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CHAPTER 396
Last Updated:
2024-03-22 22:52:39
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One Night Stand With The Unforgettable Stranger CHAPTER 397
He sighed and pushed away from the bench where he was working on a new flavour combination. He had hoped that by staying home and working without the threat of her interrupting him he might actually be able to concentrate, but no such luck. He looked down at what he had made. Smoked dark chocolate and whiskey truffles. Exactly what she tasted like when he kissed her. It was a good combination. The traditional cigar and whiskey paired with a rich bitter chocolate. He used aged wine barrel wood to smoke the chocolate giving it a spicy taste that paired well with the whiskey. It wasn’t a mainstream product. He knew something with a flavor profile as complex as the one he had created would be only for true connoisseurs or maybe a perfect gift for a man who had everything. It was definitely masculine in flavor, not that there wouldn’t be some women who’d enjoy it. He knew, without really even thinking about it, that Emma would like it. It was a bit of a gift—obsession—of his. He
Last Updated : 2024-03-22One Night Stand With The Unforgettable Stranger CHAPTER 398
The least he could do was make sure she enjoyed her retirement. His eye was drawn to the woman leaving the building. Emma. She was cute, but he wasn’t really interested in her. She was a means to an end, that end being finally meeting Jonathan Ashby. He’d lost his nerve last night but after leaving so abruptly, he kicked himself. He had been presented with the perfect opportunity—the one he had been working toward all these months—and he walked away. Only after realizing his mistake did he make a new plan. He could get to Jonathon via Emma—if indeed the man he saw at the club was Jonathon. Liam was pretty sure it was him, but the club was dark and with the flashing lights and the crowd, he couldn’t stake his life on it. He needed more information before he made his move. So, he had been staking out the R&D building hoping to get a glimpse of the elusive Jonathon Ashby. The man hadn’t shown up all day. Thankfully Liam had the foresight to approach Emma when he saw her earlier
Last Updated : 2024-03-22One Night Stand With The Unforgettable Stranger CHAPTER 399
Her third day in the office started promisingly. No hangover, which was always a plus, and no spilled coffee, which made her feel like she was finally finding her rhythm. It always took a few days to settle into a new job and Emma had become somewhat of an expert at it. She started a new job nearly every six weeks—sometimes less, sometimes more—so it was important that she get a good read on the temperature of a workplace early. The sooner she could settle in, the more she could accomplish in the time she was there. So far, Wednesday was shaping up to be the day when everything just clicked. It was the quickest it had happened for her, but Jake was an easy boss to have. She hardly ever saw him and he gave her autonomy in the office, which she loved. If there was one thing Emma hated more than anything in the workplace, it was micromanagers. Plus, the day had started with chocolate. And not just any chocolate, but Ashby Chocolate, the far superior chocolate as far as Emma was conce
Last Updated : 2024-03-22One Night Stand With The Unforgettable Stranger CHAPTER 400
It only took a smell or the sight of something that reminded Devi of Tom and she was back to crying and numbing her pain with whatever alcohol she could get her hands on. And that was why feelings sucked. Emotions were deceptive and Emma was determined to never fall victim to them. What good was losing yourself in love to the detriment of everything else around you? Emma had too much self-respect to let herself become a victim of something as ephemeral as love. Loving her sister, she understood. That was different. That was almost like a physical bond. But romantic love? The love that Devi claimed she shared with Tom? In Emma’s eyes that was a lie from the pit of hell and she never wanted a part of it. With determination, Emma lifted her water bottle to her mouth and washed away the lingering flavor of the truffle. She didn’t need any reminders of that kiss. It would never be repeated and letting herself fantasize about it for even a minute was a slippery slope. Emma had to keep h
Last Updated : 2024-03-22One Night Stand With The Unforgettable Stranger CHAPTER 401
She was still mad at him for sending her away the other day and he had forgotten to buy back into her good graces with a sparkly gift. “Would you mind terribly calling her to see if she has seen it while I keep looking here?” Natalie paused long enough to have Jonathon sweating that she might actually turn him down. “Fine,” she said and then hung up. Jonathan stared at the phone and then called the jewelry shop he had on speed dial. He did appreciate Natalie and he knew he was a bastard to work for. A little gift of appreciation would go a long way to smoothing her feathers. He still had to work with her after he found the imposter and dealt with him. He had to keep her happy in the meantime. The last thing he wanted to do was train a replacement because she finally got sick of him and walked. He ordered a tennis bracelet and organized for it to be delivered. The jewelry shop had all his purchases on file, including the women he sent each gift to so that he wouldn’t send the
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He was a guy with a job who could probably barely afford his mortgage repayments. Not the guy she wanted or needed in her life. She stepped up onto the porch and rapped on the door. When there was no answer she tried knocking again and then she noticed the little white doorbell. She pressed it and smiled at the chimes she heard. It was just like the one Mimi had. In fact, the whole house and neighborhood reminded her of her grandmother. The front door flew open and Jake stood blinking owlishly at her through the screen door. His hair was in disarray and a pair of dark-rimmed glasses sat crookedly on his nose. Her ovaries may have cried a little at the sight. He was so fucking hot and in his current state of discombobulation, he was downright adorable. “Emma?” “The one and only,” she said. “Natalie sent me an SOS signal. She said you needed this?” She held up the folder with the identifier printed neatly on the tab. She loved her labeler. Oh, and the laminator. He pushed th
