Her parents had called it teenage school love. They had told Trent to focus on his future. All those years he shouldn't have listened. When he realized that Gwen was missing, he wanted his parents to help him find her. They give youthey said maybe she didn't want to be found. "You know she's from a single parent family.We found out that your mother had debts with loan sharks. If you keep looking for her and raising dust, it could bring her and her mother more harm than good. When Gwen sorts everything out, she can come back."Her father had been very persuasive. And Trent had been easily distracted and deceived. He had believed everything they wanted him to believe, and he was paying for it—perhaps for the rest of his life.He didn't want to lose her again, and he certainly didn't want to lose his newfound son. It hurt so much when Trent thought about wasted time and missed opportunities. Now life had given him another chance. He would do whatever was necessary to have his world com
Somehow, work had always given Trent the focus he needed. When he'd lost Sara, when his marriage had started to fall apart, he'd always relied on business and the high demands of being CEO to numb his emptiness. That time, it wasn't working.There wasn't a moment when he didn't miss having Gwen in his arms, wanting to hold her close and bury himself so deep inside her luscious heat that he'd never find his way out again. He missed Jonah, his solid, warm, bright character.How, even as a child, he seemed strong enough to face his demons and destroy them withyour goodness. God, Trent missed them so much. I was going crazy.The meeting with the board of directors seemed to last forever. Finally, just before dusk they were finished, and Trent could finally leave the building. He checked his cell phone for messages or calls he might have missed. No Gwen. It had been three weeks since she had walked into his office. Trent put the phone back in his pocket and stood outside the entrance to h
Gwen thought she would have dinner with a new donor. Her secretary, Amy, tipped her off and she arrived at the restaurant expecting someone else, not the woman who had been sitting there waiting.The last time he'd seen Julia Matthews, the woman had been trying to run over Gwen's mother. Now, she gritted her teeth and prepared to leave the restaurant again.Julia held up her hand. "Wait. Don't leave yet. At least listen to what I have to say."Gwen slowly turned to face her. "I actually thought I would be meeting someone from the foundation.""Well, I own the foundation, does that count?" Julia asked, with a small smile. She gestured to a chair. "Please have a seat. We need to talk."Gwen let out a short sigh and slowly sank into the offered seat. "What are you planning?Offer more money or more threats? Because I know it might look like I broke our agreement...""That's not why I set out to find her," Julia said. She was a beautiful woman, stunning and slender, with a serene face tha
Love, laughter, pleasure, tears and happiness—they would share it all for many, many years to come. And Gwen would always remember that morningsunny with their raucous outdoor lovemaking, marked as the moment when their twin daughters should have been conceived. Two years later, they would have another set of twins, boys this time, and Gwen and Trent decided that maybe they could be satisfied with their brood of five. But when they least expected it, Gwen became pregnant again, and it was a girl, which made the older twin sisters very happy.Gwen chose to name her Sara. Trent knew it wasn't like she was trying to replace the first daughter in Trent's heart, but that she was trying to show him that Sara was back to stay. Trent didn't used to believe in reincarnation, but somehow he felt it might be true. Sometimes, when his youngest daughter smiled at him, it seemedher little angel who had come home. For that, and for every miracle he had experienced in his life since he had Gwen bac
GWENCountry star JC HUGHES caught between a model and an engagement. How is he going to explain this to girlfriend Gwen Wix and her fans?“This is the second time this son of a. . .”I hiss under my breath as I look at the headline and the compromising image it conveys. In vivid color on the front page of the gossip magazine prominently displayed in the supermarket checkout line. For the second time in two months, it's an image of my "boyfriend" locked in an embraceunmistakably in love with another woman, only this time she's wearing a giant black stripeThe edges of the paper crumple in my sweaty grip, and I fight the urge to rip it to shreds, along with every copy on the shelf in front of me.He's going to destroy my career before I even get a chance to become a celebrity. One year, they said. One year of this "relationship" prank and I'd gain my freedom, and I'd be all set in the country music world. Judge me all you like for agreeing, but when you have no other way out, put som
GWEN“I'll put your ass on a bus back to Podunk if you don't toe the line, Wix. Could you sing where you worked? They won't even let you back onstage when I'm done ripping you to shreds,” Morty, the executive handjob, yells at me from the Homegrown Records conference room.It's been two months since the night I met Tana, and JC has managed to land in the paper three more times. I can't let this happen any longer. I've officially become the laughing stock of Nashville, and I can't stand the passive stares of the guys on my tour anymore.When the bus pulled into town this morning, I headed straight for Tana's house first. We've kept in touch and each time I've been back in town on a break, she's made time for us to be together. It's the first real friendship I've had since Mary Jane Devo, who married her Navy boyfriend and moved to Hawaii almost two years ago.I'm not the type of girl to make friends easily, mostly because I work as much as I can, and I never had extra money to go shopp
