by Bella Andre
Donna reached for Mari’s hands. “I promise I will accept him, regardless of how much he reminds me of your birth father, as long as he always treats you with respect and supports you and loves you with everything he is. Your children too, if you have them one day. He needs to protect them with his life.”
Mari smiled. “Owen is the oldest of five. He’s a born protector, and one of the reasons I fell in love with him is because of how much he cherishes his brothers and sisters, his parents, and his grandmother.” She paused a beat before deciding to add, “I understand if you’re not comfortable being inside the shop, but maybe after my reopening party is over, we can all meet at the pub tonight so I can introduce you to everyone?”
Her mother didn’t answer for a long moment, long enough that Mari wondered if she had indeed pushed too hard. Finally, Donna nodded. “Of course I will, honey. I’m not going to lie and say that it’s going to be easy to meet so many people who were so tightly tied to Charlie. But for you?” She put her hand on Mari’s cheek. “For you, I’ll do absolutely anything.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
The moon was high in the sky by the time Owen and Mari finally left the pub and walked back into the bookshop. Over the course of the evening, Owen’s family had, one at a time, snuck back to the shop to clean it up so that Mari wouldn’t have yet one more thing to add to her plate. Even Owen, on the pretense of having to wait in a long line at the bar for another round, had gone back to the shop to take care of some speed-hoovering.
They all wanted her memories of her opening day to be good, rather than of slogging through cleanup when she was exhausted and should be soaking in a bath, then getting into bed for a well-earned rest.
Mari was clearly shocked to see the shop so tidy. “When did this happen?”
He tried to feign surprise. “Must have been the cleaning fairies.”
She laughed. “Would these fairies happen to be related to you, by any chance?”
He grinned. “You’ve done so much already, and with your family arriving today, we didn’t want you to feel overloaded.” Though they’d been with each other practically the entire day, they hadn’t yet had a chance to talk privately. “Speaking of your family, how are you feeling?”
He’d been so worried about Mari when her mother had bolted from the shop just moments after arriving. And when Mari had run after Donna, Owen had been tempted to run after her too. He couldn’t stand the thought of anyone hurting Mari, especially her mother. But he’d known that their conversation about Charlie, and Mari’s wanting to remain in England, was long overdue. As it turned out, both her brother, Carson, and her stepfather, Gary, agreed with Owen. The three of them had huddled together, getting better acquainted while they waited for the women to reappear.
By the time Mari and her mother finally did walk back up the street, Owen was extremely glad to see that they had their arms around each other. Donna hadn’t come back into the shop, choosing instead to go to her hotel off the island for a few hours’ rest before meeting with everyone at the pub later that evening. From what he’d been able to gather over the past few hours, her mother, while obviously shell-shocked by Mari’s decision to remain in England, looked as though she was trying to be supportive.
“Let’s talk upstairs over tea,” Mari said as she locked the door behind them, then took his hand and led them up to the flat.
Together, they made tea, but once they sat on the couch, their steaming cups were forgotten as Mari began to speak.
“First, I’m really, really happy with how well the shop’s reopening went today. I know most of the day’s success is down to you and your family and my new friends all pulling together. I hope I can sustain even a fraction of the sales in the coming days, weeks, and years. But whatever challenges come, I’m ready to face them.”
“Everyone was happy to help,” he said, “but you’re the one who pulled everyone together. Today, your shop was the hub of the island, a place I know people are going to want to return to again and again—and that they’re going to tell their friends about, as well. You deserve every ounce of the success coming your way, Mari.” He laid a hand on her cheek. “Just as you deserve to be supported by your family. Your brother and stepfather both seem well on board with your choices, which is great.” Owen had overheard Mari offering to consult with her stepfather’s accounting company until he could find her replacement, but Gary had told her that while he’d miss her working for him, now that she’d found her true passion, he’d rather have her focus her full attention on the bookshop. “How are you feeling about where things stand with your mother?”
“It’s hard knowing she isn’t completely happy about my choices,” Mari admitted. “The truth is that I don’t know if she ever will be, no matter how hard she tries to wrap her head around them. And she is trying. Just coming to London and meeting everyone at the pub is proof of that.” Mari let out a breath, as if she was trying let all her worries go too. “I have to be comfortable with knowing that it’s finally time for both of us to spread our wings. It likely won’t be easy, not for either of us, but I know it will be worth it.”
She reached for his hands.
“I would have given up the bookshop. But I would never have given you up. From the beginning, I felt as though you could see beyond the walls I always had up where Charlie was concerned. I tried to tell myself it must be my imagination, because how can someone fall in love that quickly? Plus, I told myself that I needed to figure out what I was going to do with the shop first, before I gave in to my feelings for you. But I’ve never met anyone like you, Owen. Never met a man with such a big heart, a man who also happens to make my own heart race like crazy whenever we touch. No matter what I do for a career, or where I live, I know I’ll always be happy with you.”
