His gaze held hers. “Anna, will you marry me?”
Her legs gave out and she went down on both knees in front of him. Thoughts whirled through her mind. She wanted to scream, “Yes!” But instead she said, “I have the kids now. I’m adopting them. I can’t expect you to become an instant parent.”
“I want to be a parent with you.” Mike searched her gaze. “I want to raise Josie and Pablo as our own. And I want to give them younger siblings to grow up with.”
Anna wasn’t sure she could breathe, much less speak.
“Say yes, Anna.” He hooked his finger under her chin. “I want to be with you for the rest of our days.”
In a voice choked with emotion, she said, “Yes.” Then louder and more clearly, “Yes, I will marry you.”
He slid the ring on her finger. For a long moment she stared at it, the ring sparkling in the kitchen lighting like prisms of fire.
They kissed again before the sound of applause jerked them apart. They looked to see Josie, Pablo, and Chandra standing in the doorway, all three of them grinning.
Anna held her arms wide and both her young cousins ran toward them and Anna wrapped them in her embrace.
After a long hug, Mike brought Anna to her feet and rested his arm around her waist, drawing her close, and she leaned into his strength and warmth.
They kissed again and flashes brought them out of the kiss. Pablo was taking pictures with Anna’s cell phone, and Chandra appeared to be recording them.
“This goes on Facebook,” Chandra said with a grin.
“Noooo,” Anna said in a sudden panic.
“Just kidding.” Chandra’s grin broadened. “But you will have it for posterity.”
“Come here.” Anna gestured to the kids and crouched on the floor, Mike along with them.
Anna took her cell phone from Pablo and handed it to Mike, who seemed to know exactly what she wanted him to do. He stretched out his arm and took their first family selfie.
When he showed it to them and Anna saw their four smiling faces, she grinned. “Best. Selfie. Ever.”
Chandra laughed. “And may there be many more.”
Anna and Mike looked at each other. He said, “We’re just getting started.”
Also by Cheyenne McCray
“Riding Tall” Series
Branded For You
Roping Your Heart
Fencing You In
Tying You Down
Playing With You
Crazy For You
Hot For You
Made For You
Held By You
Belong To You
“Rough and Ready” Series
Silk and Spurs
Lace and Lassos
Champagne and Chaps
Satin and Saddles
Roses and Rodeo
Lingerie and Lariats
Lipstick and Leather
Paranormal
Dark Seduction
Night’s Captive
Future Knight
Lexi Steele Novels
The First Sin
The Second Betrayal
The Temptation
~Romantic Erotica~
“Seraphine Chronicles” Series
Forbidden
Bewitched
Spellbound
(Spellbound
includes bonus novella,
Untamed)
Possessed
From St. Martin’s Press:
“Night Tracker” Series
Demons Not Included
No Werewolves Allowed
Vampires Not Invited
Zombies Sold Separately
Vampires Dead Ahead
No Cursed Allowed—
novella (in the Demons & Lovers collection)
“Magic” Series
Forbidden Magic
Seduced by Magic
Wicked Magic
Shadow Magic
Dark Magic
Single Title
Moving Target
Chosen Prey
Anthologies and Collections
Demons and Lovers
No Rest for the Witches
Real Men Last All Night
Legally Hot
Cheyenne writing as Jaymie Holland
“Tattoos and Leather” ménage
Inked
Branded
“Hearts in Chains” BDSM Series
Wounded
“The Auction” Series
Sold
Bought
Claimed
(with bonus novella
Taken
)
“Taboo” Series
Wicked Nights: three Erotic Tales
Taboo Desires: three Tales of Lust and Passion
Playing Rough: three Stories of Sensual Submission
Paranormal
The Touch
Excerpt…
Held By You
Cheyenne McCray
“See you, Ricki,” Hollie Simmons called out to the owner of Sweet Things Bakery. Hollie juggled two large pink boxes of holiday cookies as she pressed her hip against the glass door of the bakery. “Merry Christmas.”
Ricki gave a little wave. “Bye, Hollie. Hope those kiddos of yours enjoy the goodies.”
Before Hollie could push the door open with her hip, it swung wide, catching Hollie off guard. She stumbled out of the bakery and gave a little cry, knowing in that instant that she and her cookies were going to land hard and scatter across the sidewalk.
A man’s strong arm caught her around her shoulders, dragging her up against a hard chest. At the same time her savior caught her, he caught the cookies in his opposite hand, gracefully saving them from their fate of moments before.
“Oh! Thank you.” Hollie let out a breath of relief as the unseen man steadied her. The bakery door closed, leaving her on the sidewalk with the man who still held her. She caught a sexy masculine scent that was warm despite the December chill in the air. She tried to turn but he didn’t immediately set her free, ensuring she was steady on her feet.
He dropped his arm from around her shoulders but kept his hold on the cookies. She turned and hitched her purse up on her shoulder. It was Lieutenant John McBride who had just saved her from a nasty fall.
“Lieutenant McBride.” For no reason whatsoever, her stomach gave a little flip. Okay, maybe there was a reason…and that reason was wrapped up in a six-foot-two, brown-eyed, dark-haired package wearing a uniform fitted to perfection on a powerfully muscled body. “Thanks so much.”
“It was my fault.” He shook his head. “I didn’t see you and I opened the door at the same time you were coming out.”
“Whatever the case, thanks for catching me.” She smiled. “Protect and serve. You’re doing a great job of it.”
