Always You: No More Secrets, #3

By Ani Bishop

Bella is a lucky girl – she has a good job, an unbreakable circle of friends, and a fiance better than her wildest dreams. So, why does she want to ruin the best thing that ever happened to her by letting someone from her past meddle in her life?

Mike is consumed with the need to marry Bella and make her his as soon as possible. There is nothing he wouldn't do for the woman he loves, but letting her go is the one thing he'd rather avoid.

Their love was fast, and their relationship was built over the miles. But does that mean that their future wasn't meant to be? When lies surface, and trust is shaken, will they choose each other? Or will someone else capture their happily ever after?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Ani Bishop
• Release date: Dec 10, 2016
• ISBN: 9781540154156

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©2016 by Ani Bishop

All rights reserved

No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or by any other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author or publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in used critical reviews and certain other non-commercial uses as permitted by copyright law.

For permission requests, write to the author, mentioning in the subject line:

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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

Cover Design, Editing & Formatting

PK Designs

To all the readers who gave me a chance, I want to say thank you for taking this book into your hands and for reading it.

And to people in my life who entered it, if only for a short time, but made me the person I am today, I simply want to say, thank you everyone. I keep writing because of you.

For someone special who never got to have his happily ever after.

You are a true life hero.

You are my hero.

Table of Contents

Title Page

Copyright

Author’s Note

Dedication

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Epilogue

Teaser Book #4

About the Author

Mike

Mike Rossen walked over to where Colin Welton watched his fiancée by the sidelines. He’d never thought he’d feel as jealous as he did right now. The emotion was foreign to him when it came to women. It wasn’t as if he had to think about the life his lovers might have had before he’d come into the picture. He simply hadn’t cared that much about them.

Bella... she was another story. She’d always been everything to him—from the first bump in the local coffee shop, when he’d been home from a tour, to that night a year later, when he’d seen her across the bar, to the last kiss he’d given her, only a minute ago.

Colin had obviously shared something special with Bella when they were younger, and he didn’t seem to be over it. His Bella wasn’t an innocent flower, but that did not mean he wanted to meet the guys she’d been with. Hell no.

Mike stopped beside Colin and turned to see Bella laughing with her head thrown back. She loved this party. And he loved her. The whole reason for this surprise was to show how much she meant to him, and that this was a forever thing between them.

Whatever your feelings for her are, forget them. His lips were drawn into a tense smile.

He sensed more than saw Colin look at him. Who are you to tell me what I should do? Anger and contempt colored his words.

"She’s happy. With me. You will not try and ruin this with your silly little feelings." Mike lost the smile. It was hard to pretend everything was fine. Bella wasn’t looking in their direction, and for that he was thankful.

Why are you so sure she’s happy? I’ve known her my whole life. She may think you’re great for a while. After that little...infatuation passes, I’ll step in, and you’ll be nothing to her. Not even worth a damn memory.

That’s right. You’ve known her your whole life. Yet, I’m the one who’s going to marry her. I suggest you stay the fuck away from my fiancée, he ground out. Every word that had come from his mouth had made him angrier. It was all he could do without throwing a punch.

Mike watched Colin’s jaw work back and forth. The guy couldn’t see that Bella hadn’t been his to lose. From the moment she was made, she had been meant for Mike. Colin had just been a passenger on the road that led her to him.

Are you threatening a federal agent?

Mike grunted. "No. I’m threatening a man stupid enough to go after another man’s woman. I don’t care who you are, but if you touch what’s mine, you will regret it."

She was mine to touch first, Colin mused. Maybe he wanted that fist after all.

Mike barely held in his rage. Couldn’t he just admit he’d made a fucking mistake in letting Bella walk away? It was too late to go back now.

"You said it yourself, was. Past, not present. She’s mine, and I will beat the shit out of you, just for fun, if you even try to mess with us."

Mike turned and walked away before he smashed Colin’s sorry ass right there. It was their engagement party. Bella didn’t deserve for him to make a spectacle.

But, he suspected, they would have to handle this the old-fashioned way. Soon enough.

Bella

Bella Ronald hadn’t expected to see her boyfriend, Mike, when she’d gone with her best friend, Amy, earlier. In her wildest dreams, she’d never imagined the night would end with her being someone’s fiancé. And her friends had all organized a party for her, sure she would accept his proposal.

She’d never felt any vibes from Mike that he’d been interested in marriage, let alone that he’d want to marry her. They hadn’t discussed it once in the two years they’d been dating.

