Stand (Black Addiction Book 3) (28 page)

“
Holy shit, not only
do you get the big dick but you got a huge ring too.” Jules pulled my hand into the light. “Wowza, does your hand cramp under the weight?”

It was taking a little getting used to, but I would soon be Mrs. Max Reynolds, the Cartier diamond on my finger apparently necessary.

“I tried to tell him it wasn’t necessary.” I unwrapped Jules’ death grip and regained control of my hand. “But it wasn’t worth the battle.”

It had been exactly two weeks since Rusty and Alison’s wedding, the day of our unofficial engagement. Seeing him dressed in a suit and being so happy for them got me caught up in the moment. The words had come out of my mouth before I’d even really given them proper thought, asking him to marry me felt like the most natural thing in the world. I hadn’t even considered the possibility of him saying no, something that could have been a real downer given we still had to sit through the reception. Thankfully, he said yes and I was saved from the most epic letdown of all time.

“Girl, I mean this in the nicest possible way. But fuck you.” Jules folded her arms across her chest, the pie I’d gotten from the
nice
bakery remaining uneaten in front of her.

Despite me moving in with Max, we still saw each other all the time, Jules spending almost as much time in the penthouse I was now living in as she did in my previous home.

“Yeah, totally valid.” I eased back into my seat, unable to argue that my life wasn’t pretty fucking spectacular at the moment. I’d even secured a new teaching position for the end of summer, the glowing recommendation I’d been given from my ex principal no doubt helping.

“What’s valid?” Max’s hands brushed off the hair from my shoulder, his lips kissing my neck. He’d been stealthy in his entrance. I hadn’t even heard the front door open or him walking into the room. “Hmmmm is that the nice pie?” He looked down at the dessert sitting on the kitchen table.

“Don’t even think about it, Reynolds.” Jules picked up her fork, pointy bits out and brandishing it as a weapon. “You already took my roommate and my best friend; I’ll fight you to the death for the pie.”

“Fine, fine. Enjoy your pie.” He laughed conceding defeat with very little effort. “But I’m going to need a minute or two with my future wife.”

I didn’t have a chance to protest, his hands pulling me from my chair and into his arms. Not that I would have resisted; being wrapped up in Max wasn’t something I passed up.

“Go,” Jules groaned, her forked hand waved at us. “You both make me sick.”

I wanted to tell her I didn’t care what she thought, that I was deliriously happy and wanted the world to see it, but Max didn’t give me a chance to respond. His mouth sealed mine, his desperate hands pulling me close against his body.

I knew that kiss.

It said everything without uttering a single word. His lips and tongue dominated mine and I relished in its possession. It made me feel loved, desired and secure all at the same time, and so powerful that I could drive a man like Max as crazy as I did.

“I missed you,” he whispered when he finally released my mouth, his lips lingering along my neck while his hands showed no signs of letting go. “Touring is going to suck.” His smile curled, his beautiful face lighting up.

“Or . . .” I resisted the urge to tell him how much I would hate it too. That I’d curse every mile that separated us and live for the days I’d get to join him. “We can have all kinds of fun with Skype and cell phones. I’ve been practicing my heavy breathing.”

“This would be the first time one of us is leaving, but we’re staying together.” Max’s eyes darkened, his grip tightening slightly. “New territory for both of us.”

“I’m not worried.” I gave him my best smile. “We always found our way back to each other; clearly we belong together.”

“Right.” Light kisses landed on my forehead. “And every opportunity I have, I’m going to fly you to wherever the band is or I’ll fly back. Fate or not, I want you in my bed as often as possible.”

“Do you think all of this was fate? Like this is how it was all supposed to end up? You, me, the band?” I looked at him, feeling that I really didn’t need him to answer. While I never believed there was anyone else driving my own destiny, I couldn’t deny that sometimes the universe had a way of making sure the right people ended up together.

“This is exactly how it should be,” he answered, not an ounce of hesitation. “I knew for sure the minute I stepped on stage with Rusty, Angie and Joey that it was going to be for keeps. I knew that we’d find a way to claw our way in, and even if it took a lifetime, we’d eventually make it.” He took a breath before brushing his lips gently against mine. “And I know with the same amount of certainty that you are my forever.”

“It seems a little greedy that we get everything we want.” A tiny, almost microscopic piece of doubt crept in, the words flying out of my mouth before I had a chance to stop them.

