Anticipation (36 page)

She took a step forward.

“Have you been waiting long?” she asked.

“About ten years, give or take,” Eddie said.

“Me, too. Funny about that.”

Her hand was still on her chest and she could feel her heart pounding away like she’d just run the race of a lifetime. In a way, she realized, she had.

“I can wait,” Eddie said, the words bursting out of him in an endearing rush. “If you need more time, if you want to take things more slowly, I can wait. As long as it takes. Whatever you need.”

She took another step forward, fear and excitement making her dizzy.

“I don’t need more time,” she said. “I only need you.”

She saw comprehension wash over him, saw the relief in his eyes before he closed them briefly, as if he was offering up a silent prayer of thanks. Then she was in his arms, and he was holding her so tightly she couldn’t breathe.

“Say it again,” he said.

“I need you.”

“God, I love you.”

“I love you, too, Eddie.” The words felt strange on her tongue. Funny, when she’d said them in her heart and mind so many times.

His hand cupped the back of her head, pressing her close to his chest.

“I shouldn’t have pushed you. I was trying to be patient.”

“I’m glad you pushed me. I needed to be pushed.”

“You’re sure?”

“Yes. Very sure.”

She’d had ten years to think about it, after all. Ten years of yearning. Ten years of lust. Ten years of secret, hidden hope.

And ten years of fear.

She pulled back a little so she could see his face.

“You might have to bear with me sometimes. Talk me down. Pick me up.”

Eddie’s hand cupped her face. His thumb brushed her cheek as he looked into her eyes. He was so goddamned beautiful, and the way he was looking at her, the love and heat and warmth in his eyes…

“Whatever you want, whatever you need, I’ll be here,” he said.

“Does that start now?” she asked.

“Absolutely.”

“Then I want to be naked. And I want you inside me. I want your arms around me.”

His expression became intent, focused. “Consider it done.”

He kissed her then, the force of his passion tilting her head back. She took everything he had to give and more, her fingers digging into his back and shoulders as she clung to him with everything she had. This man drove her wild. He made her want so many things. He scared her. He inspired her.

And he was all hers.

“Take me to bed, Eddie,” she told him.

Clever man that he was, he didn’t need to be told twice.

Epilogue

SIX MONTHS LATER

“Wow. This is awesome. Thank you so much.” Blue caressed the glossy art book she’d just unwrapped, a goofy, pleased smile on her face as she looked at Renarto and Yuri. “Thank you so much, guys. I freaking love it.”

She was seated on the couch, a bottle of beer on the coffee table in front of her, surrounded by a colorful sea of discarded gift wrap. Watching from his perch on the arm of the couch, Eddie tried to school his expression into something other than ‘besotted lapdog, a description that had been thrown his way more than once in the past six months by his oh-so-respectful employees.

It was hard not to look besotted when he was around Blue, though, because he was. Unashamedly so. She was the hottest, smartest, feistiest woman in the room, and he knew
exactly
how lucky he was that she was his.

Her mouth still curved into a huge smile, Blue set the book down amongst the pile of other gifts she’d accumulated during the past half hour. Eddie’s fingers curved into his thighs as she ran her hand over the new dressing gown Steffi had given her, the earrings Lena had sent from New York, the selection of gourmet chocolates Corey had given her. Her head was downturned, but he could
feel
how much this meant to her, how much she was enjoying being the center of attention at the first birthday party she’d had in twenty-four years.

He slid off the arm of the couch and pushed aside the wrapping paper so he could take the seat beside her.

“How you doing?” he asked, reaching out to rest a hand on the nape of her neck, because it had been ten minutes since he’d last touched her and he needed his Blue fix.

“Good. It’s kinda cool being queen for the day,” she said.

The look she shot him was endearingly sheepish. It didn’t surprise him that she was finding it a challenge to accept everyone’s good wishes and gifts with equanimity. Blue didn’t mind mouthing off when it suited her, but she still had her training-wheels on when it came to being loved and feted.

“Get used to it, babe.”

She turned her head, pressing a kiss to the inside of his wrist. The look she gave him went straight to his groin, it was so filled with heated promise.

“Don’t get the engine started if you’re not going to follow through,” he said.

“What makes you think I’m not going to follow through?” she asked.

He leaned closer and kissed her. She tasted like beer and sunshine, and he was powerless to stop himself from deepening the contact.

“For God’s sake. Maggie, go get the garden hose,” Raf said.

Eddie took his time breaking the kiss. He and Blue had endured plenty of inappropriate displays of public affection when Maggie and Raf first started dating.

“Sorry, did you say something?” Eddie said, cocking an eyebrow at his brother.

“Your fly is down,” Raf said dryly.

“Dude, yours has been down for nearly two years,” Eddie said.

Blue’s glance went from him to Raf and back again. “This is one of those private jokes, right?”

“They’re talking in twin code. It’s like Jodie Foster in that movie,” Maggie said, a mischievous glint in her eye.

“Right. The one where she grew up in the woods and can only talk in twin-speak,” Blue said, nodding as though she and Maggie were having a serious discussion.

Eddie grinned, loving the way Blue always gave as good as she got. Life with her was never dull, that was for sure.

“Happy birthday,” Maggie said, handing Blue a colorful gift bag. “If you hate them, we can exchange them for something else. I’ll be heartbroken, of course, and deeply insulted, but don’t let that stop you.”

“Cash would have been fine,” Blue said, absolutely deadpan.