But she’d always known he was the one for her, had been certain since the very first moment she’d looked at him. Her heart had raced as if she’d run a marathon, and when those beautiful eyes settled on hers from across the bar where they met, she’d almost melted on the spot. He’d sauntered over, all alpha male, and asked if she remembered him from the coffee shop—she didn’t; it had been a chance encounter a year before. With a hearty laugh, he said he definitely remembered her, offered to buy her a drink, and the rest, as they say, was history.

Bella looked around her party and sighed. Mike had walked over to the guys from Kane Rossen Security, the company that his best friend, Rylee Kane had formed with Mike as a silent partner. She watched them interact, wondering how Mike would like being part of that team. Would she want him to continue working in security as a government contractor? Yes, if it made him happy. But she wanted him safe. She wondered if working with Kane would be better. At least he’d be home.

Girlfriend, you need to peel your eyes away from those hot buns and come hang out with us. Beside her, Alexis poked an elbow in her direction.

Hot buns? Really? Bella rolled her eyes.

What? Don’t tell me he’s not hot. Or that he doesn’t have nice buns.

She laughed. Sometimes, I wonder how much sex you actually have when you comment like that.

So, if someone has sex regularly, it means that they can’t say a person is hot? Hate to tell you this, my little prude, but I’m not blind. And my comments are also true. He is damn hot.

Prude? She scoffed.

Well, you’re acting like one. Come on. We need to have fun tonight. Otherwise, you’ll run away to Vegas and get married before we can celebrate your engagement. Alexis grabbed her hand and dragged her along.

"I will not get married in Vegas."

They stopped next to Amy and Ella, Braden Callan’s wife.

Last year Ella and Braden had been in trouble, and Kane had helped them out when he’d protected Braden’s parents. Not long after that, Braden left the police force and joined Kane Rossen.

Braden was the older brother of Chase, who also worked on Kane’s team. It was hard to imagine that self-proclaimed playboy Chase had someone in the family happily married, since he preferred no commitment. But their parents were still married after thirty-five years, and Braden had found his happily ever after. Even if it had been a bumpy ride.

Amy frowned. Why do you say that?

Alexis said I’d be off to Vegas before I know it, and we won’t celebrate this engagement. I won’t get married in Vegas, though.

Just you wait and see. You’ll be marrying in a hurry. I can promise you that.

Curious as to why Alexis would say something like that, she asked, Is that what you did? Married quickly?

Do you see those guys over there? Alexis pointed to the group of Kane Rossen men. "They are not the type of men to wait around for flowers and cake. If they put up with the formal stuff, that’s for us. Only, it doesn’t work out every time. She smiled at Ella, who blushed. They can’t help it. Once you’re theirs, they become possessive and can’t allow you to walk around with a naked finger for long. And I think that’s half the reason you all love them. Am I right?" She grinned, and Amy looked away.

Alexis was right, to a point. Yes, she loved Mike because he had strong urges toward her, even proved jealous sometimes. But she didn’t think they’d rush into marriage. It wasn’t like they had anything to hurry them, the way Ella and Braden had.

I think you’re wrong, Alexis. Mike won’t insist on a quickie wedding. Even as she said it, she asked herself if she was sure. After all, she hadn’t expected this surprise engagement, so anything could happen.

Alexis made a noise in her throat.

What?

Oh, nothing. Just happy you two are together, that’s all.

Bella narrowed her eyes on her friend, while the other two women listened closely with smiles on their faces.

The rest of the time was spent hanging out with the guests, which included her mom and Mike’s parents. She had met the Rossens only once, and they were really good people. They seemed to love Rylee like he was their own son.

Bella already knew what kind of people that made them, since Amy’s mom had done the same for her when they were young. Her own mother had dropped the parenting ball for a while, and Bella had sought solace in Amy’s family. They had received her with open arms, her quirks and boisterous antics absorbed into their life as if she was just another child in their brood, rather than Amy’s latchkey-kid best friend.

Why had her mom stopped trying? She didn’t know. But it had always hurt that she couldn’t feel comfortable sharing the truly important things with her mother. They functioned in a fuzzy sort of truce—never discussing the past, but neither able to pretend it didn’t exist—and Bella had long wondered if her mom resented her for something. For now, she would take civility. Not that she had much choice.

Bella wandered around, finally coming to stand next to her ex-boyfriend. He’d been on the sidelines through the party, watching everyone, seeming sad.

What’s wrong? She bumped his shoulder.

Nothing. Why’d you ask that?

For one, he’d avoided looking her in the eyes, which was one of his tells. She always knew he was hiding something if he wouldn’t look straight at her.

Well, you’re not drinking. That’s always a giveaway. You loved beer. And it was true. He’d been older than her and would drink when they had dated. She couldn’t say what he had done in college, but she suspected that hadn’t