Kiss From a Rose

by Bella Fontaine

  She was completely right.

  “And you are mine too.”

  “Good, now that we understand each other, I urge you to tell Anya how you feel.”

  “I don’t know what to say.” I remembered how she’d looked back at Halle’s house, and how she’d pulled away from me when I went to touch her.

  “Go with simple.”

  “I love you, Anya,” I breathed.

  Halle placed her hand to her ear and made a show of pushing her ear out to hear better. “Just a little louder.”

  “I love you, Anya,” I said, probably louder than I should have.

  Halle laughed. “She heard you this time, and possibly so did the woman next door.”

  “What?” She said she.

  Halle pointed to the door, where Anya stood open-mouthed, looking me over in shock.

  My nerves tingled at the sight of her, but my heart soared.

  It could have been forever that we stood there just looking at each other. It felt like forever. Halle cleared her throat, breaking the stare, and I looked back to her.

  “Good night, guys. I need my rest.” She smiled.

  “Good night.” I leaned forward and gave her a kiss on her forehead. Then I moved to Anya and took her hand.

  The beginning of a smile tipped the corners of her beautiful mouth, and I could have rejoiced when she gave my hand a gentle squeeze and followed me as I led her away.

  Nothing needed to be said.

  In this terrible day that raged with the unveiling of ugly lies, she was the light at the end of my tunnel.

  Chapter 21

  Anya

  I never thought this day would end like this.

  I’d expected the worst to happen. I didn’t know the full details of all that took place yet, but I knew the things that were important to me.

  Caine didn’t hate us. He told Halle he loved me, and hearing that healed the part of me that had fallen apart over the last two days.

  No, not just two days.

  It was more than that. There were more days that held an element of defeat for me that I wanted to forget.

  Now I felt like I could move on.

  I was in that bubble again. The bubble of enchantment Caine placed me in.

  I’d stepped inside from the minute he took my hand at the hospital, and there I stayed.

  I got the feeling I was going to be inside that bubble for a very long time.

  Longer than I could imagine.

  We didn’t say anything to each other as he drove me back to his place, and as I followed him into the house, we still didn’t speak.

  I walked over to the floor-to-ceiling glass windows and gazed out to the distance, where I could just make out the slight movement of the sea pulling in and out on the seashore.

  Warm hands caressed my stomach. Caine’s hands.

  He turned me to face him and beamed down at me, pressing his forehead to mine.

  I opened my mouth to talk, but he placed a finger on my lips.

  “Shh.” He shook his head and lowered his mouth to mine to replace his finger with the softness of his lips.

  His kiss was slow and thoughtful, soft and searching, and it made my stomach swirl. He tasted delicious, and his kisses lulled me into the temptation of him.

  I didn’t have to hold back. I didn’t have to guard myself from feeling what I felt now because I knew he felt it too.

  His lips left mine and seared a path down my neck and unto my shoulders, where he pushed the top of my dress down.

  His kisses were like whispers across my skin. Whispers of desire, like soft rose petals falling against me.

  As he pulled the zipper down, my dress floated down my legs, leaving me in just my panties. Like most of my other summer dresses, that one had a built-in bra, so much to Caine’s satisfaction, my breasts swayed toward him the moment he pushed the dress down.

  He nodded showing his approval, not saying anything to break the passion of the moment.

  I kicked off my pumps and stepped closer to him, tugging on the hem of his T-shirt.

  He smiled and cupped my face to kiss me again. This time harder and more demanding, like he wanted to devour me. This time when the kisses left my lips, he went straight to my nipples to suckle on each one before shrugging out of his shirt and tossing it close to the fire place.

  Returning to my breasts, he continued to suck, and I gasped in sweet agony, giving in to the ecstasy that filled me and curled my toes.

  I released a long breath against the pure, explosive pleasure that made my skin tingle.

  Then skin to skin, we were one as he pulled me flush against him. This was different. It felt different, almost like that time when we were dancing. That was unreal. Just like this.

  Caine gave me that wicked smile and picked me up, carrying me to his bedroom.

  Gently, he eased me down onto the bed and stepped back to shrug out of his pants and boxers at the same time. Caine then joined me, and we tumbled into the call of passion together. Kissing, caressing, exploring, loving each other.

  Me loving him more than I could have ever imagined myself loving anybody, and him showing me how much he loved me.

  My body welcomed him when he slid inside me, as usual filling me with the impressive length of his cock. Searing me with his heat and making me wild with need for him.

  Passion pounded the blood through my heart while the need in his touches rained fiery sensations all over my skin.

  It was different, us… we were different.

  This was love, and it felt like warm honey flowing inside me in exquisite harmony, perfectly complementing the pleasure and ecstasy that cocooned us.

