Love Resolution - By Michelle Mankin Page 0,93
sighed contentedly and her heart warmed as he dropped a soft kiss into her hair. She looked out at everyone gathered around.
Her gaze paused on Sam and JR. They were standing so close that there was no visible space between them. JR flashed her a white grin and then Sam’s beautiful, twinkling grey eyes met hers. Both women were back with the men they loved. A moment of shared happiness passed between the two friends.
To the right of the newly engaged couple, Don Anthony stood behind Rheta, arms wrapped around her shoulders. Beside his parents, Dwight held onto his wife’s hand, her other hand rested on the new life growing inside of her. The Anthony’s were such a blessing, a family for her when she’d thought she had none.
After the obligatory ‘Happy Birthday’ was sung by all, she and Justin blew out the candles. Rocking back on her heels, her brother on one side, her father on the other, the family she had lost was now regained. Joy bubbled out of her heart and into a wide smile. Marcus caught and returned it, his blue eyes sparkling back at her.
Beaming, Avery began to cut the cake, placing the slices on small glass dessert plates while Justin and Marcus helped pass them out.
When the last person had been served, she and Marcus slipped into a booth in the back, scooting together on the same side. Surrounded by the soft sounds of conversation and forks ringing against glass plates, she glanced at Marcus out of the corner of her eye. Though she didn’t always agree with his approach, she knew that he loved her and that he would go to any lengths to protect her. That was just the way he was wired. He had vowed never to let her go. Her fingers wrapped around his. She would never let him if he tried.
“You checking me out?” he joked, giving her his full dimpled grin.
“Maybe.” Her answering smile was distracted as her gaze drifted over to her father. He was so much thinner than he’d been before they left Vancouver.
“It’ll be alright,” Marcus whispered, following the direction of her gaze. His lips brushed her cheek before his piercing blue eyes looked deeply into hers. “Whatever happens. Any storm, Avery.”
He slid his hand behind her head and pulled it to his chest. She could hear his heart beating strong and steady beneath her ear. “I know now that it’s not weakness to rely on someone else.” His deep voice rumbled. “It’s a sign that you’ve got a good thing. A priceless thing. Something worth holding on tight to. Something you never ever let go.”
Her sentiments exactly. He stroked her hair and she relaxed into his warm comforting arms.
“Any storm,” he repeated. “I’ll always be there. You can lean on me.”
Some time later
“Avery, you home?” Marcus called out as soon as he stepped off the elevator into the apartment, the mouthwatering aroma of fresh baked chocolate chip cookies assailing him. Baking lessons with Ray’s mom had been going well.
“In the back,” she yelled in response.
He strode down the hall, stopping in the doorway to the master bath and stared at her.
She was bent over at the waist, wearing pajama short-shorts and a tank with no bra. Some view, he thought. Her wet auburn hair, much longer now, hung down like a crimson curtain.
His mouth went dry.
“How’d the interview go?” She flipped off the blow dryer and straightened, staring back at him with those expressive emerald eyes.
“Alright,” he replied, leaning back against the doorframe and giving her the smolder.
She gave him a skeptical look.
“It was the same sad song. They wanted to rehash old history. Asked how I can be contemplating going on a European tour with Tempest given your history with its lead guitarist.”
She frowned.
Marcus shrugged. He wasn’t at all worried this time. He and Avery were in a strong place now, and Jackson, well, he had a handful of his own issues. Served the guy right. Reaching back between his shoulder blades, he pulled off his shirt.
She was staring at him.
Hell yeah. This never got old. He dropped his shirt on the floor and waited.
She sashayed over, bent down, and picked up the shirt. “The floor is not a laundry hamper, Marcus Anthony,” she scolded, hips swaying as she stepping around him.
His arms flashed out. He grabbed her around the waist and threw her over his shoulder, taking advantage of her position to slap her playfully on the ass.
“Stop your complaining, woman.” He carried her into the bedroom and tossed her down on the bed so hard she bounced.
“They ask you anything else?” She laughed and scuttled backward, gaze fixated on his hands as he unbuttoned his jeans.
“About your solo career.”
“Oh, yeah?” she asked helping him out by holding her arms up so he could yank the tank top over her head. “What’d you say to that?”
“I said what I always say…” He turned her hand over and kissed the inside of her wrist right on the spot where her mother’s name was tattooed across a scrolling musical staff. “That you can do anything you set your mind to do…you just can’t do it without me.”
COMING WINTER 2013
Book Four
of
The Black Cat Records Series
A throbbing headache brought Bryan out of his bunk at four in the morning. His mouth as dry as cotton, he gingerly placed his bare feet on the freezing cold floor of the tour bus and made his way to the front. Tylenol and a bottled water were the object of his quest. He pushed the button to open the pocket door and immediately saw her sitting at the banquette.
Lace.
When had she come on board? It must have been in New York, but he hadn’t heard her. Granted he’d been preoccupied with the twins. He tried to remember if he’d seen War at the meet and greet. He hadn’t. He must’ve been with her. The familiar burn seared the inside of his chest like acid.
She turned. Whiskey colored eyes, honey blond hair, same captivating face, except she was way too thin. Always way too thin. Her cheek bones stuck out, her complexion was pale, even her wide lips seemed drained of their usual color.
“Bryan.”
That breathy voice of hers shot right to his groin. Even hung over and recently satiated his dick came right to attention. Clamoring after what it could never have. What he could never have.
