“That will be the first move that I want to make sure you can do with someone three times your size. Don’t worry, you’ll master it fast, and the time it takes doesn’t matter, so even if it takes us months. that’s okay.”
Then Devin places his hand out to help Jason off the floor.
“Why don’t you get some rest now, and we’ll start sometime this week with the positions, before you actually do a full move to flip someone?”
“Clar baby, let me take you back to the room. I’ll lie with you until you fall asleep, then I’ll work in the bedroom on my laptop.”
This sounds like the best idea I’ve ever heard. I can hardly move I am so tired as I stumble down the corridor.
Devin notices my slumped posture and decides to carry me back instead. Making our way to the door, Jason follows closely behind when he realizes Devin may need some assistance getting me into the room. Then he hurries ahead to open the door for us before taking his leave.
“Let me know if you need me.”
“Thanks, Jas.”
“Of course.”
Jogging down to his office to monitor the cameras, he looks back only once to make sure we are inside the room.
Exhaustion claims me with thoughts of an imminent attack, and my body becomes restless as I toss and turn, waking at one point to find I’m sweating through her clothes.
This is ridiculous!
I realize that I need to put aside the inevitable once again to move on with my life. Find the peace—again.
But can someone who has been attacked more than once ever truly find peace when they’re always looking over their shoulder?
***
Devin watches as she struggles to piece her already-shattered heart into the semblance of the woman he loves. It’s not that Clara isn’t the same in every way. She is, of course, but there is something eluding her, and it’s becoming very apparent that he isn’t filling the void.
Finding that one thing is proving to be beyond even his reach. She needs to figure this out on her own, and he needs to be with her every step of the way if he wants to secure their relationship. Otherwise, he knows he’ll lose her forever, and that’s not a possibility.
Reaching for her hand as she turns to face him, lying in the bed they share at his house—Le Château Robinson—Devin realizes that he may not be able to fill what is missing for her, but he sure as heck can help her find a purpose besides the mundane existence they already know. If only she’d agree to his plan, then maybe, just maybe, they’ll be able to build a future together.
***
“Morning, baby. Did I tell you how much I love you yet this morning?”
“Not yet, silly, but I wanted to tell you first, anyway. I love you, Devin. Good morning, baby.”
I stretch my achy limbs, cracking them as they flex their way into position.
Perhaps more yoga would help with all the stiffness? I’d have to try it out and see.
“Clar baby, I have an idea, and I hope you’re up for it.”
“What is it, Dev?”
“I was just thinking, if you’re up for it, that is. I mean, you don’t have to if you don’t want to. You may even think it a horrible idea. Then we could chuck it away to the stupidity file, but I’m still hoping you’ll find this a good idea, too.”
“Devin! What is it?”
“I was thinking we go with your idea about the house.”
Confusion clouds my face as I narrow my eyes at him.
Maybe I need some coffee to get through this conversation.
“What idea?”
“Let’s make this place into a château.”
He says it in barely a whisper as he breathes out the statement that could set the course for our future.
I just watch him. My head is swimming, trying to process it all.
“A château. A château?”
I think about all the weddings that could happen there—I mean, here. All the parties, all the guests. I would really love that part—welcoming people from all over to the most beautiful house I’ve ever seen. Honeymooners making this their destination to start their lives together, as well as young lovers meeting in secrecy. Or singles hoping for something or someone to help them find love.
I could try to help them. After all, I’m great at setting up my friends. Ugh, my friends who I haven’t seen in years, since I left them all behind to figure myself out without them going to the press for their fifteen minutes of fame all the time.
A château sounds like it could be just the thing to fill the hole I’ve felt within myself since the last attack.
Devin watches me patiently go through all the emotions as I work through the implications of the idea.
I’m suddenly sure that we’ll be able to build a wonderful future together.
I approach him, crawling up his broad chest to get close to his ear. The suspense is doing other things to my body—and his too, apparently.
As soon as I’m nestled next to his ear, I whisper into it.
“Yes, you genius. That is the best idea.”
Then we go about sealing the deal, and stay between the sheets for the rest of the day—and well into the night. Apparently, the waiting for me to recover has made us both a little pent up with desire.
***
“Were you serious about making this place into a resort?”
“Château. And yes, very. Why do you ask?”
“I just was messing around before when I called this place Le Château Robinson.”
“Well now you don’t have to mess around. This place would make a lovely château.”
“Can you even have a château on the side of a mountain in Seattle? I thought a château was exclusive to the hillsides in France.”
“I love how excited you are over this idea.”
“Well, it is a great idea.”
“Of course, since it was your idea to begin with.”
Devin looks down at me as I rest my head against his chest.
“My idea?”
Questioning his words, I look up at him.