He pressed a kiss to her lips, lingering over her sweetness. “The first moment I saw you standing here in the flat, I knew my life had changed forever. A voice inside my head told me, ‘This is the woman you’ve been waiting for. She’s the one.’ Just like you, I tried to tell myself that I couldn’t possibly feel the way I did—not when I had my grandmother to take care of, and her business, and such a guilty conscience that I didn’t think I deserved to be happy. But then you smiled, and I felt the truth of it here.” He pressed their hands over his heart. A heart that had never felt fuller or more full of joy. “Cupid’s arrow had struck, and every moment I spend with you only confirms what my heart already knew. You’re not only the most beautiful woman I’ve ever met, you’re also as beautiful on the inside. And it’s because of you that I can finally see all the beauty around me again.”
“I love you.” Her three softly spoken words touched the deepest parts of his soul. “Your beautiful British accent. Your remarkable brain. And most of all—” She lifted their hands to kiss his chest. “—your enormous heart.”
A beat later, she was laughing as he swung her up into his arms and headed for the bedroom. “No one has ever looked prettier in jeans and a T-shirt. Or made me want to tear them off so quickly.” He stole a kiss before adding, “How could I not fall head over heels for the woman who wrote the most impressive business plan I’ve ever seen, who bakes like a champion…and who faces challenges head on with determination and joy?”
Their earlier fatigue forgotten, they tore at each other’s clothes. Soon, they were skin to skin, hand to hand, lips to lips, heart to heart.
Every sigh of pleasure was a symphony. Every sinfully sweet caress a gift. And every passionate kiss another chance to express their love.
He stroked her soft skin and luscious curves, drinking in her cries of pleasure. She arched into him, her breath becoming shallow as she tumbled into climax, taking him over the edge with her for every moment of ecstasy.
And a little while later, when they fell asleep in each other’s arms, Owen knew he would always be the happiest man alive.
As long as he had Mari.
EPILOGUE
Elderflower Island Books had always be
en the perfect place for the Sullivan family to converge. It helped that it was directly across from the pub, of course, and Charlie had never minded having the lot of them clogging up his shop. Mari seemed just as happy as her father had been to see them all on a regular basis and was always ready with freshly baked brownies and scones, a cup of tea, and a comfortable chair to sit in.
Malcolm found himself in the shop more and more often these days. It used to be that he rarely left his office in the city before nine in the evening, and then it was on to a cocktail bar or restaurant opening until the wee hours of the morning. But the nonstop work and the glittering dresses and jewels of the women around him had lost their luster.
Some days, he felt like he was simply going through the motions, making the same calls, doing the same business deals, having the same meetings over and over, faking the same smiles. Whereas Owen couldn’t stop smiling real smiles. His brother and Mari were the real deal, in the same way that Malc’s parents were.
Malc had once thought he had that same magic with the woman he’d fallen in love with so many years ago in the States.
Malc hadn’t thought about her in years. At least, he’d tried not to think about her.
Funny thing about memories, though…it wasn’t always easy to hold them at bay. Especially late at night, when he was alone in his fancy apartment, with his fancy view and his expensive glass of wine, wishing he could turn back time and be seventeen again so that he could get things right this time.
He raised a hand in greeting as Owen walked in. His brother headed for the register, where Mari was helping a customer. As soon as she’d bagged up the woman’s book and thanked her for stopping in, Owen reached across the counter, threaded his fingers into Mari’s hair, and kissed her as though they were alone, rather than surrounded by customers—with Malc looking on.
Good for them. Just because Malcolm hadn’t found his own happy ever after didn’t mean he wasn’t happy that they had found theirs.
Just then, his phone buzzed in his pocket. Pulling it out, he saw that it was a US number. One he didn’t recognize, which always made him wonder—and hope, despite knowing better—whether it could possibly be her.
He accepted the call, then listened with surprise to what the caller had to say…
* * *
Thank you so much for reading AS LONG AS I HAVE YOU! I hope you loved Mari and Owen.
If you love reading about sinfully sexy billionaires, you will love meeting Bella Andre’s Maverick Billionaires! Self-made men from the wrong side of town who survived hell together, they now have everything they ever wanted. But when each Maverick falls head-over-heels for an incredible woman he never saw coming, he will soon find that true love is the only thing he ever really needed. In the first book in the series, BREATHLESS IN LOVE, Harper’s love is the one thing Will’s money can’t buy. Can he convince her that he’s not the rich playboy the world thinks he is?
One-click BREATHLESS IN LOVE (Maverick Billionaires) now!
“An incredible beginning to a new series that will pull at your heartstrings! A true joy to read.”
~ 5 stars for BREATHLESS IN LOVE
And if you loved spending time with the London Sullivans, you will also love the San Francisco Sullivans! In the first book in the series, THE LOOK OF LOVE, photographer Chase Sullivan falls in love with Chloe at first sight. She’s on the run from love gone wrong. Her body wants Chase—but can her heart follow?
One-click THE LOOK OF LOVE (The Sullivans) now!
“I’d recommend The Look of Love to any romance reader who likes their love stories steamy, realistic, and with a couple worth fighting for! Add in a unique, close knit family and you have a treasure on your hands.”
