"He had a concern about catching you in the right place,” Christian explained. “And I’ll be honest, I hoped to meet you. I’m very much looking forward to working with the family behind Strong Incorporated.”
I guess that explained the phone call.
Christian held out a glossy magazine to me. I looked at the title as I took it from him, and my heart sang a little bit. It was the premier art magazine, not just in the United States, but also around the world.
"What is it?" Hunter asked me.
"It's the crème de la crème of art magazines." I ran my hand over the colorful cover.
"You speak French," Christian said.
"Not really. Just the French phrases that we've adopted in the United States,” I said.
Christian pointed to the magazine. "It’s suggested that you go to page forty-three."
Intrigued, I fanned the magazine stopping at page forty-three. I gasped as I read the title and took in the photos. Not sure I was seeing what I was really seeing, I looked to Hunter.
He smiled.
“You know about this?” I asked him.
He nodded. “I asked the family’s help in fixing what that other magazine ruined.”
I was so overwhelmed with emotion that tears formed in my eyes. I looked back down at the magazine, taking in what it said. The author of the article didn’t mention anything about my relationship with Hunter and instead discussed my art and how it had evolved in my short career. Even more than that, there were quotes from other art critics, all of whom were complementary in their critiques, even when they hinted that I was still evolving.
Hunter’s arm came around me. “You’re a bonafide artist now, baby.”
I turned to him and threw my arms around his neck.
He laughed. “I love these bursts of affection.”
“I love you. Thank you. Thank you.” I looked up to Christian who was smiling at us. “Thank you too, Mr. LaMont.”
“It’s Christian. I hope that when you reach France on your honeymoon that you’ll come to my chateau there. I’d love to show you where I’ve hung, Little Girl Playing in a Puddle.”
My jaw dropped. “You have one of my paintings in your chateau?” My art wasn’t chateau quality, was it?
“Yes, of course. My wife and I love the whimsy of the painting. You captured the pure joy of the simple things in childhood in it.”
I could hardly breath I was so overwhelmed by it all.
“I must make my exit now. My wife is waiting for me.” He nodded towards an elegant woman sitting on the other side of the terrace. She smiled and waved. Christian shook our hands and returned to his wife.
“I can’t believe this,” I said, looking at the magazine again, and wondering if I was dreaming.
“Believe it baby.” Hunter kissed my temple.
“Thank you for this, Hunter.”
“I didn’t do anything. You have talent. Now the world knows it.”
I stared into his eyes, shining back at me with love. “I wouldn’t have any of this without you.” I pressed my hands on his cheeks because I wanted him to know my sincerity. “I love you no matter what, even if this didn’t happen.”
He smiled. “I know. That makes me love you even more. It makes me want to give you everything your heart desires.” He kissed the inside of my wrist.
“My heart only desires you. All this is magical, but all I need is you. I’m so grateful that you came into my life.”
“I’m the one who should be grateful, Natalie. You’re an angel sent to save me from a life lacking in love. Granted, sometimes I think you’re the devil, but either way, I’ve got love. My life is light and happy, and that’s because of you.”
“That makes two of us,” I said, wrapping my arms around him and kissing him. At that moment, there was nothing else. Just me and Hunter and our love. It was more beautiful than any piece of art and I’d savor it forever.
If you loved Giving In to Love, make sure you check out Jess and Carter’s story in Book 3 of the series. This one is called Wrong to Love You, and is a secret baby romance that you’re going to swoon over.
We kept love out of it.
We kept our names out of it.
And we also kept drama out of it.
…Or so I thought!
I met a mysterious stranger on a magical cruise.
His touch gave me the butterflies.
I would immediately go weak in the knees.
But it was all temporary.
One week. That was the deal.
That week turned into four years of raising a kid alone.
GRAB HERE
Wrong to Love You
Description
We kept love out of it.
We kept our names out of it.
And we also kept drama out of it.
…Or so I thought!
I met a mysterious stranger on a magical cruise.
His touch gave me the butterflies.
I would immediately go weak in the knees.
But it was all temporary.
One week. That was the deal.
That week turned into four years of raising a kid alone.
A son that reminds me of him and one that he knows nothing about.
These years have changed me.
But my mysterious stranger is still the same.
How do I know?
He just showed up at my client’s home.
Seeing his face has turned my world upside down.
This can’t be a coincidence.
