 
## (3 Book Romance Bundle)

## Loving The Rancher

## Sex With The Lawyer

## Loving The White Billionaire
Copyright 2016

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# Table of Contents

Loving The Rancher

Sex With The Lawyer

Loving The White Billionaire
Loving The Rancher

by

Julie Allen
Copyright © 2014 by Julie Allen

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 any persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Loving The Rancher

All rights reserved.

This book is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America. No part of this work may be used, reproduced, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording and faxing, or by any information storage and retrieval system by anyone but the purchaser for their own personal use.

This book may not be reproduced in any form without the express written permission of Julie Allen, except in the case of a reviewer who wishes to quote brief passages for the sake of a review written for inclusions in a magazine, newspaper, or journal—and these cases require written approval from Julie Allen prior to publication. Any reproduction or other unauthorized use of the material or artwork herein is prohibited without the express written permission of the author.

# Chapter One

Longing

Kristin sighed as she considered the brochure LeAnn placed in front of her. The vacation would be a great deal of fun, but with everything on her plate right now, there was no way she could take the time off. Regrettably, she looked up at her best friend. "You know I miss the country, LeAnn, but I just got the new campaign build for Roger-Smith on my desk Friday. That's going to eat up all my time for weeks. I'll be working overtime, and there's no way I can take a vacation in the middle of a project like that with a promotion on the line."

LeAnn leaned over the table, pushing the coffee cups to the side and pointing at the picture of the ranch house on the cover. "Come on, Kristin, this looks so much like that childhood home of yours you talk about. And it's only a week. I mean, we could stay longer, but give it a week. You have far too much stress on your shoulders, and I think it would really help you get it together for this big project."

But LeAnn didn't understand. As an image consultant, LeAnn assumed they were both in the business of PR and marketing, which was true. But LeAnn didn't have the negative image of women in the industry to overcome that Kristin did in a big marketing firm. At Morrow-Waves Marketing, one of the largest firms in New York, it was cutthroat, and because so many men were so much more aggressive and ruthless about getting the job, women tended to suffer. She was one of the three women outside the secretarial pool, in a company of nearly two hundred executives. The odds weren't in her favor.

If she took vacation in the middle of a deal that would be one of the biggest accounts their firm landed, she would be a joke. Besides, she prided herself in her work, and she didn't have much else to bank on in life. "I just can't, LeAnn. It wouldn't feel right." She stared longingly at the brochure. A week at a real working ranch, with a chance to do 'dude ranch' work really tore at her heart. If LeAnn were trying to send her on a guilt trip, she'd succeeded.

With a sigh of resignation, LeAnn threw her hands up. "I give up. You're doomed to collapse under the weight of stress, but I can't make you do anything you don't want to do." She stabbed at the last of her pancakes; her perfectly manicured nails are bright orange today and her sunny blond hair in a perfect coif at the nape of her neck. Her no-nonsense suit was black with white pinstripes, and the flash of orange blouse beneath was a perfect match to her nails, as were the pumps on her feet.

Kristin Jenkins envied her best friend. Because of her chosen career path, LeAnn Hardwick met knew people everywhere she went. She rubbed elbows with models, actors, singers, CEOs, and other pretty, rich people that she only made prettier. But then, LeAnn had grown up in the outskirts of LA, near Hollywood. The environment had given her a down-to-earth perspective on life but put her head in the clouds as she watched the Hollywood starlings from a distance.

Kristin, on the other hand, had been raised on a small ranch outside Dallas, and she had lived a very humble life. She'd never worried about her looks or her mannerisms until she'd met LeAnn in college. Four years at Berkley with LeAnn had changed her entire perspective, and she'd started dressing to look the part of the marketing director she wanted to be – and had become over the last ten years. But being so far behind the scenes of corporations didn't allow her the contacts and prestige LeAnn built, and she was often in the shadows of rich, old men who weren't so easy on the eyes and didn't much care about how Kristin looked, as long as she made them money. She hadn't made a lot of friends over the years, but she'd built a career that was going strong.

"I'm not going to give in," she assured LeAnn, though she'd already spent most of the weekend fretting over the new account, which was the entire reason she'd called up her best friend for lunch today. LeAnn was her rock, the only person in her life who kept her sane. "I'm going to work my ass off and land it, and then I'll be promoted to VP instead of director."

"I truly hope you're right. But remember, the offer is on the table, if you change your mind." LeAnn winked, sliding a piece of paper that read 'The Offer' onto the table. Kristin had to laugh; her friend's humor was quirky, dry, and ridiculous sometimes, but it got her through life, and she was sitting on top of the world.

Folding the piece of paper into the brochure, Kristin left the money for the bill and the tip on the table, and the two of them left to shop. It was a routine. They didn't get together for a meal or coffee unless they went on some extravagant run through town to buy a pair of Gucci glasses or a Michael Kors purse or some other such nonsense. And Kristin loved every minute of it, despite the fact that her bank account was half the size of LeAnn's. She'd still done well for herself so far, and because she was frugal most of the time, she had the cash to blow on these rare occasions.

This time, as they parted ways – LeAnn returning to her swanky apartment in Soho and Kristin heading to the edges of Manhattan and her tiny loft apartment that cost a fortune, but was right around the corner from her job, Kristin had a hard time returning home alone. Something was weighing on her, tearing at her in a way she didn't understand, and being with LeAnn provided comfort for her. As she looked around her apartment, she wasn't unhappy. She'd decorated, made it home, and she loved the neo-kitschy look of her place. But what it had in luster didn't make up for what it lacked in livelihood. Kristin hated admitting she was lonely, and she kept telling herself that, one day, after she made it big in her professional life, all the personal life details would fall in line.

She simply hadn't seen the fruits of her labor yet. It was only a matter of time, and she had plenty of that. She was only 31, after all, and look how far she'd come already! Women were getting married and having families later and later, and Kristin was in excellent health. She had a whole lifetime ahead of her still.

Deciding to enjoy what would likely be her last full day off for a while, Kristin quickly picked her outfit for tomorrow morning, made her Monday morning smoothie and put it in the fridge, and then took a relaxing bath before donning her favorite silk pajamas and lounging on the couch with some snacks while she watched reruns and reality TV for the rest of the day.

***

Kristin tried to remain focused as people passed her small office, carrying boxes with their personal items and wearing stoic or despondent expressions. She kept her head down, glancing only out of the corner of her eye as she counted. This time, the layoff hit six people in her department. Last week, there had been seven.

Kristin was glad to have the Roger-Smith account because she felt it offered her job security. This was her project, and the last three weeks of putting in sixty-plus hours a week was going to pay off when she landed the account. But her drive stemmed from more than her own job and promotion now. The firm had lost two significant accounts in the last month, leading to these layoffs, and the entire firm needed this new contract to survive.

One thing was for sure – the pressure was immense, and though she'd told LeAnn and everyone else time and again that she could handle it, Kristin was not in a good place. The stress caused her to barely sleep and lose weight.

Taking a deep breath and drinking from the cup of coffee that was now cold, she plowed ahead, determined to walk into the huge conference room this afternoon and wow the partners at the firm with her creativity. From there, she'd get the approval to put the final tweaks in place so they could present it to the client on Monday.

She took her lunch break to run home and change, wanting to look thoroughly professional in front of the rest of the board. Kristin wanted that 'VP' title in front of her name, and she wanted the company to get out of the red before they lost any more people. In a navy skirt suit with white pinstripes and a white collar, topped off with a pair of sensible white flats, a silver necklace with a white opal pendant and matching earrings, and her mass of black curls piled on her head in a neat but loose bun. Kristin liked the image in the mirror and added just a touch of bronzer and a hint of coral lipstick.

Glasses in place and briefcase in hand, she entered the room with confidence amidst corporate moguls who were not going to be easy to convince that she was the 'man' for the job. But with a fool-proof agenda that touted an in-depth look at the market, as well as a complete creative redesign of a failing ad campaign and projected gains for the client, Kristin felt prepared for anything.

As she set up her presentation, the men around her settled into the chairs around a long conference table and watched her work, coffee mugs in hand. Kristin knew that the quiet muttering among them was likely snide remarks about her potential and what kind of drivel she was going to give them. That was fine; it would make her feel all the more superior when she awed them.

For the next 45 minutes, Kristin commanded the room, all eyes on her, and several heads nodding agreement with her strategy. She knew she had them as she turned off the projector and flipped the switch to restore the overhead lighting. They muttered amongst themselves, and she thanked them and exited the room with her materials, heading to her office to await word on their decision. This was the worst part, and she truly just wanted to hear the resounding approval and polish off the presentation for the client.

Feeling giddy, Kristin texted LeAnn, telling her how well it had gone and that this was in the bag. LeAnn's vote of confidence of _I knew you would!_ as a response made Kristin stifle a giggle. She was so enthused and anxious she couldn't sit still, and when her phone beeped, she practically vibrated with joy. "Kristin, can I see you in my office please?" came the voice of Jordan Meeks, the VP who had assigned her the task of putting together the proposal.

"Yes, sir, I'll be right in." She tried not to sound overly bright or confident, but there was a definite spring in her step as she hurried toward Mr. Meeks' office. This was her opportunity, and she felt like she was walking the red carpet now, ready to accept her reward.

The door was cracked, but she knocked anyway before entering, her manners demanding attention to protocol. "Have a seat," Mr. Meeks told her, gesturing to the chair facing him from the opposite side of his desk. The office was huge, with lots of leather and old wood, and Kristin found herself thinking about how she'd decorate an office this size. With the bonus and raise she'd get with a promotion, she could certainly afford to be a little extravagant in her décor choices, but she didn't much care for the stuffy feeling this sort of theme presented.

"Thank you for your presentation today, Kristin. It was professional, and I could tell you put a lot of work into it," he began, pulling at the sleeves of his Armani suit with a stoic expression.

A red flag went up in Kristin's mind. She'd seen him fidget with his suit before, and nine times out of ten, it was when he delivered bad news. "Thank you, Mr. Meeks. I've spent hundreds of hours on it, and I truly believe it's the right strategy for this particular client. As I said in the meeting, I project at least a fifteen percent increase in profits over the next year based on the campaigns."

"So I heard," he told her with a smile that didn't reach his eyes as they finally fell on her. "Your input is very much appreciated, Kristin, and the firm has chosen to put your proposal in front of the client next week. It should help significantly in the recovery of our profit margins, should the client accept."

A wave of relief washed through Kristin, and she bit her bottom lip to keep from squealing in triumph. _Be professional._ "That's wonderful, sir. I'll put the finishing touches on it, and I promise I won't let you down."

But his eyes were hard now, and Kristin gulped. "Kristin, we're unfortunately unable to have you present this. I hate my job at times like this because you have been such an incredible asset to this company. The work you produce is phenomenal, and were it my decision, I would have you up there with confidence and poise, selling us to these guys. However, based on the numbers we've run and the position this company is in, we're still under the gun to cut costs. I'm afraid the board has decided to let you go."

_Go where?_ Kristin couldn't process the meaning behind his words immediately, and she had to wonder where exactly she was going. "I'm not following, sir," she said, her heart fluttering with panic.

His scowl did nothing to reassure her. "I'm sorry, Kristin, I fought to keep you on. Your salary is one of the highest for any of our directors, and while I feel you are worth every penny and more, I couldn't save you from this round of layoffs. It was decided this morning, before the presentation, and I wanted to tell you then, but my associates wanted to wait."

Kristin would have fumed that they'd used her to get the advertising strategy for such a big account, but she was too focused on the personal crisis this created. She didn't just work to live; she lived to work. She _was_ this job. There was nothing else in her life, and without it, she couldn't afford to add something else.

"Mr. Meeks, I can take a pay cut. I really need this job, and you know I'm willing to work harder than anyone else in this company." She hated the plea in her voice.

"I know that, Kristin. But a pay cut isn't enough, and I can't stop what's already been put in action. I have your dismissal paperwork here." He reached for a manila folder on the corner of his desk, glanced at what was inside, and passed it across to her. "You'll find a somewhat generous allowance, with your health insurance remaining intact for the next three months at no cost, as well as a month's compensation in the severance package, plus the payout of accrued vacation time and the value of your stock options as of today. You also have access to either take out or roll over your retirement fund."

Kristin's hand shook as she grabbed the folder, opening it to peruse the information inside. "I assume it's time for me to clean out my office and walk down the hall of shame like everyone else, with nothing but a box in my arms to show for the years I spent here." She didn't even try to hide the sarcasm in her voice.

"I'm very sorry, Kristin. I've got you at the top of the list, should we be able to reinstate some of the people we've let go. I think the company is doing itself a disservice by letting you go, but it's out of my hands." His eyes were sincere as he told her, "If you need anything, call me. I'll write letters of recommendation or help in any other way I can." He passed her a business card with his personal cell number on it, and Kristin assumed that was her dismissal.

Like a zombie, she grabbed an empty paper box from the mailroom, carried it to her office, and dumped all her personal belongings in it. She gazed around the empty closet-sized room one last time, logged out of her computer, and sighed. Refusing to show any emotion, she didn't speak to anyone on the way out, and she held her head high as she stepped onto the elevator and headed out to her car.

Shoving the box in the trunk, she drove on autopilot, making a stop for coffee, and went home. She didn't unload the items from the trunk, simply going in and running a hot bath. She couldn't remember the last time she wasn't facing a deadline, the last time she got the opportunity to just relax without obligation. Kristin wasn't one to relax or let go, and she'd have to find a goal to focus on if she was going to stay sane. But for now, she knew she was in shock, and she couldn't focus at all. The best thing to do was to act like a normal person. Other people would wallow in self-pity and pamper themselves until they felt better. So, that would be her goal, at least for today.

# Chapter Two

In Boredom We Trust

The shock wore off quickly, and boredom set in. Kristin couldn't force herself to continue down a path filled with manicures, facials, and bubble baths. The euphoria most people felt in those treatments only reminded Kristin that she was jobless, hopeless, and had been used. With the boredom came the anger. Rather than getting her just desserts for all the diligent work she'd put in, all the creativity she'd shared, Kristin had been jilted out of her promotion, as well as the prestige of sharing the products of her mind.

