Skylar Carnell rushed down the staircase towards her older brother Caleb’s room. With her beautiful face contorted in a fit of rage, everyone knew better than to mess with her. She was a wonderful blend of beauty and brains at eighteen, but her short temper made her unapproachable at times. Her grandparents, Philip and Miriam Carnell, therefore tried their best to maintain peace in the family. Although Caleb, being ten years older, exercised his big brotherly rights too seriously over her, Skylar listened to no one in particular. She was a rebel, and she preferred to remain so all her life.
She stormed into his room to see him packing up his last belonging into a cardboard box. “What’s up with you Caleb? Why are you forcing me to marry Lillian’s brother? I’m not interested in the St. James family!” Her eyes flashed with indignation as she waited to fight the world for her rights.
“What’s wrong with Lillian’s brother? I won’t be here after the wedding, Skye. I’m leaving for Cleveland, OH forever. With granny and grandpa unwell, who will look after you? Mom and dad wanted us to marry into the St. James family. It was their last wish. You can’t be so selfish to deny them their dying wish?”
“Why does this always happen to me? None of my friends are going for an arranged marriage. They all are marrying the man they love. I’m the unluckiest girl alive.” She wallowed in self pity since her defense was crumbling. She could fight the world, but when it came to her parents, she had no say in the matter.
“Their situation differs from ours, Skye. I’m marrying Lillian because that was our parents’ last wish. Be prepared to meet Sebastian at the wedding tomorrow.”
“I have a better proposition. Since I have to marry him anyway, it’s better not to meet him at all. I won’t attend your wedding.” She stomped out of his room, making him sigh at her immaturity. The St. James family had been close to his parents, Brian and Sandra Carnell. Almost twelve years ago they died in a car accident on their way back from a road trip to Atlanta. Lillian’s parents, Nathaniel and Catherine St. James, were also with them on that fateful day. Ever since, the two families avoided one another, trying to cope up with their loss. Only after Lillian's grandfather, Benjamin St. James, called to remind them of their parents' last wish did they start preparations for the wedding.
It would be a simple church affair, followed by a family lunch at one of the St. James family hotels.Caleb would depart New York after the wedding to begin his new job as Chief Cardiologist at Cleveland Medical Center in Ohio. Everything was going as planned, but it appeared he would have to delay his trip until he could persuade his sister to marry his childhood friend, Sebastian. There was a time when he used to go to the St. James house to play with Lillian’s younger brother, Sebastian, but that was twelve years ago.
Skylar didn’t want to stay a minute longer in the house. She wouldn’t meet Sebastian St. James! Packing up some essentials, she stormed out of the house before anyone could realize her intentions.
She drove all the way to her close friend, Alyssa Van Every’s apartment. The door opened and she walked in and slumped to the sofa, all the fight leaving her body.
“What happened to you? You look so dead!” chuckled Eva Ann Raynor, another close friend of hers who came over to plan their prom night at school.
“Don’t ask. Caleb is honoring my parents’ last wish and marrying Lillian St. James. He now wants me to do the same and marry her brother, Sebastian. Why do parents do this to you if they love you so much?”
“Is Sebastian hot?” Alyssa asked with an enthusiastic chuckle that made her groan.
“I’ve never seen the man. He’s Caleb’s childhood friend, so he has to be around his age, maybe a year younger. I can’t marry a guy nine years older than me!”
“Talk to your grandparents. I’m sure granny Miriam will understand you,” comforted Eva.
“No, she wants me to marry Sebastian. No one understands me.” Skylar wallowed in self-pity the rest of the time, but when their other friends joined them to plan for their prom night, she forgot her predicament.
“Who’s your date, Skye?” asked Sienna Hensley, another friend of hers who was pursuing her nursing degree, just like Eva was.
“I don’t need one.”
“Her life’s a sob story now, don’t you know?” said Hayley Barclay, the one Skylar was closest to. They had enrolled into the same college to study the same undergraduate course in Hospitality Management.
“Why? What happened?” asked a clueless Sienna. While Hayley updated her, Skylar’s phone buzzed with an incoming call from her big brother. She groaned, having no wish to accept his call, but knowing him she had no choice. She didn’t want him to land up here. Grudgingly, she accepted his call.
“What do you want now, Caleb? Kill me already!”
“Stop overreacting, Skye! Be there at the church at 11 tomorrow without fail. Don’t disappoint me.” She scoffed at his tone, still holding her ground.
“I don’t mind attending your wedding, Caleb, but I won’t marry Sebastian. He’s so much older than me. I don’t want a guardian instead of a life partner.”
“Meet him and then decide.”
“There’s nothing to decide. I won’t marry Sebastian nor meet him.”
