Love Of A Lifetime
Page 25
“I don’t know who this Steve guy is, but the reality is that you and I got married last year on October 23 at Honeymoon Island. The reception was great, except for the seagull who attacked one of the servers and the catering company threatened to sue. Following that we traveled to England, Ireland, Scotland and against my better judgment, France.”
Was she losing her mind? There had to be some explanation for all this. Her father. Yes, her father would be able to tell her what was going on here. The truth. Wasn’t he in Mexico, though, doing missionary work with the church? “I want to call my father.”
“Sure, we can try to but he did say that he probably couldn’t be reached until they were out of the interior. You do remember that he is on a pilgrimage in Mexico?”
“Y-yes,” she whispered, really not sure what she remembered anymore. “How, um, bad was this accident? I mean i-if you hadn’t been there...”
Stuart thought it was best that we didn’t dwell on the event. He was worried that you may have some latent trauma. That’s why I brought you to Sharrendale. There are no distractions and you’ll be able to recover in peace and quiet. Besides, I’d been promising that I would take time off work to spend with you. It was your latest campaign. I would think that you should be happy.”
“Campaign?”
“You know,” his massive shoulders shrugged as he explained, “you were always trying to get me to slow down and pay more attention to our relationship. To us and when the accident happened and I almost lost you? Well.” He turned his full attention on her and she gulped. His dark and handsome features, drawn and sincere, almost had her letting out a dreamy crushing-on-him sigh. “I realized I had the chance to do so now and I’m not about to squander the opportunity just to make another million.”
“Million? As in a million dollars?”
He nodded in an offhanded way and she gulped again. Hadn’t she been going to take her Mazda to The Keys to sell it for fourteen hundred dollars even though it was worth more? Her father had insisted that she do this, as he needed additional money for the church he was hoping to build in Mexico. His plan came back to her very clearly. She was to send him one thousand dollars of the money and keep the rest for herself. She had intended to buy a bus ticket home and use the extra to add this to her savings towards her wedding fund.
“I was driving my Mazda—”
“Mazda?” The giant snorted as he pushed the covers aside and got up. The sight of him took her breath away. Totally naked, hard, powerful and tanned. Thankfully, she could only see the back of him. That was until he turned sideways to grab up his pants from the bottom of the bed. The scintillating view caused her to instantly blush. She’d never seen a naked man in person before but, judging from the ones she’d seen on her computer, she decided that this guy was perfect. Actually, he could have been one of those models she drooled over whenever she got the chance.
“The Mazda I found you broken down in on US 1? That was nearly three years ago now.”
“What?” Averting her gaze, she pulled the covers more firmly against her chest and tried not to tremble. She worried that she had some kind of brain damage. “I don’t remember that,” she whispered, searching her mind for recognition. She really didn’t have the heart to tell him either, that she couldn’t recall his name. This wasn’t good.
“You don’t? You were going to sell your car so that your ‘do-good’ father could fund that church that he wanted to build in Mexico. As I recall, there may have been some mention of a boyfriend at the time. I thought his name was Skipp or Stanley or something like that.” He pulled on his pants, did them up and shrugged into a sheer white top as he continued, “I didn’t pay much attention to your explanation about him. I mean, what kind of a guy lets his girlfriend go by herself to sell a car to a stranger who lived hours away from her home? You would have been left with no way to get back. To tell you the truth, I didn’t think much of your father either, sweetheart. The rich give to the poor, the poor should be left to keep what meager possessions they have to themselves.”
“Stanley?” She was drawing a blank. “I’m so confused.” She sighed, wishing for the life of her that she could look as confident and ready to face the world as he did now.
“I know, honey. Stuart said that this was to be expected. He felt that you needed time to recall your life as it was. After all, you were unconscious for nearly three days and there was some swelling.”
“So, I am brain damaged?”
“No,” he assured, pulling a pair of flip flops out from under his side of the bed and sliding them on. “You just need time to get better. No stress, that’s what the doctor ordered.”
“But my father and Steven and last night? It seems so real.”
