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  He closed his eyes, breathed her in. Contentment like he'd never known poured through him. Just like that, in a single snap of time, all of his worries--the familiar fear that things were destined to fall apart--fled. This was it, he realized. The fresh start he'd wanted. It started now, this moment. With this woman.

  "I was so worried about you," she said.

  "I'm okay. I'm not going back to prison."

  Her hold on him tightened. "Thank God."

  "I'm sorry I didn't back off. I'm sorry I let things go so far."

  "Hey. Hey, now." She pulled back to frame his face in her hands. "You did back off, and I'm proud of you."

  Proud of you. He'd never heard those words before. Not directed at him.

  "You're not afraid of me?" he asked.

  "Never."

  The contentment gave way to happiness, and he swung her around, overwhelmed. This wasn't just a fresh start, he realized, but everything he'd ever wanted.

  "You," he said. It was all he could manage at the moment.

  "Us," she replied.

  Stronger together than apart. Better together. Meant to be.

  "I've waited my whole life for you," he said. "And you were worth every second."

  *

  THE LOVE OF his life beamed at him the entire drive home. Daphne and Hope were there, waiting for him. So were Beck and a sobered-up West. Even Jessie Kay, Dane, Kenna and Norrie. Jase was hugged by every single one of them. He explained the situation, told them what the sheriff had said, and there was a collective sigh of relief.

  Afterward, West pulled him aside. Dark shadows formed half circles under his eyes, and his lips were pulled tight, but he gave Jase another hug, holding on as if the world was about to end.

  "I'm sorry," West said. "For everything."

  Jase pulled back to pat his shoulder. "This wasn't your fault, either."

  "But I certainly didn't help."

  "No." No reason to lie. "But you're still one of my favorite people, if that helps."

  The semblance of a grin cracked his remorseful expression. "Yeah. It kind of does."

  Beck joined them, and for several seconds, they stood in a circle each of them knew well. Once it had been the three of them against the world.

  "Never thought we'd end up here," he said. "Not just Strawberry Valley, but with them." He motioned to the others.

  Jessie Kay, grinning as she rubbed her knuckles into the crown of Hope's head. Hope, laughing too hard to get away as Steve and Sparkles ran circles around her feet. Daphne, watching the pair with misty eyes. Dane, at Kenna's side, rubbing her arm. Kenna, holding Brook Lynn's hand as the two talked weddings.

  My family.

  "I know," Beck said. "They are proof miracles still happen, I guess."

  West's gaze locked on...Jessie Kay. "Yes," the guy said, his voice gruff. "Too bad I treated one of them like dirt."

  "Give her time," Jase said. "Isn't that what you once told me?"

  "But I'm an idiot," West deadpanned.

  "That's never been in question."

  Brook Lynn caught his eye. She smiled and ambled toward him. He met her halfway and wrapped his arm around her.

  "When do you think we can politely kick everyone out so we can be alone?" she asked softly.

  "Now." He looked up. "Everyone out."

  She chuckled as she combed her fingers through his hair.

  "Y'all need to get a room," Jessie Kay muttered.

  "That's what we're trying to do," Jase told her.

  Beck tsked. "Jase. My man. You lack my skill. If it were me, the good stuff would have been over and done by now, without anyone ever knowing."

  "You call that skill?" Daphne said.

  "Skill for what?" Hope asked.

  "Yeah," Norrie said. "What?"

  "Uh..." Kenna shifted uncomfortably.

  "Well." Dane pulled at his collar.

  Brook Lynn rested her head on Jase's shoulder and traced a heart over his chest. Loudly she said, "I'll give you guys one minute to disappear before I unleash that famous Dillon temper."

  They were out the door in thirty seconds.

  Jase was the one to chuckle this time. He stared down at his happily-ever-after. "A lifetime isn't going to be enough. I want forever with you," he said.

  "Good. Because that's what you're going to get."

  *

  Brook Lynn's Famous Cheesy

  Chicken Spaghetti Ingredients:

  16 oz spaghetti noodles

  2 chicken bouillon cubes

  A dash of olive oil

  1 lb ground chicken breast

  Pepper and salt to taste

  1/2 cup butter

  1/2 cup flour

  1 cup chicken broth 1 cup heavy cream

  2 tbsp sherry

  1 can of mushrooms (optional)

  8 oz Gouda cheese, shredded 8 oz creamy Havarti cheese, shredded

  Directions: Preheat oven to 350degF. Lightly grease casserole baking dish of choice.

