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CHAPTER 74
Last Updated:
2023-12-20 21:04:41
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One Night Stand With The Unforgettable Stranger CHAPTER 75
The ceremony ended and finally, she got to slip her hand through Brian’s elbow and walk with him back down the aisle. She wanted to rub her body against his like a cat in heat, but they were in a church and it was a wedding, and…Brian still wasn’t himself. “Everything okay?” she whispered out of the side of her mouth as they walked into the late autumn sunshine. “Fine,” he replied, not looking at her. They were moved into positions for photos with family and friends. Cassie smiled the fake smile and tried very hard to keep her mind on the job at hand, but Brian’s aloofness worried her. Something had happened last night and, for the life of her, she couldn’t understand what it was. But she was determined to get to the bottom of it, she refused to spend another night alone. They were ushered into the waiting cars and driven to a new spot for more photos, this time just the wedding party. They had been separated on the drive and Cassie didn’t know if it was on purpose or not. Bri
Last Updated : 2023-12-20One Night Stand With The Unforgettable Stranger CHAPTER 76
He ran a hand through his hair again and continued to swear under his breath. He’d read the situation all wrong and now he may have completely fucked up the one relationship that had meant more to him than anything else in the world. He strode out of the reception area. He needed to find her. He needed to apologize for his behavior. The venue was large with many closed doors and corridors. He had no idea where she had been going when she’d walked away from him before and he took a moment to survey his surroundings. He saw a flash of pale pink dress and red hair and started in that direction. It might not even be Cassie, but it was a start. He followed the corridor as it snaked through the venue and heard a door close up ahead. He hurried his steps, hoping not to lose her, and found a door. He took a breath as he gripped the door handle. He didn’t even know what this room was, it could be the ladies’ bathroom for all he knew, but he didn’t care. He swung the door open and heard
Last Updated : 2023-12-21One Night Stand With The Unforgettable Stranger CHAPTER 77
It didn’t make him feel any better though. She couldn’t even wait until he’d left before she had to have Nathan. The guy had only been married hours before and they couldn’t wait to get at each other. It made him wonder how many other times they’d gotten together over this last week that he didn’t know about. She’d almost had him convinced that there was something real between them, but it was all a fucking lie. He drained his drink and poured another. The whiskey warmed its way down his throat but didn’t touch the frozen tundra that was his heart. He lifted his glass and drank again. He wanted to wipe the image of Cassie on her knees in front of Nathan out of his mind and the only way he was going to do that was with alcohol. Lots and lots of alcohol. He poured another shot as someone sat down beside him. “Brian,” one of the groomsmen said, “looks like you’re having fun.” Brian just grunted as he drank again. It would probably be less time-consuming if he filled his glass rat
Last Updated : 2023-12-21One Night Stand With The Unforgettable Stranger CHAPTER 78
Cassie flung herself onto her childhood bed and sobbed. She’d held it together until she’d gotten to this point, but now that she was alone and she didn’t have anything to keep her going, it all came crashing down on her. Thankfully her parents hadn’t said much to her when she turned up on their doorstep close to tears in the middle of the night. They didn’t have to, their expressions said everything. It was the I-told-you-so look. Maybe she should’ve listened to them. Maybe she should’ve heeded their advice, and then maybe she wouldn’t be sobbing her heart out over someone who thought so little of her. This is what came of wanting too much, trying too hard, reaching too high. This is the consequence of flying too close to the sun…you get burned. And she had been, twice now. She had wanted too much with Nathan and he’d married someone else. She had wanted too much with Brian and he’d turned his back on her and accused her of…she didn’t even understand what he was accusing her of.
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“Cassie, please open up,” he yelled again, knocking insistently on the door. “I really need to talk to you.” The door behind him opened and he turned to stare at the older woman who stood in the doorway. “I’m sorry for disturbing you,” he said, “but my girlfriend has locked me out and I don’t have a key.” “She’s not in there,” the woman said and Brian’s eyebrows shot up. “She’s not?” he asked. The other woman shook her head. “She packed up and left,” she said. “Like that.” The woman clicked her fingers. “Do you know where she went?” he asked, pulling out his phone. The other woman shook her head again. “No,” she replied, “but where would she have to go at this time of night?” The woman retreated back into her suite and closed the door. Brian scrubbed a hand through his hair, regretting the half a bottle of Jack that he’d drunk, regretting that he’d jumped to conclusions about Cassie. He looked down at the screen of his phone and pressed her number. It rang and rang a
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Brian scrubbed a hand through his beard and then through his hair and rubbed the back of his neck trying to clear his fogged brain. “Yeah,” he replied after clearing his throat. “Sorry,” she said, not sounding sorry at all, “but CASA is threatening to pull our accreditation.” “Fuck,” he breathed into the phone, that was the last thing he needed right now. “Have you spoken with Cam?” “Yes,” she replied with a sniff and he knew she was pissed at him for thinking she wouldn’t have already contacted their attorney, “but I need you here in Canberra pronto.” “Fuck,” he said again and then sighed. “Fine. Can you have my plane here in two hours?” “It’s already on its way,” she said. “It will be ready for you in an hour.” “Thanks, Madeline,” he replied as he disconnected. Why did this have to happen today of all days? It was a fucking Sunday. The universe was just trying to fuck him over. “Fuck,” he said again. He grabbed some clothes and walked into the ensuite bath. He ran
Last Updated : 2023-12-22One Night Stand With The Unforgettable Stranger CHAPTER 81
Cassie woke to her mother gently shaking her. Her eyes were sore and swollen and glued shut by the salt from the tears she cried herself to sleep with and the last thing she wanted was to wake up. “Cassie, honey,” her mother said softly, “you need to get up. There’s a delivery for you.” Cassie sat up and rubbed her eyes. Her head felt foggy and her body felt sluggish. “Okay mum,” she said and yawned. “I’ll be out in a minute.” Her parents lived in a small single-story house in Nambour, a once bustling cane town that had seen a financial downturn in recent years because of the closure of the town’s sugar mill. Both her parents had steady jobs and lived a comfortable life, but Cassie had always yearned for more. Now she wondered if maybe the heartache wasn’t worth it. She pulled on a robe and stumbled out of the room and down the hall to the combined kitchen and dining area. Sitting on the kitchen table was an enormous box sealed with Ashby Chocolates branded tape. Cassie igno
Last Updated : 2023-12-22One Night Stand With The Unforgettable Stranger CHAPTER 82
Cassie lay down on the bed and scrolled through all the missed calls from Brian. He’d left twenty-seven messages and she was getting a notification that her mailbox was full. Damn, he was persistent, but she really couldn’t face hearing his voice right now. She knew if she did then she would cave and she promised herself that she wouldn’t let another guy treat her like crap. Except that Brian hadn’t really…oh forget it. She closed her eyes and willed herself to sleep.It was like déjà vu. Her mother was again waking her up by shaking her. “Cassie, there’s a phone call for you,” her mother said. “I don’t want to talk to him,” Cassie mumbled rolling over and burying her head in the pillows. “Um, I don’t know who you mean, but I think you need to speak with Ellen,” her mother said nervously. Cassie rolled over. “Ellen? My boss Ellen?” Her mother nodded and Cassie dragged herself out of bed again and walked into the kitchen to pick up the phone. The box – carton – of chocolate
Last Updated : 2023-12-22
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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