And it hadn't stopped there. She'd been shunted, her entire livelihood stolen, and she had no prospects for the future. Well, that wasn't exactly true. Morrow-Waves was a big company, and their only true rival was Everett Sales & Advertising. Everett had approached her at least five times over the past three years with a proposal of their own, but in her stupid morals, Kristin had clung to her loyalty with Morrow-Waves. They'd given her a start, and she'd advanced quickly there, breaking records for women in the company. She'd thought it would be a lifelong career, that she'd retire from the company.

_Dream on._ There was no such thing as loyalty and job security in the workplace anymore. It was cutthroat, dog-eat-dog, and 'fair' didn't even make it into the Dictionary of Business Practices these days. It actually felt good to turn on her personal laptop and find the last recruiting email she'd received from Everett S&A and forward her resume back with an inquiry as to whether or not there was still an open position with their company. If she was lucky, she could recover most of her salary and a bit of her pride by getting a position that would eventually lead her back to the role of director.

But what was she going to do in the meantime? Kristin couldn't sit here and twiddle her thumbs, couldn't just read or watch television. It wasn't her style. And she wasn't ready to dive in and search for a new career right now. She'd start making inquiries with other firms when she was done fuming about her current position.

She slammed the laptop closed and folded her arms in frustration. The movement scattered papers on the desk, and something heavy floated to the floor. Scowling down at it, she saw the brochure LeAnn had given her. Prescott's 'Slanted' _P_ Ranch. Kristin snorted. She hadn't even visited her parents' land in nearly three years, preferring to work with her family for a neutral meeting ground halfway between for holidays. Last year, she'd booked them rooms at a resort in Nashville, and they'd had a 'Grand Ole Opry Christmas'. She'd been thinking about Boulder this year; she hadn't been skiing for nearly a decade.

She reached down and picked up the brochure, flipping the pages and frowning. It looked pretty legit, which meant she'd actually be on horseback again, mucking out stalls, and other nonsense. It might be refreshing, and it wasn't like she had anything else to fill her time. Of course, with the layoff, she couldn't guarantee she could afford to spend money on a vacation. Certainly, she'd land another job easily, between credentials, experience, and reputation.

Still, she couldn't stand the idea of being in her apartment, no matter how swanky, for the next several weeks. She needed a break. At this point, her lack of work was causing as much stress as her penchant for being a workaholic, and she remembered LeAnn's admonishment about taking time to live her life. It irked Kristin that she was buying into that, considering her complete focus should be on maintaining her career before she lost her edge.

At the same time, if she took this trip, she'd likely be so glad to come back and get her hands dirty that she'd dive into the application and interview process. She carried the brochure to the kitchen, phone in her other hand, as she searched the packages and prices. Everything seemed reasonable; the cost wasn't extravagant, and the accommodations weren't stalls in the stables or anything.

She put everything on the counter, poured herself a cup of coffee, and bit her lip. Maybe some manual labor would give her enough focus to clear her mind, sort of like meditation, and she could start fresh when she came back. Before she could change her mind, she speed-dialed LeAnn, who answered on the first ring. "Hey, you, how are you? I was worried when you didn't call, and I was about to come by and see if you were still alive or if you'd given yourself a heart attack."

Feeling the familiar rise of her anger, Kristin took several deep breaths as she prepared to hit her best friend with the news. "I got laid off. Oh, they kept my proposal and I hear they landed the account, but I'm toast."

"No way! What bullshit!" LeAnn was truly offended for her, and that was one of the things Kristin truly appreciated about her friend. They felt each other's pain, and they had each other's backs. "Are you applying elsewhere?"

"I have a couple of prospects," she said vaguely. "Listen, LeAnn, I was calling because...is it too late to take you up on that ranch vacation? I think I need a change of scenery for a few days."

"Seriously? You're coming?" LeAnn sounded like a tea kettle simmering and ready to let out the ear-piercing sound as it boiled. "Oh, please tell me you're not joking!"

Blowing out a breath aimed at removing a strand of hair from her eyes, Kristin told her, "I don't want to spend forever there. I have a limit, especially since I have to get back on top of finding a job and a way to afford to have a life. But I think a week on a ranch might clear my head in this early-life crisis I've hit." That's really how it felt. She was being forced into completely reconfiguring her life with this whole job change. She just hoped a vacation would make the transition a little easier.

"Give me ten days. That's really a week, with an extra weekend. The ten-day package is only a hundred more than the week package, and the flights are actually cheaper because of the days we'd fly, so it offsets the difference. Plus, we don't get to do the river rafting if we only go for a week." LeAnn was talking a mile a minute, and it made Kristin's head spin. "I promise you won't regret it, and we'll have a blast. Come on, we haven't done anything like this before, and even if you grew up on a ranch, I bet this will be a completely different experience."

_Doubtful._ "Fine. But I better not get a wakeup call at four in the morning to milk the damn cows. That was the one chore I hated because it was far too early, and I never managed to go back to sleep afterward."

"Oh my god! Okay, I'm going to schedule your flight and book your stay. Just write me a check or something, and you can give it to me when we get to the airport." LeAnn went silent, which usually signaled a question. Kristin could almost hear the rusted wheels turning in LeAnn's head. "Wait, what's the weather going to be like in San Antonio in two weeks? I want to pack accordingly."

Kristin smirked. "Hot. And hotter. But you don't want shorts for horseback riding and ranch activities, so jeans, and not the designer kind. Short sleeves are best, and no sandals or heels, LeAnn," she added with a warning tone. She knew LeAnn far too well and would have been mortified to show up with someone in flip-flops and cut-offs to a working ranch.

"You got it! I'm going shopping. I'll text you all the details." LeAnn hung up, and Kristin was left standing in the kitchen, shaking her head. Taking a deep breath, Kristin realized she'd probably need to buy a couple of things for the trip as well.

# Chapter Three

Traveling Band

Kristin sometimes forgot how personable her best friend was, but as they stood in line to board the plane, she listened to LeAnn banter and laugh with other passengers, networking and exchanging business cards. _Not a bad idea, considering the current employment situation._ But Kristin couldn't bring herself to get that deep into conversation with anyone.

She didn't know why her nerves were so on edge. This was going to be an easy time for her. She'd been a natural growing up, and working on a ranch was like riding a bike, something you never forgot how to do. And she'd flown plenty of times in her life; it wasn't the air travel that bothered her. So why couldn't Kristin just relax and enjoy being on vacation?

"Excuse me, I'm sorry." Kristin winced as the man in line in front of her hit her knee with a hard case he carried. She looked up into his youthful, blushing face. "I didn't mean to hit you, miss. I'm just nervous, and that makes it nearly impossible for me not to twitch."

She gave him a cordial smile. "It's alright, I'm not made of glass. What's in that thing, anyway? Bricks?" She pointed to the hard case with a frown.

"No, it's my drum kit. Well, it's the brushes and sticks and everything. I checked the actual drum set, which only makes me even more nervous about all of this." He held out a hand in greeting, and Kristin shook it, finding his palm sweaty. "I'm Nate."

"I'm Kristin. I take it you're in a band."

He nodded vigorously. "The rest of the band rented a van, but I had a final to take before I left, so I decided to fly. I should have sent the drums with them, but we're playing our first big show, and I'm a bit of a perfectionist. I wanted to mess around a little more with a couple of drum solos." His smile quirked crooked and boyish, revealing deep dimples in his cheeks.

If Kristin had been seventeen, she would have been in love. He was an adorable kid, and she found herself regretting not taking advantage of her youth for something less structured, like playing in a band or taking acting or dance lessons. Hell, she could have spent more time crushing on kids like him, with silky brown hair falling over his forehead, reminiscent of the Beatles in the early days. If interest in the band was based on looks, and the rest of the members looked anything like him, they'd hit the Billboard Charts in no time.

"I'm sure you'll be amazing, Nate." She rolled her eyes internally, realizing that being in marketing had created habits she would never break. _Repeat names whenever possible; it makes the conversation more personal and shows interest, which creates a better environment for a sell._ Kristin wasn't trying to sell anything, but she couldn't help her customary acknowledgements.

They eventually moved forward, whatever blockade had obstructed the way removed, and she drew her small rolling carry-on behind her, while Nate lifted his case over his head. Kristin turned to see LeAnn flirting with the guy behind her, a man with broad shoulders and salt-and-pepper hair above light green eyes and a smile that was all about getting into LeAnn's pants. Of course, he had on an expensive suit, the cut of which Kristin recognized as Perry Ellis, and LeAnn had a weakness for money, especially when it came to businessmen.

"We're moving," she called to her friend, and this time, Kristin's eye roll was external as the man carried LeAnn's tiny bag for her. LeAnn batted her eyelashes and gazed up at him seductively without shame. Kristin didn't understand, though there were times she'd been that obvious in her intentions. She hadn't been interested in many men, but the two or three times she'd wanted action or at least attention, she'd clammed up irreversibly and been a prisoner of shyness. She couldn't equate that to the woman who could give presentations to some of the most ruthless men in business, but nonetheless, it was true.

Finally stepping onto the plane, Kristin filed slowly down the center aisle, watching the row numbers and stopping at fourteen to take her seat. She shoved her rolling bag in the overhead compartment and tucked her small 'personal item' at her feet, clicking the seatbelt around her waist. She was in the window seat, which meant no one needed to slide by her, so she could settle in quickly.

It was better this way, she thought, as LeAnn took the aisle seat. Her best friend would be actively engaging with other passengers, while Kristin simply wanted to close her eyes and listen to music. She watched LeAnn giggle and tease people, thinking how miserable it would have been if she'd been in the center aisle, with LeAnn leaning over her and around her constantly. Relieved to be out of the line of fire, Kristin took her phone and her ear buds out of her bag, turned it on, and leaned back with her eyes closed as the music filled her ears.

She laughed, the first song all too close to home. She loved classic rock, and Creedence Clearwater Revival was one of her favorites, but after meeting Nate, it was quite a coincidence that her randomizer chose 'Traveling Band' right away.

With a smile still on her face, Kristin wasn't pleased to feel someone nudge her elbow. She opened one eye and peered at LeAnn. "Can I help you?" She paused the song so she could hear the response.

"Are you going to sleep already?" LeAnn pouted.

"I'm not sleeping, I'm relaxing. I believe you were the one who suggested it would be a good practice for me."

LeAnn's shoulders fell. "Well, here." She passed over a business card, which Kristin considered with a deep scowl. "That guy's looking for a marketing manager for his firm. I told him I had a perfect candidate and told him a little about you, so he wants your resume as soon as you have a chance to send it."

Feeling terrible for being so snippy when LeAnn was only trying to help, Kristin tried to let her gratitude show with a pleasant smile. "Thank you, LeAnn. I'll email it over as soon as we land."

Satisfied, LeAnn turned away, and Kristin was left to her preferred solitude. She kept her eyes closed, concentrating on the music, as they ascended to cruising altitude.

Kristin was awakened to the jerk and force of the landing. She gulped, realizing she was back in Texas, a place she'd avoided for the better part of five years. It wasn't because she didn't love home; actually, her love of the state was the reason she'd kept away. After college, she hadn't gone back, with big dreams of success in New York. She'd followed that dream wholeheartedly, and she knew that, if she went home, she'd be torn. The heat in the air and the stretching plains with sharp winds and incredibly beautiful spring thunderstorms would have called her home and made it nearly impossible to leave a second time.

The good news was, San Antonio was far enough removed from Dallas-Fort Worth to assure she wasn't likely to run into anyone or anything that would be too much of a temptation.

In Kristin's opinion, the only part of flying worse than boarding a plane was waiting to exit. There was always some jerk in the back hollering for everyone to hurry up and some drunk guy in first class taking his dear, sweet time falling all over himself as he tried to collect his things and go. Stuck in the middle, Kristin sometimes just wanted to send out an electrical wave that would mute everyone's thoughts and tongues, turning them into zombies who just followed instruction to file out so that it was organized and quiet. It wouldn't cause permanent damage, only keep them in line until they got into the airport. Then, they could bellyache all they wanted while Kristin made her way in peace to baggage claim.

LeAnn finally ended a conversation that sounded as if it had been going on the entire three-and-a-half hour flight and led them out of the row, down the aisle, through the jetway, and into fresh air that filled Kristin's lungs as she breathed deeply of it. Now, though, LeAnn was in a hurry. "You're crawling, Krissy! Let's get our bags and get on our way!"

With a patient grin, Kristin shook her head. "There's no point. Our luggage won't appear on the little conveyer belt for at least another fifteen minutes. At my pace, it'll take about ten to get there. We'll still have to wait. If I 'hurry' with you, I'll be listening to you complain about waiting the entire time."

LeAnn huffed but slowed down, her motions jerky as she fought to hold back. It made Kristin smile, and when they reached the conveyer belt, which wasn't yet moving, she had to hold back a chuckle as LeAnn scowled, crossing her arms and tapping her foot. The impatience was adorable in some ways, annoying in others, and today, Kristin wasn't going to let anything more bother her. She could almost feel the heat seeping into her bones already, the hot Texas sun beating on the roof of the airport. It was invigorating, and it incensed her own impatient reaction, making her want to get out of the air conditioned building and smell the air.

The belt began to turn minutes later, and within half an hour, Kristin and LeAnn had their bags loaded on a luggage cart, headed to the curb to catch a cab to the ranch. A hint of a smile curved Kristin's lips as they left San Antonio International Airport, took the 1604 loop west, and exited to leave town behind for the gently rolling hills of Central Texas.

# Chapter Four

What a Surprise

LeAnn gasped as she stared out at the brilliant green under the light blue cloudless sky. "I don't think I've ever seen anything this pure and untouched," she whispered in awe. "I thought you told me everything got fried in the Texas sun, all brown and withered."

"It does. They've had some rain lately, and it's helped stave off some of the worst effects of the sun, but in a few weeks, all of this will be yellow and dry. Trust me, I've seen it year after year." She was glad, though, that everything was blooming for once. It made for a lovely drive and a much happier prospect in terms of weather in the days ahead.

The cab turned off the road onto a dirt path, under a sign that stretched above, declaring the name of the ranch and attached to the fence that cordoned off the property. The vast, open space was flanked by a line of trees at the edges on all three sides, the dark green of which was a perfect backdrop to set off the huge white house that sprawled amidst several outbuildings, many of which were nearly as large.