  Bring a large pot of water with bouillon cubes and a dash of olive oil to a boil. Cook spaghetti for 10 minutes. Drain and set pasta aside.

  While pasta boils, brown ground chicken breast in a separate large saucepan, seasoning with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

  Melt butter over low heat, then stir in flour, salt and pepper to taste, and stir until smooth. Stir in broth and cream. Keep stirring until the mixture thickens.

  Add sherry, then stir in pasta, meat and both cheeses (and mushrooms if using). Mix thoroughly. Pour into greased baking dish and bake until bubbly and lightly browned, about 30 minutes. Enjoy!

  Keep reading for an excerpt from THE HOTTER YOU BURN by Gena Showalter.

  "With compelling stories and memorable characters, Gena Showalter never fails to dazzle."

  --Jeaniene Frost, New York Times bestselling author

  If you loved The Closer You Come, look for the rest of Gena Showalter's new series, The Original Heartbreakers:

  The One You Want (novella)

  The Hotter You Burn (August 2015)

  And don't miss these other pulse-pounding titles in Gena Showalter's New York Times bestselling paranormal romance series, the Lords of the Underworld:

  The Darkest Fire (novella)

  The Darkest Night

  The Darkest Kiss

  The Darkest Pleasure

  The Darkest Prison (novella)

  The Darkest Whisper

  Heart of Darkness (includes The Darkest Angel novella)

  The Darkest Passion

  The Darkest Lie

  The Darkest Secret

  The Darkest Surrender

  The Darkest Seduction

  The Darkest Craving

  The Darkest Touch

  Available wherever ebooks are sold.

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  The Hotter You Burn

  "WHAT DO YOU MEAN, what am I?" Harlow asked.

  "Are you a doctor? Lawyer?" Beck's gaze swept over her, lingering on the parts he liked best. Namely: all of them. "Femme fatale?"

  Again, her chin went up. "I'm not a heartbreaker, that's for sure. Not like some people I know."

  "Meaning me?" A tendril of guilt and regret swept through him, and he ran his tongue over his teeth. He was always clear about what he wanted from women, what he could give. A single night, nothing held back, nothing taboo--but nothing more.

  "Yes, you," she said. "You've got Tawny in your bedroom, and yet you're out here flirting with me."

  He waved a dismissive hand through the air. "This isn't flirting. This is an interrogation."

  "Ha! An interrogation implies I'
m being threatened, but the only part of me currently in any danger is my mouth. You just looked at it as if you were about to devour it!"

  "Please. I look at everyone's mouth that way. But this isn't about me. It's about you and the fact that you owe me. Not just for the pie you stole, but for the mental anguish I've suffered. I asked what you are because I need to know how I can extract a sufficient payment from you."

  "Mental anguish," she echoed.

  "Probably the worst case the world has ever seen. A part of me died with the loss of that pie."

  "Died." Another echo. She shifted from one foot to the other, licked her lips.

  He should have remained unaffected, but Tammy--Tawny?--had gotten him worked up; that was the only reason his blood heated and his body hardened. Play it cool. "Are you trying to trick me into doing a little of that mouth-devouring you mentioned, sweetheart?"

  Her eyes narrowed. "There you go, flirting again."

  Hardly. "If you want a taste of my flirting, I'll give you a taste." In a practiced move, Beck let his head dip forward, his gaze remaining locked on his prey. Slowly he made his way around the counter, closing the distance between them. A shiver danced through her, goose bumps breaking out over her arms, and she took a step back. But he just kept coming, focused, determined...until the stove stopped her and she had nowhere else to go.

  He placed one hand at her left and the other at her right, caging her in. For a long while, he said nothing, just continued to study her, letting her get used to his nearness and the heat radiating from his body.

  She blinked up at him with those long, long lashes; they were as black as her hair, almost blue in the light. Her mouth floundered open and closed as she searched for the right words to say. The scent of her wafted up to him, a heady mix of strawberries and pecans, and he liked it far more than he should have, considering she was right--he did have a woman waiting in his bedroom.

  "A-are you done yet?" she finally asked, sounding breathless. "Because this totally isn't working."

  "Done yet?" He chuckled huskily. "Honey, I don't think I'll be done with you for several hours, at least."

  Copyright (c) 2015 by Gena Showalter

  ISBN-13: 9781460380567

  The Closer You Come

  Copyright (c) 2015 by Gena Showalter

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