3 BOOK BOX SET The Escort Next Door Trilogy (Kindle Romance Box Sets)

by Clara James

  “A sexual relationship?” Preston asked, seeking clarification for the benefit of the judge.

  “Yes,” she confirmed with a nod.

  “And when did that start?” he continued.

  “Umm,” she hesitated. “It was...err...” she looked around nervously.

  “It’s okay,” Preston softly soothed. “Just tell the truth.”

  “It was over two years ago,” she quickly admitted.

  The rumble of conversation got louder in Paul’s camp, while my jaw dropped open. Not only had Paul been unfaithful for much longer than I’d realized, he’d made the stupid, unforgivable decision to have sex with an underage girl.

  “How old were you at that time?” Preston asked, again seeking clarification of something the rest of us had already figured out on our own.

  “Seventeen,” she mumbled.

  “Objection, your honor,” the head of Paul’s team. “This isn’t relevant to the activities of Mrs. Hayes.”

  Preston spun on the arch of his foot to face the overzealous lawyer. “It has everything to do with Mrs. Hayes,” he insisted. “Because it proves the extent of deception that Mr. Hayes is capable of and, more importantly, the possible sex crimes he has committed.

  Banging a gavel, the judge called silence. “I’ll allow it,” the older gentleman sighed. “Continue, Mr. Verrill.”

  What followed was Lyra’s description of how she’d been seduced by Paul’s success and money and flattered by the attention he lavished on her. Filling in the blanks in her story, I assumed Paul realized he’d made a catastrophic error in judgment when he slept with her the first time. And in order to keep her quiet, he’d continued to see her; even got her a job in the company all just to keep her happy. But she’d thought she was the only one. When the rumors started flying around the office, she confronted him and he tried to buy her silence.

  It seems she wanted revenge more than she wanted money.

  Sure enough, she got it. That afternoon, Paul’s attempt to claim sole custody of the children was thrown out. I was awarded principle custody, and he was given limited visitation rights.

  Sadly, no criminal case was brought against Paul for his relationship with Lyra, because she refused to testify against him. When Preston and I spoke to her outside the court house, she said she’d been foolish to believe him, but he didn’t force her into anything and she could not in good conscience claim that he had.

  I admired her for that.

  “Besides,” she shrugged. “After this hits the newsstands, I don’t think Paul Hayes is going to find it very easy to enjoy the kind of life he’s become accustomed to.”

  She was right, the company would undoubtedly lose clients, Paul would certainly lose friends, and there would be many women who would avoid him at all costs.

  Preston and I watched Lyra walk away. We were side by side, our arms brushing against each other, and we remained silent until she’d disappeared into a crowd of people.

  “How did you know about her?” I asked, breaking the companionable silence and spinning my face to his.

  “Did a little digging,” he responded mysteriously. “You told me Paul and his cronies would play dirty, I knew I’d have to play dirty, too,” he added. “And I had a hunch that there would be a scorned woman somewhere in your husband’s past. You can’t go around treating people that way and not make some enemies.”

  “True,” I acknowledged, feeling foolish that I hadn’t been the one to suggest we find an angry lover.

  “I’m sorry that I’ve been difficult these last few weeks,” I whispered sincerely.

  “It’s okay,” he said, shaking his head. “You were going through a lot and you were frightened, it’s understandable.”

  “But it’s all over now, right?” I asked, a little wary when asking him to confirm my hope.

  He removed his hand from his pocket and held it open toward me. “It’s all over,” he said. “You can go and pick your children up first thing tomorrow and we can move on.”

  Hesitantly, I reached forward, slipping my fingers through his. “Are you ready for that?” I asked. “I mean, suddenly being in a relationship with a woman who has three children.”

  Preston made an uncomfortable face. “You think they’ll like me?”

  Letting out a breath of laughter, I squeezed his hand. “I think they’ll love you, the question is how will you cope? Are you really ready for all of this? Do you want to be involved in raising another man’s children?”

  Turning his head slightly, he tugged on my hand and we both began to walk up the street. “Listen,” he said, as soon as we were moving. “I’m sure it’s going to be a steep learning curve and I’m certain that I’m going to get some things wrong,” he added with a chuckle. “But I love you,” he stated simply, as though that one simple statement answered any further questions. “These kids are a part of you, how can I not love them too?”

