Cinderella Body Club Boxed Set

by Conner, Jennifer

  She closed her eyes—she’d just die of humiliation if pity or revulsion stamped Elijah’s face in fine lines—and pulled her hand from his grip. “Sybil straightened her life out and, thinking back on it, I know she really tried to make up for what she did but I’d already crawled into a little hole. I rarely talked to anyone, my grades suffered and I just wanted to be left alone.”

  Tension boiled like lava in her veins. Annalise pushed off the bed, walked to the nearest window and gazed down at the colorful flower gardens. Sunlight cast a golden glow through the bedchamber and she hoped the morning heat would dispel the sorrow in her heart.

  “I lost my virginity when I was sixteen to a jock on the swim team. He said he loved me, but then he spread stories about me. I became the school slut overnight and lost the few friends I had.” She shrugged her shoulders with a nonchalance she didn’t feel. “I later learned he only dated me to win a bet with his friends. Instead of withdrawing further, I put all my efforts into school. I knew a good education would help me get away from that town and all those people. My GPA skyrocketed but my classmates and the school officials didn’t care. They called me ‘geek tramp’ instead of ‘dirty tramp’ after that, and still lumped me in the ‘troublemaker’ category even though I never acted out.”

  Annalise gripped her hands behind her back and felt unworthy in her glamorous gown. “After graduation, I enrolled at a community college two counties over where no one knew me. I threw out all my old clothes—except for the safety-pin outfit I wore yesterday—and most everything else that reminded me of those awful high school years.” She lifted her lips in a small smile. “I found my calling, studied art and practiced with woodworking. I didn’t date or sleep with a guy again until I turned twenty, but then we later broke up after I transferred to Portland State University.”

  She rubbed her tired eyes. She’d fixated so hard on a single spot on the nightstand that she could’ve burned a hole in the wood. “Anyway, Sybil worked at an upscale boutique when she met a fashion designer from Paris a few years ago. He was here on vacation and traveled up and down the West Coast to look for inspiration at local stores. They married soon after and several French gossip magazines had a field day with it. Anyway, that’s my mom’s rags-to-riches tale.”

  Elijah laughed but it didn’t sound humorous.

  Annalise breathed deep to steady her thumping heart. “Sybil told him about her past—and mine—before they married but he still loved her. Albert, my stepfather, has always been kind to me and I think he’s a good man. I just don’t want to have anything to do with them.”

  “Why does your mom send you these dresses?” Elijah dropped his gaze to the layers of gold taffeta on her skirt.

  “I think she wants to dress me and treat me like a princess because she didn’t do it when I actually needed her to. She’s trying to apologize but I just can’t forgive her.” A long sigh whizzed through her teeth. “Not all of it is her fault. She didn’t tell me to withdraw and hide from people. She didn’t spread rumors about me or tell me to dress a little wild which sustained my ‘easy’ reputation.”

  “Stop.” Elijah stood from the bed with his hands clutched at his sides. “I don’t want to hear that.”

  Annalise hugged her roiling stomach. Every fiber in her body told her to run into the bathroom like a coward but she forced her gaze up and met his straight on. “I’m not Cinderella, but I’m happy for the most part. I have a great job and wonderful friends but I’m scared I’ll become my mother someday. I don’t drink often or a lot when I do. I try to lose weight and then I gain five pounds. Sometimes I feel invisible. I want more than what I have and I shouldn’t be so damn spoiled.”

  Elijah gripped her shoulders. “You mean a great deal to me, Annalise. I’ve never thought of you as easy—I still don’t—and I want to find the jock that hurt you and put him in the hospital. You’re perfect the way you are and your smile lights up the room. That sounds corny, but I believe it. You aren’t invisible―at least to me.” She glanced away but he forced her chin back up with his firm, tender fingers. “I’m sorry you had a bad childhood. Kids act out and you needed help, before and after your mom stopped drinking. You were just a lost kid. That doesn’t make you a bad person.”

  “But I—”

  “You needed acceptance and someone to understand you, right?”

  She nodded, unsure of what he was saying.

  “I accept you. I understand you, but you need to love yourself.” He placed his finger over her mouth as her lips quivered. “I think you do love yourself and you accept who you are, but you’re still on the road to recovery. You may not want to admit it, but forgiving yourself and others for past mistakes is hard. Believe me, I know.”

  “What do you mean?”

  He licked his lips but he didn’t look away from her. “My twin brother died when I was thirteen. We stole our parents’ car for a joyride and I lost control behind the wheel. We crashed into a tree and he died on impact. My parents never blamed me but I hated myself. The guilt ate away at me until I couldn’t take it anymore.” Elijah showed her the inside of his wrists and she noticed a faint knife scar on both. “My mom found me bleeding in the bathtub. I went through years of counseling, but I finally forgave myself for his death. I’m thirty-two years old now. I’ll always feel guilty, but I don’t let my pain control me anymore.”

