Hidden Kisses (Love in Sienna Series Book 2), page 20
She refused to let me pick her up. Told me she was a big girl and would meet me here.
I take a sip of the champagne. Is she standing me up? Did she decide it wasn’t even worth talking about?
I’m about to call her when I see her walking toward my table.
The gold dress she has on flows around her body perfectly, just touching the floor. The neckline dips between her breasts, and she is everything wet dreams are made of. My breath is taken away.
Standing up and fixing my tie yet again, I pull her into my arms the moment she is close enough to touch.
“I’ve missed you,” I whisper into her hair.
Taking a step back, she looks into my eyes and smiles. “I’ve missed you too.”
She looks around the fancy restaurant and sees that it is only us. It wasn’t cheap to rent out the whole restaurant, but I wanted some privacy to tell her how I feel.
“This is a bit much for a talk, don’t you think?” she asks, raising an eyebrow at me.
“Maybe,” I admit. “You deserve the whole galaxy, but I can’t give that to you, so this was the best I could do.”
She smiles, and I pull her chair out for her.
She sits, and from this angle I get the best glimpse of her beautiful breasts. I hope everything pans out and I get to put those back in my face tonight.
Sitting in my own chair, I reach across the table and grab her hand.
“I need to start this night by apologizing. I never should have shut you down that night. I should have listened to what you had to say. I was stubborn, and I hope you can forgive me for that.”
She nods, but doesn’t say anything.
“I’m terrified, Leah. I don’t want to end up like my father.” I take another sip of my champagne, thankful that the waiter filled it up. “All I can think about is having a child and turning into him. I don’t want to bring a child into this world only to hurt them.”
Leah squeezes my hand and gives me an empathetic look. “I understand, Johnny, but you aren’t him. I have never felt like I’m in danger with you. The exact opposite, actually. That night when I was almost assaulted, you were the only one I wanted to be with, because I felt safe with you. I’ve always felt safe and loved when I’m with you.”
I nod. “I think I’m finally coming to terms with that. My head was so fucked up from my dad, and I really don’t want to do that to anyone else. I’ve never wanted kids.”
I’m not finished with my sentence when she lowers her head.
“Hey, none of that,” I tell her.
She raises her head, and the tears in her eyes make me sick. Knowing that I’m the reason she’s crying makes me even sicker.
“Let me finish,” I tell her. “I love you. You’re such a strong woman, and you make me a better man. If I have you as my partner in life, I have a real shot at being a good dad.”
Her eyes sparkle, and I smile.
“I still don’t want kids right now, but I am open to the idea. With you, I can do anything, and if you want kids, I want to give them to you.”
She smiles, and my heart pounds hard. That smile is everything.
Reaching into my suit jacket, I pull out a jewelry box, and Leah’s eyes go wide.
“First, this isn’t a proposal, so don’t look so scared.”
She giggles, and the sound is music to my ears.
“I saw this and knew it was perfect for you.” I place the box on the table and slide it toward her.
Slowly opening it, she gasps and smiles, pulling out the bear holding a peridot stone on a simple chain.
“You are going to make an amazing mama bear one day,” I tell her. “Even though I’m not ready today, I wanted to get you something to remind you that, one day, it will happen, and I will be there every step of the way.”
I stand up to help her put on the necklace.
“It’s perfect, Johnny,” she sniffles. “And you remembered my birthstone.”
Moving her hair to the side, I feel her shiver under my touch and my dick twitches.
Down, boy, I mentally scold myself. Now is not the time to play.
I clasp the necklace and lean down to kiss her neck gently. “Will you please come home with me tonight? I can’t stand to spend another night away from you.”
She stands, circling her arms around my neck.
“Yes,” is all she says before crashing her lips to mine.
Walking into Johnny’s house brings a smile to my face. I was unsure of how tonight was going to go, but it couldn’t have gone more perfectly.
I touch the pendant hanging around my neck. I’ll admit I thought Johnny was going to propose when I saw the jewelry box, and I’m not sure how I would have felt about that. I think it’s too soon. But this necklace is beautiful and so thoughtful.
I’m glad Johnny is learning to open up, and I know we will continue to grow our relationship. He’s learning that he’s capable of being a good man. That he already is a good man.
I start taking my coat off, and I feel strong warm arms wrap around my waist. His breath warms my neck, and I shiver. I’ve missed this man so much.
I was ready to walk away tonight if I had to. Not having kids is not something I want for my life. Knowing what you want isn’t being selfish, and it’s not wrong to walk away from someone you love if, in the long run, you both want completely different things in life.
“I don’t think I can wait any longer to have you,” he whispers into my ear, and my knees go weak.
His voice sends tingles through my body. I close my eyes, leaning into his hard chest.
“Then don’t wait,” I breathe, enjoying the way his hands are roaming my body.
I reach up and untie my dress. The small knot at my neck is the only thing keeping the dress up. As soon as it’s undone, I’m standing completely naked in front of Johnny.
I turn around, and his eyes darken. I swear I hear him growl. That is the hottest thing ever.
Before I know what is happening, I am being lifted onto the small table we leave our keys on. My ass can barely fit, but I know Johnny won’t drop me.