The car stopped in front of the house, where there were several people milling around, most with luggage much like Kristin's. As she opened the door and stepped out, the sounds of the country comforted her above the muttering of the gathered guests. The horse paddock was somewhere nearby, snuffles and whinnies the loudest noises, with pigs, sheep, and cows more distant. Kristin ached to go exploring, all alone, but she had a feeling that wasn't allowed, and she would have to wait for the grand group tour.

"I'm glad you told me what to wear," LeAnn muttered in her ear. "Some of these girls look like they're going to be in trouble pretty quick." She gestured toward a young woman, maybe five years their junior, wearing shorts that barely covered the essentials with a tank top and flip-flops, exactly what Kristin had told LeAnn to avoid.

Kristin sighed. Some people just didn't get it. The woman was probably from Florida and thought this was going to be a lot of posing and taking pictures, like going to the Caribbean and having a picture taken with a monkey or a Macaw. She was going to be sorely mistaken, literally.

The group's attention shifted, everyone turning as the door to the house opened and a man with a cowboy hat and red plaid shirt and jeans stepped out. His back was to them, and Kristin waited to see their host, Mr. Prescott, presumably. As he turned to face the small crowd, Kristin felt the blood drain from her face, and she quickly ducked behind LeAnn, trying to hide and still keep the man in view. This wasn't possible!

"What are you doing?" LeAnn moved and turned toward her, but Kristin grabbed a handful of the back of her friend's shirt, forcing LeAnn to stay in front of her. "Kristin, what kind of game is this?" She slapped at Kristin, annoyed, but Kristin just took it, her eyes wide as she stared at the owner of the Slanted P Ranch.

Dale Prescott.

"Just stay here," Kristin hissed through her teeth. "I can't believe this."

"Can't believe what? What the hell is wrong with you?" LeAnn's voice grew louder, despite Kristin's attempt to shush her, and she knew it was pointless to try and hide, since several faces were already turning their direction in curiosity at the commotion. Now, Kristin's cheeks were hot with her humiliation, and she turned away before their host could get a good, solid look at her. All she could hope was that, when he did finally see her, she'd be just another face in the crowd to him.

"Okay, ladies and gentlemen, listen up!" Kristin flinched at the familiar voice, and LeAnn tried to get her to turn around, but she adamantly refused. "Welcome to the Slanted P Ranch. I'm Dale Prescott, and I'll be your host for the next ten days, or as long as you decide to extend your stay. I'm not gonna brag, but we tend to have a lot of people book a few extra days, not quite ready to exchange the dirt under their nails for the grit up their asses in the city."

Several people laughed, including LeAnn, who leaned over and whispered, "You've got to see this guy, Krissy. He's drop-dead gorgeous."

"I'll look later," she hissed irritably. She was well aware of both Dale's charm and his looks. She doubted he'd changed much over the years, considering how easily she'd recognized him, which meant he had broad shoulders, a strong body, and angular face, and eyes the green of early spring moss.

"Over the next few days," he continued, his voice like chocolate silk and booming, "you'll learn how a ranch works. It's a vacation, but not like any vacation you've taken before. I'll teach you to enjoy the labor, love the animals, and feel the countryside in your bones. Not everything will be a task. We've got the lazy river, horseback riding, and social events, but you'll also be milking cows, sheering sheep, and learning how to break a stallion."

It sounded amazing, but Kristin couldn't wrap her head around the fact she'd be with Dale Prescott the whole time. She listened as he finished. "I've got about ten ranch hands that'll handle a lot of the training with me, including my cousin, Rob, and his wife, Shelly. Right now, we're going to hike over to the public accommodations so we can check you in and get you to your rooms. Once you're settled, meet up in the lobby. You'll be taken to the mess hall for a big dinner and introductions."

As the group began to shift and walk toward what appeared to be a rustic bed-and-breakfast style facility, Kristin caught sight of Dale, making his way to the head of the group, guiding them down the trail. With him facing forward, away from her, she felt more comfortable following along, and she hung back toward the edges of the group, keeping a distance in case he looked back.

"Are you going to tell me what's going on?" LeAnn demanded, her frustration crackling in the air. "You're acting like a damn fool."

Kristin sighed. "I don't want to talk about it right now. Let's just get to our rooms, and I'll be better later." She doubted she would, but she had to say something to get her friend off her case. To her great relief, it was a woman checking them in and passing out keys.

Kristin stepped up to the counter, and woman gave her a sincere welcoming grin. "Hi, I'm Shelly. Welcome to the Slanted P. Your name?"

"Kristin Jenkins." She spoke quietly, looking over her shoulder and feeling paranoid as she checked to make sure Dale didn't hear her.

"Excellent. It's a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Jenkins. You'll be staying in room 112, adjacent to your traveling companion, Ms. Hardwick. The two of you will share the restroom directly across the hall with Anna Shillings and Trish Markham. Towels and washrags are stored in the closet adjacent to the bathroom, and if you need anything else, feel free to ask. You'll find coffee and snacks stored in a pantry in your room, as well as additional blankets and pillows. Do you have any questions for me?"

Kristin shook her head. "It sounds like everything is covered. Thank you so much." She took the key to the room and stepped back, finding a corner to wait in while LeAnn went through the process, and she couldn't help but cast stealthy glances at Dale. She'd been right; he looked very much the same, though his face had filled out with maturity, and he was all the more handsome for his manner of dress. The ranch life suited him, a bronze tan accenting the angles and planes of his face, which was shadowed with a day's growth of dark hair.

He looked up, and their eyes locked. Kristin's breath caught in her throat, and her heart skipped a beat, but Dale merely gave her a courteous nod with a genial smile before looking away and starting a conversation with an employee. He hadn't recognized her, and that made Kristin infinitely more comfortable. Perhaps this was going to be a relaxing vacation after all. With keys in hand, she and LeAnn shuffled down the hall toward their rooms, bags in tow.

# Chapter Five

On the Hook

The 'mess hall' was a big country-style dining area that reminded Kristin of the restaurant Nelly ran in Little House on the Prairie. The food was amazing – homemade biscuits and gravy, tender chicken fried steak, and buttery potatoes and green beans. She elbowed LeAnn, who picked at her food and avoided the meat. "Get off the California kick. If you're going to survive the week, you can't be a vegan. You'll need the protein."

"Why didn't you tell me we'd be living off grease and cow?" LeAnn grumbled, finally forcing herself to cut into the steak. She popped the bite in her mouth, and her expression changed completely, suddenly a mask of pure ecstasy. Her eyes closed, and she chewed slowly.

Kristin giggled at her. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you missed red meat."

"This is better than sex," LeAnn breathed after swallowing. She dug in now, giving Kristin a warning glance. "Don't you dare repeat that, and don't tell anyone I climbed off the wagon for a few days."

"It's not like you kicked a drug habit and had a relapse, LeAnn. Relax," Kristin told her. "What's the big deal?"

"Cholesterol, salt, the inhumane way cows are murdered." LeAnn ticked the reasons off on her fingers.

Kristin snorted. "It's funny, you didn't seem to care about any of that in college."

She grunted. "My industry cares, so I care." She popped another bite. "But not this week."

The staff lined up against the wall for introductions, and the room grew quiet. When they finished, Dale stepped forward. "As you finish your grub, take a right around the corner, and go into the banquet hall. There's dessert and drinks waiting so y'all can get acquainted with one another."

Instinctively, Kristin kept her head down until he and his crew filed in the direction he'd given, and she faced LeAnn's determined stare as she glanced back up. "Okay, give it up. You have some sort of issue with Mr. Prescott. Spill the beans, sister, or I'll ask him what the story is."

"Don't you dare!" LeAnn's eyes sparked, and Kristin sighed. She hated when her friend goaded her into giving up information. "I knew him in school. He doesn't seem to recognize me, but it's just weird running into someone from the past like that, especially since he's here, with a ranch, and I'm jobless." It was a good enough explanation. She didn't care to share the minute details.

"He doesn't have to know that," LeAnn told her. "If he does remember you, just talk about your career like you're still with the firm. No one's going to know the difference. Besides, it was a layoff. It's not like you were fired."

It was true, to a point, but it still left Kristin feeling like a failure. And because that wasn't her only embarrassing fact when it came to Dale Prescott, it offered little comfort. Finishing her food, she wiped her hands and face and waited the few minutes it took LeAnn to finally devour every bite on her plate. Together, they got up and headed toward the banquet hall, where a few other guests were already streaming in.

"Let's get some punch," LeAnn suggested, nodding toward the table across the room. Kristin was searching to find Dale, but he was nowhere to be seen, so she followed her friend. She dipped out a cup and drank, the mixture coating her throat and cooling her from the inside out. She turned to gaze around the room, taking in the other guests as they entered, and she felt LeAnn move up behind her. Turning to talk to her friend, Kristin gasped, meeting a solid wall of man and locking eyes again with Dale Prescott.

His smile was devastating as it crept across his lips, crinkling the corners of his intoxicating eyes with humor. "Hello, Krissy."

Her throat closed, and she couldn't speak for a moment. He was literally two inches from her, and she stared up at him in fear and a sudden twist of interest. Neither one suited her purpose, and she tried to swallow them both as she found her voice. "Hello, Dale. I guess you recognized me after all."

His eyes twinkled, an unsettling effect that made it hard to breathe. "How could I not? You've hardly changed, though you're even more beautiful than I remembered." He shrugged. "I didn't want to make a big deal in front of all the other guests, but I didn't want you to think I'd forgotten you, either."

_That was too bad._ Forcing a timid smile, Kristin told him, "I had no idea this place belonged to you when I signed up. You've done well for yourself." She gestured around at his place. "This ranch is beautiful, and I can't wait to see more of it."

"Thank you." He cleared his throat and gave her a searching look. "Where did you disappear after graduation? There were a few graduation parties, but you never showed, and I guess you left in a hurry."

"I started college during summer semester, with accelerated courses." Kristin's blood pumped loudly in her ears, and she felt awkward, despite the ease with which Dale engaged her.

"You always were an overachiever," he commented with a boyish grin. "Listen, we'll have to do some catching up while you're here. There aren't a lot of people I care to recall from high school, but we had some good times. I had hoped to see you at the reunion."

Now, Kristin blushed. "Like you, there weren't many people I missed, so I certainly didn't feel the need to traipse all the way back to Dallas from New York and use up my vacation time to paste on a fake smile and pretend they were old friends."

He chuckled. "Damn straight on that one." He touched her arm, and Kristin's skin tingled beneath his hand. "It's really good to see you, Krissy. I missed you."

The words crept up her spine and sent a shiver coursing through her body. She took a step back, putting more space between them and sipping her punch before responding. "I'd love to catch up with you."

He seemed satisfied. "I'm going to greet the other guests, but I'll get back around to you in a bit, okay?" Kristin nodded as he walked away, and she let out a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding.

LeAnn reappeared suddenly, and Kristin seared her with a hot stare and asked, "Where did you go?"

LeAnn raised an accusing eyebrow. "I thought the two of you needed a little space. There were rays of chemistry shooting in all directions around you." She shook her head. "When we go back to the rooms, you're going to dish out all the details of what that was all about. I knew you were holding back earlier! I want the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth," LeAnn said jokingly.

_So help me, God._ And she'd need the assistance from upstairs, if anyone was listening, when she recounted those gritty details to her best friend.

# Chapter Six

Digging Up Bones

"I met Dale just before Christmas break my senior year in high school," Kristin told LeAnn as they sat cross-legged on the bed in her room. She felt like a kid again, powwowing and divulging secrets. It was refreshing, despite how mortified she was at the entire situation.

"Was he that attractive in high school?" LeAnn asked, obviously a little taken with Dale.

Thinking back, Kristin had to smile. "He definitely was. I mean, to a teenage girl, he was. Now, I'd much rather have the more mature package." She sighed. "Anyway, it was a bit of a whirlwind. We dated for about a month, spent New Year's together, and had one amazing night of sex. But that was all. By Valentine's Day, we'd just...stopped talking. We'd say hi in the hallways and at parties. But when we graduated, he was dating Emily Goodall, and I left for NYU two days later."

LeAnn gawked at her. "So, what, you just sort of drifted apart? There was no break up or reason why it didn't work out?"

Kristin had never really thought about it, but now that she looked back, she, too, wondered why they hadn't worked out. Those few weeks had been short and spun her head, but she remembered being incredibly happy. It wasn't love; she'd been too young for that. But it had been absolute bliss, and had her path in life been different, it might have become love. But that seemed like light-years ago.

"I don't remember what happened, really. I know that, when we went back to school, we went out a couple more times, and he walked me to classes for a while. But he had track, and I was working on the yearbook committee. We didn't have any classes together, and I guess 'drifted apart' is the right way to put it."

LeAnn threw her hands up in exasperation. "That's ridiculous! You know, he's not married. You should remind him that, technically, you're still together and take advantage of that heat in his eyes when he looks at you."

"Oh, please, you're so dramatic." The fact was, Kristin had no intention of reminding Dale of any of the details of their fling. There were several of those details she would rather forget. "It's been more than twelve years, LeAnn. And I'm sure, with all the people that come through this place on an annual basis, he can pick one out of every crowd to eyeball. And at least one out of every three of those is going to fall victim to his charm." But even saying it felt wrong and made Kristin's chest hurt. High school flings were better left in the past, but it didn't seem possible to bury her past deep enough to keep the more determined dogs from digging up the bones.

She shooed LeAnn out of her room at long last and crawled under the covers, tossing bags and wrappers to the floor and vowing she'd clean them up tomorrow. She was much more a morning person, which meant she'd be better off getting to sleep now and actually functioning properly tomorrow.

***

Fitful sleep and nonsensical dreams made Kristin feel like she was in Wonderland the next day. Everything seemed surreal as she stepped out in the bright early morning sun, dressed in sturdy jeans, a rugged T-shirt, and her faithful old snakeskin boots. She'd had them for more than five years, had them resoled once, and they were in excellent condition. It was already hot, promising a scorcher, and she tucked her mass of hair into a ponytail and then clipped it atop her head to leave her neck bare. She squinted, reminding herself to dig out her sunglasses later today, as well as her sunblock. She now followed a very zombie-like LeAnn back to the mess hall.

If dinner had been delicious, breakfast was divine, with bacon Kristin knew had been cured right here on the farm, eggs fresh from the chicken coops, and raw cream for the coffee. She refrained from giving the details of freshness to LeAnn, who perked up as she shoved the 'fat pig and cow' into her mouth, knowing she'd likely freak out that none of it was processed, labeled, and purchased from a supermarket.

