A Million Kisses or More (44 page)

He didn’t want careful, he just wanted her as she pushed him down onto his back. Straddling his lap, she slowly took his length into the heat of her body as she leaned forward and took his lips with hers. He smoothed his right hand over the warm skin of her torso, her ribs, the indent of her waist, the curve of her ass. It felt like it had been ages since the last time he had been in her and it felt like heaven. It felt like coming home. The little sounds of pleasure she was making, the way her hands moved all over his body, drove him to the edge. He didn’t want to finish before it even began but she was already tightening around him, coming. It pushed him over the edge and with a guttural roar, he exploded.

Arching her back, she came with a cry before collapsing back against his chest. Gently stroking his arm, she murmured, “Next time I’ll last longer, I promise.”

Hugging her to him, he chuckled, “Usually that’s the guy’s line.”

“Then I’m holding you to it,” she grinned. “I love you, Harrison Miller.”

“I love you, too,” he breathed, peace and love filling his soul. “Always.”

Epilogue 1

Ana rested her hands on the top of her hard belly, feeling the baby try to stretch beneath her palms. Despite her swollen feet, aching back, and constant need to pee, she was blissfully happy. With Harrison sitting next to her, rubbing her lower back, she sighed in contentment. Leaning more fully against him, she glanced around the living room and smiled. Her sister was celebrating Christmas with them at Harrison’s and her house and Ana couldn’t be happier. Actually, Christmas was still a week away but because the baby was due on the 24
^th
, they decided to celebrate a week early so they could have one last Christmas with just Jolie.

In the months that they had known one another, Ana and Abby had become best friends and Ana had learned so much about her sister that only made her admire Abby so much more. Despite her own painful history, Abby wanted to stay with Ana for a few weeks so she could help out with the baby. Since Ana’s due date was still a week away, there was plenty of time to make sure everything was prepared.

“Here you go, sweetie,” Harrison said, handing Jolie a gift. “This one is from Ana.”

The little girl looked at Ana and gave her a conspiratorial smile. “Is it the Monster Mash movie I wanted?”

“Better,” Ana grinned, so grateful that Jolie’s grudge lasted for a grand total of two and a half hours. By the time the plane had landed in California, Jolie finally realized Ana had always planned on coming back and they were friends once again.

Jolie tore the paper off and shrieked, “Oh my god, I love it! Thank you thank you thank you!”

Still holding onto the deluxe Blu-ray with the limited edition Monster Mash zombie doll, Jolie stood up and hugged Ana. Well, as best as she could, considering Ana was mostly belly these days. When Jolie sat back down, the baby stretched his toes and Ana was fairly certain he hooked them into her ribs. With a wince, she rubbed the sharp ache but Harrison’s hand was already there. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah,” she grunted, trying to find a comfortable position and failing miserably. “There’s just not enough room in there and baby is ready to make his way into this world.”

“You mean
her
way,” Harrison teased, putting his hand over the curve of the baby. Worry was still etched into his face but he continued to rub her back, her belly, as Jolie unwrapped more of her gifts. Aunt Abby had spoiled her rotten, much to Harrison’s chagrin. Luckily, Abby and Harrison got along remarkably well, at least once Abby had talked him into letting her make his books into a movie. Actually, she blackmailed him, telling him that Ana’s debts would be completely forgiven if he agreed. Not that Abby was actually going to hold the debt over her head, which she confessed once the movie rights had been signed, but she thought if she offered Ana a finder’s fee, then Ana could have a free conscience when she accepted the damn money. Abby was used to getting her own way and Ana loved her all the more for it.

While her sister was there, Ana’s mom and dad were still enjoying their extended honeymoon. When she had met him, Ana had been intimidated because Maddox Cooper was larger than life, even if he was her father. But she had never seen her mother so blissfully happy and for that she would work towards establishing a relationship with the man. For now, it was enough that they were getting to know one another in small doses.

Another dull ache rippled along her back and she squirmed, trying to ease the discomfort. Harrison’s hand stilled as he asked in an undertone, “Are you okay?”

