He always gives them to me.

I feel like a virgin every, single, time, he touches me, and kisses me, and makes love to me.

Quietly and with a chest overflowing with happiness, I look up to find him with his eyes closed, but a smile on his lips. I smile because I know he’s awake . . . as relaxed as I am. “Mr. Remington Tate, you got yourself married yesterday,” I whisper as I run my fingers up the hard muscles of his tan chest, up the thick tendons of his throat, his scruffy jaw, those beautiful dimples, teasing past the closed eyes, and to the standing-up ends of his spiky black hair, caressing him quietly while inwardly I’m swooning.

Watching him waiting for me at the altar yesterday, as I walked slowly—painfully slowly—up to him in my father’s arms when all I wanted was to run; he took my breath away.

Remington in a black tuxedo, his hair as dark and spiky as ever, his broad shoulders filling his jacket, fitted to his narrow waist and hips, and the way those dancing blue eyes watched me as I walked up to him . . .

Nothing existed as I stared into his eyes. Nothing ever exists for me when I stare into those eyes. It’s not the color, or the hue, it’s what I see in them. Every marvelous, complex thing that makes up Remy.

“Our baby will be six months soon, and you still give me butterflies,” I whisper quietly.

He’s a man. He might not know about butterflies, but I know enough for the both of us. And I’ve got a zoo full of them right now as he opens his eyes and looks at me. With those same blue eyes I want to stare at all day.

He angles his head to mine and feathers a kiss across my lips, and warmth surges through my being as his rough, delicious voice ripples through me, “You’re mine. My obsession. My dreams. My hope. My heart,” he whispers, his rough hands running up the sides of my body like they did all night.

“Tell me I’m your Real again, Remington,” I plead, trailing my fingers up his jaw as he looks at me.

“You’re my Real, little firecracker. You’re my everything.”

My stomach tightens when I remember the song he played me. The suite still smells of roses. I’ve heard the guys banter with him, telling him to get me something other than roses, something less old-fashioned. He won’t budge. He doesn’t care what anyone thinks about it, only what he believes they mean, and he uses them to talk to me. To tell me he loves me.

Remington is big on actions, even if he might not know it. He’s always proving, in so many ways, who he is, and what he feels. And I’ve done something . . . that I hope talks to him. Just like his roses and his songs talk to me.

Tummy clenching in anticipation, I turn to the nightstand and get one of my hair bands, which I tie around my wrist when I don’t use it to pull my hair in a ponytail. “Will you help me put this on?” I ask, passing it back as an excuse.

He sits up and lifts my hair, and I love how he lifts my hair with one hand while apparently trying to figure out how to use it with the other.

Then the movements stop, and a complete silence falls.

I hold my breath as he sets my hair band down on the mattress, and then he brushes my hair aside to reveal the back of my neck with both hands. Ever so slowly, slowly seducing my body, my mind, and my heart, like only he can, he traces the curve of my nape with the rough pad of one of his fingers.

Delicious tingles run through my body as he lowers his dark head to my neck, the deep male pleasure in his voice unmistakable. “What’s this,” he murmurs, licking it softly.

I feel his tongue rasp over my skin, and my heart flutters for him.

“Whatever it’s on, it means it’s yours,” I breathe. He buries his head in the side of my throat and smells me, murmuring, “That’s right,” then he turns me around by the chin so he can take my mouth and kiss me, long and hard. Remington Tate. My love, my husband, my baby’s beautiful father, kissing me gently as his fingers trace the tattoo on the back of my neck that says simply

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Thank you to my beautiful husband and children, for being patient with me while I sat down and lost myself in this story. Without your support, I could not move a pen. I love you!

And to my parents, for patiently spending days and weeks without hearing from me and still loving me. I love you both so much and I promise I’ll be better about calling.

To Adam Wilson—Adam, I don’t know how you managed to get married to the love of your life while managing to edit and put Mine out on time for the readers, but you deserve a red cape and I have no words to thank you for all you do for me.

To Amy Tannenbaum, who is there for me through thick and thin, always with invaluable advice and a helping hand. Another red cape to you!

To my amazing publisher at Gallery Books, Jennifer Bergstrom, and to Lauren McKenna, two fine ladies I only recently met and can’t wait to meet again. Thank you for being Team Katy too! To Jules, Kristin, and Enn, the best PR team I could ever have; I’m blessed to work with you. To my copy editor, for the fantastic suggestions and also for forgiving me when I get stubborn and want to leave my sentence raw. To Sarah Hansen for another kick-ass cover—your talent knows no bounds. To my proofreaders at Gallery, and to Anita Saunders, thank you for spotting all the little details I can no longer see and for helping to make it shine.

To my author friends who read, suggest, cheer, and support. Writing is a lonely business and you get so much more done when you have understanding friends who can push you through a little hump!

To Kati Brown, you deserve special thanks and love from me. Your input on this book was golden. Thank you, Kati!

To all the bloggers who Real introduced me to, I can’t even explain how much I appreciate you!

To Dana and the Scaries, you are treasured by me! Dana, you are PRECIOUS!

And especially, to everyone who has suffered, or suffers, from any form or shape of mental illness, and to anyone whose loved one suffers from any form or shape of mental illness, I do believe there is light in the dark, and I hope you find yours.

Friends, author friends, bloggers, and readers. Thank you for loving Brooke and Remy like I do.

Xoxoxox!