Unfaithfully Yours
Revenge
and
Web of Deceit
Unfaithful (The Complete Series)
By Joanne Clancy
Copyright 2013 Joanne Clancy. All rights reserved.
Kindle Edition
This book is also available in print at Amazon.
Unfaithfully Yours
The first book in The Unfaithful Series
by Joanne Clancy
Praise for Unfaithfully Yours
I loved this book, I can't say it enough! The whole book is well written and has you entwined from the beginning. The lives of all these women are so different, but one man brings them together. Then they get sweet revenge, and Mark never saw it coming! While Rebecca, Shona, and Penelope form a bond through the rough times. The one question I'm left with is does Colm ever find out about the affair? Another book maybe??
The perfect ratio of love, sex and storyline, I highly recommend this book. ~ Katy, Amazon
I love discovering authors that are new to me and then thoroughly relishing their books and this one is no exception. First off the bat, I related whole heartily to the strong women and the way they handled the sorry affair (pun intended). Good twist by the way as I didn't see that one coming but I won't spoil it and reveal which of those involved I mean, seeing as you'll have to read it to find out. It was set in Dublin which is one of my favorite places on earth and being half-Irish, well, I have family members who live there and they are just as feisty and full of life and learning as the ladies in this story. It all worked for me, from the beginning to the end and I left the novel with a satisfied nod and what more can you ask from a book? I will be reading more from Joanne Clancy in the future that's for sure. ~ Maureen Reil, Amazon
I received a free ebook copy of Unfaithfully Yours from the author. This is the first book I have read from this author, and I hope to read more from her in the future. This book is about a man Mark and his wife and mistresses and their relationships. I found this book very interesting. There are lots of twists and turns that keep the pace of the book moving and keep you wanting to read more to find out what happens. I loved the ending it was perfect! ~ Megan, Amazon
Discover other titles by Joanne Clancy at Amazon:
Unforgettable Embrace
The Wedding Day
My Love
The Unfaithful Series:
Unfaithfully Yours, Book 1
Revenge, Book 2
Web of Deceit, Book 3 (Available January 2013)
And
The Secrets & Lies Trilogy:
Secrets & Lies, Book 1
Aftermath, Book 2
Redemption, Book 3
Click here to purchase Joanne Clancy’s books
"Heaven has no rage like love to hatred turned, nor hell a fury like a woman scorned.”
William Congreve in “The Mourning Bride of 1697.”
Chapter 1
"I'm in love with a married man," Shona Morgan sighed deeply and put her head in her hands. "Oh for heavens' sake, Shona," Jackie Fitzpatrick, Shona's older sister scolded her disparagingly. "How long have you been seeing him?"
"Off and on for the past six months," Shona mumbled.
"When it suits him, I suppose," Jackie said. She pulled up a chair at the kitchen table to sit beside her sister, whose blonde curls tumbled around her shoulders. Her face was still buried in her hands.
"I promised myself that I wouldn't fall in love with him, it was supposed to be a bit of fun, that's all, but I've fallen for him big time and I don't know what to do."
"You don't know what to do?" Jackie looked at Shona incredulously. "I can tell you what to do, Shona Morgan, it's quite simple really. You break up with him and you go and find a single man of your own."
"Everything is always black and white with you, Jackie!" Shona pushed her thick hair off her face and looked at her sister in annoyance. "It's easy for you, with your perfect husband and perfect children and altogether perfect life. Most of us have to kiss a lot of frogs before we finally meet our prince, but you were lucky enough to meet Colm in school and live happily ever after. You should try having your heart broken a few times before you start judging other people. It might make you more empathetic towards others, instead of swanning around all holier than thou."
She stood up abruptly, knocking her chair to the floor, grabbed her coat and handbag and stormed out of the house, slamming the front door dramatically behind her.
Jackie looked after her sister in shock. She felt like she'd been slapped in the face. Shona's harsh words left her reeling. She slowly got to her feet, feeling quite shaky and decided to make herself a cup of tea. Tea was her first answer to every problem. She went mechanically to the kettle and filled it with water, all the while her mind was racing.
How dare the cheeky little brat talk to me like that? I'm not the one sleeping with a married man! How dare she take her frustrations out on me, especially when I was only stating the obvious? Anyway, who does she think she is, sleeping with another woman's husband and expecting me to feel sorry for her? I feel sorry for his wife, poor woman.
"Mom, can you help me with my spellings, please?" Emmet, Jackie's six year old son, interrupted her thoughts.
"Ok, darling, I'll be there in a minute," she replied distractedly, as she stirred sugar into her tea. "Ouch!" she cried, taking a sip of the hot liquid. She'd forgotten to add milk and had promptly burnt her lip. Unexpected tears welled up in her eyes. Her sister's sharp words had really hurt. She gulped back her sobs, not wanting to cry in front of the children.
"Mommy!" Emmet called from the living room.
"Coming darling, coming," she called, blowing her nose and making her way into the study where her son was struggling with his homework. His little face was scrunched up in concentration. Jackie looked into her son's big brown eyes and her heart lifted momentarily.