Last Updated : 2024-03-23One Night Stand With The Unforgettable Stranger CHAPTER 403
Going to Jake’s home had broken the awkward tension that had been between them since ‘The Kiss.’ When Emma walked into the office on Friday morning, it was to find Jake there already. He was sitting at his desk, his fingers tugging at his hair, and his head resting on his hands with his elbows resting on the desk as he read a document in front of him. “Morning,” she said cheerily as she took her seat behind her desk and woke up her computer. “Tell me something,” he said without returning her greeting and not looking up from the page in front of him. “Honestly. What did you think of the truffle I left for you?” Emma felt her cheeks flush as she busied herself so she didn’t have to look at him. “Um, well, it was good…” He looked up then, his eyes slightly narrowed. “Good? It was good?” She swallowed and didn’t give in to the temptation to fan her rapidly heating cheeks. “Really good,” she said, breathlessly. “The best thing I’ve ever put in my mouth.” Her eyes widened as t
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Someone standing beside her was taking notes and Emma realized that she should be too. She read through the steps and scribbled furiously as she realized what was written was nothing like what was happening in front of her. Jake flowed around the kitchen like he had been born to it. His long fingers touched, caressing, and fondling the ingredients with care and dedication. It was surprisingly arousing but then Emma thought that anything Jake did with as much focus as he showed right now would be arousing. What would all that focus on her be like? It was something she never experienced before—single-minded focus on her. Her mother had been too focused on herself and her grief when she was growing up to take any sort of notice of Emma. Kirra was still a baby so she was only focussed on herself, and any boyfriends Emma had were more focussed on their own pleasure to really pay any attention to her. There was an intensity to Jake that both excited her and frightened her. He could suck h
Last Updated : 2024-03-23
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One Night Stand With The Unforgettable Stranger EPILOGUE
Six Months Later…Everyone he loved was in the room. They were celebrating. Barry and Becky had finally set a date. Lisa and Mason wouldn’t be far behind. Brian and Cassie kept sneaking glances at one another that they thought nobody else noticed. He thought he knew what was going on but he didn’t want to ruin the surprise. It was their news to share and he was happy to wait for them to be ready to share it. Liam and Loretta were here too. He’d been slowly getting to know them. There was a lot of hurt to work through, but they were getting there. Jonathon quite enjoyed having a younger brother even if it was only in small doses at the moment. Devi and Kirra were also there. Kirra was graduating in a couple of weeks and then she would be hopefully attending one of the universities close to home. She wouldn’t know if she got accepted until the new year, but Jonathan was quietly confident that she would get into her top pick. And then there was Emma. Every day with her was
One Night Stand With The Unforgettable Stranger CHAPTER 480
“I know it’s too soon,” he said, cupping her cheek. “But I want you to know that I am in this for good. I want to spend my life with you Emma. I want us to be a family. You, me, Kirra, Devi, Liam, and Loretta—” “Loretta?” “My mum. I want one big, messy family with you and me at the heart of it. Tell me you want that too.” She pressed against him and brushed a kiss on his lips. “I do,” she said before putting the remaining half of the chocolate in her mouth and grinning. The wheel came to a stop and he drew Emma to her feet, moving them both over to the window. The entire city of Melbourne was spread out below them, but it dimmed in comparison to the woman in his arms. “I love you, Emma,” he whispered before kissing her while they stood on top of the world.He took her home. He couldn’t not. They had stuff to work out and a relationship to manage. He had a family to get to know and she had her mother’s illness to navigate and her sister’s final year of sch
One Night Stand With The Unforgettable Stranger CHAPTER 479
He stepped into the pod and waited for the door to close before holding the final box out to her, his mouth dry. She reached for it but he snatched it away, lifting it beyond her reach. “Before I give this to you, I need to explain.” She looked from the box to his face and nodded. “Okay.” The wheel started to move and Jonathon moved them over to sit on a bench. He exhaled roughly. “Okay, so I don’t know how much of this you already know, but how about I just start at the beginning?” She nodded again. “My mother left when I was two. I always believed she left us for a man with money. I’ve recently found out that wasn’t true.” He took a deep breath and her hand rested gently on his chest as she moved closer to him. He took strength from her closeness. “Someone was impersonating me—” “Liam?” He nodded. “Right. Liam. It turns out Liam is my brother. He was trying to draw me out and get me to notice him. He ultimately wanted to meet his father. He didn’t
One Night Stand With The Unforgettable Stranger CHAPTER 478
