“Uh, thanks,” I say, closing the door with my foot and carrying the bouquet over to the kitchen table.

  I know without looking who they must be from and I take a deep breath before I pluck the card from where it’s nestled between two roses and a tulip.

  * * *

  Teagan,

  * * *

  I’m sorry. I was wrong.

  It was so much more.

  * * *

  Axton

  * * *

  I barely have time to process the card when there’s another knock at the door. Balloons this time and I wonder how he even thought of that. I’ve got the door halfway closed when the next delivery shows up. I set the balloons free to float to the ceiling as I sign for the next package.

  Cupcakes, tacos, pizza, pajamas, more flowers, and a brand-new laptop all follow. By the time Berklee gets home from work, the apartment is filled with gifts.

  She drops her bag by the door, kicking off her shoes before she swipes a carton of orange chicken off the beat up kitchen counter and joins me on the couch.

  “Are you going to forgive him?” She asks, getting right to the point.

  “Not yet. I mean all of this is nice, but I need more. I need him to actually do it face to face and talk to me.”

  “Good. Make him grovel,” she says, popping a piece of chicken into her mouth and chewing as she nods emphatically.

  A knock sounds at the door and Berklee shoves the takeout container at me as she jumps up off the couch.

  “Let me get this one. Maybe he sent dessert!”

  I laugh at her excitement as she skips over to the door, throwing it open as I take a bite of my own Chinese food.

  “Um, Teagan. I think this is for you.”

  I look over my shoulder, the food turning to dust in my mouth as I take in Axton as he fills the doorway.

  “Hey.”

  10

  Axton

  * * *

  My eyes drink her in hungrily as she eyes me warily from just inside the apartment. She doesn’t look that much different. Same wild, curly red hair, same curvy body that has been starring in every single one of my fantasies over the past week.

  I thought that I was a loner, that I didn’t want or need people to be happy but this last week has proved me wrong.

  I need someone. One person.

  Teagan.

  The house has been so empty without her bouncing around, chattering at me, or making me laugh. My life has been dull, boring without her in it.

  It didn’t take me long after she slammed the door in my face the last time I was here to realize that I had made a terrible mistake.

  I’ve barely slept or ate in the last seven days. I don’t want to go anywhere and now that the movie premiere is over, I don’t have any events or meetings that I need to be at.

  Being in my house is its own kind of torture though.

  Her scent is everywhere. When it faded from my sheets, I had gone into her room and stolen her pillow and blankets.

  I can’t stand to watch TV late at night without her on the other end of the couch, poking me with her toes and trying to get me to rub them or sneaking me bites of her ice cream. I even miss her making me watch reality TV with her.

  I’ve been holed up in my office more instead, reading scripts or responding to emails. Even that reminds me of Teagan though. The way she used to bring me food or tell me that I’m working too hard and insist that I take a break. She made sure that I wasn’t all work, that I took time to enjoy my life too.

  “What are you doing here, Axton?” She asks, her green eyes wary as she waits for me to explain what I’m doing here.

  “Did you get my flowers? And the chocolate and take out?”

  “Yeah. Thanks for that,” she says as she shifts on her feet.

  “I wanted to show you how sorry I was for what I said. Then I realized that maybe you needed to hear me say it too.”

  “So you’re here to apologize?”

  “I’m here to grovel and beg, Teagan.”

  Her eyes snap to mine and I hurry on.

  “I was an idiot. I was scared and I pushed you away and hurt you even though that was the last thing that I really wanted. That night, when we slept together, it was the best night of my life. I never thought it was just a friends with benefits thing or us just blowing off steam. It meant more than that. It meant everything, Teagan.”

  “I’m glad you can finally admit that.”

  “I can admit more than that. I love you, Teagan Porter. You are the most important person in my life and you have been since you came in to interview for the assistant position. I should have told you that a long time ago. I should have swept you off your feet when I first saw you. Will you give me another chance? Come back home and let’s do this right. Let me show you just how much you mean to me. Please, Teagan.”

  She bites her full bottom lip, her hip jutting out as she ponders my request. My palms start to sweat and I wonder what I’ll do if she says no. Probably throw her over my shoulder like I did outside Archer’s house and carry her back home with me.

  “I’m not going to be your assistant again. I… I finished my novel and I want to be a writer full time. If I can that is.”

  “Of course you can. I can’t wait to read it. I know it’s going to be great,” I tell her as I take a step closer to her.

  My fingers itch to reach out and pull her against me, to feel all of her lush curves pressed up against me.

  “So, you’d be my boyfriend then. My live-in boyfriend.”

  “Yes. Will you move back in? To our bedroom this time?”

  She hums as she stares up at the ceiling, trying to fight back the grin that’s threatening to spread across her lips. I groan, reaching out and gripping her hips as I pull her against me and finally claim her lips with mine.

