by Moore,Mary B
Contents
COPYRIGHT
DEDICATION
CHAPTER 1
CHAPTER 2
CHAPTER 3
CHAPTER 4
CHAPTER 5
CHAPTER 6
CHAPTER 7
CHAPTER 8
CHAPTER 9
CHAPTER 10
CHAPTER 11
CHAPTER 12
CHAPTER 13
CHAPTER 14
CHAPTER 15
CHAPTER 16
CHAPTER 17
CHAPTER 18
CHAPTER 19
CHAPTER 20
CHAPTER 21
CHAPTER 22
CHAPTER 23
CHAPTER 24
CHAPTER 25
CHAPTER 26
CHAPTER 27
CHAPTER 28
CHAPTER 29
CHAPTER 30
CHAPTER 31
BONUS SCENE
AUTHOR'S NOTE
MUST READS
MARY B. MOORE
MORE THAN FOREVER
Copyright © Mary B. Moore
All rights reserved
No part of this book may be reproduced, copied or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system without written expressed permission from the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.
This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, businesses, places, events and incident are products of the authors imagination and are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or locales is purely coincidental.
Cover design: SK Designs - http://sexykittendesigns.authorsvanhorne.com/
Cover Photograph : Deposit Photos and Dreamstime
Editor: Lisa Kaigh and S Van Horne
Formatting: Lady Eve Montelibano
The use of actors, artists, movies, TV Shows, and song titles/lyrics throughout this book are done so for storytelling purposes and should in no way be seen as advertisement. Trademark names are used in an editorial fashion with no intention of infringement of the respective owner’s trademark.
This book is licensed for your personal enjoyment. This book may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you are reading this book and did not purchase it, or if it was not purchased for use only, then you should return it to the seller and please purchase your own copy.
All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the Copyright Act 1911 and the Copyright Act 1988, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior express, written consent of the author.
This book is intended for mature adults only and contains consensual sexual content and language that may offend some. Suggested reading audience is 18 years or older. I consider this book as Adult Romance. If this isn’t your type of book, then please don’t purchase it.
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DEDICATION
Since I started this adventure, I’ve been beyond lucky to become friends with some truly amazing people who’ve supported and encouraged me. The support from bloggers and other members of the Indie community has staggered me and I would just like to thank you all.
To my family - You’ve all continued to hold my hand and made me laugh when I was frustrated and that support means everything to me. Thank you for being amazing and for giving me a shake when I needed it. I really have the best family in the world. I love you all xox
To Sonya and Muggleberry Finn - I seriously couldn’t have done this without you both. Sonya - you’re my best friend and I love our shenanigans and the mischief we get up to daily. You’re my #HLM4L, and I so get full time custody of you no arguments! I can’t wait for our honeymoon too (smirks at the muggle), they won’t know what hit them ;-) xox
Muggleberry - Thank you for saving the world along with the rest of the Autobots, and you’ll get your Hogwarts acceptance letter soon! xox
To Eve Montelibano - what can I say that I don’t say to you every day as it is? You let me vent when I hit the walls and encouraged me daily keeping me on track whilst also teaching me even more so that the process was easier this time around. I’m so lucky to have you in my life Eve. xox
#CMMFS - Thank you for all of our laughs, for supporting me, and well….just for being #CMMFS. I love you to pieces and just don’t understand how you can put up with the nuttiness without breaking at some point…it happens to us all! xox
Sassy Pants - There isn’t a day that goes by that you haven’t been there supporting me and keeping me going. The laughs, the gif wars, the insanity, keeping me on track and for being my sounding board as well. Love you Sassy McNugget xox
Krystal - Thank you for supporting me and for helping me. I love our laughs and our 50k challenges - you really are one awesome hooker eh? xox
Elena - Thank you for setting up the 50k challenge that got me to write this book and for supporting me every step of the way. I’m pretty certain your idea is what made this book possible to write…next - unicorn shifters! xox
Amber - Thank you for all of your help and support and for remaining sane when most people would have been rocking in the corner crying. One day soon, that case of Vodka will arrive..xox
Jane - Thank you for being my beta, for catching my mistakes, for motivating me and for the unicorn awesomeness. From now on, we shall keep calm and poop rainbows xox
Rhonda & Kathleen - You guys are amazing. Your belief in me and your support means the world to me and it helped me get to the end of this book too. I love you both and thank you xox
Jen - Thank you for encouraging and supporting me from day one. We’ve been through a lot together and come out of it stronger, but I genuinely couldn’t have done this without you! Thank you for being an amazing friend and for believing in me. Love you and the kids to pieces xox
To my beautiful Doctor CJ - you make me laugh, you keep me on the right track, you send me *cough* inspiration and you’re such a beautiful person and amazing friend. Thank you for making me laugh and for encouraging me and I’m so damn proud of you! xox
Emily & Shawn - Thank you for being my besties and for pushing me forward and for everything else that you do for me. I’d be lost without you guys xox
To my boys- Revenge is mine!
