He silently scowled at me, so I poked his side, trying to coax a smile out of him. “I’ve got some news that might cheer you up.”
“What’s that?” he grumbled.
“Nick is spending the night over at Laura’s. We’re going to have the house to ourselves for most of the night.”
His expression slowly changed as his personality shifted from one trait to another. He wasn’t an over-protective dad anymore. He was back to being the irresistible man I’d never stop falling in love with. A sly smile formed on his lips. “Alone?”
“Yes. Nick’s already gone. As soon as Bev leaves and you get back from dropping Maggie and her friends off, we’re alone until the Prestons bring Maggie back at ten. Bev is back at eleven.”
“All alone with not a neighbor for a mile?”
“That’s right.”
“How about we nab a bottle of wine and a blanket and we head to the north meadow?”
“It’s going to a beautiful night. Do you want to look at the stars?”
He stroked my bare arm. “Not really.”
“Oh, yeah?” I tilted my head. “What do you want to do there?”
A devilish glint appeared in his eyes, and he whispered in my ear, “I want to give you a proper fucking under the moonlight.”
Imagining what that might entail, I squirmed in his lap. I smiled and whispered, “I think I’d like a proper fucking.”
“I know I would.” He chuckled and checked his watch. “How much longer until that dance?”
If you'd like to see David in his younger years, check out Mary Whitney's Heart Series.
Read other books by Mary Whitney
I may be an Anglophile, but no matter how many British books I’ve read or movies and TV shows I’ve seen, I couldn’t have written this story without a bit of help. Lovely Brits, Catherine Waring, Carrie Elks, and Vanessa Ranby, reviewed my work, making sure David sounds like a bloke rather than just another American guy. I can’t thank them enough for giving David the authenticity he deserves.
David also benefited from a wonderful crew of pre-readers. They guided me through my writing, and their opinions were invaluable. Dana Lam, Rosette Alcantara Doyle, Tiffany Choez, Elizabeth de Vos, Julia Gannaway, Michelle Kannan, and Heidi McLaughlin — you have all my thanks.
Most everything in the story that’s grammatically correct comes from the wonderful copyediting by Anne Forlines. Thank you so much. As usual, you saved me, and all remaining errors are mine alone.
Finally, I’d like to thank all my author friends and kind readers. You keep my spirits up with your humor, wit, and love. I truly couldn’t write without you.
Mary Whitney blames Laura Ingalls Wilder and Margaret Mitchell for her obsession with romance novels. At an early age, Mary fell in love with the Little House series and its dreamy hero, Almanzo Wilder, who only wanted Laura to be Laura. Like many women, Mary later graduated to the ultimate, tall and dark bad boy, Rhett Butler, who loved Scarlett despite her flaws.
Mary has lived around the U.S., and after a first career in the non-profit world and politics, she's settled in Northern California with her husband and daughters. She spends her days writing characters she hopes somehow capture the romance of Rhett and Scarlett and Almanzo and Laura. She's a firm believer in what Rhett says to Scarlett: "You should be kissed, and often, and by someone who knows how.”
To learn more about this author and her writing visit www.WordyMary.com.
This ebook was designed and formatted by
www.emtippettsbookdesigns.com
Artisan ebooks for discerning authors and publishers.
First Edition
Copyright Mary Whitney 2014
All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the publisher.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either a product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual people living or dead, events or locales is entirely coincidental.
The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners.
Cover design: Jada D’Lee Designs
Cover Photograph: Shutterstock
Table of Contents
Title Page
Other Books by Mary Whitney
Dedication
No Ordinary Bloke
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
CHAPTER NINETEEN
CHAPTER TWENTY
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
CHAPTER THIRTY
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
EPILOGUE
Acknowledgments
About the Author
About the Book Designer
Copyright Notice