Simone turned and gasped to find his face so close to hers. She stared into his swirling silver eyes, and promptly forgot what she wanted to say. In fact, the only thought left in her giddy little head was how kissable his lips looked.
His lips were just inches from hers. She barely had to move to close the distance between them.
Breene's silver eyes glowed with heat as he moved a little closer. Simone couldn't breathe as she felt his hot, scorching breath on her skin. She could feel the heat radiating off his powerful body, melting her into a mindless puddle of wanton desire.
Breene's sexy lips hovered above hers, but he didn't kiss her. He simply held himself still and waited.
He was waiting for her to make the first move.
Simone balled her fists. Her traitorous fingers were itching to grab those broad, hunky shoulders and feel every inch of that hard, delectable body. She wanted to run her fingers through his tousled brown hair as she lost herself in his kiss.
Blinking hard, Simone shook her head and backed away from temptation.
Breene quirked an infuriatingly smug smile at her. He knew what she wanted to do. In fact, he had been taunting and tempting her on purpose. Putting himself within easy reach, leaning in so close to her and letting her feel the heat of him…
She bet he could scent her desire.
Simone gulped. If Breene was a shifter, he would be able to scent the moisture pooling between her legs.
There were shifters in the city, and she had encountered them at close quarters before. She knew how sharp and acute their senses were, and how ferocious their sexual appetites were. Even though they were careful to keep their beasts leashed, there was no mistaking their true natures.
They were predators.
Breene could have kissed her just now. He could have grabbed her and kissed her senseless, and she wouldn't have protested. They both knew it.
But he had held himself back.
Whether it was to test her, or to test himself, she couldn't be sure.
Simone huffed and shot Breene a look as she put her car into gear. She would have to reassess her initial opinion of him. She had thought he was caring and charming at first. But now she would add arrogant and flirtatious to the list.
He had looked so sure of himself, smirking as he read the want and desire in her body language. He was so sure that she would kiss him.
He's a player.
Breene was scowling at his gargoyle over his shoulder and muttering, “I should have stuffed you in the trunk.”
Simone thought the guy looked a little disappointed and deflated and a triumphant smile crossed her face. She had resisted him.
Ha, she was probably the first woman who had accomplished this feat.
But proving that you can't keep a good man down, Breene rallied quickly and that rakish smile was soon back on his face.
“Dr. Emerson's clinic is just up ahead,” Breene informed her helpfully as she turned right at the junction. “He usually opens at dawn, but sometimes he opens an hour later.”
Simone nodded. “Dr. Emerson was my family doctor. My mom and dad used to take me to see Dr. Emerson whenever I came down with something. I wonder if he still remembers me...”
“Have you changed a lot in ten years?” Breene teased.
Simone's smile faltered. Yes, she had gone through a lot and changed, hopefully for the better, these past ten years.
“I was barely nineteen when I left. I'm almost twenty-nine now,” Simone answered at last.
She gave her head a hard shake and eyed Breene curiously. “So—when did you move to Redrock Valley? I grew up here, but I don't recall ever seeing you in town.”
CHAPTER NINE
Without missing a beat, Breene said, “Ah, that would be ten years ago, right about the time you left. So...I guess you just missed me. Pity.”
Simone rolled her eyes when he flashed her a suggestive, flirtatious grin. “Pity for you,” she deadpanned.
“Definitely for me,” he agreed. “But maybe if I'd moved into town earlier, you wouldn't have left?” he added hopefully.
Simone gave a crooked smile. Yeah, maybe. If she had met him ten years ago, her life might have been so different. She wouldn't have jumped into that horrible marriage and...she could have been a mother by now.
Simone swallowed that awful lump in her throat. She had only ever told one person about her miscarriage. Only her best friend Kerry knew all about her past and her loss.
Simone released a slow, quiet sigh. She'd had a happy childhood, but both her parents had passed away when she was eighteen. That was when she met Trent, when she thought that she had no family left and she was all alone in the world. Within a few months, they were married.