Chapter
ONE
Luke
“Luke’s recent tests confirm that he does have good brain function. However, the severity of the impact to his brain is keeping him in a coma. How long he’s in the coma for? We don’t know, but his recent tests are encouraging. Unfortunately, it is just a matter of waiting.”
“But, he’s been in the coma now for six weeks. His other injuries are almost healed; why can’t he just wake up?”
“He will wake up, Christie; he just needs time.”
I could hear what they were saying and I wanted to scream that I was here, but my body wasn’t letting me. I wanted to open my eyes, but they wouldn’t do it. Where was Isla? I needed to see her.
“Look, George, his eyes are opening. Luke, Luke, come on now. Open those eyes for me, please.”
The worry in my mom’s voice gave me the extra boost to force my eyes open.
“Mr. Montgomery, I’m Doctor Fenwick. How are you feeling? Have you got any pain anywhere?”
I did a quick mental
body scan of what I was feeling and where. “My leg,” I croaked because that was the area that stood out the most and I just couldn't say more than that right now. Why was I here?
“I'll get you something for that in a minute. I’ve been looking after you while you recovered from your accident. Now, I’m just going to shine a light in your eyes quickly, I apologize if it’s uncomfortable. Can you tell me the last thing you remember, please?”
I tried hard to remember the last thing that happened. I woke up next to Isla and… “Mom, Isla?”
“We’ll discuss that later, honey. Can you tell the Doctor the last thing you remember?”
I pushed my brain to bring forward any details that it could.
“Surprise… a bang.” God, my voice sounded rough, like I’d gargled with a porcupine or something. Suddenly, I saw Maya standing beside me as everything started to fall down around us. “Maya!”
And everything went dark.
Isla
It had been five weeks since I’d arrived in Singapore; the mental image of Luke lying in the hospital bed so broken haunted me. Thinking about that day always made me feel sick, but I was also wondering if I’d picked up some sort of bug or food poisoning a couple of days ago. I felt like death warmed up; my body ached and I couldn’t stop being sick.
I missed Luke, I missed Gram, and I missed my boys. Christmas and New Year had been and gone, and the sight of Orchard Road and the rest of Singapore decorated and lit up had been beautiful and breath taking, but it hadn’t been the same as it would have been if I’d been with Gram, Reed, Caleb, and Johnny. I couldn’t factor Luke and his family into it, like I’d dreamed of being able to do one day.
“Isla, you look beautiful,” Dacks said as he leaned in to kiss me on the cheek.
This guy has been my savior since I got here; taking me out, showing me around, and just being amazing in general. It didn’t hurt that he was also great to look at.
Blonde hair, tall, dark blue eyes, built…if I wasn’t so fucked up because of Luke, I might have accepted his date requests, but he’d broken me - again. As if once wasn’t bad enough, he did it twice, and the last time was the worst because I thought we had something beautiful; I was wrong.
“Thank you, Dacks, I’m not feeling it, though.” I gave a little laugh, trying not to cry as my stomach turned again. “I know we have a lot to do on the Giambini contract, and we’ve got that meeting with the Deputy Prime Minister next week that we need to prepare for. I’m not feeling so hot today, though, so you’ll have to bear with me.”
“What’s wrong, gorgeous?” He looked so sincere and serious that my eyes started to water. Jesus, I must be ill; I never cry, but I just felt so fricking awful I couldn’t help it.
“I think I have a bug or food poisoning,” I started to say just as my stomach turned again and my mouth started to fill with that awful water you get just before you throw up.
Jumping up, I ran to the bathroom in the corner of the office and that’s when any tiny little molecule of food that could possibly be in my stomach came rushing back up leaving me retching air.
“Here you go,” Dacks’ deep voice said he held a cold wet towel to my neck. This had to pass and soon; next week was a huge week for the Montgomery’s firm, and I refused to let them down.
“Thanks, Dacks. I’ll just clean up and be out in a second.”
Looking down at the toilet, my stomach twisted again, but I leaned up to flush it and got rid of the mess staring at me without adding to it. As I stumbled to the sink to clean up, I saw Dacks in the mirror standing at the door staring at me. His eyes were flicking between my face and my stomach and he looked worried.
“It’s just food poisoning or a bug, Dacks, I’ll survive!”
“If you say so,” he replied as he turned and walked back over to the desk leaving me wondering what the hell he meant?
Luke
One week later…
Dad had loaded the Singaporean news for me on my iPad so that I could see the moment Isla met with the Deputy Prime Minister. All I wanted to do was see her again and this was the best way. God, I missed her.
