Hell, this is surely a mistake, she thought to herself, yet she wondered why she felt so excited about this. There was only one minor difference. She caught her breath at the sight of his aroused body—his wonderful, utterly male, terribly aroused form. She had studied painting in college. They'd sketched naked figures, and she'd seen enough strong males—or so she thought. She'd spent a lot of time on naked beaches, but she'd never seen anything like... threatening. He had to have noticed the frown on her face. "What's wrong?" She swallowed and thought she might respond to him truthfully. "It's just... I've never seen one... absolutely so big." At least, that was the truth. She received her first glimpse of pure masculine ego when he grinned. "You aren't frightened, are you?" he inquired. What about that? Sure thing. "Me, oh, it's just—" "I promise you, Daisy, I won't do anything whatsoever to you until you ask me to; you're the boss tonight." "Promise?" she asked quietly.
When Amaya awoke, she didn't know how much time had gone by, but she knew the quilt had slid off her shoulders and she was chilly. The fire had been reduced to embers. The room was nearly completely dark. “Shit…shit!” She yanked on the quilt, got a bit more out from beneath Chase's prone body, and then began when she heard his voice. "Um—Daisy? Are you awake?" She was unsure. "Hmmm yes..." He rolled over and shifted his weight so they could cover themselves with the blanket while sleeping on the faux fur rug. "Good. Are you okay?" Chase inquired. She could sense the trepidation in his voice. "I'm fine; how about you?" In response, an arm wrapped around her waist and drew her close against him. "What do you think?" he said quietly. He was aroused again, hard and eager, she realised. She kissed him after searching for his face in the darkness. He replied. She discovered that because they'd been so prepared previously, it took a lot less playtime to get both of them ready. E
The rest of Amaya's clothes and her trench coat were easy to find, but she had to tear her short leather skirt away from a sleeping reveller who was using it as a pillow.Tyler, Mary's groom, slept in a comfortable lump on the carpeted floor, the side of his face smooshed against the rug. Amaya came to a halt and scrutinised the man while quickly fastening the belt on her trench coat.She then kicked his buttocks. "Take that!"Tyler grumbled before continuing to snore."This is all your fault," she said quietly, giving herself one little, pleasurable moment of pettiness. Complete immaturity.It was beneficial. Just a bit.Amaya walked out the front door into the early morning light. Amaya noticed the snow falling as she shut the door. Light, lacy flakes fell from the leaden sky. The white ice covered the barren branches of the trees in front of Chase's house.According to the appearance of the sky, it had to be around six o'clock in the morning. Amaya wished she had a car so she could
Six years later, "I'm sorry, sir," Chase's secretary remarked, his demeanour purposefully reserved, conveying the whole gamut of his emotions.Chase Johnson dispersed them.And until they suited him, he was not a man who normally accepted the presence of sentiments. Or helped him in some manner."I have taken the liberty of collecting yet another pool of candidates," Gabby continued in the same tone, for he was not the type of secretary who was hesitant to convey his ideas, sentiments, or thoughts, no matter how they were disguised. "As the previous several have met with disfavour," Chase knew that.He stood at the glass divider that divided him from the rest of his sleek, contemporary office, not at the window that looked out over one of Rome's richest areas. It was the ideal antidote to the fussiness and weight of Roman history that pervaded the rest of the city.Chase was all too familiar with the three-thousand-year-old city, from its hidden streets to its most famous piazzas. He
In a cosy little apartment on the bustling streets of 28th Street, Amaya and her mischievous five-year-old son, Tommy, began their morning routine. Amaya was busy preparing lunch for Tommy when her old iPhone rang, and she hurriedly stepped away to take the call."Hello, Mary?" She smiled and opened the fridge."Yes, yes, how can I forget? Of course. Send my regards to the twins, okay? I'll visit you guys soon." She spoke in hushed tones, trying not to disturb her little one. However, Tommy, with his curious and adventurous nature, couldn't resist exploring his surroundings. As his mother spoke on the phone, he spotted her gleaming smartphone lying on the coffee table.The aroma of lunch filled the air, and Tommy's tummy rumbled with hunger. "Mommy, I'm hungry." He couldn't wait for his meal, but he knew better than to interrupt his mom during an important call. So he devised a plan to entertain himself while he waited.Giggling mischievously, Tommy tiptoed towards his mother's phone.
