It had been my idea. With Ever being six months pregnant with her and Clint’s first child, Tucker and Mama came up with a new dessert recipe to try out on her every Friday. It only made sense for Tucker to be part of Mama Ryker’s Christmas Kitchen.
“You didn’t mention that.” I tried so hard to hide my amusement so he wouldn’t know I’d already been told.
“You knew, didn’t you?” He wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me close.
“I might have said something to Mama when she pitched the idea.”
His lips brushed mine, the coarse scrape of his beard diverting my focus from unpacking to something completely different.
“Wanna make sure the bed still works?” I asked.
The low chuckle that rumbled in his throat made my whole body light on fire. “It would be a real tragedy if it didn’t.”
My hands tightened around him, the feel of his hard body against mine causing need to coil in my belly. “And I think…to be safe…a real thorough examination is in order, probably a few tests for durability even. We don’t want to risk it being defective.”
“Yeah.” His lips trailed over my jaw and down my neck. “I hope it can take a good hard pounding.”
“But the real question is, can you?” Running my palm down his front, I rested it over his growing cock.
“I can take whatever you give me.”
Heart racing, I realized one incredibly important thing. Forever wasn’t something you fell into. It was what you went after. In the space between my heartbeats, we shifted from two people dying to get lost in each other to a pair desperate for more than temporary.
“I want you to be mine.”
He smirked, cocky and confident. “We built this house, just moved in together, spend every night wrapped in each other. I think I’m about as yours as I can get.”
“No. You’re not.”
I released him and backed away a few feet.
Confusion took over his expression, chasing away the joy he’d worn so carelessly only moments ago. “Sammy? You’re kinda freaking me out.”
“Being with you is the most important thing I’ve ever done, Tucker. I’ll never forget the moment I saw you when I came back. My heart cracked open and let you right back in, even if I didn’t want to admit it. But this…sharing a house, being a couple, it’s wonderful, but it’s not enough for me.”
“What more could you want?”
Stomach twisting and hands sweaty, I dropped to one knee and pulled the platinum band I’d had made out of my pocket. “I want you to marry me. I want you to wear my ring, take my name or I’ll take yours, I don’t care what we do. Just as long as you let me love you and be your husband for the rest of our lives.”
“Sam, I don’t need a ring or a piece of paper to be yours forever. I hope you know that.”
“I do. But I want to call you my husband. If you’ll have me.”
“I never thought I’d get married. Not after you left. The idea of loving anyone else…it was something I never wanted to think about.”
“But now?” God, he wasn’t making this easy on me.
“Looks like I was wrong.”
“So…is that a yes?”
“Yes.”
I slid the ring on his finger and got to my feet, pulling him hard against me before crushing my mouth to his. God, I loved this man. And now he got to be mine for real.
“Can we test the bed now?” he asked, breaking our kiss as he tugged at my t-shirt.
“Fuck, yes. At least twice.”
Keep reading for a sneak peek at Sera Ryker’s story
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Wild Ride
Wilde Horse Ranch Book 1
Sutton
Someone warm and soft was in my bed. Her long dark hair was the first thing I saw when I opened bleary eyes and blinked through the fucking hangover from hell.
God, what the fuck did I do last night? I hadn’t seen the bottom of a tequila bottle in a long time, but I was sure, by the taste in my mouth and the pounding in my head, last night I’d found it.
Standing, I braced my palm on the headboard while my head swam. Fuck, I needed coffee, water, and a long shower. But this wasn’t my room. Not even close. This place reminded me of a penthouse suite in Vegas.
My stomach turned as dread took hold, and I stumbled out of the bedroom and into the living room where I found the evidence of a wild night strewn around the place. Fuck. I was in Vegas with my brother for Sawyer Langston’s birthday. I remembered that much. Our cousin Killian had a big show with his band. But how did I end up here in a suite that was not mine?
A red lace bra was draped over the back of the white couch, black heels haphazardly tossed on the floor. Flashes of her, the woman in my bed, the soft moans of my name, her legs wrapped around my waist, all culminated in an overwhelming need to find out exactly who she was so I could get back to her with a clear conscience.
A bouquet of red roses sat on the table in the entryway, an untouched bottle of champagne in a bucket of what was once ice but now was nothing but water next to it. But the thing that stopped me was the card propped on the table. I reached out and plucked the thick paper from its perch and read the message.
Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Wilde.
Hotel Dante
Las Vegas
Inside was a photo of me and a beautiful woman in a silky black dress. A woman I knew. One who was completely off-limits.
“Holy shit,” I murmured.
I stared down at my left hand, my gaze locked on the fresh ink ringing a very important finger. The name Seraphina was etched into my skin.
Dropping the card, I raced back to the bedroom where my…God, my wife was sitting up, looking just as confused as I felt.
Sera Ryker stared down at her left hand, at the tattoo that I was sure bore my name.
“What the hell did we do?” she asked, echoing my earlier thoughts.
“I’m pretty sure we got married, darlin’.”
Contemporary Romance
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Until the Stars Fade Get this FREE by joining my Facebook Group: Loraine Lovers
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Ryker Ranch
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Saddle Up (Opposites Attract)
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Bucked Off (Fake Fiancee)
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Ridden Hard (Surprise Baby)
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Roped Tight (Second Chance M/M)
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Wilde Horse Ranch
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Wild Ride
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Wild Mistake
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Wild Proposition
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KB Worlds Everyday Heroes/Ryker Ranch
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Ignite (Age-Gap/Forbidden Romance)
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The Royal Virgins
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The Virgin’s Playboy Prince
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The Virgin’s Royal Guard
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The Virgin’s Forbidden Lord
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The Virgin’s Fake Fiancé
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The Cocktail Girls
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His Whiskey Sour (A Stand Alone Rock Star Romance)
About the Author
Kim writes steamy contemporary and sexy paranormal romance. You’ll find her paranormal romances written under the name K. Loraine and her contemporaries as Kim Loraine. Don’t worry, you’ll get the same level of swoon-worthy heroes, sassy heroines, and an eventual HEA.
When not writing, she’s busy herding cats (raising kids), trying to keep her house sort of clean, and dreaming up ways for fictional couples to meet.
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