He gave a little grin that surprised her. She didn’t know the police lieutenant personally, but whenever she had seen him, he had never been wearing a smile. He always seemed so serious. That hadn’t stopped her from having a little crush on him from afar. She’d always found the man incredibly attractive from a distance. His seriousness, his hard expression, had made her want to know more about the man and what made him tick.
She’d always been too shy to go up to him and introduce herself when she’d seen him around town. With her full curves, and stepbrothers who had belittled her constantly since she was a child, her confidence wasn’t the best.
Lieutenant McBride raised the boxes of cookies. “Let me take these to your car.”
“Thanks.” She nodded toward her small Honda parked along the curb.
He walked at her side as she headed for the car. “Are these for your students?” His question surprised her and she cut her gaze to his. “I imagine today you’re having holiday parties at the elementary school.”
She blinked. “You know who I am?”
He gave a slow grin. “How could I not know one of the best kindergarten teachers in the school district, Ms. Simmons? You have an excellent reputation.”
“I could say the same about you.” She couldn’t help but smile again as they reached the car’s driver’s side door, which she unlocked with the remote. “But it is nice to actually meet you in person.”
He gave a nod and opened the car door for her with one hand, still holding the cookie boxes with his other. Before she could extend her hands to take the boxes from him, he leaned past her, into her car, and set the cookies on the passenger seat.
When he drew back, his body brushed hers. She felt a shiver run through her that had absolutely nothing to do with the cold, and she swallowed as her body reacted to his nearness. She wanted her few moments with John McBride to last. She wasn’t ready to part company with him yet…and she wanted to see him again. Now how could she possibly arrange that?
A thought came to her and she cleared her throat. “After the holidays, I’m having a career day in my class. Do you think you might have time in your schedule to visit my children?”
John studied her in a way that made her stomach flip. She found herself holding her breath as if she’d just asked him out on a date.
He gave a slow nod. “I’d enjoy that.”
She let out her breath in a rush. “So would I—I mean the children.”
Again a sexy little smile. “Why don’t I call you and we’ll set up a date and time?”
“Sure.” She tried to compose herself after her slip up and clasped the strap of her purse for something to do with her hands as he pulled a small spiral-bound notebook from his shirt pocket. “Going to put me in there with all of your suspects and criminals?”
This time he gave a low laugh. “I have a section reserved just for you.”
A flutter went through her midsection again. Was he flirting with her? Yes, he was definitely flirting with her.
She gave him her number and he jotted it down before tucking the notepad into his uniform pocket again. He pulled out a business card with a police shield, Prescott Police Department, and his name and number on it. She held onto the card as she looked up at him.
“You have a good day, Ms. Simmons,” he said.
“Please call me Hollie,” she said. “I hope your day is great too.”
He gave a nod. “Hollie.” The way he said her name about made her melt. His voice was warm and deep and at that moment had a caress to it. She had no doubt that his tone would turn hard in a flash when necessary.
It didn’t surprise her that he didn’t tell her to call him by his first name. After all, she didn’t know him well and he was an officer of the law and had to maintain a certain amount of distance in public.
She gave him one last smile before climbing into her car. She dropped his business card into her purse as he closed the door behind her.
After she turned on her car, he watched her back out of her parking space. His presence made her so nervous she almost backed into a passing car and she had to jam her foot on the brake pedal. Her face flushed with heat and she did her best not to look at John McBride as she guided her vehicle out of the spot and headed toward the elementary school.
Excerpt…
Made For You
Cheyenne McCray
Reese broke the kiss and Kelley found herself breathing hard as his gaze held hers. He cupped her face with one hand and brushed his thumb over her cheek. “You are something else, Kelley.”
“What?” she asked, her voice low and breathy.
“You’re so special to me.” He lowered his head and their lips met again.
She could almost swear fireworks sparked behind her closed eyelids as he kissed her. It was a kiss like nothing she’d ever experienced before, a kiss she never wanted to end.
He scooped her into his arms, catching her off guard. She clung to his neck and he swept her out of the kitchen and down a hall, his stride long and deliberate. When he reached what she guessed was the master bedroom, he pushed the door open and set her on her feet on a hunter green rug next to a rustic four-poster bed. He swept aside the pillow from the top of the plaid comforter and pulled the comforter back with one hand.
Her insides tingled and then he was kissing her again while exploring her body with his fingertips. His touch was gentle when it came to her shoulder, but he pulled her tight up against him so that she felt the hard ridge of his erection against her belly.
He picked her up by her waist and set her on the edge of the mattress. She watched him, hunger growing within her as he knelt in front of her and tugged off one of her leather shoes and then the other. His gaze met hers as he peeled off each of her socks.
When her feet were bare, he caressed then before sliding his hands up her calves, over her jeans, on up to her thighs. The heat of his palms burned through the denim to her flesh. His hands continued on to the button of her jeans.
She couldn’t take her eyes off him, her heart pounding faster with every movement he made. She braced her hands on the mattress and leaned back. Butterflies skittered through her belly as she raised her hips so that he could pull her jeans down.
Her breath caught in her throat as he removed her jeans, leaving her in her black panties. Still on his knees, he pressed his big body between her thighs, pushing them apart.
“Your skin is so soft.” He skimmed his palms along her legs, causing goose bumps to rise up on her flesh. “I didn’t know how much I wanted to touch you until this moment.” His blue eyes held hers. “And now I don’t think I can get enough.”