by Fiona Murphy
Yes, when we first met, I thought you weren’t fitting wife material because of your lack of a degree and a bunch of stupid shit that made me sound like a bad Victorian novel. The truth of it was, I was scared and I was using any excuse to stay away from you. As you might have noticed in our time together, I like my life neat and organized. I like knowing exactly what is going to happen from one day to the next. Every hour of my day was carefully scheduled and filled. I think it was so I wouldn’t realize how empty it really was. I blamed work but that wasn’t it, not really. The first day, I threw my schedule out the window and didn’t think twice. Realizing it terrified me, you being upset, the living situation I saw you in, your migraine, all I could think about was making it better. If you hadn’t been up to par to run this building I had plans to find something, anything for you in the corporate office. I couldn’t walk away from you and I found myself thinking about you at the craziest times. Like I said, it made me feel weak and I resented it like hell. How, I would wonder, could such a small woman fill my life so full?
Then the twins came up to my condo and warned me to take care of you and I’m sure you don’t know but they were up there almost every weekend until school started. They’ve managed to make it up at least one weekend a month since school started. At first, I resented them. Then I looked forward to it, they reminded me of you, it felt like we were close even when you weren’t there. I began imagining you were there and we were a family and I got to not only liking the idea but wondering when we would be able to get to that place. In my mind, I was waiting for you to take us further. You had started us, I believed it was up to you to let me know you wanted more.
I’m sorry, it wasn’t until I was driving up here back to you that I realized you pushing me to make love to you was all you had the strength to do. It was as far as your fear would take you and it should have been me to let you know I wanted more.” He had been leaning against the sofa, now he rounded it and stepped around to her. It felt natural to go down on his knees, she’d had him on his knees for months. Pulling out the box, he opened it and gave her a minute to look at it before he took it out and grabbed her left hand. There was no resistance and the look of shock looked happy, he hoped. “So, I’m telling you now. We’re going to get married and it’s happening as soon as absolutely possible. None of this a year from now or June bullshit, we’ve wasted enough time. For Christmas, you are going to be my gift. I know a judge up for re-election who would love for me to owe him. You and the twins move up with me, where you belong. We can look at houses in the suburbs if you want for better schools in a few weeks. If you need the big church wedding we can do it later.”
She was so quiet, his nerves were starting to edge up. All she was doing was staring at the ring.
“Carrie, when the time comes the judge is going to need you to say yes.”
Closing her eyes, she nodded, “I want to but I’m afraid.”
“Afraid of what?” His chest got tight when tears started to fall from her eyes.
“Can we wait until after Christmas, maybe a week or two?”
“No, tell me why you’re afraid.”
Her eyes went up to his and the fear was clear in her eyes, “I want to know for sure I don’t have cancer. I don’t want to have you go into this without knowing exactly what you’re getting into.”
Her words were a blow to his chest, for a moment he couldn’t breathe. “Explain, now.”
“When I went to the OB the pap smear came back abnormal. She’s optimistic it’s nothing but my aunt Patty, she died of cervical cancer at thirty five. That’s a strike against me. If the next pap comes back good, then I’m in the clear, for now. If it comes back abnormal, then it could be cancer.”
Losing strength in his legs he fell on his ass and his grip on her was so tight he took her with him. She was in his arms again and he held her as tightly as he dared without hurting her. “That’s what you would get tense about. That’s why you went to see an estate planner and the paperwork for Bethany. It wasn’t about being cautious, you’re really fucking scared and you’ve been dealing with it all alone. Damn it, Carrie, how could you do that to us?”
“I was afraid you’d run, it was too much to deal with.” She buried her face in his neck and he wanted to shake her.
“I told you, you belong to me. All of you belongs to me, not only your body, your thoughts and your fears, your dreams and desires. All of them belong to me to give you what I have in my power to give and make come true.
Right now, I want you to stop thinking about it. Everything is going to be fine. You are a healthy young woman and you aren’t going anywhere, I won’t allow it. Even if our healthcare wasn’t one of the best plans on the market, you are marrying a very rich man. What did I tell you last night? I would turn my life inside out for you so if we have to go farther and do more to keep you healthy then I will.
Look at me, look at me Carrie. Say it, everything will be fine. We’re getting married at Christmas and we’re going to live happily ever after because we love each other and we deserve it. I’m not going to worry anymore because it’s Rafael’s job. Rafael, will do all the worrying and take care of me and love me. Well, as happily ever after with a tyrant for a husband and two demanding twins.”
Laughing, she repeated the words and then she pulled him down and kissed him with all the love he knew she felt. “Tell me, mi dulce, tell me before I lose my mind.”
“I love you Rafael. I love you so much it scares me too. Take me to bed and make love to me. Please.”
Because her words were so very sincere, he picked her up and did as she asked.