The universe is playing a sick game with me.
So… will I win, or will I lose?
Prologue
Jess
When I was in high school, my girlfriends and I used to have sleepovers where we would dream up these romantic scenarios in which we were swept off our feet by a handsome, rich man who would love us forever, and want to give us the world. We’d watch romcoms and read romance novels, swooning over all the grand gestures and romantic bits. While we had a sense that these dreams were unrealistic fantasies, there had always been a part of us that hoped maybe fairytales did come true.
Of course, real life has proven that fairy tales only happen in the movies and books. Still, that didn't prevent me from engaging in a ship board romance with the stunning, and clearly rich, Carter. I thought my luck had been great when I won this trip as the hundred and seventh caller on the radio contest, but meeting Carter on the first day and spending this week with him, well that was the greatest luck of all.
I met Carter the first day of the cruise as I lounged by the pool. We struck up a conversation, and while sparks were zapping inside of me the whole time, I didn't think it was the same for him. He was wildly sexy with his blonde hair and gray eyes, and there was an air about him that suggested he came from money, so I was sure he was out of my league, and just being nice, as we sat drinking virgin drinks by the pool.
Later that night, I ran into him at the bar, and we ended up having dinner together, and then going dancing. I wasn't a woman prone to clubbing or hooking up with men I didn't know, but had he asked me back to his cabin that night, or suggested that he come into mine, I would've let him. I was on a once-in-a-lifetime cruise, so I was going to soak up the experience.
The next day, I tried to be nonchalant, but the truth was I was looking for him when I went to the breakfast buffet. I was standing in line by the fruit section, when I saw him sitting in the outside dining area talking to another woman. Of course, I was jealous, even though it was silly to be. He wasn't mine.
Disappointed, I turned back to fill my plate with fruit, and made my way along the buffet picking up a muffin and some yogurt.
"You always sleep in late?"
I jumped at the voice behind me, and then smiled because I recognized it. "I'm on vacation."
"Yeah, but you should enjoy it, not sleep through it."
He was right, of course. Once I had my food, he poured himself more coffee and came to sit with me at a table. I was cu
rious about the woman he'd been talking to before, but of course I didn't want to give away that I was jealous, so I didn't ask.
After breakfast, we parted ways again, until we both showed up at the pool. It wasn't until we ran into each other at the bar that night that we each admitted that we'd been hunting for the other because we were enjoying each other's company. After that, we were pretty much inseparable.
We toured all the spots in Mexico together. And during the times we were on the ship, we would hang out at the pool, play shuffleboard, and we even spent some time in the casino, where I discovered Carter had a thing for numbers as he helped me improve my odds of winning at the blackjack table. Walking away with $150 more than when I started was a nice thing.
There was no doubt that I was feeling extremely attracted to him, but at the same time we were on a cruise ship, where in a couple of days we would dock back in California and go on our own ways. Knowing this, while at the same time eager to have this trip be a magical memory, it was my idea that we didn't share many personal or real-life details. As a result, we only knew each other by our first names. While I understood that he was good at numbers, I didn't know where he went to college, what he majored in, or what he did for a living. I didn't know if he came from a family with money, or if he'd invented some sort of app that had made him rich.
He didn't know any more about me than my name, and my interest in fitness and health. It was like we had both stepped off the spinning world of reality, entering into a bubble of magic and wonder for the week.
But now that the week was coming to an end, I wasn’t ready to step out of the bubble and back into reality. The yearning to spend more time with him was so acute, that there was a part of me wondering if maybe we could take this magical moment back into the real world. Would he be interested in that?
Then I considered that in the real world, the day was not filled with fancy buffets, snorkelling in the ocean, and dancing the night away. Real life is filled with work, and bills, and other mundane tasks. It was foolish to think I could bring the magic between us back to the reality of life. It was a schoolgirl dream that I knew would never come true.
So, my only option was to make the most of the few hours we had left, and my goal was that this night, the last night, he and I wouldn't be sleeping in separate beds. Sure, we’d kissed a lot and groped each other some, but we always stopped to avoid any potential emotional entanglement. Right now, I didn’t care if I fell head over heels and left with a broken heart. I couldn’t end this trip without having one night with him.
A part of me wondered if he was thinking the same thing, because right now I was on the balcony off his cabin staring out over the ocean as we cruised back to California.
