Promise To Marry You: A marriage of convenience, friends to lovers, small town romance (The Donnellys of Dogwood Cove Book 4)

going on failed date after failed date in search of “the one.”

I’ll already be married to her.

“Okay. What do we need to do to make this madness happen?”

Cam’s raspy morning voice startles me from the dangerous path my thoughts were heading down, and I look over to see her watching me over the top of her coffee mug.

Arms snake around my waist and squeeze me tightly, bringing a wide smile to my face. “Hey, babe.”

I turn around to see her upturned face with happiness beaming outward. “Hi, husband.”

I lightly kiss her forehead, then the tip of her nose, then her lips. “I love hearing you say that word.”

“My son has loved you for years. Watching you two find your way together has been a joy, and I had hoped you would someday decide to get married and promise each other forever. It’s just a shock to know that already happened.”

She’s everything and more. And she’s finally mine.

“I love it.” And I love you.

I kiss the top of her head as I wrap my arm around her shoulders. I want desperately to say those words to her. Tell her how I feel. But she’s already come so far, deciding to be with me, the last thing I want to do is move too fast.

I look back at the clouds, our clouds. And a deep sense of satisfaction settles over me.

Finally.

So I’ll just come out and say it. I love it here in Dogwood Cove. It’s become home to me, and I can’t imagine starting my new life anywhere else. I want to rent that vacant space and open my studio.”

Okay, that’s not where I thought she was going at first; this is much better. My heart manages to make its way back inside my chest, but it’s still racing. I sense her stepping closer and I let one of my hands drift up to find its place on her waist.

“You’ve been patient, and kind, and caring, and everything I needed these last few months. Everything, and so much more. And…” I just barely make out the sound of her sucking in another breath over the now pounding rhythm of my pulse. “And I want our relationship to be real. I want us to be real. No more friends with benefits, no more holding back. You’re the man I want to be with, there’s no doubt in my heart about it anymore.”

She ends on a rush, and thank fuck, because I can’t hold back from kissing her, no matter how hard I try. My lips find hers even with my eyes closed, and our lips meld together, fitting like they were made for each other.

“Get over here, wife.”

A wave of heat crashes through me, and I feel my sex dampen.

Guess I really am a fan of possessive husband Beckett.

“My bed and my arms are open for you, Cam. Anytime, any place. But I need to know if it’s just a warm body next to you that you need at night, or if it’s me next to you that you need. And if it’s me and only me, then I need to know if this is just a simple blow off some steam arrangement or something more. I’m not asking for promises, I’m not asking for anything you can’t give me. Not yet, at least. But I do want to know if there’s a chance that you’re open to someday having more than friendship between us. Because what happened this morning, that’s not how I take care of my friends. That’s how I take care of my wife.”

“Do you have any idea what it does to me to hear you beg? Hear you say my name like that, all sexy and needy?” He reaches forward and gathers my hair up into a ponytail with one hand. With his other, he finally takes his cock, rubbing it back and forth between my folds before lining up and sliding in slowly but without stopping.

“I want you to fuck me, Beckett. Right now.”

That gets him moving. In an instant, Beckett’s behind me, his hands smoothing over the globes of my ass before he smacks it again. He seems to like doing that, and I sure as hell like it, too.

“I can’t see your face when I make you come, baby. But this ass is irresistible.” Smack. I moan, my eyes fluttering closed.

“Am I grabbing a condom?”

Given the edge to his voice, I’m guessing he’s barely holding back. And the idea of letting Beckett do something no other man has done — go in me bare — has my sex pulsing with desire. Opening my heavy eyes, I lock onto his gaze and shake my head slowly.