Her sisters were at the door, waiting for her patiently, when Chandra turned up a little later in the morning after Sam and Lilly had dropped her off. She was indeed glad she was now wearing her clean dress and underwear. If she were to come home in Sam’s work shirt and nothing else, her sisters would assume the worst had happened. Not that they’d be unhappy about it, though, considering how they’d happily left without her last night.“So?” Soriya asked, smiling cheekily as they headed toward the living area.Chan queried, “So what?”“How was your sleepover?”Dara looked heavenward.On that note, Chan turned to frown at her sisters. “You guys didn’t wake me. I am so embarrassed. Gosh, falling asleep in another person’s house like a kid.”Dara laughed. “Yeah, well, you and Lilly did look cute sleeping together.”Chan blushed. “Who else saw?”Soriya couldn’t wait to answer. “Sam, of course. Us. Then there’s Jeremy and Nina as well.”“Shit!” Chan muttered. “I can’t believe both Sam and J
By the time the Chandler sisters got home, it was nearly four in the afternoon, and Chan hadn’t checked her cell phone to see if anyone had texted or called her. When she did, she found four missed calls from Jeremy.“Wow!” Soriya said behind Chan. “He must really worry about you.”Chan didn’t know how to respond to that and started dialing back. A few seconds later, Jeremy picked up.“Chan? Thank God! I was beginning to wonder,” he said, chuckling away.“Sorry, Jeremy. I was visiting Grandma Su,” Chan said. “She’s a family friend and lives quite a way out of the city.”“Ah, I see,” Jeremy replied. “I wanted to know if you got home okay this morning after last night.”Chan blushed at the reminder. “Yes, I got home okay. Sam and Lilly dropped me off this morning.”“Yeah, I went to their house, but no one was home. I thought I’d pick you up and drop you off… But I guess I was a bit late, huh?”Chan giggled. “Yes, unfortunately. But thanks for being thoughtful.”“Hey, I was wondering if
Lilly raised her eyes to her father after she’d hung up the cell phone. Sam knew his daughter was more than a little upset about the fact that Jeremy had been invited by Chan for dinner while they hadn’t. Goddammit! He was as well, just a little. But, of course, he couldn’t do anything about that, could he? There was no point in dwelling on it. He was a logical man, and he knew Jeremy was simply making the boundary clear where he and Chan were standing.Sam sighed and wondered if he’d done something very stupid. Hadn’t he promised himself he wouldn’t take a woman his cousin was dating? It had been clear, however, that he’d liked Chan since the moment he’d first met her. What the heck could he do about that? One couldn’t really choose who one loved. It was just innate—a force of nature.“Daddy?” Lilly’s voice reached him, terminating his confused thoughts. “How come Chan only invited Uncle Jeremy for dinner? I thought we showed her we like her more with our kisses?”Sam gathered his da
By the time Chandra woke in the morning, her sisters had left for work. Alone in the apartment, she went about her routine. She had breakfast, showered, and then settled down to writing her book. By lunchtime, she had a couple chapters done, which pleased her immensely. It was after lunch and she was just starting her digital art for her cover, this one of a Garuda, when she remembered Lilly and the books.“Damn! I forgot,” she muttered. But then again, she reminded herself she couldn’t possibly go now since she didn’t have the car. Thus, she’d have to wait until her sisters returned from work. Luckily, she didn’t have to wait long because half an hour later she heard a loud argument from across the hallway and knew Dara and Soriya were home.She headed out the door and folded her arms across her chest as her sisters came her way.“You two are fighting again,” she stated.Soriya looked heavenward. “It’s Dara’s fault. I didn’t start the argument. She did. I don’t know what the heck is
Shocked and confused, Sam simply stood there as he watched the woman he loved run down the stairs and away from him. All he remembered was being very frustrated and restless at work. Thus, thinking being at home would ease his mind, he returned to find himself getting even more frustrated and restless sexually, thinking about Chan. The next thing he knew, he opened his eyes to find Nina sitting on the couch before him, smiling. Then she moved down and kissed him. When he’d heard the thud of books falling to the floor, he shoved Nina back to find Chan watching them.Shit! He raked his hand through his hair. He’d really mucked everything up big time. His intention yesterday was to clarify his feelings for Chan, and now what the hell just happened?Nina chose that moment to enter the scene, a smile on her lips.“Sam,” she said softly. “Is everything okay?”Sam turned around, his eyes dark. “What the hell was that about, Nina?”The dark tone in Sam’s voice didn’t put a doubt in Nina’s min
Chandra stared at the man appearing as if out of the blue before her. The man who managed to make her feel both this unbearable pain as well as this wonderful delight within her being. The man who made her see the brighter side of life, the one who gave her hope that she was much more than she perceived herself to be, that she deserved someone to love and being loved wholeheartedly and unconditionally in return. But that was all a lie, wasn’t it? It was all in her imagination. Now he was here to clarify that.She backed away and rushed to stand behind her desk, putting some space between them.“What are you doing here?” she asked, her voice shaking with emotion.Sam wouldn’t let her escape him. He followed and stood right in front of her with only the desk separating them. “I’m here to see you.”Chan glanced away because the intensity of his eyes made her nervous. “Why?”Sam moved around the desk, caught her arm, and pulled her against him. Chan struggled in his embrace and demanded t