"Penny for your thoughts?" His voice came from behind me.
I turned and he was exiting the cabin onto the balcony, carrying two glasses of wine, one of which he handed to me.
I wanted to ask him about his interest in numbers, and money, as related to his comment to me, but we had an agreement that we wouldn’t get too personal.
"I'm thinking about how when I wake up the day after tomorrow, in my own bed, that'll wonder if all this was a dream."
His smile was bittersweet. "Me too." He lifted his glass and clicked it against mine. "To fantastic dreams."
We sipped and then he turned to look out over the water, his hand sliding low along my back. Longing filled my chest, and I gave into it enough to lean my head against his shoulder.
"I know we have an agreement to keep our emotional distance, but it doesn't feel right to me, to end this cruise without touching you," he said.
Inside I was screaming hallelujah, but I tried to contain my excitement. I turned and looped my free hand around his neck. "On that point, Carter, we are in complete agreement."
His smile was bright and then slowly turned wolfish. Inside all my hormones flared to life. I was no virgin. In my twenty-two years, I’d had a few boyfriends that I'd slept with. But I was sure, based on the feral gleam in Carter's eyes, that none of my experiences up to now, would come close to comparing.
He took my glass and set it down with his on the small table on the balcony. He pulled me to him, his hands sliding down, each one grabbing my backside. "I've been wanting to get you out of your shorts, or your bikini, or your dress practically since the moment I saw you,” he said.
Another zap of electricity fired through me.
I pressed my hips forward grinding against him, discovering a sizable erection that made me gasp. "I've been dying to get you naked too."
He gave me a wicked grin. "This is going to be fun."
Before I could respond, he scooped me up into his arms and carried me back into his room.
He set me down, and his fingers deftly undid the zipper of my dress before my feet hit the ground. He tugged the straps down and my braless breast fell free.
He groaned. “I knew you had perfect tits.” He sucked one nipple into his mouth and I clung to his head as a shock of sensation shot straight to my pussy making my knees buckle. For a moment, I couldn’t do anything but feel as his mouth suckled my breast.
But then my own need to discover him rose, and I eagerly undid his belt buckle and the button of his pants. I reached in, gripping him through his boxer briefs.
“Fuck,” he growled.
I looked down, noticing that the head of his dick was peeking out of his waistband. It looked velvety soft and I wanted to drag my tongue all around it.
In a flurry of activity, we got naked and he pushed me back on the bed, crawling over me. He kissed me hard, and then his lips trailed down my neck and he sucked my other nipple.
“I want you,” I said, not caring that I sounded so desperate. My hips were gyrating, seeking his dick.
“I have to taste you,” he murmured, as his lips moved down over my belly.
My clit was burning, and while I rather he fuck me, I would settled for his mouth because I wasn’t sure how much longer I could stand it.
He pushed my thighs open and settled between them. “You’re so fucking wet for me, Jess.”
“Make me come.” I couldn’t remember ever feeling so on edge, especially so early in a sexual encounter.
“Oh, I will. Over and over.” He dipped his head, sucking my clit, and I screamed out. It was possible the entire ship heard me, but I didn’t care. He sucked and his tongue licked and flicked my clit until I was a babbling fool.
Then he dragged his tongue through my folds, lapping at my pussy entrance.
“Carter.” I whimpered.
“I’m going to make you come, Jess.”
“Yes.” My fingers gripped his head, pushing him back down.
He pushed my thighs open wider and then his tongue was thrusting inside me, lapping my sensitive walls. My hips were rocking, fucking his face as pressure built and built until I couldn’t breathe.
His thumb and forefinger pinched my clit as he plunged his tongue inside me again, and I finally understood what it meant to see fireworks. Lights blasted in my brain. Sparks flashed along my skin.
“Yes!” I cried out as pleasure swamped my body making it convulse.
Slowly he brought me down, and I vowed that when I had the strength, I’d return the favor.
But then he shifted, pushing my knees up and out opening me wider. “More,” he said, and then his mouth was on me again.
Get Wrong to Love You NOW!!!
Read The Rest Of Strong Brothers Series Here
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Book 1: Say Yes to Love
Book 2: Giving In to Love
Book 3: Wrong to Love You
Book 4: Hate to Love You
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Giving In To Love: A Friends with Benefits Office Romance (Strong Brothers Book 2) Page 20
