by Lily Harlem
Table of Contents
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
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
BREAKAWAYS
The Challenge Book #5
By Lily Harlem
Breakaways: text copyright © Lily Harlem 2018
All Rights Reserved
With the exception of quotes used in reviews, this book may not be reproduced or used in whole or in part by any means existing without written permission from Lily Harlem.
Warning: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be scanned, uploaded or distributed via the Internet or any other means, electronic or print, without the author’s written permission.
This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead is purely coincidental. The characters are productions of the author’s imagination and used fictitiously.
Please note this book is intended for mature readers.
Artwork by Studioenp.
Edited by Studioenp.
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Back Cover Information
When Olivia sets foot in Spain, her life becomes an explosion of the unexpected. With husbands, mothers-in-laws and children thrown into the mix, she finds her head spinningwhen her body isn't writhing in pleasure, that is.
But there is trouble in paradise, and she soon finds herself on the move again, but will it be to permanently put down roots with her men? Can she hold it together when the going gets tough? And will Australia be the ultimate challenge?
Table of Contents
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
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
About The Challenge
About The Author
Chapter One
Olivia stared at Harry. Had he really just said that? Told Riley she was Mrs Olivia Vidal?
Mrs Olivia Vidal.
Here she was heading off to meet her Spanish mother-in-law, and now Harry’s personal assistant was staring at her, his mouth open and his eyes wide, as if he couldn’t believe his ears. He was rolling his fingers and thumbs together, the way he did when nervous or excited. Olivia wasn’t sure which it was in this case.
“I…er…congratulations,” Riley managed, then cleared his throat.
“I’m so happy,” Harry said, kissing Olivia’s cheek. “We’re so happy.”
The limo was silent. The twins looked at each other. Raul rose off the seat then sat back down with a bump.
Evan coughed, and his thigh pressed against Olivia’s.
“Open the champers,” Harry said with a nod. “We need to toast.”
“Yes, yes of course.” Riley peeled away the foil covering the cork. “I take it you haven’t told your father yet?”
“I will when you give me my phone back.”
“Yes, yes, all in due time.” The cork shot from the top of the bottle. Riley caught it expertly in his palm.
Banna giggled and pressed her hand over her mouth.
Olivia glanced at the children. Would they give up her secret? Tell Riley she had five husbands?
“Quick, quick.” Harry leaned forward and snagged several crystal flutes from a discreet shelf in the door. “Here we go.”
Riley filled up the glasses. “And your mother?” Riley asked. “Have you told her?”
“No, of course not. I haven’t told anyone, how could I?” Harry passed Olivia and Evan a glass each. “We’ve been out in the plains of Africa, and then on some goddamn container ship with the captain from Hell.”
“Yes, I guess you have.”
“Finally, something to toast our happy news with.” Harry grinned.
“Yeah,” Evan said, his concentration on Harry. “Finally.” He was clearly as bemused as Olivia as to why Harry had decided to mention the marriage to Riley.
“Guys, here you go.” More flutes of sparkling liquid were passed around. “To us,” Harry said, wrapping his arm around Olivia’s shoulder and kissing the side of her head. “And happiness.” He raised his glass and took a big sip.
Everyone followed suit, including Riley.
“I’m sure,” Riley said, “that your parents will be keen to throw a big party as they missed the actual day. Have you had any thoughts on that?”
“No, not really.” Harry reclined back, drink held aloft and his ankles crossed.
“Harry?” Olivia paused. “But…”
“Vegas, or Hawaii,” Riley went on, “perhaps we could charter a yacht for the day, or maybe somewhere on the cliffs north of LA.”
“No.” Olivia shook her head. “I don’t know about any of this.”
“But, my dear Olivia.” Riley sat forward, a frown creasing his brow. “You have to accept the nature of the family you’ve married into. They are the sort of people who like to celebrate in style, and their only son getting wed…that’s a big deal.”
“But we’ve had a ceremony, and it was perfect,” she said.
“I’m sure it was in a…quaint way.” Riley smiled. “But, Olivia, you don’t even have a ring.”
“Er no.” Automatically she touched her collar.
“I’ll get you a ring,” Harry said.
“We’ll all go shopping for one,” Mason added. “If Olivia wants a ring, that is.” He paused. “Do you?”
“I guess it’s the normal thing to do.” She had a sip of her drink. She wasn’t bothered about a ring in the least. The ceremonial necklaces the men wore, that matched her collar, worked just fine as a sign of commitment.
