“Amelia, are you sure you want to do this?” Wade asked. “Do you even have an idea of what you want to get?”
Nodding, I replied, “Yes, I’m sure, and I’ll have to think about what I want. Did you call your friend, Sam, and ask him where we should go?”
Wade had gone to school with a guy who was from New Orleans. “I did. He gave me the address.”
I did a little hop and clapped my hands. “I’m staying in my wedding dress! Once we get our tats we can go dancing.”
“Tats?” Wade asked with a chuckle.
“My father is going to freak! Oh, my gawd. Cord is going to flip! He’s been begging me to get one ever since I turned eighteen. My father told Cord he forbid it, and if I had it done it would be on my conscience when he fell over dead!”
Wade frowned. “I might be wrong on this, darlin’, but it shouldn’t make you excited to know that getting a tattoo could cause your dad a heart attack.”
I waved him off. “Please! Do you know my father has them? Yep. He tries to hide them, but he has them. And so does my mom! On her ankle!”
“Really? I’ve never seen it.”
“It’s a little bitty heart,” I said. “But enough about them. Did you call an Uber? Let’s go before I change my mind!”
Wade laughed. “Yes, he’s almost here.”
I grabbed his hand and dragged him out the door. “Let’s go!”
As we walked into the tattoo shop, I couldn’t stop my hands from shaking. I was really going to do this.
“Hey there,” Wade said as he approached the guy behind the counter. “Sam gave me your name.”
The guy smiled. “Hell yeah. Wade?”
“That’s me.”
“Yeah, Sam called and told me you guys were on your way. Perfect timing. We’re super slow right now. Do you know what you want?”
Wade faced me. “Do you know?”
I grinned. “I want to get a little giraffe with a heart on my wrist.”
“I can do that,” Sam said.
Wade smiled hugely.
“And, Wade, I want you to get a little giraffe on your wrist!”
His smile dropped. “Huh?”
The guy behind the counter laughed.
I nodded.
“Wait, you want me to get giraffe on my wrist?”
“With a heart,” I added.
Wade stood there with a stunned look. He turned to the guy behind the counter, who lifted his hands and took a few steps back.
“I am not touching that with a ten-foot pole, dude.”
Focusing on me, Wade tilted his head and pulled his brows together. He opened his mouth and then shut it.
I slowly pouted. “You don’t like my giraffe idea?”
“It’s, um, it’s a great idea, darlin’. I’m all in.”
My heart felt like it would burst knowing that Wade would get the giraffe. But I also wanted to laugh my ass off. The idea that he would go through with it made me realize how much this man truly loved me.
With my hand on his chest, I reached up and kissed him on the lips. “I’m totally kidding. I mean, I’m getting a giraffe, but you don’t have to get one.”
He closed his eyes and let out a sigh of relief. “Thank God. If your brothers saw it, I’d never live it down.”
“Pussy whipped. That’s what they’d be calling you,” the guy behind the counter said.
Wade lifted his brows. “Yes. That.”
“So, who’s going first?” I asked.
“I’ll do your wrist first. Then we’ll do your side, buddy.”
Wade and I nodded. I followed him to his station, and we went over all the legal crap and then he showed me how the equipment was sterilized. When he put the design on my wrist I glanced up to Wade and smiled.
“I can’t wait!”
He winked and said, “Yeah, me, too.”
The second the guy started, my eyes about popped out of my head.
Holy. Fuck.
“That…hurts,” I said.
The tattoo artist smiled and kept going. “Let me know if you need a break.”
I swallowed hard. “O-okay.”
Wade sat on the other side of me and held my hand.
“How’s it feel?”
Turning to him, I forced a smile. “G-great. Perfect. Fine. Not really. It hurts like a mother. Oh, my God, why did you let me do this?”
The tattoo guy stopped.
“No! Don’t stop! Just keep going!” I cried out.
