Driven to Temptation, page 16
Fuck that idea.
He took a deep breath. “I want to share my dreams with you, you’ll share yours with me, and we’ll work together to make them happen.” He traced a finger over the curve of her cheek as she reached for his hand, covering it with her own. “Sound good?”
“What if I really do drive you nuts? What if we drive each other nuts?”
“So what if we do? We’ll figure it out.”
She chewed on her lower lip, her brow furrowed. Why was she hesitating?
Somehow, Aidan had to convince her. “I know we have strong personalities and everything—”
She crushed the bag of Aunt Molly’s chips when she squeezed him in a hug. “It’s not that.” She pulled away and shot him a mischievous grin. “We’ll have the best make-up sex ever.”
“Every single time?” He raised an eyebrow. “That’s a lot of sex.”
“Thank God.” She traced a hand over his jaw. “I can have it all, Aidan. The awesome career, the sexiest man, the kind of life I’d always wanted.”
His chest swelled as if his heart, too, had been touched by it. Maybe the Ice King had thawed even more than he’d imagined. “That works for me.”
“Then it’s perfect,” she whispered. “Because, you know we’ve only known each other for three days, and as crazy as it sounds, I think I’m falling for you.”
“I know I’m falling for you.” Every fiber of his being ached for Delaney.
Only Delaney.
He’d gladly spend a lifetime in the kind of warmth that flowed through him now, touching and thawing every part of his being.
Epilogue
Six months later…
Delaney climbed into the truck’s passenger seat, excitement bubbling inside her. This was their first road trip to Seattle since last summer. And her new company’s first trade show.
She’d written a stellar software program, one that would no doubt quickly gain new clients for her growing business. Soon, she’d hire her first female software engineer.
Delaney smiled. Leaving Ross and Associates had been a great move for her, both professionally and personally. She glanced out the window as Aidan locked the front door of their new home. He strode toward the truck, his gaze locked on hers, and a shot of adrenaline bolted through her.
“Better make it quick,” she said as he settled into the driver’s seat. “Or we won’t beat Portland traffic.”
“Maybe not, but we’ve got everything that matters.”
Aidan’s smile reached across the cab, touching her heart, touching her soul. How could anything be this pure, this perfect?
“Did you bring the pitch for the City of Raleigh?”
“In my briefcase.” He fastened his seat belt. “Now that there’s a new city manager, it looks like Ross and Associates is going to top the preferred vendor list. And all thanks to you.”
“Oh, c’mon. You’ve got the best geotechnical team in the Pacific Northwest.” While she’d written some cutting-edge software for Ross and Associates, it was Aidan and his team who had eventually won city officials over.
“Either way, life’s looking pretty good.” He reached for her hand, brought it to his lips, and kissed the diamond on her ring finger.
Tingles of awareness danced up her arm from where they touched. Contrary to the Ice King moniker once bestowed on him, Aidan was anything but. He was full of warmth. He was full of life. And he was hers.
He let her hand go and reached for the key in the ignition.
“Yeah,” she agreed as she fastened her seat belt. “Life’s looking pretty good.”
All five of her brothers and their families had shown up at the housewarming party last weekend. Her parents had cut their Hawaii plans short and flown home to attend. Even Grant Phillips, Aidan’s foster brother, popped in. To her surprise, the boisterous bunch got along great.
Aidan turned the key, and the Silverado’s engine roared to life. “I brought enough supplies for us to take a side trip or two along the way.”
“Like a stop at Chinaman Hat?”
He nodded. “We might as well decide where we want to hold the wedding ceremony and reception.”
It seemed only fitting to marry at the base of Chinaman Hat. Her mother had definitely approved, and was already dropping hints about wanting a grandchild right away. She’d even offered to give up next year’s Hawaii trip so she could babysit.
Not that Aidan and Delaney had any plans to start a family anytime soon, but watching the way her mother had helped organize and plan the housewarming party gave Delaney a new appreciation for the kind of woman who took care of her home and family. That her mother believed Delaney could have both an incredible career and a family felt amazing.
Delaney tilted her head to one side. “Aunt Molly’s barbecue potato chips?”
“Check.”
“Corn chips?”
“Check.”
She raised an eyebrow. “Chocolate chip cookies?”
“Double chocolate chip cookies. Check.” He faced her with a grin. “I even brought extra.”
“Extra?” She smiled at him. “You know I love you, right?”
“I like to think so.” He reached across the cab, traced a finger over the curve of her cheek. “Guess what else I brought?”
“Gatorade.”
He nodded, pulled his hand back, and pointed at the truck’s control panel. “And I mapped out every rest area on the way. Even what’s not on the nav system.”
God, she really did love this man. “Careful. I could end up spoiled.”
“Baby,” he whispered softly, his face serious, “I love you. It’d be my privilege to spoil you for any other man.”
And that, Delaney knew, was something he’d already done.
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Acknowledgments
There are bunches of people who made this book possible, and I’m so very grateful!
Meredith Clark, what can I say? You’re an incredibly gifted writer and certainly the bestest CP this author could hope for! Thanks for all the times you talked me off the ledge, helped me through sticky plot points, and gave me a quick turnaround whenever I needed another pair of eyeballs on the manuscript. I sooo owe you!
Marie Harte, thanks for being my personal and professional cheerleader. You’re such an inspiration, and I am so blessed to call you my friend!
My incredible street team, Melia’s Marvels. The past year has been ah-mazing! Thank you all for sharing in this journey with me. I am so grateful for your support. MUAH!
My Lounge Ladies, thank you for the countless hours of shared laughter these past few months. And the wine. And the chocolate. And did I mention the wine? It was at one of our gatherings that you gave me the idea for Fifi! I loves my gurls!
Engineer Guy, thanks for letting me pick your brain and for not laughing (out loud, anyway!) when you read the technical parts of this book. Mostly, thanks for being my friend, for boosting my confidence, and for helping me see the light at the end of the tunnel. Just put it all on my tab, ‘kay?
Heather Howland and Kari Olson, two of the best editors around! Thank you so much for believing in this book and for helping to make it shine. I am so grateful to have you on my team!
And last, but definitely not least, the talented staff at Entangled Publishing. I am constantly in awe of you all! Thanks for answering my countless questions, correcting my spelling and grammar, and giving me an awesome cover! Mostly, thanks for walking me through the publishing process with such patience and grace. You all rock!
About the Author
A native of Guam, Melia Alexander is the author of sassy, sexy, fun contemporary romances. She’s fortunate to work at The Male Observation Lab (a.k.a. her day job at a construction company), where she’s able to observe guys in their natural habitat. In her free time, she’s busy conquering her CrossFit fears: ring dips, power cleans, and the dreaded 800 meter run. Her family appreciates her attempts at cooking and cleaning, although she uses that time to mostly daydream about her characters, which sometimes results in a burnt meal and a half-cleaned house.
www.meliaalexander.com
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Melia Alexander, Driven to Temptation
