Almost Hitched Read online

  Table of Contents

  Almost Hitched

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Epilogue

  About the Author

  Almost Hitched

  The Clover Park STUDS Series, Book 5

  © 2016 Kylie Gilmore

  After a very satisfying long-distance relationship (following their very public relationship in Almost Romance), Kate Lewis and Ian Furnukle agree it’s time to get hitched.

  Except their jobs are thousands of miles apart.

  And their trial run of living together didn’t go so well.

  And one of them has cold feet.

  But that’s nothing that true love (and some explosive chemistry) can’t fix. If only love were a science.

  Author’s Note

  Welcome to Clover Park where everyone gets lucky! To find out more about Barry, Dave, Will, Ian and all the other sexy, sweet heroes sweeping women off their feet in Clover Park, check out the rest of the books in the Clover Park STUDs series and the connected Clover Park series (each is a standalone story set in the same world):

  Almost in Love (Book 1)

  Almost Married (Book 2)

  Almost Over It (Book 3)

  Almost Romance (Book 4)

  Almost Hitched (Book 5)

  And don’t miss the Clover Park series:

  The Opposite of Wild (Book 1)

  Daisy Does It All (Book 2)

  Bad Taste in Men (Book 3)

  Kissing Santa (Book 4)

  Restless Harmony (Book 5)

  Not My Romeo (Book 6)

  Rev Me Up (Book 7)

  An Ambitious Engagement (Book 8)

  Clutch Player (Book 9)

  A Tempting Friendship (Book 10)

  Sign up for my newsletter to be emailed when the next book releases.

  Visit http://www.kyliegilmore.com for more fun stuff.

  Find me on Facebook and Twitter.

  Chapter One

  Aw, yeah. Life is good. Ian Furnukle stepped out of his favorite neighborhood Boston bar late Friday night and headed back to his apartment with a bounce in his step. Everything in his life was finally coming together. He had a beautiful sexy girlfriend (long distance for now) and a new job opportunity that would give him and Kate a chance to be together in the same location. He and Kate Lewis had a history that spanned nearly five years, three states, and several detours into different relationships. They were friends first, off and on lovers, and permanently tied by family ever since his older brother Barry married Kate’s older sister, Amber. He’d been Kate’s first five years ago, aw, yeah, and he hoped to be her last. They’d committed to a long-distance relationship over the previous Christmas break. Now he had an opportunity that would give him roots in Boston.

  Looking to the future, a year from now when Kate finished her postdoc fellowship at the University of Chicago’s particle physics laboratory, he hoped to convince her to find a tenure-track professor job in one of the many Boston-area universities.

  It would mark the start of their life together.

  Only seven more days until he could see his beautiful sexy girlfriend in person. He’d be flying out to Chicago for Kate’s spring break. It had been nearly three months since he’d last seen her in person, and they had a lot of sexy times to make up for. Though Kate had become quite adept at the Skype sex. Tonight was a Skype night. Aw, yeah, baby, touch yourself. That’s right. You’re making me so hot. (Cue moans and gasps. Hers.)

  He smiled to himself. That was one of the things he loved about Kate. She was direct, open, and honest about everything, including sex. He never had to wonder what she wanted or if she liked something. She flat out told him. The inner workings of the female mind had never been so clear.

  He reached his brownstone apartment, unlocked the door, and pushed it open.

  “Surprise!”

  He jumped, his heart pounding against his rib cage. “Kate! What’re you doing here?” She wore a pink satin robe. Her blond hair was out of its usual half bun and fell in soft waves over her shoulders. Her legs were bare, so were her feet. Was she naked under that robe?

  “I’m surprising you because I wanted to do something you really liked.” Her eyebrows scrunched together. “You did give me a key to your place. Did I get it wrong? Do you not like surprises? You surprise me so much I thought for sure…” She trailed off and wrung her hands together.

  He pulled her hands apart and gave her a big hug. Her head settled against his chest. “You got it right. I love surprises.” He tipped her chin up and kissed her, but before he could take things deeper, she pulled away.

  She held up a palm, her blue eyes sparkling behind large tortoiseshell glasses. Then she stared at his forehead. “You cut your hair. It’s not in your eyes anymore.”

  He’d gotten a close-cropped cut to look more professional for his job interview, but he didn’t want to talk about that right now. He wanted to rip that robe off her. “Yeah, I got a haircut. Take off your robe.”

  She gave him an impish smile. “There’s more surprise.”

  “More surprise than you showing up here the week before I was supposed to show up there?”

  “Yes.”

  “Wait, I thought your spring break was next week.”

  “I lied in order to create the element of surprise.”

  “But I’m visiting you next week.”

  “I have an easy week and will have plenty of time for you.”

  He kicked off his shoes. “Okay, I’m ready for more surprise. Are you naked under that robe?”

  She untied the belt of the robe, but kept it closed. “Do you recognize this robe?”

  He studied it for a moment. “That’s the robe you wore the first time we were together.”

  She flashed a quick smile. “Precisely. For the deflowering.” His lips twitched on her term for losing her virginity. “And do you remember what I told you after?”

