But… marriage? She’d be the wife of a man whose first commitment was to his country, and that meant he’d be gone a lot. He’d also have secrets he couldn’t share with her, about where he’d been and what he’d done.
All this ran through her mind in a heartbeat.
“Roades,” she whispered.
“I’d drop to one knee and ask properly, mon coeur, but this thigh hurts like hell.”
She gripped his arm hard. “Don’t you dare, Roades Knight!”
“Come with me. Keep my mind from the pain during the flight and we’ll lay out our plans.”
Her eyes scalded with tears. “Hernan is to be buried.”
“I can make sure that doesn’t happen until we come back after my surgery.”
“No, no. You need to recover. I…” She didn’t want to stay behind while he walked this path alone. She wanted to kiss him before he went into the OR and be there when he opened his eyes afterward, as well as each step of recovery he took.
“My brother. We’ll have him cremated and I’ll come back for his ashes.”
Roades’ stare intensified. “Does this mean you’re coming with me?”
She spread her hands. “I have nothing. No clothes.”
“Don’t worry—Maman loves to shop.”
Her heart tripped and then tumbled. “My patients…”
She turned to look at the truck where Mr. Báez still sat, waiting for her to return with him. She’d never considered this was a one-way trip when asking him for help.
“We’ll do more from the States, rally more support. Rebuild Puerto Rico. But it isn’t safe here, and I can’t let you remain without me.”
She turned and looked at the truck she’d arrived in. Did she want to walk away from everything? Roades was right, more could be done with the right people to help. Here, she was working alone.
And would be so alone.
She lifted her hand and waved goodbye to Mr. Báez. He waved back and slowly reversed the truck.
She spun back to Roades, and the expression of joy on his face was something she wanted to see there every day for the rest of her life.
“Let’s get you to that hospital.” She took charge, looking to the medical personnel watching the scene. She pointed to one. “He needs painkillers.” She spouted off a dosage. “And he’s been walking on that leg. We need to make sure it’s stabilized. I’m not sure where that bullet is, and if it slips—”
One laid a hand on her shoulder. “He’ll be in good hands, we promise. Welcome aboard.” He helped her into the jet, and she waited there until Roades made his way up the steps too. She fussed over him until he was settled.
He hooked an arm around her middle and yanked her forward to crush his lips over hers. “As happy as I am that you agreed to come with me, you haven’t given me an answer about my proposal.”
What a horrible and wonderful day this was, and her emotions were twisted up. But she disentangled them long enough to clasp his face in her hands. Looking deep into his eyes, she leaned in until their foreheads touched.
“I love you, Roades. And while I don’t claim to understand your life or your job, I am willing to learn it all. Because I want to be with you.”
The kiss they shared was sweet, lingering.
Epilogue
Louisiana bayous were a different world from what Carissa was accustomed to, but the same sun hung overhead as it did all over the world. She stretched out on her stomach, letting the rays heat her skin and make her even sleepier than she already was.
She yawned, and Roades chuckled. “You didn’t get much rest last night,” he said.
She cracked an eye to look at his profile, where he lay next to her on the blanket they shared. The water of the bayou lapped against the dock supports, and out here at the Knight family’s cabin, it was the quietest, most peaceful place on earth.
A perfect honeymoon spot.
“It isn’t like you feel bad about keeping me awake,” she teased with a flick of her brow that meant she wouldn’t care if he tried it again.
He laughed and rolled onto his side to take her in his arms. “I plan to bring you here every year and do this very thing, Mrs. Knight, mon coeur.”
Her new status made her warm from the inside out. She slung a bare thigh across his waist, aware of his thigh injury. Though healing well, it still gave him some pain especially after exertion or at night.
She ran a hand down his chest to his midsection, using her fingertips to tease the muscled ridges there. “We need some rest. We fly out for Puerto Rico in two days.”
“That’s true. We need to be prepared to work hard.”
Three weeks on the island would do a lot of good for the people. Their plans extended from medical facilities to youth shelters and so much more. She didn’t know if three weeks would even be enough, but after that, Roades should be cleared to return to Knight Ops.
They’d spoken extensively about what she should expect. He’d even told her about a few missions, though she suspected he’d only shared the simple, safest ones.
“I might have an obligation for us tomorrow as well. Or my family does.”
She leaned onto an elbow, hovering over him, her long hair draped around his face and sheltering them both from the baking sun. “What didn’t you tell me?”
“After the wedding, my family told me to hurry back from the cabin because they have a reception planned for us.”