“Of course,” she assured him, though she wasn’t sure anymore. Her back really hurt and she was almost certain her water might have sprung a leak. But it was still a week until her due date and Jolie was having such a good day and Ana didn’t want to ruin it. Besides, it was too soon and she wasn’t ready. In denial, knowing she was in denial, she figured if she pretended everything was okay, everything would be okay. They’d make it through their early Christmas celebration before she had to go to the birthing center. She had been pretending all morning and afternoon and she was fairly certain she wasn’t going to be able to pretend much longer.

Gritting her teeth together in a smile, she said, “I’m fine.”

*****

Harrison watched Ana as she pretended she wasn’t in pain and it destroyed him to know there was nothing he could do. Scooping her onto his lap, ignoring her protests, he cradled her as she whimpered. Holding her head against his chest, stroking her hair, he asked, “Ana, are you in labor?”

“Maybe,” she whispered.

He looked up and saw Abby’s eyes as she stared at Ana with an equal measure of concern and longing. When she saw him watching her, she gave him a blinding smile as she turned to Jolie and said, “Hey, Bean, what do you say to the two of us watching that movie? And then afterwards, we can have champagne cocktails while we get our nails done?”

Jolie giggled at Abby’s teasing as Harrison mouthed
Thank you
. Standing up with Ana still in his arms, he smiled down at his daughter, “No champagne for you, little one.”

“I know, daddy,” she grinned, her eyes darting to Ana. Her brows furrowed together as she asked, “Is the baby coming?”

“It looks that way,” Harrison answered, excited and terrified and a little sad that their attempt to spend this time with Jolie had been cut short.

“You can put me down,” Ana whispered softly, her pained smile firmly fixed in place. “I swear I’m fine.”

She ruined it by squeezing her eyes shut and biting back a moan. Grabbing his car keys, he headed for the door, prepared to break the law by getting to the hospital in record time. A heavy coat was draped over Ana and Abby murmured, “She still has thin blood despite being a temporary oven.”

He smiled at her, grateful someone was still sane. “Thank you.”

“Go, I’ve got this,” Abby chuckled, pushing him out the door with Jolie right by her side. Putting her hand on Ana’s stomach, she smiled, “As soon as this little makes an appearance, give me a call and I’ll bring Jolie in.”

It was just his luck that as soon as he stepped outside with Ana, Asher pulled up in his huge luxury SUV. With a grimace, Harrison tried to ignore his idiot cousin as he walked towards his truck. Ana tugged on the back of his shirt to get his attention and when he looked down at her, her eyes were on the mammoth vehicle. “Don’t worry, Ana, I’m sure he isn’t trying to get into your pants anymore.”

Her lips curved into a smile as she looked up at him, a silent acknowledgement of the reason behind his words. When Asher’s door opened and he stepped out, Harrison suddenly had the best idea. By-passing his truck, he headed straight towards his cousin’s SUV. He ignored Asher’s confusion as he opened the back door and slid Ana inside, quickly climbing in after her so she wasn’t alone. The driver’s door opened and Asher thrust his head in, “What the hell, Harrison?”

Despite the urgency of the situation, Harrison had to admit he liked the look of Asher with two black eyes, thanks to the broken nose he received the week before when he propositioned Ana again. Hopefully, the fool finally got it through his thick head that he had lost, especially once Harrison punched him in the face. Again. “Get in and drive, Asher. She’s having the baby.”

Despite the ferocious and colorful glare, Asher climbed back into the vehicle and started it. Backing up, he growled, “If she has that thing in my car, you’re paying to have the interior completely detailed.”

“If I have the baby in your SUV, well, one, that would suck,” Ana said, panting through the pain. “Two, I’m pretty sure that if I did, it would make us even for all of the crap you’ve pulled this past year. And three, I think I’m going to have the baby in your car.”

The color drained from Asher’s face as he stepped on the gas, whispering a prayer under his breath that Ana kept her legs crossed.

Liam Harrison Miller was born ten minutes later in Asher’s SUV as it pulled into the hospital parking lot.

