“Oh, God.” She clenched his shoulders, her legs starting to get weak as he sought and found her clit. “Fuck me, Evan. Now.”

  “You’re so wet, sweetheart,” Evan crooned in a low, sultry voice as he removed his fingers and deliberately put them to his lips and sucked her juices from the digits. “Your taste is addicting. Did you know that? I want my head between your thighs every time I look at you.”

  Randi’s legs gave out as she watched him lick and suck every bit of her essence from his fingers like it was nectar. Evan wrapped his arm around her waist and lowered her gently down until she was on her back, lying next to the pile of clothes.

  He shucked his remaining clothing before following her to the floor and kneeling between her parted thighs. “I can’t wait right now,” he told her in a demanding, graveled voice. “Tell me, Randi, because I don’t think I can hold off any longer before I bury my cock inside you and fuck you until you come.”

  The look on his face was fierce and dangerous as he towered over her, but Randi didn’t feel anything except a thrill of excitement at his loss of control. “Then do it,” she dared him, moving her hand down her belly as he watched and sliding her fingers through her own slick warmth. “I can’t wait either.”

  She met his eyes with a challenge as she stroked her clit, moaning softly as her body vibrated with longing. Lifting her other hand, she stroked and pinched her nipples, making her own body rise into an even hotter state of arousal. She knew she was pushing his buttons, but she didn’t care.

  It should have been awkward to masturbate in front of Evan, but it wasn’t. She wanted him to lose it, and he needed to learn that he wasn’t going to always get his way by teasing her until she broke.

  Some things required a logical, rational conversation.

  “Does it feel good?” Evan asked huskily, his eyes following every one of her motions.

  “Oh, yes,” she moaned, watching his heated eyes as she put more pressure on the tiny bundle of nerves between her saturated folds. “I wish you were inside me right now. I’d love to feel your cock filling my emptiness.”

  “I just want to see you come,” Evan replied, sounding completely fascinated.

  He stripped her of all of her intentions with his reaction. Jesus, he did just want to see her pleasured. He had started out by insisting on her promise to marry him, but his desire to see her happy had just trumped his own wants and needs.

  Evan Sinclair was the most complicated man Randi had ever met, and the only one who could make her crazy and so damned touched at the same time.

  “I love you so much,” she moaned, the look of pleasure on his face as he watched her take herself to climax arousing her almost unbearably.

  “I love you, too, baby. Make yourself come,” he encouraged, his eyes now glued to her face.

  The fact that he was watching her with laser focus was so erotic that Randi found herself tumbling over the edge as she pinched and stroked her clit harder and harder.

  Her back arched as she moaned, her body pulsating as her head moved from side to side.

  She screamed as Evan pushed her thighs apart, pinned her hands over her head, and entered her with one smooth thrust. The feeling of him filling her on the heels of her self-induced climax was almost more than she could bear.

  “That was one of the hottest things I’ve ever experienced,” Evan rumbled above her. “But I was getting jealous of your own hands.”

  “Nothing feels as good as this,” Randi purred as she wrapped her legs around his waist. “Fuck me, Evan. I need you.”

  She heard a desperate, low groan fall from his lips as he pumped into her again. “I love you, Randi. Don’t ever doubt that. There’s never been anyone for me but you. There never will be.”

  Believing him wasn’t a problem. She felt the same way, and she knew she couldn’t be feeling all of this alone. “Feels so good,” she panted. “More. Please.”

  He gave her what she wanted, releasing her hands and putting one of her legs over his shoulder to change his angle of entry. His massive cock rubbed against her clit with every hard thrust of his hips, pushing her higher and higher.

  Randi watched his face as she felt another orgasm starting to build. Evan was a miracle to her, a man she considered out of reach to a woman like her. Little did she know how very real he was, or that he had a heart as big as the ocean beneath his arrogant façade.

  “I love you, Evan,” she cried out as she felt her climax thundering over her, her emotions tumbling along with the waves of rapture.

  She raised her hips, meeting his thrusts with her heart skittering and her body vibrating in ecstasy.

  Evan let her leg drop from his shoulder and he found her mouth with his, absorbing her screams of pleasure as he ravaged her with a kiss of deep possession and urgent demand. She wrapped her arms around his neck and returned his embrace with the same fiery passion, as her fingernails dug into the skin of his back with a grip so strong she knew she was marking him.

  He pulled his mouth from hers and bit at her bottom lip. “Fuck, yes!” he exclaimed with a low groan that was almost a howl as she continued clutching at his back, endless pulsations gripping at his cock.

  Her climax had milked him of his own release, and the two of them clung to each other in a hot, sweaty mess as they both tried to catch their breath.

  “Mine!” Evan growled. “You’ll always be mine, Randi.”

  She shuddered at his animalistic tone and covetous, carnal words. Strangely, his claiming felt more like a vow, his commitment to be there for her for the rest of their lives.

  He rolled, pulling her with him so she was sprawled on top of him. Randi sighed, knowing it was just one of many of Evan’s moves to protect her and keep her from taking his weight on top of her, even though she’d welcome it.