As the group finished up, Dale appeared from what she assumed was the kitchen, wearing a dark green T-shirt that made his eyes look supernatural. Kristin's breath caught in her throat, and she heard LeAnn's low whistle of approval just before he clapped his hands to get everyone's attention. Kristin forced herself not to look away as his eyes landed on her. Dale turned away, ready to address the group, but she had the sensation he was still looking at her from the corner of his eye.

"Okay, folks, today's adventure begins with a little education. We're going to head to the stables in a few minutes. You're going to learn how to properly saddle and bridle a horse, and then we're gonna get you all on a horse. Can I get a show of hands for anyone who's never been on horseback?" Kristin looked around the room and groaned inwardly as several hands shot up and several more came up slowly, as if the admission embarrassed them. LeAnn was one of those.

Kristin blinked at her and leaned over to whisper, "You've never been on a horse?"

LeAnn's eyes glittered with excitement. "No, and I can't wait!"

"Excellent," Dale continued, stifling the quiet muttering. "Half and half is perfect. We'll split into two groups after we saddle up. One group will go with Bobby and learn the basics of riding a horse, using the reins, and sitting comfortably before you head down the trail. The other half will come with me, and we'll take the experienced trail." Was it Kristin's imagination, or did he look straight at her as he said that?

It brought back an unbidden memory of being with him on her parents' ranch, taking Maximus and Primus, two of her Appaloosas, for a ride out into the woods. While there, they'd stopped and had what had perhaps been the most epic make out session of her life. Something low in her belly heated, and she had to swallow a sudden twinge of longing. She hadn't felt that kind of desire in so long it was foreign, and it frightened her.

"When we get back from our rides," Dale continued, cutting into her thoughts, "we'll go through how to clean and brush a horse, how to clean the tack, and how it's stored. By that time, you're all going to be pretty hungry. With the horses in their stalls, Wesley will have the barbecue ready to go in the large corral, and we'll get our grub on and talk about the evening."

Kristin could almost feel the protest that went around the room. While she didn't necessarily think the majority of the guests were lazy, she knew for a fact they didn't understand just how much work went into running a ranch. They were ready to complain about a couple of lessons in caring for a single horse, when in actuality, there were usually no more than two trainers and anywhere from five to twenty horses in their charge. Personally, this assignment was a blessing, and Kristin welcomed the task. Horses had been her passion and her main charge on her parents' ranch, and it was the one thing she missed in New York. She would never complain about working with horses and only hoped Dale kept an Appaloosa or two in his stables, those being her biggest weakness.

***

Kristin mostly tuned out the lesson on saddling and bridling a horse. It was old hat for her, and instead, she studied the group surrounding her, looking confused as they studied what Bobby and Dale were doing. A few nodded, getting the picture, while some were bound to fall, not quite understanding the way a horse would push out its belly to keep the saddle from being properly tightened.

As each person was directed to a stall – Kristin counted somewhere around twenty-five stalls in just this stable and knew there was another one behind this – she stepped in front of a gorgeous white and gray Appaloosa named Rocky and fell instantly in love. She offered her hand so he would get used to her scent, and he nuzzled it instantly, snorting and snuffling in greeting as he nodded his big head. She smoothed her fingers over his long face, and her soul settled, as if Rocky ate her stress for breakfast. "Hey, there, Rocky," she cooed softly, turning him side to side to inspect him more closely. He had to be eighteen hands, at least. "We're going to be best friends, right?"

LeAnn leaned over from the next stall, curious. "Mine won't come to the front of the stall. She's got her ass shoved into the back corner."

"I'll be right back, boy," Kristin told Rocky, patting his muzzle, and she scooted over next to LeAnn. Sure enough, the dappled chocolate Hungarian Warmblood twisted its lips nervously and backed against the stall. She glanced at the name on the stall – Bessie – and held out her hand, palm up. "Hey, girl," she spoke softly. "Come on, Bessie, come say hello." To LeAnn, she muttered, "You can't be intimidated, or intimidating. You have to be gentle, open, and firm, or one of two things will happen. They'll fear you, or they'll think you're afraid and bully you."

She turned back to Bessie, who'd taken two hesitant steps forward. "Come on, girl." She motioned for LeAnn to hold out her palm in the same nonthreatening way, and slowly, Bessie made her way up to the front of the stall, sniffing them both and finally holding her head down for them to pet her. "Now, remember, firm but gentle," Kristin said as she moved back to Rocky, who was watching her around the corner with giddy eyes.

"You're a damn horse whisperer, aren't you?" LeAnn chuckled.

Kristin wouldn't claim that, but she'd always had a good handle with horses, felt naturally drawn to them. She opened the door and led Rocky forward, taking the saddle Bobby had placed behind her on the saddle horse and making fast work of readying Rocky. He behaved well, and she only had to wait a few seconds for him to breathe out so she could pull the belly strap tightly enough. She heard LeAnn grunting and moved around Rocky to see what was wrong. Putting her hand to her mouth to cover her laughter, she watched as LeAnn worked to tighten the strap, only to have it slide back and forth as she tugged.

"Wait for me, Rocky," she instructed, slapping his side hard and getting a quiet whinny in return. She moved over and helped LeAnn, showing her how to hold the saddle and pull the belt strap at the same time. When it was tight, LeAnn pulled away, and Kristin told her, "You're not done." At her confused look, she grabbed LeAnn's hand, placed two of her fingers between the strap and Bessie's belly, and waited.

"It's perfect," LeAnn said, just before Bessie snorted and huffed. Her belly shrank, and the strap loosened. Kristin smiled and pulled the last few inches tight, leaving only room for LeAnn's two fingers. "Oh."

"They do it every time." Kristin reached for the bridle and coaxed Rocky's head down, getting it over his head and into his mouth with just a little extra force. She led Rocky out of the stable, ready to go, and found herself tying him to the fence so she could help several other clueless guests with their saddles. There simply weren't enough hands to go around, and she desperately wanted to get on the trail. As the last few people struggled with the task, she was too irritated to continue and stepped out into the grass. She put her foot in the stirrup and swung up on Rocky's back, the scent of him filling her nostrils and her body instantly becoming one with the horse's.

She didn't even mind as Dale rode up right next to her and stopped. "What do you think of Rocky?" he asked, reaching over to run a hand along the horse's mane.

"He's beautiful and well trained. He didn't give me any grief. It's unusual for his breed." This was her comfort zone, and Kristin could ignore everything else that rested in the past between her and Dale, as long as they kept the conversation here.

"You know you're the one who gave me this idea, right?" She stared at him in amazement, and that charming smile crept slowly over his face, making Kristin's heart stop again. "I fell in love with your parents' ranch, and your horses changed my life. Rocky's my fourth Appaloosa, and he's the first one that hasn't been a complete nightmare to train."

Kristin laughed. "They're too smart. That's the problem. And they're arrogant and stubborn. With most horses, it's a dominance thing. With these babies, it's about love and respect," she said, running her hand down Rocky's neck. She motioned to his shiny black Mustang. "You like to live dangerously, I guess."

As if he knew what she'd said, the horse shook his head and snorted, pawing the ground defiantly with one hoof. "Blaze is a good boy, really. He just likes to surprise me every once in a while by breaking into a full gallop without me asking first."

Remembering that ride they'd taken, Kristin was shocked at his comfort level with the horses. Of course, ranching had become his business, his livelihood, but she would never have expected Dale Prescott to become such a rugged cowboy...and to look so incredible in that position. She closed her gaping mouth before she embarrassed herself by drooling. She'd been honest with LeAnn; in high school, she'd found Dale insanely attractive, just as she did now. But as an adult, and with a memory that brought everything back like it was yesterday, Kristin's urges were stronger. She could guess at the body beneath the clothes, having seen the perfection of it once before and knowing that the years of hard work in the sun had likely only improved the tone and build of his muscles.

"Hey, Krissy, did you find what you were looking for in New York?" The question was wistful, and it threw Kristin off balance, Rocky skittering slightly until she reined him back in and soothed him.

Trying to figure out how to answer, Kristin blinked at him several times. "Well, I didn't really know what I wanted, other than to go to college. I did that, and I landed a solid career that I adore, so I guess I did eventually find what I was looking for." She hesitated. "Are you finding what you want in life?"

He shrugged. "I have the ranch, and that's fulfilling. I've got friends and built-in family here." His eyes clouded, and she was reminded of how the sky turned green before a tornado struck. "I think I'm still searching for something, though." He didn't say what, and the group of experienced riders had gathered around them, so she didn't ask. Instead, she followed him out, with the rest of the group trailing behind as he took them into the woods behind the main house.

# Chapter Seven

Just Like Old Times

It felt strange being separated from LeAnn, considering Kristin's best friend was the entire reason she was on this journey in the first place. Being without her reminded Kristin too much of being on sabbatical, a quest for self-approval. But she found she only had a few minutes to rest in her angst, Dale kicking up the conversation again about ten minutes into the trail.

"It looks like everyone in this group knows what they're doing," he mused, and Kristin glanced behind her, nodding in agreement. While some of the riders were less comfortable in a saddle than others, everyone had obviously been on a horse before. As she faced forward, Dale asked, "What is it you do in the Big Apple?"

Gritting her teeth against the urge to spew at the mouth about her disgruntling job loss, she thought back to LeAnn's word. He'd never know the difference if she referenced the job as if she was returning to it in nine days. "I work at a large marketing firm, with our clients ranging from shoe manufacturers to law firms. In fact, I just finished a proposal for a huge account with a high-end retail clothing manufacturer that owns several brands."

"That's impressive," he responded sincerely. "Was your intent to get into marketing?"

"I started out with journalism, but it wasn't creative enough for my taste. So, I made that my minor and majored in marketing. I discovered I had a knack for it, and I interned at my firm. They hired me as soon as I had my degree." Sadness swept through her as she realized she'd made herself at that company and was still being forced to start again.

"You grew up on a ranch, Krissy. Don't you miss grass and trees and clean air?"

She laughed, the question relieving her inner pain. "Spoken like a die-hard Texan. And yes, sometimes the concrete jungle isn't enough. But I'm happy. If I'm craving greenery, there are parks. I live blocks from Central Park, you know." Teasingly, she asked, "Don't you miss the convenience of the corner store and the hustle and bustle of Dallas?"

He made a face. "Hell, no! If I think for a second I want to drive into the city, I head up the road to San Antonio, and I ultimately get reminded of how much I hate the city as I get stuck in a traffic jam. I prefer the company of horses and people who aren't in such a damn hurry." He shook his head, slowing down as some of the others passed them, following Shelly and Rob toward a brook Kristin could hear bubbling close by. "I like nature. I always did. I just didn't realize how much until the day we took your horses out for a spin. I decided then what I was gonna do and never looked back."

"Never?" Kristin had waffled about her career choice all through college and had only settled with it halfway through her junior year, when it didn't make sense to start over with a new major. Of course, it had been prosperous for her, and she loved it, but she had questioned it more than a few times.

He stared into the distance, his eyes focused on some distant memory. "I only questioned it once, and it was only a little hiccup. Once that was gone, I was bound and determined to succeed, and I've worked my ass off to get here." He sat taller in his saddle now, a sign of pride, and Kristin smiled. "My parents had saved for my college fund, and the day we graduated, they gave me a check for $40,000. I got scholarships and loans, and I worked through college to pay the rest. I invested that money and doubled it in five years. Of course, eighty grand doesn't buy anything like this." He gestured around him.

"How much land do you own?" Kristin asked before she could stop herself.

"One-thousand acres, give or take a few." She stared at him, awestruck, and he smiled. "But I started with ten. I bought the land the house and the stables are on for practically nothing. Out here, everyone wants to build theme parks or grow crops, and the soil isn't any good for that. We had enough amusement parks nearby. So, the land was dirt cheap. I took a deferment on the student loans and used the rest of the cash to collect materials to build while I kept working another year. Two years after college, with my brother's help, I'd built the house and a small stable, and we rescued a couple horses. We worked with them and trained them and started with nothing more than a place people could bring their kids for a quick ride down a trail or to take a lesson or two."

Kristin noticed that they were far behind the group now, and she grew a little anxious. She wanted to catch up, but then, it wasn't like Dale didn't know his own land, especially since he did this every day. Telling herself to relax, she took several deep breaths and asked, "How long have you had this whole gig up and running?"

He made a face, obviously doing the math. "It's been about four years since the last time I bought land and blasted a trail. We got the pigs right after that. I was turning a good profit as I built the place up, but the real investment came from a risky little venture in the stock market. I bought some volatile stocks, and in a few months, the value tripled. I was lucky. I could have lost my ass in that. That money went a long way in shoring up this place. At that point, the bank loaned me the rest."

Kristin had never even considered taking that kind of risk. At the same time, she'd never thought about holding that kind of money in the palm of her hand, either. Intrigued, she ventured, "I guess you have to make a killing to pay on the school loans and the bank loan."

He chuckled. "Well, I wouldn't call it a killing exactly. I mean, I managed to pay the bank back within two years. And my school loans finally stopped hanging over my head two years ago. I own the land, the house, and everything else I built outright, so aside from the cost of living and running a full, working ranch, everything is profit. And since we use our own chicken, swine and dairy products, sell what we can at market, and have a deal with the slaughterhouse so we keep our own meat, even that cost is minimal."

It was the American dream, Kristin realized. This entire place was self-sufficient, and Dale simply chose to buy and sell a lot of things. It was what her parents had wanted and never quite achieved. She joked, "I guess in the Zombie Apocalypse, I know where to come. You've got everything you need right here."

He nodded. "Mostly. I'm trying to figure a way to get some of this damn red clay to grow corn, wheat, and cotton. If I can, and I buy up the rest of the land to the west, we'll truly be a fully functional ranch with no outside needs. Then I can bring in some vigilantes in case of the apocalypse to man the fences." He laughed, but as he turned to face her, pulling his horse to a stop, his eyes were serious. "You'd be more than welcome here, Krissy."

She swallowed hard at the expression on his face, wondering why it was so intense. Kristin wanted to crawl in a hole and hide from that look, but she kept her shoulders squared, despite the anxiety building in her chest and the wild, rapid heartbeat that threatened to split her ribcage in two, so the pump that fueled her body could burst forth.

