To Love and Protect Page 19

  “Come up with me.”

  “No. This is all you.”

  Tightening her grip on the oversized pair of scissors in her hands, she tilted her head, but he simply motioned her forward. Knowing it would be quicker if she didn’t argue, she formulated an impromptu plan and moved to center stage.

  Her pulse sped up as she faced family, friends, and what looked to be an amazing turnout from the local community. If she’d have thought there would be this many people, she’d have gotten a microphone. And a stand to hang on to instead of standing in front of a big red ribbon held on either side of the stage by Eli and Reyes.

  “Thank you all so much for coming.” Her raised voice came out slightly breathless, and she took a moment to gather her composure before continuing. “Must Love Paws has a simple origin story, but it’s no less important. Pets can play a significant role in our lives, and their care has become a booming business that unfortunately not everyone can afford. That was my main goal for opening this clinic.

  “Our mission is to provide quality, affordable care for those four-legged fur babies to families who might otherwise have to do without that care, or having a pet altogether. Our client services manager, Megan”—she pointed to the tall, blond college graduate she’d hired two weeks ago—“ and the rest of our staff is available today for any questions you may have about what we have to offer and the potential for financial assistance. We’re looking forward to working with you and all your babies.”

  Her dad started a round of applause that swelled through the crowd. Shelby smiled through misty eyes as she waited for it to subside.

  “Now, if you’ll look to your left…” She gave her guy a proud grin as she swept her arm toward the front entrance to his business. “You’ll see we are sharing a building with the brand new Take Control Tactical and Self Defense, run by Special Forces veteran, Devante Torrez. He was kind enough to offer his space for the open house refreshments, and he and his staff of highly trained veterans will also be available to answer any questions you might have about what they offer. I can personally testify, Dev’s training is exceptionally effective, and we’ll have a special demonstration of his training techniques in, oh, about an hour.”

  Dev’s eyebrows shot up as his gaze locked with hers. “We will?”

  “Did I not mention that?” she asked with a heavy dose of innocence.

  “No. You most definitely did not.”

  Laughter sounded from the front, particularly their family members. But she could tell from the glint in his eyes he wasn’t really upset. She tossed him a wink, settling into the flow as she turned back to their captive audience.

  “Trust me, everyone, you don’t want to miss it. And then, last but not least before I cut the ribbon and we get on with this, I want to thank everyone here who helped make this possible either by helping, or offering much appreciated moral support. The cupcakes would go stale if I tried to name everyone, but you know who you are.”

  She made sure to make eye contact with her parents, siblings and spouses, Elena and Estefan, her sister-in-law’s work crew, and then shot a smile to Grayson, who stood off by himself on the side.

  “Specifically, I do need to say this would not have been possible without my sister-in-law, Mae, of Lockhart Construction. She and her awesome crew built my beautiful dream clinic in record time. What do you all think? Let’s show them some well-deserved love.”

  Shelby mouthed a thank you to her blond sis as Merit raised his fingers to his lips for a piercing whistle and the crowd clapped. When the cheers died down, she shifted her gaze to the redhead standing next to Asher, holding her adorable niece, Ava. “And to my other sister-in-law, Honor, thank you for suggesting and sharing the Must Love Paws name. I loved it from the second it came out of your mouth.”

  Honor inclined her head, and they shared a grin.

  Returning her attention to the rest of the crowd, Shelby continued, “For anyone who doesn’t know, Honor is the owner of the amazing Must Love Frosting Bakery over in our neighboring Lakewood. They’re her cupcakes waiting for you next door, so make sure you don’t miss out. And without further ado...” She turned and cut the red ribbon, then had to raise her voice over cheers. “Must Love Paws and Take Control Tactical are open for business!”

  About an hour later, Dev faced Shelby on the mats of his new gym with a room full of onlookers. She’d pulled her long dark hair up into her trademark ponytail, and joy shimmered in her mischievous brown eyes. This woman kept him on his toes like nothing or anyone ever before, and he loved every minute of it. Every minute with her.

  Eli stood on the edge of the mat, waiting for them to begin so he could explain each move as they demonstrated.

  Keeping his gaze fixed on Shelby, Dev asked in a low voice, “We’ll start here how we first started back in February?”

  “Sounds good,” she agreed.

  There was a little smirk playing about the corners of her mouth that had him narrowing his eyes in suspicion.

  “You want to put on the padded suit?” she asked.

  “No.”

  “You want me to pull my punches?”

  He gave her a grim smile. “No.”

  And God bless her, she didn’t—until the groin kicks. God bless her indeed.

  He chuckled softly as he grabbed her in the bear hug. “Looking out for yourself on that last one, weren’t you?” he whispered in her ear.

  “That was for both of us, honey-bun.”

  “Thanks—uuugh.” He grunted as she drilled her elbow into his ribs. He’d feel that one in the morning.

