The Truest Thing - Samantha Young Page 0,130

out of my mouth before I was in my husband’s arms as he kissed the life out of me. His big hands went to my stomach as we kissed. Then he abruptly broke away. “Me and Cooper need to figure out a way to do business without losing so much time with our families.”

“Yes,” I agreed.

“But right now, we’re going to ask our friends to watch Tabby so I can take you home and celebrate our fan-fucking-tastic news in bed.”

My thighs quivered at the mere thought. “Really? Can we do that?”

“Fuck yeah. We’ll tell them why.”

“Should we do that?”

“They’re going to know soon enough.”

Jack grabbed my hand and hurried me out of the bedroom and downstairs. Thankfully, our closest friends were still huddled, although now Cooper was holding baby Lily.

Ivy took one look at our faces and frowned. “What’s going on?”

My eyes flew to Jess’s. “Well … I just told Jack my news. It looks like you and I will be pregnancy buddies again.” I said this a little warily because I didn’t want to steal the spotlight and I also remembered how good I’d had it with my pregnancy with Tabby compared to Jess’s with Tyler.

Jess barely contained her squeal as our friends tried to lower their voices and their surprise. “I can’t believe this.”

“I know!” I jerked my thumb between Coop and Jack. “It’s like these two can’t do anything if it’s not together.”

The two best buddies grimaced at my crack while Vaughn and Michael ribbed them.

“Enough,” Jack said, waving them off. “You guys mind watching Tabby for an hour?”

Every single one of them got a knowing gleam in their eyes.

“Go.” Cooper sighed. “At least one of us should get a shot at something better than a quickie in the bathroom.”

Jess smacked his arm while I blushed beetroot. This only made Jack give a bark of laughter. I was about to rescind my capitulation to copulate when he abruptly took hold of my hand and hauled me around the side yard to the exit.

“Tabby?” I hissed at him in semi-exasperation as I heard our friends laughing behind us.

“She won’t even notice we’re gone, Em.”

This was probably true.

“An hour,” I reminded him as he helped me into his truck.

Jack flashed me that wicked, wicked smile of his that had gotten me knocked up again in the first place.

We were longer than an hour.

In fact, Jack took his sweet time making love to me for a blissful two hours that afternoon.

Afterward, we returned to the party to discover Tabby had not noticed we were gone because the détente between her and Tyler had ended, and she was wrapped up in their mini war. Jess assured me Ty started it by telling Tabby her dress was ugly and he didn’t want her at the party.

Unlike other little girls who might cry at this, Tabby had told him “he could stick his party where the sun didn’t shine.”

I blamed Jack for that one.

Jess said it was hard to reprimand her when most of the adults were choking on their laughter.

As the other kids went home, leaving only the Lawsons’ closest friends at the barbecue, Ty and Tabby settled down once they had the focus of Iris and Ira. The Greens might not have been blood, but they were definitely doting grandparents to our kids.

It was a splendid night.

Tabby fell asleep in the car, and I took pleasure in watching Jack carry her up to her bed. She was so small in his arms. The sight of them together always made my chest ache with love.

I was in our bedroom undressing when Jack strolled in and purposefully shut the bedroom door. There was a scorching tenderness in his eyes that I knew well.

I waited as he came to me and rested my hands on his chest. He cupped my face in his warm, roughened palms. “You’ve given me everything, sunrise.”

“The feeling is mutual, sweetheart.”

“Do you know how much I love you?” he asked, his voice hoarse, his gaze searching my face for the answer he already knew.

“I do.” I looked up at him with all the love and belief I had inside of me. “It’s the truest thing I’ve ever known.”

Acknowledgments

Hart’s Boardwalk readers, thank you so much for your amazing support and love for this series. Without it, the third and fourth novel in this world might never have happened. Thankfully they did because I know many of my HB fans have waited for Jack and Emery’s story since book two. Jack has been one of my favorite characters from the very beginning because I knew he was a true hero behind the façade of anti-hero. It was so much fun to finally reveal all, including his secret relationship with Emery. I hope their love story was everything you wanted it to be.

For the most part writing is a solitary endeavor but publishing most certainly is not. I have to thank my wonderful editor Jennifer Sommersby Young for always, always being there to help make me a better writer and storyteller.

And thank you to my bestie and PA extraordinaire, Ashleen Walker, for handling all the little things and supporting me through everything. I appreciate you so much. Love you lots!

The life of a writer doesn’t stop with the book. Our job expands beyond the written word to marketing, advertising, graphic design, social media management and more. Help from those in the know goes a long way. A huge thank you to Nina Grinstead at Valentine PR for brainstorming with me, for your encouragement, your insight and for going above and beyond. You’re amazing and I’m so grateful for you.

Thank you to my review team, to every single blogger, instagrammer and book lover who has helped spread the word about my books. You all are appreciated so much! On that note, a massive thank you to all the fantastic readers in my private Facebook group Sam’s Clan McBookish. You’re truly special and the loveliest readers a girl could ask for <3

A massive thank you to Hang Le. You’ve created the most beautiful covers that fit perfectly with the story. You’re wonderful and so incredibly talented, my friend.

As always, thank you to my agent Lauren Abramo for making it possible for readers all over the world to find my words. You’re phenomenal and I’m truly grateful for all you do.

A huge thank you to my family and friends for always supporting and encouraging me.

Finally, to you my reader, the biggest thank you of all.

Black Tangled Heart

To my siblings, Jane was a friend. A pseudo-sister, the girl we grew up with.

To me? She was everything.

Our passion consumed us.

When our world fell apart, I thought our love would be the thing that held us together.

She was the love of my life. But she abandoned me when I needed her most.

And I'll never forgive her.

For years I've been planning my revenge against the people who took everything from me.

Jane won't be an exception. I'm coming for her.

She knows it.

She says she wants to help me serve my version of justice on the people who hurt me.

I'll let her.

She probably thinks it will save her from me.

It won't.

Black Tangled Heart is a complete standalone. The Play On series are books connected by the theme of the arts industry, not by characters, and can be read in any order.

"Readers are in for a thrilling and emotional ride with this one! The storyline is engrossing, the characters are complex, and the chemistry is off-the-charts palpable. It's my favorite book by Samantha Young to date." -- K.A. Tucker, international bestselling author of The Simple Wild

Buy it now or read it free with Kindle Unlimited