The real question is…” He pauses to look at me. “How do you know her?”

Reaching behind me, I pull the book out of my back pocket.

Chuckling, Bishop shakes his head. “Should have known. Can’t believe you read that girly shit.”

“Don’t hate,” I tell him. “This girly shit just got me a date with perfection on Friday night.”

He eyes the book. “Well, hell. Maybe I need to pick up a new hobby. Mila’s a pretty girl.”

“Find your own pretty girl, Bish,” I say, popping him on the back of the head with the book. “Mila is mine.”

Fucker laughs. “It’s like that?”

“Damn right it’s like that.” I drop the book on top of the tool cabinet and grab a beer from the fridge. “I saw her yesterday when I was leaving the tattoo shop.”

“No doubt a gorgeous girl like that grabbed your attention.”

“Hell yeah. Would have talked to her yesterday, but she was on her way out. Almost got discouraged when I watched her drop into the passenger seat of a sweet ass ride, but decided to take a chance anyway.”

“Black Chevelle?” he asks, glancing up.

“Yeah.”

He nods. “Her younger brother, Mateo.”

“Damn, Bish,” I say, dropping my ass onto a stool. “You really do know everyone in this town. Bet you got all the good gossip.”

Bishop snorts. “I ain’t got shit. Mateo spent a lot of time here. Rented one of the bays so he could restore that beauty of his. He had the know-how, but needed somewhere to do the work.”

“I’d love to get my hands on that car.”

“Good luck with that. He won’t let anyone else work on it. Not even me.”

That makes me chuckle. “I respect that. Nothing more important to a man than his car.”

“And his girl,” he says, no so subtly turning the conversation back to Mila. “Where are you taking her?”

*****

Author Info:

*****

About The Meet Cute Book Club Series:

Escape with the Meet Cute Book Club where meet-cutes don’t only happen between the pages of romance novels and members find their own happily ever afters.

Eight single women bound by their love of books take a monthly break from real life to lose themselves in the chapters of romantic fiction. From friends to lovers to fake relationships and more, each story features a brand new couple and their journey to find love from an amazing lineup of authors including Louise Lennox, Tracy Broemmer, A.M. Williams, Mel Walker, RJ Gray, Rebecca Wilder, Julie Archer, and Kate Stacy.

These eight standalone romances are packed with meet-cutes, heat, and of course a happily ever after!

This promotional event is brought to you by The Indie Pen PR

Spotlight – Then I Saw You

07 Monday Jun 2021

Posted by romanticreadsandsuch in Blog Tour, Sneak Peek

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Tags

an Off Limits Romance, Kate Stacy, Single Dad's Romance series, Then I Saw You

Firefighter Marshall Knight wasn’t expecting to become a father but here he is kicking butt and taking names, until a trip to the ER lands him in the path of Kaitlynn Bennett, the sweet nurse, who’s made their visit more bearable. Their relationship shouldn’t grow into more, but when fire strikes, they have to decide if their love is worth the risk. Readers will devour this off-limits romance featuring one sexy unsuspecting dad. Fall in love with your next book boyfriend with Then I Saw You by Kate Stacy, the next book in the Single Dad’s Romance series.

*****

Then I Saw You

an Off Limits Romance

a Single Dads Romance

by Kate Stacy

Blurb:

Firefighter Marshall Knight is more than happy living the single life and working toward his next promotion with the fire department until his world is flipped upside down when he finds out that he has a child. Abandoned by his own mother as a small boy, he’s determined to do the right thing and take care of his son, stepping right into the role of a single father and leaving no time for things like a relationship and romance.

One trip to the ER with his baby boy changes all that and he finds himself instantly enamored with Kaitlynn – the compassionate nurse who’s been assigned to them.

Kaitlynn Bennett made herself a vow a long time ago to never date a firefighter. Between her father’s job as Fire Captain and losing her own mother in a fire when she was twelve, she knows all too well the heartache that comes along with all of it.

Which is exactly why she had no clue that the sexy single dad in the ER was actually a firefighter. Their attraction is undeniable and with a little nudge from a friend the two find themselves in an inferno of their own. That is, until Kaitlynn discovers he’s a firefighter and Marshall realizes that Kaitlynn is his Captain’s daughter. It’s the perfect excuse for both of them to give in to their own insecurities and put plenty of distance in their already complex relationship.