“If you don’t meet him tomorrow at the wedding, I’ll send him over to your prom night as your date, Skye. You have to meet him and fix up your wedding date with him. I’ll stay back here in NYC until then.” Skylar groaned with dread after her brother disconnected the call. She knew there was no way out for her now. Maybe Caleb would be so busy with his wedding tomorrow, he would forget his threat. She had no wish to meet Sebastian at the wedding tomorrow. In the presence of her grandparents, she wouldn’t be able to talk to Sebastian and discourage him from marrying her.
“What are you gonna do now, Skye?” asked a worried Hayley.
“I’ll hide in Sienna’s house. I don’t think Caleb will remember anything tomorrow.” They ate pizza and enjoyed themselves till late in the night. Skylar left with Sienna and stayed the night with her in her house.
“What will you wear to the prom night, Skye? Have you brought a dress? Mine won’t fit you,” said Sienna.
“Alyssa gave me three dresses. Let’s see which one fits me the best.”
The next morning, she woke up late and switched on her phone to see four missed calls from Caleb. It was already 10 o’clock in the morning and she quickly switched her phone off again. After a lazing around all day wondering what her brother was up to, they started getting ready for their prom night. Skylar wore a red body con dress that fitted her the best and added a dash of red lip gloss on an impulse. Leaving her long blonde hair loose, she drove herself and Sienna to their school auditorium where the party was to be held.
They entered the venue and looked around for their friends. The huge school auditorium had been turned into a ballroom with mauve and white tulle drapes, accentuated by a mirrored disco ball light in the center. There were white strings of lights strung across the ceiling diffused behind the drapes. Pearl ivory and lavender balloons were used at the entrance to create an archway, giving an entirely different look to the place.
“I’m so excited. Where’s your date?” asked Alyssa, rushing over to greet them.
“Mine is busy at the buffet table and Skye doesn’t have one,” said Sienna, her eyes going towards the entrance door. She gasped and nudged Skylar. “Who’s that?”
Skylar’s jaws dropped at seeing the most gorgeous man in the entire universe walk in wearing a dark blue business suit, stealing all the attention. Who the f*ck was he?
He came to a stop before a wide-eyed Skylar, making her head swoon.
“Hello, Skylar! I’m sorry for being late. I was held up in a meeting!” he said in his husky tone that sent goose bumps all along Skylar’s arms.
“And you are?” she asked, totally dumbfounded by the stranger. How did the man know her name? Was this Caleb’s friend, Sebastian St. James? Did her brother sent him to fix their wedding date? But how could that be? Sebastian was almost a decade older than her, whereas the guy looked only a few years older.
“Christian St. James,” he said with a charming but fake smile, extending his hand for a shake. Skylar’s jaws dropped, realizing who the guy was! Lillian’s youngest brother, the notorious Christian St. James, who had been exiled to a boarding school at seven because of his evil ways. He was bad news, actually! But why was he here instead of his brother?
Skylar looked around at the jaw-dropped looks on everyone's faces. She grabbed Christian’s hand to steer him towards a secluded area of the auditorium. However, sparks of electricity shot through her arm, coursing down her body at the touch. She immediately released him as if scalded. What was that? “Why are you here? Caleb wanted to send Sebastian here without my consent. I’m not interested in either of you. Don’t you get it?” She glared at him while he watched her with a frown marring his handsome features. “That’s a pity. You’re stuck with me.” Skylar watched the man closely as he spoke. His shock of dark hair, his stunning blue eyes, and lips that would make an angel sin all made him was irresistible, but she knew otherwise. He was the most detestable and selfish man on earth! His notorious ways were the topic at every gathering their parents attended when they were alive. He never came home on holidays on purpose, so what changed now?“I’m not stuck with you and never will be.
