Portia had just picked up the jacket to her black pantsuit and was pulling it on. “That would be great. This is my last engagement until February when I have some Valentine’s themed promotional videos planned. We can definitely spend some time together. Are you coming to Seattle?”
“No. I was thinking of stopping in D.C. to see Judy. I miss my old friend from time-to-time. I know you won’t come to that little reunion, but maybe you could come back to the east coast. This house’ll probably be sold by then, but we could get a hotel and visit Providence. You remember how they did the town up real nice for the holidays? And the big party they used to have on New Year’s Eve?”
“Yes, I remember,” Portia said with a sigh. “And I know what you’re trying to do, Sunny. The answer is no. Not because I don’t love you and don’t want to spend time with you, but because I’m not going back to Providence with the hope of seeing Ethan. That bird has flown the coup.”
Sunny laughed. “Listen to you talking like me now. I guess I’ve whispered in your ear long enough to have something rubbing off.”
Portia laughed too.
“Listen, I gotta go. But we’ll talk soon about where we can meet up to spend the holidays together. I really want to make that happen.”
“Then we’ll make it happen. I’m mighty proud of you, Ladybug,” Sunny said. “Have a good event and knock ‘em dead.”
“Thanks, Sunny. Love you!”
“Love you too!” Sunny said before disconnecting.
Portia turned off her phone and headed out of her hotel room. She caught the elevator down to the meeting room floor and exited with her mind focused on what she would say. She had her trusty notecards in her jacket pocket, her phone in the other. It was show time, something she’d gotten used to over the last leg of the book tour. Did she miss girls’ night with Camy and Rylan? Yes. And she’d thought about her failure with Jeret’s hot wings on more than one occasion. He’d dared her to try them again. Portia kind of wanted to take him up on that.
She shook her head free of those thoughts and walked into the room to see that all the seats had already been taken. Everyone seated was waiting to hear from her. One of the conference organizers met her at the door and walked her to the front of the room. Portia stood behind the podium, and pulled out her cards to begin speaking. She addressed the crowd, “Good evening. Thank you for coming.”
And then she paused.
There was someone she knew standing all the way in the back of the room.
17
“If you don’t mind, I’d like to share something with the group,” Ethan said from where he stood.
Much like she’d been that day he’d stood in the back of another meeting room while she’d given a demonstration, Portia didn’t know what to say. The crowd had turned to look back at him in question and the conference organizer stepped up to the podium.
“Sir, this is a ticketed event to hear Ms. Merin speak. If you’re looking for another meeting, there are persons outside who can be of assistance,” the older man said in a stern voice.
Ethan had begun walking down the center of the room where there was a break in the chairs. He was carrying a box in his arms and talking while he moved.
“I’m not mistaken,” he said. “This is exactly where I want to be. I’ve been waiting all day to see Ms. Merin.”
At this point the organizer moved aside and began speaking to another man. That man signaled to someone in the back and Portia figured they’d just called security on Ethan. She hurriedly stepped away from the podium, intending to meet him and get him out of this room before he could be arrested for trespassing.
But Ethan knelt down just as she came to the end of the aisle. He opened the top on the box and tilted it over until the cutest little Yorkshire terrier came tumbling out. It looked as confused as Portia and probably everyone else in the room felt for a few seconds before darting toward her, yipping happily. Portia knelt down and scooped him up in her arms immediately. As she stood, it was to see Ethan coming closer toward her.
“I was an idiot,” he said. “I’ll admit that for as long as you want. But what I won’t do, not another day, is live without telling you how deeply in love with you I am.”
Portia tried to catch her breath. She held onto the dog who was trying to crawl up her chest or out of her arms. Ethan stepped closer.
“You said we helped each other grow and I believe you. I had no plans to get involved again, to give any sort of feelings to another relationship. And then you waltzed into town. You brought back parts of my past that I wished could stay buried. You also opened a door that I don’t think I could close now if I wanted to.” She’d missed his voice. She hadn’t known how much until this moment.
“I wish I could’ve loved you twelve years ago. I wish I could’ve saved you from everything you had to go through,” he said and finally reached out a hand to cup her cheek. “But I’d like the chance to give you my heart now. My heart and this great dog that I figured you could name Dale. You know, after the Sunnydale where you were happiest. I mean, maybe he could possibly protect both of us. Sort of.”
