“Thank you, sir,” I smile.
Calloway laughs. “Always so formal. You know, I think you might have a future in this type of trade.” He looks at Tam. “I know someone who would be happy to train you.”
“That’s very generous, but I think once is enough for me. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have somebody I desperately need to call.”
Calloway nods. “You can use my phone.”
I dial Rich and turn away. My heart beats faster with every ring that goes by. Keeping Rich in the dark was the part I hated most about the plan. But it had to be that way. His response to Amanda’s call had to be genuine. Now, I just pray and hope that he’ll forgive me.
“Hello?” he barks. “Amanda, if you’re calling from a blocked number…” his voice sounds rough and full of worry.
“Hi, baby,” I say meekly.
“Penny? Oh my God! Where are you? I’m driving to the docks right now. I’ll be there in minutes—”
“There’s no need,” I tell him. “I’m good. I’m fine. I’m safe. I’m with Mr. Calloway.” I start to choke up. “Oh, Rich, I’m so sorry. But I had no choice…”
I tell him everything, from start to end. How Calloway and I planned to use Tam to deceive Amanda and Victor. How I couldn’t tell him about any of it. How I know he has every reason to hate me, and how badly I hope he’ll forgive me.
When I finally finish, there are tears on my cheeks. I poured my soul out to Rich.
What happens next is up to him.
The line goes quiet for a long, scary moment. I can hear his labored breathing. At least he hasn’t hung up. My heart fills with fear for our future together.
“Rich?” My voice shakes. “Are you still there?”
“Penny,” Rich says very softly, “turn around.”
Confused, I twist my neck back. Rich is looking at me from inside his car. In all the commotion, I haven’t even noticed him pull up.
I drop the phone and run to him. He throws the door open and scrambles to me. We meet halfway.
I fly into him, my head on his chest, where it belongs. I start to cry. He holds me tight. It’s a grip of possession, a grip that speaks of the horror he felt when he thought he’d lost me. It’s a grip of his promise never to be apart.
“Rich, I… I’m so sorry,” I mumble. His strong hands cup my face. He tilts me up so he can look into my eyes. His are sparkling like silver prisms.
He sees the swelling on my cheek, the cut across my lip. Sadness fills his eyes. His thumbs brush over my skin. “Shh,” he whispers. “Don’t apologize. When Amanda called, and I heard your voice…” he swallows. “I don’t know what I would have done if I’d lost you. But never again, Penny. Never will I ever let you out of my sight again. I love you with all my heart. You are the brightest star in my sky. Only when I’m with you do I feel complete.” He smiles. “I know our relationship isn’t perfect. But hell, we’ve got the rest of our lives to fix things.
And then he kisses me, and the rest of the world fades away.
Epilogue
18 months later…
I wake up and stretch. Bright morning sunshine fills the room. The air outside is warm with the first hint of spring.
I pick up the red silk robe hanging on the wall and put it on. Tying the fabric belt, I wander to the kitchen.
I open the fridge, smiling at all the egg whites and chunks of meat in there. So this is what it’s like to live with a man who eats healthy and takes care of his body.
I grab the carton of milk—skim, of course—and pour it into a cup. Careful not to wake him, I ease the microwave open and set the timer. I still haven’t gotten used to the taste of warm milk, but the doctor says it’s good for me.
I hit “stop” with just one second left so the microwave doesn’t beep. I take the steaming cup out, careful to touch only the handle so I don’t scald myself. I lean against the counter, sip my drink, and look at the man still asleep on the mattress.
Rich is shirtless, as usual. The covers only go up to his hips. His entire upper body is free for my hungry eyes to devour.
I giggle, remembering the way he did that to me last night. I know that this morning, he’s not wearing anything under the covers, either.
He looks so peaceful when he’s asleep. The light shines onto his body, accentuating his lean physique. Light stubble covers his cheeks, just the way I like it.
He rolls over and his hand searches for me. I smile as he opens his eyes and looks around in confusion. When he finds me, he mumbles, “Mmm, baby, come back to bed,” still half asleep.
“I need to go for a run. You know the doctor said to keep up my exercise.”
Rich looks me up and down. “I think you’re perfect the way you are,” he rumbles, his voice thick and full. “Now get back here before I carry you myself.” His eyes have a mischievous glint to them. “You know I’ll do it, even with your ‘condition.’”
He makes forgetting the run hard to resist. “But no kissing,” I warn him. “I have morning breath.”
“I don’t care,” Rich says, pulling me into his arms and kissing me wildly. I gasp for air when he lets me go. “How was that?”
I slap his arm. “You’re an animal!”
He grins. “You know you love it.”
“I do,” I sigh, putting my head against his chest. He strokes my hair as I lie there.
“You know,” I say after a few moments, “I’ve been thinking. Maybe we can stay in New York after we go to Min’s wedding.”
Rich sits up in an instant. His eyes are intense. “You’re serious?”