  He made her work for her freedom this time, and heard a note of frustration in her loud yell as she struggled against his hold. All of a sudden she shifted her weight in a way he wasn’t expecting and landed a solid elbow strike to his jaw before twisting free.

  Dev lifted a hand to wipe his mouth when she whirled toward him and locked her hands on his wrist. She executed a swift hip swivel/thrust and lifted his arm over her shoulder while twisting her back to him.

  Next thing he knew, he was on the ground on his back with the wind knocked out of him. As he struggled to draw air into his lungs, he was distantly aware of the cheers of approval for Shelby, but his focus was narrowed to the sight of her face above him.

  “Where the hell did you learn that move?” he wheezed.

  “Eli taught me. Didn’t expect that, did ya?”

  He shook his head and reached to grab the hand she offered to help him up. Instead of getting to his feet, he gave a sharp tug that tumbled them both back down to the mat. She gave a squeak of surprise and braced her free hand next to his shoulder as they landed face to face. The second those beautiful brown eyes of hers met his, he gave her a soft smile.

  “Marry me?”

  She blinked at the question, and when Dev brought his hand up between them with a square-cut diamond ring pinched between his thumb and forefinger, her eyes widened in shock.

  He grinned in triumph. “Didn’t expect that, did ya?”

  Moisture filled her eyes as she shook her head.

  “Oh my, God, he’s got a ring.”

  “He’s proposing!”

  “She said no.”

  Shelby dropped her forehead to his chest with a breathless laugh as comments from their audience pierced their private little bubble.

  Dev was fairly confident of her answer, but the fact that she hadn’t given it yet had his pulse beating a little faster. “Hey.” He nudged her shoulder. “You going to leave me hanging here, or what?”

  She lifted her head, her eyes aglow with happiness. “You really need to hear it?”

  “You wanted me to ask,” he countered. “So, unless you prefer candlelight and roses, and me down on my bum knee wincing in pain—”

  “Oh, my God, don’t be such a drama queen.” She giggled, then shifted her body up until her mouth hovered just above his. “Yes, Dev, I’ll marry you. Happy?”

  “Deliriously.”

  And he lifted his
head for a kiss to seal the deal.

  Thank you for reading!

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  Next in the Must Love Diamonds series is Don’t Dare a Diamond, featuring Dev’s brother, Reyes, and Shelby’s cousin, Raine. Here’s your first chapter sneak peek!

  * * *

  Chapter 1

  * * *

  July

  Lakewood, CO

  * * *

  Raine Diamond wasn’t used to being ignored. She was the baby of her family, and the only girl out of five kids. She’d graduated valedictorian of her class. She was a world-class show jumper, having already won a gold medal in the Youth Olympic Games at eighteen, with aspirations of making the U.S. Olympic team in the near future. Possibly even next year. Her grandfather was a real estate mogul, her parents ran a multi-billion dollar investment firm, and one uncle was a senator, the other head of a jewelry empire.

  She was a Diamond.

  And what was he? A stable boy.

  Well…man. A stable man who made her pulse race like never before—and that scared the crap out of her.

  She fidgeted with seam on the back pocket of her jeans as she stood in her uncle’s kitchen with her cousin Shelby, her brother Axel, and Reyes Torrez.

  She didn’t usually act like an entitled little rich bitch, but for some reason, Reyes triggered the need to prove she was worth looking at. By him. But while her heart went completely haywire at the sight of his thick-lashed green eyes and tousled, sun-kissed, caramel-colored hair, he gave her a cool, heat-inducing once-over, met her gaze long enough for her to offer a nervous smile, and then dismissed her without a second glance.

  As he easily joked and laughed with her cousin and brother, she battled a foreign insecurity that left her confused and annoyed. Then he left without so much as a, “Nice to meet you.”

  Who was he to act as if she didn’t even exist?

  If he’d been into Shelby, she’d have understood. Heck, even if he had a girlfriend, he could’ve simply been pleasantly polite. That’s what people did when they met someone new. But the way he’d openly ignored her had been an outright snub. The more she thought about it, the more offended she became.

  She stewed all through brunch, only briefly distracted when her cousin Merit dropped a bombshell on the whole family that he and his girlfriend, Mae, were having a baby. Apparently, the girlfriend part had been news, too?

  Uncle Mark didn’t take it well, and after a dramatic argument, Merit stormed out, Mae followed, then Aunt Janine. After the meal came to an awkward end, her brothers and cousins and their significant others cleared the table and did dishes before settling back around the patio. While they discussed the drama and caught up, she couldn’t stop glaring across the lawn toward the stables.

  After a few minutes, she got up and wandered inside the house. They were staying one more night, so she’d have plenty of time for visiting, but right now she was restless. Bored with the conversation around the table—and irritated by repeated flashes of Reyes’ rude snub.

  If only she hadn’t sent Diamond Fire home to Texas with their trainer. After they’d won their event yesterday, he’d more than earned a few days rest at home, but now she couldn’t go down to the stables with the excuse of checking on her champion baby.