Lunch time at the JC building cafeteria."So, how's the interview?" Eva asked before sipping her juice.Amaya rolled her eyes. "Allen told me to come back after lunch to see the Boss and that he would also prefer someone who speaks Chinese or Japanese.""Wow! I didn't know the big boss was that picky.""And it didn’t say that in the advertisement," Amaya pointed out. "And you didn’t mention it when we spoke on the telephone either.""Come on, how would I know? Mr. Johnson, the big boss—he doesn't like to put too many specifications in the advertisements for one reason, and I rather agree.” Eva gave a small sniff.Well, there wasn’t much Amaya could say to that—clearly, at first glance, it had been decided that she wasn’t the right person for the job.Even though it had been an impossible dream, now that she had glimpsed it, Amaya wanted it.The salary was to die for—Tommy’s needs and her small apartment rent were due.Allen had explained during their initial interview that Mr. Johnson's
Two weeks later, the ride from Amaya’s apartment to JC Johnson’s building was long, and she already dreaded the idea of her first monthly meeting with the rest of the executive employees. And though she was grateful for the opportunity and had almost toppled over when she’d gotten the acceptance phone call, her chance at the Software Specialist department would come. She just needed to work her way up.But how could she concentrate when Chase had been under her head for the past two weeks?Two weeks, but it felt like two years.She had never been this stressed before. Chase was highly demanding, bossy, and fickle-minded. One moment he wants sandwiches, the next a salad. Then, in a blink, he would demand the papers that had already been signed and ask to rewrite them and resign again with their contructor. Amaya was overwhelmed by the job.Though she had always prided herself on being a resilient and composed individual, working with Chase had tested her limits like never before. "What
The minute the voice spoke, Amaya shivered. Her domineering boss stepped into the already-full meeting area, and her jaw slacked. It fell to the floor, and she swore she saw some mischief in his eyes as he looked at her and repeated, "Who is engaged?"Standing at the door was the man who’d done unholy things to her body six years ago, looking no less godlike than he had that night, with one exception—now he looked a whole lot scarier as he raised his brow at her. Chase wore pale grey slacks that seemed like they’d been sewn directly onto his body, a white tailored shirt, and a formidable scowl. He looked ready to behead Amaya and feed her limbs to the crowd of people who’d gathered around him. Beside him was a dark-haired man an inch shorter than he was. Justin.He had small, black, vacant eyes—the opposite of Chase’s deep indigo. But they had the same disapproving frown that made her feel like the dirt under their Bolvaint shoes. And probably the same amount of authority to fire yours
Thomas drove her to the city, exceeding all speed records to reach the private hospital in time. They were too late for anaesthesia. She’d just barely settled into her private suite, and Dr. Bartlett had just rushed in to check on her, before their baby was born.Thomas held her close as their son came into the world, protecting them. And in the instant their newborn baby was placed in her exhausted arms, both their lives changed forever.Thomas kissed his wife’s sweaty forehead, then tenderly cradled them both in his arms. Their love was newly reborn in that single instant, brilliant and flashing like a comet illuminating the dark night, shining like a star that would always last.*****Mommy….mommy, they’re here!”Four-year-old John was running up and down the hallways, screaming like a banshee when he heard the helicopter land on the other side of the island. Leah smiled down at her son, even as she tried helplessly to hush him before he woke his two-year-old sister, who always got
Leah knelt, brushing the earth off the grey marble angel before placing half the daisies on her grave. “I’m going to have his baby any day now. And I forced him to promise to stay away from us.” She gave a harsh laugh. “I guess I never thought he’d stay so true to his word. Perhaps he’s not the liar I thought.” She wiped the tears that left cold tracks down her cheeks, chilling beneath the brisk spring wind as she said softly, “What should I do?”Her father’s grave was silent. Leah heard only the sigh of the wind through the trees as she stared down at the words on the gravestone.No. Her throat suddenly hurt. Sometimes love and passion can be equally joined, like a mutual fire. She’d felt it.The desire between Leah and Thomas had been explosive. She’d been so lucky, and she hadn’t even known it. For all her adult life, she’d been focused on the wrong thing. On revenge. On regaining a memory that had ultimately caused her nothing but grief.A bitter laugh stuck in her throat.Hearing
“No!” Leah jerked away from him. “Don’t touch me!” She turned away, heading for the door, desperate to get out of the bedroom, away from the soft, mussed sheets that were still warm from the tender passion of their bodies, away from the scent of him that still clung to her. Away from the happiness of the innocent, explosive joy she’d experienced moments before.“I don’t blame you,” he said quietly behind her, causing her to halt. “When I found out you were Justin De Nero's stepsister, I already knew I was falling in love with you. So I brought you here to the island.” He took a deep breath. “I thought if I kept you safe and hidden from the world, you wouldn’t remember. I prayed you never would.”She whirled around with a gasp, and the breath suddenly knocked out of her.“To punish me?” she said, wanting to cry. She lifted her chin. “To claim your victory?”Thomas bowed his head. “To be your husband,” he whispered. “To love you for the rest of my life.”His words crept into her soul li
