When Christian returned, they had a delightful gourmet dinner he had specially arranged for her. Christian animatedly discussed the movie since it made him indirectly know her feelings regarding love. He couldn’t confess, but at least he could know how she felt about it. “You’re quite romantic at heart!” she pointed out with a laugh. “Obviously, I’ve been through it.” Skylar’s face fell at his admission. So, she was right. He loved someone from a very young age. “Oh! Then why didn’t you marry her?” Christian looked away, thinking of a proper answer to her question. He couldn’t tell her the real reason yet. “She doesn’t return my feelings. She doesn’t want to marry me.” Skylar thought about his predicament in silence, not knowing how to comfort him. She didn’t have any experience in this department. Strangely, her heart constricted with pain for him. At the same time, she felt jealous of the woman he was in love with!“Oh, that’s sad. Do you want me to talk to her? You shouldn’t ma
Skylar didn’t argue with him and it took him by surprise. She was too engrossed in the beauty all around her to give it much thought. She saw the name of the estate embossed on a huge board with awe.Saint James Frascati Winery. “Is there a wedding happening here?” she gasped as her gaze fell upon an arch constructed in the front yard of the resort building. There were guests gearing up to welcome the bride. She gazed at the officiant, the altar, the aisle, and the groom with wide eyes. Seeing them she could easily envisage her wedding with Christian here. “Yes, we’re fully booked right now although the inauguration was supposed to happen two days later.”“Oh, where will we stay?” she gasped, turning to glance at him.“There’s a cottage specially reserved for us wherever we visit. It’s for our personal use. Otherwise, there are only thirty guest rooms on the property right now. The response has been massive so far. We’ll surely expand in the near future.” “The wedding decor is imp
Skylar breathed in Christian’s addictive scent, lost in her dreams of the sinfully gorgeous man. Her dreams had never been so vivid as it was now! She wrapped her arm around his torso and sank into his chest, feeling his warmth envelope her. He was the only one who hadn’t let her down.He had come back for her when no one had, not her parents, nor her brother. Even her grandparents left home to live with Caleb, forcing her to spend her life in an unknown city. She didn’t like Cleveland, where she knew no one! She couldn’t live there separated from her close friends! Now, even if she was traveling to stranger cities, Christian was permanently near her. She wasn’t alone! He planted a soft kiss on her forehead, and she smiled in her sleep. The jet lag made her semi-conscious but she couldn’t open her eyes at all! “Thank you for not leaving me, Christian!” she murmured into his neck before falling into a deep slumber. Christian stilled, realizing that she knew of his presence beside he
Skylar changed for bed while Christian walked out of the room to attend an important phone call. She smiled thinking of the day they spent working together. She loved working with Christian! His words echoed in her head like a broken record. The confidence with which he claimed her as his hinted at a long-term relationship with him, like a happily ever after.It confused Skylar! Why would he want a happily ever after with her? Didn’t he love someone else? Yet he never mentioned another woman’s name. Surely if he would have loved someone so much, she would have heard of her! You couldn’t suppress true love! She changed for bed and lay down, thinking about her relationship with Christian. Could she go ahead with an actual marriage with him? What was stopping her, actually? Christian wasn’t so bad, after all! A smile lit up her lips, and she felt she could go ahead with it. Christian didn’t return to the bedroom even after an hour. Concerned, she went out in search of him. He was nowhe
After a sleepless night cramped up on a tiny bed the next morning, Skylar was in an irritable mood. She hated her life now as she had to go back to his room to use the washroom. If only she had gone to New York instead.Skylar stomped into his room, but found it vacant. Christian was nowhere around. Did he go to work early in the morning? Maybe yes, since the formal inauguration was supposed to be held today. Relieved, she freshened up and fixed herself a cup of coffee. The doorbell rang, and she rushed to open it. Who could it be? Had Christian returned from his morning jog? She remembered he had asked her to join him today. Opening the door, she gaped at the hotel staff carrying a large tray laden with a delightful breakfast. “Good morning, ma’am. Mr. St. James sent breakfast for you.” “Thank you so much.” The staff set the tray down on the table and walked away with a smile.Skylar looked at the tray and rolled her eyes. Who can eat so much? She grabbed her mobile phone and cal
Christian turned to see her stomping angrily towards him, yet didn’t budge from his position. It angered Skylar to see the amusement in his eyes. So, he found it funny, right? She would disrupt his cozy relationship with the clingy woman right away. She would show Rossi her exact position! “Oh, here you are, Christian! I had been looking for you,” she gushed, putting on a fake smile to hide her jealousy. Christian raised an eyebrow at her, his eyes twinkling with amusement. He knew what she was up to. Why would she look for him when he had clearly informed her where he would be? “Have you sent me the email, Skylar?” “Yes,” she said without glancing at the woman beside him. Skylar was acutely aware of the hateful glare she was giving her. “I’m going to the cottage to freshen up.”“Come back in five minutes. The press meet will start.” Skylar nodded and turned to rush to the cottage. “Does she live with you? How can you allow her to call you by your first name, Christian?” asked Ms.