  “Yes,” she said simply in a breathless voice.

  “Yes?” Evan asked hopefully.

  “Yes, I’ll marry you.” She’d do everything in her power to make Evan happier than he’d ever been in his life. He deserved to love and to be loved more than any man she’d ever met. Randi knew nobody would ever love this complicated man more than she would, and nobody would ever understand him better than she could. He’d probably never lose his veneer of sophistication and arrogance, but it didn’t matter. She knew the kind of heart that was underneath all of that.

  “What convinced you?” he asked, sounding elated.

  “Not your teasing tactics,” she admonished him.

  “Then what was it? I’d like to know for future reference,” he told her jokingly.

  She put a gentle palm to his whiskered jaw and told him honestly, “Because there’s never been anyone else for me but you, either.”

  The look of relief on his face spoke volumes as he covered her palm with his larger hand and lowered his forehead to rest against hers.

  “Thank fuck,” he whispered fiercely, as though she was the most precious thing he’d ever been given in his entire life.

  Knowing the pain that Evan had suffered and the burdens he’d carried for so long all alone, Randi held him close to her and promised herself that this man of hers would never be alone with any future troubles ever again.

  “I love you, baby,” he said huskily.

  Randi sighed happily, wondering if she might just believe in a little bit of Beatrice’s magic after all.

  EPILOGUE

  A Few Months Later . . .

  “What are we doing here?” Randi asked curiously as Evan led her around the back of her parents’ house.

  It hadn’t been an easy decision for her to put the home up for sale, but they’d been living together at Evan’s place because the two of them couldn’t bear to be apart. The old home needed a new owner, and another family to find happiness in the house again. Randi hated that it was sitting empty. It looked . . . lonely.

  Spring had arrived in Amesport, and Randi knew the house would probably sell during the late spring or summer, so she was fairly surprised when Evan had suggested they take a drive to her old home.

  “I wanted to carry on the tradition for one more year,” he answered solemnly as he clasped her hand and led her into the fields past the backyard.

  “What tradition?” Now she was really confused.

  “This one.” He stopped and waved his hand toward the creek that ran through the property.

  Randi stopped moving and covered her mouth with her free hand. “Oh, my God.”

  There, beside the small, rapidly flowing stream, were more white calla lilies than Randi could possibly count. They were already blooming, the warm weather in the late spring probably aiding their condition. Evan had obviously had them brought here and transplanted. Just because he thought it would make her happy.

  The tall lilies were gorgeous all along the edge of the creek, but the thought of the trouble he had gone to in arranging for the flowers to be imported and planted on a property that was already up for sale was amazing.

  “Don’t you like them? I thought they were the same variety you talked about.” Evan sounded calm but concerned.

  “They’re exactly the same. How do I thank you for something like this?” She threw herself into his arms and hugged him, so damned grateful that she had this man in her life.

  The closeness they’d experienced over the last few months had been almost frightening, and each day she’d fallen just a little more in love with Evan. She was in so deeply now that she knew she’d never escape. Not that she wanted to.

  There wasn’t a day that went by that Evan didn’t do something to melt her heart, and the rift between the Sinclair siblings was finally healing. What had once been a broken family was now whole.

  “I have a few ideas,” he said in a husky, suggestive voice.

  Randi laughed happily, squeezing him tighter. Evan had learned to have some levity in his life in the few months they’d been together. Seeing him smile at her still made her heart lighter. “I’m sure you do,” she answered teasingly.

  She turned in his arms to just let the sight of the lilies sink into her soul. Evan wrapped his arms around her waist, and Randi rested the back of her head on his shoulder. “It’s beautiful. Joan would have loved this.”

  “Are you sure you want to sell?” Evan asked cautiously. “It’s not like you’ll need the money. You are marrying one of the richest men in the world, you know.”

  Randi smiled, knowing when Evan said things like that, he was just stating a fact. “I’m sure. Unless you plan on canceling the wedding.”

  They were getting married in a month. Evan had wanted the ceremony to be sooner, but he’d also wanted it to be perfect. He was being a pain in the ass about the arrangements, but Randi didn’t care. She found it fascinating that he was willing to help with the planning, and was more thorough than she and her female friends.

  “Over my dead body,” Evan vowed. “It seems like we’ve waited forever.”

  It had actually not been more than a few months, but it had seemed like a long time to her, too.

  She glanced down at the beautiful platinum-and-diamond ring on her finger, sighing as she wondered how long it would take her to get used to having Evan bringing her a new gift every day.

  His gift closest to her heart was his vow to find a plot of land to build a small school for kids with special learning needs. She’d broken down in tears as he’d explained that he didn’t want any child to suffer the same way he had.

  Their biggest hurdle, the fact that Evan didn’t want biological children, had been resolved. They agreed on adoption if he didn’t feel comfortable having children of his own within a few years. He’d touched her heart when he said that any kid they had didn’t need his DNA for him to love them. Randi didn’t mind if they adopted because she felt the same way, but she was pretty certain that Evan was starting to understand that any offspring he had with dyslexia would be just fine. They’d both help the child learn from an early age, and she had no doubt Evan would be a fantastic father.