  He pressed his lips together, serious now. He remembered all right. Damn near killed him. “You said you couldn’t be hydrogen.” He’d been really into her after he took her virginity (as she demanded), but she’d informed him she was only twenty-one and couldn’t be hydrogen. Translation: only one electron (guy) orbiting her. She wanted to sow her wild oats in grad school, never having dated before him. He’d been twenty-four and experienced enough to know when great sex meant something more. But she’d made him wait.

  “Correct!” she exclaimed and flung open the robe.

  Totally worth the wait.

  She wasn’t naked. Still, the effect was stunning—white fuzzy suspenders with a white fuzzy strip of fabric across her breasts, nipple height. So much skin. She shrugged off the robe and tossed it back toward the sofa. His gaze trailed lower to what the suspenders were attached to—white bikini panties topped by a fuzzy waistband that matched the suspenders.

  He reached for her, and she twirled away, laughing. “I still have more surprise!”

  “That wasn’t it? Because this is great.”

  She beamed, and his breath caught. Kate hardly ever smiled that big, she saved it for truly joyous occasions, and the effect made her even more beautiful.

  “Nope!” she exclaimed. “Bigger.”

  He cocked his head. “Can I see the back of this outfit?” />
  She turned, giving him a view of bare beautiful back and sweet curvy ass. She smiled at him over her shoulder. “Do you like it? There’s hidden double-sided tape on my breasts to hold it in place. You’ll have to peel it off slowly.”

  He groaned. “Get over here.”

  She turned to face him and took a step back. “No touching, kissing, or groping until I give you the rest of the surprise.”

  “You’d better hurry up,” he growled.

  She giggled, which warmed his heart. She so rarely giggled. She was a very serious physicist. He loved that he could bring out this lighter side of her.

  “Ian! I can’t think when you touch me. You know there’s a short circuit from my brain to my libido!”

  “I love your short circuit.”

  She tossed her hair over her shoulder. “I blame it on chemistry.”

  “Uh-huh. Give it to me.”

  She slowly ran her hands down the suspenders from her shoulders, over her breasts, to her narrow waist. He couldn’t take his eyes off those hands. He’d watched her touch herself for weeks at his direction over Skype, but in person it was torture. He wanted his hands on her so badly. Her hands crossed the bar that went between her breasts, and she let out a soft moan as she stroked across her nipples. His cock pulsed with need. Her hands met in the middle of the bar before sliding back to her sides. “You watched the shape of my outfit,” she said, her voice a husky purr that showed her own arousal. “You recognize it?”

  He blinked, his mind fuzzy as primal caveman instinct took over. Me no want surprise. Me want woman. “Just tell me. I can’t think.”

  She giggled, and his eyes snapped to hers. “The outfit is an H. I’m hydrogen.” She closed the distance between them, hips swaying, a small smile playing over her sweet pink lips. “And you’re the one electron orbiting me.”

  Yes, he knew all this. They were monogamous. It was why she’d gone on the pill.

  “I love you in this,” he told her.

  “I had it made special for you,” she said in a husky voice before dropping to her knees in front of him. Aw, yeah. His favorite. What little blood supply he had left in his brain deserted him. He was about to bust the zipper on his jeans.

  “Marry me,” she said.

  What!

  He cleared his throat, suddenly light-headed. “Huh?”

  She was still on her knees, gazing up at him adoringly. “I said marry me.”

  “Yes,” he heard himself say as if from some great distance.

  “Oh, Ian!” She stood and hugged him. He wrapped his arms around her, speechless. Yes, he’d hoped to marry her. One day, down the road. Maybe after another year of long-distance dating. Not quite yet. Marriage was serious business—mortgage, bills, kids, the works. Heavy, heavy responsibilities.

  She went up on tiptoe and kissed him. “I love you.” The words that used to be so difficult for her flowed freely. That was a gift he knew he could never throw away.

  “I love you too,” he said, his voice husky with emotion. He slid her glasses off, setting them on the foyer table.

  “You know I can only see things close up without my glasses,” she said in a teasing voice.

  He scooped her up and tossed her over his shoulder. “This close enough for you?”

  She giggled madly. “I have a very good view of your pants pocket.” She patted his butt, and he palmed her ass. She moaned. Yup. This was happening.

  He took her to his bedroom, set her gently on the bed, stripped quickly and joined her. He peeled her carefully out of the hydrogen costume. God, she was beautiful. He kissed and tasted every inch of exposed skin.

  “Oh, Ian! This is the first time we’ll make love as an engaged couple.”

  He pulled back for a moment, still in shock that somehow he’d gotten engaged, but then she pushed him to his back, climbed on board, and sank down onto him. He hissed out a breath and grabbed her by the hips, guiding her to his rhythm. His intense need far outweighed any worries about the future. She threw her head back, her hands running through her hair, making him crazed with lust. It had been too long. He sat up, bringing her close for the angle that stroked her yes-spot as he thrust. He knew the moment he hit the target.

  “Yes! Yes! Yes!” she hollered, her nails digging into his shoulders. And then she quieted, her breath coming in quick gasps, which meant she was close.

  “Now,” he rasped in her ear. “Come for me.”