“And of course,” Riley continued, “the Lear will be at your disposal, Olivia, to transport your family over to California for the celebrations. And Harry’s mother is very good friends with that French bridal gown designer, what’s her name…oh, I can’t remember, but it will be something bespoke created in Paris especially for you. And the food…”
“I will be in charge of the food,” Raul said.
“Raul?” Olivia stared at him. “But…I mean, great, but I haven’t even agreed to this pa
rty.”
“You will,” Harry said, rubbing her leg.
“No, no actually I don’t know about that. I would have liked to discuss it with you first, in private, Harry.”
“What’s there to discuss, Liv? I’m going to be telling people you’re my wife, out here in the real world, and there’s going to be questions about our nuptials and our celebrations. It’s how it is in billionaire circles.”
She laughed though it was a strained sound. “But I’m not a billionaire.”
“The thing is, Olivia…” Riley leaned forward. “You just married one, which does actually make you a billionaire, too.”
She stared at him. His lips had moved, sound had come out, but she could hardly believe her ears. Of course she knew Harry was her husband, in their own way, but not once had she considered his or his family’s wealth anything to do with her. In fact, they all went to significant lengths to keep the noughts in his bank account out of the equation.
“Are you really rich?” Darius wriggled against Mason almost causing him to spill his drink.
“Yeah, I guess.” Harry grinned at him. “I’m gonna put you on my plane to England, aren’t I?”
“Is it your plane?” Darius’s eyes grew large.
“Well it’s my family’s plane, but I get to say who goes on it sometimes.”
“And we can?”
“Sure.” Harry smiled. “You’ve got somewhere to go. Someone to meet who will care for you.”
“Yes,” Banna said. “We have.”
Olivia noticed a little shake in Banna’s voice. Was she getting anxious about meeting her aunt? Or was she, like Olivia, not looking forward to saying goodbye?
“And of course there’ll be the honeymoon to organize.” Riley tugged his phone from his pocket. “I’d suggest a six week trip, just the two of you. Something iconic, intimate, seductive and perfect for romance.”
“Stop!” Olivia held up her hand. “This is too much.”
“Nothing will ever be too much for Mrs Olivia Vidal,” Riley said, flashing her a grin and continuing to work on his phone. “Get used to that.”
“It will be…I seriously don’t know about any of these plans.”
“Oh, but you will. Check out this place in Italy. Gorgeous architecture and couples only.”
“She said no,” Lucas said. He leaned forward and dangled his still full flute from his fingertips. He hadn’t even taken a sip. “Which means no. Got it?” He’d said the last words with uncharacteristic sharpness.
“Hey, Lucas,” Harry said. “Let Olivia decide, eh?”
“And that’s what Riley is doing?” Lucas’s eyes flashed. “I don’t think so.”
Olivia’s stomach clenched. Lucas would only speak out if he felt strongly about something.
“A couples trip might be nice,” Harry said. He crossed his foot over his knee, and his foot bobbed. “Italy is romantic; you been, Liv?”
“No, and I don’t know if I want to.” She wouldn’t be going anywhere with just Harry, that’s not how it was.
“We can talk about this later.” He squeezed her leg. “It looks like we’ve arrived.”
“Ah, yes.” Riley twisted and peered out of the side window. “This is the social welfare office, and the medics should be here, too.”
Evan took Olivia’s glass from her and set it aside.
Stepping out into the heat, she held Amal’s hand a little tighter. The twins flanked her, Darius clinging to Mason as usual, his little arms and legs wound tight.
Banna reached for Olivia’s other hand. Her mouth, which Olivia had grown used to seeing in a smile, was a tight line, and her eyes were wide, showing all the whites.
“It’ll be okay,” Olivia said, gently squeezing her fingers. “We won’t leave you if it isn’t going to be perfect.”
“Do you promise?”
“Yes.” Olivia pulled in a deep breath. “I promise.”
“It will be fine. I know it will. I’ve got a good feeling here.” Harry smiled at Banna and touched his chest. He then walked up to the door, moving with an assuredness she hadn’t seen in him for a while. Did he like being back in the real world where money spoke volumes and he had a PA to iron out every wrinkle in his life? Had he hated not having any of that?
They all crowded into a small, but thankfully air-conditioned room.
A woman in a blue flowery dress emerged from behind a desk. “Hello,” she said. “You all speak English?”
“Si,” Raul said, glancing around. “We do.”
“Good.” She smiled at the children. “You must be Banna, Darius, and Amal, right?”
“Yes.” Banna gripped Olivia’s hand tighter.
Darius hid his face against Mason’s neck.