  She opens for me right away, her arms wrapping around my neck as her feet dangle by my knees. Having her in my arms feels like I’m finally home, like I’m finally complete. My hands wrap tighter around her waist as I crush her against me and slip my tongue into her mouth.

  She tastes like sugar and happiness and I can’t help but smile against her mouth. I’ve only ever been this happy with Teagan.

  “Ugh, get a room you two!” Berklee yells from inside the apartment and Teagan and I break apart with a laugh.

  “Yeah, let’s do that,” she whispers against my ear and I don’t need to be told twice.

  “See you later, Berklee!” Teagan calls as I carry her down the hallway.

  “Have fun!” She calls back a second before her apartment door closes.

  I tuck Teagan into my Range Rover and peel out of the lot and back toward home.

  11

  Teagan

  * * *

  Three Weeks Later…

  * * *

  “Hey Ax?” I call as I head out of my office.

  I thought he was still reading scripts in his office next door but when I peek in, I find it empty. I turn and head towards our bedroom, poking my head in and frowning when I see he’s not in there either.

  I moved back in with Axton the night he came to apologize at Berklee’s place. He had brought me home and back into his room – sorry, our room– where he stripped me bare and made love to me until I passed out.

  I had woken up the next morning to Axton scrolling through furniture sites for office furniture. He had one of the spare bedrooms next to his office transformed for me within the week.

  We’ve fallen into a new schedule too. Axton is starting work on a new movie soon so he’s been hard at work learning lines and doing research for the role.

  Me?

  I’ve started my new job too. I spend most of the day writing or researching for my newest book. If I’m not in my office, then I’m either reading on the couch downstairs or in the kitchen cooking.

  I’m still waiting to hear back from some agents but I’ve been looking into self-publishing and I know that if I don’t get a literary agent, that I’ll go that route. Axton has been supportive no matter what I decide to do. He’s already read it and he’s been telling anyone who listens that his girlfriend is an author. Seeing him so proud of me is adorable.

  I head downstairs, my stomach growling when the scent of spices hits my nose. Axton can’t cook toast so he must have ordered food while I was working.

  I follow my nose to the kitchen and freeze in my tracks when I see all of the candles.

  “You’re early,” Axton says with a wince as he carries two plates piled with food over to the dining room table.

  Bouquets of flowers are on every available surface of the room and soft music is playing.

  “What’s all of this?” I ask with a grin as I follow him into the dining room and wrap my arms around his waist from behind.

  He pours us each a glass of wine before he turns and wraps his arms around me.

  “Can’t I do something nice for my girlfriend?”

  “Hey, no complaint from me,” I say as I rise up on my tiptoes and brush my lips across his.

  Axton pulls out a chair for me and I grin at him as I sit down and take a sip of my wine. His stormy blue eyes twinkle in the candlelight and he smiles at me as he takes the seat across from me.

  He shifts, his fingers restless and I frown. It’s almost like he’s nervous but why would that be?

  I pick up my fork and dig into my food, moaning at the first bite. He got my favorite, lemon chicken pasta from Montesorte’s. I take another bite and look up, noting that Axton seems a little pale.

  “Are you feeling alright?” I ask, frowning as I wonder if it’s just the candlelight or if he’s coming down with something.

  “Yeah,” he says, his voice coming out gruff.

  I frown as he clears his throat and then stands abruptly, rounding the table and dropping down to one knee in front of me. My mouth almost hits the floor at the same time as his knee does.

  “Teagan Marie Porter, I love you. Marry me.”

  His fingers fumble slightly with the ring and I stare at him in shock as he holds it out to me. It’s huge. A sparkling oval on a platinum band and my mind blanks when I try to picture it on my finger.

  I can tell that he’s nervous and I know I should just put him out of his misery and say yes because of course I’m going to say yes. I love him. But, I also deserve more than that weak proposal.

  “That’s it?”

  “What? You don’t like it? We can get something else,” he says frowning as he eyes the ring in his hand.

  “No, I love the ring. It’s perfect. I meant the proposal. I mean, don’t get me wrong, this, the flowers and candles and dinner is great but…You’re not going to tell me how much I mean to you? How I make you a better person? How I’m gorgeous and smart and funny and perfect and the best thing that ever happened to you?”

  Axton drops his head back, staring up at the ceiling like he’s annoyed but I can see his shoulders shaking slightly with laughter. He drops his head back down, those stormy blue bedroom eyes that have the whole world in lust lock with mine and he grins.

  “You want the words.”

  “I’m a writer. I’ll always want the words.”

  “Alright,” he says with a nod.

  I watch as he composes himself, grinning like a kid on Christmas when he takes my hand in his.