When Sam pulled back, his eyes were even darker, and he had a luscious smile on his face. “I love you, Chan, and I’m going to show you just how much.”Chan felt her body quiver in both shock and delight. She licked her lips. “But—”He cut her short by kissing her again. His lips were firm and hot. When he managed to tease her mouth to open for him, he plunged in his tongue and wildly and passionately explored her.“Mmm…” Chan groaned. She was so weak and hot, but she felt wonderful.Still kissing her, Sam bent, picked her up, and carried her to the king-size bed. There, he laid her gently onto the softness of the mattress and kissed her even more passionately.Chan felt like her world were bursting with this wonderful sensation. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders, moaning and groaning, her body writhing beneath his.When Sam terminated the kiss, moved back, and stared down at her, he noted she was flushing. And damn, she was exquisitely beautiful.“I love you, Chan,” he said, c
The Billionaire’s PassionFinally, Chandra Chandler has a chance at love when Sam Harrington confesses his feelings for her. Now, Sam is asking her to move in with him, which Chan agrees, with the encouragement of her sisters.The changes in her environment, along with the warmth, care, and love Sam gives her bring Chan contentment and happiness, contrary to her prior fear. However, little does she know her dark past is about to return to haunt her, along with the people she fears most, threatening to destroy her new family.***It felt strange to be packing again, since it hadn’t been that long ago when Chan and her two sisters, Dara and Soriya, had moved into this luxurious apartment in the heart of the Gold Coast of Australia. To be sure, it seemed they had been relocating quite a bit during this past year, first the big change moving from New Zealand to Australia after the death of their beloved grandmother.For a while, they had lived in number six of Bay View Avenue, a four-bedr
A GOLDEN COIN FOR A NECKLACEA Random Thursday“This brings back memories,” Chan said as they strolled down the street, exploring the Thursday Night Market along Surfer Paradise.Holding Darany in his arms, Sam chuckled then said, “Mm-hmm. The first time I met you.”Chan nodded. Sam leaned toward her and then planted a light, gentle kiss on her lips, which made Chan blush.Chanlina, in Chan’s arms, said, “Daddy kissing Mommy.”Suddenly, Darany chanted excitedly, “Monkey! Monkey show!” He was pointing toward a thick crowd of people on the other side where a monkey was performing.“Isn’t that...” Chan left her sentence unfinished.Sam chuckled. “Yeah. Let’s go watch.”“Yay!” Darany put his little arms up in the air in excitement.Once they were amongst others in the crowd, watching the monkey doing cool Kung Fu moves, Darany tapped at his father’s shoulder. “Daddy. Rany wants down.”“All right, but don’t go running off,” Sam warned.The boy simply gave his father an adorable, toothy gri
Old Mr. Jones was entering a new phase in his life: rock bottom. He had just lost his job, his entire savings swiped from his bank account due to identity theft, and he was in over his head in debts. Today, like yesterday and the day before that, he considered ending it all. Then again, he always hit pause. He had his wife and granddaughter to think about, after all.Sometimes life just seemed to come at you, bringing bad luck after bad luck and disaster after disaster. Not only had his only child and her husband just died from a car accident, leaving their only eight-year-old girl with him and his wife, but the company he had worked for had laid him off, along with fifty others. A week later, his wife had a mild heart attack, freaking him out so much that he himself nearly had a heart attack. Then that same week, he found his bank savings had been drained, and he hadn’t a clue how since he hadn’t been withdrawing any money. A phone call to the bank confirmed that it was a case of ide
One Year LaterWhen Chan fluttered her eyes open, she smiled, and a sense of contentment and happiness coursed through her being. The morning sun was bright, filtering into the bedroom through the window. She lay there in bed for a moment, just enjoying the moment, basking in the peace and quiet as she gazed out the window, enjoying the view of the beach and ocean in the distance. When she finally moved and got out of bed, she went into the en suite and took a good, long shower. Done twenty minutes later and now dressed in a lovely floral sundress, she headed down the stairs.As she approached the living area, happy chatter reached her, and she knew literally everyone was in there. It was a Sunday, after all, and it was well past ten in the morning now.She came to a stop at the entrance of the room, her heart constricting with emotions. Yes, everyone was in here, all right. Fran was holding one of her little darlings, Chanlina, in her arms. The baby girl was cooing as Fran tickled th