The woman crouched so she was head level with Amal at Olivia’s side. “My name is Tina, and my job is to help children like you.” She smiled. “And to make sure you’re with your family again as soon as possible.” She became serious. “Because I understand that’s what you want, to be with your aunt in England.”
Banna nodded. “Yes, that’s what we want.”
“And I’m going to do my best to make that happen very quickly.” She reached for Amal’s hand. “Are you going to say goodbye now?”
Amal looked up at Olivia.
“It’s okay,” Olivia said. “Tina will help you now.”
“Will I see you again?” he asked.
Olivia turned her attention to Tina.
“It depends how quickly we can locate the family. Which hopefully won’t be long, and with a private plane at the children’s disposal…” She shrugged. “You should perhaps say goodbye now.”
A lump caught in Olivia’s throat as she bent and hugged Amal. His small, skinny arms wrapped around her neck.
After a full minute she removed his vice-like grip. She turned to Banna. Amal moved onto Evan’s leg and hugged him.
“I’ll write to you,” Olivia said, pulling the girl close. “I’ll make sure we get your address and I’ll write often. And when I’m in England—which I will be, my parents live there—I’ll visit you all.”
“I’d like that,” Banna said. “Very much.”
Olivia held her at arm’s length. “You’re a beautiful girl, Banna, inside and out. And a wonderful sister. The best. But try and enjoy being a girl now, before you become a woman; childhood doesn’t last long, and you’ve had to spend a lot of time looking after your brothers.”
“I’ll try.” She glanced around. “And I hope it works out here, for you, with all your…” She bit on her bottom lip.
Olivia was grateful she hadn’t said husbands. “Me, too.”
Love swelled inside her chest as she gave Banna a final hug.
The men swarmed around, ruffling the children’s hair. Lucas hugged each of them tightly. Harry seemed a little distant, but it wasn’t that he didn’t care—she spotted a sparkle in his eyes; he was struggling to hold it together. He’d been great with the children, making sure they got study time in each day and making it fun.
Finally it came to the point Darius had to be parted from Mason.
Mason’s usually pale cheeks were flushed. “You should take him,” he said to Olivia, “hand him over.”
His actions hadn’t matched his words. His palm was flat on Darius’s back, holding him close.
Olivia blinked back tears. “Darius,” she said, “This nice lady, Tina, is going to care for you now.”
Darius shook his head and stiffened his little arms around Mason.
Mason swallowed tightly. “Olivia.”
“It’s okay,” she said, resting her hand on his forearm. “Come on, Darius.”
He shook his head again.
“Hey there, little man,” Tina said, scooting around Mason so she could see Darius’s face, almost. “We’ve got toys out the back. Why don’t you come and see them? Some little cars, too.”
Darius didn’t move.
“Any dinosaurs?” Mason asked.
“Oh yes, quite
a few of them.” Tina smiled. “Big and small ones.”
“Come on, wee fella, you like dinosaurs,” Mason said. “And this nice lady is going to get you to your family.”
“I want you to be my family,” Darius said then sniffed loudly.
Mason connected his gaze with Olivia’s and blew out a breath through pursed lips.
“Come on.” Lucas placed his hand on his twin’s opposite shoulder. “We can’t keep them.”
Why not?”
Those words screamed through Olivia’s head. It wasn’t as if they didn’t have enough love and money to go around. The three children had become special to all of them in such a short space of time. Whatever they’d been doing on the ship, the kids had been part of. They’d brought fun, laughter, and even more love to her tight unit.
She pinched the bridge of her nose, willing the tears to stay away.
Raul was behind her, his hand on the small of her back. “Darius,” he said. “Come now, I have more of the fudge you like. Want some?”
Darius lifted his head and looked at Raul. His eyes were watery.
“Here, see this.” Raul held up a small blue box. “The fudge is a present for you all.”
“A present?”
“Yes.”
“I have never had a present before.”
“Well you have one now.” Raul slipped his free hand around Darius. “Come on, mi amigo.”
“What is mi amigo?”
“My friend.” Raul grinned and pulled him from Mason. “We’re friends, right?”
“Yes.”
Raul set him on the floor. “Good, so let’s go see these dinosaurs and have some fudge.” He looked up at Mason. “Go,” he mouthed.
Mason held his arms out, to the sides, as though they felt empty.
“Come on,” Harry said, clasping Mason on the shoulder. “Let’s get out of here.”
Darius shoved a cube of fudge into his mouth.
“This way,” Tina said, holding Amal’s hand and reaching for Darius’s. “I know you’re going to like the toy room, all the children do.”
Olivia smiled at Banna.
“Thank you,” Banna said, then dashed a tear from her cheek.
