For Always: To Love and Protect, #5

By LK Shaw

Three years after their first meeting, Ines and Brody are finally getting married! Along the way, Victor and Estelle reignite their intimacy after the birth of their son, Preston and Landon have a serious discussion about their future, and Maisie officially becomes a Rodriguez!

• Language: English
• Publisher: LK Shaw
• Release date: Dec 15, 2020
• ISBN: 9781386282525

LK Shaw

LK Shaw is the bestselling author of sexy, sinful suspense. She resides in South Carolina with her high maintenance beagle mix dog, Miss P. An avid reader since childhood, she became hooked on historical romance novels in high school. She now reads, and loves, all romance sub-genres, with dark romance and romantic suspense being her favorite. LK enjoys traveling and chocolate. Her books feature hot alpha heroes and the strong women they love. Want a FREE short story? Be sure to sign up for her newsletter and download your copy of A Birthday Spanking, a short story set in the Doms of Club Eden world! http://bit.ly/LKShawNewsletter

Book preview

CHAPTER 1

Estelle

---

I think I'm going to be sick. 

My head snapped to the side, and my gaze landed on Ines lying on her back with her hands cradling her stomach, her face pale.

What's wrong? Oh my god, are you pregnant again? This is the fourth day you've complained of not feeling well. 

She jerked her head up and glared at me. If one more person asks me if I'm pregnant, I'm going to scream. 

I held my hands up in surrender. Fine, sorry. Why are you feeling sick then? 

Ines bolted upright and grabbed her phone from where she'd laid it next to her. She shoved it in my face. Read this. 

Taking the device from her, I scanned the article displayed on the screen, my eyes widening the further into it I got until finally I finished and handed the phone back. Oh, shit.

Shit is right, she said.  

The bakery hired to make Brody's and her wedding cake had a massive fire in the middle of the night and experienced a significant amount of damage. Enough that meant bad news would most likely be delivered some time today if, and when, the bakery called. Her wedding was only two weeks away. No wonder Ines was sick to her stomach.

Okay, we're going to figure something out. Let me talk to someone I know and see what I can get started in case we're about to have an emergency situation on our hands. 

She scrambled onto her knees, scattering wedding favors everywhere, and threw her arms around my neck, planting kisses across my cheek. You're the best friend a girl could ever ask for. Thank you, thank you, thank you. You know as well as I do that I have zero of those type of connections. 

Pushing her away with a laugh, I picked up my own phone and started scrolling through my contacts. It was a good thing we'd been best friends since we were little, otherwise I'm not sure how we would have ever met. Ines and I didn't travel in the same social circles. 

She'd hung out with her cop buddies while my small group of friends and acquaintances leaned toward my fellow elementary teachers and a couple mothers of the kids I'd taught over the years. None of them were at the level of friendship that Ines and I had though. We were the best of friends and soon, we'd be sisters. 

A whimper and a rustling noise drew my attention to the baby carrier sitting a short distance away right after I hit send on the text message I'd typed out. Before the cries could grow any louder, as recent experience told me they would, I scooted over to peer down into the deepest brown eyes framed in beautifully long lashes that stared back up at me. My heart melted at the sight of his tiny lips puckering.     

Is my nephew getting hungry? Ines asked. 

I scooped my infant son up and placed him at my chest. Always. I keep worrying I'm going to run out of milk as much as this kid eats. 

She snorted. He's a Rodriguez through and through. Takes after Manny especially. I've never seen a man put away food like he does. He says it helps him think.

Victor isn't any better. I rolled my eyes. I swear there are days I think he’s going to eat us out of house and home. 

Did I hear my name? A masculine voice called from the doorway. The man in question strode across the room, followed by Brody and Preston, and dropped a kiss on my upturned lips before squatting and brushing his fingers gently across his son's cheek. Ines received the same loving treatment from her fiancé.

How's my little Ernesto doing? he asked softly, his voice full of awe as his eyes drank in the sight of the baby at my breast. It was like he still couldn't believe our son was real.

Hungry, as usual, I said.

Can you blame him? He gets to be close to the most perfect set of boobs known to man, Victor whispered near my ear. 

My gaze darted toward Brody and Preston, who talked quietly with Ines, and thankfully seemed oblivious to the words that caused my skin to flush.

If you're lucky, maybe later tonight you can get up close and personal with them as well, I whispered back. 

The heated look he sent me nearly curled my toes. 

Do we even want to know what you two are talking about over there? Ines asked.

Victor sent his sister a devious grin, while my face grew hotter. Since you asked...

I smacked his arm. Don't you dare. 

Damn, woman, he whined, rubbing the spot, while the other three chuckled. 

My only response was a glare before I turned back to Ines. You might want to clue your man in on what happened. 

Brody went on instant alert. What's wrong? 

There was a fire at the bakery, she said.

All three men shared a puzzled look.

What bakery? Her fiancé asked.

This time it was Ines who glared. The one that's supposed to be making our wedding cake.

Ohhh, he drew out. What does that mean? 

It means that unless Estelle has some friends who can work miracles, we'll be serving cupcakes that you and I are going to be spending a lot of time making. You’re aware of my cooking skills, right? This will be after I have a nervous breakdown, of course.

"Uh