“I loved Frascati, but I’m now excited to explore Rome. Won’t we see the Leaning Tower of Pisa?” she chirped while enjoying her Cornetto Crema e Cannella. She licked the delightful cream off her lips as she helped herself to another one. “Yes, we will. That’s why we’re stopping in Florence.” He watched the cream still sticking at the corner of her lower lip with longing. Why couldn’t she allow him to lick it off her lip in return for everything he did for her? Was it asking for too much? “Thanks for the date! I liked it,” she said, giving him a brief glance before concentrating back on her dessert. “I’m glad you did, but the date isn’t over yet.” Skylar glanced up at him with a confused look on her face. “Where else can we go now? Isn’t it getting late?” Christian didn’t answer her, but the smirk on his face was enough to alert her. So what was the guy planning to do now? He paid for the food and led her out of the restaurant. “Where do you wish to go now, sir?” asked his chauff
Skylar opened her bleary eyes but felt mowed down by Christian St. James. Her eyes widened with horror and all the sleep left her instantly. When did the guy return and why was he sleeping on top of her? Anger bubbled inside her after the stunt he pulled last night. How could he spend the night with Rossi and return to her for a cuddle? “Get off me, asshole!” She shoved him off herself with all her might. “Ow! Can’t you let a guy sleep in peace?” he grumbled, rolling back into her. Skylar grunted with anger and pushed at him again. “Sleep on your side. Why do you have to sleep all over me?” “Because I want to.” Skylar sprang up from the bed at seeing him roll over towards her again. Why was he so damn stubborn? Why couldn’t he take no for an answer? He wasn’t this way earlier? “Well! I don’t.” His fingers gripped her wrist as he pulled her back to the bed with him. “I don’t give a damn! You’re coming back to bed. We can afford an hour of rest.” Skylar scowled at him, feeling her
Five Years Later “Wow! You’re looking so gorgeous, Skye! You look fresh as a daisy, like a virgin bride, marrying for the first time,” said Sienna while the others agreed. The last five years had been a roller-coaster ride for all of them. Motherhood and career had taken a toll on them. None of them could make it on Skylar’s first wedding anniversary. Therefore, she had dropped the idea of a reunion and party. Now, after five years, they planned to renew their vows in the presence of all their loved ones. The wedding would take place in the neighborhood church while the reception at Escapades. Maddox supervised everything to perfection, and they didn’t have to check even. “I know, right? Look at me! My hair is shedding from handling Axel and Alexander! I don’t understand how you guys handle your twins and husband,” complained Eva while fixing Skylar’s veil. “Maybe because Lucas isn’t like your Alexander!” said Sienna with a chuckle. They all giggled knowingly while Eva groaned.“I
“I’m glad you cleared your misunderstandings, Skylar. Now you can connect with them to your heart’s content like before,” said Christian. He led her towards their room to freshen up for the reception party to start in an hour. “I was very upset by their behavior at first, but later everything fell into place. They don’t want a treat now with their pregnancies. Why don’t we renew our vows on our first anniversary? We can plan it like a dream wedding and invite everyone!” “Great idea! We’ll do that. Now give me a kiss before we go down.”Skylar complied, capturing his lips in a gentle and lingering kiss. It portrayed her blissfully happy state. She was indeed now at peace with everything around her. “I want to see you this happy always!” he whispered against her lips. “I’m happy. Your presence in my life makes me happy!” He kissed her passionately, and Skylar gaped at her smudged makeup when he released her. “Oh no! You ruined my makeup.” She grabbed a tissue and started wiping it
The response of their family overwhelmed Christian and Skylar. Even Erica was over the moon with happiness to know that Skylar was also pregnant. “I wish you too have twins like me.” “I wish the same too,” said Skylar unable to tell her she wanted both: a boy and a girl. “So I’ll have to plan two baby showers later,” said Lillian excitedly.“You can club it together. It’ll be easier,” suggested Erica. “Yes, we can plan it in your seventh month. It’ll be Skye's sixth.” They all agreed to the idea. They could plan the date and venue later at everyone’s convenience. Vivienne and Blade were the most excited at the prospect of having baby cousins. After spending three days with their family, they left for Miami Beach, where Hayley and Ashton had planned a beach wedding. Ashton had inherited a beach-facing mansion there from his former mentor and employer, Simon Baylor. In fact, Simon Baylor left the entire Baylor Group to Ashton after his death. They were happy for him since he deser
The next few weeks sailed by amidst fun, work, and lots of special heated moments between them. Christian planned a date every weekend and each of them was unique in their own way. Skylar was now quite comfortable around his group of reckless friends who frequented their home. Skylar didn’t mind, since her friends were the same. Christian’s therapy was going well. He had improved a lot in the past few weeks. The limp was almost gone and he could run unlike earlier. With the strength back in his legs, Christian was unstoppable. He trained with renewed energy now. At work, Skylar made excellent progress, making her mentor Mr. Fairbanks proud of her achievements. He was confident she could take over from him completely in three months. They kept in touch with their family back in Cleveland and New York. Erica was doing fine and had joined work. Expecting twin boys, they were excitedly on the lookout for names. Skylar’s grandparents were still staying with them in New York. Caleb and L