Thomas pulled off the soft pink cotton dress with its innocent eyelet lace. Removing his own black T-shirt and jeans, he dropped them to the floor. His eyes greedily drank in the vision of Leah in her translucent white bra and panties.Looking into her eyes, he finally spoke the words that had long ago been written across his heart.“I love you, Leah.”She sucked in her breath, her gaze searching his. Wanting to believe. Needing to believe.Then he kissed her.Her lips seared him to the core. With every beat of his heart, he loved her. And all he wanted to do was make his vow of a month ago true; he wanted to spend the rest of his life kissing her.She moved beneath him on the white blanket of the bed. Above him, he could hear the soft whir of the ceiling fan, hear the cry of the morning birds outside, and feel the soft breeze against his naked body.He touched her naked skin, bronzed from so many days spent outside. He stroked her body all over, worshipping her with his fingertips, wi
After she had slept, he reached his breaking point. Getting up from the bed, he gazed through the open French doors onto the terrace, where the gentle breeze swirled the curtains. He observed the full moonlight dancing on the black waves of the Aegean, resembling lost spirits ensnared in invisible webs to the earth.He had believed he could shield them here, far from the world's reach. He was mistaken. To protect his family, he could never again be intimate with his wife, not even a kiss. For if he did, she would remember everything, and he would lose her.Thomas was consumed by pain, his breath catching in his chest. He stole one final glance at his pregnant wife, peacefully sleeping in their bed. He cherished her beauty, even as he agonized over the tear stains on her face. As the pink hues of sunrise began to fill the room, he clenched his fists and left her to sleep alone.How had it all gone so wrong?A month later, Leah remained baffled. She resided in a breathtaking Greek villa
“Two?” Thomas pouted.“Six?” she countered good-naturedly.He looked down at her, his dark eyes smiling. “We can compromise. Three.”“All right.” She leaned against him with a contented sigh. “I’m so happy here,” she confessed. “I never want to leave.”He flashed her a grin. “Then we won’t.”“Just what do you have in mind?” she teased. “A honeymoon that never ends?”He bent to kiss her lightly, tenderly on the lips. “Exactly.”He went to the white granite table, removing the two lunch plates from the tray. He set them out with silverware and linen napkins. He brought the two glasses of sparkling water to the lounge chairs and handed one to her.He held up his glass. “To the most beautiful woman in the world.”Flushing with pleasure, she clinked the glass against his. “To the most wonderful man in the world,” she said softly. “Thank you for telling me the truth. Thank you for forgiving me. Thank you for putting it all behind us and bringing me home.”His dark brows creased, and he look
Thomas was blown away by her openness and vulnerability. Leah had accepted blame for a betrayal she could not even remember. She’d chosen to believe him. To trust him when all he’d done was lie to her, trick her, and punish her. It was enough to bring any man to his knees.Thomas started to walk toward her, but he’d gone only a few steps before the phone in his hand rang. He saw his lead investigator’s number and answered. “That was fast.”“I can tell you about your wife’s father right now, Mr. Alexander.” Barr paused. “Do the names Chase Johnson and Justin De Nero mean anything to you?”Thomas’s entire body went hot, then turned to ice.He was only dimly aware of the ebb and flow of people around him as his hand clenched around the phone.“Johnson and Justin De Nero?” he repeated in a strangled voice.“The owner of Johnson Inc. is the best friend of Leah’s stepbrother, Justin De Nero. They are close friends... very close friends.”Thomas’s heart pounded in his throat. He saw black bi
“And so I’ve been waiting for you to remember. Every place I’ve taken you, every memory I’ve hoped to reignite, was so you could tell me why.” Suddenly, she understood everything. “Not just that,” she whispered. “You wanted to punish me. It’s what you’ve wanted since the day you found me in London. You wanted revenge—” “Justice,” he corrected coldly. “But when you found out I was pregnant, that changed everything, didn’t it?” She gave a choked laugh, then covered her mouth with an intake of breath. “You felt you had to marry me because I was pregnant with your baby. You never loved me. All you wanted was to hurt me.” “I spent months trying to find you before you resurfaced at your father’s funeral. You’re a wealthy woman, Leah, so you couldn’t have betrayed me for money. So you must have done it out of love. You’re in love with Jake Skinner. It’s the only explanation.” She thought of the playboy with his bleached-white smile and shook her head. “I could never love him.” “Then wh
Cradled in Thomas’s strong arms, beneath the soft dawn spilling from the windows, Leah hadn’t wanted to wake up. She’d pressed her head against his naked chest, relishing the feel of his warm skin laced with dark hair.His body was so much larger than her own. Snuggled against him in the enormous bed, she’d felt protected. Safe. Loved. There was so much about him that she still didn’t understand. But still, she was falling in love with him all over again.Drowsy and content, she’d listened to the beat of his heart against her cheek. The beat grew louder, like the sound of heavy footsteps stomping in unison against a hard stone floor. Step. Step. Step.She felt suddenly cold as she looked at the blurry faces around her. Her father’s sobbing face came into sharp focus. She clung to Leah, wailing as they watched her mother’s and sister-in-law's coffins pass out of the church on the shoulders of old men. Leah clutched her father’s hands in her own, suddenly terrified that her mother’s and