By the time they arrived home, it was dark. Once Detective Liam put the car into park, Sam got out and then drew Chan to him. He picked her up in his arms and then carried her toward the house. Of course, everyone was already at the door waiting since Jeremy had phoned Dara to tell her they had found Chan and that she was safe and sound.The moment they spotted Chan, the sisters came rushing forward.“Chan, are you okay?” Soriya asked. She had clearly been crying hard. Her eyes were red and her cheeks were raw.Chan gave her sisters a weak smile. “I’m fine now.”Once they were in the living room, Sam placed her on the couch, and Fran immediately brought over a mug of hot chocolate for her. Chan gladly accepted it, her hands shaking. She began sipping eagerly as everyone gathered around the living room, Keith included, who was now talking to Liam and Jeremy.Though the crowd was keen to ask Chan questions about her ordeal, they knew she needed time to gather herself. Once she finished
Chan swallowed hard, her body tense, her gaze fixed on Dave in front of her. He, too, had his gaze fixed on her face, a dark smile on his lips.He said, “When I discovered your father was quite a wealthy man, despite his and your living conditions back then, he had his will drawn up with me as one of his witnesses, believe it or not.” He laughed. “He was that trusting. He was so gullible. In that will, he was going to give his daughters everything, and I knew I just couldn’t have that. I knew Lisa and Amie would agree, so I pitched a plan to them. Oh, they got freaked out at first, but then the hunger for money was just too overpowering for mother and daughter. In the end, they decided to do what I told them. I taught them how to lace Michael’s food with antifreeze. He got sick and must have caught on as to what was happening, but of course, we persisted. Needless to say, we failed the first few times. That bastard was hard to kill, I must admit. That, or Amie was lousy at concocting
Chan hadn’t a clue how long it had been since she had escaped Dave and Lisa’s clutches, but she knew it had been a while. The sun had moved farther to the west, so she knew it was late in the afternoon. By now, Sam would have notified the police and be on his way to get her, since she had turned on the tracking device a while back.Suddenly, she stopped, feeling exhausted. She had been on the run this whole time, now and again scanning behind and around her to ensure that she was not being followed.God, she had no idea where she was going, whether she was heading deeper into the bush or out toward the road. She hoped it was the latter because if she was heading deeper into the bush, it’d be harder and longer for Sam to find her, and she didn’t want that, not when the sun was going to set soon.She was thirsty, and her body was sweating profusely, but she dared not stop because she knew the moment she did, she’d shorten the distance between her and Dave, and when he found her, it’d be
Sam hadn’t a clue why but ever since that morning, he had been having this sickening feeling in the pit of his stomach, as if his instinct was telling him something bad was about to happen. Hence, he hadn’t been able to concentrate on his work, and he had kept phoning Chan every two hours or so to make sure she was fine. The last time he had contacted her, she had said she was going to pick Lilly up as Mrs. Campbell had to dash to the hospital to take care of her husband.Everything was going to be fine, he told himself. Then again, why the heck wasn’t this bad feeling going away?“You okay, Sam?” Jeremy, who was sitting across from him, asked.Sam nodded. “Yeah,” he said distractedly.Jeremy shook his head. “You’re not fine. You look like you have something on your mind. Chan? The court cases?”Sam was about to tell Jeremy to stop prodding when his cell phone rang. It was his mom.He quickly picked up.“Sam.” Fran’s panicky voice came from the other side of the line, and Sam was imme
Chan knew exactly what type of talking they intended to do. They’d threaten her, like they always do, and she suspected that it had something to do with her father and the will. They must have been informed about Chan and her sisters contesting the will for the second time, now with new evidence and another set of new wills, and of course, them being suspects of the attempted murder of her father.Chan shut her eyes for a moment, doing her best to stay calm. Her mind, however, continued to race, working on how best to deal with this situation.Within five minutes, Lilly would finish school. When no one came to pick her up, one of the teachers would notice and they’d phone home. Fran or Marian would then contact Sam, and he’d suspect something had happened to her. When either Marian or Fran came to get Lilly, they’d likely spot her car parked three blocks down from the school, and of course, Danny in it.Oh, God, she hoped the little pup was all right. It was hot, and she hoped he woul
It had been a week since Chan and her sisters had the meeting with Keith and Liam, and since that day, the two men had advised her and her sister to be vigilant, in case Amie, Lisa, and Dave tried to make contact. Chan knew just what sort of contact the two men were referring to. She had doubt Amie would be able to track her and her sisters down since they had moved, but it was a good idea to be cautious nonetheless. Hence, she had avoided going out alone unless it was necessary and spent most of her time in the house, working on her next book, like she was doing now.“Chan?” Mrs. Campbell’s voice drew her attention away from her work. “Chan?”Chan got up from her seat and then opened the door of her office. She was coming down the stairs when she spotted Mrs. Campbell along the corridor. She noted the woman looked a little flustered.“What is it, Charlotte?” she asked, concerned.“Do you mind picking Lilly up from school this afternoon?” the woman asked. “Ian just called. He’s at the