A Million Wishes Excerpt:
Well, so much for that. He tugged the string that was tied in a bow at the waist of her pajama pants, barely tickling his fingers under the band, feeling her stomach as it quivered under his soft touch. Mikayla thought she should probably slap his hand away and stomp off or something, simulating ‘good girl’ behavior instead of standing there secretly hoping he would touch her one more time. His head dipped towards hers and the kiss he gave her curled her toes and had her tippy toeing up to kiss him harder, deeper still. Teeth scraped her lips until she was panting, whimpering his name between kisses, reveling in feeling like a woman hungered for by a man. Unfortunately that didn’t last long. The shrill sound of the telephone ringing, jerked them from their reverie. Pulling away from him, she went to her bedside table and grabbed the phone looking at the Caller ID, and groaning before she answered.
“Mikayla, I was wondering about you since you never called again or came by this weekend. I called Vivi’s and she said you were at momma’s, I mean your house, and that Noah was with you. Did he stay the night with you?” Callum was obviously unhappy finding out she had stayed with Noah alone, but she was grown and wasn’t in the mood for his ‘big brother’ antics.
“Callum, I’m a big girl and I can come and go as I please. It’s none of your business if he stayed here. I am getting ready to shower and head back to school to take my finals in the morning. I’ll be heading back here to stay on Friday or Saturday.”
“What do you mean it’s none of my business? You’re my baby sister, and I don’t care who he is but he better not be disrespecting my sister or I’ll kick his ass—SEAL or not.”
“Oh good grief Callum calm down, it’s not like we got naked and danced under the moon it’s too damn cold outside.” It was wicked of her to tease him, but he was so easily riled she couldn’t resist.
“So what, you danced naked inside, is that what you’re insinuating? I’m on my way over…” She looked at the phone stunned when she heard the click, and busted out laughing.
“So, it looks like Callum is on his way over to defend my honor. You have fun with that, Romeo. I’m going to take a shower.” She went into the bathroom and shut the door, giggling as she locked it.
Noah stood there for a second and started laughing too. Well, if Callum threw a punch it wouldn’t be the first time in all the years they had known each other and probably wouldn’t be the last. Especially once he told him he was marrying Miki. He went to his bag and pulled on his sweatshirt from the day before, then headed to the laundry to toss his other clothes into the dryer.
By the time he heard Miki turn the shower off, Callum was charging through the door in a huff.
“What the hell are you doing here with my sister all night, Noah? Mikayla is my sister, bro! What the hell, man?”
Noah grinned, “Want some coffee, man?” He didn’t wait for an answer. He headed for the kitchen and poured them each a cup and sat at the table so he could wrap his leg.
“Hey, I’m talking to you, Noah!” Callum was fuming and his skin was red with anger.
“I hear you, Callum. Calm down, drink your coffee. Miki will be out of the bathroom in just a minute and you’ll see she is just fine.”
“I just heard her on the phone, I know she sounds fine. My point is...are you sleeping with my sister?” By the time he got the word ‘sister’ out he was yelling loud enough, that Miki heard him loud and clear.
“Callum shut your filthy mouth! We are not sleeping together yet. I mean we slept together but we didn’t sleep together. Got it? Not that it’s any of your business.”
“Besides Callum, I asked Miki to marry me and I’m hoping to have her convinced by the time she and I come back with her stuff from Atlanta that she needs to make an honest man out of me.”
“Yet? Yet? So you’re planning on sleeping with him, Mikayla?”
Miki’s face turned beet red and Callum looked like he was about to blow a fuse. She had seen that look on his face before and knew he was about to snap. She stepped in between him and Noah, who was acting oblivious to Callum’s temper tantrum, content on methodically wrapping his leg and attaching the prosthetic with a satisfied grin on his face.
“Callum calm down. There is nothing for you to be getting so worked up about.” She patted his arm and pulled out a chair. “Sit. Relax.”
Noah was thoroughly enjoying pressing his best friends buttons and working him up. Even though Miki was glaring at him, wanting him to stop, he was just so damn happy, he wanted to make Callum miserable a little while longer.
“Come on buddy, you know I’ve had it bad for her since she was in junior high and I was in high school. Remember I used to scare off all the boys that flirted with her because I didn’t want them flirting with my baby doll?”
Before she could stop him, Callum jumped up and punched Noah in the face “You sorry son of a bitch, talking about her like that! She was just a baby back then you jack ass!” Noah was laughing as he got up from his chair, grabbing a few paper towels and wiping the blood off his chin.
“You still hit like a girl, Cal. I guess once we get back and settled down, Uncle Noah’s gonna have to go teach your boys how to fight so they don’t hit like a girl like their Daddy does.”