Meeting his gaze fully, she told him, "I'd never make it here. The zombie virus would spread through New York like rabies from sewer rats, and I wouldn't get out of Manhattan before I was sucking brains." She meant it as a joke, but it was probably true. The conversation was ridiculous, but she'd grown up around people who really believed in the possibility, and there were more than enough Hollywood action movies that presented realistic scenarios. Hell, she was a Walking Dead fan herself. And without Rick or Glen to bust her out of the city, she didn't stand a chance.

Maybe if she had Dale with her...

That random thought was irrelevant, and she pushed it aside as he chuckled and told her, "I'm sure you could get behind some big tough guy with a machine gun and good aim." He leaned forward, resting his elbow on his horse's neck. "I can't imagine any guy refusing to help someone with a face as beautiful as yours."

The blood rushed into Kristin's neck and face so quickly she felt lightheaded and inhaled sharply. Dale's mossy eyes beat into her, assessing her with interest and something she couldn't quite place. "Dale, I—"

"What happened, Krissy?" he cut her off, urging his horse closer to hers. She stared at him, knowing what he meant but not wanting to acknowledge it. She pressed her lips together in determined silence, but he pushed. "We were good together, happy. We had fun. What happened?"

Kristin still didn't have an answer and used the same cop-out she'd given LeAnn. "We drifted apart, I guess. You were part of one crowd, I was part of another, and we got busy with senior stuff. We were both looking forward to bright futures, but we were looking in different directions. We lost track of each other."

He shook his head. "No, Krissy, I never lost track of you until you disappeared right after graduation."

The intensity in his voice turned it into a low growl, filled with emotions Kristin didn't want to analyze. Blowing it off, she scoffed, "Come on, Dale. You started dating Emily, and you were the star of the track team. You set records for the school. You didn't keep up with what I was doing."

He raised an eyebrow with a smirk. "And I'm guessing you know all that because you weren't keeping track of me, either?"

Kristin scowled. "I worked on the yearbook committee. It was my job to know those things so you'd be properly recognized for your accomplishment."

He made a clicking sound with his teeth and tongue, looking more and more like the rustic cowboy from a Louie L'Amour novel, and it took every bit of Kristin's strength not to swoon at the sheer masculinity he exuded. "That's funny because I don't remember any pictures of me with Emily, or any mention of the two months we hung out."

Anger rose in Kristin's chest. She couldn't see the group ahead anymore, and she didn't want to be here alone with Dale anymore, especially if he was going to taunt her this way. This was her vacation, and she hadn't signed on for a trip to Memory Lane. She nudged Rocky with her heels and clicked her tongue at him, and he started off at a fast walk. Unfortunately, Dale was right beside her. "Talk to me, Krissy. Tell me what really happened. I know it wasn't drifting. That would have been a date here and there, a call once a week, then once every two weeks. This was pretty abrupt, and I've been curious about it ever since."

She didn't look at him, focusing on the trail as she urged Rocky to go a little faster. "If I remember correctly, I wasn't the only one who backed off. I didn't hear my phone ring and see your number on the caller ID, either. Answer your own question." Dale kept pace with her, even as she had Rocky break into a trot.

"I was responding to the cold shoulder you gave me. I came to talk to you between classes one day, and you just smiled and said 'see you later'. You walked away, and I was blindsided. But I figured I'd respect whatever you wanted and leave you alone. I kept waiting for you to tell me what was wrong, but you avoided me."

"I didn't make any special efforts to do so," she protested. The trot became a canter, and Dale pulled his horse in front of Rocky, causing her to jerk the reins and come to a sudden stop. "What the hell are you doing?"

"Confronting you, Krissy." His words were clipped, but his face showed hurt rather than anger. For so many years, Kristin hadn't thought about Dale, and maybe there had been good reason to put it aside. He told her, "I never held it against you, and I never would have hunted you down to ask questions, but here you are, on my land, and I want you to enjoy yourself like any other guest. But I'd really like to know why you ran."

Kristin deflated. She hated cowards, but in some ways, she was the worst of them. She could face issues in the office all day long, manage confrontation with the competition like a pro. But when it came to her personal life, she couldn't face the facts, and that was a long-running problem. She didn't meet his eyes as she said, "I was scared, I guess. Does that satisfy your need for closure?" she asked in a weak, petulant tone that made her cringe internally.

"For now."

She turned angry eyes on him. "Well, that's all you're getting. I'm going back to the room, packing my bag, and calling a cab to take me to the airport. I came here to get away from pressure and anxiety, not to be berated by someone I haven't seen since high school. I'm sorry if I hurt you, Dale, but as far as I can tell, you turned out just fine. In fact, if I'd clung to you, I bet we'd have either had a huge falling out and regretted it, or you would have come to New York with me and missed out on this grand opportunity."

Dale flinched, and Kristin wanted to cry. She hadn't meant to throw painful words at him like daggers. Closing her eyes and hanging her head, she whispered, "Dammit, I'm sorry, Dale. I don't handle confrontation well."

His soft, sad laugh made her chest ache. "I'm not so sure about that. You seem pretty good with the low blows. I guess I deserved it, though, for being a prick of a host." He sighed. "Look at me, Krissy."

She chanced a quick glance through her lashes and saw his eyes soften toward her. Lifting her head, she waited for him to say whatever was on his mind. "Don't leave." There was a plea in his voice, and it pulled at Kristin's heartstrings. "Please, stay. I've been an ass for the last few minutes, but I'm really not a bad guy, and I know how much you love the ranch life. Just stay and enjoy yourself, and I won't pressure you anymore." He looked away, and she saw his throat move as he swallowed. "I've just spent more than a few minutes over the years thinking about you."

Kristin's eyes stung, and she wasn't pleased with that reaction. "I chose not to think about you, Dale," she admitted, feeling vulnerable and exposed. "I chose to put everything I left behind in Texas away in a box in my mind long ago. I didn't want anything to tempt me, to lure me back. Do you know I don't even come home for Christmas? I drag my family to a destination Christmas every year, and I've done it for years. This place is like a whirlpool, and I felt like, if I stuck one toe in to test the water, I'd be sucked in until I drowned."

"Is that such a bad thing?" he asked softly.

"It is when you're determined to make it to the top at your firm, to live in Manhattan and be successful in the marketing business, which is so male-dominated a woman can barely even get her foot in the door." She forced herself to stop the rant. "I'm not a feminist, really. I'm just passionate about my work."

"I can see that." He rode closer to her, coming up alongside her so her leg brushed the side of his horse. "Can we start over? I would have liked to end things as friends in the past, and I feel like I've missed out on knowing a wonderful woman. Can I get a do-over?"

Kristin smiled. It was nice to think about the kind of connection he offered. Aside from LeAnn, she didn't have any friends. That wasn't an exaggeration; it was the situation she'd created. Friends were a distraction, and if they didn't pull you away from the important things in life, they got jealous and competitive. Then, they sabotaged other relationships, success, and anything else they couldn't match in their own lives. With LeAnn, things were different. And considering that Dale had his own great success and lived two thousand miles away, she didn't foresee having those issues.

"I think I can handle that," she agreed. She held out her hand in a mock greeting. "Hi, I'm Kristin Jenkins. It's nice to meet you."

He took her hand and, like a southern gentleman, lifted it to his lips in greeting. She ignored the heat that seared her skin where his breath touched, the electricity that crawled up her arm and gave her heart a jump-start. "I'm Dale Prescott. Welcome to my ranch, where there's no pressure and tons of excitement." They laughed, and Kristin felt every bit of tension she'd had from the moment she'd first seen his face.

# Chapter Eight

Two of a Kind

LeAnn groaned, walking with her legs bowed and her back arched. She looked like she'd failed at a contortion attempt and needed to be put in traction. "Are you going to walk like that all the way to the mess hall?" Kristin asked as she checked her makeup in the mirror above the dresser in LeAnn's room. "Because I'd like a warning so I can prepare in advance to pretend I have no idea who you are."

"Shut up," LeAnn growled. "I took a muscle relaxer. I'll be fine in fifteen minutes."

Kristin snorted. "Well, I guess you won't be getting laid tonight. There will be no pleasing any man with loose...muscles."

LeAnn glared at her through the mirror as she carefully lowered herself to the edge of the bed. "You're a bitch sometimes, you know that? Three days on a horse, and I can barely move. How do you spend that much time on a horse and not end up walking like your twenty months pregnant?"

"I have good posture on a horse." She turned toward LeAnn with a sympathetic look. "It'll get easier, I promise. But you might want to see if they have any Icy Hot here, or you won't be able to get out of bed in the morning." She sat next to LeAnn, who winced as the bed bounced. "What does it mean if someone you dated briefly more than a decade ago starts asking probing questions about the past?"

LeAnn was at full attention now, despite her pain. "I take it you found some alone time to catch up with Mr. High School Fling. Spill it, woman. What did he say?"

Kristin shook her head. She didn't want to recount every last word that was said, even though it kept playing over and over in her mind like a movie reel set on repeat. "He brought up our...relationship, if you could even call it that, and the circumstances under which it ended."

"And did you remember to tell him it never ended?"

"No, LeAnn, and I'm not going to." Kristin knew she was whining, but her irritation was reaching the boiling point. "Listen, we sort of argued and then agreed to start over as friends. But he still asked a lot of questions, and I've been thinking about them ever since." She glanced up at LeAnn's eager face, then stared back down at her nails, picking at them. "All this time, I thought I had the answers. Actually, I didn't think much about it at all. But it seemed cut and dry. But the more I think about it, the more I wonder if I've deluded myself into an alternate version of reality. I think maybe I'm in denial about a lot of things, and that means I don't really have the answers I thought I did."

"Either that was incredibly hard to follow, or my meds just hit me." LeAnn shook her head as if to clear it. "Wait, I think I got it. You have a guilt complex because you think that, maybe, you're the one at fault for whatever came between the two of you. And somewhere in the back of your brain, you're curious what would have happened if you hadn't sabotaged that relationship and run away screaming like a coward."

Kristin frowned. She didn't like the assessment. "Not exactly." LeAnn raised an eyebrow in argument, and Kristin caved. "Sort of. I mean, Dale was an incredible guy. And I swear he just sort of walked away. But he says he came to walk me to class, and I basically blew him off and never called him again. LeAnn, I don't remember it that way. How do I know whether I've convinced myself it was mutual or if he's delusional?"

"Did he give you the 'sad panda' look?"

Kristin didn't meet her friend's eyes. "I knew it!" LeAnn shouted. She moved quickly, and Kristin noted that LeAnn was about to get very talkative, the muscle relaxers having had their positive influence and getting ready to add the inevitable chatterbox side effect. She sat up and crossed her legs in front of her. "You know what I think? I think you should try again. Now that you're both adults who've succeeded at life..." she rolled her eyes as Kristin gave her a withering look. "Yes, Krissy, you've been successful. This is just a bump in the road to the ultimate success. Anyway, as adults, you've learned a lot more about yourselves, and you're both mature enough to understand your feelings. I see the way you look at him and the longing glances he passes your way. There's chemistry and desire and comfort, and that's a perfect platform to stand on to make a second go at it."

Kristin shook her head. "We were kids, LeAnn. I don't think we have anything in common anymore, other than our love for horses and ranch life. And that's not where I am anymore. I'm an executive, in New York. So it would never work. Besides, if I'm going to start fresh in my career, I don't have time to dabble in a new relationship and ask questions about where it might or might not go."

LeAnn stood suddenly. "I'm starving. Let's get to dinner." As they walked, she said, "The two don't have to be mutually exclusive. You're both young. You have plenty of time to explore and take things slowly, even in a long distance relationship, if that's what you prefer."

Kristin's mind whirled with possibilities she couldn't really fathom. It made her dizzy, and she instantly shut it down. "No, LeAnn. I'm here to relax, and the thought of getting close to someone stresses me out. And you don't even know that he'd want any kind of relationship with me. Just let it go, okay? I shouldn't have asked the question in the first place."

LeAnn frowned. "What was the question?" Kristin shook her head. "No, really. I want to answer the actual question. Remind me what it was."

With a sigh, Kristin said, "I asked why he would start dredging up the past all of a sudden."

LeAnn nodded. "Isn't it obvious? He was in love with you, Krissy. And he's hung onto it for a long time, which means he is very much into you, if you ever decide I'm right and you're wrong. You're two of a kind, and the chemistry I see between you is real."

Kristin didn't respond, brooding in her silence. She realized she was clueless, about relationships and, honestly, about her choices in life. It was all very confusing, and a dark cloud settled over her, dampening her mood as she entered the dining area to the cacophony of guests milling around and sitting down to wait for dinner. She wished for a huge glass of very stout wine, but so far, there had been no alcoholic beverages offered. She understood; people unaccustomed to being around animals could very easily spook them if they imbibed too much.

She noticed instantly as Dale came in the room and tried not to stare, but she couldn't help herself. He was dressed down, in a pair of jogging pants and a tank top, and it was an incredible transformation. It also showed just how muscled his chest and stomach were through the tightly stretched shirt, and the waistband of his pants made clear his narrow waist and hips. Without his cowboy hat and his dark hair spiking in all directions, he looked like a combination of a model, rock star, and athlete. His eyes fell on her instantly, and he approached the table where she and LeAnn sat alone; LeAnn busy texting some of her clients or publishing a blog or some such on her phone.

"Is it okay if I sit with you tonight?" he asked, those mystical eyes filled with mischief.

"Help yourself," Kristin said, trying to sound bright rather than anxious. He pulled up the chair next to her, across from LeAnn, who came out from under her rock long enough to offer a smile and a wave, before burying herself again. Kristin leaned into Dale with a conspiratorial whisper. "She took a muscle relaxer. It's like meth or crack for her. She just dives into something with complete focus."

Dale nodded understanding. "That's ass-backwards, but whatever works for her." He spoke under his breath as he added, "I hear she couldn't seem to find her balance on Bessie today, and the only reason she didn't slide off was that the saddle was, and I quote, professionally tightened."

"That would be my work," Kristin announced proudly. They chatted over dinner, a huge helping of chicken and dumplings Kristin couldn't finish and actually shared with Dale after he finished his.

She was suddenly frightened that he would get up and walk away with the plates empty, and she asked quickly, "Why are you out here tonight? You don't usually eat with the guests."