War’s girlfriend.
“Lace,” he made a show of running his gaze over her gaunt form. War’s t-shirt hung down to mid-thigh on her. She brought her bare legs closer together and gave him a darting sidelong glance. So what if he was shirtless, jeans half buttoned. He wasn’t gonna cover up for her.
She stared straight ahead and licked her lips. “Nipple ring’s new.”
“Yeah, nice of you to notice. Scoot over.” He flopped down on the two-seater bench beside her. “You get on in New York?”
She put her hands in her lap and stared at them. “Yeah.”
My husband: I couldn’t have done it without you (wink)
To my readers: More Avery & Marcus because you asked, xx& oo’s
To my beautiful betas, your help and encouragement was priceless:
Lisa Pantano Kane @ http://www.threechicksandtheirbooks.com/
Michelle Warren
Lisa Paul @ http://lisasreads.com/ check out her soon to be released novel, Thursday Nights
Kim Box Person @ http://shhmomsreading.com/
And Lisa Kinzel
To my proof reader eye LoVe ewe:
Hazeline Paddock-Ng
To my editor extraordinaire, the closer: Diane Klein, MD…without her we would have had-- bouncing chestnut girls and drinking while intoxicated, lol!
To my advance readers: Your enthusiasm is my fuel:
Tressa Sager, Jamie Sager Hall, Shaina Shaye-Baby Abbs, Kimberly Schaaf, Vanessa Proehl, Addi Footit, Rita Jinkins Knits, Wendy Neuman Wilken, Deanna Prophet-Pyles, Mandy Ireadindie, Holly Malgieri, Denise Tung
To my girlfriends: Lisa, Mary, Kari, Paige, Beth…thanks for pulling me out of the writing cave for laughter and mayhem. I love you all!
Michelle Mankin is a young/new adult romance writer as well as a self-proclaimed giant…inside her own mind.
For many years, she toiled in the insurance industry as an underwriter. Somehow, the boredom didn’t kill her, and the hours of looking at facts and figures provided ample time for her mind to wander.
Love Evolution, Love Revolution, and the latest novel, Love Resolution are rock ‘n roll romances. The first is based on Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, the second on Much Ado About Nothing, and the third on The Tempest. The first three books in the Black Cat Records series combine the plot underpinnings of the famous playwright with the drama, excitement, and the indisputable sexiness of the rock ‘n roll industry.
When she is not putting her daydreams down on paper, you can find Michelle traveling the world with her family. Sometimes for real and sometimes just for pretend as she takes the children to school and back.
http://www.michellemankin.com/
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Michelle-Mankin/233503403414065
https://twitter.com/MichelleMankin
If you enjoyed this book, please support the author by posting your review on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Goodreads.
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Table of Contents
Dedication
Prologue
One
Two
Three
Four
Five
Six
Seven
Eight
Nine
Ten
Eleven
Twelve
Thirteen
Fourteen
Fifteen
Sixteen
Seventeen
Eighteen
Nineteen
Twenty
Twenty-One
Twenty-Two
Twenty-Three
Twenty-Four
Twenty-Five
Twenty-Six
Twenty-Seven
Twenty-Eight
Twenty-Nine
Thirty
Thirty-One
Thirty-Two
Thirty-Three
Thirty-Four
Thirty-Five
Thirty-Six
Thirty-Seven
Thirty-Eight
Thirty-Nine
Forty
Forty-One
Forty-Two
Forty-Three
Forty-Four
Forty-Five
Forty-Six
Forty-Seven
Forty-Eight
Forty-Nine
Epilogue
Acknowledgments
About the Author
Table of Contents
Dedication
Prologue
One
Two
Three
Four
Five
Six
Seven
Eight
Nine
Ten
Eleven
Twelve
Thirteen
Fourteen
Fifteen
Sixteen
Seventeen
Eighteen
Nineteen
Twenty
Twenty-One
Twenty-Two
Twenty-Three
Twenty-Four
Twenty-Five
Twenty-Six
Twenty-Seven
Twenty-Eight
Twenty-Nine
Thirty
Thirty-One
Thirty-Two
Thirty-Three
Thirty-Four
Thirty-Five
Thirty-Six
Thirty-Seven
Thirty-Eight
Thirty-Nine
Forty
Forty-One
Forty-Two
Forty-Three
Forty-Four
Forty-Five
Forty-Six
Forty-Seven
Forty-Eight
Forty-Nine
Epilogue
Acknowledgments
About the Author
Table of Contents
Dedication
Prologue
One
Two
Three
Four
Five
Six
Seven
Eight
Nine
Ten
Eleven
Twelve
Thirteen
Fourteen
Fifteen
Sixteen
Seventeen
Eighteen
Nineteen
Twenty
Twenty-One
Twenty-Two
Twenty-Three
Twenty-Four
Twenty-Five
Twenty-Six
Twenty-Seven
Twenty-Eight
Twenty-Nine
Thirty
Thirty-One
Thirty-Two
Thirty-Three
Thirty-Four
Thirty-Five
Thirty-Six
Thirty-Seven
Thirty-Eight
Thirty-Nine
Forty
Forty-One
Forty-Two
Forty-Three
Forty-Four
Forty-Five
Forty-Six
Forty-Seven
Forty-Eight
Forty-Nine
Epilogue
Acknowledgments
About the Author