by K. S. Ruff
Broken Together
by k.s. ruff
book five in the broken series
Copyright
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, locales, brands, media, businesses, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental. The author acknowledges the trademarked status of and trademark owners of various products referenced in this book of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication and use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by these trademark owners.
In accordance with the US Copyright Act of 1976, the scanning, uploading, and electronic sharing of any part of this book, without the permission of the author and/or artist constitutes unlawful piracy and theft of the author’s intellectual property. The only exception is short excerpts or the cover image in book reviews. If you would like to use material from this book for any other purpose other than review purposes, prior written permission must be obtained by contacting the author at ksruff.com. Please respect the rights of the author and the artist to protect their work by purchasing only authorized electronic editions, and do not participate in or encourage electronic piracy of copyrighted material.
Copyright © 2016 by Ruff Publishing, LLC
Cover design and photography by Kari Kunkel Anderson
All rights reserved.
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Discover other titles by K.S. Ruff at ksruff.com
Dedication
To my daughters,
Lexie and Madison,
Dream big, follow your hearts, and trust in God
Acknowledgements
This book proved difficult to write, in part because of the competing demands on my time and in part because I didn’t want this story to end. There were a number of people who saw me through, who served as my inspiration, and helped me finish this book.
I couldn’t possibly thank my husband, Tobin, enough. He’s put up with a considerable amount of neglect while I worked on this book, and he hasn’t complained, not once. He’s been invaluable as a military, security, and martial arts advisor. And there’s a reason he served as my inspiration for Kadyn. He is truly that supportive and kind.
I want to thank my daughters, Lexie and Madison, for coaxing me off my computer so life didn’t pass me by. I’d also like to thank my parents for their love and support. They are the ones who taught me to dream big, to follow my heart, and to trust in God, a central theme in my books.
I’d really like to thank those friends who inspired the characters in this book, those who are mentioned by name and those who preferred aliases. They have seen me through so many difficult experiences, some of which have been touched on in this and previous books. This world would be a far better place if everyone had friends like you.
I also want to thank my dear friend, Kari Kunkel-Anderson, for photographing and designing my book covers. I loved exploring Portugal with you!
I’d also like to thank my reviewers; Amy Goodyear, Erica Allder, Gloria Berini, Faddwa Brubaker, Christina Kaplan, and Cenia Miller. Thanks for all your wonderful advice. A special thanks to my phenomenal editors, Heidi Lieu and Shira Ben-Zion, for helping me improve the book.
I’d like to thank my friend, TJ Crane, for his copyright advice. A huge thanks to Phil Hagen for guiding me through the process of getting a small business up and running. I’d also like to thank Dave Burris for designing a website that still takes my breath away!
I’d also like to thank those fans who have regularly inquired about my progress on this book. Truly, you kept me motivated!
Finally, I’d like to give a shout out to my dogs, Khiyara and Kovu, for reminding me that Kri’s life wouldn’t be complete without another Shih Tzu. Kovu, you took a piece of me with you when you were called home earlier this week. I will always picture you with that racquetball in your mouth. Thank you for loving me so unconditionally.
Table of Contents
Copyright
Dedication
Acknowledgements
Table of Contents
Chapter 1 – Riptide
Chapter 2 –Believe
Chapter 3 – Stand by You
Chapter 4 –Little Talks
Chapter 5 – Never Gonna Let You Down
Chapter 6 – All of the Stars
Chapter 7 - Fix My Eyes
Chapter 8 – The Proof of Your Love
Chapter 9 – The One
Chapter 10 – Photograph
Chapter 11 – Like I’m Gonna Lose You
Chapter 12 – Love Will Set You Free
About the Author
Additional books by K.S. Ruff
Chapter 1 – Riptide
Sunlight spilled across my face. I stretched my arms over my head. Bracing my palms against the headboard, I lengthened my torso in a long, luxurious stretch that would have made even the most self-indulgent cat jealous. Saturday, I thought with a deeply contented smile. How I adore Saturdays. Finals were over. Three semesters down. One to go. My heart and head were doing the happy dance.
I reached for Rafael. My eyes popped open when I felt the cold mattress. Sitting up, I raked my hand through my hair and craned my ears. The house was quiet; no shower running, no dishes clanging, and no coffee percolating. I frowned. “Rafael?”
The silence was deafening. I flung the covers aside and stepped out of bed before spotting the envelope propped against Rafael’s pillow. Kristine was scrawled across the envelope in Rafael’s elegantly slanted script. I wracked my brain trying to discern whether I’d missed some important anniversary or holiday. A big, fat nothing came to mind. “Huh.”
I climbed back onto the bed, grabbed the envelope, and gently loosened the seal. I coaxed a charcoal gray notecard from the envelope. Love was embossed in lowercase letters across the bottom right hand corner in a dark red cursive font. Smiling, I opened the card.
It seems only fitting that this adventure would begin in the place we first made love. Because the future is spun from the past, look for me in the place we made love… last.