“Don’t you remember? You mentioned it to me when I first brought you here. Then you mentioned it again when you nicknamed the place ‘Le Château Robinson.’ It’s always been your idea, baby. I just happen to agree with you, and I would so like you to make this place into our home.”
I stare at him with wonder and affection, not to mention a whole lot of love and adoration. He hasn’t yet spoken the words I long to hear, but I’m sure he will, sooner or later. With us running a château together, it just seems like a given that we will become husband and wife, but I don’t want to bring it up to him now.
Not yet, anyway.
“So, how’s about we get up, get dressed, and work on the paperwork so we can hire someone to turn this place into a fancy resort—on the side of the mountain in Seattle?”
Devin works on the specifics while I work on establishing a presence with the assistance of the nearby community, who are overjoyed with the financial implications a nearby château could have on local businesses—both small and large.
Once I meet with the local coffee shop owner, I discover that she has a small bistro to add on, as well. With the preparations well underway, and the contractors coming to fix the rooms up for guests, the hole that was once in my heart slowly begins to fill.
Things move fast in the first week since the initial agreement on the idea. The château has a bistro that will be added by fall, a possible restaurant that will be utilizing the banquet area of the house, as well as several shops on board, with discounts for guests, as well. It makes the adventure that much more fun when I’m able to use my various skillsets from the corporate world to work my magic on this joint venture.
Our future will be established from the efforts I make today.
It’s all I can think about when I meet with each business owner. It all boils down to how I handle the meetings, and how I present the future of Le Château Robinson. Something I’m not exactly sure
of, myself.
***
“You can do this, Clara. If you need my help, I’m here. It’s my future, too, you know.”
“I know that, and I love you for it, but I can do this. Just let me see how far I can get on my own.”
Far was solidifying not only one local community, but five, I make my way around the surrounding area. Of course, I’m not alone, as Jason is by my side, usually not saying a word the entire time. True to his word, Devin won’t let me go out without at least two bodyguards—and one of them has to be Jason, as he explained one night.
“I only trust Jason fully, so he has to go with you.”
My rebuttal to this was to ask him who would keep an eye on him, but Devin didn’t fall for it. I’m his main concern, and that will never change, no matter what dangers arise.
***
One morning not long after, Devin motions toward the envelop on his desk.
“What’s this?”
“I don’t know. I never saw it before.”
Puzzled, I reach out to touch it, but he stops me just as I’m about to put my hands on it.
“Don’t. Let’s have the guys look at it first.”
“Oh, Devin, this is ridiculous! It’s obviously someone who knows us, or has access to the house, so they must be safe to come in here, right? Otherwise, how else would they get in?”
“I’d still rather be safe than sorry, so let’s just have them take a look.”
Several minutes pass until Jason makes his way into the room in what looks like a scrubs outfit. He’s wearing a full-face mask, as well.
“This is crazy. Just open the envelope.”
I’m getting more annoyed by the minute.
“Keep going, Jason. Just see what it is.”
Devin won’t be deterred, no matter how annoyed I get.
“It says, ‘Are you missing something?’”
“What the heck does that mean?”
“Beats me. Should we look around?”
“How did this even get in here?”
“I don’t know, but don’t touch it. I’ll check it for prints and have the guys check to see if there’s anything else threatening on it.”
“Okay. ‘Are we missing something?’”
Devin’s looking at me with concern, and all I can think is, what next?
Checking around the house and calling for my cats, I find them resting in the garden and out on the lawn, looking for mice. So they’re not the things that are lost. Phew.
“Dev, where do you think this note came from?” Jason asks.
“I found it on the desk in the office. Why?”
“For one thing, it’s not postmarked, so it wasn’t delivered. And it seems to be taunting us about something—or someone—we’ve lost.”
“You think it may be someone we lost?”
Scared over the implications, Devin pulls Jason to the side.
“And another thing. How could they know that we’ve lost something?”
“True. Who do you think it is that’s sending this to us?”
“Who knows, but we need to take this seriously until we could prove otherwise. Let’s look around. Where’s Clara?”
“She’s checking on the cats, and the items in the house.”
“Have you called Mom and Dad yet?”
Surprised and astonished at the thought, Devin just watches Jason pull his cell out before punching in their numbers.
“How about Adam, Lexis, and Bryant?”
“I’ll call them.”
Devin pulls out his own cell and punches in the numbers to make a conference call.
“Mom, is Dad with you?”
“Adam, one minute. Let me get Lexie and Bryant on the line.”
After several minutes of answering questions and talking back and forth, Jason looks at Devin as his brows crease, clearly upset over something.
“I can’t get a hold of Lexis.”
“Did you try the hospital?”
“Not yet. Why don’t you go ahead and try?”
After fielding several phone calls from Devin’s family members, I come back to chaos as Adam makes his way into the room.
