Evernight Publishing
www.evernightpublishing.com
Copyright© 2012 London Saint James
ISBN: 978-1-927368-75-6
Cover Artist: Sour Cherry Designs
Editor: Dana Horbach
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be used or reproduced electronically or in print without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews.
This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, and places are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
DEDICATION
Well, as they say, all good things must come to an end. And so it is with a truly grateful heart I say farewell to the end of a series that will eternally hold a special place in my own heart.
To Evernight Publishing. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to get Winter’s story out there.
Thanks to my editor, Dana, who helped me make The Heart Of Winter into a better series, and for sticking with me until the end.
To Dara England, and Sour Cherry Designs. Thank you for making such beautiful book covers.
To my number one fan. Thanks for not pulling your hair out while listening to me read and re-read this series when working on edits. I love you.
And finally, to all the fans of the series. Thank you so much for your support and your encouragement.
London
ETERNAL
The Heart of Winter, 4
London Saint James
Copyright © 2012
Prologue
From the haze of my sleep Cayden’s voice buzzed at my ear. “Winter, my love.”
I opened my eyes and scrubbed them before I glanced over to see the clock on the side table. 5:02 a.m. glared in bright green numbers. Arching my back like a cat waking from a nap, I stretched my arms up. Cayden’s chest pressed firmly against my back. A sense of satisfaction filled me. The corners of my mouth turned up into a smile.
“Good morning, beautiful,” he whispered against my cheek. His hand slid down over my hip. “I love you.” He pressed a kiss to my shoulder.
“It’s early,” I mock grumped and rolled in Cayden’s arms. The sheets rustled. “Hi.” I placed a soft kiss to his lips. “I love you, too.”
We had spent the night talking, making love, and talking some more. Maybe I was going to get lucky again, start my morning off right.
“I’m sorry to wake you. I have to go soon. I have an early day of filming. So as much as I hate to leave you, I have to.” Cayden’s angelic features turned into a frown.
I pressed my lips to the hollow of his smooth throat. “Are you sure you can’t stay a little while longer? I thought I might get lucky.”
He laughed his low even laugh. “You have no idea how much I want to get lucky myself, but if I am ever going to get this film done then I better follow through with my obligations.”
My hands fondled his bare chest. Fingers circling his flesh while my lips continued over his throat until I found his collarbone. “Please stay,” I begged.
Cayden sighed. It sounded conflicted. “Do you know how hard it is to say no to you?”
“Please.” I continued, “Don’t say no.”
Cayden’s voice became quiet almost pained saying, “Winter.” He held me close, encasing me within his arms, and stopped my advancing hands. I kissed his stubble covered cheek. “Baby, I really do have to go.”
“I’m sorry.” I tucked my face into his chest and muttered, “I understand you have to go.”
He pulled my chin up from his chest and gazed at me with a blazing determination. “Never say you are sorry. If it were possible, I would spend all of my time holding you in my arms. I’m not sorry you want me to stay. The only thing I am sorry for is leaving you today. I hate it. I hate to leave you. I hate being away from you, but I have to go.”
Clearly I wouldn’t bend his willpower. Cayden kissed the top of my head before he slipped out from beneath the sheets. I flipped around in the bed to see him pulling on his jeans. Once they were buttoned, he searched for his shirt. He located it dangling off the side arm of the chair by the window.
“Baby, I will be filming until Wednesday.”
“Oh,” I interjected, my voice sounding more than dejected.
He turned and looked at me for a long moment. “I am going to miss you every minute of every day. I’ll be back out to the estate Wednesday evening.”
“Three days is a long time, but I guess I understand.” I tugged the sheet up over my head, throwing a pity party all of my own.
Cayden slipped the sheet down, exposing my face. “Don’t do that.”
“What?”
“Hide your face from me. I never want you to hide from me.”
I sighed and kicked the sheet. It billowed up before floating back down. “Just ignore me, Cayden. I know I am being more than stupid right now. I know you have obligations. I’m being selfish. Forgive me.”
He smiled his guilty crooked smile. “I love that you are selfish. So am I, remember?” He paused. “Anyway, there is nothing to forgive. I will call you from Zander’s phone a little later to make sure everything went well leaving the hotel today. I need to know you are safe and at the estate.”
“Cayden, you really do not need to worry or check up on me.”
“Just the same, it makes me feel better to hear your voice.” Cayden kissed the tip of my nose. “I love you. I will see you on Wednesday so please be good while I’m gone.”
“I love you.” I smiled what had to be an impish grin, because I was going to be naughty. I sat up on the bed, allowing the bed sheet to fall until it exposed the top of my breasts. “Oops,” I said, biting my bottom lip.
I stopped the material just above my taught nipples. They were present and accounted for and pressed through the material. I glanced at Cayden from beneath my lashes, spread my legs, and permitted the Egyptian cotton sheet to puddle between them. Cayden’s eyes widened. His tongue slicked out. He licked his lips as if he were tasting me.
“Cayden, you know I will be the model of virtue. With you gone I have to be good. You won’t be around to tempt me so I have no idea how to get into any trouble.”