Chapter Twenty Three
Eight weeks later
Carrie stared down at her twinkling engagement ring and loved the way their wedding bands matched in alternating diamonds and sapphires.
“What are you thinking, my wife? You seem serious and honeymoons are not times for seriousness, unless it’s making love.”
Laughing, Carrie shook her head. “Well, I was wondering if the twins were missing us because you said we’d only be going to the beach for two weeks and it’s been three. I also wanted to ask you something but I’m worried about you saying no.”
“The twins are in heaven staying with Javier in his bachelor pad, stocked with horrible food you microwave or ordering in. He’s making sure they’re getting to school on time and he’s been taking them out to see grandpa on the weekends. I’m pretty sure they hope we don’t come back anytime soon.
And whatever your question is the answer is, yes.”
“How can you be sure?”
“The day we married, I made a vow to do everything to make sure you never regretted our marriage. When those tests came back negative, I thanked god and made another vow, you would want for nothing. Our life would be as full of your happiness as possible. So, my love, whatever you want the answer is yes.”
“Rafael, I love you so much when you say things like that. Between how welcoming your family has been to me and the boys and how fast it feels like it has happened, sometimes I wonder if I’m dreaming. Your grandfather is the sweetest man, seeing him with the twins, I could see how he probably was with you and Javier.”
“No dream, mi dulce, this is everything you deserve. I knew my family would love you and the twins and swarm over you in their excitement. As I admitted, I was being stupid not wanting to share you with them. It’s the reason why we’ll be here another week, Javier let me know he was more than willing to take care of them longer this morning. I will admit even I was surprised my father came to our wedding, I don’t think he and my mother have been in the same room in over fifteen years.”
“Your father wasn’t what I expected. I’m glad by the end of the weekend your father and mother were polite and nice to each other. They were even looking forward to what I wanted to ask you.
If you’re saying yes, then tonight I throw my birth control away and when we make love we’ll be starting on our first of hmm, three or should we go f
or four children?” The look of awe and happiness on his face settled her fears.
“The choice, my love, is yours. I will of course cut back on my work hours and we will hire in a maid for help but we both know that the brunt of raising and managing the twins and our children will fall on you. I want you to be happy, I don’t want you to take on more than we can manage together.”
“I thought you said the brunt of raising our family will fall on me.”
“Ahh, but as my woman, your fears, your stress, your worry are mine.”
“Hmm, then maybe three is a safer bet for your worry.”
“Three has a wonderful uneven and fitting to our family feel to it.”
“I love the way you think. Rafael, let’s go back to bed. It’s warmer than I thought and I feel like I need a nap.” She stood and held out her hand.
“Are you feeling alright? Carrie, we’ve only been outside a little over an hour.”
“Rafael, the first rule around children is to learn code and nap is code for making love.”
“In that case, a nap sounds like a very good idea. Let’s take a nap and you can tell me more about these codes.”
His Marriage Demand
For two years Ria has longed to touch the fire in Drake Hawthorne’s eyes but she doesn’t dare. The hotel where she has worked has a strict hands off patrons policy and if it’s found out she’s even lingered too long in his room she’ll lose the job she’s worked so hard for. Maybe if she were more reckless and willing to step out on a ledge she would but she isn’t and she can’t. Because it isn’t just Ria’s welfare at stake but her little brother’s and she’s not able to put his happiness on the line for her own. So she’ll keep hiding behind the meaningless wedding ring and fake husband that she knows is the only thing that has kept Drake from pushing her for more. She’s seen too many rich and powerful men like Drake Hawthorne to know they didn’t care about the havoc they left behind only the moment where they got what they wanted. Ria needs more than a moment, she wants and needs forever.
When Drake finds out there isn’t a husband he demands marriage and Ria opens her mouth to say yes until warns her about the ending. Marriage shouldn’t come with a time limit and Ria refuses to give in. Just when it looks like forever is promised will a threat from her past cost her the future within reach with Drake?
His Hidden Agenda
I hate him, I hate him, I hate him. He’s always so charming and gorgeous and everyone in the office loves him but not me. He’s my competition and I hate him. I deserve the promotion, I’ve given not just my nights but my weekends and even my marriage to this company and I deserve the promotion. Only it’s Alex my bosses are patting on the back and taking meetings with. I’m positive the only reason Alex is nice and smiling to me is because he’s trying to throw me off my game. Men as gorgeous as him don’t let their eyes linger on fat girls like me. He’s blueblood, I’m south side Chicago below the poverty line, he’s Harvard and I’m night school six years to get a degree, on paper it’s laughable. He can’t really want me, there has to be something he’s hiding, a hidden agenda only he knows.
There is and when I finally find out I’m going to have the hardest decision I’ve ever had to make. The company I’ve put my life into or a chance at the kind of love I never believed existed before.