It didn’t take long before he was finished and I was looking down at my cute little giraffe. Wade’s name was under it along with today’s date in the middle of a heart.
“I love it!” I exclaimed. “It’s perfect!”
After he told me how to take care of it, it was Wade’s turn. I got lost in a conversation with the other tattoo artist, Bob. He even showed me his garden in the back of the tattoo shop. It was filled with beautiful flowers, herbs, and veggies.
As we walked back in, Bob looked up at me. “All done.”
I glanced over to see Wade’s side all puffy and red before they bandaged it up. Standing next to the table, I read the tattoo.
Our eyes met, and we smiled.
“I have another wedding gift for you,” Wade said.
“Oh, yeah? What is it?” I asked, a goofy grin plastered on my face.
He pulled his pants down to show off the top of his ass. A giraffe was tattooed along with my name and today’s wedding date inside the heart.
Snapping my eyes to meet his, I shook my head and covered my mouth. When I tried to speak, I started crying. Bob covered the tattoos and told Wade the same care instructions that he had told me. Wade wasn’t listening. He was staring at me while I stood there crying.
This man was everything. My knight in shining armor. The love of my life. The maker of my dreams. The keeper of my heart.
Wade Adams was my happily ever after.
Once we stepped out of the tattoo parlor, Wade cupped my face in his hands.
“What do you want to do now? We got married, I sang to you, and we tatted ourselves up. What can we do to top that?”
The corners of my mouth rose into a sexy smirk. “I’m pretty sure I can come up with an idea or two, Mr. Adams.”
Wade’s eyes danced with desire as he brushed his lips over mine and whispered, “I have no doubt in my mind about that, Mrs. Adams.”
Enjoy a Sneak Peek from
Tempting Love
The bass rattled against my chest as I danced with Amelia, Paxton, and Jenn. It was Paxton’s first night out since the baby, and we were celebrating Amelia’s surprise wedding. It was honestly the last place I wanted to be, but the thought of running into Mitchell outweighed my desire to stay in bed with a pint of ice cream and a good movie.
“It feels so good to be able to dance again!” Paxton yelled over the music.
We laughed, and Amelia spun Paxton around a few times.
“Paxton, you look amazing for someone who had a baby not even a month ago!” I yelled.
Her cheeks blushed. “Look at you, Corina! I don’t think that dress could hug those curves any tighter! Girl, you are looking hot tonight!”
“Her tits! Look at how freaking perky they are, and you’re older than me!” Jenn screamed.
My face heated as a few guys turned, and I instantly regretted my outfit choice.
Of course, the only reason I wore this dress was because I knew Mitchell had tonight off, and Amelia had casually mentioned he would probably be at Cord’s Place.
I gave the cowboy who wouldn’t stop ogling my breasts the stink eye, and turned away.
I immediately felt someone else staring at me. It only took me two seconds to shift my gaze to the bar and see him.
Mitchell.
My heart raced like it did every time our eyes met. Then it would slowly break when he looked elsewhere and acted like he hadn’t seen me.
But tonight he didn’t.
Tonight, he kept his gaze on me, an
d I could practically feel him burning a hole right through the slutty dress that I was really wishing I hadn’t worn.
“Corina, are you okay?” Paxton yelled.
I nodded. My eyes drifted back to Mitchell, who was still watching us. “I need to use the restroom and splash my face. I’ll be right back.”
She gave me a concerned look, so I flashed a fake smile. “Honest. I’m hot, that’s all. I haven’t danced this much in a long time!”
Before I turned to head to the bathroom I peeked at Mitchell again.
Big mistake. He was now talking to the same girl I had seen him dancing with a few months back. He looked to the left and our eyes met again. The girl leaned and whispered something into Mitchell’s ear, but he never took his eyes off me.
Spinning on the heel of my boots, I pushed through the crowd. The room felt like it was closing in and I was about to lose the turkey on rye sandwich I had for lunch.
“Hey, beautiful, want to dance?” some cowboy asked.