CREIGHTONChristmas Eve, New York CityBoredIt's not a safe state of affairs for a man like me. A lot of shit happens when I'm bored. I have a tendency to get involved in hostile takeovers when I need something to get my adrenaline going. Or I'm going to go out and pick up three women and introduce them to each other in the dirtiest way possible.Judge me all you like; I don't give a shit what you think about me. Because I own half of this town, and the other half isn't worth having.You can check the crotch of my pants, my Gucci suit for yourself.Not even a hint of a bulge there, even when I think of a foursome. Threesomes are great, but it's a sad situation when even a foursome can't get my dick interested.Because I'm fucking bored.I get up from my chair and go to my tower window. Do you see down there? Fifth Avenue? It's my city. We're just south of the park, which means the party lights are everywhere.I hate Christmas. Just another holiday that reminds me of things I'd rather
CREIGHTONFuck me.That's what her bright red lips are saying, and I don't think she has a damn clue how edible she is sitting on the bench. She shifts, and the glow around her neck reflects the purple light of the club.She caught my eye when she walked in the door because she looked so completely out of place.But I haven't been able to take my eyes off her because. . . Cum. I have no idea. I've had my fair share of beautiful women, but this is a completely different woman. Not the kind of trained woman who swarms this place, hunting and looking for her next meal ticket.No. _ One look at her, and I know she's untrained and innocent. She's not a gold digger type of woman.The way she immediately played along and never backed down from my touch. Hell, she leaned into me, wanting more. She's rare, and I'm the type of man who appreciates quality more than most when it comes to choosing a woman.And then there's the fact that she's sitting at the bar on Christmas Eve with no ring on her
“How long now, Mom? How much time?" At Roman's insistent question, she huffed as she fought the pain to answer.“What your mother is trying to say is that she doesn't know, but she hopes it's soon,” Alexander told the boy, who was looking at Gwen gasping in pain in the hospital bed.“Little boy, you really shouldn't be here,” the nurse scolded and Roman pouted.“But I want to see my new little brother.”“Soon, young man, your mother is almost done,” the nurse said, smiling.“When, Mom?” he asked once more.Gwen suddenly gasped, startling Roman, who started to cry. Picking him up, Alyssa bent them over the hospital bed and gave her sister a kiss.“Wish Mom luck, Roman. We'll be in the children's room waiting,” he told them before quickly pulling the child out of the room.After they left, Alexander sat next to Gwen and patted her head. When another contraction came, she squeezed his arm, making him shiver.After she left, Alexander sat next to Gwen and stroked her head. When another co
Gwen woke to the sound of children's laughter. Opening her eyes, she saw Roman looking at her with a goofy smile on his face.“Dad and Aunt Melia are making breakfast,” he announced as she blinked sleepily.Tucking the blanket around herself, she sat up and Roman climbed into bed with her."And even? Are you sure they didn't have someone else do it for us?Shaking her head, “No, Mom. They are the only ones in the kitchen. Aunt Lyssa said to take you to see it. She said they are fighting like children.” And with that, Roman chuckled before jumping off the bed and runningby the door. Stopping, he turned and looked at her, "Are you coming?"Laughing, "Yeah baby I'm on my way."“You know, when my baby brother comes, you won't be able to call me baby anymore, ever,” he scolded.Looking at him, "How do you know it's not a little sister?"Straight to his feet, he threw back his shoulders, “I just know. Now, hurry up!” And with that, he ran downstairs screaming, "I told her to hurry!"Smilin
Gwen looked at herself in the full-length mirror, lost in thought. That was it. That was really it. He hugged himself lightly.“Hurry up, Mom. We're going to be late,” Roman scolded her, who turned to look at him dressed in his little suit.“Oh, my God, you look so beautiful,” she whispered to him as she blinked with tears in her eyes, which threatened to fall. He smiled at his sister, who was standing in the doorway behind him in a black cocktail dress.“You look beautiful, sister. I just wish Grandma were here to see her in her wedding dress. It's perfect on you.”Turning to look at herself in the mirror, Gwen smiled at her soon-to-be sister-in-law, who adjusted her veil and wreath.“Your sister is right. You're every inch perfect,” Amelia said as she fiddled with her veil.“I'm glad grandma was bigger than me. There was enough fabric to update the dress and still have some room for my growing baby.”“Mommy…” Roman called impatiently and everyone laughed.“I'm coming, honey. This is
