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CHAPTER 445
Last Updated:
2024-03-25 00:16:01
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One Night Stand With The Unforgettable Stranger CHAPTER 446
She looked around the bathroom. She was on her knees, scrubbing the fucking bathroom tile grout because of love. She had grown up in a house that was dirty and dusty and moldy with the barest essentials all because of love. Was this what she wanted for her life? Losing herself to a man so completely that her very existence depended on him? That was why she had the plan. Emma pushed herself to her feet and rinsed the brush and her gloves in the sink. She gathered her cleaning supplies and headed back to the now sparkling kitchen. Working as if on auto-pilot, she put the bucket of bleach, cloths, and spray bottles under the sink and turned to lean against the kitchen counter. She had very nearly thrown her life away for a couple of spectacular orgasms. Emma exhaled roughly. It was more than the great sex if she was honest with herself. Jake was great. He was the kind of man who, if she was going to fall in love, would be who she would fall in love with. Their attraction w
Last Updated : 2024-03-25One Night Stand With The Unforgettable Stranger CHAPTER 447
He didn’t understand why things between them were so…off. True, things hadn’t been the same since that last night in Merveille and it was all his fault. He freaked out. The whole thing with his mother made him ridiculously bad with relationships and he was in unfamiliar waters with Emma. He had never fallen in love before and it threw him off his game. “Have a seat,” Emma said. He shook himself out of his stupor and stepped over to the table, depositing the bag of takeout on the table and letting Kirra dig in. He sat opposite Emma, knowing that if he sat next to her he wouldn’t be able to keep his hands off her and that was the last thing she needed. “Did you get your mother settled?” he asked as he accepted a full plate from Kirra, who had dished out the food generously. “Yeah, she’s sleeping,” Emma said. He lifted a forkful of food to his mouth, but it was tasteless as he watched Emma. He really hated seeing her this way. He knew what it was like to wat
Last Updated : 2024-03-25One Night Stand With The Unforgettable Stranger CHAPTER 448
Jonathon stood beside Emma at the sink as he dried the last of the dishes. There was no dishwasher. The microwave had to be as old as Kirra at the very least and he didn’t trust the upright stove tucked between the lime green and walnut brown cabinets. Jonathon wanted to bundle up Emma, Kirra, and their mother and transport them somewhere else—anywhere else—where he knew they would be safe. He hated that they lived in this house that was falling down around them in an unsafe neighborhood. He wanted to throw as much money at this situation as he could to make it better, but he knew that wasn’t the answer. As Emma wiped down the counters, he took two glasses from the cabinet overhead and poured them each a glass of wine. He handed one to Emma, who took it gratefully. “We need to talk,” he said. She looked up at him with those big, brown eyes and nodded. She led him from the kitchen out onto the back deck. There was a wicker loveseat that looked like it had seen better day
Last Updated : 2024-03-25One Night Stand With The Unforgettable Stranger CHAPTER 449
“Emma?” he finally said, not able to take another minute of her silence. “Please say something.” She turned to him slowly, her hands clenched together in front of her. It was too dark to see her face clearly, but what he could see did not look promising. Her lips were tilted up in a kind but entirely fake smile. “Jake,” she began before taking a shuddering breath. “I like you and we had fun, but…” She looked down at her hands. She straightened her shoulders and lifted her chin. “But we knew this would end eventually.” He stood, needing to move. “So, you’re saying you don’t feel the same? You’re saying that this thing between us was just sex?” he stepped closer to her, close enough to see the way her pulse fluttered erratically at her throat. She lifted her chin so she could look him directly in the eye. “Yes,” she said. He crashed his lips down on hers, his hands threaded through her hair as he dragged her closer. She gripped his shirt, her fingers fisting in
Last Updated : 2024-03-25One Night Stand With The Unforgettable Stranger CHAPTER 450
She pulled out her phone and called Zoë. There was only one thing for her to do. “Hey,” she said when Zoë answered. “Hey stranger,” Zoë replied. “It’s time to step up operation Marry a Billionaire,” she said, her voice sounding dead even to her own ears. “Are you sure about that?” Zoë asked. “Definitely,” Emma replied with conviction. “Let’s get this done.” Zoë was quiet for a moment before she sighed. “Okay. What’s the plan?” They talked logistics and when Emma disconnected, she felt better. She stood and headed into the house, switching off lights as she made her way through the empty rooms to her childhood bedroom. She closed the door and changed out of her clothes and into an oversized t-shirt that she remembered too late belonged to Jake. She somehow managed to get it mixed up in her own clothes when they came back from Merveille. Too tired and heartbroken to care, she climbed into bed, wrapping her arms around herself and imagining she cou
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Declan walked over to the Nespresso machine and popped in a capsule while Jonathon sat, slumped, on the barstool on one side of the kitchen island bench. Declan slid a shot of espresso in front of him and stood on the other side of the island, his arms crossed and a scowl on his face. “What the fuck is wrong with you?” he growled. “You, arsehole,” Jonathon grumbled, not looking at his friend as he spun the small cup around in a circle on the counter. “What the hell did I do?” “You told me I should tell her how I feel to see if she felt the same.” Declan exhaled roughly and his stiff posture relaxed. “Shit,” he said. “She turned you down?” “Ding, ding, ding,” Jonathon said, “give the man a prize.” “And how the fuck is that my fault?” “Because you told me to do it.” Declan shook his head and came around the bench to sit beside Jonathon. “You needed to know,” he said. “You needed to be sure about how she felt about you before you tol
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Emma looked at the man sitting across from her. Dark hair that was a little long, grey eyes, and a smile that caused a small dimple in the corner of his cheek. A face that was beautiful and a body that was hot and hard and…it did absolutely nothing for her. It was so unfair. Jonathon Ashby should be everything she wanted. He had money, he was a good man—from what she could tell—and he was damn fine and yet there was no spark, no sizzle, no warmth curling in her belly, and no reason for her to clench her thighs together under the table. His hands didn’t make her think of what pleasures they could bring, his mouth didn’t make her want to lean in and kiss him and when he swallowed a sip of the wine they were sharing, it didn’t make her want to put her mouth on his throat and suck the tender skin between her lips. It just wasn’t fair. “How’s work?” he asked, setting his wine glass down on the table and straightening the crease in the tablecloth. She quirked an eyebrow at him. “You
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Could she go to sleep beside him every night and wake up next to him every morning? Could she actually have sex with him? The reality crystallized in her mind. She couldn’t do this. She couldn’t marry this man for his money. It had all seemed like such a game when she started. She’d never really believed she would end up on a date with the man she built this stupid plan around. She didn’t expect to even meet him. It was all just big talk and a fantasy to protect herself. By setting her sights on Jonathon Ashby she’d been able to justify her real plan. The plan to never fall in love. The plan is to not end up like her mother. It had nothing to do with the money and everything to do with protecting her heart. As if she’d ever had any control over that. Jake was the proof of that. She had fallen hard for him and there was nothing she could have done to stop it. She pushed her plate away and plucked the napkin off her lap, laying it beside her plate. “I’m sorry, Jonathon,” she said.
Last Updated : 2024-03-25
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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