"Give your old mom a hug.” She grabbed him in a tight bear hug.
"Mom, help me please," Emmet implored, struggling to break free of his mother's embrace. She ruffled his shiny black hair and spent the next while helping her son with spellings and math problems.
Meanwhile, Shona was sitting outside in her car, feeling very guilty for her outburst at Jackie. It was a relief to vent her pent- up frustrations at someone, but she knew it was unfair to have shouted at her sister. She didn't deserve it. After all, she could hardly blame Jackie for the fiasco that she'd made of her life so far; she’d done a perfectly good job of it all by herself. She stared unseeingly ahead.
Her mind was full of thoughts of Mark McNamara, her lover and the married man in question. He'd promised her on numerous occasions that he was leaving his wife for her, but he wanted his son's exams to be finished first. He would be devastated if he ruined Christopher's chances of getting into university.
Shona was tired of waiting. She had a sneaking suspicion that Mark would always have some excuse for not leaving his wife. "All I need is some time, sweetheart. Then we can be together forever" was his usual line to her when she tried to push him into leaving sooner. Christopher had finished his exams a month ago, and still Mark hadn't made any move to leave.
Shona believed that she loved Mark, but she was beginning to wonder if he really loved her and if she was simply addicted to the drama of their affair. There was something so dangerously exciting about sneaking away for naughty weekends together, eating at fancy restaurants, checking into hotels and spending hours making love. Mark was a very skilled lover. She'd never met anyone who could make her feel the way he made her feel. He could make her entire body tingle with a single touch of his fingers. It wasn't just his prowess as a lover that made him so attractive to
her. It was more than that. She loved everything about him.
He was decisive and commanding, without being overbearing. She felt safe with him. He listened to her intently. He was a very interesting conversationalist, who had travelled extensively and had many fascinating stories about the people he'd met and the places he'd seen. They would sometimes spend hours just talking over a bottle of wine. Time seemed to race past when they were together, and when they were apart time stood still for her.
She was consumed with him. When she wasn't with him he was the only thing on her mind. She wished most of her life away until they were together again and hated when he left her behind, gently reminding her that he had to go back to his wife. She knew that was why she'd been so irritable with Jackie earlier. She and Mark had just spent the weekend together in her flat, and then he'd left her alone yet again.
Sometimes they would spend days together in her place, shut away from the outside world, making love, talking and acting like a “normal” couple. Mark would tell his wife that he had to go away for the weekend on some golfing jaunt or business trip and they would meet at the little pub on the corner of her road. It was a quiet, old man type of pub, with a roaring fire in the grate. The owner kept it open as a pastime, since his wife had died a few years previously. He claimed that the pub stopped him feeling lonely. Only a few regulars frequented the place now. It was a bit shabby, but very cosy, nonetheless.
Shona and Mark were almost guaranteed that they would not bump into anyone they knew there. They'd stayed in the pub until closing time the previous night, drinking cheap wine and chatting by the fire. Then they'd gone back to her place, closing the door on the world until Sunday afternoon, when Mark had had to leave her yet again.
"I'll tell Rebecca about us very soon, just a little more time darling," were his parting words to Shona.
Shona had tried to busy herself about the flat for a few hours that morning but soon got bored of cleaning, so she'd driven to her sister's house to try to distract herself from the emptiness she always felt when Mark was gone. She knew it was unfair to vent at Jackie, but she'd been looking for sympathy, and she'd been in no mood for her sister's supercilious, smug attitude. Jackie always had a solution for every problem. She could never simply listen and make soothing, reassuring noises.
Sometimes all Shona needed was a hug, that was it, nothing more, nothing less. She knew what she should or should not be doing, and being lectured by Miss Perfect was irritating and not a little patronising.
What does Jackie know about love and life anyway? Shona thought. She's probably never done anything remotely wrong in her entire life. She felt quite envious of her sister at times, but then there were other occasions when she wondered how she could stand the downright predictability of her life.
Her mobile phone beeped, shaking her out of her reverie. She rummaged in her handbag for her phone and flipped it open. It was a text message from Mark. She felt her heart lift as she read his words.
"I love you, now and forever," he'd written, "I wish I was with you. xxx"
She sighed, suddenly filled with a deep, aching longing for him. She loved how commanding he was in bed. He could be rough with her, at times and then other times he would be achingly soft and gentle. When they were together he made her feel like she was the only woman in the world; the way he looked into her eyes, stroked her body and devoured her. She loved how much he wanted her, how good she knew her body made him feel. He made her skin tingle and her heart soar, like no other man had ever done before.
She loved it when he pushed her down on the bed and roughly pulled her clothes off, often ripping her panties in his desperation to push himself deep inside her. He was always so rock-hard for her. Sometimes he hurt her at first when he penetrated her, but she enjoyed the pain, relished it even. His hardness filled her completely. He rode her powerfully, pushing her legs wide open and holding them apart as he shoved his cock all the way up inside her. Then he would start gyrating his hips and she would grab his tight buttocks.
