A month later, Calleigh still couldn’t understand where things went wrong between them. She lived in an amazing Spanish villa on a private island. She was married to the most handsome man on earth and expecting his child. She was healthy, living in blissful luxury beneath the Mediterranean sun.
Even so, for the last month, Gabriel hadn’t touched her. She’d been alone in her marriage… in her life. She’d never felt so miserable. Though they lived in the same house, they lived separate lives.
Gabriel worked nights in the office, coming to bed only long after she was asleep, or worse, not coming to bed at all, just sleeping on the couch in his office. She spent her days preparing for the arrival of the baby.
She’d done everything she
He saw the light of joy in her eyes, and was astonished to suddenly taste the salt of tears… His own. Gabriel held her tenderly, moving deeply and slowly inside her until he felt her tense. Until he felt her shake. Whatever happened, he couldn’t stop. Whatever happened, he prayed he could love her always. Closing his eyes, he thrust into her one last time. Gabriel felt her coil around him, heard her gasp.“I love you,” he cried. And as the force of his words slammed through his soul, Gabriel threw his head back and poured his seed into her with a shout of pure happiness. Collapsing back on the bed, he held her tightly. She was his love… his life. Gabriel kissed her temple, pressing his hand against her sweaty face. Praying that
Five months later, Calleigh was standing alone by her mother’s grave. It was only the first week of March, but already the first blush of early spring had could be seen. The weeping willows were green and gold beside the lake, splashing the season’s first color over the graveyard of the old gray church. In her white coat and green wellies, Calleigh felt hot and out of breath after crossing the hill from the Swanson estate. Not that it was terribly far, but at nine months pregnant, every move was a huge effort. Even bringing daisies, her mother’s favorite flower, to her grave. Calleigh glanced at the daffodils poking through the cold earth nearby. Just a few weeks ago, the ground had been covered with snow. How had time fled so fast? Why was her pain still very much present in her heart and didn’t go away
Those words hit her deep in her soul… Calleigh always thought her mother had died of a broken heart. She must’ve known that… The way her mother was behaving, her state of mind, her depression. Reading her father’s letter showed everything in a new light, so different from the one she imprinted in her brain for all those years. Endless minutes, hours, days of planning a revenge against someone that had nothing to do with her family’s tragedy. She’d been so wrong… ‘You never named your source. Who was it, Gabriel?’ ‘I can’t say. I gave my word I wouldn’t reveal that.’ Now Calleigh knew that the source was… Leona Medlock-Swanson, her own
Gabriel De León had heard a lot of lies in his life, particularly in relation to his beautiful, ruthless ex-mistress. But this one topped them all.“No, it can’t be true,” he said in shock, staring at the doctor. “She’s lying.”“I can assure you, it’s absolutely true,” Dr. Levi replied gravely. “She really has no memory. Not of you, not of me, not even of her accident yesterday. And yet there’s no physical injury.”“Well… That’s because she’s lying, doctor!”“She was wearing the seatbelt when her head hit the airbag,” Dr. Levi continued. “There was no concussion.” Gabriel stared at the doctor with a scowl. He had a reputation as a doctor of great skill and integrity. He was rich from a lifetime of serving wealthy, aristocratic pa
She searched his face, holding her breath. But no memories rushed through her, no recollections of the hard curve of his cheek or the slightly wicked twist to his sensual lips. No memories of a thousand little intimacies between lovers. Nothing! He helped her sit up. His hands lingered possessively on her back, causing a sudden heat across her body. A heat she couldn’t understand. Calleigh licked her lips nervously.“Um… You are… You must be… Gabriel De León?” she ventured, giving him a shy glimpse. After saying those words, Calleigh almost hoped he would deny it, and that her real boyfriend, a kind-faced man with gentle eyes, would walk through the door. The Spanish tycoon’s hands on her back paused and she felt ice going up and down her spine.“So&hellip
Beneath heavily lidded eyes, Gabriel watched Calleigh as he led her to the black limousine purring on the street in front of the hospital. She wasn’t faking her amnesia. In spite of his initial incredulity, he now had no doubt. She had no idea of who he was or what she’d done. And now she was pregnant with his child. This detail changed everything. He gently helped her to the car. She had no luggage. One of his men had taken her smashed Aston-Martin to the garage, while the other had gone to make quiet amends for the smashed postbox. Calleigh wore the black silk dress and carried the black clutch purse from her stepfather’s funeral yesterday. The black dress clung to her breasts and hips when she walked, the silk shimmering and sliding against her hips and breasts. 