Skylar drove towards Eva’s apartment. She remembered Eva had opted out of prom and she could easily spend the night at her place. After a few minutes, she rang the doorbell and Eva opened the door excitedly, as if she was expecting someone else. “Who were you expecting? Alexander?” she teased her friend.“He was here a few minutes ago. I thought he came back for the pizza he ordered for me. You can have some if you want.” Skylar’s mouth watered at the mention of pizza. She realized how hungry she was. “Wow! Just what I needed. Why don’t you join me?” The two friends sat down to munch the food while discussing the fateful prom night. “Why didn’t you attend it? Did your date ditch you?” asked Skylar, but Eva shook her head. “Alexander hurt me. I lost the wish to go out.” “Oh, don’t take him so seriously. He’s just jealous of your date,” said Skylar with a chuckle. “He has no reason to be!” With the Van Every family living nearby, she spent most of her days in their house before
Skylar yanked his car door open and climbed in gingerly when all her protests fell on deaf ears. It seemed Christian was more headstrong than her! He drove towards his house while Skylar sulked, glaring out of the window to avoid him. “Why didn’t you attend the wedding?” “I’m not answerable to you.” “I’m just curious. I’m not demanding an answer from you.” “Whatever! Why are you forcing me to go with you?” She turned to give him a death glare. A strange wish to revolt against him started growing inside her. “I have my reasons.” Skylar seethed at his arrogance, wanting to punch the smirk off his chiseled face and give him a permanent black eye. “What reason can you have? Don’t tell me you’re dying to spend time with me!” Christian laughed instead of taking offense. “Yes, what if I am? I might have plans to tempt you to marry me.” A gasp of horror escaped her lips, and she looked out of the window. Her mind stopped functioning at his candid admission. Did he really mean that? How
After the brief interaction with Christian, she avoided him completely, giving all her concentration to her food. With Caleb and Lillian busy discussing their career plans with everyone, Skylar was happy to stay in the background. The faster she could finish her food, she could escape Grandpa Benjamin’s questioning. However, since her luck never left her side, Grandpa Benjamin somehow steered the topic to their parents’ last wish. “I’m so happy that Lillian and Caleb have fulfilled the last wish of their parents. So now with Sebastian out of the scene, it’s now Christian and Skylar’s turn,” said Grandpa Benjamin, holding Christian’s gaze. Skylar choked on her food for the second time but composed herself somehow. She wanted to protest, but not a word came out of her lips. “What have you planned, Christian? When are you two getting engaged?” Christian looked ill at ease and glanced at Caleb for help. “Grandpa Ben, I want the wedding after Skye completes her education. She is just ei
Skylar gaped at the hot, yet disgusting, man with surprise. He really didn’t mean that, right? “I would rather die than sleep with you!” She tried hard to push him away, but he didn’t budge even an inch. Strangely, his nearness caused butterflies to dance in her stomach. She trained her eyes to focus on his face, but it was a mammoth task. With his sinful muscles on display, pressing against her delicate frame, she felt fiery hot indeed. “Don’t say things you can’t do! We will marry soon and we will definitely sleep together!” His eyes shone with determination, making her seethe with fury. “I don’t have to listen to your crap. Just get off me.” “No, I don’t want you running out of my room now. Grandpa is in his study. Stay until he retires to his room.” Skylar gaped at the man. What would he do with her until then? She wouldn’t survive so long with his unwavering dark gaze checking her out all the time. “Nice try, but you won’t get what you’re aiming for. Get off me right now!” s
Skylar paced the floor in her room unable to get Christian’s words out of her head. She couldn’t understand half the words he spoke. Although she accepted his challenge on the spur of the moment, she didn’t know what it meant. What would he do? His words always made her furious. Why did she lose her composure around him? Why couldn’t she stay immune to the man, like he didn’t exist? Her temper, and her tantrums worked with everyone except Christian St. James. What did he mean by his parting shot? She wouldn’t get engaged to him now! The wish to revolt was so strong that Skylar contemplated ways to escape the persistent man. However, each time, thoughts of Granny’s condition made her change her mind. A knock on her door brought her back to reality. She opened the door to her grandpa. “The ambulance is here, Skye. Let’s go.” Skylar followed her grandpa out to her granny’s room. Christian was already there with the paramedic, helping him out. Skylar and her grandpa picked up their s
Skylar couldn’t choose a dress to wear to her first date. It wasn’t the type of date she would have preferred with a man she liked. It was the complete opposite! She didn’t know what to expect out of it. Should she wear a formal dress or go for a casual look? Finally, she settled for a semi-formal look, choosing a black sheath dress instead. In another fifteen minutes, she was ready and waiting impatiently for Christian. Had he forgotten about it? There were still five minutes left, and she went to see her granny. Her grandpa had gone out to his fitness club after days and hadn’t returned yet. “Ah, Skye! You look lovely, my dear! Dresses suit you better than those ugly jeans you always wear,” said Granny. Skylar rolled her eyes since she wasn’t the one who preferred dresses. She hardly had any. Her wardrobe was full of jeans in all shades and lengths. The only dresses she had were those that her friends or family have gifted.“Thank you, granny. I prefer jeans, though.” “I know you
“How do I not know about this? How could you discuss me with Caleb?” Skylar asked, feeling upset with her brother. She couldn't believe Caleb had kept secrets from her.“No one knows except me and Sebastian. Lillian told us.” Christian knew she was getting worked up, but he had promised to open up if she agreed to go on a date with him. He had intended to tell her more, but maybe she wasn’t ready for his confession yet. It might complicate things between them. The server arrived for their order and the discussion ended for a while. After he left, Skylar looked up at Christian, her eyes full of curiosity.“So what else did you discuss about me?” Christian smiled at her enthusiasm. Could he tell her exactly what they discussed? Maybe he could, if not all of it. He could tell her some of it. “We discussed our wedding.” He watched her jaw-dropped look with amusement. “Who’s wedding?” “Yours and mine!” Skylar couldn’t believe the bombshells he had been throwing at her since they arrived
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