All That I Desire (33 page)
Authors: Francis Ray
As promised, Ruth Grayson and Felicia Falcon had been invaluable in helping Skylar’s
mother and grandmothers plan the wedding. Sierra had been there as well. She’d reasoned
that if Skylar was determined to marry Rio, Sierra, as matron-of-honor, considered
it her sacred duty to make the wedding spectacular.
The shower Sierra had given Skylar in Tucson certainly qualified as such. Blade, Shane,
and Rio had showed up at the “in” restaurant Sierra had completely booked to make
sure the women were behaving themselves. Sierra, Paige, and Skylar had assured them
they were—until the men left and they went back to having fun and being naughty.
A smile curved Skylar’s lower lip as she thought back over the past months. Rio and
her father were actually becoming friends. He’d proudly introduced him to family,
friends, and business associates. Her grandparents called Rio son. And if the looks
her parents kept giving each other were any indication, their dating would soon lead
to another wedding. This time they’d make it work. Skylar was sure of it.
There was a soft knock on the door. “Skylar, it’s time,” her mother said.
Skylar turned from gazing out the window and heard the soft flutter of her couture
ivory gown. It had a barely there illusion neckline and sleeves, a fitted waist, and
a wide-sweeping skirt with a flurry of delicate beading and crystal embroidery inspired
by her Moor ancestors.
Her maternal grandmother’s tiara was attached to a lace-and-embroidery fifteen-foot
cathedral veil. On her right wrist she wore her paternal grandmother’s diamond bracelet.
The diamond earrings belonged to her mother. In her surprisingly steady hands she
held her bridal bouquet of lush cascading pink roses and white spray roses. Attached
securely was a lace sachet containing the petals of the first pink rose Rio had given
her.
Her new life with Rio was ahead of her. She started to the door. Out of the corner
of her eye she thought she saw a white-haired man with a long staff. He was smiling.
More surprised than afraid, she paused, then continued to the door.
He won’t be alone anymore.
She wasn’t sure if she’d thought or actually heard the words. It didn’t matter. “No,
he won’t. Thank you,” she quietly whispered and left the room.
Skylar joined her beaming parents in the foyer, then watched her mother and the procession
of her attendants enter the sanctuary filled with family and friends. She smelled
the lovely scent of hundreds of flowers—fragrant garden pink roses, green hydrangeas,
pink ranunculus, graduated calla lilies, blush tulips—that filled the church.
As she’d often done, she stared down at her engagement ring, a flawless emerald-cut
ten-carat diamond surrounded by pink diamonds, and remembered the pure pleasure and
unbelievable happiness when Rio slid it on her finger two days after they were engaged.
They’d always be thankful to Blade and Sierra for rearranging their schedule so she
and Rio had never slept apart. And they didn’t plan to.
Her father swallowed, blinked, and lifted his arm. “You’ll always be my baby, but
I trust Rio to keep you safe and to love you.”
Skylar looped her arm through her father’s and kissed him on the cheek. “Thank you.
I’ll always love you.”
“Let’s not keep Rio waiting.”
Too full of emotion to speak, Skylar stepped into the aisle with her father. Her gaze
went immediately to Rio. He waited for her with a wide smile on his incredibly handsome
face. Her heart leaped with boundless happiness. He was as anxious and as ready as
she was for their new life together.
As she started down the aisle on her father’s arm, she knew neither would ever be
alone or lonely again.
They had love and each other. They had all that they desired.
Spend more time with the Grayson family and
their friends in these wonderful series
by Francis Ray
T
HE
G
RAYSON
F
RIENDS SERIES
The Way You Love Me
Nobody But You
One Night With You
It Had to Be You
A Seductive Kiss
With Just One Kiss
A Dangerous Kiss
All I Ever Wanted
All That I Need
T
HE
G
RAYSONS OF
N
EW
M
EXICO SERIES
Until There Was You
You and No Other
Dreaming of You
Irresistible You
Only You
T
HE
T
AGGART
/F
ALCON SERIES
Forever Yours
Only Hers
Heart of the Falcon
Break Every Rule
“Passion that smolders between the pages.”
