“Keep going,” he said, holding her gaze.
Always, it said, beneath a photo of them from when they first met. Forever, it said beneath a photo Marienne had taken of the sunset when they’d gone to the beach with Ella.
Her hand shook as she turned to the next page.
I love you, it said, beneath a photo of Marienne that Daniel had taken recently.
And on the last page, there was a photo of Daniel’s unmistakably recognizable hand, his long fingers holding a sparkling ring. There was no caption beneath this photo.
Daniel turned her face toward him. “I’ve loved you since we first met, I’ve been in love with you for ages, and I’ve loved Ella since before she was even born. You and Ella are my life.”
He pulled a pen out of his pocket and handed it to her as he knelt before her. “Please marry me.” He took her left hand and kissed her index finger. “Please marry me.” He kissed the tip of her middle finger. “Please marry me.” He kissed her ring finger, his other hand poised with the twinkling ring.
Her eyes raced from his hands, to the photo album, to his face. She clicked the pen, and beneath the photo she wrote ‘YES!’ Tears now streaming down her cheeks, she looked up to see his eyes spilling over. “Yes,” she whispered, kissing him as he slipped the ring onto her finger. “Best friends. Partners in crime. Sharing everything. Always, forever.” She repeated his words back to him. “I love you.” He wrapped his arms around her, holding her tight, and kissing her. She pulled away long enough to say one last time, “Yes.”
THE END
Daniel and Marienne’s story continues in Karen Stivali’s Holding On
An excerpt
“What’s wrong?” Marienne asked, crawling into bed, loving that her husband, Daniel, was already there, waiting for her. He was propped against the pillows, a book open in front of him, His dark hair dipped down almost to his eyes. She watched as he took his new reading glasses out of their case. He placed them on his nose, a look of annoyance flickering across his face.
“I can’t believe I need glasses now.” His British accent was always more prominent when he was bothered, and Marienne couldn’t help but smile. Ever since she’d met him, years ago, she’d loved the sound of his voice. She sat up and turned toward him, noting how the glasses accented his high cheekbones.
“What?” He furrowed his brow. “You think I look old and ridiculous?”
She giggled and his face scrunched further. “You’re only thirty.” She slid toward him. “And you don’t look at all ridiculous.”
A smile tugged at his lips. He peered at her from above the dark frames and closed his book.
She took it from his hands and placed it behind her. “In fact, I think they make you look kinda sexy.”
“You do, eh?” He reached his arm around her, drawing her closer. His long fingers pressed into her lower back.
“I do.”
“I love it when you say those words.” He ran his thumb along her hip.
Kiss me. As if he heard her thoughts, his mouth descended onto hers. He always managed to hold off until the moment when she couldn’t wait a second longer, and then he’d give her sweet release. His velvety tongue coaxed her mouth open, though she needed no encouragement. She never tired of kissing him, and kissing was never enough. Her hands slipped beneath his shirt, along the ridges of his back. He rocked against her and she melted.
****
They’d been married for seven months, the happiest seven months of Daniel’s life. Except for the eight months prior to that when they were engaged. And the five years prior to that when she was his best friend. He still couldn’t believe it sometimes. That fate had allowed them to find one another, had brought them together and led them to such joy.
He moaned as her arms curled around him. He could never get over how warm she was, how soft and inviting. Her sweetness dissolved on his tongue, making him crave more. He braced one hand on the headboard to keep it from squeaking and waking the sleeping five-year-old in the next room.
He slipped between her legs, sighing as he brushed against her wetness. “Perhaps I should wear these glasses all the time.”
The vibration of her laughter trilled through him. “Perhaps you should.” She raised her hips beneath him and he sank into her. Her breath came in hot puffs against his neck. He inhaled the vanilla scent of her hair then kissed his way back to her lovely mouth.
Her ankles locked behind him and he felt her liquefying. He pulled back to look at her, eyes shut, lips parted, breath catching in her beautifully arched throat. He loved to watch her come.
“Daniel,” she gasped, pulsating around him. He’d never told her, but the sound of her calling his name was his favorite part. He slowed his pace, hoping to take her for round two. Marienne seemed to have other ideas, changing position, tilting her hips so he plunged even deeper. She quickened their rhythm, straining against him, her fingers clasping at his back and he was powerless against her. He pressed his lips together, trying not to groan too loudly, as he throbbed inside her.