“I told you I’d think about it, right? Now that the semester’s over, there’s nothing keeping me in Oregon. Except you, of course, but you’re… portable.”
“Portable?” Rich laughs. “I’ve never heard that one before.”
“It’s true, though, right?” I grin up at him as my fingers make light circles over his chest. “You’d follow me wherever I go.”
“Baby, you know it’s true.” He sits up and reaches for the phone. “You should call Min and tell her the good news. She will be thrilled to find she gets to keep her bridesmaid after the wedding.”
“And her brother?”
Rich laughs. “Maybe a little less happy about that.”
I take the phone from him. “I—oh! Rich, quick, quick, look!” I grab his hand and place it on my stomach. “I just felt them move!”
Rich concentrates as I hold his hand to my swollen tummy. I feel a little kick inside. Rich’s eyes widen. He looks at me with love and adoration.
“I felt it too,” he whispers.
I squeal. “Oh my God, isn’t it amazing? Oh, oh! One more!”
Rich lowers his face to my belly and kisses me there. He turns his head to look at me. “Do you think they’re fighting?”
I smile at him. “You better straighten it out.”
Rich nods, all serious now. “Hey there, little guy,” he says. “You haven’t seen me yet, but it’s your daddy here.” He glances at me. I smile, encouraging him on.
“I haven’t seen you yet, either. Well, that’s not exactly true. I’ve seen ultrasounds. But it’s not the same thing.” He clears his throat. “Anyway, I just wanted to warn you, you’d better not be picking on your sister. If you are, you can bet your little bum she’ll be born first and will always be the oldest.” He moves his head to the other side of my stomach. “And you. If you’re the one picking on your brother… atta girl! You show him that you’re your daddy’s daughter.”
“Rich!” I admonish, smacking his head. “You’re not supposed to pick favorites!”
He grins sheepishly at me.
“Just wait ‘til she’s a teenager,” I warn him. “Then she’ll have you tearing your hair out.”
Rich frowns. “I’m quite fond of my hair.” He leans his head back to my stomach and whispers, “Mommy thinks you’re going to be a little rascal. I know you won’t. You’re going to be daddy’s angel.” He smiles at me. “And you’r
e going to be just as beautiful, just as smart, and just as strong as your mother.”
“Rich, stop it,” I say, turning away. “You’re making me blush.”
He kisses his way up my body. When he reaches my ear, he rustles, “You know how sexy I think you are when you blush.”
That comment makes me break out in a dozen shades of red.
“Wait here,” Rich says, pressing a finger to my lips. “I have something for you.”
He hops out of bed. My eyes zero in on his glorious backside, and I feel a flare of disappointment when he covers it with his blue sweats.
“What is it?” I ask.
“You’ll see!” he calls, running into the other room.
He returns with one hand behind his back. “No peeking,” he warns when I try to look around.
“Rich, you know I hate surprises,” I pout.
He winks. “This one will be worth it. I promise.” He steps onto the bed, then falls to his knees by my waist.
“This,” he says, running his free hand over my tummy, “and you—” he picks up and kisses my hand, “—and us, are all amazing. And I want us to last forever.”
“Rich, you know I love you. Of course we will.”
“Yes, but I want to make it official. I don’t want to make the same mistake my father did.” Slowly, he brings his other hand around.
When I see what he’s holding, my heart stops beating. My chest tightens, and I forget to breathe. Cradled in his palm is a small, black, velvet box. His eyes do not leave mine as he opens it and offers it to me.
Inside is a ring with the biggest diamond I’ve ever seen.
“Will you marry me?” he asks simply.
Words fail me. It must be the damn hormones from the pregnancy, because all I can do is nod my head in a jerky way and blubber like an idiot.
Rich picks up my hand, which is trembling. He takes the ring out of the box and slides it onto my fourth finger.
It’s a perfect fit.
He has a coy smile on his face. “You still haven’t said yes,” he reminds me in a whisper.
“Yes,” I breathe.
Then he kisses me, and thus begins the best day of my life.
The End.
Special Bonus:
The Alastair Affair, Book One
(My latest published book! Released November 8, 2015)
The Alastair Affair, Book One
A Dark Romance by
Scarlett Edwards
www.scarlettedwards.com
Copyright © 2015 Edwards Publishing, Ltd
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party websites or their content.
Cover design by Scarlett Edwards
First Edition: November 2015
Book Description:
It was supposed to be simple: A chance to get away for one summer and explore an old castle in the English countryside.
A chance to discover the secrets of the past.
I was supposed to be alone. Just me, a backpack full of books, and boundless enthusiasm in my heart.
But I was not alone.
He was there.
Sylvain Alastair.
A man of power, mystery, and great wealth.
A man of darkness.
He lured me in and made me his. I sensed the raw, twisted desires inside him... and gave into them.
My lust for him became insatiable. He was my darkness. I was his light. I brought out his need for domination. He brought out my need to submit.