—
RT Book Reviews
Available from St. Martin’s Paperbacks
www.francisray.com
And don’t miss even more series and novels by Francis Ray
A F
AMILY
A
FFAIR SERIES
I Know Who Holds Tomorrow
When Morning Comes
After the Dawn
A
GAINST THE
O
DDS SERIES
Trouble Don’t Last Always
Somebody’s Knocking At My Door
I
NVINCIBLE
W
OMEN SERIES
Like The First Time
Any Rich Man Will Do
In Another Man’s Bed
Not Even If You Begged
And Mistress Makes Three
If You Were My Man
S
INGLE
T
ITLES
Someone to Love Me
Rockin’ Around That Christmas Tree
A
NTHOLOGIES
Rosie’s Curl and Weave
Della’s House of Style
Welcome to Leo’s
Going to the Chapel
Gettin’ Merry
Let’s Get It On
Twice the Temptation
Available from St. Martin’s Paperbacks and St. Martin’s Griffin
ST. MARTIN’S PAPERBACKS TITLES
BY FRANCIS RAY
The Falcon Novels
Heart of the Falcon
Break Every Rule
The Taggart Brothers
Forever Yours
Only Hers
The Graysons of New Mexico Series
Until There Was You
You and No Other
Dreaming of You
Irresistible You
Only You
The Grayson Friends Series
The Way You Love Me
Nobody But You
One Night with You
It Had to Be You
A Seductive Kiss
With Just One Kiss
A Dangerous Kiss
All I Ever Wanted
All That I Need
All That I Desire
Trouble Don’t Last Always
Someone to Love Me
I Know Who Holds Tomorrow
Rockin’ Around That Christmas Tree
(with Donna Hill)
Anthologies
Rosie’s Curl and Weave
Della’s House of Style
Welcome to Leo’s
Going to the Chapel
Gettin’ Merry
RAVE REVIEWS FOR
FRANCIS RAY
THE WAY YOU LOVE ME
“As always, Ray leads her readers on a mesmerizing journey of drama and love.…
The Way You Love Me
confirms the fact that Francis Ray is, without a doubt, one of the Queens of Romance.”
—
A Romance Review
“Fans of Ray’s Grayson and Falcon families will be thrilled with the first installment
in the new Grayson Friends series.… Told with such grace and affection that this novel
is a treat to read.”
—
RT Book Reviews
(4 stars)
“A romance that will have readers speed-reading to the next tension-filled scene,
if not the climax.”
—
Fresh Fiction
ONE NIGHT WITH YOU
“The steam the lovers create is a pleasure to behold. Ray never disappoints!”
—
RT Book Reviews
(4½ stars)
WITH JUST ONE KISS
“Heartwarming and fun.”
—
RT Book Reviews
(4 stars)
NOBODY BUT YOU
“A story that tugs at the heartstrings.”
—
RT Book Reviews
“Fast and fun and full of emotional thrills and sexy chills. Everything a racing romance
should be!”
—Roxanne St. Claire
“Not only does Francis Ray rock in this book but also you see a whole different side
of racing that will keep you on the edge of your seat.”
—
Night Owl Romance
“A wonderful read.”
—
Fresh Fiction
UNTIL THERE WAS YOU
“Ms. Ray has given us a great novel again. Did we expect anything less than the best?”
—
RT Book Reviews
(4 stars)
“Crisp style, realistic dialogue, likable characters, and [a] fast pace.”
—
Library Journal
ONLY YOU
“Francis Ray’s graceful writing style and realistically complex characters give her
latest contemporary romance its extraordinary emotional richness and depth.”
—
Chicago Tribune
“It’s a joy to read this always fresh and exciting saga.”
—
RT Book Reviews
(4 stars)
“The powerful descriptive powers of Francis Ray allow the reader to step into the
story and become an active part of the surrender … If you love a great love story,
Only You
should be on your list.”
—
Fallen Angel Reviews
“Riveting emotion and charismatic scenes that made this book captivating … a beautiful
story of love and romance.”
—
Night Owl Romance
“A beautiful love story as only Francis Ray can tell it.”
“Readers will find a warm and wonderful contemporary romance with plenty of humor
and drama. Adding a fun warmth and reality to these characters and a plot that moves
quickly add all the needed incentive to read this fun book.”
—
Multicultural Romance Writers
IRRESISTIBLE YOU
“A pleasurable story … a well-developed story and continuous plot.”
—
RT Book Reviews
“Like the previous titles in this series,
Irresistible You
is another winner … Witty and charming … Author Francis Ray has a true gift for drawing
the readers in and never letting them go.”
—
Multicultural Romance Writers
DREAMING OF YOU
“A great read from beginning to end, it’s even excellent for an immediate re-read.”
—
RT Book Reviews
“An immensely likable heroine, a sexy man with a heart of gold, and touches of glitz
and color, [this] is as unapologetically escapist as Cinderella. Lots of fun.”
—
BookPage
YOU AND NO OTHER
“The warmth and sincerity of the Graysons bring another book to life … delightfully
realistic.”
—
RT Book Reviews
About the Author