Callum swung again but Noah ducked and weaved, while Callum tried again to land another punch. Noah caught his fist in his and grinned, “Hooyah!” That made Callum grin and chant with him, “Hooyah!” The next thing you know they hugged and slapped each other’s back like nothing ever happened. Laughing about the punch and then talking about high school and all the fights they got into back then. It was as if the subject of Miki and Noah disappeared and the same old camaraderie was back as usual. Miki shook her head and went to gather her things, pulling Noah’s clothes out of the dryer and tossing them on the table in front of them.
“There’s your clothes Romeo, and if you are coming with me, you need to get ready so we can go to your house and get your things for the week. That is…if you two are done acting like idiots.”
A Million Wishes Trailer
Reflecting On Wishes Excerpt:
Summertime was the best time of year. Early May, but hot and breezy with the scent of honeysuckle blooming in the air. It was dark still, but Dakota had a couple of hour’s drive time ahead of him to Commerce, Georgia. Once he met his brother Dominic and his buddy Tank at the diner for breakfast, they were heading to the drag races for the weekend.
This was his first long trip on his new matte black Yamaha YZF-R1 motorcycle. He could hardly wait to get it on the highway and open her up. First things first, breakfast at Lola Mays diner. The only person he knew that could throw down some country cookin’ better than Lola May was his mom Mikayla. He was still getting used to calling Mikayla that even though she and his dad, Noah adopted him and his twin brother and sister about six years ago.
He pulled into the diner and didn’t see Tank or Dominic’s bikes so he went ahead and parked, taking off his helmet and walking inside the cool lobby. As always, Lola greeted him with a boisterous hug.
“There’s my tall, dark and handsome! C’mere and give Lola some lovin’s honey.”
Dakota grinned and wrapped her up against him and lifted the buxom, curvy woman off her feet, sending her into a fit of girlish giggles. “Lola you get more beautiful every single time I come in here darlin’.”
Kissing his cheeks, she patted his chest and fanned her face. “Oh lawdy be honey, if I wasn’t married I’d be doin’ things to you that are illegal in the state of Georgia, I would!”
He grinned at her, wiggling his eyebrows. “Ms. Lola, I would have let you too.” A brief kiss on her cheek left her gasping as she picked up a menu and fanned her face.
“Oh honey, now you come on back here and take this table by the kitchen so’s I can come out and flirt with you while your here. Goodness knows you are good for this old gal’s ego.” With that said, she turned and weaved her way to the table, swinging her ample hips to and fro’ all the way there.
“You want some coffee honey?”
“Yes ma’am I do. I’ll wait for the guys to get here before I order though.”
“What trouble are y’all gettin’ into today? Gonna be chasin’ girls round town?” Lola turned his coffee cup over and filled it from a fresh pot of the steaming brew.
“We’re heading up to Commerce for the drag races this weekend.”
“Mhmm…I know what you’re doin’ Dakota Cane, you ain’t foolin’ me none boy. You’re gonna go flirt with our hometown girl aren’t ya? Oh that Angel Vega is one lovely little creature. Why I remember when she was just a tiny little sprite comin’ in here with her daddy for breakfast on Sunday mornin’s. They still do when she’s in town; she’s as sweet as pie too.”
He nearly blurted out that he’d just bet she was sweet as pie but he snapped his mouth shut and just grinned.
“We’re going to see the races Lola, not pick up women.”
“Mhmm, tell it to the judge darlin’. I see you lookin’ all fine in your black leather and snappy lookin’ bike. Mhmm you on the hunt for that girl, I can tell by the look in your eyes when I said her name.”
Laughing, he winked at her and nodded his head. “I plead the fifth Ms. Lola.”
“I am sure you do, baby. That is one lucky little spitfire you’re after, lucky indeed.”
About that time, Dominic and Tank came in the diner, all decked out in leathers, looking just as handsome as Dakota did.
“Woowee you boys are tryin’ ta give an old woman a case of the vapors aren’t ya? Lord help me, I’m surround by a buncha tall, dark and chocolates.”
Tank scooped her up and kissed her cheeks, laughing when she squealed and giggled.
“Well don’t you look gorgeous this morning Ms. Lola. Have you divorced your Mister yet? I’d marry you in a heartbeat if you promised to make me those buttermilk pancakes at least twice a week.”
Lola looked like a little girl against his nearly seven foot tall frame, but it didn’t discourage her from reaching up and patting his cheeks with a big smile on her face.
“Sweet darlin’ I don’t think I’d make it through our honeymoon night to be able to make you those pancakes but my, oh my, what a night that would be!”
His big voice chuckled out with laughter as he leaned and kissed her forehead.
“And you! Come here Dominic and give this old girl some lovin’s this mornin’. Don’t let those two discourage you from tryin’ to win my affections now. There’s enough of me to go around darlin’.”
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Reflecting On Wishes will be available in the fall!
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