“This week has been hell for me,” he says, pressing kisses all along my neck, shoulders, and chest. “I don’t ever want to push you away again.”
He pulls my nipple into his mouth and I moan, pushing my chest more into his face. Fuck, it feels so good.
Keeping his hands on my hips, he lowers himself to his knees. He gives me one long lick through my folds, and I feel my whole-body shiver. God, I have missed his tongue. I have missed so much about this man. The way his warmth surrounds me like a blanket while we sleep. The way he kisses me like he’s going to die if he can’t have me. The way he looks at me like I’m the only woman alive. And most importantly, the way he gets me to get out of my head and just live.
“You taste so fucking good,” Johnny says pulling me from my thoughts.
The rasp in his voice and the way the sound vibrates off my pussy is almost enough to send me over the edge all by itself.
“More,” I whine.
He delivers, shoving his fingers inside my already drenched pussy. I buck my hips, but Johnny pushes me back. Good thing; otherwise, we’d both end up the floor.
He doesn’t slow down or stop. He keeps up the amazing pace and I know this orgasm is going to be amazing.
“I fucking love you!” I scream as the orgasm crashes over me.
Johnny has his devilish smirk on his face as he wipes his mouth and stands up.
“I’m never spending another night away from you,” he says, giving me the gentlest of kisses and letting me taste myself on his lips.
“Now get into my bed, woman,” he says, pushing me toward the stairs and slapping my ass. “I want to love you right.”
I giggle and run up the stairs.
The light shining in through the curtains wakes me up. I stretch and smile at the giant man crushing me. I’ve missed the way he clings to me in his sleep. When you’re so used to the weight of a person on you, it’s almost impossible to sleep by yourself.
“Good morning, beautiful,” Johnny says, stretching and pulling me into his chest.
I feel him smell my hair, and I giggle.
“Did you just sniff me?” I ask.
His chest rumbles with his laughter. “Maybe. I just missed you so much. I didn’t even want to wash the sheets while you were gone because I didn’t want them to lose your smell.”
I give him a weird look and sniff the sheets. “But you did wash them, right?”
He laughs again, and I feel my own mouth pull into a smile.
He rolls us so he is on top of me and kisses me deeply. “Yes, I washed the sheets. Well, my housekeeper did, but they got done.”
I kiss him back. There is nowhere else I want to be, and no one I want to be with more.
“Congratulations!” I say to Tia, hugging her tightly. “One year of having your own talent management company! How amazing!”
She gives me a tight squeeze before stepping back. “I wouldn’t have been able to do it without you.”
I smile at her. This past year has been so crazy. With helping Tia set up her company, and now having so many more clients, finding that perfect work-life balance hasn’t been easy.
But Johnny never makes me feel bad about it. He completely understands. I make sure that I give Johnny as much attention as I can, but some of my clients are a bit more…challenging than I’ve had in the past.
For instance, Ace, the leading singer of Outspoken Chaos. At first, everything was going amazing and I was actually getting really close to Ace. And then I don’t know what happened, but he started spiraling out of control. I’ve had to bail him out of jail three times in the last six months. The rest of the band is easy and stays out of trouble, thank God.
I feel bad sometimes, because I encouraged Tia to manage the band, and she and Crystal have had their work cut out for them dealing with Ace.
“Hey, beautiful. You did good throwing this party for Tia,” Johnny says, sneaking up behind me and placing a kiss on my neck.
I turn to face him and throw my arms around his neck. “It’s what best friends are for.”
“Do you want to sneak away for a couple minutes?” he asks, pulling me close to him. “That coat closest looks nice and cozy.”
He leans down and bites my neck, and I giggle.
“Hmm, maybe,” I tease.
Johnny is a horn dog. You would think he was a seventeen-year-old boy, not a thirty-one-year-old man.
“Ladies and gentlemen, if you could please pay attention while I make a couple of speeches,” Tia announces from a microphone that I don’t remember being there earlier.
I follow Johnny to the dance floor of the ballroom. Looking around at all the people, I see Mason, and some others that I don’t remember inviting. You would think I didn’t plan this whole party.
“I don’t remember planning speeches,” I whisper to Johnny, and he shrugs.
“First of all, I want to thank everyone for coming out tonight. I had no idea Transcendent Management would explode over the last year like it has. I am truly blessed for the amazing fortune we’ve had.”
The crowd claps, and I smile at my best friend.
“One person who I want to thank more than anyone else is my best friend Leah. Without you, I would not have been able to start this company and see the amazing growth we’ve had.”
I feel the tears coming to the surface.
“Would you please come and join me up here?” she asks.
I freeze. What is going on?
“Go on,” Johnny whispers, giving me a push.
I go to stand by Tia, and I notice Johnny following behind. Tia grabs me for a hug.
“I love you, and you deserve the whole world,” she whispers, and I am so confused.
She guides me to turn, and my breath is taken away when I see Johnny on one knee. I quickly cover my face and feel the tears falling.