~ 5 stars for THE LOOK OF LOVE
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Turn the page for excerpts from BREATHLESS IN LOVE (Maverick Billionaires) and THE LOOK OF LOVE (The Sullivans)…
Excerpt from BREATHLESS IN LOVE (Maverick Billionaires)
Will Franconi has a dark past that he’s kept a closely guarded secret—very few people have ever heard his real story and he plans to keep it that way. After surviving a hellish childhood, he’s now living the dream life where everything he touches turns to gold. But something’s missing. He doesn’t quite know what, until a simple letter from a teenage boy brings Harper Newman into his life—a woman who just might fill up the empty places inside him…if only he could ever be worthy of her love.
When a man has more money than he could spend in five lifetimes, Harper has to ask herself what Will Franconi could possibly want from a woman like her. She’s learned the hard way that rich men always get what they want no matter the cost. If it were only herself she had to worry about, Harper would manage, but she’s guardian to her younger brother, who depends on her for everything. After he nearly lost his life in a car crash, she’s vowed never to let anyone hurt him ever again.
Still, sometimes Harper can’t help but long to change her story from that of the always cautious woman to an adventurous tale of a heroine who’s wild and free…especially when Will’s kisses and caresses make her utterly breathless. And as he begins to reveal his story to her, she discovers that he’s so much more than just another wealthy, privileged man. He’s kind and giving, and he fills up all the spaces inside her heart that have been empty for so long. Together, can they rewrite their stories into a happily ever after that neither of them would have believed possible?
Oh yes, Will Franconi was dangerous. Extremely dangerous as he drew her to the passenger side of the car and her stomach fluttered with the hand-to-hand contact.
Harper hadn’t dated in over a year, ever since she’d realized that she was an easy target. Not only for men who wanted to get at her brother’s trust fund, but also because after so many years of working to take care of herself and Jeremy, she hadn’t had much time left over to nurture her other relationships. First she’d become involved with a man who wanted Jeremy’s money but not Jeremy. And then she’d rebounded into a relationship with a guy who had sworn he would always be there for her and Jeremy—at least until he’d found a far lower-maintenance woman.
After that, Harper had decided love and marriage simply weren’t in the cards for her.
Not that getting in the car with Will was akin to dating him, of course. She couldn’t imagine what a rich playboy like him would want with a completely ordinary woman like her. It was just that she hadn’t been this close to a good-looking man in a very long time. That had to explain why her heart was pounding hard and her skin felt flushed.
Will put her hand on the roll bar. “Hold on tight right here.”
Everything he said seemed to have a double meaning, turning something ordinary into something sexual. But she knew it had to be her sex-starved brain adding the extra meaning.
She lifted her skirt slightly to step inside, then slid down into the leather seat. Picking up the ends of the seat belt, she looked at them, unsure how the contraption worked.
“It’s a five-point racing harness,” Will explained as he got into the driver’s seat beside her.
When she started fumbling with the hooks and levers on the harness, he said, “Let me help you.”
The next thing she knew, he was settling a strap over her shoulder, his fingers brushing her collarbone as he brought it down across her chest. Thrill bumps raced across her skin with the near contact. She inhaled his scent—shampoo and soap and very sexy male—and her body tingled. Pulling the harness down to her lap, he flicked the latch closed with a snap, and she felt the pressure of his touch just below her belly. Low enough—and intimately enough—that her pulse rate shot up.
As he started on the other strap, his fingers skimmed the air just above her breasts, not quite touching, but barely short of a breath away. Harper didn’t look up, didn’t dare meet his gaze, just in case he realized the effect he was having on her. He snapped the second latch, buckled the belt across her lap with a simple f
lip of the two pieces she’d already connected, then cinched the strap.
“Comfortable?” With the sun behind him, his eyes were shadowed, but she could have sworn heat sparkled in their depths.
“I’m fine.” Her answer was low, breathy, too close to a moan.
He pulled back slowly, his gaze still dark and intense, making her pulse beat even harder. After he secured his belt, he started the engine with a roar, and put a hand on the gear shift. “Ready?”
With a man like him, she didn’t think she’d ever be ready. But she managed a nod.
He took off with a burst of speed, and she hung on to the door with one hand, clutching the seat tightly with the other, down by the gear box where he wouldn’t see.
“Don’t worry,” he yelled over the rush of wind, “I won’t go too fast.”
Didn’t he get that everything he was doing was already too fast?
Her hair whipped around her face, and she had to let go of the seat to pull it back. She needed two hands to bunch the thick locks at the back of her head, out of her eyes and her lipstick. She was flying free beside him, held in only by the harness, as the wind screamed past her ears.
And he was smiling, watching her.
“Look at the road,” she shouted at him.
She felt him brake as he went into the turn at the end of the runway. It felt like they were going too fast, but the back end didn’t slide as he went into the second turn, heading down the opposite runway. Her body swayed and jostled in the leather seat. She could taste the salt air on her lips. In the distance, she could see Jeremy jumping up and down, punching his fist high.
Will went faster and faster, making her blood pound in her ears and the wind beat against her chest. She should have told him to slow down, to stop and let her out. She should be calling him a maniac, even screaming at him.
Yet right then, Harper had the insane urge to raise her arms in the air like a teenager on a roller coaster. A crazy voice inside her whispered, Do it.