Epilogue 2

1 ½ years later

Ana was so nervous on Harrison’s behalf, even though she knew the movie was going to be amazing. Riding in the stretch limo with her sister, her sister’s husband, her mother and father, she still couldn’t believe how incredible the last two years had been. From the birth of their son to living in Minnesota to getting to know her father and sister to becoming reacquainted with her mother, it had been an eventful eighteen months. And that was to say nothing of the movie that her sister produced and Winter Mitchell starred in it.

Once it had become known that the two of them had paired up to put this movie together, it was as if all of the stars aligned and everyone wanted to be on board. Harrison was asked to work on the script so the final version was nearly identical to his book. Ana was fairly certain her sister made that happen as well. Teaser ads had been playing for
Justice Born
for the past year and it was expected to be the summer’s big, blockbuster hit. Harrison’s books had been flying off the shelves, both real shelves and digital shelves, and it had generated its own fandom. Everyone wanted to be part of Justice’s dark world.

Ana and Harrison and their two children continued to live in the house across the street from her aunt and uncle. Living in the same small town that he had grown up in, Harrison hadn’t had to deal with the trappings of fame. Everyone gave him grief for keeping the fact that he was an author from them but otherwise they were all incredibly supportive.

Even though Asher still flirted with her on occasion, Ana was pretty certain he wasn’t serious since he only did it in front of Harrison. It helped that he had stopped by one day when Liam was about three months old. Ana hadn’t had a chance to shower in God only knew how long, her clothes were stained, she had spit up in her hair and she still had a few baby pounds left to lose. Harrison had looked at her with utter love and devotion and called her the most beautiful woman in the world. Asher just shook his head and grimaced. He wasn’t evil, just very, very selfish, and Ana hoped that one day he would meet his match. That was going to be an interesting day.

Since Harrison’s parents had wanted even less to do with Hollywood than Ana and Harrison did, they had volunteered to stay home and watch the kids. Well, they had insisted upon it, actually. It worked out well because Jolie was a devoted sister to little Liam, who was equally devoted to her. At one and a half, he was the spitting image of Harrison, from the black, curly hair, to those melted chocolate eyes, to those charming dimples that got him out of all sorts of trouble.

“I am so proud of my two girls,” Maddox Cooper said with a suspicious sheen of moisture in his clear, green eyes as he pulled out a bottle of sparkling apple cider. He had been sober for just over two years and Heather was reveling in every moment of her Happily Ever After that had eluded her for over twenty years. “In all of my life, there are only three things that I can never regret: Heather, my heart and soul, Absynthe, my glorious rose, and Anavrin, my delicate butterfly. I love you all.”

“I love you, too, dad,” Abby said, squeezing her husband’s strong hand. He just looked on with amusement in his intense, nearly black eyes. He was nearly as magnetic as Winter Mitchell and just as famous and he was madly in love with her sister, had been in love with her since the first time they met, even with everything that had happened between them. Ana was so happy that they had found their way back to one another, that her sister was just as happy as she was.

“I love you, dad,” Ana said. It was still a little strange calling him dad but she was getting used to it. Of course, Liam and Jolie had no problem calling him grandpa, something he took extreme pleasure in.

As the limousine rolled to a stop in front of the theater, Abby leaned forward and took one of Harrison’s hands and one of Ana’s hands in hers. “From this moment on, your lives are going to change. Once you step through that door and the world sees you for the first time, you’ll have fans chasing you down the street, stalking you online, writing some good and not so good fan-fiction. Are you ready for that?”

Ana exchanged a look with Harrison and saw the same love shining back. Even though there had been a few downs so far, they had gotten through them and she knew that it was only going to get better. In a gruff voice, Harrison held her eyes as he said, “As long as I have Ana and my kids, nothing else matters.”

The door opened up, and when they stepped out, the night lit up as hundreds of flashes went off.

It was a brand new world and Ana couldn’t be more proud of her Harrison. Squeezing his hand, she looked up at him and smiled, “I love you.”

“Always.”

The End

Author Information

Thank you for reading Ana and Harrison’s story A MILLION KISSES OR MORE