“Steven, huh?” He sounded more curious than mad as he came to stand at the bottom of the bed. “Do you have any memories of being with him?”
“I just told you.”
“I meant intimately.”
“No.” She shot back briskly. She wasn’t that kind of a girl. She was brought up in a strict home where a girl wasn’t intimate with anyone until she was married to him.
“How about with me?” His voice lowered so huskily she couldn’t look away. God, she could melt under the power of his gaze. She was melting. Her whole body got heated. Flushed and tingly. “Surely you remember some details since we’ve been married. Some memory of us together, even a little?”
“No, I don’t remember…” Yet even as she was in the process of denying this, a vision of the two of them came to mind. One where she stood in front of him undressing, inviting and wanting him to join her. The image became sharper, as they were suddenly naked and entwined. Doing unthinkable things together. This wasn’t real, was it? Weren’t these her fantasies? The dark and wicked ones that she’d had late at night in her small bed, where she had dreamed of him, instead of Steven. Where she’d wanted him instead of her chosen fiancé.
“I’m not sure.” She searched his face and swallowed hard the second she noticed his eyes darken. When he casually came around the side of the bed without taking his eyes off her, she could barely breathe. The power that poured off him to wrap around her was a physical thing. Almost like an invisible hug that trapped her, but so comfortably she didn’t want to escape.
“I am.” He bent down, until just a breath separated their lips. Whispering in a husky purr, he assured, “I have every dirty thing we’ve ever done together committed to memory and I’d be happy to remind you of all these things.”
Her pulse raced and she didn’t dare blink. He shifted closer. Impossibly close. His scent was spicy with a thread of sweetness too. Her lids felt weighted. They were going to droop. Was he going to kiss her?
He pulled the sheet out of her grasp and dragged his knuckles over her one of her breasts, but she didn’t shiver until he asked, “Shall I remind you? Would you like that?”
“I…” she licked her lips and tried to find the words to deny him. Her mind was screaming no, but her body was cheering, yes please, please, please. With monumental effort she fought the urge she had to close her eyes and surrender. “It wouldn’t be—”
“It will be so right,” he interrupted her as if he’d known what she was going to say. “Like we’re discovering each other for the first time. Only this time I won’t have to break down your defenses because I already know what you like. What you’re used to. How hard you crave it and how hot you are underneath that good-girl exterior.”
“But—”
“There’s nothing to stop me. I’ve conquered your fears and overpowered your shame. You’re my everything. My wicked little angel, who hides nothing from me when she takes me to heaven in her arms each and every night.”
He leaned in, forcing her back and back some more.
And God help her, she let him.
About The Author
I write sexy, humorous and emotional romances where a happy ending is guaranteed. An optimist, I believe life is awesome, people are complicated
, but in a good way, and we should never stop learning. I live in Florida with my gorgeous husband. I have two wonderful kids and one very bossy English Bull terrier. When I’m not writing I enjoy reading, oil painting and getting to the Sunday crossword puzzle before anyone else does, so I can look smart by fill-in all the easy answers first. If I wasn’t a writer I’d be an international spy with top-level security so I could have a peek at Area 51 and decide for myself if those green guys are for real. Failing that I’d go with chicken sexier.
I love to hear from readers. Come and visit my website at www.AuthorRileyMurphy.com and say hello.
Other Works By Riley Murphy
Beguiling Enchantment
Reclaimed Surrender
Reluctant Surrender
Required Surrender
Stare Me Down (A Stare Down Novel #1)
Coming Winter 2013:
A Perfect Holiday
Full Of Possibilities
Requested Surrender
Coming in 2014:
Love Of My Every Lifetime (An Embrace Your Soul Novel #2)
Stare Her Down (A Stare Down Novel #2)
Reputable Surrender
Love Of My Only Lifetime (An Embrace Your Soul Novel #3)
Table of Contents
Copyrights
Dedication
Acknowledgements
A Note From Riley
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Epilogue
Coming Soon...
About The Author
Other Works By Riley Murphy