Only with Me
Life was great.
I loved my bachelor life and working my dream job with the Colorado Springs SWAT team.
That all changed the day I stepped into her bakery. Her smile swept me off my feet, and her panna cotta was heaven.
Cue my very traditional Greek family.
Then all hell broke loose.
The woman I was falling in love with was Italian, and my mother was hell-bent on proving to the world she was the better cook.
If my meddling family wasn’t bad enough, for the last six years Gabi had been on the run from a past she tried desperately to escape from.
Between a beautiful woman on the run, and a crazy family constantly in my business, would I be able to show her I’m the only one who can keep her safe … or will her past steal her away from me?
Excerpt
My eyes swung over
to look at my mother standing there with my aunt Maria and Aunt Agnes.
“Shit,” I
whispered.
“Oh God. This is not happening. This is it!” Gabi
exclaimed as she covered her mouth.
I placed my hands
on her shoulders and leaned in closer. In a whispered voice, I asked, “What is
wrong?”
Her eyes met mine.
“This is her challenge! I thought it was that day in the bakery. That was a
merely a test! She’s here to take me down!”
I laughed. “My
mother is not here to take you down.”
She slowly shook
her head and asked, “How did she know?”
Then we both turned
to look at Liza. She took a step away. “You didn’t.”
Liza’s eyes were
everywhere. Me, my mother, back to Gabi, back to my mother. “I might have
mentioned it that day in the bakery when she was there. But she saw the
registration form and asked if you had entered! I didn’t know I wasn’t supposed
to say.”
“Nicholaus, don’t
be rude. Introduce your Gabriella to your Aunt Maria and Aunt Agnes.”
Gabi took in a slow
deep breath before turning and facing my mother and aunts.
With my hand on her
back, we walked closer. “Mama, this is a surprise to see you here.”
She looked taken
aback. “Why? I love to cook, this is a cooking competition. Why wouldn’t I be
here?”
“Because you’ve
never entered one before.”
The three of them
laughed. “Please. Your mama has won more cooking competitions than anyone in
this room.”
Gabi swayed, and I
tightened my grip on her.
When my mother
turned to look at Gabi, she wore a wide smile. “So, with you being a part of
our family, I want to make sure you come in second so I’ve brought you some
help.”
Oh for shits sake.
“Help?” Gabi asked
with a strained voice.
And before our eyes
appeared my cousins Sophia and Angie, and just when I didn’t think it could get
worse, cousin Maria walked up carrying a giant bag with some rat looking dog in
it.
“Um, I don’t think
you can have a dog in here,” Liza said.
Everyone turned and
looked at cousin Maria. “Are you shitting me? I don’t go anywhere without my
Nikky.”
“Gabriella, this is Aunt Maria and Aunt
Agnes.”
Gabi reached her
hand out to theirs.
“Ahh! You made it!” my mother called out as
her best friend came walking up. I couldn’t help but groan.
“Gabriella, this is my very dear friend,
Maria.”
I didn’t think Gabi
could look any more confused. “Oh, um, another Maria! That’s a lot of Maria’s
under one roof.” They all stared at her like they didn’t get it.
They fucking got
it.
“All right, well
now that the gang is here, Mama you should be heading on over to your station.”
“You’re not coming
over there with me?”
Gabi’s head jerked
to the side to look at me. Oh shit. What
the hell do I do?
I did the only
thing I knew to do. I looked for guidance from Liza. My eyes were wide as she
motioned to Gabi.
Right. Right. I
needed to stay with Gabi.
“Well, Mama, I was
planning on helping Gabi and being here for moral support with this being her
first competition and all.” Gabi glared at me.
Shit, what did I do now?
Then my mother
turned back to Gabi. “First, huh?” My heart dropped in my chest. That’s why
Gabi shot me a dirty look. “Well, I better let you get going then. Good luck.”
With a full-on
smile, Gabi nodded. “Thanks! You too. And may the best cook win.”
Tossing her head
back and laughing before looking back at Gabi, my mother said, “Oh, I will.”
ABOUT KELLY ELLIOTT
Kelly Elliott is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling contemporary romance author. Since finishing her bestselling Wanted series, Kelly continues to spread her wings while remaining true to her roots and giving readers stories rich with hot protective men, strong women and beautiful surroundings.
Her bestselling works include, Wanted, Broken, Without You, and Unconditional Love, to name just a few.
Kelly has been passionate about writing since she was fifteen. After years of filling journals with stories, she finally followed her dream and published her first novel, Wanted, in November of 2012.
Kelly lives in central Texas with her husband, daughter, and two pups. When she’s not writing, Kelly enjoys reading and spending time with her family. She is down to earth and very in touch with her readers, both on social media and at signings.
To find out more about Kelly and her books, you can find her through her website.
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