Marienne snuggled alongside him. He stroked her arm, half asleep and wholly content.
“You like the glasses better now?” she whispered.
“Very much so.” He laughed. He’d forgotten he was still wearing them. “Though they’re a bit smudged.” He closed one eye, then the other, trying to see which lens was clearer.
“Here.” She took them off his face, opened her mouth and puffed her breath onto one lens.
“Well now I like them even better,” he said. “Though I’m a bit jealous.” He nuzzled her with his nose.
“Do you want these clean, or not?”
“Will it involve more of the puffing?”
“Yes.”
“Then by all means continue.”
She raised an eyebrow at him, feigning annoyance, then puffed again.
“Ooo, baby,” he said.
She shook her head as she polished the lenses with the edge of her tank top.
“A little to the left,” he said. That did it. She giggled.
“Here.” She placed them on his nose. “Better?”
“Much. But you’ve made me too tired to read.”
She swatted at him but he caught her arm, pulling her closer. “I love you,” he said, kissing her, wanting more of the sweetness.
****
Daniel yawned and stretched. He could hear water running then the sound of the bathroom door opening. Before he opened his eyes, he could see the sunlight streaming into the still darkened bedroom.
He felt Marienne sit down on the edge of the bed next to him and wondered why she was up so early. Neither of them were morning people, and it was Saturday. They usually let Ella be their alarm clock, and he had yet to hear her tapping at their door.
He reached his arm around Marienne’s waist, eyes still closed. He opened them to see her polishing his glasses again.
“Mmmmm.” He tightened his grip on her. “Good morning.” He kissed her leg.
“Good morning.” She leaned in and kissed him. “Do me a favor?”
“Anything.”
“I need you to read something.”
He was still groggy, but he placed the glasses on his face.
“I need to know if you see one line or two.”
One line or two? She handed him three plastic sticks. He blinked as he took them from her. Each stick had a clear plastic window displaying a series of lines. His mouth fell open. He looked up to find her staring at him, eyes shimmering. “Are you?” he wanted to hear her say it.
“Yes.” She nodded. Her eyes brimmed with tears.
He looked at the sticks then back at her as it sank in.
We’re having a baby.
A Note from the Editor
Hi there. My name is Lola, and I am the editor of Meant to Be. I love that we get to find out what happens next in Holding On. I’m the senior editor for the After Happily Ever line at Turquoise Morning Press, so finding out what happens next is how I roll. I’ve gotten p
ermission from the publisher to give you a special code for a 25% discount on Holding On when it’s released in November 2012. This code for Holding On is good for the digital download when ordered through the Turquoise Morning Press website. All you have to do is send me your email address. When Holding On is released, I’ll send you an email with the discount code in it. Then you get to find out what happens next.
Here’s my email address: [email protected]
See you in November!
Lola del Sol,
Senior Editor, After Happily Ever
Turquoise Morning Press
ABOUT KAREN STIVALI
Karen Stivali is a prolific writer, compulsive baker and chocoholic with a penchant for books, movies and fictional British men. When she’s not writing, she can be found cooking extravagant meals and serving them to family and friends. Prior to deciding to write full time Karen worked as a hand drawn animator, a clinical therapist, and held various food-related jobs ranging from waitress to specialty cake maker. Planning elaborate parties and fundraisers takes up what’s left of her time and sanity.
Karen has always been fascinated by the way people relate to one another, so she favors books and movies that feature richly detailed characters and their relationships. In her own writing she likes to explore the dynamics between characters and has a tendency to craft romantic love stories filled with sarcasm and sexy details.
Meant To Be is Karen’s first full length novel.
To learn more about Karen and her other writing projects you can visit her website http://karenstivali.com
Look for future books from Karen Stivali
Holding On, the sequel to Meant to Be
If you enjoyed Karen Stivali’s Meant To Be,
you might also enjoy these authors
published by Turquoise Morning Press:
Margaret Ethridge, author of Contentment
Suzanne Barrett, author of An Irish Rogue
Maddie James, author of Crazy for You
Lozi Hart, author of Bluegrass Bountiful
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Meant To Be Page 33
