TerranThe moment I woke up, I felt her in my arms. It was something I was coming to depend on. I didn’t feel like I slept at all when she was at her place and I was at mine. I could only sleep with her snuggled against me. I wanted to show her how much she meant to me. Our relationship was better than it had ever been. Honesty really was the best policy. I ran my fingers over her arm before moving her hair to the side.“How do you always wake up before me?” she whispered.I chuckled. “I don’t know. It just happens.“Have you been awake long?” she asked in a sleepy voice.“Nope.”She went quiet again, and I had a feeling she had fallen asleep. I thought about how much she had changed my life for the better. I wanted to repay her somehow. I wanted to try and express how important she was to me. I was excited about the future for the first time in a very long time. A future with her had seemed impossible. I had somehow gotten it into my head that I would never know love like my dad had
TerranWe went up top, each taking a seat in a lounge chair and stretching out with a glass of wine in our hands as Joe expertly steered us out to sea. I couldn’t ever remember feeling so relaxed, so completely at peace with everything.“Hungry?” I asked her after we had sat and enjoyed the scenery.“I am.” She rubbed her stomach.“Sit right here, and I’ll go grab the burgers,” I told her, leaning over to kiss her before rushing downstairs to collect the patties.I had considered steaks, but burgers were our thing. I wanted everything to be perfect. There weren’t enough words to tell her how I felt, so I had to show her. I wanted to treat her like a princess—a queen.When I went back on deck, she was standing at the railing, her hair blowing back in the gentle breeze with her face turned up to the sun that was slowing going down. Every time I looked at her, I thought she got prettier. I loved her natural beauty. She had come out without a drop of makeup on. I had convinced her she wou
HaileyI woke up before Terran, which had to be a first. The gentle rocking of the boat was foreign to me. I liked it, but it took some getting used to. Judging by the way Terran was sleeping, he was completely content. I looked at my hand, staring at my beautiful ring. I had missed it, even if I had only had it a couple days before I gave it back to him.I could hear his slow easy breaths and moved my head to the pillow so I could watch him sleep. His long lashes lay against his perfectly chiseled face. His bare chest where I had been laying had a little red mark from my head. One hand was thrown over his stomach while the other rested at his side. I couldn’t believe how much I loved him.I didn’t know that kind of love was possible. I looked at him, and my heart swelled. Everything about him was perfect. Watching him sleep was probably a little creepy, but it was the one time I got to see him with all his defenses down and completely relaxed.I sighed with supreme contentment and sm
Hailey“Thank you. I don’t know how you haven’t been swept off the market yet. You are just too damn good to be true.”He chuckled. “Because I made sure it never happened.”I watched him walk away to talk to Joe. I took a seat in one of the deck chairs and let the sun warm my body. I could see why he wanted to keep the yacht. It would be a lovely way to unwind without worrying about anyone disturbing you. I envisioned my life after the movie. Would I become famous? If I did, I had a feeling I was going to be begging him to help me escape on the yacht a lot more often.When we docked, I immediately missed being out on the water with just him and me. Back on land, it was back to the real world. He dropped me off at home, and I promised to call him as soon as I was done shopping. I showered, changed, and headed for the mall, ready to do some shopping. I met up with Mandy in the food court, giving her a friendly hug.“You look refreshed,” she said, taking in my sun-kissed features.I nodd
TerranI had a feeling the emergency board meeting that had been put on my schedule after I’d left early on Friday was not going to be a pleasant one. My board was comprised of a few older men my father had appointed, a few guys I felt I could trust to keep the company running smoothly. As I strolled into my office, I couldn’t help but think I was getting ready to go in front of a firing squad.I sat down at my desk, quickly looked over the company financials, and was very impressed with what I saw. They had no reason to complain. We were doing great. I quickly printed off the information, arming myself in case anyone wanted to question my business decisions. I hated having to answer to anyone, especially when I was the one at the helm.“I’m headed downstairs,” I told Lena as I walked out.“Good luck,” she said with a tight smile.“Have you heard something?” I asked.She shrugged. “Not really.”“But something is circulating. What is it?”She sighed and looked up at me. “I heard there
TerranI took a deep breath and leaned forward. “You spoke with my uncle Lance. My father disowned him years ago. Lance doesn’t like me, never has. He attempted to cause problems by going to my father’s lawyer and suggesting my engagement wasn’t real. He hired an attorney to try and keep me from getting my father’s estate.”George was nodding his head. “What does that have to do with this company?”“My father was the major shareholder. I did not automatically receive those shares on his death. He added a clause to his will that stated I had to be engaged or already married by the time I was thirty-five in order to be eligible for the inheritance.”George’s mouth fell open. “He did that?”I smirked. “Yes, he did. If I didn’t meet the conditions, he outlined the company would be dissolved with his withdrawal and all his money would go to charity.”There was a lot of sharp intakes of breath and hands covering mouths as the men looked at each other with looks of shock.“And you’re sure th