“Noted for next time,” Raf said, a fond smile on his face as he watched Blue pull what looked like a shoe-box from the bag.

“Okay, this is interesting,” Blue said, shooting Maggie an uncertain look.

Maggie simply waggled her eyebrows mysteriously. “I wonder what it could be?”

“I know I’m sitting on the edge of
my
seat,” Eddie said dryly.

Blue shot him an amused look before lifting the lid, revealing a pair of dark brown motorcycle boots with three buckles down the side. She gave a soundless gasp.

“Tell me these are not Fiorentini and Bakers,” Blue said, giving Maggie a wide-eyed, incredulous look.

Maggie simply looked smug. “I told you you were going to get it when your birthday came around.”

Blue shook her head, a frown on her face. “These are too much, Maggie.”

“We figured we had a lot of birthdays to make up for,” Raf said easily.

Blue stared at him, then she glanced down at the boots, blinking rapidly. Eddie rested his hand on her back.

“Suck it up, babe. We all love you,” he said.

She glanced at him, her eyes full of tears, and he realized she was close to losing it.

Typical Blue — she could handle any amount of hardship, but kindness unravelled her every time.

“Try them on, make sure they fit,” Maggie said.

“Good idea,” Blue said.

Keeping her head downturned, she concentrated on unbuckling one of the boots. Eddie shot Maggie a grateful look, which she acknowledged with a small smile.

Blue tugged off one of her well-worn black boots and wriggled her foot into the new one.

“Ha. Perfect,” she said, standing to prove her point.

“They look great,” Maggie said with approval. “I knew they would.”

“Thank you so much. I love them,” Blue said.

She gave Raf a big hug, then turned to Maggie and repeated the gesture. Eddie watched Blue’s face over Maggie’s shoulder and his chest got tight at the emotion he saw there.

One day soon, he hoped, Blue wouldn’t look so humbled and surprised when people spoiled her.

Maggie gave a little sniff as they separated, and she and Blue laughed self-consciously.

“You still haven’t told me what Eddie gave you,” Maggie said.

“Yeah, what did you get Blue?” Raf asked.

“He gave me a piece of art,” Blue said.

She shot him a warm, private look, then turned her back on Maggie and Raf and hoisted her T-shirt over her head, leaving it bunched over her arms but exposing her back.

“Oh, my God. Blue, it’s beautiful,” Maggie gasped, her hands going to her mouth as she took in the tattoo that now covered Blue’s back.

Eddie watched his brother’s face, not above wanting Raf’s approval for such an important piece. Raf’s expression was inscrutable as he studied the work, then he glanced at Eddie and offered him a single, sharp nod. Eddie smiled, pleased, then turned his gaze to the words that now covered Blue’s back in crisp, elegant blackscript.

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres
.

The snaking vine he’d sketched months ago wove its way through the words, and a new fairy peered out from the behind the top right corner of the text. Her eyes were wide with uncertainty, her body poised for flight, but she clung to the script as though determined to stand her ground.

She was Fear, Blue’s new guardian, a deeply personal acknowledgement of the part the emotion had played in her life. “Because she saved me as many times as she cost me,” Blue had explained when they worked on the sketches for her tattoo.

“Eddie, it’s amazing,” Maggie said, her tone soft with awe.

He smiled, then glanced at Blue, aware she was watching him.

“It’s perfect,” she said, and there was so much love and light and promise in her eyes that he had to reach out and touch her, just to make sure that she was real. That she was his.

It was a feeling that still hit him on a regular basis, even though she’d been sleeping in his bed for six months now, having moved in not long after they’d finally sorted their shit out.

It was the first time either of them had shared their personal space with someone else, and they’d both had to make adjustments. He’d learned to fold his clothes and leave them on the chair Blue had agreed was a decent compromise in their ongoing battle between his more casual house-keeping and her brutal minimalism, and she’d almost gotten to the stage where she could leave the dinner dishes until the morning before going to bed.

Almost.

Despite their differences — or maybe because of them — life had very quickly taken on a new richness, a new completeness now that they were together. Everything was different, everything felt both novel and at the same time comfortable and familiar, because even though they discovered new things about each other weekly, their love was built on a foundation of ten years of deep, abiding affection and history.

Simply, life was good with Blue at his side, in his bed and in his heart.

Overwhelmed by a rush of emotion, he stepped forward and caught her precious face in both hands, uncaring that she was trapped by her half-on/half-off sweater. Looking into her eyes, he kissed her, holding the simple contact for a long beat, absorbing the taste and feel and warmth of her into his bones.

“What was that for?” she asked when he finally lifted his head.

“Everything,” he said.

A slow smile curved her mouth, and he knew she understood.

She always did.

~ THE END ~

I hope you enjoyed Blue and Eddie’s story. For news on
Obsession
, the third book in the Brothers Ink series, as well as my other new releases,
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Her Best Worst Mistake: an excerpt

She thinks he's stuffy. He thinks she's spoilt.
Then the gloves come off and so do their clothes!

For six years Violet Sutcliffe has known that Martin St Clair is the wrong man for her best friend. He's stuffy, old before his time, conservative. He drives Violet nuts - and the feeling is entirely mutual. Then, out of nowhere, her friend walks out just weeks before her wedding to Martin, flying to Australia on a mission of self-discovery. Back in London, Violet finds herself feeling sorry for suddenly-single Martin. At least, she tells herself it's pity she feels. Then he comes calling one dark, stormy night and they discover that beneath their mutual dislike there lies a fiery sexual chemistry.