  This was love. Caine and I were making love.

  Caine

  This was love. I was a fool to not know I could experience this with her.

  There had been so many warning signs that I would fall for her. I didn’t even know when I did or how I did. But it was a good feeling.

  This, us making love, was a good feeling, and I loved that she matched my eager response to her, responding to the call of passion that took us both.

  She moaned as I pounded into her and our movements took on the usual primal, raw rhythm with me rutting into her like an animal.

  This was us, and I savored the feeling of satisfaction that washed over me as her sweet pussy clenched my cock and we both got lost in the orgasm that gripped us.

  Electricity pulsed through me, and she arched her back into it, grinding against me, turning me on again.

  I was filled with an amazing sense of completeness as the wave of pleasure took us high, high up into the sky, and instead of dropping, we stayed there.

  My whole body buzzed with the sensation when I pulled out of her and lowered myself to lie next to her, scooping her into my arms.

  And… still, we didn’t say anything.

  We didn’t need to.

  Everything was there in the swirl of emotions that drifted from me to her, and from her to me.

  Anya

  I giggled as Caine pulled me from on top of him and placed me to rest against

  his corded muscles.

  “You are wild, woman.”

  Those were the first words spoken all night and all morning. It felt like a game of who could keep quiet the longest, and how many times we could make love.

  “You made me like this, Lieutenant.”

  “How so?”

  “You just did. You made me crazy for you.”

  He shuffled around to cup my face and kissed me. “I love you, Anya.”

  “I love you, Caine Donoghue. I love you so much.”

  “You do?”

  “As it were.” I laughed.

  “So, that means we have a lot to talk about. I mean like this business of you leaving me every minute.”

  “What?” I tried to shake my head.

  “It’s true. You keep leaving and calling Halle’s place home, but you like my house more.”

  “Caine, what are you talk
ing about?”

  “You left your brush here the other night. I got the hint, and I’m cool with it. Just move in when you feel like it.”

  I started laughing. I had so many hair brushes I didn’t even know I’d left one here, but it looked like my absentmindedness did good this time.

  “I can move in? Watch yourself, Lieutenant, you may be opening Pandora’s box with your jokes. I may take you seriously and be all moved in by nightfall.”

  “God. Yes, let’s do that.”

  To my surprise, the man jumped off the bed and dashed over to his wardrobe to get his clothes.

  “Caine, what are you doing?”

  He gave me a deadpanned expression. “Baby, what kind of question is that? If we act now, you can be moved in by nightfall.”

  “You’re serious?” I raised my brows. I really did think he was joking. “You don’t think it’s too fast?”

  “Do you want to move in with me?”

  It was a no-brainer. Of course, I did. “Yes, I think so. Yes. I want to move in.”

  “God, imagine the fun. No more room twelve. Actually, wait, scratch that. We can use room twelve for breaks. We’ll have to hire more staff at the motel because we won’t be out of bed until lunchtime. Also, we need more furniture, and that room near the kitchen can be used for all your beauty stuff and equipment. The spare room can be Halle’s if she ever wants to come over and stay with us.”

  Jesus Lord, he was being serious.

  I just looked at him and listened as he continued to plan out everything.

  “Lord, I have to put my application in for the base here. South Carolina will be too far, and I can’t be without you for too long. We can have that disgusting bread you like, and those chocolate-covered Brazil nuts. I need more food, but let’s get your stuff.”

  “Okay, Caine.”

  Better to just agree. My guy was crazy, but since I was too, it was all fine.

  It was nice to be crazy in love together.

  Epilogue

  Anya

  Two years later…

  Issues regarding love and romance should be going well for you now. You will find that your natural tendency to ground and plan is working perfectly with your desire to find what you want in a mate. Things may be about to come to a dramatic climax in your emotional realm. A foggy, dreamy feeling may make it difficult for you to keep your feet on the ground.

  That was my reading for today from the horoscope website.

  Shawna had sent it to me this morning because her grandma thought it was perfectly in line with the vision she’d seen of me when she prayed last week.

  That woman wasn’t changing any time soon. As long as she didn’t see any curses in my future, I was fine.

  I had to say though, that my horoscope today was spot-on perfect.

  I did feel grounded, and I thought I might have found a way to control my waddling.

  With my ever-growing belly getting bigger by the day, each day was very different to the last. Halle thought it was because we were having a boy.

  But my crazy husband in his Caine ways thought it was because I insisted on going to work. My job these days was very much a sit-down job. All I did was book the clients in, and I had four members of staff who did everything else.

  Business was booming both in my day spa and in the motel, which Halle had decided to rename last year.

  It just didn’t seem right to call it a motel anymore.