HaileyI had my feet up as I read through the script, doing my best to memorize my lines. I wanted to prove to the others I could be good—great even. They had all had the script for months. I was playing a lot of catch up. Terran had promised to come by later and run lines with me. I needed his help. I realized I may have gotten in over my head. I didn’t want to admit defeat.When I heard the knock on the door, I jumped up, knowing it was him. When I pulled the door open, he was standing there with a pretty floral bouquet of huge blooms and a bottle of wine.“What’s all this?” I asked, pulling the door open for him.He had that twinkle in his eye that told me he was in a very good mood. “We’re celebrating,” he said, kissing me before heading for the kitchen.“I feel like we celebrate a lot,” I joked.“There’s a lot to celebrate when I’m with you.”I wrapped my arms around his waist and gave him a proper kiss before pushing a stray chunk of hair back from his face. I could tell he’d be
Hailey“Let’s go out. I’m craving seafood. Does that sound good?”I smiled. “It does. Let me go change real quick.”I headed to my room, feeling horrible about what was running through my mind. I had to trust him to do what he promised. I did, but I couldn’t help but feel that little kernel of doubt. I knew it was a huge deal to ask. I hated having to ask at all. He was in such a good mood. I didn’t want to ruin it by bringing it up. It would only start an argument and end up hurting his feelings. I told him I trusted him. I had to give him the benefit of the doubt.I slipped on a dress, put on a little mascara, and returned to the living room to find him reading the script. He looked up when he saw me, smiling as he waved the thick booklet in his hand.“How are you doing with this?”I shrugged. “I’m hoping you’re going to help me.”“Absolutely. We’ll eat and then come back and go at this.”“Thank you,” I told him, giving him a kiss to show him just how much I appreciated his help.“W
HaileyI laughed nervously. “A whirlwind, really. I was doing the modeling thing one day, and the next, I got the call I had landed this part. I am so grateful to my husband for putting me in touch with Gabriel, my agent. It was like everything fell into place at the exact right time.”“What is this foundation I’ve heard you are working with?” she asked from the preselected questions Gabriel had given her.I smiled. “It’s a foundation to help those kids who tend to fall through the cracks in the foster care system. So many kids are on the streets today because there is a shortage of quality foster homes that are capable of dealing with some of the issues kids are facing.”She smiled and nodded her head. “You were never in the system?”I shook my head. “No. My mother raised me by herself, working two jobs to keep a roof over our heads. It wasn’t easy. I hated how much she struggled, but she taught me that life isn’t about how much you have or what your zip code is. She taught me love i
HaileyOne Year LaterI was more than a little nervous as I sat in the chair assigned to us in the second row. Terran put his hand on my knee and squeezed. I looked at him and smiled. When Gabriel had called to tell me I had been nominated for best actress in a feature film, I had nearly passed out. Our film had barely met the deadline to be nominated for anything.“You look absolutely stunning,” Terran said, staring at me with eyes full of love.“Thank you,” I said, smoothing down the long fitted black gown I was wearing. Terran had bought me a new diamond necklace to go with the dress. My hair was piled on my head in a fancy updo, leaving my neck exposed and the necklace fully visible. I loved telling everyone on the red carpet that asked that my husband had given it to me as a gift for my nomination. I had made more than one of the female reporters green with envy.“You’ve got this,” Terran whispered in my ear.“I’m freaking out,” I gushed, my finger twirling the wedding ring on my
HaileyI had my legs spread wide, his knees clamping down on my bent knee when I moved to close my legs, hoping to rub them hard enough together to get the relief I was absolutely desperate to have. His hand slowly moved over my stomach, stopping to rest on my pubic bone, inches away from where I needed him to be.I whimpered in frustration.“Shh, I’m here,” he whispered.I felt a tear slip down my cheek. I loved him so much. He had my body taut as a bow by simply loving me and worshiping my body. When his index finger slid down my center, spreading my pussy lips, I cried out in earnest. It was the lightest touch over my clit that sent me over the edge. My body arched off the bed as a violent, earth-shattering climax tumbled me into a place with a million shooting stars overhead. I felt as if I had been electrocuted, every muscle in my body tensing as his finger slid inside me.He held me while I moaned and spasmed against him. When my body finally spiraled downward, he climbed on top