“A party?”
He nodded. “Friends and family only, though that is large enough, especially now that Lexi’s home from her adventures. I just wish Tyler was on leave to join us.”
“I haven’t seen her since she was so young. Is she much changed?” Carissa asked.
He barked a laugh. “Do you remember her as a hellion?”
She nodded.
“Then she hasn’t changed. Now, enough talk. More kissin’.” He drew her atop him, and she rubbed her pussy against his erection that was already solid and ready for her to sink over.
“It’s only a matter of time before I’m pregnant, you know.” He’d refused to let them use any birth control since that one night they’d gone without.
A smile split his rugged, handsome features. “Let’s hope so. I want some sons.”
“And daughters?” She smacked at him.
He caught her hand and drew her knuckles to his lips. The heat of his mouth over her skin sent liquid heat down between her legs. She eased over the tip of his cock and began a slow descent meant to torment her husband.
“And daughters,” he said on a groan as she fully seated herself over him and began to ride.
The words fell away, leaving only the music of their lovemaking and the sounds of the bayou of Carissa’s new home.
THE END
Em Petrova
Em Petrova was raised by hippies in the wilds of Pennsylvania but told her parents at the age of four she wanted to be a gypsy when she grew up. She has a soft spot for babies, puppies and 90s Grunge music and believes in Bigfoot and aliens. She started writing at the age of twelve and prides herself on making her characters larger than life and her sex scenes hotter than hot.
She burst into the world of publishing in 2010 after having five beautiful bambinos and figuring they were old enough to get their own snacks while she pounds away at the keys. In her not-so-spare time, she is fur-mommy to a Labradoodle named Daisy Hasselhoff and works as editor with USA Today and New York Times bestselling authors.
Find Em Petrova:
Website
Goodreads
Amazon Author Page
FB Fan Page
Twitter
Instagram
SUBSCRIBE
Bookbub
Other Indie Titles by Em Petrova
Knight Ops Series
ALL KNIGHTER
HEAT OF THE KNIGHT
HOT LOUISIANA KNIGHT
AFTER MIDKNIGHT Coming Aug 2018
KNIGHT SHIFT Coming Sept 2018
ANGEL OF THE K
NIGHT Coming Nov 2018
O CHRISTMAS KNIGHT Coming Dec 2018
Wild West Series
SOMETHING ABOUT A LAWMAN
SOMETHING ABOUT A SHERIFF
SOMETHING ABOUT A BOUNTY HUNTER
SOMETHING ABOUT A MOUNTAIN MAN
Operation Cowboy Series
KICKIN’ UP DUST
SPURS & SURRENDER
The Boot Knockers Ranch Series
PUSHIN’ BUTTONS
BODY LANGUAGE
REINING MEN
ROPIN’ HEARTS
ROPE BURN
COWBOY NOT INCLUDED
The Boot Knockers Ranch Montana
COWBOY BY CANDLELIGHT
THE BOOT KNOCKER’S BABY
ROPIN’ A ROMEO
Country Fever Series
HARD RIDIN’
LIP LOCK
UNBROKEN
SOMETHIN’ DIRTY
Rope ‘n Ride Series
BUCK
RYDER
RIDGE
WEST
LANE
WYNONNA
Rope ‘n Ride On Series
JINGLE BOOTS
DOUBLE DIPPIN’
LICKS AND PROMISES
A COWBOY FOR CHRISTMAS
LIPSTICK ‘N LEAD
COWBOY CRAZY Hank’s story
COWBOY BARGAIN Cash’s story
COWBOY CRUSHIN’ Witt’s story
COWBOY SECRET Beck’s story
COWBOY RUSH Kade’s Story
COWBOY MISTLETOE a Christmas novella
COWBOY FLIRTATION
COWBOY TEMPTATION Coming Oct 2018
COWBOY SURPRISE Coming Jan 2019
Single Titles and Boxes
STRANDED AND STRADDLED
LASSO MY HEART
SINFUL HEARTS
BLOWN DOWN
FALLEN
FEVERED HEARTS
WRONG SIDE OF LOVE
Firehouse 5 Series
ONE FIERY NIGHT
CONTROLLED BURN
SMOLDERING HEARTS
Club Ties Series
LOVE TIES
HEART TIES
MARKED AS HIS
SOUL TIES
ACE’S WILD
The Quick and the Hot Series
DALLAS NIGHTS
SLICK RIDER
SPURRED ON
Also, look for traditionally published works on her website.