"I do. Or at least, after the first couple of meals, I like to. I just want everyone to settle in first. I can't enjoy my food if I'm being assaulted with questions from every direction." He smiled. "I typically end up at everyone's table once or twice during their stay."

For some reason, that little bit of information disappointed Kristin. She'd somehow started to assume Dale would give her preferential treatment, since they were old friends, and she'd looked forward to his company. "That's a good business tactic. You should think about marketing your ranch like that. 'Personal attention for each and every guest'. It would be a hugely successful venture."

"Be careful, Krissy. I might just have to hire you myself," he teased.

She scoffed. "You'd have to offer a pretty little package to get me out of New York and away from my life there." She ignored the voice in her head reminding her she didn't really have a life there, and at this point, not even a job.

Playfully, Dale scratched his chin and said, "I guess I'll just have to make you an offer you can't refuse."

Laughing, Kristin shook her head. "Funny."

He shrugged and smiled boyishly. "I made you laugh, didn't I?" He sobered and said, "In all seriousness, I think you might get bored tomorrow. We're feeding pigs and milking cows."

Kristin tried to sound nonchalant. "That's alright, it's part of running a ranch."

"True, but you're on vacation, and running a ranch was a lifestyle for you, not a vacation. I thought maybe I'd take the day off, and we can go for a ride, take Rocky and Blaze and disappear for the day. We could leave after breakfast, be back by dinner. No one would even notice we were gone." He winked at her.

Kristin hesitated. She didn't want to say no. She liked the idea of skipping out on the parts of the experience that weren't her cup of tea, and she was kind of excited at the prospect of spending some time alone with Dale, now that they'd worked out their differences and had been getting along. But she also felt guilty; she hadn't spent much time with LeAnn, who had convinced her to come. And even if it meant taking the grin-and-bear-it attitude about the mundane labor, tomorrow would be a chance to simply hang out with her best friend.

She started to respond and turn him down, but LeAnn suddenly shouted, "Son of a bitch!"

Both Kristin and Dale turned to her in surprise, and she was on her feet, typing furiously on her phone. "Of all the times for one of my clients to pull a stunt like this!" She looked despondently at Kristin. "It's an emergency. There's going to be a whole lot of damage control on this one, and I can't do anything from here. I'm sorry, but I have to head home early. I can't ignore this one."

Devastated, Kristin asked, "Isn't there someone else who can handle it? We're on vacation."

"No, there's not. That's the biggest problem with my job. There's no one I can trust to handle this kind of fiasco when I'm not there." She turned apologetic eyes toward Dale. "You've been wonderful, and I'm going to have to come back and finish the experience. And next time, I'll make sure I'm in better shape."

"I'll make sure you get a credit on it, so you can come for free on your next stay," he promised, standing to shake her hand.

Kristin rose, as well, hating the situation. She hated that LeAnn had to leave, especially for work reasons, but more selfishly, she really didn't want to go herself. With a sigh, she said, "I'll call a cab as soon as we get back to the room, and we'll pack up and head out." She didn't even know how to say goodbye to Dale at this point and thought about avoiding it altogether.

But LeAnn stared at Kristin like she had three heads with twelve eyes springing out of her neck. "I don't think so! Krissy, stay. You need the vacation. I can get away any time for a few days. It takes an act of God to drag you away from work. Now that you're here, relax and finish the trip. It'll do you a world of good. Your reset button will be freshly smashed when you get home." She offered a reassuring smile and a secretive wink.

Waffling, Kristin felt obligated to go with LeAnn. At the same time, it wasn't like Kristin had anything to go back to right now. What was she going to do, follow LeAnn around like a lost puppy and act like a cheering squad while she did her job? She was torn and didn't know what to do.

LeAnn didn't give her a choice. Leaning in to hug Kristin, she whispered, "Go for it, Krissy. I'll be fine, and I'll call you in a couple of days to see how it's going." Holding her shoulders at arm's length, LeAnn said in a normal voice, "Take a bubble bath. Shovel some hay. Do something to set your mind at ease while I go wring my client's neck for being amazingly stupid." She smiled at Dale. "Thanks again, and I'll see you soon."

Kristin saw Dale give a little salute and thought if he'd had his hat, he would have tipped it. The cowboy in him sometimes made her melt.

"I'm sorry LeAnn had to go," he said as Kristin stared after her. "But she's right. You're here, and you should enjoy the break from the big city life." She felt his hand on her back, a soothing gesture, and it made her body flood with heat. She was so unaccustomed to the way she reacted to him! And the worst part was, it wasn't like she could do anything about it. "So, since you're staying, what do you think about my plan for tomorrow?"

Kristin had almost forgotten about it in the brief commotion. She may have mourned LeAnn's early departure, but now, she had no excuse for saying no and no reason to subject herself to the menial, grueling tasks the rest of the group faced tomorrow. Suddenly feeling invigorated, Kristin turned to face Dale, her heart thumping as she met those magical eyes. "I think it sounds like a fabulous idea."

# Chapter Nine

Murphy's Law

"Are you getting hungry?" Dale asked as he led Kristin around a corner, into a clearing. They'd been riding for around three hours already, and aside from the fact that her stomach was growling, Kristin also knew the horses needed to rest for a bit.

"I could eat something," she told him. They pulled to a stop in the clearing, close to the tree line where there was some shade, and Dale dismounted, starting to unload his saddlebags, which he'd apparently filled with picnic materials. Kristin was only mildly surprised; it was the sort of thing Dale would do, and he'd quite obviously planned ahead. She took the blanket from him and spread it on the ground while he pulled out food and drink and made sure the horses were tied up.

The meal was pleasant. Roast beef sandwiches, homemade potato salad, and brownies certainly hit the spot. And the conversation was even better, discussing some of the scarier moments Dale had in putting together the ranch and a few times Kristin had thought her career would fail. She still didn't mention the layoff; she didn't want pity.

They grew silent as their bellies filled, and Kristin was lost in the moment, surrounded by the incredible beauty of nature and a reminder of what life was like before she'd complicated it with business. She ate her brownie slowly, chewing thoughtfully as she imagined how it would feel to go back to the concrete jungle when this vacation was over.

"You told me you loved me once." Kristin whipped her head around, staring at Dale, who was lounging back, leaning on his elbows with his long legs stretched out in front of him. His face was serene, and he stared at her without accusation or pain. "You told me you loved me, and then you ran away. I figure one of two things happened. Either you realized it was a dumb thing to say because it wasn't true, and you couldn't tell me that, or you were afraid of it because it was true, so you ran from it."

Images rolled through Kristin's mind at light speed. She flashed through the time she'd spent with Dale all those years ago, and she couldn't remember ever telling him she loved him. Had he imagined it, or had she blocked it from her memory? He waited patiently, not interrupting her search through the files in her brain, and as the slide show slowed to a crawl, she found the one she was looking for, her eyes widening at the memory.

It was the day they'd gone riding, and Kristin had packed a picnic similar to this one. They'd stopped by a creek and shared the food, and then they'd lain back on the blanket, Dale cradling her in the crook of his shoulder. She'd traced her fingers up and down his chest over and over, and at one point, she'd simply breathed, "I love you, Dale."

Now, she nearly choked on the tears she refused to shed, realizing how badly she must have hurt him. As she met his mossy gaze, she shook her head. "I was eighteen, Dale. I didn't know what love really meant." But that wasn't an excuse, and she swallowed hard against the lump in her throat as she remembered what had really made her turn away. "And Dale...you never said it back."

He sat up and hit her with an intense stare. "I was so overwhelmed to hear you say it that day I didn't trust my voice. And you never gave me another chance. But I'll tell you now I was crazy in love with you, and I've never felt that way about anyone since."

It was like he hit Kristin in the chest with a sledgehammer, and she couldn't breathe. She sat there, trying to gulp air and failing, the information registering and weighing her down. Her defense mechanisms kicked in and she shook her head. "We were so young, Dale. If what we had was love, it was puppy love. We're adults now. Maturity changes everything."

His eyes sparked with sadness. "It doesn't change everything, Krissy. It changes a lot, and it pulls people apart, but sometimes, it brings people back together, too." He stood abruptly and started collecting the trash, stowing it in the saddlebag, and Kristin folded the blanket. She handed it to him, and her fingers brushed against his, making her whole body jump. How could she possibly feel so close to someone she barely knew? With a sigh, she untied Rocky, rubbed his nose, and mounted him.

He whinnied wildly and bucked, nearly throwing Kristin, and she scowled, bringing him under control. Still, he skittered, favoring his front right hoof. She climbed off immediately and joined Dale as he bent to carefully inspect the leg and hoof. She didn't see anything wrong with his leg, but Dale let out a fierce curse and pointed to the horseshoe on his hoof. Kristin saw the issue immediately. Somehow, a large, sharp pebble had lodged between the shoe and the hoof.

"I can't ride him like this," she said, shaking her head. "That much weight and pressure, especially as far as we have to go back, will split his hoof."

Dale nodded grimly. "Blaze can't carry us both, either." Straightening, he looked around, squinting, as if searching for something. Finally, he smiled and pointed. "There's an old barn about half a mile down that trail. It's a little overgrown, but it's a short distance. We'll take the horses over there, get them some water, and get out of the sun. I'll call for a trailer to come pick us all up. We'll get Rocky right as rain as soon as we get home."

The barn emerged on the horizon through the trees, and Kristin could tell it hadn't been in use for years. Rotted pieces of wood littered the ground around the building, and several other beams were in disrepair. But as they drew nearer, the roof seemed solid, and there were a couple of clean buckets. Leaving Kristin with the horses, Dale took the buckets to the creek, filled them, and rigged them up for the horses to drink.

He pulled out his cell and stepped out of the building to make a call as Kristin searched the old trunk in the corner for a brush. She wanted to tend the horses while they waited, and though the brush she found wasn't ideal, it would do the job for now. She could hear Dale, shouting into the phone, obviously having a bad connection. "No, the old barn to the south...south, Ricky...Right. It's about 20 miles down the road...no, it's closer over the trails but...listen, Ricky. You have to take the road out to the west and turn right by the airmail box...yes. Go another five miles that way and stop...no five. Stop by the drum circle...yes, with the stumps. We'll meet you there."

Kristin was relieved, until she heard the next statement. "No, I know. But the farrier won't take all night. I just need one trailer...no, one trailer for both horses...dammit, Ricky, just do what you can. We'll wait in the old barn for you. Just call me when you turn by the box so we can head over to the road...right. Thanks, Ricky...no, we ate, we'll be fine till later. Just try not to take till midnight tonight."

Dale reappeared through the open doors, tension clear on his face. "We've got twelve trailers, and they're all on the road, taking everyone to the farrier. Rocky was supposed to go get shoed, and I forgot about that. Anyway, there should be a couple of them headed back before dinner. We'll just have to hold down the camp till Ricky can get one over here."

Kristin didn't mind and reached into the saddlebag Blaze carried, pulling out the blanket. She fluffed up some of the very old hay to pad it and spread it on the ground. Yawning, she said, "I could use the rest anyway." She lay down and tried not to tense as Dale lay beside her. The horses slurped at their water, and Dale chuckled. "Murphy's Law prevails."

"It's not that bad," Kristin told him, though she wished they hadn't fought before all this. It would have been much more comfortable. Then again, it was hard to consider their discussion a fight. Trying to ease the tension, she told Dale, "At least we've got shelter."

That turned out to be a good thing. As they chatted about high school and Dale caught her up on some of the things he'd learned at the class reunion, the sky darkened, and before long, a thunderstorm raged overhead. "That was unexpected," Kristin remarked as the smell of the rain wafted into the barn and a bit of spray blew in on the wind.

"You're a Texan. Nothing about the weather should ever surprise you." Dale rose up on an elbow and gazed down at her, a twinkle in his eyes. "You're not really shocked, are you?"

Kristin shifted under his gaze. "Not really. It takes a lot to throw me off these days."

She saw the mischief in his expression as a smile crept over his lips. "I bet I could throw you off balance." Before she could rise to the challenge, Dale leaned in, his lips blazing hot on hers, and Kristin instinctively opened to him. Feeling the cracks of lightning overhead course through her system as their tongues tangled and danced. His arm snaked under her, and Kristin rolled to her side, thrusting her fingers into his thick hair. She pulled him closer, pressing her body against his wantonly. She should be ashamed of herself, but she was caught up in the moment, in the feel of his hard chest against hers.

His fingers crept lower, cupping one cheek and then closing around the back of her thigh and drawing her leg over his hip. She gasped as she felt the evidence of his arousal against her stomach, pressing and throbbing, and it made the warmth and moisture gather between her thighs. She didn't hesitate as she reached for the snaps on his shirt and tore them open, wanting to feel his skin beneath her fingers and palms. Memories raced back into her head, and he'd changed so little that it was as if they were back in her stables, in the loft above the horses, where they'd first been intimate.

Dale lifted her shirt and pulled it over her head, his fingers trailing down between her breasts and tickling along the waistline of her jeans. She panted, every little brush of skin against skin igniting a new set of flames. "I almost forgot how beautiful you were," he whispered as his lips trailed over her throat and down her shoulder, finding their way to one taut nipple. She cried out and arched her back as he took it in his mouth, swirling his tongue around it.

In a moment of clarity and unabashed honesty, she told him, "I never forgot how good your mouth was."

He chuckled, the sound vibrating against her skin as he reached for the fly of her jeans and quickly opened it, pushing the denim and her panties down just before he thrust his hand between her thighs. His hand was cool against the gathering heat, and as he stroked her, Kristin's body convulsed with the first orgasm she'd had in a very long time. It blurred her vision, and she bucked against his fingers as they toyed with her folds and teased at her core. He pinched and rolled her swollen cleft, and the wave of pleasure grew until it consumed her.

Wanting more and feeling impatient as the storm outside brewed heavier with the coming storm inside her, Kristin shoved Dale's jeans down his legs, catching his shaft in her hand as she released it from its prison. He was long and thick, just as she remembered, and maybe her memory had dimmed because he was smoother and harder than she remembered. He shuddered as she ran her fingers from base to head reverently.

"That feels so good," he groaned as he dove in for another kiss. Kristin welcomed him, using her free hand to wrap around his back and pull him to her, delighting in their bodies pressed together with nothing in between. She rolled to her back, wrapping her legs around his waist in clear invitation, forcing him to settle his weight deliciously atop her as he shifted between her thighs. "I missed you, Krissy. Are you sure you want this?"