“Are you looking for this?” the security guy asked, holding out an old-fashioned paper ticket. Emma laughed as she snatched it from him, waving it over her shoulder as she jogged toward the front doors of the building. She slid into the car and Brian looked at her expectantly. “Um…” Emma looked between Brian and Cassie. “I want to say Luna Park, but I don’t think that’s right.” “Why Luna Park?” Cassie asked. Emma held up the ticket in her hand. “We went to a fête in Merveille and rode the Ferris wheel.” “The Melbourne Star,” Brian said, his voice gruff. “Of course!” Cassie cried excitedly, leaning over to give Brian a smacking kiss. “You’re brilliant.” Emma could barely keep still as Brian drove them across town toward the Docklands and the giant observation wheel. As much as she was enjoying herself, she wanted to see him. She had already forgiven him for his lie and now she desperately wanted to ask his forgiveness for her stupid, fearful, erratic
One Night Stand With The Unforgettable Stranger CHAPTER 477
She walked around the corner expecting to see Jonathon outside the patisserie, but there was no one there. She stepped inside breathed in the sweet scent of pastries and chocolate and looked around, hoping to spot him, but he wasn’t there. “Are you Emma?” a lady asked. “Yeah,” Emma said, turning to the woman who sat at a small table with a familiar little box in front of her. “This is for you,” the woman said, standing and walking away. Emma sat and took the box, pulling at the bow and opening it to see another chocolate truffle, this time it had an ’S’ written on top of it in dark chocolate. She didn’t need the little ‘Eat Me’ note to know what to do. She put the truffle on her tongue and closed her eyes. The chocolate coating melted away to leave behind a cake center with the sweet tang of apricot jam. “Sachertorte,” she mumbled to herself as she sighed and opened her eyes. Emma picked up the note that had nestled beside the truffle in the box.The first time we made lov
One Night Stand With The Unforgettable Stranger CHAPTER 476
Dear Emma,The first time we met I wanted to kiss you. I knew I couldn’t. I knew it was stepping across a line both personally and professionally, but still, I couldn’t deny the attraction I felt.Our relationship has had an unconventional start, a bit of a rocky middle, and an absolutely appalling ending, but there were some real high points along the way. Let me remind you of how good it was between us and how good it could be again.Do you remember our first kiss? I don’t think I will ever forget it. I thought I knew what I was getting myself in for when I leaned down to brush my lips across yours, but I was a fool. You were so much more than I ever thought I would ever experience. You took my breath away and I lost a little bit of my heart to you at that moment.If it meant as much to you as it did to me, meet me there at the place where we first kissed.Jonathon.Emma could feel the wetness on her cheeks and she sniffed as she wiped at the tears. “Well?” Cassie asked, rocking o
One Night Stand With The Unforgettable Stranger CHAPTER 475
It was the first Saturday morning Emma could ever remember that had the three of them sitting around the kitchen table eating pancakes and laughing. What would have been a simple, family Saturday morning ritual for some was something out of a fairy tale for Emma. She knew they were a long way from being a happy family, there was still a lot of hurt to navigate and broken trust to overcome, but it was a start and for once in her life, she was willing to just go with it. On this day, Devi was back to the woman she vaguely remembered from before Tom died and Emma wanted to soak it up and memorize it. From pancakes, they’d gone to gardening. Emma shared her plans with Devi and Kirra. She would let the lease go on her flat and move back in here permanently. It meant she would be on hand if Devi needed her and hopefully give some stability for Kirra’s final year of school. After she graduated and went off to uni, Emma could look at what would happen next. They all agreed that if they were
One Night Stand With The Unforgettable Stranger CHAPTER 474
Emma wanted to believe her, but it was tempting to turn away and close her heart off so she couldn’t be hurt again. Except it would hurt anyway. If there was one thing she learned through this whole saga with Jonathon it was that closing your heart off to others was a mistake. You ended up hurting everyone that way, not least of all yourself. She put her arm around Devi and hugged her. “Good for you mum,” she said.Jonathon worked all night and most of the day. He tried calling Emma but when she didn’t pick up or reply to his texts after the first twenty or so, he gave up. What he had to say needed to be said in person anyway. Inspired by the woman he had fallen irrevocably in love with, he had spent the night holed up in his test kitchen creating the perfect set of truffles. Anybody could buy a box of chocolates or a bunch of flowers but only he could create an entire set of truffles that spelled out just how much he loved her and how much she had impacted his life. He had words
One Night Stand With The Unforgettable Stranger CHAPTER 473
Kirra said when Emma finally made it home. Emma had been wandering around the city trying to come to terms with what all this meant for her life going forward. She had made some hard decisions, but she felt like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. It hadn’t helped with the pain in her chest where her heart was currently crumbling away to dust, but at least she knew that she wasn’t going to end up like her mother just because she had fallen in love. Life was always going to throw her curve balls and she just learned something about herself. Despite her previous belief, she was actually strong enough to withstand them, even swing the bat at them, and make the best out of a bad situation. “Hey, yourself,” she said, sitting at the table opposite Kirra. “Where’s Zoë?” “She had to go and run some errands.” “Where’s mum?” Kirra bit her lip and her eyes teared up. “I don’t know.” “She’s not here?” Emma asked, sitting up straighter and leaning forward. “When I got home, Z