  Seeing her mom and Aunt Janine coming down the stairs, Raine seized on a different idea. “Aunt Jan, would it be possible for me to borrow one of your horses for an hour or so?” She rarely went a day without riding, but she couldn’t remember the last time she’d been on the back of a horse just for fun.

  “Of course.” Her aunt gave her a distracted smile, clearly still focused on the earlier brunch drama. “Just ask Estefan or Reyes who could use some exercise.”

  Her pulse skipped at the mention of the second name. “Thank you.”

  She hurried upstairs to change and tucked her black V-neck T-shirt into tan breeches before pulling on black, knee-high, leather riding boots. She felt a little bad not asking Shelby to go with her, but her cousin knew her too well and would see right through this move.

  When she reached the stables a few minutes later, she had a hard time catching her breath, and it had nothing to do with her speed walk down the curvy driveway. As she approached the open doors, her heart lodged in her throat, and a mass of anxiety writhed in her stomach. She desperately wanted to see him, yet also hoped he was nowhere around, because really, what was she going to say?

  Notice me.

  Yeah, that wouldn’t sound pathetic and self-centered at all.

  She stepped inside the barn and scanned for Reyes, only to find the place deserted. Initial relief was quickly replaced by disappointment, until she realized just because she didn’t see him didn’t mean he wasn’t around. Shelby had said he lived in an apartment above the barn.

  Squaring her shoulders, she held her chin high as she ventured farther inside. Like at home, the aisles were immaculate, and a deep inhale filled her lungs with the beloved scents of horse, hay, and leather. Heads turned her way, delicate ears swiveling and perking up as pairs of curious brown eyes watched her approach.

  She stopped in front of a stall halfway down the aisle and studied the bay thoroughbred inside. The gelding’s shiny coat was a rich red, complimented by a silky, jet-black forelock, mane, and tail. He was a big boy like Fire, his withers the same height as her five feet, two inches, putting him at almost sixteen hands tall.

  He turned his head with a soft whicker, and she stepped back when he moved forward to extend his head over the stall door. She let him sniff her hand, then stroked his neck as he lipped at her palm.

  “Hello, gorgeous.” While rubbing his forehead and laying her cheek against his velvety soft black muzzle, she glanced at the engraved name plate on his stall door.

  RazMaTaz.

  “Tell me big guy, do they call you Raz, or Taz?” she mused out loud.

  “That’s Taz.”

  Her breath caught as she whirled around to see an older gentleman step through a door off to her right. He carried an English saddle over one arm, and a bridle in the other hand.

  “Raine?”

  “That’s me,” she confirmed with a smile.

  “Hi. I’m Estefan. Janine called and said you were looking for a mount.”

  Earlier, she’d heard Shelby tell Merit’s girlfriend Estefan was Reyes’ father. She could also see the resemblance to his son in his olive-toned features and brown eyes from their Spanish heritage. The elder Torrez had a mustache peppered with gray in comparison to his son’s neatly trimmed goatee.

  “Can I ride him?” she asked hopefully as she stroked the bay’s nose. Forget going for a trail ride, she’d love to see what the horse could do on a course.

  “Taz is my son’s horse,” he advised with a hint of apology in his tone. “No one rides him but Reyes.”

  She blinked in surprise to learn he had his own horse here. None of their employees kept their horses at the Diamond stables in Texas. Not to mention, the gelding looked to be easily worth twenty
grand. Maybe more.

  “I’ll be saddling Stimpy for you. He could use some exercise.”

  Stimpy?

  Did he not know what she did for a living? She smoothed out her wrinkled nose as she turned, anticipating an old, gentle gelding for beginners.

  Estefan slid the stall door open, giving Raine a good look at a regal chestnut with a mass of wavy, reddish-brown mane. Smaller than Taz, the more delicate build and refined features pointed toward Arabian, and she grinned with anticipation. Okay, she could definitely live with Stimpy—which upon a closer look at his nameplate, looked to be short for Rumplestiltskin.

  “Your aunt assures me you can handle some fire?”

  “Of course.” She gave Taz a final, longing stroke along his muzzle before crossing the aisle. “I’ve been riding my Trakhener, Diamond Fire, since I was seventeen, and I can assure you, he lives up to his name.”

  He nodded, clearly well-versed with the athletic attributes of her jumper’s breed.

  “Is it okay for me to take Stimpy out on the trails? Just for an hour or so.”

  “You remember them?” he asked with an arch of his brows.

  “I do. I know it’s been a while,” she said with a shrug, “but as long as they haven’t changed…”

  “No, no changes,” he assured her. “Warm him up in the arena, get a feel for how he handles, and you should be good.”

  He wasn’t telling her anything she didn’t know, but she nodded anyway. “Thanks.”

  Used to taking care of her own mounts, she stepped forward to saddle the gelding, but Estefan would hear nothing of it. Minutes later, he gave her a leg up and a few tips on the Arabian’s personality, then left them with, “Enjoy your ride.”