  “Teagan Marie Porter, I love you. You know that you’re gorgeous and I love how confident you are in yourself and your body. You know that you are the best thing that ever happened to me because I tell you and show you every day and we both know that if I ever treated you with anything less than one hundred percent respect and admiration that you would chew me out. You make me laugh every single day so we both know that you’re hilarious and I’ve read your book so I know how smart and talented you are and I know that you do too. Without you, I’d be a miserable bastard and the whole freaking world probably knows that. You make me happy. You make me the best version of myself. Let me be there when you become a wildly successful author. Let me be there when you have bad days and good. Marry me, Teagan.”

  “That was better, and yes, of course I’ll marry you. I love you, Ax.”

  I throw my arms around his neck, crushing his mouth to mine as he pulls me flush against him.

  12

  Axton

  * * *

  Ten Years Later…

  * * *

  “Why can’t we come with you?” Brinley asks as she wraps her little arms and legs tighter around my leg.

  “Yeah,” Asher chimes in, his own arms and legs wrapping around my other leg.

  “This event is just for adults. It would be boring for you guys. You’ll have more fun with Aunt Berklee,” I promise them.

  They turn their big green eyes away from me and look at each other. Their fingers tighten momentarily around my legs as I start to walk with them down the hallway. I have another movie premiere tonight and Teagan and I need to leave here soon.

  Berklee showed up an hour ago and her and Teagan have been locked in our bedroom ever since. Our limo just pulled up out front and I trudge down the hall, our children giggling with every step.

  I can’t help but join in.

  We had Brinley five years ago and her brother, Asher, followed a year after. I had been worried about becoming a father. It had taken me a few years to get used to having a wife after so long of being anti-relationship.

  I didn’t need to worry though. Hearing Brinley’s and Asher’s first cries, holding their tiny bodies in my arms and cradling them against my chest had rocked my world. I had been in awe of Teagan before she gave birth but seeing her bring our two children into the world had put her in superhero status for me.

  We got married a year after she quit as my assistant. She had moved back in with me, this time in my room, and had started writing full time. She had her first book published a year after that and she’s been releasing four or five books a year ever since. She loves it and I couldn’t be prouder of her for following her dreams and doing what she loves.

  She used to come to locations with me and she would write at the house we rented or in my trailer but ever since we had the kids, she’s been staying home. It only took one movie for me to realize that I didn’t want to travel or be anywhere without Teagan and our kids.

  I’ve slowed down on taking projects ever since we had the kids. We have enough money that I can take a break and enjoy some time with my family.

  “Mommy!” The kids call as we get closer to our bedroom and my jaw almost drops when I see my wife step out wrapped in green crushed velvet.

  The dress is tight, hugging her curves and molding to her like a second skin. Her curly hair looks like fire cascading down her back and around her shoulders. Her makeup is smoky and dark and makes her eyes look big in her face.

  Teagan grins at me when she sees me practically drooling over her.

  “Ready to go?” She asks, like she’s been waiting on me this whole time.

  “Whenever you are,” I say as our kids finally let go of my legs and rush over to hug their mom.

  It takes another ten minutes for us to kiss the kids goodbye and thank Berklee for babysitting before we make it out to the limo. I tuck Teagan inside and slide in on the other side, pulling her into my side.

  “Are you happy?” I ask her as the limo takes off.

  “Of course. I’ve got two healthy, beautiful children, a best friend, a great career that I love, and I got the guy with the bedroom eyes.”

  She turns her head, grinning at me as my lips land on hers.

  * * *

  Curious about Berklee and Archer’s love story? It’s coming September 4th! Check out Seducing Archer today!

  * * *

  Ready for seven all-new alphas to take control of your library!?

  From head to toe, these hotties are prepared to deliver the heart-pounding HEA's you're craving!

  Forget the beach, these heroes are the summer fun you need!

  * * *

  CLICK HERE for the Makes My Heart Race Series

  Furry Face by Frankie Love

  Bedroom Eyes by Shaw Hart

  Slow Hands by Hope Ford

  Tight Buns from Kate Hunt

  Chiseled Chest by Megan Wade

  Killer Abs by CM Steele

  Alpha's Arms by Flora Ferrari

  Seducing Archer

  Blurb

  When she’s forced to choose between the job of her dreams and the man of them, will she be able to figure out a way to keep both?

  * * *

  Berklee O’Hare is obsessed.

  * * *

  She’s always loved music but when it became obvious that she wasn’t going to be a star, she moved onto the next best thing; Working with them.

  * * *

  She’s been a low-level assistant for a record company, trying to claw her way up the corporate ladder. When she meets Archer, the guy she’s been in love with since she first heard one of his songs, she’s offered the chance of a lifetime.

  * * *

  Being The Heartbreakers tour manager is a dream come true. The only problem is that the close proximity to Archer has only caused Berklee to fall more in love with him. Dating or sleeping with any members of the band is a fire-able offense, but will Berklee be able to resist?

  * * *

  When push comes to shove, will she choose her dream job, or her dream guy?

  1

  Berklee

 

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