Kristin didn't really want to answer that question honestly. She wasn't sure of anything at this point. Her future was a giant question mark, and analyzing if this was a good idea would just throw a wrench into things, and her body begged her mind to give over control. With the wind blowing, the sky cracking, the air was filled with magic, and it infused her with courage she wouldn't normally have. She stroked his shaft again, firmly and with a determination she usually applied to her career. "I want you, Dale. The hell with tonight or tomorrow or next week. Right now, I want you."

His kiss made her body erupt with a sense of being alive greater than anything she'd experienced in a very long time. As he made love to her mouth, he slid into her, slowly, easily, and she trembled as a slow thread of pleasure flowed through her at the coupling. He drew out and thrust again, with more pressure, and Kristin tightened her legs around him, drawing him deeper. She raised her hips to meet his thrusts as he found a rhythm that heated them both to the boiling point, their sweat mingling and blending with the smell of rain and sex in the air.

Kristin cried out as his mouth tormented her shoulders and breasts while he plowed into her. Each drive harder and more insistent than the last, her orgasms flowing one on top of the other relentlessly, and still it wasn't enough. She wanted all of him.

As if he could hear her thoughts, Dale rose up, bracing his hands on either side of her, and drove himself to the hilt, his head thrown back and his body quivering as he found his release. Just watching him brought Kristin to another heavy orgasim. He started to shift off her, but Kristin caught him and drew his full body weight to her, wanting the pressure of it, the warmth of it, the intimacy of skin to skin contact.

Eventually, Dale rose and looked down, searching her face. "Are you okay?" he asked, brushing tender fingertips along the line of her jaw.

She smiled contentedly. "Better than okay." She stroked a hand through his hair, and he rubbed his head against her palm, making her laugh. "I take it you're pretty good, too."

"Oh, yes," he growled and planted a firm kiss on her lips. Moving off her, he scowled out at the storm. "It's going to take them a little longer to come rescue us. Are you prepared to stay the night with me if we have to?"

Kristin was in no hurry to go anywhere. She'd found a comfort zone, and even if it wasn't the height of reality, she wanted to rest here for a while, like a stop along the highway on a long road trip. "I think I can handle it."

Dale sat up and, still nude, pulled one knee to his chest and draped an arm over it. "So, what now, Krissy? Where do we go from here?"

"Does it matter?" Kristin didn't know what the future held, and for the first time since high school, she didn't think it was vital to plan ahead. "We're here now, and we're happy. Let's make that the priority."

Dale didn't seem satisfied with the answer, but he covered it well as he smiled and affectionately grabbed her, making her giggle with pure delight.

### To be continued...

### Thank you for reading!

Please visit your favorite eBook retailer to view the next books in this series.
Sex With The Lawyer

by

Kelly Young
Copyright © 2014 by Kelly Young

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 any persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Sex With The Lawyer

All rights reserved.

This book is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America. No part of this work may be used, reproduced, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording and faxing, or by any information storage and retrieval system by anyone but the purchaser for their own personal use.

This Book may not be reproduced in any form without the express written permission of Kelly Young, except in the case of a reviewer who wishes to quote brief passages for the sake of a review written for inclusions in a magazine, newspaper, or journal—and these cases require written approval from Kelly Young prior to publication. Any reproduction or other unauthorized use of the material or artwork herein is prohibited without the express written permission of the author.

# Chapter One

I thought my life was going exactly as planned. I believed that I had my proverbial shit together. I was in control, I was happy and content. It only takes an instant to realize how wrong you are about...well, everything.

"Hey, Brooke," the smooth, deep voice behind me crooned. "It's always a pleasure to see you."

My fingers hovering over the keyboard, I tossed my head over my shoulder and quirked an eyebrow. "I really can't say the same," I muttered.

His response was a grin; a slimy, insincere stretch of his lips that he obviously thought was attractive. He was wrong.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, regretting the question as soon as it was out of my mouth, because it would inevitably extend his hovering in the doorway of my office.

"I'm here to meet with your boss," he stated, still with the oleaginous smirk. He stepped forward in his highly polished Italian shoes, and ran a hand down the dark gray vest of his three-piece suit. "I think he wants to talk about a plea bargain on the Jewkes case."

I couldn't help the unladylike snort that erupted as I turned back to my computer screen. "I don't think so," I informed him. "You haven't got anything on Jewkes and you know it. We can't wait to take this thing to trial."

"Hmm," he chuckled, slithering toward my desk before perching himself on the corner. "You were very impressive in court today, by the way."

Remaining silent, I ignored his hollow flattery.

Randy Gregoire had been assistant DA for a little over a year, and was one of the youngest ADA's in the country. A high-flying Yale graduate, he had his sights set on the top. He was driven. In that regard, he and I were extremely similar. That, however; was where our common ground had begun and ended. Randy by name and very randy by nature, he'd made attempts to hit on me each time we'd ever met. And it was no secret that he had a voracious sexual appetite; he had bedded (and tossed aside), every willing female law intern in the city. If those poor girls had believed his promises of giving them a leg-up, they were not savvy enough to be lawyers.

"It's late on a Friday night to still be working, isn't it?" he asked, reaching out and folding his smooth fingers around my wrist to pull my hand away from the keyboard.

Instantly, snatching free from him, my eyes darted up to meet his. "You're still working too," I pointed out.

"Yeah," he nodded, drawing his hand back and sweeping the fingers through his short, blonde hair. "But I'll be finished up soon, and then maybe you and I could grab a drink?"

"I'm busy," I replied stiffly.

"You're always busy, Brooke," he countered with a chuckle. "But sometimes you've got to let that hair down," he added, pitching his voice a little lower.

"How many different ways can I say 'no'?" I sighed, giving up on my work and using both hands to push my chair away from the desk. I was only propelled a few inches back, but it was enough to put some distance between us.

One hand adjusting the Windsor knot at his neck, the other smoothed over the perfectly pressed pants covering his thigh. "You're so uptight, Brooke," he chuckled. "How long has it been since you had sex?"

I rolled my eyes at his tiresome crudity. In part, I knew, it was intended to shock me. I'm sure he hoped for a feminine gasp at his blunt question. I certainly wasn't going to oblige. "That's nobody's damn business but my own," I retorted.

It had been several months since I'd had sex. I had precious time to meet people, I certainly didn't want a relationship with all the mess that would involve, and one-night stands had never really been my thing. But that wasn't the point. Sex wasn't a big deal, it wasn't the be all and end all that so many people, Randy included, seemed to believe.

"You have needs like any other woman," he continued, oblivious it seemed to the expression of disdain his words were met with. "I could help you out," he added, his greasy grin growing wide and teeth flashing like a shark that has smelled blood in the water. "I could have you screaming in ecstasy."

"I don't need a man to have an orgasm," I responded matter-of-factly, folding my arms beneath my bosom. "In fact, most of the time, they just get in the way."

My barb failed to wipe the smirk off his face. Instead, his cold, blue eyes flicked up and down the length of my body. Gradually, he took in the black stockings that covered my legs, the pencil skirt that clung to my thighs, and the white silk blouse that hugged my breasts. "Oh, Brooke," he mumbled. "I can do things your vibrator only dreamed of."

"I'm sure," I snapped, forcing myself from the chair and striding to the still open door. "For instance, my vibrator doesn't annoy the hell out of me. Now, I believe you have an appointment," I sighed, gesturing to the doorway, "and I have work to do."

For a moment, he looked like he might refuse to leave, but after inhaling sharply, he pushed himself to his feet. "You keep playing hard to get," he quietly uttered as he walked toward me. "It just makes me all the more hot for you. And tonight, while I'm banging some little slut, I'll be thinking about you touching yourself."

"You're a pig," I spat, shaking my head.

No more than a foot from me, he stopped. "I always get what I want, Brooke," he breathed.

The heavy scent of cologne, as though he'd bathed in the stuff, stung my nostrils. "Just get out," I demanded.

With a self-assured chuckle, he stuffed his hands in his pockets and took the two steps to the door. Without looking back, he strutted down the corridor to Mr. Weingarten's office.

Exhaling through gritted teeth, I grasped the edge of the door and slammed it shut. "For God's sake," I whispered, turning back to my desk. If that asshole was the last man on Earth, I wouldn't touch him with a ten-foot pole. Randy Gregoire, and men like him, was one of the reasons I refrained from even casual relationships: it tainted you. Men get away with it and are seen as studs. Women, on the other hand, are branded 'sluts' and are no longer taken seriously.

No, as much as we might like to believe we have equality, the truth is we don't. In what is still a very male-dominated business, I not only had to work that much harder, but also had to conduct myself in a way that made me seem like a ruthless bitch on one hand, and a chaste virgin on the other. Neither of those stereotypes was a true depiction of the real me, but I'd been playing the roles for so long, that I was starting to lose sight of what was true and what wasn't.

With a weary huff, I tossed my eyes to the clock as I slumped back in my chair and tugged myself closer to the desk. It was almost eight; everybody else, with the exception of Mr. Weingarten, had left long before. They had families and social lives. I had...work. But that was alright, because work was all I needed. It was all I wanted. Come hell or high water, I would make partner before thirty-five; even if that meant making sacrifices, I knew they were worth it.

Casting my gaze back to the bright screen before me, I lifted my fingers to the keyboard. But before I managed to type a word, the harsh buzz of the phone interrupted me. Puffing my cheeks out with a sigh, I grabbed for the handset and brought it to my ear. "Weingarten and Ressler, Brooke Addison speaking," I said.

"Um, Brooke?" A hesitant, slightly distorted male voice drifted down the line. "I..err...I'm Shawn Lamont, Helena's brother."

"Oh, right, of course," I nodded, recalling that I'd met Shawn once, maybe twice, before. My brow, however, was tightly lined in confusion. "What can I do for you Shawn?"

"Um, actually," he croaked, clearly struggling. "I'm afraid I've got some bad news."

# Chapter Two

Helena Lamont was one of those people that managed to light a room by walking into it. She was probably the only genuinely good soul I'd ever met, and law seemed like entirely the wrong discipline for her. In fact, when we met in law school, I was convinced she wouldn't make it beyond the first week. That's another thing I was wrong about. Not only did she make it through, but she breezed by, passing the bar with flying colors.

Although Helena and I were polar opposites on paper, we had one of those instant bonds that made me wonder about the possibility of past lives. Within five minutes of meeting, it was as if we'd known each other forever. There weren't many things we held in common; she liked to party, got through boyfriends like they were socks, and was notorious for completing assignments the night before they were due. However, what we did share was a sense of humor and an affection for one another that went much deeper than any friendship I had before or since.

After school, we'd gone our separate ways, I'd stayed in New York and she'd taken a job on the west coast. We remained close, though, talking at least twice a week on the phone and traveling to see each other every few months.

Unlike me, she had no great ambition to run with the 'big boys'. Her dreams were simpler: she genuinely wanted to help people, and she wanted to ensure she had enough time to enjoy life. And enjoy life she certainly did. While earning relatively little at a community legal clinic in Santa Cruz, she lived in a tiny studio apartment just a block from the beach.

"I know it's small," she'd told me the first time I'd visited her in her new home.

"Small?" I'd chuckled. "Hel, you've barely got room for a bed in here."

"Yeah," she'd smiled, nodding toward the window. "But check out that view. Every morning, I get to swim in that ocean. Really starts the day off right, you know?"

I didn't know. The cramped conditions were something I could not overlook, no matter what other perks the property offered.

As far as I know, she did spend the next two years swimming every morning. She also spent her weekends surfing or playing volleyball. And, just as it had been in law school, her dating pool was as broad as it was deep. She really lived. She loved life. It wasn't fair that it should all be ripped from her far too soon.

Staring at the mahogany coffin, surrounded by more flowers than I'd ever seen, it all seemed so unjust that my mind could not contend with it. A drunk driver; an intersection; and Helena's small car. In just a fraction of a second, it was all over.

Motionless, and unblinking I pictured Helena with the broad, genuine smile that was always infectious. I saw her sparkling, bright blue eyes, so full of passion and vibrancy. I saw the long blonde hair that always looked perfect, even when she'd just gotten out of bed. It did not seem possible that I would never see those things again.

Slowly, lifting my hand, I placed my palm on the solid wood. I wasn't aware of the imperceptible, disbelieving shake of my head or the silent tears that had begun to skate across my cheeks.

Suddenly warm fingers cupped my shoulder and, with a start, I lifted me head.

"Sorry," the man softly said, "I didn't mean to make you jump."

I found Shawn's eyes, they were the exact color and shade as his older sister's, but with a heart wrenching sadness within them. He looked as though he hadn't slept in several days, dark circles beneath his lids spoke of sleepless nights since the day he called my office.

"I'm so glad you could make it," he continued quietly. "I know, it would have meant a lot to Helena."

My gaze moving from his and back to the coffin, I exhaled shakily. "Nothing would have kept me away," I replied, wiping at the salty droplets on my face with the heel of my hand. "Um, I've been meaning to ask, are you doing anything about the driver?" I asked, sniffing.

"What do you mean?" he replied, shaking his head.

"A civil suit," I explained.

Shawn's focus fell to the floor and his hand slipped from my shoulder. "I don't think that's..." he murmured weakly.

"He's responsible for Helena's death," I said definitively.

"Is suing him gonna bring her back?" Shawn responded calmly.

"No," I breathed. "But that's not the point, you have a case-"

Gently Helena's bother lifted his face, quieting me with a subtle shake of his head. "Brooke, I know you mean well, but I don't think that's something my parents or I want to put ourselves through. Besides, it's not what Helena would have wanted."

I opened my mouth to disagree with him, but quickly closed it again. I could almost hear her voice. 'It's not worth it. It will only bring more misery. Money won't make anything better.'

"If you'll excuse me, I've got a few things I need to do," he added, stepping back. "Thanks again for coming, Brooke." Unlike the first time he'd said it, this time it was offered with almost forced politeness.

"I didn't mean to upset you," I quickly uttered. "I just...None of this seems fair."

Sticking his hands in his black suit pants, Shawn accepted my apology with a slight nod. "I know," he sighed. "And I know that you think litigation will help right the wrong, but the truth is it won't help Helena." With that, he turned away from me and strode from the room.