“This has been weeks, Gwen! I can't believe you kept it a secret from me for so long. I am your sister!" Alyssa started complaining as soon as she found out that Alexander was hiding in her family's cabin, and didn't stop until they started the three hour drive.“Look, I know you're upset,” Gwen began."Upset?" sister interrupted. “What if something happened to you?”voice started to get shrill, waking Roman, who was in the backseat.“Shhh… I get it. You're mad, but Ihad a good reason.”“Oh? Please tell me, what was it?”"Agent Franklin and the FBI said not to tell anyone."“Oh.”Surprised at how quickly her sister stopped talking, Gwen started to laugh, which made her irritable again. As Alyssa began another speech, a soft groan was heard from the backseat.“Aunt Lys, stop fighting with Mom. She doesn't feel well.”Gwen froze, looking at her distracted son in the rearview mirror.“I told you, Roman, Mom is fine.”“No, you are not.” She noticed that
“Anton was my twin brother.” Gwen froze where she was and turned to look at him."It was?""He is dead. Please…” Alexander held out his hand to her. “Come and have a seat. looks like we have more to talk about than I thought.”Sitting back down, Gwen picked up her forgotten glass and took a long drink, then another, and closed her eyes as her mouth and throat burned.Taking the glass from her, Alexander drank the rest of the contents and set it down. He opened his mouth to speak, but closed it again and took another deep breath.Taking her hand, Gwen squeezed it. "It cannotbe so bad. Start at the beginning.” He squeezed her hand back and smiled at her.“To start from the beginning, we need to go back to our childhood. My brother was never a good kid. From a very young age, he was always in trouble. The children around her were always hurt. Pets disappeared. My parents never said anything, but I think they knew. Then one day our sister, Amelia, fell into the lake. It was winter and sh
Gwen left work a little early for her mysterious date. Even though she was pretty sure she would see Alexander, after everything that had happened in the last week, she couldn't be one hundred percent sure. When the cab dropped her off in front of The New Yorker, she smiled, certain it was Alexander. Entering the Art Deco hotel, he immediately remembered his days without Miami and took the elevator to the second floor. Outside the room, she hesitated, not knowing what to expect. Would he be angry to learn that he had given his password to the FBI? Whatever happened, she knew she needed to find out the truth. Taking a deep breath, he inserted the card into the lock. electronics and waited for the green light. Pushing the handle down, he opened the door and stepped inside. Looking around, she was surprised not to see him. Was it him outside? A noise that seemed to come from a porch caught her attention and she looked up, meeting Alexander's startled gaze. Putting his cell phone away,
As he walked to his apartment, he thought about what he would tell his sister. Alayssa was famous for finding out when something was wrong and was ruthless when it came to getting answers. Both traits would make her a good lawyer in the future - but at the moment Gwen wasn't ready for her curiosity.“Let's see how it goes,” she told herself in a low voice as she fumbled with the keys before entering the apartment.Her first thoughts were of her son, Roman, and Gwen hoped he was snuggled firmly into her bed. I wanted to sneak in and gostraight to the bedroom, without interruption; her nerves had been on edge ever since she'd seen the armed police scrutinizing the place. She wished this image were erased from her mind and lied to herself that a good night's sleep could do such a feat.He took a deep breath as he closed the door. He turned silently, locked the door, felt movement behind him. A lone tear trickled from her eye and touched her cheek. Gwen stood there until the floodgates o
Gwen watched in horror as Alexander was handcuffed and quickly escorted from the room. Feeling paralyzed, she watched helplessly as men moved through the rooms, shouting “clean” in each one.“Was it just the two of you here tonight?” an officer asked. She had a lost look for a while before she was able to answer.“Yes,” he said in a low voice. He felt that his heart wanted to beat out of his chest. Gwen had no idea what Alexander had done to necessitate the use of so many police. She felt her face flush, sitting and not believing what was happening."Madam?" the policeman asked as he trieddesperately to bring Gwen back to reality. "Can you hear me?"Waving his hand in front of her, he tried to get her attention. She heard him mumbling vaguely, but she couldn't make out what he said. She shook her head from side to side and focused on the tall, elderly man who had invaded her night.“Yes, forgive me, what?” he asked when he realized it wasn't a sick, crooked joke.“My name is Officer
Saturday dragged on at a snail's pace, and Gwen felt a nervous energy rise within her. She didn't know why this meeting seemed so important to her; perhaps because it had been planned rather than spontaneous. After a shower, she dressed carefully for dinner, slipping into the black lace dress that hugged her curves. She adjusted the sleeves that fell over her shoulders so that the top of the dress hugged the bodice, slipped on her Louboutins and admired herself in front of the mirror. Once again, she decided to wear her hair down and arranged it seductively around her shoulders and back. Checked her makeup, satisfied with the new eyeliner, which enhanced your eyes. She added some blush to give her skin some color, finished with new lipstick and her favorite perfume. Both gifts from the sister. "Are you sure you're not madly in love with this guy?" Alyssa asked while whistling in appreciation. “I'm not madly in love with this guy,” Gwen replied firmly. Inside, she felt like a school