“No thanks. I feel like I’m going to puke.”
He jumped out of my way, allowing me to keep moving forward. Each breath was harder and harder as I tried to get to the hall.
What in the heck is wrong with me? Why can’t I forget about him?
Once I broke through the crowd, I dragged in a deep breath while my hand clutched to my chest, trying to calm my racing heart.
I closed my eyes and fought the tears that threatened to spill out. I wasn’t sure how much more of this I could take. Seeing Mitchell, not knowing if he left with some whore he would screw in his truck and then never call again.
Maybe that’s all I was to him that night. Another notch on his belt.
I wiped my tears and started for the women’s bathroom as someone grabbed my arm from behind and pulled me down the hall.
“Hey! Let go of me!” I screamed. Hitting the guy with everything I had, I cried out for him to let me go. I saw the door to Cord’s office and panicked.
“Stop! Let me go!”
“Corina, stop fighting me.”
It was Mitchell who had taken me by the arm.
He unlocked the door and guided me in as I jerked my arm free.
“Are you crazy, Mitch? You scared the crap out of me. It’s dark in that hall, and I had no idea it was you!”
Before I could say another word, his lips were pressed against mine. His hands pushed through my hair and held me gently even as he kissed me urgently.
It was the first time he’d kissed me since that morning he stood at my front door and kissed me goodbye. Leaving me to hope for something that would never be.
My head was telling me to push him away. Argue that he couldn’t kiss me like he hadn’t ripped my heart out and kicked it to the side all those months ago. But my heart was in control right now, and it loved every moment of Mitchell’s kiss and the feel of his hands on my body.
A soft moan slipped from my lips. I grabbed his strong arms while they moved down my body, pulling up my dress.
Stop this, Corina.
He kissed my jaw to my neck, then his lips made their way to the sensitive area behind my ear. His hot breath and hands grabbing my ass had my panties instantly wet.
“Corina.”
His whisper sounded so pained that my chest squeezed tightly.
My mouth opened but no words came out. The room spun, and as much as I wanted to tell him to stop, I wanted him to keep going more.
“You look so goddamn sexy in this dress.”
I smiled, no longer regretting my decision to wear it. Mitchell’s hands pulled me up and my legs wrapped around his waist. He pushed me against the wall, his hard erection pressing against me in the most delicious way.
“Mitch, yes.” My breath was needy and rough, but I didn’t care. I was in his arms and that was all I cared about.
His breath was hot against my ear. “You drive me crazy. Do you know how much I want you?”
Hope bubbled in my chest. I shook my head, my chest rising and falling while he stared into my eyes.
When I smiled, something in his eyes changed. He dropped his head and buried his face in my neck. He softly kissed me in the most tender way. My skin was on fire after each kiss.
He pulled on my earlobe and whispered, “You’re so precious. I’m sorry. I never meant to hurt you.”
I closed my eyes and a tear rolled slowly down my cheek. When I felt him pull back, I met his gaze.
I was positive the sadness in his eyes mirrored mine. He slowly let my body slide down his until my feet touched the ground. He wiped my tears with his thumbs, then pulled my dress back down.
He stepped away and dropped his hands to his side. “I can’t do this, not like this. You don’t deserve to be fucked up against my brother’s office door.”
My mouth opened while I slowly nodded.
He took another step back and reached for the door. Before he opened it, I grabbed his arm.
“Why are you doing this to me?”
He said nothing, only stared.
Anger raced through my body as I glared at him in disbelief. “Do you have any idea how fucked up this is?”
He winced at my use of fuck. Anyone who knew me knew I rarely swore.
“You can’t ignore me for months, and then one night haul me into your brother’s office, feel me up like some whore for a cheap thrill, then walk away. Were you using me to warm up for the brunette?”
“What? No!”
I hit him as hard as I could on the chest.
“You bastard! How could you?” I cried as tears streamed down my face. I covered my mouth as I stumbled back. “How could you do this to me…again?”