I stared dumbfounded at the note. “What are you up to?” I whispered. The last place we’d made love was on the desk in the library. Rafael had been prowling around the library while waiting for me to finish my final paper. He swept everything but the laptop aside. He set the laptop on the chair before taking me ten ways to heaven on the desk.
I tucked the notecard back inside the envelope and carted it off to the bathroom so I could brush my teeth and comb my hair before meeting Rafael in the library. The house was still eerily quiet, but Rafael could move like a ninja when he was trying to be stealthy. He’d crept up behind me without making a sound more times than I cared to count.
I traded my silk sleep shorts for a pair of sweats, tugged a pair of socks on, and pulled a hoodie over my camisole before heading downstairs. The townhouse felt empty and cold, which wasn’t terribly surprising since we were expecting snow.
I crept down the stairs, intending to prove just how quiet I could move, but the effort proved futile. Rafael wasn’t in the library. Another envelope bearing my name was propped against my laptop. I stared at the desk. When did he clean up and replace everything on the desk? I tapped the spacebar and glanced at the clock on the laptop. It was only eight o’clock.
I plucked the envelope off the computer. The same charcoal gray notecard, displaying the word “love,” was tucked inside. I quickly read the note.
I’m afraid you have a longer journey in store. Look in the place we first professed our love. You’ll find that and so much more.
I took a step toward the door, then paused. Where were we when we first confessed our love? I sifted through a number of
intimate moments, each one brimming with heartfelt words. “Yes, but when was the first time?” I asked aloud. My eyes suddenly widened. Rafael had professed his love in the sunroom the morning after we first made love. When I awoke that morning, Rafael was in the kitchen cooking breakfast for me. We ate in the sunroom. He told me he loved me and asked for a chance to prove it. He’d proven it every minute of every day over the past nine months.
I started walking, then stopped again. Where were we when I first professed my love? My laughter echoed in the foyer when it struck me. I first professed my love in the sunroom after baking scones for Rafael. I’d deemed him my dark angel before inadvertently confessing my love. I shook my head in disbelief. I hadn’t realized that we’d taken that monumental step at two different points in time but in the very same location. I hurried toward the sunroom.
I smiled when I found another envelope propped against a travel mug filled with coffee. A chocolate croissant lie nestled inside a white pastry bag next to the coffee on the wrought iron table. I sampled the croissant and the coffee before sinking into one of the chairs. I was fairly certain Rafael wasn’t inside the house. If he’d been inside the townhouse, he would have poured the coffee into a coffee cup, not a travel mug. He’d poured it into a travel mug so it would stay hot for a longer period of time. There was no telling how long he’d been gone, where he’d gone, or what he was up to.
I took another bite out of the croissant before opening the envelope.
Without further ado, linger in the place where my hands linger over you.
Desire spun through me the second I read the note. I gathered up the notecards, the travel mug, and the croissant and headed back upstairs. Rafael’s hands linger over my body in the shower, and he prefers my shower over his because it has a marble bench which allows him to get creative when we make love under those twelve pulsing jets.
I finished the croissant by the time I reached the top of the stairs. I took a few sips of coffee on my way to the bathroom. Rafael told me to linger in the shower. Why? “Am I supposed to take a shower?”
Silence was my only answer.
I set the coffee down, removed the envelope from the bench inside the shower, and peeled my clothes off before turning all twelve jets on. This little jaunt down memory lane had left me longing for Rafael in the worst possible way. I suspected that was the whole point of this exercise. I’d linger just long enough to look and feel presentable for whatever he had in store for me.
I didn’t open the fourth envelope until I had showered, dressed, dried my hair, and applied a bit of makeup. I was wearing fitted jeans, a long black sweater, and black boots. My body was humming from the chocolate and the coffee by the time I sat on the bed to open the envelope.
I chose you long before you chose me. Where were we when you finally chose me?
I chuckled softly. I’d never forget the look on Rafael’s face when I arrived at his house and announced I was no longer dating Kadyn. Rafael had wadded up a half-eaten piece of pizza, thrown it toward the garbage can, and missed. I laughed until I got a good look at him. He looked every bit the predator when he closed the distance between us. “This changes everything,” he growled huskily. He pulled me against his chest. Hard. “No more holding back, Kristine. I want everything… every single part of you.”
My pulse quickened, both then and now. “I want you to own every part of me,” I’d answered recklessly. A delicious shiver slid down my spine. “I still do,” I whispered. I grabbed my keys and walked next door to Rafael’s townhouse.
Sure enough, there was another envelope propped against the banister in the foyer. I broke the seal.
Always one to surprise, search the place where I discovered your fantasies rival even mine.
I bounded up the stairs. Rafael had to be referring to his weight room. While training me in self-defense, he’d pinned me against the mirrored wall and advised me to do the unexpected if I couldn’t hit my assailant’s shin, groin, neck, or eyes. I’d grabbed him by the shirt, kissed him long and hard, and confessed I’d been fantasizing about having sex against the mirrored wall. Rafael was so shocked, he released me. I ran, hell bent on escaping. Rafael tackled me to the floor, peeled our clothes off in the hallway, and then hauled me back to the weight room where we proceeded to have sex against that very same wall.