  Tears burned her eyes again as Elijah stepped back and rubbed his wrists along his slacks as though they itched.

  “I’m crazy about you, Annalise.” His chest heaved as he breathed and he reached out to tunnel his fingers through her hair. “Thank you for telling me your story. I don’t hate you for it. How could I when I was a lost kid too? If you don’t believe my words, then believe it when I touch you. When I make love to you. I want to kiss and hold you all the time.” He kissed the corner of her mouth. “You are my Cinderella, if you’ll take me for your Prince Charming.”

  Relief surged through her and she jumped into his open arms. “Yes, of course.” She kissed the line of his throat and hugged him tight. Shame and misery seeped into her tears and wreaked havoc on her body but she didn’t feel alone anymore. He held her close like a cherished lover, his strength a light in the darkness of her mind, and she felt more beautiful than when she woke up under the pendant’s spell. Annalise finally pushed back to stand on her own. Her tears flowed freely but she didn’t care to wipe them away. She needed this one last cry before she picked herself off the floor and moved on with her life. Elijah kept his arms securely around her as though he couldn’t let her go, and she knew she could easily lose herself to this man.

  “Thank you. My life is good but the past drags me down sometimes. It’s definitely affected my self-esteem but it’s something I plan to work on.” She smiled at him with watery eyes. “I’m so sorry about your brother.”

  He kissed her forehead. “So am I, but it’s in the past. I’m all about the future.”

  A light chuckle escaped her throat. “Then why do you work with old paintings?”

  “Ah, my sweet stalker. Here’s something you don’t know about me.” He pulled his phone out of his pocket and pushed a few buttons. “I’m a novice painter of Art Deco. I don’t think my work is gallery worthy yet, but I’m getting better. Here’s my best piece so far.”

  Annalise couldn’t believe it. He showed her a picture of an abstract painting—a dark-haired woman in a white and blue striped dress danced amid a vivid splash of color—and another sob welled in her throat.

  “This was supposed to make you laugh.” Elijah shoved the phone back in his pocket.

  She laughed now at his flustered expression and flung her arms around his neck. “I think our one enchanted night is the start of something amazing. Don’t you agree?”

  He flashed a wicked grin, drew her close and kissed her.

  Epilogue

  Six months la
ter

  “I can’t believe you talked me into this.” Elijah smiled and nodded at various patrons who strolled through the spacious aisles of the Changing Times Art Gallery.

  Annalise pressed a kiss on his smooth cheek. “My boss loved the pictures I showed him of your paintings and he begged me to convince you to put them on display. So far, Opening Night is a success. You captivated several new followers with your thank you speech and you’ve already sold quite a few pieces to some very affluent people. They’re sure to spread your name all over Portland.” A devious smile crept up her face. “Just to remind you, I get a finder’s fee for every painting that sells tonight since I introduced you to my boss. So you better kiss butt and make me some moolah.”

  He grinned. “I’ll do my best.” A waiter walked by and the star of the evening grabbed a single champagne flute from the tray. Grateful he didn’t hand her a second glass, Annalise watched his throat work as he drank a deep draft of the sparkling nectar. A sigh left his mouth. “I couldn’t do this without you, my muse. I wouldn’t do this, I hope you know.”

  “Pish-posh. I just gave you a little push, Elijah Burleigh. I’m very proud of you.”

  “Actually, I should praise you.” He lifted his drink to the flamboyantly-dressed couple across the room at the hors d’oeuvres table. Annalise’s mother and stepfather lifted their flutes in kind, though her mother drank water. “Things seem to be going well with you and Sybil.”

  “It’ll take a while, but Mom and I are patching things up.” Annalise had grown used to calling her Mom again and she didn’t realize how much she missed saying the word. “Tonight feels like a huge family reunion. Your parents drove down for the show, mine flew in, and I’m so happy we told them our big news in person.” Elijah proposed marriage to her a few days before and Annalise showed off the butterfly-shaped diamond ring on her finger to everyone she saw. They’d rented an apartment together a few months ago and her love for him grew each day. “Oh look, the girls and their guys are here.”

  Cami and Lance, Raven and Quinn, and Tess and Parker walked through the doorway and the ladies immediately gushed over Elijah’s paintings. Though she and her best friends continued to meet every Wednesday night for their girls’ night in, they’d designated every Thursday night for a group get-together with their boyfriends.

  “Guess what?” She batted her eyelashes at her fiancé and her toes tingled as his eyebrow lifted. She adored his sexy, quizzical look. “I asked Cami if I could wear her cameo locket on our wedding day and she said yes. Well, she actually said ‘Of course, you crazy girl!’ and then she shouted incoherently and jumped around in excitement. Anyway, I think it’s only fitting.”