“Corina, I—”
I hit him again as hard as I could. “I hate you, Mitchell Parker. Just go! Go fuck whatever flavor of the month you’re into, but don’t you dare touch me ever again!”
“It’s not like that, sweetheart. Please just wait and let me explain.”
He reached out for me, and I screamed, causing him to stop immediately. A look of horror moved across his face.
The door to Cord’s office opened, and Amelia and Cord stood there.
“What’s going on?” Amelia asked as she glanced between her brother and me.
My chin trembled as I looked at Amelia and Cord, then back to Mitchell.
“Corina,” Mitchell said, looking at me with pleading eyes.
I’d never in my life felt so defeated and broken. I’d foolishly believed that Mitchell Parker might actually care about me. Dropping my head, I made my way out of the office.
I stopped in front of Mitchell and didn’t bother to look at him as I took in a deep breath and blew it out. “You’re right. I deserve someone who actually cares about me and wants to be with me. Someone who will cherish my heart.”
When I finally looked at him, my breath caught. There were tears in his eyes. “I’m tired of waiting for something that was never mine in the first place. I’m finished waiting for you, Mitch.”
As I walked out, I heard Mitchell call out, “Corina! Wait!”
I tried to hold back my sobs as I pushed through the crowd. I needed air. I needed to leave and get home.
My eyes met Tripp’s. His brows drew together as he held out his arms, and I rushed into them.
The little ounce of strength I had left collapsed when he wrapped his arms around me.
“What in the hell happened?” he asked.
“Please, take me home, Tripp. Please.”
He lifted my chin and stared at me. “Why are you crying, Corina? Tell me what happened.”
His eyes drifted over my shoulder. From the look on his face it was clear Mitchell was standing there.
Tripp looked back down at me and forced a smile. “Let’s get you home.”
He placed his hand on my lower back and guided me through the bar. The farther I walked, the worse I felt. I could feel Mitchell’s eyes boring into me like they had earlier. One glance over my shoulder proved I was right.
&nbs
p; If I hadn’t known better, I would have sworn I saw a tear slide down his cheek.
Looking straight ahead, I made the decision I should have made months ago.
It was time to move on and forget about Mitchell Parker.
Tempting Love coming January 23, 2018
Enjoy a preview from “Amelia’s” Historical Book –
Guarded Hearts
I stared out the window of the carriage while it bumped down the road. My brother, Edward, sat with his head back, sleeping.
I glanced over to the man who had informed us where my parents intended for us to live should anything happen to them.
Tears stung my eyes. I pictured my mother and father. Happy. Healthy. In love.
A bump caused the carriage to jump and me to snap my eyes open.
“Are we almost there, Mr. Night?”
He nodded. I smiled at him, hoping for something other than a nod or a grumble in return. He looked away.
I looked back out the window. The man couldn’t have been four or five years older than me. He acted as if looking at me was painful.
I closed my eyes. Was I that dreadful a creature? I’d gotten plenty of attention from young men back in Louisiana. My mother always told me my blue eyes could pierce any man’s soul and bring him to his knees.
It didn’t appear my eyes had that effect on Mr. Night. He acted like he couldn’t wait to get out of the carriage and away from me.
My finger twirled a piece of my light brown hair as I let out a sigh.
“How much longer?” Edward asked.
“We’re almost there,” Mr. Night said.
Snapping my head to look at the man, I said, “Excuse me, Mr. Night. Considering I asked you first, and you did not answer, it begs the question, do you have something against women?”
The gentleman stared at me like I had asked the most ridiculous question ever.
“I beg your pardon, Ms. Mills?”
My chin lifted, and I cleared my throat. “Do you have something against women?”
“No! I love women. I mean, I respect all women.”
Lifting a brow, I continued. “Then why did you not speak to me, yet when my brother asks the same question, you give him a hasty answer. That…Mr. Night…tells me you have something against women.”