She didn't marry for love, she realized now. She married Trent out of fear.
Fear of being alone, fear of rejection, fear of...so many things which she now knew weren't even real.
Trent had created all those doubts and demons in her mind, reducing her to less than nothing. She had even grown to fear her own voice and her own shadow. And for a long time, she had been too afraid to trust anyone. She couldn't even open up to her best friend, Kerry.
But it was over now. It was all over. That was firmly in the past, and she was living freely and fully now. She had some very good friends in the city, and Kerry and her mate, Nathan, had so warmly made her a part of their beautiful family by asking her to be their daughter's godmother.
“You okay?” Breene said quietly.
“Huh?” Simone started and gave him a quick smile. “Yeah. I was just thinking of my goddaughter, Corinne. I miss the little girl already.”
Breene gave her a long look but said nothing. She was sure he could see right through her.
Simone pulled her car to a stop in front of Dr. Emerson's clinic. “Oh, there's Dr. Emerson!”
The good doctor was just unlocking the door to his clinic. Dr. Emerson's hair was fully white now but he still cut a tall and imposing figure.
“The doctor is in!” Breene cheered, jumping out of the car and opening the door for her.
Dr. Emerson turned when he heard Breene's booming voice. His eyes widened behind his glasses as he stared at Simone. “Is that you, Simon Dixon?” His face creased into a broad, brilliant smile.
“Yes, Dr. Emerson,” Simone said shyly. “I...”
“Simone hurt her head,” Breene interjected, propelling Simone forward.
“No I didn't.” Simone twisted round to glare at him. “You hurt your head!”
Breene pointed to the small cut on her forehead and jabbered on, “See this, Dr. Emerson? She did hurt her head. She banged it against the steering wheel.”
The doctor nodded. “Yes, I see it. It appears to be just a shallow scratch though, but I'll take a look at it. Come on in, Simone.” He beamed and held the door open for her. “It's good to see you again! Are you back for good?”
“Well, actually, I'm here to attend a wedding...”
“Ah, Teresa and William's wedding,” Dr. Emerson answered with a chuckle. “The whole town is invited!”
“The whole town? Wow. She told me she's getting married in a castle. I guess a castle is big enough for the whole town,” Simone said, looking around the clinic as Dr. Emerson switched on the lights.
Everything was exactly the same. The same, trusty clock was still keeping perfect time on the wall, and she was pretty sure some of the yellowed magazines on the rack hadn't been touched since her last visit. The couch in the waiting room had been upholstered though.
It felt so comfortable to be chatting with the old doctor and moving through the familiar waiting room. She hadn't felt so calm and relaxed in a long time.
She hadn't realized how happy she was to be back in Redrock Valley.
“Yes, Breene kindly offered to host her wedding at his castle,” Dr. Emerson chatted with her as he shuffled to the pantry. “I'll put the kettle on so we can have some tea after I take a look at that cut on your head. There won't be an
y patients for at least another hour.”
Simone frowned. Had she heard wrongly.
“Breene?” she sputtered, looking around.
Where was he anyway? The man was gone. He hadn't followed them into the clinic.
Simone went to the glass door and looked out. Her car was sitting at the side of the road, looking rather lonely. There was no sign at all of Breene and his gargoyle.
She rushed back to the pantry and asked breathlessly, “Did you say Breene was hosting Teresa's wedding?”
The doctor looked up, startled. “Yes. Breene.”
“That Breene?” She waved a finger towards the door.
“Yes. Breene Magnus.” Dr. Emerson frowned. “I thought you guys knew each other. He was in your car, was he not?”
“Y-yes. But I...I only just met him,” she stuttered. And he was in my car because I almost ran him over.
Teresa had told her that her boss had generously offered to host her wedding in his castle. Her boss!
With a grimace, Simone clutched her head with both hands.