Marry him? ‘Yes!’ Calleigh thought in a daze, looking up into his handsome face. Feeling his strong, rough hands against the softness of her skin, the warmth of his touch seared her, tracing down her neck to her breasts and lower still. How could any man be so masculine, so beautiful, so powerful all at once? So perfect? Gabriel was everything her tore, empty, frightened soul had desired. He would protect her. Love her. He would complete her life. ‘Yes, I will!’ But even as the words rose to her lips, something stopped her. Something she couldn’t understand made her pull her face away from his touch.“Marry you?” she whispered.&nbs
Sunlight reflected off the water as Calleigh and Gabriel took the motoscafo, a Venetian private water taxi, from the Marco Polo Airport. The September weather was bright and warm as they crossed the lagoon, passing by the Piazza San Marco and the Rialto Bridge on the way to their hotel. Italy… Venice… Memories started to pierce his heart. Gabriel had never expected to return here again. But he said to himself that sometimes a man had to change the cards in the middle of the game. He swore to himself that he would do whatever it took, be as romantic a fool as any man could be, in order to lure Calleigh into marriage before her memory returned. It was the only way to make her pay for the wrong she had done to him. Gabriel loo
Those words hit her deep in her soul… Calleigh always thought her mother had died of a broken heart. She must’ve known that… The way her mother was behaving, her state of mind, her depression. Reading her father’s letter showed everything in a new light, so different from the one she imprinted in her brain for all those years. Endless minutes, hours, days of planning a revenge against someone that had nothing to do with her family’s tragedy. She’d been so wrong… ‘You never named your source. Who was it, Gabriel?’ ‘I can’t say. I gave my word I wouldn’t reveal that.’ Now Calleigh knew that the source was… Leona Medlock-Swanson, her own
Five months later, Calleigh was standing alone by her mother’s grave. It was only the first week of March, but already the first blush of early spring had could be seen. The weeping willows were green and gold beside the lake, splashing the season’s first color over the graveyard of the old gray church. In her white coat and green wellies, Calleigh felt hot and out of breath after crossing the hill from the Swanson estate. Not that it was terribly far, but at nine months pregnant, every move was a huge effort. Even bringing daisies, her mother’s favorite flower, to her grave. Calleigh glanced at the daffodils poking through the cold earth nearby. Just a few weeks ago, the ground had been covered with snow. How had time fled so fast? Why was her pain still very much present in her heart and didn’t go away
He saw the light of joy in her eyes, and was astonished to suddenly taste the salt of tears… His own. Gabriel held her tenderly, moving deeply and slowly inside her until he felt her tense. Until he felt her shake. Whatever happened, he couldn’t stop. Whatever happened, he prayed he could love her always. Closing his eyes, he thrust into her one last time. Gabriel felt her coil around him, heard her gasp.“I love you,” he cried. And as the force of his words slammed through his soul, Gabriel threw his head back and poured his seed into her with a shout of pure happiness. Collapsing back on the bed, he held her tightly. She was his love… his life. Gabriel kissed her temple, pressing his hand against her sweaty face. Praying that
A month later, Calleigh still couldn’t understand where things went wrong between them. She lived in an amazing Spanish villa on a private island. She was married to the most handsome man on earth and expecting his child. She was healthy, living in blissful luxury beneath the Mediterranean sun. Even so, for the last month, Gabriel hadn’t touched her. She’d been alone in her marriage… in her life. She’d never felt so miserable. Though they lived in the same house, they lived separate lives. Gabriel worked nights in the office, coming to bed only long after she was asleep, or worse, not coming to bed at all, just sleeping on the couch in his office. She spent her days preparing for the arrival of the baby. She’d done everything she
Gabriel carried her up from the beach as if she weighed nothing at all, walking back to the villa. He took the stairs two at a time as he whisked her upstairs to the master bedroom overlooking the ocean. Behind her husband’s handsome face, Calleigh barely noticed the high ceilings, the open balcony doors, and the white translucent curtains waving in the hot breeze off the Mediterranean Sea. She was shaking with longing, limp with desire. They never even made it to the bed. As they passed the balcony doors with its view of the wide blue sea, Gabriel kissed her. She twisted in his arms, wrapping her legs around his waist as the kiss intensified. Pushing her against the sliding glass door, he slipped off her yellow bikini as her trembling hands pulled off his swim tr
The sunlight was bright, almost blinding against the amazing white villa. Looking between the sky and sea, Calleigh thought she’d never seen so many shades of blue… Turquoise, cobalt, indigo. Was like living in a magical world. This island was a fairyland. As she stretched out on the lounge chair beside the infinity pool, the sky seemed to blend with the sea below. Putting down her pregnancy book, Calleigh watched the wild surf of the Mediterranean Sea crash onto the white sands below. She could stay there forever, just watching the hypnotic dance of the waves. They had only been here a few hours, but Calleigh had already happily changed into a new yellow floral bikini and pretty, translucent pink cover-up with a loose belt. She now had a closet full of comfortable, pretty clothes, brought here by her very own personal assistant. Courtesy of her wo
His assistant’s voice was too well-trained to register surprise. “Investigate Mrs. De León?” “Yes. Have Johnson find out how her real father died. See if there’s any reason it might be tied to me or to my company. Tell him to let me know as soon as he finds out something.” As Gabriel hung up the phone, his gaze lingered on Calleigh, so beautiful and natural in the pink top and short cotton skirt. Instead of stiletto heels, she was exploring this city, and her new life, in flat sandals absolutely made for walking. Her bright, happy face, once so pale, was starting to tan in the Spanish sun. He’d once thought to use her amnesia against her. He’d never imagined that her innocence and warmth would affect him so damn much. Gabriel f
His eyes were dark as they fixed on Calleigh. It was time… “This past summer, I almost lost my business,” Gabriel said in a low voice. “A very important document was stolen from my house which suggested I might be cheating my stockholders of a great deal of money. Of course, that was a huge lie, since I wasn’t. But it cast the company’s finances in a sordid light.” Calleigh stared up at him, shocked. “Oh, God… That’s terrible! Did you find out who did it?” He looked at her, his eyes glittering. “Yes, I did.” “I’m so relieved… I hope you put them in jail! For a long, long time.” Gabriel took a sip of black coffee. “I won’t because it’s not my style.” “Okay… Still, I don’t understand what does that have to do with me…
As Gabriel felt her body tighten, he knew he couldn’t last. Touching Calleigh was pure heaven. Her skin was even softer than he remembered. She tasted sweet, so incredibly sweet. The very first time he slid inside her, he nearly lost control. With every thick thrust, he watched her full breasts sway from the force of his possession, and he gasped out each breath. How long had he wanted her? How had he denied himself for so long? With each slow thrust inside her, Gabriel shattered a little more, until he was coming apart like a castle of cards in front of the sea breeze. His whole body shook with the agony of holding himself back when all he wanted to do was bury himself in her completely, to lose himself in the ecstasy of making love to his Calleigh.