And there, locked away in his castle... he taught me the pleasures and pains of The Black Tower.
Series Disclaimer:
The Alastair Affair is a dark romance series that includes elements of psychological and physical abuse coupled with suspense.
The characters are not meant to depict a BDSM relationship. In fact, there is no BDSM. There is only the darkness of one man's mind... and the pains a young girl will go through to break into his heart.
The series ends in a HEA... but the journey there will be dark and twisted.
Prologue
Who am I?
I am nobody. I am nothing. I am a being who can see, and hear, and feel, and sense, but most of the time, those faculties are denied to me.
I live in darkness. My world is eternal night. I breathe old, stale air.
My body is thin, my muscles are wasting.
My existence is meaningless. Except…
Except for when he is here.
He possesses more than my body. He controls my mind.
I give myself willingly.
Who am I? I have no name. Once, what feels like a century ago, I was called—
And yet I dare not think on my past.
But whose am I? That is a different question altogether. That, I can answer in full.
I am Sylvian Alastair’s.
I am my Master’s.
The high tower door swings open. Cool air rushes over my naked back.
He walks in.
“Hello, Dani.” I wince. That name… he mocks me with that name.
I might have been that girl, once, but he has done all he can to purge me of my associations with her.
He whips me. I scream. He kisses me. I cry.
He leans in and whispers, “I love you,” in my ear.
And I… I say the words back.
Chapter One
Three months earlier…
“Min, this is fucking insane,” I say. I brush the hair out of my eyes as I stand from stuffing the last of my things in the suitcase. “You know that, right?”
“Hey, don’t blame me.” Min swings her legs over the side of the bed and jumps down. “This wasn’t my idea. This was all you.”
“And as my best friend,” I say, crossing my arms, “shouldn’t it be your responsibility to talk me out of it?”
She grins. “Nah. Who knows, it might even be good for you. You get out of this dead-end town, go somewhere fresh, broaden your horizons. Yadda, yadda, yadda, all that shit.”
“I don’t think taking on the role of caretaker for a castle that hasn’t been lived in for a century and a half is going to broaden anything. I’ll be even more isolated there.”
“And that’s why you’ve got all your books… those journals… your catalogues.” She skips closer. “You’re looking forward to this, I know. And you can’t weasel your way out of it, sis. You signed the contract of employment already, haven’t you?”
“Last Wednesday at the notary,” I tell her.
“Then you’re all set.” She gives me a hug. “I’ll miss you lots. Text or call as soon as you get there. It’s only for three months, right?”
“Yeah,” I say. “Just till the end of summer.”
“Then next time I see you will be in school, huh? Unless I come and visit.”
“You’d be bored out of your mind if you do that,” I say.
“What? Why? You don’t even know what it’s like yet!”
“No, but I know what you’re like.” I smile. “Plus you’re off to Europe with Brad. Go do the whole adventure thing. I’ll be fine.”
“You better be more than ‘fine,’” she warns. “I want all types of crazy stories out of you when you come back. A creepy old castle? There’ve got to be, like, ghosts and shit.”
“I really doubt that,” I deadpan.
She laughs. “Always the skeptic. And yet—“ she glances at my backpack, overflowing with books, “—a hidden romantic. You’re a contradiction, D.”
“Maybe I’m just complex,” I retort. We’ve had this conversation before. “Anyway—”
I’m cut off by a blaring honk from the driveway.
“Ugh.” Min rolls her eyes. “Cabbies. Should have use
d Uber.”
“For a two-and-a-half hour drive?” I shake my head. “I don’t think so.” I pick my backpack up and sling it over my shoulder. Min rights the suitcase and sets it on its wheels.
Then she gives me another hug.
“I really will miss you,” she whispers. “Stay safe.”
“Yeah,” I say. I hug her back. “I’ll miss you too.”
***
The castle looms like a dark shadow at the top of the hill. It stands as the only object visible on the skyline. With the sun just starting to set beyond it, it feels like something out of a fairy tale.
Of course I’d seen pictures of it online. But even now, from a distance, there’s a certain magnificence to it that pixels on a screen cannot capture.
I came across the job posting from the Office of Career Services at my university. It had made its rounds amongst the archaeology students. Most didn’t have the slightest interest. But for me – despite what I told Min—this was the perfect fit.
I’ve always had a fascination with old places, old places and old things that have stood the test of time. It’s what made me declare my major a full half-year earlier than anybody else. I’d known what I wanted to be the moment I stepped foot on campus as a first year.
The job posting was such: a wealthy family had owned the estate for generations. It’d been passed down for as long as they could remember. It had been part of the family, but slowly, their use of it became less and less. At the start of the last century, it was used as a summer house of sorts.
Not anymore. The appeal had dwindled away.
So it’s stood abandoned for years. Now they want someone to come in and catalogue the place. Figure out what it’s worth, what sort of value it has.
Uncovering You: The Complete Series (Mega Box Set) Page 221