  She’d come back to work properly after her surgery and kept hinting at a name change. So, she’d dropped the motel in the name and just decided to call it The Hideaway. She even had it reclassified as a hotel instead of a motel. It was while she was sorting that out that she met Patterson St. John, who I thought was a dead ringer for Denzel Washington when he stared in The Pelican Brief.

  I’d as much as told her that, and now she was all loved up with dear Patterson, and I sensed another wedding on the horizon. I was so happy for her. So very happy. It almost made up for the past. She finally got a good man in her life. Restored her faith in men and showed her that there were good ones out there.

  Not like Bradford Donoghue. He went to prison for what he did to Halle and for his conspirator arrangements with the Quick and Easy Loan guys.

  Last year, just before Easter, we got the news that he’d died of a heart attack while inside.

  Caine said nothing, until this day. He did go to his funeral though, which I thought was brave of him.

  His father still affected him and Halle. They didn’t talk about it, but I knew he did.

  From time to time, I caught Halle sitting in her chair by the fire at her place just staring into the flames if the fire was on. I felt in those moments she was thinking about what happened to her.

  It was those times when I offered my support.

  Caine and I had been married for eighteen months. We’d had some good times, bad times, and some magical times.

  In those magical times, we created beauty. I loved it and loved him more for making my dreams come alive.

  Cain built the spa from scratch, and my spa was literally a full-on day spa, right on par with what I’d envisioned for myself when I set up shop in New York, LA, and Chicago.

  The smaller, quieter town was it for me. The same way my husband was it for me.

  Except when he did things like what I’d just overheard.

  “Your skin looks perfectly shiny, like a Christmas bulb, and your plump cheeks give you that healthy glow, just like a pig. I love it.” That’s what he’d just said to Mrs. Jane.

  “Did you just call me fat?” Mrs. Jane scowled.

  “No, no, no. I just meant you have the healthy look of a pig. You can tell you eat well.”

  I had to get up quickly and rush over to them.

  “Baby, why are you running? You shouldn’t run.” Caine snapped around to face me. “Which pregnant woman do you see running?” He looked freaked out.

  “I was not running,” I scolded and focused my attention on Mrs. Jane, who was looking him up and down with scrutiny. “Mrs. Jane, forgive my husband. He doesn’t have a clue. Belinda will see you in five minutes.”

  She gave me a tight-lipped smile and made her way into the waiting area to sit down.

  The minute she was out of earshot, I wacked Caine in his chest.

  “God, why? You know, for a girl, you really hit hard.” He coughed, then laughed.

  “It’s a good thing I like you. You almost lost me a customer.”

  “What do you mean, baby? Pigs are glorious creatures. Like you. You have big eyes like an angel fish and a dainty little nose like a seahorse.”

  “Something is wrong with you.” I placed my hands on my hips.

  He laughed. “I’m just messing around, not about the pig though. Magnificent creatures they are. So, how about we hook up in room twelve in five minutes?”

  “Trying to impregnate me again?”

  “I could try. I’d bet we’d be the first to make the impossible possible.”

  “Caine, I look like the pig. I am the pig. Look at me.”

  He took that at as invitation to stare at my breasts and look at me like he was going to eat me.

  “How is it possible that they’re bigger today? It’s like I’m living in a dream. You look perfect, baby. You always look perfect, and I can’t wait to feast on you. Five minutes. I’ll give you an extra two minutes for the waddling.”

  All I could do was laugh. When he said things like that, I could easily forgive him. I couldn’t even remember why I was annoyed.

  He wasn’t changing any time soon either, and that was fine by me too.

  Caine made me happy, giving me happiness I could only dream of. I had a feeling our son would be just like him. I wished for him to be the same as his father.

  Perfect in every way, loving, caring, the kind of man who always showed his wife he loved her. Every minute of every day.

  He was the keeper of everything that made me, all my hopes, my dreams.

  Ever
ything.

  Forget five minutes. I was going to indulge in my husband now and possibly forever.

  The End

  ______________________________________________________

  Acknowledgments

  To my readers.

  Where would I be without you….

  This one’s for all of you.

  I thank you from the bottom of my heart for all your support, and for reading my stories.

  Hugs and LOVE xx

  About the Author

  Bella Fontaine is the multicultural and interracial romance pen name of USA Today Bestselling bestselling author Khardine Gray.

  The name is to honor the strong, super talented, and courageous women in her family who inspired her to write and do what she loves most.

  As with her other books expect hot, steamy, contemporary romance and romantic suspense. Expect drool-worthy heroes and sassy heroines. People falling in love and the wild, sexy fun they have on their journey.

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  Happy reading xx

  Also by Bella Fontaine