Bachelor’s Return Read online

  Melissa bit her lip. She didn’t know what to do. She and James never had the chance to talk. He’d forced himself to get dressed earlier this morning and went to take care of her apartment for her, just as he’d done all her life when she needed help. He was her rock. No matter how much he’d complained in the past, she knew this time was different. He was taking care of her because he wanted to and because he loved her. “We haven’t talked much about the future.”

  Liv frowned. “What are you talking about? I’m talking about your apartment.”

  Melissa gave a nervous laugh. “Oh.”

  “Our moms are worried like crazy. They’re both getting ready for the wedding, but James came downstairs to reassure them that you were okay when they saw the news this morning. Your mom came upstairs to check on you, but you were still sleeping. What did you think I was talking about?”

  Melissa’s blush deepened. How did she explain to her best friend that she did more than spend a night with her brother? Awkward didn’t define her situation. “Um…I thought you were talking about James and me.”

  “Continue.”

  “Well, we…um…sort of decided that we like each other.”

  “I could have told you that.”

  Her eyes shot to her friend’s face. “What do you mean?”

  “I’ve known you had a crush on James since we were little.”

  Melissa was speechless. It’d been the only secret she’d kept from her friend, but she hadn’t found the courage to tell anyone. “How did you know?”

  “Oh, I don’t know, maybe the fact that you cried for a week for no reason when James started dating your sister in middle school and the only picture you framed was the one of you and James at your graduation.” Liv stood up.

  Melissa’s mouth gaped open. “Why didn’t you tell me you knew?”

  “And spoil all the fun watching you guys go at each other? It was going to happen someday, anyway. You guys are perfect together. I don’t know any other couple who could argue, then laugh and cry together at the same time. You were too worried about finding a guy who’d turn out like your father and James was determined not to marry, but I knew you two would end up together one day. You both just took a while to realize that.”

  Shock reverberated up her spine, then Melissa glared at her friend. “You should have told me!”

  Liv laughed. “And miss out on you guys attempting to kill each other? I don’t think so. I knew James was overprotective with you even when you were younger. Why do you think he ruined all your dates?”

  Melissa fell back against the pillows.

  “You might want to get up and start getting ready. I’m so glad I decided to keep your dress here. Otherwise if it had burned in your apartment, I would have to go hurt someone.” Liv headed to the door just as James appeared. “Hey, bro. You’re in trouble.”

  Melissa sat up to see James frown at his sister.

  “Why?” he asked.

  “Our moms are going to kill you guys before they jump with joy that you two finally hooked up. Good luck.”

  Just like that, Liv disappeared, and James came into the room. He smiled at her, and she couldn’t help feeling warm and fuzzy inside as he came up next to the bed. Gathering her into his arms so she was kneeling on the bed against him, he kissed her.

  Melissa wrapped her arms around him, pressing her breasts against his stark white shirt. “How’s my apartment?” she asked in between kisses.

  “Not livable.” His hand slid over her lace-clad bottom. “Neither do you have a job at the club anymore.”

  She drew back to look at him. “And you like that, don’t you?”

  He had the gall to smile. “I told you I get what I want.”

  “That doesn’t mean I’m not going to go back to work once the club is rebuilt.” She held her ground. She loved him, but if she allowed him to always get his way, she would never win anything.

  “Well, I was hoping to keep you busy with other things.” A glint sparkled in his eyes and she knew he was up to something.

  “I was thinking of renovating your mom’s house, and that’d be a big project for you.”

  She frowned. “Why would mom want her house renovated?”

  “She’s going to sell it so she could move into this house now that Liv is moving out.”

  Confusion bit her. “So she wants to renovate it before she sells it?”

  “No, she wants the owner to renovate it herself.”

  “I don’t get it.”

  James drew her off the bed until she was standing in front of him. Her eyes widened when he pulled a velvet blue box from his pocket and he dropped to the floor on one knee.

  “Will you marry me? Please?”

  Epilogue

  A sense of homecoming filled James as he pulled down the street to the white house with green shutters. His trip to the city had been long and stressful, but the sacrifice was worth it as long as he was able to return home.

  He parked his car in the driveway, noticing the number of cars over at his mother’s house. Thinking to stop in to change first, he made his way to the door before he heard his name.

  “James, you’re home!” His mother called him from her front door.

  Trudging like a child across the lawn, he forced himself to greet his mother, even though he really wanted to go into his own house and see his other half, whatever she was doing. He had called Melissa on the way home and she’d told him that she’d be waiting for him.

  It’d been three days since he’d seen her and he hated every moment away.

  “Hey, Mom,” he said, hugging his mother. The scent of sugar and cookies drifted to his nose and he smiled.

  “Liv and Alan are over here. You should come in and say hi.”

  He threw a longing look at his house before he allowed his mother to pull him over the threshold. No longer fearing that his mother was going to throw eligible females at him, he went along. Making his way to the kitchen, his skin prickled when he heard the shrill of his sister’s voice and another’s laugh that made him hard in a heartbeat. He threw the door open. Instead of noticing the mess on the table, the boxes thrown all over the place, and the yards of ribbon sitting on chairs, he spotted the one person he wanted to see.

  Melissa’s laughter halted and she broke out into a smile just for him. He went straight to her and gathered her into his arms before anyone else could stop him and kissed her.

  “You’re home,” she murmured, wrapping her arms around him and kissing him back.

  James grunted, pulling away before he embarrassed himself in front of his family. He spotted his soon-to-be mother-in-law and sister-in-law, throwing them a smile before turning to Liv. His eyes went straight to her dome-like stomach. “How’s Junior?”

  Liv grinned and patted her round belly. “He’s fine. How was your business trip?”

  “Too long,” he answered, drawing Melissa closer. He didn’t want to let her go even for a second. Then he leaned down to her ear. “Why aren’t you at home, waiting for me?”

  Melissa laughed. “I had to come over and work on our wedding stuff.”

  He growled. Their wedding was in less than two weeks, and she’d made him wait out on a one year engagement, but at least she hadn’t refused to live with him during the time. No way he’d agree to separate beds. He still liked his idea of eloping, but the women in his family wouldn’t have it.

  He’d watched Melissa blossom under his love each day, promising her he’d never leave her. As much as he still hated her job at the club and her uniform, they’d compromised and he was the only one that got to strip her out of the damn leather.

  One year ago, he was determined to keep his bachelor state of life, but now he counted down the days until Melissa wore his name officially. He couldn’t be more content with his family surrounding him and Melissa by his side. His mother’s lectures even made him happy, considering that they involved baby making. He couldn’t argue with that.

  Melissa pressed a kiss a
gainst his lips, then whispered into his ear, “You could feign a headache and tell them you need me to tuck you into bed.”

  James grinned, warming with love for his woman. He’d never tire of her suggestions. “Good deal, brat.”

  Coming home never felt so sweet.

  About Clarissa Yip

  http://www.lyricalpress.com/store/index.php?main_page=authors&authors_id=168

  Contemporary Romance Author, Clarissa Yip, leads a life of adventures and mischief. Constantly on the run, she’s forever seeking to next best story. She continues on her journey to fulfill her dreams to share her world with yours. From the beautiful Hawaiian Island of Oahu to season-changing New York, you’ll never know where you’ll find her.

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  http://www.clarissayip.com

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  Table of Contents

  Cover

  Back Cover Copy

  Highlight

  Copyright

  Dedication

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Epilogue

  About Clarissa Yip

  More From Lyrical Press