“Leah, I have never let people into my life, and I have fucked up so many times that I lost count,” he starts. “But the moment I met you, I felt something different. You pushed me away, and for good reason. You weren’t like any other woman I had met before. You’re stubborn, a hard-ass, and you don’t take anyone’s shit, especially not mine.”
I giggle, and Tia touches my shoulder. She’s always been good about knowing when I need support.
“I’ve known for a while that I want to spend the rest of my life with you, but finding a moment as perfect as you deserve has not been easy,” Johnny continues. “You have made me see things differently, you have brought me out of my dark mind, and you have shown me that I can be loved. I love you with every part of me, and I don’t ever want to spend another moment without you in my life. Please be my wife.”
He opens the box, and I look down at the simple and elegant diamond ring.
“I wanted to go bigger, but I know that isn’t you,” he chuckles awkwardly.
I smile at him, not saying anything, just being in awe of this fantastic man.
Life has thrown us curveballs, and a few times, I thought we were over before we even began, but the universe has a funny way of working out and always keeping us on our toes.
“You need to answer him,” Tia whispers.
I laugh. Right.
“Yes!” I shout.
While the crowd erupts, Johnny slides the ring on my finger. Then I bend down and crush my lips to his, knocking him over in the process. We just start laughing on the ground, not letting each other go.
“I love you so much,” I say between kisses.
“Forever,” he tells me.
I melt.
“Get a room!” Mason yells.
I start laughing again. Leave it to my brother to ruin the moment.
“We plan on it!” Johnny yells back.
I hit him playfully, but now I really can’t wait to get out of here. My man and I have some horizontal dancing to do.
(PSST! Want a free bonus epilogue about Leah and Johnny? CLICK HERE!)
“Alcohol You Later” by Mitchell Tenpenny
“After a Few” by Travis Denning
“Really Shouldn’t Drink Around You” by Teddy Robb
“Sucker” by Jonas Brothers
“Adidas” by Korn
“Naked” by Methods of Mayhem
“Closer” by Nine Inch Nails
“Some People Do” by Old Dominion
“Lady Like” by Ingrid Andres
“Dirty” by Christina Aguilera
“Slave 4 U” by Britney Spears
“Pony” by Ginuwine
After relentless bullying throughout her childhood, Tia Marie Daggen dropped out of high school and homeschooled herself, determined to create a better life.Now she is one of the best band managers in the music industry. She starts out on her own when the company she works for screws her over.Her first client? Her old high school crush, Mikey Ecosta. When she lets down her guard and lets him in, things don’t go as planned. When he asks for one more chance, can Tia let go of the past and trust him with her heart?
Cocky, self-assured rocker Mikey Ecosta knows his effect on women. He flashes a sexy smile and they’re clamoring for his attention.When he meets his new manager, Tia, sparks fly, but she’s determined to keep him at arm’s length. Just when he finally convinces her to let him in, a lie rips them apart. When the truth is revealed, can he win back the one woman who can bring him to his knees, or has he lost her forever?
This book discusses suicide and attempted suicide. In-depth details are not given, but it is spoken about at length. It also talks about mental health and drug addiction. If you feel like these subjects would be hard for you to read about, please avoid.
CLICK HERE to learn more!
“Hey, beautiful,” a deep voice says from behind me.
I look around, trying to figure out who he’s talking to. It can’t be me. I’m quiet and a nerd. I’ve never been called beautiful before. Well, not by someone who I find attractive, anyway.
He taps me on the shoulder. “Enjoying the party?”
When I meet his eyes, I know exactly who he is: Gavin Munro, the star quarterback, and the most popular guy at our school. His parents are loaded, and he gets whatever he wants. He’s also the hottest guy at school.
“It’s okay,” I say, unsure as to why he is even talking to me.
It isn’t fair how good-looking Gavin is. His shaggy brown hair and stunning blue eyes have always captivated me. But I’m a geek, and poorer than poor. There is no way he would be attracted to someone like me.
What is going on? This must be a prank.
“I’ve never seen you at any of the parties before,” he continues.
Again, I look around. Where are his buddies with cameras? This is probably going to go all over the internet.
“I’ve never been before, but I figured I should come to at least one.” I shrug, trying to play it cool. “And I kind of talk to Candace, so I figured it would be nice to make an appearance at her birthday party.”
Gavin nods and grabs my hand. “Let’s go for a walk. I want to get to know you.”
I give him a timid smile. Should I go with him? I’m not the usual kind of girl he’s seen with. I should probably just head home.
“Okay,” I finally say.
I’m not sure why I agreed. It’s like my mouth and brain didn’t communicate. Well, so much for going home.
Sitting by the creek, I get a shiver. I really should have just gone home. This stupid small talk is useless. I’m not his type. I’m not even sure why I’m talking to him. I mean, it is nice to feel wanted for once, but I’m still apprehensive. I can’t help but keep looking around for someone with a camera.
“Here, take my coat,” he says, noticing that I’m shaking.
“Thanks” I say, slipping my arms through the giant sleeves.
Being only 5’5”, I feel dwarfed by Gavin’s six-foot height, and I’m swimming in his jacket, but it is nice and warm. And it smells like him. Like leather and clean soap.
“You’re really pretty,” he says, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear.
