Landing at Chase's father’s mansion, Amaya had enjoyed the helicopter ride that had taken them on the final leg of their journey to his small coastal village—and everywhere Amaya looked, the view was stunning. Houses perched on top of houses were all staring out to the twinkling ocean, and the mansion was the jewel in the crown—the massive home had been lavishly extended, and every room was angled to take in the spectacular sea view.Donna’s welcome was warm and effusive, pulling Amaya into an embrace and kissing her on both cheeks, then guiding her through to a large terrace that ran the length of the house while chatting non-stop in her rich accent, alternating between English and Greek."Chase!" The squeals of delight from Donna had Amaya smiling, and he was far more pleased to see his sister than Amaya’s own father ever was—hugging her warmly, teasing her about the face pack she was wearing, and introducing her to Amaya, whom Donna eyed with the same suspicious navy eyes as her br
Her first birthday cake, her first birthday party—well, at least the first she could remember"Oh, Amaya, happy birthday! And I'm so sorry," Donna said. ‘Daddy wanted to stay up, but he was tired." Amaya could see the mood in the mansion was actually better without him, and then Donna apologised that the cake was home-made, which made Amaya’s eyes well up. "Chase only told me yesterday, there was no time to order one—and—""Yesterday?" Her head whipped around to him—that he had known all along, before she’d even told him, and that he had thought about ringing ahead and arrange all this for her..."Did you really think I’d forget your birthday?" Chase murmured behind her ears, which made her blush."Oh, my! I can't believe this. I didn't expect this at all. I don't know what to say."She opened her gifts—first, a stunning white lace nightdress from Donna. "Trust me, Amaya, my brother will love that," she hinted. There was an expensive set of body lotion and perfume from Donna, and from
And now, lying in bed, Amaya felt as if she were falling.Anger for all the things she had missed out on was seething inside her. Pain for her father and anger for not telling Chase about Tommy. Anger for everything. Regrets and exhaustion for keeping her emotions at bay all the time.And she lay in a strange land in a strange bed with a playboy boss who didn’t deal in emotions when hers were exquisitely raw.Why would he marry her if he wanted nothing but shows? She wanted it to be real; she wanted him to tell her that he wanted to marry her because he loved her, needed her, and wanted her.She actually felt sorry for him.Chase's hand was still patting her in a sort of there, there motion, with this slight note of horror in his voice as he felt her shiver at the prospect of the grief she must hold in for now. Yet it was leaking from her eyes and from her breath—this scream inside that was building, the tension in her muscles where she wanted to just run—to curl up, to howl, and to w
Amaya had never been more ready for something in her life.He was staring down at her with surprising tenderness in his eyes—a gentleness that she had never seen. And she felt as if they were starting something, as if they were going somewhere together. It wasn’t just her body she had never trusted to another, but her mind too—and in that moment she let him in, she could feel the first slow, shallow thrusts, the stretch of her body as it tried to accommodate him, and the barrier of resistance, and she told herself over and over that she had to remember not to love him.It hurt, this searing, this moment, and then it was gone—and whatever it was she had just lost, she had found so much more.The feel of him inside her, the wonders of her own body, rising to greet him as he entered and then resisting each withdrawal—her hips moving to meet his. There was this pull in her stomach and little licks of heat in her thighs. She couldn’t keep her eyes open, she was lost in the dark with him, a
Their day at the beach had brought a glow to her skin, and on the morning of the wedding, Amaya massaged in body oil, glad of the peace in their bedroom and the chance, for once, to take her time getting ready without Chase snapping his fingers and telling her she looked fine as she was.Most of the mansion had been commandeered by the bride and her entourage. The whir of the hairdryer had been continuous since eight a.m. and there was a constant stream of flowers, including the traditional arrival of flowers for the bride from the groom, which Amaya was summoned down in her dressing gown to witness.As Raul was conserving his depleted energy for the wedding, Chase had stepped into father-of-the-bride duty, and Amaya had a little giggle to herself to see the usually unruffled Chase, who could handle the most difficult client or tense boardroom meeting with ease, just a touch frazzled as he dealt not just with his sister’s theatrics but vases and flowers and the hairdresser, who was tr
It was the most gorgeous and moving wedding.Even if she couldn’t understand much of what was said, even if she was here under false pretences and was supposed to be playing a part, the tears that filled her eyes weren’t manufactured as the proud, frail father of the bride walked his glowing daughter down the aisle.There were only two dry eyes in the church, and they both belonged to Chase.He stood taller than the rest, his back ramrod straight, and though he did all the right things, there was a remoteness to him—an irritable edge that Amaya couldn’t quite define, perhaps an impatience for the service to be over. For the second time, the first moment that he could, she felt his hand tighten around hers as he led her swiftly outside."These two will be next!" Donna teased, holding her husband’s hand and laughing and chatting with her relatives."When?" Raul’s eyes met his son’s."Soon," Chase said before making a smile at the rest of the guests, "I’m sure it will happen soon."As Ra
Amaya's orgasms had, till now, been slowly coaxed from her, a learned thing, this gradual build-up as he taught her to let go, as he urged her on to lose her mind, herself, to new sensations. But this night in his bed, she was swept into a maelstrom of sensation that was as desperate and urgent as Chase’s fierce need.The shudder of him inside her was met with sweet beats of her own—it wasn’t sex, it was devotion, and the intensity of her orgasm startled her. Her hips moved frantically upwards to escape from the relentless throb of her body, but Chase was in instant pursuit, his last throes tipping her to a place there could be no coming back from—to true abandon, to utter trust.They slept together—the third night in his bed—and this time they truly slept together, coiled around each other in a fierce embrace that didn’t abate with sleep.*****Never did Chase just glance at his step-sister in the morning.He could never just accept that greeting and coffee without thought.He always
"Amaya, um, I’m staying for a few days here." Chase walked into the bedroom, where Amaya lay on the bed, staring upwards. He could feel her pain and sense her confusion, and he could see the purple marks his fingers had left on her tender skin. He flinched inside but let nothing of his horror show on his face or in his voice. "You and Tommy should pack." Chase’s head inclined towards the wardrobe. "I’ll arrange the transport to my mansion, and I want you to cancel my diary for a week—I will stay on for a while. When you’re back, report to Justin. I already called him, and don't worry about the wedding; it's all handled, including the contract." And he reeled off his orders, spoke of nothing but work, and even managed to look her straight in the eyes as he did so.Amaya sighed. "Does it mean business as usual?" Amaya got his point—oh, she got the point, alright!"Yes. I'll take care of everything about our wedding. Just fit the wedding dress. And don't give me that tone! That was what