“Did you find her?” he asks as he stands next to Devin.
“No, she never made it back to Sioux Falls.”
“Where is she? Devin, where could she possibly be?”
I cling to Devin as I slowly sink into the couch.
“Who has her?”
Devin, Adam, and Jason all turn to face me, scared to death at the realization.
Someone has Lexie.
And that same person was able to get into the house and plant the note.
What’s next? Ransom?
“Lexie never made it home from here, did she?”
About the Author
Normally not one to stand in the spotlight, Sarah grew up in the Midwest before the travel bug hit and she started wondering around the country. Long hikes, amazing views, and some of the most fun one could ever have with and without a companion. Sarah found her imagination wondering beyond the worlds she read about. Usually with an eBook in her hand on some device, Sarah delves between genres as her favorite style of writing is HEA romance. Now, as an author she writes what gets her attention. Contemporary romance, paranormal romance, erotica romance/erotica, and suspense she even finds her imagination best served when she explores the world of graphics as seen in picture books (children’s books).
Thank you for reading Heart Broken, the first book in the Game of Hearts Series. Clara will be on her journey to find her attacker for quite some time, so don’t worry about her making it to the next book. Don’t worry, I’m a sucker for HEA!
If you would like to support this author, you are encouraged to do so by letting others know how much you enjoyed this book.
For more information, including upcoming books and discounts visit:
Website: https://sarahalabaster.com
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Here is a list of books by Sarah Alabaster out now or coming soon. For more information stop by Sarah’s Book page on her website: http://sarahalabaster.com/books/ or on Sarah’s Amazon Author Page: http://geni.us/asabamzn:
Game of Hearts Series (Romance Mystery Suspense) http://geni.us/amzngmhrts
Heart Broken http://geni.us/amznhrtbrkn
Heart’s Desire http://geni.us/amznhrtdsr
Heart’s Obsession http://geni.us/amznhrtobss
Meadow Pines Series (Contemporary Romance) http://geni.us/amznmdwpns
Isolated Encounter http://geni.us/amznisltd
Innocent Encounter http://geni.us/amzninnenctr
Indecent Encounter http://geni.us/amznindctenctr
Fatal Encounter
His & Hers Series (Paranormal Romance) http://geni.us/amznhhs
His to Protect http://geni.us/amznhsprt
His to Cherish http://geni.us/amznhschr
Hers to Love http://geni.us/amznhrlv
Grand Lighthouse Series (Romantic Thriller)
Harbor Skies
Guiding Lighthouse
Parker Falls Series (MFM Erotic Romance)
Find Her
Keep Her
Save Her
Protect Her
Children’s Books
Penguin Getaway http://geni.us/penguingetaway
Dog in the Tree
Take a moment to read a sample of Isolated Encounter http://geni.us/amznisltd, the first book in the Meadow Pines Series.
Isolated Encounter
Book 1 in the Meadow Pines Series
Prologue
Fire radiated off her skin, threatening to make the tears fall from her eyes, but she knew enough to keep it together. Stirring dinner, she tried to contain the pain as he looked on from a short distance behind her.
He watched from his perch as one of the children ran up to her, stopping dead in his tracks when he caught sight of her face. Red and ashine, he made no attempt to hide his surprise. He too knew to hold his tongue as his father continued to watch, not saying a word, just taking in the scene before him.
“How long until dinner?” Eight-year-old Cody asked, fearful of saying anything else. Though he’d never been hurt by his father’s hand, he’d seen what happened to her when he became too curious.
“Almost done,” she replied with a stoic smile. “Just needs a few more minutes. Why don’t you go wash up, and let your brothers and sister know it is almost ready?”
Eyes followed them both through this innocent conversation. Even though they couldn’t see his gaze, they felt it as they continued preparing for the meal.
“Smells good,” he said as he stood behind her.
She hadn’t realized he’d left the chair until she felt his hot breath against her skin.
With a small crack in her voice she knew he wouldn’t appreciate but she couldn’t help, she made sure to answer straight away.
“It’s almost ready.”
“Good.”
His short reply sent chills down her spine. At five feet eleven, Randall Kirkland towered over her as she kept her sights purely focused on not burning the meal.
He moved away from her when the kids made their way into the dining room to set the table, just like she had asked. The reprieve gave her just enough time to regain her composure.
“Why don’t you sit? I’ll bring out dinner.”
Scooping the meal into a presentable bowl, Katie grabbed a serving spoon. She twirled around the room effortlessly, as if she didn’t have a care in the world. Had it not been for the pain radiating off her cheek, any outside person would have taken in the picturesque scene with a man and a woman and several children and thought that seemed to effortlessly interact together in a loving way.
Heart's Desire (Game of Hearts Series Book 2) Page 18