I was out of breath by the time I reached the weight room. “Yes!” I snatched the envelope he’d taped against the mirrored wall.
Well played, my love. Now the place where I would hold and keep you for all eternity.
I snorted softly. “Either I know you too well or you’re purposely making this easy for me.” I walked to Rafael’s bedroom. He’d threatened to chain me to his bed for all eternity countless times. I loved the look on his face when he tossed me onto his bed. His expression suggested he’d won a much coveted prize, as if it were unfathomable that I was lying in his bed, and he looked fiercely determined to keep me there. That look did unspeakable things to me. There was just something about a man, his woman, and his bed.
I kicked my boots off, crawled onto Rafael’s bed, grabbed the envelope, and burrowed beneath the duvet. I loved Rafael’s bed, and it wasn’t just the cedar and clove scented cologne lingering on his bed linens. There was nothing floral or feminine about this bed. The mattress, the bedding, the colors, and the smell were all inherently male. Rafael’s bed was one of my favorite places to be. I could easily remain here for all eternity.
I set the other cards aside so I could open the envelope. The envelope held the same charcoal gray notecard with “love” embossed in a crimson font across the bottom right hand side. I could end this game, remain in his bed, and he’d find me eventually. The idea was tempting until I opened the card.
Courage and strength, my dear. Seek the place where I made my intentions clear.
I bolted upright. My heart beat so frantically I could hear nothing beyond my thunderous pulse. Suddenly, I knew what he was up to. “No,” I whispered. I fell abruptly from the bed. Somehow the duvet had gotten tangled around my legs. I jumped to my feet after wrestling with the duvet. “Marriage,” I gasped.
Rafael’s voice echoed in my mind. “I’m not dating you to pass the time. I have every intention of marrying you, Kristine.”
I swallowed forcefully. “This is…” Tears pricked my eyes. “Rafael’s proposing.” I paced blindly across his bedroom. “Oh my God. He’s proposing.”
I sank to my knees when the room tilted. “I can… we can…” I forced myself to breathe. “We’re really going to do this.” I pressed my hands against my chest. My heart was beating wildly, as if demanding… him.
I stumbled toward the bed, straightened the duvet, pulled my boots back on, and gathered up the cards. Each was tucked securely in its own envelope. I took a deep breath… then another… and another. “I want this,” I confessed to the empty room. “I want to marry Rafael.”
I glanced uncertainly at the envelopes. Rafael had made his intentions clear in nearly every room of both our townhomes… at Reagan National Airport… in Delaware… in Saint Tropez… in Montana… in New York… in Mexico… and in Texas. He’d made his intentions clear at every possible turn. So, where was I supposed to go?
I sat on the edge of his bed for the longest time, mulling over the possibilities. Suddenly, it struck me. Rafael had never been more emphatic about his intentions than when I drove to Harper’s Ferry. I’d felt the determination behind those words so forcefully I’d genuinely feared I was going to wreck his car. “The Enzo.”
I ran to the kitchen, grabbed his keys from the hook, and bolted down the staircase leading into his garage. The envelope was sitting inside the Enzo. I quickly scanned the note.
You know how I long to see you pregnant with my child, but do you recall where we first spoke of having children?
I lowered the door to the Enzo. Fear, desire, and an exquisite yet painful yearning were now spiraling within me. I could barely breathe. I returned his keys to the hook and
locked the front door when I stepped outside.
I walked down the front steps, cut across the trail, and strode across the grass. A large rock had been strategically placed in the spot where Rafael and I played twenty questions while enjoying a picnic dinner and wine along the Potomac River. He didn’t play that game fairly. He asked only the most important questions, even after I insisted he work up to the more difficult ones. That shouldn’t have surprised me. Rafael warned me he wouldn’t play fair once I gave him a chance to win my heart.
I dropped onto my knees and stared at the stone. “I won’t play fair, Kristine. Once I’m in, I’m all in. You give me this chance, and I won’t walk away... not ever,” Rafael warned. My hand trembled as I reached for the stone. I thought about everything we’d been through since Rafael had spoken those words... my fraternizing with the Russian mafia, being held captive by the SVR, Michael’s death, my unspoken desire to join him in death, the shoot-out between the drug cartels, Kadyn’s abduction, and the favor I now owed Maxim. Rafael hadn’t wavered from that position… although he was certainly justified in doing so. He’d remained fiercely devoted, despite all of the seemingly insurmountable obstacles. I lifted the stone and freed the envelope.
I hugged my knees to my chest and peered at the Potomac River before reading the note.
You know how much I love you, but do you know where I last spoke those three most coveted words?
“In the kitchen, when we were cooking dinner.” I pushed back onto my feet and walked the short distance to my house. There was an envelope lying on the counter next to the stove.
Grab your coat, keys, and purse, and seek the place where you last spoke those very same words.
I grabbed my heavy winter coat, pocketed my keys, and retrieved my purse. I shoved all of the envelopes I’d acquired thus far into my purse before tromping down the stairs to my garage. I told Rafael I loved him just before climbing into my jeep yesterday morning. We were saying our goodbyes before driving to work.