But when a fire strikes and they both end up in harm’s way, will they finally realize that building a life together is far better than a lifetime apart?

Goodreads → https://bit.ly/3vYVSo1

Amazon → https://amzn.to/3atn4SZ

*****

Excerpt:

“Oh my god.”

Her knees buckle, but Captain is close enough to keep her from hitting the floor.

“Please let me hold you. I can’t stand seeing you like this.”

She shakes her head and presses herself closer to her father.

“I can’t. I… I need…” She’s damn near hyperventilating. Ignoring my pain, I sit up and swing my legs over the side of the bed, ready to go to her, but she stops me. “I need to sit down for a minute. Please.”

My eyes meet Captain’s, and he nods again, silently telling me to stay put. I fucking hate it, but I listen. He leads Kaitlynn to the nearest chair while I settle back onto the uncomfortable hospital bed.

I watch as Captain squats down next to her. He wraps an arm around her back and murmurs quietly in her ear. I don’t know what he’s saying to her, but I can see it’s working. She’s starting to calm down, but it pisses me off that I’m not the one comforting her.

“Now,” Captain says sternly, “which one of you wants to tell me how long you’ve been together?”

I look to Kaitlynn, not wanting to break my promise to her, even though there’s no longer a secret to keep.

“Since a few days after we had that late-night conversation on the phone,” she admits.

I expected him to be angry when he learned the truth, when he found out we were both lying to him. He’s not angry. He’s disappointed, and honestly, I think that’s worse. I’d rather deal with his anger.

“Did you have any plans to tell me?” he asks, but the question is directed at me.

“Yes, sir. When Kaitlynn was comfortable with me sharing our relationship.”

“When Kaitlynn was comfortable?”

“Yes, Dad. I asked Marshall not to tell you.”

He pins me with a cold stare. “I thought you had more respect for me than that.”

My mouth opens and closes repeatedly, but no sound comes out.

“Don’t get mad at him. It’s my fault.”

“He still should have told me.”

It’s Kaitlynn’s turn to be offended. She cocks her eyebrow and pins her father with the same glare he just gave me. “You’re saying if you made a promise to me, you would turn right around and break it?”

“Of course not!” he sputters.

“Then why would Marshall?”

Properly chastised, Captain drops into the other chair and leans forward on his elbows. “I wish one of you would have been honest with me. I don’t like being kept in the dark.”

“I love you, Dad, but you and I are only recently mending the cracks in our relationship. I wasn’t ready for you to know.”

He hangs his head and sighs before lifting it to look at his daughter.

“You’re right, Kaitlynn. I have to earn back the privilege of knowing everything about your life. I’m sorry for the way I reacted.”

She leans in and hugs him, and almost instantly, the air in the room feels less stifling. Captain doesn’t offer me an apology, nor do I expect him to. Despite the promise I made Kaitlynn, I was never comfortable with keeping our relationship from him. He has the right to be angry with me. He deserves better from me.

A nurse pops in my room to check my vitals and leaves almost as quickly as she appeared. Captain excuses himself to get something to drink, disappearing when we both decline his offer to get us one as well.

“Can I hold you now?”

It’s all I’ve wanted from the moment she rushed into the room, but the expression on her face tells me I’m not going to get what I want.

She stands, wrapping her arms around herself. She looks at me again, but whatever I saw in her expression before is gone, replaced with steely resolve.

“I think I’m going to head home. It’s been an emotional day… I… I think I need some time.”

I can’t say I’m not disappointed, but I understand. This has to be hard on her.

“Okay, beautiful. Will I see you in the morning before I’m discharged? They’re only keeping me for observation, so I’ll be sprung first thing tomorrow.”

She chews her bottom lip, then shakes her head.

“I don’t think so, Marshall.”

Her tone makes my blood run cold.

*****

Author Info:

Kate Stacy lives in North Carolina with her husband, three children, and her extremely sassy cat. After nearly a decade of being a stay-at-home mama, Kate decided to use her love of books to bring readers steamy romances full of emotion and angst. She stays up too late, swears too much, and loves hard. When she’s not nose-deep in her next manuscript, or spending time with her family, you can usually find her with her Kindle in hand.

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