“The representatives of the Montgomery Corporation, Isla Banks and Dacks Richards, will be meeting with the Deputy Prime Minister today to discuss the building of the Gambini hotel in the Colonial District. The building started three months ago and brought one hundred and ten jobs to Singapore. Once completed, the company has confirmed…”
Everyone in the room stopped talking as soon as Isla’s name was mentioned and gathered around the bed to watch it with me.
“Ms. Banks is the legal representative from MC and Mr. Richards is the…”
I could see them walking up the stairs towards the doors of the building, and I couldn’t help feeling pissed that she’d left me. I now knew what Kendal had done and I could guess what lies she told Isla, but she should’ve waited to talk to me. No, she shouldn’t have; I was an asshole, and I’d be surprised if she ever spoke to me again. I should’ve known that it was a stupid thing to do, but all I’d wanted was for the company to be the international success that it was now becoming. I’d fucked up, though, big time.
I watched the screen as Isla leaned on that bastard Richards who was whispering to her, then Isla suddenly started sinking to the ground and landed on her side on the stair as Dacks quickly reached out for her.
“As you can see, Ms. Banks appears to have fainted. Sources tell us that an ambulance has been called and that her condition at this moment is unknown. We will update you once we have been informed of Ms. Banks’ condition. Also, in the news today - Orchard Road will be…”
I didn’t want to hear about fucking Orchard Road! Throwing the covers off of my legs, I swung them over the bed to get up. I didn’t have the casts anymore, but my leg was still in agony from the severity of the breaks. I needed to toughen up and get to Isla though.
“I’m going to get changed. Call the Doctor and tell him I want to be released today.”
Thankfully my mom just nodded and no one challenged my decision as I limped through to the bathroom; it wouldn’t have been pretty if they had. This was Isla, for fucks sake!
Chapter
Two
Luke
I had never enjoyed using the company’s jet to get to where I needed to, it seemed ostentatious, but I could admit that it was handy for emergencies and for high profile clients. Sitting on it now on my way to Isla, I’d never been more grateful in my life for it. My leg felt like it was on fire and the thumping in it made me grit my teeth. The doctor had given me painkillers to take, but I needed a clear mind.
Had someone done something to Isla? Was it linked to my and Maya’s accident?
Just as I was about to bark out orders to the security that Dad had insisted I bring with me, my phone rang beside me and I saw Derrik Teo, the head of our Singaporean operation, flash up on the screen.
“Derrik.”
“Sir, I’m at Gleneagles Hospital with Isla. I overheard the Doctors talking to her with the diagnosis and they will be keeping her in for a couple of days until her body stabilizes.”
Gripping my phone until it cracked, I asked the question that was worrying me to the point of nausea, although that could also have been the pain that I was in, too. “What happened? Was she poisoned?”
“Sir…” Derrik started. “It’s not that. She uh…she’s…”
Finally losing patience, I barked, “What? She’s what? Just spit it out!”
“Pregnant, Sir.”
Fuck me…
Isla
Waking up in a hospital had been surreal; the last thing I remembered was that I was reaching out to shake the Deputy Prime Minister’s hand.
Why was I here?
“Miss Banks? I’m glad you’re awake. I’m Jennifer, and I’ll be your nurse today.” I looked to the side and a very petite and beautiful smiling nurse stood there holding a clipboard. “You fainted earlier today and we’re just giving you some fluids and waiting for yo
ur test results to come back. How are you feeling now?”
Struggling to process what she was saying, I asked for the one thing I was desperate for, “Water, please.”
“Small sips, only for just now, Miss Banks. We’ve given you some medication which should stop the nausea your friend tells us you’ve been suffering from, but your stomach still needs small sips at a time.”
Just as I was going back for my fifth sip, a man in a white laboratory coat walked in holding some papers in his hand. “Ah, Miss Banks, you’re awake. I’m Doctor Ng, and I’ve been treating you since you arrived three hours ago. How are you feeling?”
That was a great question, how was I feeling? I didn’t feel sick anymore, which was a relief, but my throat hurt and I felt like I’d been drained completely of any energy. I was even struggling to raise the plastic cup of water to my mouth. “Exhausted. What happened to me, Doctor?”
“I would expect that based on your test results. You appear to have been throwing up for quite a while, Miss Banks. Did you not think to seek medical attention when it didn’t go away?”
“We had a lot of work that needed to get done. I thought that, perhaps, it was a stomach bug or food poisoning and that it would go away,” I was fidgeting as I admitted what an idiot I’d been. I should have gone to a doctor, now I’d probably screwed up the deal with the Singaporean Government.
“Well, Miss Banks, your ketone levels are high as a result of the nausea, so we’ll be keeping you in for a couple of days to rehydrate you and get on top of the vomiting. You’ll need to be checked weekly afterwards, as this can be quite dangerous for expectant mothers.”