  And she did, shuddering around him, milking him with her release, and he let go with a long low groan. He held her close, catching his breath, and then kissed her tenderly. She smiled against his mouth. He settled them into bed a few moments later, spooning her from behind, and fell into a deep, satisfied sleep.

  He woke at three a.m. in a cold sweat.

  Chapter Two

  Kate heard a weird whimpering noise coming from Ian’s side of the bed in the middle of the night. He was on his back, and she hovered over him. “Are you okay?” she whispered.

  He jerked. “Huh? What’s happening?”

  She stroked his hair and realized he was sweating. “Are you sick? I remember what to do.” Last Christmas Ian had gotten food poisoning from a turkey she’d undercooked and ended up in the hospital with severe dehydration. He’d since provided her with instructions spelling out exactly how to take care of someone who was sick, which had been most helpful. You were supposed to touch the patient and say loving things as you waited on them hand and foot. He was especially adamant about the foot part, demanding regular foot massages.

  He blew out a breath. “No. Just a bad dream.” He pushed the blanket down to his waist, probably to cool off, but she couldn’t help gazing at his beautiful naked body for a long moment in the dim glow of a nearby streetlight.

  She stroked his warm skin from his shoulder down to his bicep, reveling in the feel of hard muscle. Ian was extremely sexy—tall and broad shouldered with defined muscles in his arms, pecs, and abs, even his back was delicious with sleek muscle. He also had a dark stubbled jaw that scraped against her wherever he kissed her, bringing shivers of pleasure, and a deep rumbly voice that made her insides flutter. All the markings of hot masculinity with the bonus of warm loving brown eyes, an easygoing temperament that relaxed her, and a sharp mind that understood all her quirks—her tendency to think of everything in terms of science, her compulsive equation writing, even her formal Spock-like tone when emotions overwhelmed her. Ian understood and accepted her like no one ever had before. Of course, she had to propose.

  Besides, she was twenty-five years old (to his twenty-eight), which meant the timing was finally right for a commitment. Unlike the first time they got together when she was only twenty-one. She stroked his chest over the rough hair that formed an inverted triangle leading to a satisfyingly thick—she stopped her dirty thoughts. He’d just had a bad dream. He needed to think of super happy things like their engagement. “We should call Barry and Amber to tell them the good news.” Their married siblings (her sister, his brother) had been so happy when she and Ian officially became a couple nearly three months ago.

  He rolled to his side, facing her. “Later,” he mumbled before closing his eyes.

  She lay on her side too, excited all over again about being engaged. She’d never been engaged before. “Of course. I’m not going to call at…” She squinted over at the digital alarm clock on his nightstand. “Three oh three a.m. I’ll wait until seven. Violet will be up by then, waking everyone.” Violet was her and Ian’s brilliant adorable niece. She was turning two on Monday and tomorrow she and Ian would go to her birthday party in Clover Park, Connecticut.

  She ran her fingers through his light brown hair; the shorter cut felt rougher and made the angles of his face even more manly. She sighed a happy sigh, thinking about how excited her older sister, Amber, would be when Kate shared her wonderful news. Amber was Kate’s best friend—her only female friend too—and would probably want to throw them an engagement party. Definitely want to go wedding gown sho
pping together. Maybe she’d even forgo a veil in favor of a tiara. Kate didn’t have a lot of girly frilly things as a kid, her mom didn’t want her to feel restricted by gender stereotypes, but Kate longed for them. Ian encouraged her to wear dresses and silly fun things like tutus. He’d gotten her a purple tutu as a New Year’s gift.

  “Maybe you could go wedding gown shopping with me and Amber,” she said.

  He groaned.

  “You’re so good at picking out stuff I like. Remember you said you’d get me a tiara to go with my tutu.”

  No response.

  She stroked his hair some more, enjoying the contrast of soft hair and rough cut. “Of course, I’ll be getting you an engagement ring. I didn’t know your size, but I’ll tell you right now it will be onyx. Very manly and solid. You don’t have to get me a ring since I was the one to ask you to marry me. Anyway, I never wear jewelry.”

  “Kate,” he growled, causing a flutter low in her belly.

  She threw an arm and leg over him. “Yes, fiancé?”

  “Do we have to talk about this right now?”

  That seemed like a hint. Clearly he was too tired to discuss his future ring. They should probably shop for it in person at a store so he could try on different options. She took the hint, appreciating the way Ian always came through with clear messages that she could understand, unlike most people who left her confused with their subtext and tones meant to convey who knew what. She didn’t even try to guess anymore because she was nearly always wrong.

  She stroked his bicep again. She’d so missed him over the last couple of months. Then she remembered he was waiting for an answer on the necessity of discussing the ring right now. “Of course not,” she assured him. He remained quiet, eyes closed.

  A beat passed while Kate wondered where they should get married and when. Sooner would be better than later. Maybe in May after her postdoc fellowship was completed. But who would plan it? She worked long hours, and Ian traveled a lot for his job as a consultant on computer applications. He had a PhD in computer science. Hmm…her sister had her hands full with her painting career and Violet, so she probably couldn’t plan a wedding either.