“When did you get all this done?” asked Skylar, noticing the mouth-watering fare served before them. With the romantic lighting and the soothing decor, the place looked more magical than ever before. “This time I sought Joanna’s help. I would have liked to do everything myself, but didn’t get time.” His eyes twinkled, catching the rays of the lights hanging around them. They lured her into their magical depths, promising her a night of passion soon to follow. “Still it blew my mind away! I must say Joanna did a wonderful job!” “Yes, she’s quite a pro at it!” There was an understated excitement in the air as they enjoyed a quiet moment with one another. “Yes, we can make use of her talent more!” Christian chuckled, feeding her a piece of the roasted chicken Katherine had made for them. “Even Katherine has done a wonderful job. So are we going to Escapades tomorrow?” Skylar didn’t want to go to the club. She was apprehensive about meeting the rest of his reckless friends. She prefe
Skylar gaped at him for a moment, absorbing the bombshell he had just dropped. Then a slow smile spread across her face as realization dawned on her. With almost all her friends pregnant, she felt left out whenever they discussed, unable to contribute to their pregnancy woes. Now she could! She just hoped she got pregnant! “Really? I want to get pregnant with your baby!” she gasped, making Christian’s jaws drop with surprise. He hadn’t expected her to be so eager to embrace motherhood since he wasn’t eager to embrace fatherhood so early. He wanted to enjoy his married life for at least two years before planning to have children. “I wanted children too, but not so early.” He sighed, since it was actually God’s will. They had no say in the matter. “If it has to happen early, it will. It’s destiny, Christian.” “Yes, you’re right. It’s no use pondering over it. Come closer baby!” He grinned at her, pulling her closer, right into his lap. The water calmed them, invigorated their minds,
With a savage sense of possession, Christian captured her lips, shoving his tongue into her mouth. The intensity of the kiss took her by surprise and she moaned with pleasure. He captured her feminine moans of bliss, swirling his tongue and devouring her hungrily. It was more of a kiss to vent out the pent-up hunger he had kept buried for so long. After getting a taste of her, he had been addicted to her sweetness, but Erica’s health prevented them from enjoying the trip. She kissed him back, making him groan as a shock of pleasure spiraled through his body. He wanted more now! His fingertips skimmed along her throat, trailing down to the buttons of her top. In a split second, he undid them and eased the top off her body. Next went the rest of her clothes. Skylar lifted her eyes to meet his glittering, lust-filled gaze. He gently cupped her breasts, feeling the voluptuous mounds that overflowed in his hands. Pressing his thumb over a taut peak, he sucked the other into his mouth. H
Christian was sitting in the reception room waiting for her when she walked into the house. “So, how did the wedding go? Did Alexander whisk Eva away with him?”“Yes, he did. There was war, but no bloodshed thankfully! I’ll get myself a drink. It was too much for a day!” She got a bottle of water and emptied its contents. Then she explained everything that happened to Christian. However, her relief was short-lived. Erica was again critical, and they re-admitted her in the middle of the night. “You can go back and rest, Skylar. I’m here,” said Christian, as they sat outside the Emergency Unit. “No, I can’t leave you alone here.” She knew his condition. It wasn’t very good either. He needed more rest than she did.For the next two days, they took turns at the hospital. Skylar didn’t get time to catch up with her friends anymore. They eagerly waited for Sebastian’s return. After five days, they brought Erica home. She was pregnant with twins and her condition was critical with both f
They reached Bellevue Hospital after an hour. Skylar immediately inquired after Eva, but it was strange she had taken a long leave for almost a fortnight. Was it because of her wedding to Alexander? “She is pregnant and her wedding is coming up!” the nurse informed her. Skylar was shocked to hear the news. She knew about her wedding, but not about her pregnancy. The last time she connected with Alyssa, she only found out about her upcoming wedding. Even Hayley cribbed about her own love life. So who was Eva marrying? How was it she didn’t know? Did Eva find her happiness at last with Alexander Van Every? “Let’s go to see Erica,” said Christian, leading her away from the neonatal department. They went to the emergency department and met Sebastian in the lobby. “I was waiting for you,” said a haggard-looking Sebastian. “How is she now?” asked Skylar. “She’s still on drips.” “How did her health deteriorate so much?” asked Christian worriedly. “She was exceptionally nauseous. It t