“Our happiness isn’t taking from anyone else—there is enough to go around.”

He was right. And far smarter than anyone gave him credit for. He, the band—they’d done what made them happy knowing that everything else would fall into place. Where as I had assumed I needed to
make it
first, the happiness coming from my success. I now knew how wrong I’d been.

Rather than worrying about if the glass was half full or half empty, I should have been appreciating the beauty of the glass.

And now that I saw it, my glass was flawless.

***

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Thank you to my
family Gep, Jenna, Liam and Woodley—you will always be my heart even if mine were to stop beating.

Thanks to my amazing extended family and friends. It doesn’t matter at which station you joined the crazy train, you’re on it now and I am forever grateful.

Special thanks to amazing my beta team who have to deal with my missed words and sometimes muddled thoughts. MK, Maz and Danielle—your feedback is invaluable. Love your work, ladies. Professional, super quick and constructive, you are a rare find!

A million thanks to Jules. Dude. I can’t even right now. All I know is that we were meant to meet and become friends. We need to get together, eat pie and hang out more. Don’t ever forget how awesome you are.

Thank you to the authors who inspire me and support me. I was a reader longer before I was a writer and I’m privileged to be among you. Lili Saint Germain, JB Hartnett, Monica James, Skyla Mardi, CJ Duggan, Lilliana Andersen, Rachael Brookes, JD Nixon, Natasha Preston, Kirsty Mosely, Jane Harvey-Berrick, Ker Dukey, LA Casey, Jill Patten, Tillie Cole, Andie Long, Abbi Glines, Chantal Fernando, Helena Hunting, Christina Hobbs and Lauren Billings, Penelope Louleas, Jay Crownover, Kim Karr, SC Stephens, Joanna Wylde and Kylie Scott—and to anyone I’ve left out, you all rock.

Hang Le—your work is stunning, and yet it’s only a fraction of how beautiful you are both inside and out. Ninja hugs for life.

Special and extended thanks you to the bloggers and blogs who have and continue to support me. The incredible effort you go to with shout outs, shares, likes, comments, teasers and reviews help us keep writing. Don’t think for a second you aren’t appreciated or valued, I see it all and it warms my heart.

Thanks to the T Gephart Entourage, you are awesome.

Thanks to my Penny and Angela #UnimpressedCat

Thanks to my editor, Nichole Strauss, from Perfectly Publishable. You are more than just an editor, thank you for all that you have done especially with this book. Texas is so far away but I hope you feel my hug, thank you.

Thank you to my proofreader Rosa for picking up pesky mistakes.

As always, thanks to Max Henry from Max Effect for her spectacular formatting.

And last but not least, a HUGE thanks to my readers. You have allowed me to live inside your hearts and minds, and for that I will be eternally grateful. Thanks for coming on the journey with me.

T Gephart is an
indie author from Melbourne, Australia.

T’s approach to life has been somewhat unconventional. Rather than going to University, she jumped on a plane to Los Angeles, USA in search of adventure. While this first trip left her somewhat underwhelmed and largely depleted of funds it fueled her appetite for travel and life experience.

With a rather eclectic resume, which reads more like the fiction she writes than an actual employment history, T struggled to find her niche in the world.

While on a subsequent trip the United States in 1999, T met and married her husband. Their whirlwind courtship and interesting impromptu convenience store wedding set the tone for their life together, which is anything but ordinary. They have lived in Louisiana, Guam and Australia and have traveled extensively throughout the US. T has two beautiful young children and one four legged child, Woodley, the wonder dog.

An avid reader, T became increasingly frustrated by the lack of strong female characters in the books she was reading. She wanted to read about a woman she could identify with, someone strong, independent and confident and who didn’t lack femininity. Out of this need, she decided to pen her first book, A Twist of Fate. T set herself the challenge to write something that was interesting, compelling and yet easy enough to read that was still enjoyable. Pulling from her own past “colorful” experiences and the amazing personalities she has surrounded herself with, she had no shortage of inspiration. With a strong slant on erotic fiction, her core characters are empowered women who don’t have to sacrifice their femininity. She enjoyed the process so much that when it was over she couldn’t let it go.

T loves to travel, laugh and surround herself with colorful characters. This inevitably spills into her writing and makes for an interesting journey - she is well and truly enjoying the ride!

Based on her life experiences, T has plenty of material for her books and has a wealth of ideas to keep you all enthralled.

tgephart.com

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