Flame and Ink: An Anthology (Happy Ever After #1)(14)

Yeah, he was a sucker for his little girl, but that shouldn’t have been surprising.

He took Abigail’s hand and led her to the living room without speaking. When he forced her to sit on the couch and then knelt between her legs, she frowned up at him.

“What is it?” she asked then ran a hand over his face. He could feel her fingers through his beard and he inwardly cursed.

“I should shave,” he said, mostly to himself.

She cupped his face and forced him to move closer to her. “What’s wrong, Tyler?”

“I’m sorry I acted like a child earlier. I mean, I acted younger than Eric.” He let his hands run up her legs to land on her hips, just needing to touch her.

“I wanted to take you shopping, Tyler. I know you hate it, but we really need to get Christmas presents for all the Coopers and mini-Coopers.”

He cracked a grin at the nickname for the next generation of Coopers. “Can’t we do it online?” he pleaded.

“I did some online, but come on, Tyler. I don’t want to lose some of that feeling we get when we find something for the kids. I want to smile and remember where I bought it, and then remember how Eric and Beth looked when they opened their gifts. I know they’re young now and won’t remember, but I want to remember.”

He closed his eyes and leaned forward. She caught him and ran a hand down his back. He itched where he knew his wings were hidden, and she scratched both areas without even asking.

Yes, this was his wife, love, and best friend. She knew everything about him and loved it all.

He couldn’t imagine his life without her.

“Fine, I’ll go shopping,” he grumbled.

Abigail laughed and forced his gaze to hers. “Jackson and Honor are going to watch the kids overnight after we shop,” she said, her eyes darkening. “We’ll have to do the same for them the next week, but we’ll have a whole night to ourselves.”

Tyler grinned. “Oh, yeah? Want to practice to make sure we aren’t rusty when the time comes?”

Abigail opened her mouth to speak but closed it when a yell rang out.

“Mommy!”

Eric ran into the room, naked, and way too full of energy since they’d put him to bed less than an hour ago.

“Where did you put your clothes, buddy?” Tyler sighed as he stood, bringing Abigail up with him.

“No jammies! I’m nakey!” Eric ran around the house screaming, and Tyler winced again as Beth started crying from her nursery.

“I’ll take a raincheck on that practice, my Cupid,” Abigail whispered, and Tyler groaned. “I’ll take the streaker, you take Beth.”

Tyler pulled his wife into his arms and crushed his mouth to hers. “Deal, my Abigail.”

She blinked up at him and grinned. “I like the way you think, Tyler Cooper.”

It was just another night at home with his family, but honestly, he wouldn’t have it any other way.





A Wedding with Wings


A Dante’s Circle Short Story



Author Note: This is a bonus scene about Lily and Shade’s wedding. It didn’t fit into any of the following Dante’s Circle novels, but I really enjoyed going back to visit Lily and Shade. The book takes place shortly after the end of Dust of My Wings (Dante’s Circle Book 1) and before the events of Her Warriors’ Three Wishes (Dante’s Circle Book 2)



Why couldn’t things just happen right the first time? Oh, yeah, because she was Lily, and things were never perfect until she checked them over like twenty times. It’s what made her…her.

Well, at least part of her. The other traits that made her who she was were a little less OCD and a whole lot more…magical.

Those parts of her had to do with the whole brownie thing. Who knew she’d actually enjoy being a paranormal creature of the night?

Were brownies really creatures of the night? It wasn’t as if there were movies about them stalking their prey. And if they were in the movies, they were more like Dobby from Harry Potter, or some random sprite-looking thing without a nose. She was one of the more obscure species. And Hollywood didn’t make any relevant movies about being a brownie. Too bad, since she thought it was pretty cool—if she did say so herself. Oh, and the part that wasn’t about who she had become had everything to do with her other half, rather than who she had been. The whole marrying the love of her life who happened to be a centuries old angel?

Totally amazing and unexpected.

Her body warmed at the thought of Shade.

Her true half.

The groom of the wedding she wasn’t sure was going to happen.

Darn it.

Why had she even thought she could do all of this? Her head hurt, and she wanted to take a step back and run away from it all. Only she couldn’t. Not really. Damn it.

Strong arms wrapped around her, and she sank into Shade’s hold. He smelled of chocolate and sin and all kinds of goodness.

And he was hers.

At least in every sense of the word except legally.

Why was that piece of paper so important to her? She already had everything she wanted with this man, yet she needed to be called his wife … what was wrong with her?

Shade kissed her brow and rocked into her. She loved when he was hard for her…which seemed to be often. Yay, paranormal stamina.