“Simone, you fool,” she muttered, pressing the heels of her palms to her closed eyelids.
I almost ran over Teresa's boss!
She groaned louder. And I almost kissed him.
CHAPTER TEN
Simone glanced up at the majestic columns as she drove up the winding road towards the castle.
Behind her and in front of her, crowded chartered buses were streaming through the tall, imposing castle gates. Buses were ferrying the majority of the wedding guests from the town to the castle. Some guests like Simone preferred to make the drive up to the castle themselves. Others preferred to walk. The route was scenic and the weather was lovely. Lanterns lit the entire way up the hill, and the setting sun painted a lovely romantic picture.
It was indeed the perfect location for a romantic wedding.
As she drove through the castle gates, Simone looked up and did a double take. She thought that the gargoyle perched on the top of the left pillar looked terribly familiar. In fact, she was pretty sure it was the very same gargoyle that Breene was carrying around this morning as part of his training for The Amazing Race.
She still hadn't figure out if he was pulling her leg or not. His smile was playful and teasing, but his gaze was intense and knowing. She just got the feeling that he had seen and experienced a lot more things than he was letting on.
She hadn't seen Breene since he left her at Dr. Emerson's clinic and disappeared. It had been a whirlwind of activity for her since she blew into town. Honestly, she hadn't expected such a warm and enthusiastic reception from the townsfolk. After all, she had left ten years ago, a lifetime ago. She hadn't returned to Redrock Valley, hadn't visited or kept in touch with her old friends and neighbors from her hometown. She thought they would have forgotten her by now.
But no one forgot her.
“You can take a girl out of Redrock Valley, but you can't take her out of our hearts,” her old neighbor, Mrs Goode, had declared as she pulled Simone in for a big bear hug. When Simone mentioned that she would be booking a room in one of the inns for the night, Mrs Goode had pooh-poohed the idea straight away.
“I have a spare room. My eldest daughter just got married. You will sleep in my house, Simone. Tsk, I watched you grow up! Your parents were two of my closest friends. No, you will not sleep in an inn. I won't allow it!” Mrs Goode had exclaimed fervently.
No one mentioned her failed marriage at all. Perhaps they had all known what a horrendous mistake that was right from the start. But they didn't judge her or blame her for just leaving all her old friends and neighbors behind without a word. She had been young and vulnerable then, barely nineteen when she got married.
Everyone was entitled to their mistakes and their past.
They were just so happy to see that she was well, healthy and happy now. As Mrs Goode said, she'd always been in their hearts.
She should have come home earlier. She shouldn't have believed Trent. She had never, ever been alone.
Her parents might be gone, but she had people who cared about her. Friends, neighbors, old teachers and shopkeepers who had watched her grow up. She had a town to go back to. She didn't have to move so far away to the big city to find herself. The one good thing that came out of her hasty move to the city was her friendship with Kerry Scott. Kerry and her younger sister, Tia, were like sisters to Simone. They had seen one another through the worst of times, and their bond was strong and unbreakable.
Kerry had called in the afternoon to make sure that Simone had arrived safely in Redrock Valley. Kerry was thrilled when Simone told her that she was having a great time meeting up with her old friends and neighbors. “When Corinne is a little older, we should all take a drive to Redrock Valley together,” Kerry had enthused. “It sounds like such a beautiful place! I'm sure Nathan and Tia will love it too.”
Yup. They would.
Simone would love to show Kerry and her family around, let them know the town she'd grown up in. The town that never stopped loving her.
Redrock Valley really was a beautiful town.
Inside and out.
The town and its people were charming, sweet and warm, and although she had packed up and left Redrock Valley so many years ago, her heart had never left.
And...wasn't home where the heart was?
CHAPTER ELEVEN
The small town of Redrock Valley was nestled at the foot of a tall hill. An old castle sat on top of the hill, and it had been empty for the longest time.
