“That, right there,” he whispered, shaking his head slightly as he continued to stare at me but speak to the room of people looking at him, wishing for a sliver of hope.
“That smile,” he continued. “It’s my why, my purpose and my hope. It’s that smile that reminds me I’ve got a whole lot of life left inside of me. I don’t need drugs to numb me I’ve got something that makes me feel the good stuff I forgot existed, like love, like joy and instead of dreading the future I learned to reach for it.”
He took another step closer.
Then another.
He stood before me.
“Why would I ever want to be numb again when I’ve got someone who makes me feel like I’m on top of the world?”
I swallowed against the lump in my throat as fresh tears filled my eyes.
“Why would I send myself to hell when I have an angel who brings me to heaven?” He whispered.
Then I watched in shock as he dropped onto one knee in the middle of the circle, his lips quirked as he reached into his leather jacket.
“Why would I ever want anything other than her?”
He pulled out a tiny black velvet box and flipped the lid open.
“I wouldn’t,” he answered his own question. “I don’t want anything other than you, girl. You brought me back to life, gave me a second chance, one I didn’t think I deserved, but you insisted I did. Thank you for that. Thank you for being the angel who rescued me and showed me how to smile again. You’ve given me so much but there’s one more thing I’m going to ask of you…marry me, Lace, give me forever, let me be the one who shows you the good and the beautiful… let me give you my leather and take from you your lace.”
When you find yourself at the end of your story and you think there is nothing left, I hope you’ll think of me and Blackie and realize there’s always a chance for a rewrite.
Remember to smile.
Remember society doesn’t get to label you.
Remember life is good even when it’s bad.
Remember you are stronger than you know.
Remember me.
Remember him.
Remember Leather and Lace.
And know that what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger and your temptations are only lethal if you let them be.
“Of course I’ll marry you,” I whispered. “There isn’t a single thing in this world I’ve ever wanted more than to be your queen.”
Remember to play your cards until the end.
Acknowledgements
To the anonymous reader that confessed Uncontrollable Temptations brought her a sense of hope, this book is for you.
To the readers that have been with me from my very first book and, god bless their hearts, stuck with me—Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
To the readers who never heard of me or my books but decided to take a chance on this one, thank you for choosing me.
It has been less than one year that I started the Tempted Series, five novels in less than a year, at length each of them were, has been such an extreme roller coaster ride.
This fifth book has taken me on a journey that words couldn’t adequately describe and when I wanted to give up, or cursed until I cried, there were a sea of people pushing me forward.
They may be my words and my characters but they are brought to life with the help of so many.
Jennifer: Blackie and Lacey’s story started on our road trip to Pittsburgh where we drove for six hours and plotted in the dark as we drove through mountains. Then we ripped it up and went for the rewrite. You’ve talked me through the chaos of five stories being intertwined into one and when I lost my characters you reminded me who they were. You’ve put as much sweat and tears as I have behind the scenes and for that I thank you.
Kristin: You’ve been my rock throughout the last couple of months. There aren’t too many people in the world who actually jump in and take charge of chaos and instead of telling me I’m nuts for doing this you pushed me to finish what I started. You were quick to dip chocolate and plot simultaneously and never mind the help you gave me at home. You provided me with stolen hours of the day where I locked myself in my bedroom and created Lacey and Blackie. You told me to plug in and then when I lost my words and couldn’t formulate a single sentence you finished them for me, making me look less frazzled and almost normal. Thank you.
To the members of Janine’s Land of Temptation, you guys are all ingrained in my heart. It’s not a fancy term of an author but a serious statement from a friend. We may never come face to face but you all have your place. Thank you for supporting me, for encouraging me and for sharing my work.
To Christine Tovey, Amber Goodwin, Trish Bacher, Michelle Slagan and Ella Stewart: Thank you ladies for the late night shenanigans and helping me find the perfect “Blackie”. The five of you are always there supporting my books and myself. I wish to one day hug each of you.