Bed, Breakfast, and Bondage (Emerald Valley) Page 11
The first picture was the building that used to be the restaurant Elenora’s. The second was of Jon, Leah, Devlin, and me, taken Halloween night when we were seven years old. And the third was a snapshot of me Devlin had taken two weeks ago when I’d been taking a break out on the back porch, sipping coffee. Devlin had come out and snapped the picture of me with his phone.
Devlin sat beside me on the couch. “These pictures represent my greatest fantasy: a restaurant of my own, my family, and, most importantly, you.”
I blinked, trying to hold back the tears filling my eyes. “I don’t understand. You’ve worked so hard…”
“I could be satisfied living in LA, even though I was burning out, doing what I was doing. I could even be content, if I were able to start my own restaurant and make it a success. I could have a good life.”
His words sounded so similar to the decision I’d come to for myself downstairs. I opened my mouth to question him, afraid I was reading my own seemingly impossible hopes into his words. Devlin held up a hand, and I stayed quiet, listening to what he had to say.
“I could have a good life,” he repeated. “But I couldn’t have a full life. I needed to leave Emerald Valley at eighteen. I needed to explore, to develop my craft, to take the chances I’d always wanted to take. I needed to see what was out there for me.”
“I understand that. And I’m so, so proud of you and all you’ve accomplished. I still don’t understand these pictures, though.” I looked at them again. “At least, I’m not 100 percent sure I do.”
“Some people stay where they started, knowing it’s right for them. Some people leave and know that it’s the right decision. And some people change. I don’t regret leaving home; it was the right decision at the time. But a part of me has always wanted to come back because the people I love are here.
“Used to be, when I’d come to Emerald Valley, I’d want to turn around and leave. The past few times, however, the urge to stay has grown. I want to be here, to put down roots here. I want to be a part of the community, to run a restaurant here, to be close to my loved ones. And most importantly, I don’t want to be content. I want to be happy. And the only way I can be happy is to be with you. You’re my happiness, Naya. I needed the time away from home to explore, to grow, but my heart has always led me back home. To you.”
I let the tears fall unashamedly now. “I already knew I couldn’t give you up after the holiday ended. I was willing to move wherever so we could be together. If you’re not sure about staying, I’ll go with you. I’ll make it work. Because every time you leave, you take my heart with you. I love you, Devlin Levi. Love you so much that I can’t stand to see you walk away again. Not unless I’m going with you.”
He wiped the tears from my eyes. “Then it’s a good thing I’m sure about staying here, isn’t it? I needed to think it through, to be certain before I said anything to you, because it wouldn’t be right if I wasn’t fully committed to the idea of staying here. You can trust me when I say my words are not for show.”
“I do trust you. Completely.”
“Wait right here.”
He went into the bedroom, then came back a few seconds later. Kneeling in front of me, he handed me a small wrapped box. “It’s a two-part fantasy.”
Holding my breath, I unwrapped and opened the box. The breath whooshed out of me when I saw what was inside. It was an engagement ring, a beautiful emerald-cut blue sapphire with a trillion-cut diamond on either side of it.
“Anaya Abigail Bancroft, I love you with all my heart. Will you marry me?”
I managed to get out the word “Yes” before I tackled him, uncaring that I’d dropped the ring and knocked Devlin into the coffee table.
He laughed, then kissed me long and hard. Both of us were breathless by the time we pulled apart, but Devlin had the wherewithal to locate my ring and put it on my finger before we lost it. I was giddy with happiness when he swooped me up into his arms and carried me back into the bedroom.
As we tumbled onto the bed, Devlin gave me that smile, that purely Devlin smile, filled with undisguised joy, and I knew everything was going to work out. We’d come full circle, he and I, and though we’d spent time apart, our love was stronger than ever.
Even stronger than the rope we used in our erotic games.
And speaking of rope, while Devlin kissed his way down my neck, I reached over and fumbled my way through the nightstand drawer. Devlin looked up when he saw I was pulling something out.
“Nylon rope?” His eyes gleamed.
“Mmm-hmm. But this time, I’m tying you up. I like the thought of you bound to my bed and at my mercy,” I teased.
“Oh really? Well, we’ll see about that.”
We were laughing as we playfully wrestled for the rope, clothes coming off in the process. In the end, Devlin won, something I couldn’t find it in me to be put out about. After all, I could be patient.
Devlin and I had a lifetime of fantasies before us.
Loose Id Titles by Riley Shane
Blood Rose
* * * *
The EMERALD VALLEY Series
Bed, Breakfast, and Bondage
* * * *
The SEATTLE MARAUDERS Series
Two-Man Advantage
In the Penalty Box
Riley Shane
I am a native Californian who has spent the years since graduating high school bouncing around the world at every opportunity. I am a graduate of Vassar College where—despite often being distracted by British Literature—I received my Bachelor of Arts in Political Science. I’m an avid reader who spends much of my time engrossed in romance novels…when I’m not being shanghaied by the loud, demanding, often-crazy characters that live in my head. Right now you can find me in Northern California, but who knows where I’ll be next? So long as I have my laptop and most discerning critic with me, I’m ready to travel and write from wherever the wind may take me.
Enough about me—I’d love to hear from readers. You can find me on the Web at http://www.rileyshane.com.
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Loose Id Titles by Riley Shane
Riley Shane