“You are sexy as hell, Winter.”
“So are you.” I lifted my bare left foot to his chest and traced my foot down the length of the buttons on Cayden’s shirt. Next, my toes shimmied down his pants until I rested my foot on his crotch. “Very nice jeans,” I commented. He pressed forward.
Cayden picked up my foot and tapped his fingertips down my leg in a sinful way. “You are extremely naughty.”
“Sorry,” I said, but I wasn’t sorry at all.
“Maybe I should paddle that sweet little ass for being so naughty.”
“Definitely,” I replied. He smiled wickedly.
He wrapped his hand around my ankle. Lifted my foot up to his face. He put his mouth on the top of my foot and kissed it softly before Cayden placed my pink painted toes to his mouth where he proceeded to suck on them one at a time. Goosebumps flashed across my flesh.
“Baby, every part of you tastes good,” he crooned. Cayden let loose of my foot. He stripped off his shirt.
“Babe, what are you doing?” I asked, giggling.
“Winter, I’m taking off my clothes,” he stated. His shirt hit the floor. He started to remove his jeans.
“I see that but….” My mouth was stopped by his lips. Cayden removed the sheet from my body. He swept his penetrating gaze over my bare flesh. Laying me back on the bed, he slid his naked body up against mine. “Babe,” I mumbled.
“Shh….” Cayden hushed me.
&nbs
p; “I thought you had to go.”
“They can start without me. I’ve got work to do here,” he teased while he played with my breasts.
I moaned with pleasure.
“Cayden, I can’t….” My lips seemed to stumble. Cayden continued to touch me. “I….” I shivered. “I can’t make you late,” I finally said.
“Stop talking and give me those luscious lips.” And with his request I did.
Cayden was pressed between my thighs when his cell phone rang, “Papercut” by LinkinPark.
“Should you answer that?”
“No,” he muttered before his mouth paused at my throat, and my hands slid down his muscular back, lingering in the furrow of his spine above his ass.
My cell phone started ringing. I let out an exasperated sigh.
“Should you answer that?” Cayden asked.
“They’ll call back,” I assured.
My phone vibrated across the side table before grazing Cayden’s phone, pinged and slid off. I heard it hit the floor by the bed.
We were kissing, touching, moving, and grinding against each other’s bare skin when Cayden’s phone started again. “The Kings of Leon” played this time as the ringtone. Cayden’s taste in music was eclectic, like mine. I wondered what he would have set my ringtone to be if we could actually call each other.
“Shit.” He groaned, but not in a good way. He removed his hands from me, stretching his long beautiful body out like a banquet for my eyes. He reached for his phone. His phone was still on the side table; however, it was teetering dangerously close to the edge. “This better be a matter of life and death,” he answered, irritated.
There was a long pause. Cayden rolled to his side, leaving my body bereft.
“I know what the damn schedule is.” Cayden looked at me, scanned my nakedness, searing me with his gaze. “Give me fifteen minutes.” He smiled at me, his guilty crooked smile. “Make it thirty,” he amended before he flipped his phone closed and placed it back on the table. “Now, where was I?” He rolled back between my thighs.
If I ever had any doubt the phone call softened Cayden’s resolve, there was absolutely no uncertainty as I felt him firmly and assuredly slide between my inner wet crease.
“Wow.” I breathed.
Cayden flashed his wicked grin. “Thanks,” he said with a sense of teasing smugness.
“You are welcome,” I said, smiling in return. “I can’t believe you are actually going to stay and do this.”
He looked me straight in the eyes. “Oh…I’m going to do this all right.”
Exactly forty-five minutes later, I was breathless, completely relaxed, almost noodle-like while Cayden was still full of energy. He jumped up from bed and headed to the bathroom. I saw his reflection through the mirror when he stepped out of the shower soaking wet and glistening, shimmering really. There are no words to describe his perfection, but I can say I was completely absorbed. I watched Cayden dry himself with the white fluffy towel, brush his teeth, shave, put on his deodorant, lotion, cologne, comb his fingers through his wet hair, throw on his clothes, dump everything into a black duffel-bag, and move with assurance and speed. In ten minutes time he looked like eye candy, sweet delicious and oh-so mouthwatering good. It takes me at least an hour in the bathroom before I feel ready for my day, and I doubt I look anything close to that good.
Cayden came back to the bed, leaned down, and kissed me deeply but with swiftness. Then he pulled back and studied me. “You are breathtakingly beautiful. I’ve got to go, baby. I’ll call you later.”
He picked up his cell phone then picked my phone up from the floor, placing it on the side table for me. When he turned, I threw my pillow at him. I had good aim because I nailed him in the back of the head. He stopped, froze, dropped his bag, and turned around to glare at me, the corners of his mouth twitching. His eyes were filled with amusement and fire. I started giggling.
“And what was that for?” he asked, stalking forward like a tiger about to spring.
I scrambled, sliding across the bed, laughing. “I wasn’t done kissing you yet.”