Kate Frazier wants one night and one night only. It’s the only thing she’s made for, the only thing she’s capable of. She doesn’t want any hand holding or cuddling, she wants to get off and then she wants them to leave. She likes her men, bland boring and non-threatening only the Nordic god staring at her from across the pub is anything but. One by one she’s breaking her rules for only one night because the moment he gets close she can’t help herself.
Only Trey refuses to let it go at one night. He knows her secret the one she’s tried so hard to pretend didn’t happen, didn’t exist even as her nightmares still haunt her. He knows and has her admitting to the rape she suffered from her mother’s boyfriend for two long years and he knows about the frantic, ugly things she did with anyone who have her in her teens. He sees it all and it doesn’t faze him, he wants the woman she is now and he’s not going to let her go.
Now Kate has to make the decision to go through the painful door of her past to the other side where Trey and the happiness she never thought she could know is waiting.
Abby Has Gone Wild
It was just supposed to be a one time thing, posting a naked picture of herself on a social website that has hundreds of other women doing the same thing. Only it very quickly hooked Abby on the high of knowing that others desired her body. Until it’s just one man that has her full attention. Jack is gorgeous and he wants her and it’s Abby’s worst luck, she believes, that he’s in the same city of Austin. Abby isn’t ready for more than what she can give from behind the safety of her keyboard. But Jack won’t take no for an answer when her body and her moans are telling him yes. Tracking her down Jack is even more enticing in person than from behind the computer and she can’t ignore that her body wants him just as badly as he wants her. Jack won’t give up on her and Abby has to decide if she’s willing to give up the safety of being alone to let Jack in.
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His Hostile Takeover
Ellie Shaw has been in love with Greg Turner since she first met him at sixteen. It doesn’t matter that now at twenty four he still treats her like a kid sister, Ellie still loves him. So why did her body go haywire when she first met Dmitri Markhoff? Dmitri was taking over the company she had worked so hard to keep going, Ellie wasn’t part of the bargain. Okay, she needed the job as a personal assistant he was offering and it was only for three months. That was more than enough time to save money so that once the three months was up she could support herself while she found another job. When the three months was up she would be back in Alexandria and back near Greg. She loved Greg. Hormones and never having been touched was all that was making her feel the way she did about Dmitri. She was sure of it. Besides all of that, men as gorgeous as Dmitri Markhoff didn’t look twice at women like her, who wore a dress size in the double digits, they went for models that were a size zero.
Dmitri Markhoff is a ruthless corporate raider and had long given up on soft feelings for women. He enjoyed their bodies and paid for it in diamonds and other trinkets. All he wants is Elise’s lush body that has the kind of curves that should come with a warning sign, love isn’t something he’s looking for. When he figures out that Elise is untouched his body goes into overdrive. Even though he’s aware keeping her is wrong when all he wants is sex, he’s having the hardest time letting her go.
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His Secretary with Benefits
Laura is a blonde with a bombshell body that has men drooling over her and treating her like a blow up doll, to be used only for their pleasure. Growing up Laura had been taught sex was a dirty thing and it wasn’t to be enjoyed. Her first boyfriend did a good job of making sure she didn’t, same with her ex-fiancé. A job offer comes her way that has Laura’s interest, an assistant is leaving her boss and trying to find a replacement. The only thing is her replacement has to be willing to let her boss have his way with her whenever and however he wants. Laura’s shock is quickly sidelined as the woman describes the complete and utter satisfaction she finds in her boss’s demands. Having never experienced that kind of pleasure before and wanting to know what it’s like Laura agrees to meet Paul.
The very first time she meets him she knows he’s what she wants, what she needs. It will be mutually beneficial for the both of them. Hot, satisfying sex on tap for the both of them. That’s all she wants, all she’s looking for, right? Falling in love isn’t on the agenda, for either of them.
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His Back Bay Princess
Diego Suarez is a Boston homicide cop who comes from a completely different world than Catherine Fisher. He’s the son of Mexican migrant farm workers, she can find the founders of Boston in her blue bloodline. He’d had to endure a stint in the Marines to fund college, she’d gone to a private university and her graduation present had been a three story home in Back Bay where Diego couldn’t even afford property taxes. They are different, too different for it to work out between them. Cat deserves better than what he can give her, it will never work.
It doesn’t matter if the only time he feels alive is when he’s with her. It doesn’t matter that she looks at him with all the love she feels for him in her eyes. One day she’ll wake up and figure out she can do better than him. It’s better to never start something that won’t last, can’t last.
Catherine doesn’t care about money, the having of it or lack of it. All she cares about is Diego. After Diego has been shot and she is asked to look after him she knows she has just one last chance to find out what is keeping Diego from her. She knows he feels something for her, so why is he pushing her away?
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His Next Chapter