  “I still don’t know what to say. This is incredible.” Randi felt so at peace as she gazed at the collection of lilies.

  Lily flopped down at Evan’s feet, happy to be with him whenever she could. Lily had bonded with him the same way she had with Randi. In return, Evan seemed to adore her, and he still snuck her occasional sneaky pieces of steak. Luckily, not enough to stink up the house.

  “Say you love me,” Evan suggested.

  “I love you,” she obediently replied. He never got tired of hearing the words, and neither did she. “Are you going to keep putting flowers on Dennis and Joan’s graves?” Evan still went to the cemetery every day. There was no snow to clear at this time of year, but Evan made it a point to keep the gravesite tidy and place fresh flowers there every day.

  He shrugged. “Whenever possible. So far that’s been every day.”

  Reaching for her hand, Evan entwined their fingers as they walked slowly away from the stream together.

  “Beatrice was right, you know,” Randi mentioned casually.

  “I know,” Evan grumbled. “I find that kind of frightening, since she gave Micah a crystal when he was here for Hope’s party.”

  “You don’t want him to be happy?” Randi asked curiously.

  “I can’t see him settling down. He’s into extreme sports, and there aren’t many women who can manage to be with a guy who does the crazy shit he does,” Evan replied. “But yes, I would like to see him happy. Xander is going off the deep end again, and Julian is busy on his latest movie. A lot falls on Micah’s shoulders.”

  “I wonder who has the other stone. Does he know?”

  “Nope. He didn’t mention it,” Evan answered. “She’d have to be an amazing woman to put up with him.”

  Randi laughed, amused by Evan’s assumption that he was any less arrogant or demanding than Micah. He didn’t travel much anymore, sending out some of his higher-level employees to check out possible new deals. He might still have to go away sometimes, but they were learning to compromise. Honestly, Evan didn’t seem the least bit eager to leave Amesport. He seemed quite happy to run his business from his home office and hang out with his family, although he still hadn’t quite learned how not to try to tell them what to do. However, it was pretty funny to hear him refer to his eldest cousin as being less likely than him to settle down.

  “I’m sure she will be. Beatrice has been one hundred percent right regarding her predictions for the Sinclairs.” She’d even been correct that Randi would be closing one part of her life when Joan died and starting another. She was at peace now with her foster mother’s death, even though she missed her every single day.

  Stokes was waiting for them, standing beside the Rolls as they rounded the corner of the house. The man wore a smile most of the time now, and he’d become more like part of the family instead of just an employee. Still, he refused to retire, claiming he still had a few years of driving left in him.

  “Are you okay?” Evan asked Randi quietly as he pulled her to a stop before they reached the car.

  “I’m fine.” She smiled at him. “Thank you for doing this. I hope whoever owns the home next time will keep up the tradition.” If they didn’t, that was okay, too. It would be someone else’s home, someone else’s preferences. Randi’s place now was with the man she loved, and she was beyond happy just to be marrying someone she knew would cherish her for a lifetime.

  “I hope they do, too, sweetheart,” Evan said, dropping a kiss on her temple. “Let’s go home.”

  “I’m cooking spaghetti,” she warned him.

  “Good. I’ll need a workout tonight.” He smirked.

  Evan ate anything and everything she cooked, and he enjoyed every meal. Surprisingly, he’d started to help her in the kitchen, and cooking dinner had become one of their favorite times of the day because they did it together. “Let’s go home,” she finally repeated, taking a look back at the house as they strolled to the car. Her life had changed irrevocably since Evan, but she’d never forget the two people who’d saved her from a horrible life on the streets. They would both live on through her memories forever.

  “Ready?” Evan questioned.

  “I’m ready.” She nodded emphatically. Not only was she ready, but she was excited to start a new chapter in her life, her life with Evan.

  They walked hand in hand to the car, both of them ecstatically happy that their whole new life together was about to begin.

  THE END

  AUTHOR’S NOTE

  It’s estimated that between 10 and nearly 20 percent of children have a learning-based reading disability. Most of them are dyslexic. If you have a child who has problems reading, please have them tested. Early detection can help a child start to learn in different ways and start finding their inner creativity and their own unique talents.

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  My sincere thanks to all of the Montlake team, especially my editor, Maria Gomez, who has always made writing this series such a pleasure. A huge thank-you to my employees and my street team, Jan’s Gems, who are always so willing to make my burdens lighter so I can bury myself in my office and write. As always . . . you ladies rock!

  ~Jan

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Photo © 2013 Carrie Herzog

  New York Times and USA Today bestselling romance author J.S. Scott is an avid reader. While she loves all types of books and literature, romance has always been her genre of choice. Because she writes what she loves to read, she excels at both contemporary and paranormal romances. Most of her books are steamy and generally feature a to-die-for alpha male, and all have a satisfying happily-ever-after ending. She just can’t seem to write them any other way!

  Jan loves to connect with readers.

  You can visit her at:

  Website: http://www.authorjsscott.com