HaileyI was happier than I had ever been in my life, riding a high that just seemed to be getting better and better.“I’m going to jump in the shower,” I told him, heading toward his bedroom.It had been a long, busy day, and I was ready to unwind with the love of my life and a good bottle of wine. But first, I wanted to feel clean. I stripped off my jeans before turning on the hot water of his magnificent shower that was big enough to hold a small party in. The jets on the sides and the rainfall shower head made it a very enjoyable experience to shower in his bathroom. I thought about the house we had just visited and regretted not checking out the shower situation closer. I had been so overwhelmed by everything else, the shower slipped my mind.I stripped out of my clothes and stepped under the hot water, letting it cascade over my body. Suddenly, the room was filled with beautiful jazz music. I grinned, knowing that had been Terran. A few seconds later, I felt a cool blast of air
Terran“It’s okay. If I had been honest from the start, I could have saved us a lot of heartache. It was never about the money for me. I wanted you, and I wanted to keep the company intact, even if that meant I had to step away from it.”She nodded her head, fresh tears welling in her eyes. “I’m sorry. I should have believed you. I’m so glad you came back and made me listen. I love you.”“I love you, and I would have walked through fire to get you back.”“I’m so glad you did.”“Thank you for showing me this. You’ve really opened my eyes. I think we can do a lot more good together. I want to do more of this.”She was smiling. “Good, because I plan on giving a large chunk of my salary for the movie to charity. I think we should decide where it goes together.”“What about here?” I asked.She burst into laughter. “I think that check you gave them is going to go a long way. There are plenty of other charities and organizations that are desperate for funding.”“Maybe we could start a founda
TerranI took her hand in mine as we walked into the bank. I had her sit on one of the chairs in the center of the lobby while I spoke with one of the people sitting at an open desk. I rejoined Hailey, who was nervously looking around the huge bank with big black columns supporting the ridiculously high ceiling.“What are we doing here?” she asked.I smiled. “You’ll find out soon enough.”It wasn’t long before a man wearing an expensive suit was striding across the marble floor toward where we were sitting.“Mr. Maddox, it’s good to see you. I’m Con Steven, the manager here. I understand you have some business you need to take care of?”I stood and shook his hand. “I do. This is my fiancée Hailey Hollis.”He shook Hailey’s hand and then led the way to his office. We sat down in the chairs opposite his desk. He tapped on his keyboard, pulling up my account.“Okay, I see you have a large deposit made recently. What can I help you with?”“I would like to have a cashier’s check drawn up f
HaileyWe talked with each of the kids for a little while before it was time for them to have their outside time. When Mandy left to take the kids to the playground, Terran turned to look at me. “That was crazy.”I laughed, picking up scattered crayons and scraps of paper. “It usually is.”“They all know you, and love you,” he said with awe.“I like to come by and help out. Mandy has a lot of kids to contend with, and with budget cuts, she doesn’t have a lot of help. I come in when I can. It lightens the load so the other aides and caregivers can focus on other stuff.” He was nodding his head. “I see.”“Terran, I brought you here because I wanted to show you why I’m so passionate about giving money to charities. This place is funded by the government, but that barely keeps the doors open and the lights on. They have to fight to get every dollar they can. I know it’s like that for a lot of other organizations.”He nodded his head. “I’m not opposed to giving money to charity. Not at al
HaileyI wasn’t surprised to feel the bed empty beside me. We’d stayed at his house last night, as usual. We’d gone straight to bed, both of us tired after a long few days. Terran had tossed and turned all night. I had a feeling he was a lot more anxious about giving away the money than he was letting on. I had to assuage my own guilt. I walked into the living room to find him pacing the floor, his phone next to his ear as he talked about his schedule for the day.When he hung up, I smiled at him. He smiled back, but the smile didn’t reach his eyes as it normally did.“You didn’t sleep very well,” I said, walking to him to kiss him good morning.He shook his head. “No, I didn’t. I have a lot on my mind.”I nodded my head in understanding. “Was that the office?”“Yes. I was clearing my schedule for the day. I still need to do a conference call, but the rest can be taken care of from home. What about you?” “I’m free. I mean, I’m supposed to be learning my lines, but I don’t have to be
Terran“I mean, I would not blame you for wanting to keep some or all of the money for our own future. I know you’re a genuine person. You don’t have to prove anything to me. It’s a lot of money to give away.” There was a skeptical look in her eye. “Are you saying that because you don’t want to give it away?”I shrugged a shoulder. “I won’t lie that I haven’t thought about what I could do with that money. I could expand the company, set up trust funds for every one of the seven children we’re going to have.” I winked, trying to make her laugh.“You don’t want to give the money to charity?” she asked.“I’m not saying that at all.”“But you’re regretting telling me you would?”I shook my head. I could see the wheels turning in her head. She was jumping to conclusions and letting the thoughts run away. I could see the anger and hurt in her eyes, and I grabbed her hand again.“Hailey, I regret nothing. I told you I would give it away if that was what you wanted. I will do anything to mak