The castle was actually part of the estate of a wealthy nobleman. But after many unsuccessful attempts to sell the castle, the executors simply gave up and the castle fell into disrepair.
The castle was only sold ten years ago. Breene Magnus bought the castle and gave it a massive makeover. He more than restored it to its former glory. In fact, the castle was even more splendid and majestic now. It gleamed and glittered, and looked like something straight out of a fairy tale. A fairy tale with princesses, dragons and a happily ever after.
Simone actually thought that the gilded roof was a little over the top, but she wisely kept her opinion to herself.
Everyone else thought that Breene Magnus had done a marvelous job. From her conversations with the townspeople, Simone discovered that Breene was somewhat of a hero in their eyes.
Not only had he converted that hulking eyesore into a shiny, sparkling wonder that featured prominently in postcards and calendars, he had single-handedly revived their sleepy, crumbling little town.
His modern, sparkling castle attracted visitors and tourists in droves. No one was allowed in the castle since it was private property, but tourists were more than happy to snap photographs with the iconic castle in the background.
The souvenir shops were doing a roaring trade selling cute little replicas of the castle. There were fridge magnets, bookmarks, t-shirts, sunglasses, mugs, caps, all kinds of paraphernalia featuring Breene's famous castle.
Breene Magnus wasn't just an eccentric, gargoyle-toting nobody.
Not only was he the owner of a beloved landmark, he was also a mover and shaker in the construction industry. The guy bought prime plots of land and built posh residential developments and office buildings on them. He seemed to be able to magically transform a piece of wasteland into a thriving residential and commercial hub. He had the Midas touch, so it seemed.
And he had chosen to locate the headquarters of his construction company, Magnum Construction, right here in Redrock Valley. Thus creating quite a lot of jobs for the townsfolk. No wonder everyone loved him.
So maybe Breene Magnus wasn't that eccentric, egoistical playboy she'd initially thought he was. Okay, maybe he was still an incorrigible flirt and playboy. Being a force to be reckoned with in the construction industry had nothing to do with his personal life. He did try to flirt with her and he definitely did try to get her to kiss him.
He didn't even try to kiss her himself. He had been so sure that she would kiss
him.
Simone chuffed out a laugh. It was kind of funny, come to think of it.
If the guy was so obvious when he was trying to be subtle, it kind of made her suspect that he hadn't had that much practice in this department. Breene Magnus wasn't such a smooth operator after all. He was just a super rich, super nice guy from what she'd heard from the townsfolk.
Listening to them, it was clear that they thought Breene Magnus was the best thing that ever happened to Redrock Valley.
“No one knows much about his past though,” Mrs Goode had mused. “It's like he just swooped into Redrock Valley and made it his.”
And according to Teresa, he was a very fair and generous boss.
The fact that he was hosting her wedding spoke volumes of his generosity. No wonder they all loved him.
The townspeople had never been up to the castle before. The castle gates had always been locked and Breene never invited anyone to his castle.
This was the first time he had thrown open his castle gates and let the whole town in.
“What a wedding,” Simone muttered. She was impressed, and a teensy bit envious. She would love to have a wedding like that.
It was grand, yet filled with warmth, joy and love. The whole town was quivering with excitement and delight at the chance to visit Breene's castle and attend Teresa's wedding at the same time.
“Hi Lester,” Simone mumbled absently as she drove past the gates. She thought she saw the gargoyle's ruby eyes follow her car as she drove into the sprawling grounds of the castle.
She drove very slowly, mindful of the excited townspeople that were thronging the castle grounds. The wedding guests were arriving by the busloads, and cars packed to the brim with family members were all jostling for parking spaces.
Simone parked her car behind a long row of vehicles and got out. The castle looked both magnificent and magical in the soft evening light. The shimmering windows reflected the pink-orange rays of the setting sun, and the entire castle seemed to be giving off a warm, gentle glow.
The Dragon Tycoon's Bride: Billionaire Shifter Paranormal Romance Page 3