Laughter bubbled up from her stomach, as pressure and warmth floated throughout her chest.
“This is a great dog because he’ll love us unconditionally. The same way I plan to love you, Ethan Henley.” Her head was swimming, chest heavy with emotion and then, as if just noticing, she glimpsed all the people staring at them. “Oh, the audience.”
Ethan had been about to kiss her, she could tell by that look he always got in his eyes like she was the only person in the room, in his world. She took a step back, clearing her throat before handing him the dog…Dale. “Have a seat,” she told him. “Right here in the front row so I can see you clearly this time.”
He grinned, took the dog and grabbed the box from the floor before moving to the seat. As she walked back to the podium, she recalled another time when she’d been in a conference room and Ethan had slipped into the back and watched. Her heart still hammered wildly at the thought of him watching her, listening to her words and knowing she existed.
They’d come full circle. The thought filtered through her mind just as she began with her speech. As a teenager she’d thought herself in love with him, but really, at that time she’d had no idea what that word meant. Her parents hadn’t showed her much love and to be honest she wasn’t even sure they loved each other. But Sunny had loved her and she’d been honest with her always. What she and Ethan had now felt totally different from way back then. He was no longer that lost young man trying to find his way in a world that was determined to cast him aside. It had taken him a while to find his footing too, but he had, just like she did, and now they were both here. She paused in her speech and looked over to him. Dale was crawling up his chest and he had to use both hands to grab him and hold him still. She grinned, so full of love and of something she hadn’t had enough of before, hope.
There was so much she and Ethan needed to work out, where she would live, who would get to keep Dale, if they’d both travel with her on book tours and other work trips because now that she had them, she wasn’t about to let them go. But all of that could wait. When the lecture was over and she’d answered as many questions as her brain could process, she and Ethan made a stop outside for Dale to handle his business and then went up to her room.
“You’re brilliant,” he said cupping her face and moving in until their bodies were flush. “Every word you said tonight, your books—” He paused and shook his head. “Just brilliant.”
Bringing her hands up to his arms she looked into his adoring eyes and felt wanted, needed, cherished. “And you’re safe, Ethan. Your heart is safe with me. I know you’ve been hurt and betrayed before, that you’ve been living with the threat of that third strike hanging over your head, but you don’t have to live like that anymore.” Turning her face into his palm, she placed a soft kiss there. “I love you.”
He leaned in, touching his lips lightly to hers. “I love yo
u.” Their lips touched again and her arms went up and around his neck. His slid down her neck and past her shoulders, until they were wrapped around her, pulling her tight against him. Here, right here wrapped in each other’s arms Portia knew they were both safe now, together, finally after all these years, they were safe and surrounded by love.
And Dale’s cute, loud-pitched bark.
Pink Starburst Shot Recipe
Camy, Portia and Rylan enjoy a girls’ night with the help of Pink Starburst Shots. Enjoy this sassy hit of color for yourself!
PINK STARBURST SHOT
makes 1 shot
1/2 ounce vanilla vodka
1/4 ounce DeKuyper Pucker Watermelon Schnapps
3/4 ounce sweet and sour mix
Ice
Combine vanilla vodka, watermelon schnapps, and sweet and sour mix in a shaker over ice. Shake until cold, then strain into a shot glass.