He loved how quickly she came for him, drenching his cock in her hot, wet juices. Her orgasms were so intense with him, they would build and build until she could hold back no longer and wave after wave of pleasure would wash over her, making her buck and shudder beneath him. They would often stay awake all night, making love. She loved to wake up with him on top of her, already inside her. When they made love, she felt like they truly were one. She loved the all-consuming feeling of losing herself in him.
Shona had never felt this way about any man. She felt like she belonged with him but lately she was beginning to wonder if he felt the same way about her. She hated doubting him, but she couldn't understand why he hadn't made any attempt to tell his wife about what was going on between them.
He needs time, she tried to reassure herself. A few more weeks apart doesn’t matter when we have the rest of our lives to spend together.
Chapter 2
Shona decided to treat herself to a Chinese takeaway and a bottle of red wine. If nobody else will cheer me up, then I'll have to cheer myself up, she decided as she parked her car outside the restaurant. She pulled her hood up to protect herself from the sudden downpour of rain and ran inside to the warmth and shelter of the restaurant.
Suki, the restaurant manager, greeted her with a big, friendly smile and told her that her order would be a few minutes. Shona sat down to wait for her food. The tantalising aromas made her stomach growl. The restaurant was fairly quiet; it was Sunday night and most people were probably getting ready for work the next day. She glanced idly around the restaurant and couldn't believe when she saw Mark, her Mark, sitting at a table with another woman! The blood drained from her face.
Why was Mark sitting in a Chinese restaurant on Sunday evening, when he'd told her only that very morning that he had to spend time with his wife and son at home? There was no sign of a son anywhere and the woman looked nothing like his wife. Shona had seen photos of Rebecca on Mark's phone. She was a pleasantly attractive woman but this woman made Rebecca seem positively plain.
The woman sitting with Mark, her Mark, looked like a model, a very striking model. She had waist-length, thick dark hair that flowed around her shoulders. She had a delicate profile and was dressed in a very short, tight red dress. Her impossibly long, lean legs were encased in knee-high boots and her tanned, toned thighs were exposed under the table. Shona found herself wondering vaguely what brand of fake tan she used.
Mark and his companion were lost in conversation. They didn't even notice Shona staring at them. She observed them in shocked silence for a few more minutes, trying to hide her face behind a menu. It all looked very romantic; a table for two, in a corner by the window, a candle lit in the middle, both of them smiling into each other’s faces. They looked completely absorbed in each other.
Suddenly, the woman leaned across the table and kissed Mark full on the lips. He did nothing to stop her and in fact, he seemed to be kissing her back! Shona couldn't look away. She stared in horror at the romantic little scene that was unfolding in front of her.
"Chicken curry with fried rice," Suki reappeared, holding a brown bag which contained Shona's pathetic looking dinner for one.
"Sorry?" Shona glanced at Suki distractedly. She'd completely forgotten why she was sitting in the restaurant.
"Your order, miss," Suki repeated kindly. “Is everything ok?" She looked concerned.
Shona rearranged her face and smiled back at Suki. "Oh, yes, of course," she managed to smile stiffly. “Everything's fine, thank you. I'm just lost in my own thoughts." She stood up quickly and took her dinner from the restaurant manager.
"Have a good evening," Suki smiled as Shona stumbled back outside in the rain.
Shona made her way back to her car as if in a trance. She fumbled for her keys and put them, robot-like, into the ignition. Then she drove mechanically to her flat. Her mind was racing, but she felt oddly disconnected from the whole incident. It was like she was watching a film of som
eone else's life or that she was having some sort of a peculiar out of body experience.
What just happened? She asked herself incredulously, as she carefully spooned the chicken curry and rice on to her plate, back in her flat. She poured herself a large glass of red wine and sat at the kitchen table eating her dinner and drinking her wine robotically. When she had finished eating she rinsed the dishes and placed them carefully in the dishwasher, which had been a present from Mark.
She heard a loud wailing sound and it took her some minutes to realise that the noise was actually coming from her. She sank to the floor, feeling as if someone had suddenly punched her full force in the stomach. It was becoming difficult to breathe and her heart was pounding loudly in her chest.
How could he do this to me? She wailed aloud. He promised me we'd be together soon. He told me he loved me and that he wanted to marry me and have babies with me. He said we'd be together forever and that he's never met anyone like me. I was the love of his life. He lied. It was all lies.
Shona sat on the cold, tiled kitchen floor, replaying the romantic scene she'd witnessed in the Chinese restaurant earlier. Maybe she's a client or a relation or just an overtly familiar acquaintance, she mused, desperately trying to reason away what she had seen. I have to calm down and text him and ask him to meet. Then I can ask him to explain what he was doing with that woman. I'm probably reading too much into it. Everything will be fine. She struggled to her feet and went in search of her mobile phone.
Unfaithful (The Complete Trilogy) Page 1