  “You know,” I mumbled, peering up into his soft face and wondering how anyone who looked so meek and unassuming could be such a pit bull in the courtroom. “You are one smooth talker, Preston Verrill.”

  That night, back at his apartment, he’d arranged a celebratory dinner with three courses and a bottle of expensive champagne. All of which went un-eaten and un-drunk. As soon as we got through the door, I couldn’t resist the urge to pull him to me and kiss him with a pent up passion and frustration of several weeks. Things escalated quickly from there and we ended up making love on his hardwood floor, with a desperation and need that I don’t think either of us had felt before.

  It was a need to get back to that morning in the shower; to remind ourselves of the way that wonderful freedom had felt. Only it was even better, because this time we truly were free. There was nothing hanging over us anymore. Everything really was going to be all right.

  The rendezvous on the floor was quick and, for us at least, a lot less graceless than we’d become use to. It offered both of us a much needed release of heated lust, but it was nowhere near enough. We spent the next three hours showing each other, in a variety of ways, just how in love we were. Eventually, it was exhaustion rather than a complete lack of desire that prompted us to collapse breathlessly onto the bed.

  I was atop him, my legs straddling his hips, my cheek pressed to his chest and our sweaty bodies still fighting for oxygen. His molten liquid was warming my core, which flexed with the aftershocks of the most recent explosive orgasm.

  Eventually, I lifted my head and brushed the hair away from my face. Staring down into his peaceful features, which were so close to sleep, I bent to kiss the tip of his sweaty nose. “Thank you,” I quietly said.

  “What for?” he countered, not bothering to open his weary eyes.

  “For everything,” I sighed, my hands resting on his shoulders, as I staunchly refused to disconnect our lower halves. “For seeing the best in me,” I began. “For not letting me push you away, for getting my children back, for loving me...” I trailed off, realizing the list could go on all night. However, I quickly decided there was an umbrella thank you. “For being you,” I said, tipping forward, so I could lay on him once more. This time, I placed my face on the pillow next to his, turning so my lips were a breath from his cheek.

  “Actually,” he mumbled, forcing his eyes open and turning his face to mine. Our noses collided causing us both to giggle before he continued. “There’s something I want to ask you,” he whispered in the darkness.

  “You can ask me anything,” I replied, with a deliriously happy chuckle.

  “Well, you know,” he began, not quite sharing my high and gazing at me with serious eyes. “I’ve been doing a lot of thinking lately.”

  “Hmm,” I responded urging him to continue.

  “You know, during the court proceedings one of the things I hated most was having to call you Mrs. Hayes.”

  “Umm, ok” I mumbled ineffectually.

  “Well, you won’t have to call me anything but ‘Julia’ ever again.”


  “Yeah,” he smiled. “But I was wondering if you’d thought about changing your last name?”

  Blinking, I peered curiously at him for a moment, thinking it was an odd time to bring this conversion up. Nevertheless, I was happy to respond. “Going back to my maiden name? I suppose I will, but-”

  “No,” he quickly interjected, silencing me with his index finger against my lips. “That’s not exactly what I had in mind.”

  With his finger still pressed to my mouth, I wasn’t able to reply verbally, but I gave him a perplexed shrug of one shoulder.

  “I was thinking...” he stopped, shook his head and muttered something beneath his breath. “I’m doing this all wrong,” he said. “But I was wondering if you’d thought about changing your name to Mrs. Verrill?”

  “Huh?” I muttered, his fingertip still blocking any effort to speak.

  “Julia,” he continued, slowly slipping his hand away from my mouth and caressing my cheek. “Will you marry me?”

  “I...I...” I babbled, between giggles. “Are you serious?” I blurted. “Yes, yes, yes,” I excitedly squealed, punctuating each word with a kiss to his eyelids and cheeks. “Of course, I’ll marry you.”

  After answering that fateful question, I knew that my children and I would live, in our own way, happily ever after.

  ~THE END~

  Thanks For Reading!!

  To view Clara James other titles click the covers below or visit http://amzn.to/15ek5q7

  Her Last Love Affair Series

  "Her Last Love Affair (3 Book Bundle)"

  "Her Last Love Affair"

  "Her Last Love Affair: Breathing Without You"

  "Her Last Love Affair: Final Journey"