  Elijah chuckled and clasped her waist with his arm. “I agree, and I absolutely love this striped dress. It’s better than the first one.” His gaze dropped to her bosom but then jolted back up to her face as she cleared her throat. His mouth lifted in a shameless half grin and she felt his love for her envelope her in a warm cocoon. “Thank you for giving us a chance, Annalise. You’re the love of my life.”

  “And you’re mine, Prince Charming. I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

  About the Author Jennifer Conner

  Jennifer Conner is a best-selling Northwest author who has sixty short stories, books, and audiobooks.She writes in Christmas Romance, Contemporary Romance, Paranormal Romance, Historical Romance, and Erotica.

  She has hit Amazon’s top fifty authors ranking and her books have been #1 in sales.

  Her novel Shot in the Dark was a finalist in the Emerald City Opener, Cleveland, and Toronto RWA contests.

  Jennifer is an Associate Publisher for the indie e-book publisher, Books to Go Now who resides in the Seattle area. They pride themselves in helping new authors get their foot in the door with well-edited manuscripts, professional covers, and platforms uploads.

  She lives in a hundred year old house that she grew up in. Her semi-small town holds an interesting mix of resident hillbillies, yuppies and Navy Seals. And of course Seattle, only a few miles away, is the birthplace of Starbucks so coffee is always on the check list. She blows glass beads with a blow torch, (which relieves a lot of stress and people don’t bother you) and is a huge fan of musicals.

  She loves to hear from her readers. Please email her at jenniferconnerwriter@gmail.com

  About the Author

  Angela Ford

  Her love of the ocean and sunsets are always in her heart and give her inspiration. Her love for words keeps her turning the page. She is never without a book, whether she’s reading or writing. Now residing in Ontario, Angela works in Finance – numbers by day – words by night. Her dedication to volunteer and involvement with cyber safety seminars gave her an Award of Distinction and sparked the idea for her first book Closure – suspense with a dash of romance that hit the best- selling Action/Adventure and Women’s Fiction. Angela continued this FBI suspense with

  Forbidden and will deliver the final of the series in 2015. She also writes contemporary romance, sometimes sweet…sometimes spicy and sometimes with a dash of suspense. Unforgettable Kiss delivers a spicy romance with a dash of suspense. Blind Tasting of The Love List series and The Christmas Wreath of the Forever Christmas series are sweet reads. 2015 kicked off with a new Romantic Suspense Surrender .

  Between two jobs, being a mom with a home always filled with young adults and rather interesting stories; she is lucky to have one very patient and understanding man. But it is the furry family members who rule the house – a Puggle (Pug/Beagle), a new Chug puppy (Pug/Chihuahua) and two loveable cats. Every possible quiet moment she finds, she treasures and just writes about the moments to come. Angela is an avid reader of romance, a member of the RWA, KOD (Kiss of Death – Suspense Chapter) and Mississauga Writers Group. You can follow her at BTGN www.bookstogonow.com or visit her website/blog Romantic Escapes at http://www.angelafordauthor.com to connect with her on her social network sites. She loves to hear from her readers – they keep her smiling!

  About the Author

  Sharon Kleve

  Sharon Kleve was born and raised in Washington and currently lives on the Olympic Peninsula with her husband.

  Sharon is a multi-published author of paranormal and contemporary romance. She loves romance. She loves reading romance, living romance, and especially loves writing about romance. She gets no greater feeling than watching her characters come alive in each other’s arms. Most of all, she loves giving her characters the happily ever after they deserve—with a few bumps and bruises along the way.

  One of her favorite things to do is picking up a new book and sinking into the story, immersing herself in the emotions between the characters. She hopes to inspire her readers the same way her favorite authors have inspired her.

  When not writing, she can usually be found either curled up in her recliner with her cat and a good book, or in the kitchen baking sourdough bread or bagels.

  About the Author Amber Daulton

  My mind is a wonderland of romance and adventure, laughter and awesome ways of kicking a guy when he’s down. I read and write contemporary, paranormal and historical romance novels alike. I just can’t get enough of feisty heroines and alpha heroes. My wonderful husband supports me in my career and always lends a pair of eyes to my manuscripts. Writing takes up most of my time, aside from my tedious day job in the retail industry, and I probably wouldn’t be too sane without my computer. After all, what’s a girl to do when there are people jabbering away in her head and it’s hard to shut them up? Write! Nothing else works.

  After reading this story please leave a review. The authors really appreciate your input. Thanks!

  Books to Go Now at www.bookstogonow.com prides ourselves with representing great stories at low prices.

  We want to take you into the digital age offering a market that will allow you to
grow along with us in our journey through the new frontier of digital publishing.

  Some of our favorite award-winning authors have now joined us. We welcome readers and writers into our community.

  We want to make sure that as a reader you are supplied with never-ending great stories. As a company, Books to Go Now, wants its readers and writers supplied with positive experience and encouragement so they will return again and again.

  We want to hear from you. Our readers and writers are the cornerstone of our company. If there is something you would like to say or a genre that you would like to see, please email us at www.bookstogonow.com