Also by A.C. Arthur
Other Contemporary Romance
The Donovan Series, Donovan Friends, & Donovan Dynasty books (in reading order)
Book 1: LOVE ME LIKE NO OTHER
Book 2: A CINDERELLA AFFAIR
Donovan Friends #1: GUARDING HIS BODY
Book 3: DEFYING DESIRE
Book 4: FULL HOUSE SEDUCTION
Book 5: TOUCH OF FATE
Donovan Friends #2: SUMMER HEAT
Donovan Friends #3: WINTER KISSES
Book 6: HOLIDAY HEARTS
Book 7: DESIRE A DONOVAN
Book 8: SURRENDER TO A DONOVAN
Book 9: PLEASURED BY A DONOVAN
Book 10: HEART OF A DONOVAN
Donovan Friends #4: A CHRISTMAS WISH
part of the Under The Mistletoe Anthology
Donovan Friends #5: ALWAYS MY VALENTINE
Book 11: EMBRACED BY A DONOVAN
Book 12: WRAPPED IN A DONOVAN
Donovan Friends #6: ALWAYS IN MY HEART
Book 13: IN THE ARMS OF A DONOVAN
Book 14: FALLING FOR A DONOVAN
Book 15: DESTINY OF A DONOVAN
Donovan Friends #7: FOR ALWAYS
The Donovan Dynasty #1: DANE
Donovan Friends #8: THE WINTER WEDDING
* * *
The Donovan Dynasty
Book 1: DANE
Book 2: ROARK
* * *
After Hours Trilogy
Book 1: OFFICE POLICY
Book 2: CORPORATE SEDUCTION
Book 3: LAWS OF ATTRACTION
Bundle: AFTER HOURS TRILOGY
* * *
The Indecent Series
Book 1: INDECENT PROPOSAL
Book 2: INDECENT EXPOSURE
* * *
Rules of the Game Trilogy
Book 1: RULES OF THE GAME
Book 2: REVELATIONS
Book 3: REDEMPTION
* * *
The Carrington Chronicles
Book 1: WANTING YOU - Part One
Book 2: WANTING YOU - Part Two
Book 3: NEEDING YOU
Book 4: HAVING YOU
* * *
The Rumors Series
Book 1: RUMORS
Book 2: REVEALED
* * *
The Royal Weddings
Book 1: TO MARRY A PRINCE
Book 2: LOVING THE PRINCESS
Book 3: PRINCE EVER AFTER
Book 4: TAMING THE PRINCE
* * *
The Temptation Series
Book 1: ONE MISTLETOE WISH
Book 2: ONE UNFORGETTABLE KISS
Book 3: ONE PERFECT MOMENT
Book 4: ONE CHRISTMAS SONG
* * *
Fashion & Passion
Book 1: A PRIVATE AFFAIR
Book 2: AT YOUR SERVICE
* * *
OBJECT OF HIS DESIRE
UNCONDITIONAL
LOVE ME CAREFULLY
HEART OF THE PHOENIX
SECOND CHANCE, BABY
SING YOUR PLEASURE
DECADENT DREAMS
EVE OF PASSION
Paranormal Romance
The Shadow Shifters (in reading order)
Book 1: TEMPTATION RISING
Book 2: SEDUCTION’S SHIFT
Book 3: PASSION’S PREY
* * *
The Damaged Hearts Series
(Shadow Shifters Spinoff)
Book 1: MINE TO CLAIM
Book 2: PART OF ME
Book 3: HUNGER FOR YOU
Book 1-3: DAMAGED HEARTS BOX SET
* * *
Book 4: SHIFTER’S CLAIM
Book 5: HUNGER’S MATE
Book 6: PRIMAL HEAT
Book 7: A LION’S HEART
Book 8: A COUGAR’S KISS
* * *
The Wolf Mates
The Alpha’s Woman (Available as part of the GROWL Anthology and CLAIMED BY THE MATE VOL.1 Duology)
Her Perfect Mates (Available as part of the WILD Anthology and CLAIMED BY THE MATE VOL.2 Duology)
Bound to the Wolf (Available as part of the HUNGER Anthology and CLAIMED BY THE MATE VOL.3 Duology)
* * *
The Legion
Book 1: AWAKEN THE DRAGON
Book 2: CLAIM THE DRAGON
* * *
WICKED: The Desireable Witches
Contemporary Small Town Romance (w/a LACEY BAKER)
The Sweetland Series
Book 1: HOMECOMING
Book 2: JUST LIKE HEAVEN
Book 3: SUMMER’S MOON
Book 4: CHRISTMAS IN SWEETLAND (coming soon)
* * *
A GINGERBREAD ROMANCE, novelization of the Hallmark Channel Original Movie
Young Adult Paranormal (w/a ARTIST ARTHUR)
The Mystyx Series
Book 1: MANIFEST
Book 2: MYSTIFY
Book 3: MAYHEM
A Mystyx Novella: MUTINY
Book 4: MESMERIZE
* * *
Pretty Little Liars Kindle Worlds
THE STRONG SHALL SURVIVE
BE MY SWEETHEART
About the Author
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