He bounded forward and snagged me by the ankles. I wasn’t fast enough. He pulled me back down the bed. The mattress gave when his weight joined me. The next thing I knew, he was straddling me with his knees to each side of my hips and my wrist pinned up over my head, clasped in one of his hands. I was still laughing.
A huge smile spread across his face. “So you thought you could commit a hit and run, and I would not catch you?”
“Yep.” I giggled.
“And look at the predicament you are in now.”
“Have you ever considered you are the one in a predicament?” I asked, trying hard not to laugh.
“Oh really?” Cayden’s one free hand started moving up from my navel, over the span of my ribs, and traced my left breast. He licked his lips while he watched my nipples peak. “It looks like I have the advantage here, Winter.”
“Yes, but now you need to consider your predicament.”
His index finger circled my right nipple as he asked, “I do?”
“You do.”
“And what would my predicament be?”
“Do you stay and finish kissing me like I deserve to be kissed. Do you take advantage of my totally helpless, not to mention my completely naked state, or do you go?” I smiled. “Now you tell me, babe, who has the predicament here?”
Dawn broke over Cayden’s face. My cell phone started ringing again. With one hand he grabbed it, flipped it opened, and placed it to my ear.
“Hello,” I said, breathless.
“Sugar muffin, we need to talk,” Q said. I imagined I was in for one of his internet, website, tech-guru conversations.
Cayden leaned down and licked my nipple. I squealed.
“Um, Q, I really can’t talk now. I’m getting ready to use my tongue quite literally so I’ve got to go.”
“Ooh girl!” he screeched.
Cayden pulled the phone from my ear.
“Q, this is Cayden Cain.”
I heard Q yell on the other end of the phone.
“I’m getting ready to use my tongue as well, so sugar muffin will need to call you back later.”
I laughed. Cayden winked at me. Q was going crazy on the other end of the phone. I heard him hooting.
“I’m going to hang up now, because I have a beautiful naked lady in my grasp, so I hope you understand,” Cayden said then snapped my phone closed before he proceeded to kiss me breathless.
Chapter One
The Estate
Black SUVs as far as the eye could see lined the drive.
There was quite the motorcade leaving from the hotel. If one didn’t know better, they would think there was a head of state, or perhaps a Columbian drug lord, leaving the Ritz today. But that’s how it was. A huge production to do anything. Winter, the woman who lived a rather inconspicuous life was gone, replaced by the Winter who was lying, sneaking around, trying to dodge the paparazzi, and allowing the world to believe she was involved with Chandler Cain. Why? So she could stay with his brother Cayden in a world that was not her own.
Several staff came to help Melissa, one of Cayden’s assistants, pack my clothes so we could move them to the estate, which was secluded and located about twenty minutes outside of the city. Cayden had gone overboard, sending Melissa on a shopping spree for me. I had more clothes than a designer boutique.
In all of the surprise of last night with Cayden’s unexpected disclosure to my mother and the Carlyles that he and I were indeed a couple, I’d forgotten to scold Cayden for going overboard with his gifts. I smiled after thinking about it. I would scold him later, in private, while we were naked. It could wait.
I glanced over at Jayden, my huge and scary bodyguard, wondering if he would do me a favor. “Jayden,” I said.
“Yes?”
“Do you think it would be possible to go jogging?”
Jayden turned to look at me and actually took off his dark sunglass
es. That did surprise me. He had only removed them one time before while within my presence. This time I noticed his eyes were the perfect color of liquid honey.
“Jogging where?” he asked, quite serious.
“I really don’t know. I used to jog. It helps me with stress and anxiety. If it would be possible I would like to find time to go jogging this week.”
“Are you anxious about something?” he asked, concerned.
I shrugged my shoulders. “I just know it is going to be a long week for me.”
Jayden seemed to study my face, considering my request possibly.
“I can plan a route around the estate. The bike paths are fairly secluded.” I smiled. “But I will be joining you so I hope you don’t mind company,” Jayden returned.
I considered his offer and knew it was probably the best I was going to get.
“I don’t mind company, and thanks.”
All too soon, the city was a distant memory. The car had pulled through the familiar iron gates of the estate.
After a parade of moving clothing up the stairs and into my room, we were finally able to get the whole kit and caboodle of a mess unpacked. Melissa was a trooper. Of course she would have to be. Not only did she work for Cayden as a sort of personal assistant, but she was the personal assistant for one of the studio executives, Zander Harrison. She helped me put all of my new clothes away, never giving up even though it was actually a task. I appreciated her help.
“Winter, can I ask you something?” Melissa inquired while folding the last of the garment bags.
“Sure,” I replied.
“I have heard Cayden talk about you before. I mean, I would see Cayden off in a quiet corner, reading one of your latest books, and he would speak about you as though he knew you. He talked about the color of your eyes but….” She stopped talking, smiled, and shook her head.
“Please ask,” I prompted.
“He never actually meet you until a few weeks ago, am I correct?”
“Yes, you are correct.”
“Amazing,” she said with a tilt of her head.
“What?”
“Cayden was right. Your eyes are the exact shade of emeralds. How could he have known that?”
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