I stayed for some time longer, exactly how long I couldn't possibly say. I tried to seek comfort from being close to Helena, but that feeling that had always been there wasn't present. _She_ wasn't present. Her body may have lain in the carefully carved, polished wooden box, but the important things; the things that made her _her_ , those were gone.

In the silence of the funeral home, feeling more alone than I ever had, Shawn's words rolled around and around in my mind. At first, I fought them, determined that he was wrong. A legal suit may not bring Helena back, but it would be some kind of justice. It would acknowledge that there was value in the life that the stupid, selfish bastard had taken.

Yet, as the moments passed, my vehement conviction failed me. A civil suit, and even a criminal prosecution for that matter, could never right an immutable wrong. Nothing. Nothing would ever help Helena's parents deal with the loss of their daughter. Nothing would ease the grief Shawn felt. Nothing would make me feel any better, either.

And, if that was true, what the hell was I wasting my life doing?

I was working to make rich men richer. I was working every waking hour to achieve a meaningless position, so I could do what? Prove that I was as good as the men? Become one of the rich people getting perpetually richer? Did any of that have any real meaning? My career had no meaning in and of itself. On paper, I might have been more successful than Helena had been, but she had helped many more people; arguably worthier people. Along with that, she'd managed to lead a full life. She wasn't chained to her desk, she knew what it was to have fun; how to stop and smell the roses.

Perhaps, I thought, my eyes lifting from their blank stare, it was time I learned how to do some rose-smelling of my own.

# Chapter Three

Mr. Weingarten tugged his reading glasses from his face and dropped them on the table in front of him. "You want what?" he asked.

"I want to take a leave of absence," I repeated.

"I...I..." he stammered, his face creasing quizzically as if I'd just told him I'd been abducted by aliens. "But you..." he muttered, his thumb hooking into one strap of his red suspenders. "Listen," he sighed slowly, seeming to find a cohesive train of thought upon which to jump. "I know that your friend dying has been tough on you, but do you really want to throw everything away?"

"Throw what away?" I huffed, crossing one leg over the other as I adjusted the jacket of my gray suit. "I'm not talking about leaving permanently; I just want to take some time off."

"How long?" he asked, leaning back in his chair and rubbing at the thinning hair at his temple.

Exhaling thoughtfully, I shook my head. "I don't know; a month, maybe two," I shrugged.

"You realize a lot can happen here in that time," he stated. "Maybe Harris will get partner."

Catching my tongue between my teeth, I fought the urge to provide a knee-jerk reaction to his thinly veiled threat. Surely, it was an idle one. After the years I'd spent slogging away for the firm, he wouldn't really offer the partnership to Harris: a man who had only been working with us for seven months and got the job simply because he was Ressler's son-in-law. Quickly, however, I realized my anger was fading.

"Brooke?" Mr. Weingarten said. "You've done some amazing work for us, won some tough cases and shown how dedicated you are, we appreciate that."

"But?" I muttered, sensing the compliment was far from all he had to say.

Sitting forward, he placed elbows on the desk and pressed his hands together. "I know how much you want to become a partner," he continued. "And, let me tell you, you're close. But if you take a career break now, it's going to set you back at least a year."

"I don't care," I sighed, finding the words flowing from my mouth much more easily than I would have expected. And I meant them. "Ever since my freshman year of college, I've been focused on one thing," I told him casually. "Life is far too short for that."

"Why don't you take a week's vacation?" he offered as it became increasingly apparent that Mr. Weingarten was reluctant to comply with my request.

"Thank you," I nodded courteously. "But I need longer than that. There are things I want to do; things I need to do." Silently, I added, 'to honor Helena'.

With a weary huff that blew out his cheeks, Weingarten let his hands flop listlessly and loudly onto his desk. "Well, if that's really what you want," he muttered.

"Thank you," I repeated more sincerely than the first time. Pushing myself from the seat opposite him, I brushed at the legs of my pantsuit. "I'll finish the week," I told him.

"What about the Jewkes trial?" he asked, his head snapping up.

"Everything's ready," I offered with a small smile. "The defense is all set, it just needs someone to deliver it. A well-trained parakeet could manage, so Harris should be fine."

A wry smile tweaked his mouth and one eyebrow crept upward.

"I'll bring you the files this afternoon," I continued, nodding before turning toward the door.

Just as my fingers grasped the brass handle, Weingarten's voice halted my movement.

"Give this some more thought Brooke, I don't want to see you making a mistake."

Twisting my head over my shoulder, I studied his face, wondering for a moment whether his concern was genuinely for me, or just for his business. "I don't need to think about it," I eventually said. "I know I'm not making a mistake."

Ironically, every night over the following days I was stuck in my office later than usual, tying up the loose ends of the cases I was working to ensure they were complete enough, that if a moron like Harris took over where I left off, he couldn't do too much damage.

For the rest of that week, neither Weingarten or Ressler mentioned the subject of my career hiatus. In fact, both men seemed intent on avoiding me. I had a feeling Ressler in particular was angry about my decision, and, although I knew that spelled the end of my partnership hopes (at least in the near future), I couldn't find it within myself to be distressed by that fact. Instead, I was invigorated with a new spirit. There were more important things than a job title and a big fat bonus. I wanted to live, even if just for a month or two, as Helena had lived. I wanted to embrace opportunity, experience new things and throw myself into life with the joy and passion she'd had. It was my tribute to her. Perhaps, upon reflection, it was a naïve way of trying to feel closer to her. But, whatever it was, I was determined to do it.

That Friday evening, I found myself staring at the clock, watching the second hand and wondering how I would put all of my big plans into action. I had secured my sabbatical. Work was done, I could have got up that instant and begun living. But how does someone start living?

"You know what we should do?" Helena's voice reverberated in my head as I recalled a night we'd spent drinking wine on her sofa. "We should travel."

"Now?" I'd asked, laughing.

"No," she'd responded. "We should take a long vacation, see some of the beautiful places in the world."

The memory sparked something within me. Shaking myself from my zombie-like state, I lunged for my computer's mouse, and jerked it to enliven the darkened screen. Hurriedly, I searched for available flights for the next day. Scanning the list of destinations, one leaped out at me: Paris. With a few more taps of the keyboard, I discovered there were seats available. It seemed like a sign. Without hesitation or thought, I bought a ticket and leaned back in my seat with a smile. Life was about to start.

"Am I really going to do this?" I whispered, grinning.

"Do what, Brooke?"

Face jolting from my computer screen, I swiveled to find Randy Gregoire's figure in the doorway.

"Nothing to concern you," I sighed, aware that even _his_ presence wasn't quite enough to put a dampener on my excitement. Sitting up, I turned the computer off, before reaching to my bottom desk drawer and yanking it open.

"You know," he crooned, "I heard a filthy lie about you today."

"Did you?" I muttered disinterestedly, not looking around as I picked my laptop bag from the drawer and got to my feet.

"Someone told me that you're taking a sabbatical," he continued, the smirk evident in his voice.

"Hmm," I huffed, slinging the bag onto my shoulder and kicking the drawer closed with my black, three-inch pumps. "Well, that's none of your concern, either," I stated smartly. Pushing my chair under my desk, I gave the room a brief scan, ensuring I'd forgotten nothing, before striding to the door.

Randy did not move. "Why don't you let me take you to dinner?" he asked, leaning against the doorjamb and crossing one foot over the other.

"I assume you came here with some purpose beyond irritating me," I replied calmly, stilling my feet just a pace from the door.

"C'mon, Brooke," he chuckled. "You've gotta give in to this sexual tension sooner or later."

Both eyebrows snapping up, I cocked my head to the right. "Sexual tension?" I muttered.

"Sure," he nodded. "All this sarcasm and scorn you lay on to mask how you feel. I know you want me, don't pretend you don't."

"I think you're confusing antipathy for attraction," I informed him tartly. "Easily done, I'm sure." As it became clear that he still had no intention of budging, I reached out to push him away from my path.

His hand quickly darted from his pocket, and his fingers clamped around my wrist. "What's your problem, Brooke? I'm trying to be nice."

"No," I stated, twisting my arm free of him, "you're trying to use me for sex."

"Same thing," he offered, with a shrug of one shoulder.

"Just get out of the way before I call the police, Randy," I demanded through gritted teeth. Lifting both hands, I shoved at his chest, forcing him back a pace. Able to get through the small gap I'd made in the doorway, I quickly crossed the threshold and strode down the hallway.

Thankfully, he didn't attempt to follow me, but his voice drifted down the corridor. "You know, it's gonna happen one day Brooke, you're going to be begging me to take you."

Not dignifying him with a response, I kept walking, until I had rounded the corner and reached the elevators. "Asshole," I mumbled, as the doors swished open and my route from the building was finally secured. Breathing deeply, I tried to force all thoughts of Randy from my mind. After all, I reminded myself, tomorrow was a whole new day.

Tomorrow, I'd be in Paris.

# Chapter Four

I didn't manage to get much sleep the night before the flight. My plans being so last-minute, I had a lot of packing to do, not to mention my passport to find, which, alone, took three hours. Eventually, however, with my hastily packed suitcase and a carry-on bag of essentials, I caught an early cab to Newark.

Although I'd only bought a seat in the coach cabin, when I got to check-in, I was upgraded; apparently there were some frequent-flier miles I'd clocked up earlier in the year, when I was working on a case that took me to Oregon to interview an expert witness. I'd ended up making several trips to see the guy, and in the end, he didn't testify on our behalf. Back then, I'd been pissed about the waste of time. But as I was handed my business-class ticket, I was very grateful. Not only did it mean I'd have a quieter, more comfortable journey, but it offered the glimmering possibility of catching up on some of my missed sleep.

When I reached my seat, I found myself by the window, with an empty spot to my left. With a contented sigh, I tucked my carry-on into the overhead compartment and ran both hands through the loose dark waves that curtained my face. Holding my hair in a ponytail, I slumped into the spacious leather seat. I quickly melted into it, finding my exhausted eyes closing without any need to compel them.

However, they weren't closed long enough to allow sleep to come to me. I felt a rush of air sweeping over me and heard the soft thump as a body sat down next to me. Eyes opening as reflexively as they closed, my face turned toward the sound of the moving air.

"Sorry," the body who'd disturbed the air said. "I didn't mean to wake you." His voice was as rich and deep as his chestnut eyes. The tone also seemed to suit the strong jaw and neatly styled hair that was slicked off his forehead with a little gel. I guessed he was in his late thirties or early forties, small laughter lines around his eyes the only thing that suggested he was a day over twenty-five.

I found my eyes moving over the smooth skin of his face and becoming transfixed by a tiny mole on his upper lip. The speck moved as he began to smile.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"No," I blurted, blinking and shaking myself from my thoughts. "I mean, yes," I corrected. "I'm fine, and you didn't wake me."

"Oh, well good," he nodded.

My lips parted in preparation to speak again, but any attempt I was about to make was halted by the appearance of a very attractive, very tall flight attendant, who placed her well-manicured hand on the man's seat and leaned down toward him, flashing him a copious view of her cleavage.

"Hi, Lance," she smiled with a sparkling set of blindingly white teeth. "I thought you were sitting in first class."

"Oh, err," he mumbled. "Well, I was, but I..um...I moved for an elderly lady."

"That's so sweet of you," the flight attendant said, her grin growing broader. "If you need anything, just give me a shout."

"Thanks, Cat," he replied, offering her an easy smile in reply.

I waited for the woman to right herself and walk a few seats ahead before turning to give him a skeptical lift of one eyebrow. "You moved for an old lady?"

"Yeah," he said, his eyes shifting slightly from left to right. "They have those seats that turn into beds up there," he said, nodding in the direction of the first class section of the plane. "Thought she'd be more comfortable."

I hummed my understanding of his story, but I still wasn't buying it. The man was one of the worst liars I'd ever come across, his hands moved restlessly over the front of his black pants and his gaze didn't remain still for a second.

"What?" he chuckled self-deprecatingly, noting the doubt in my tone.

"I don't believe you," I told him before quickly listing his many tells.

His response was to laugh and hold his palms up in a 'you got me' gesture. "What are you, an attorney or something?"

A corner of my mouth rose.

"You _are_ an attorney," he stated, nodding. "Damn," he muttered to himself, dipping his face and shaking his head. "I'm sorry," he added, lifting his face and managing to meet my eyes with the same sincerity he had the first time he spoke to me. "Okay, I know this is going to sound creepy, but I asked to be moved so I could sit next to you."

Taken aback by his sudden, very frank explanation, I found only one question on my mind and my lips. "Why?"

"Well...I don't want this to sound shallow, but I thought think you are one of the most beautiful women I have ever seen, and I wanted to get to know you."

"Oh," I breathed, unable to find a complete word. He was attracted to me? Running on only an hour's sleep, and wearing a comfortable pair of jeans and a sweater, that seemed unlikely. I wanted to ask if he was sure, but even in my own brain that sounded like a ridiculous question.

My long silence started to make him uncomfortable. "If you want me to move, I will," he offered.

"No," I quickly replied. A little too quickly. "Um, if you want to stay, I don't mind."

"Really? You sure; it's a long flight?" he warned, with a warm smile. "And, maybe you wanted to sleep anyway."

"No," I responded with a brief shake of my head. "It'll be nice to have someone to talk to."

His face brightened as he lifted his right hand. "I'm Lance," he offered.

"So I heard," I nodded, wrapping my fingers around his large, strong ones. "Brooke," I smiled.

"It's nice to meet you, Brooke," he said, squeezing my hand gently before releasing it. "What's taking you to Paris, business or pleasure?"

"Um," I hesitated, not knowing exactly how to answer. The trip certainly wasn't business in the strictest sense, but it was a mission; a calling. However, that 'calling' was to have fun. "Pleasure," I confirmed, unconsciously sweeping a few strands of hair behind my ear. "How about you?"

"Business, unfortunately," he replied. "But, hopefully, I'll still have some time to see the sights."

"Oh?"

"I'm attending a conference," he explained, twisting his upper body toward me.

Unconsciously, my own body moved to mirror him. "I see," I nodded. "And, um, what is it you do, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Only seems fair," he grinned. "After all, I know what you do. I'm a pilot."

Eyes opening a fraction wider, I stared at him for a moment. "You're a pilot?" I asked.

"Yeah," he nodded, reaching for the zipper on his high-collared jacket. Tugging the fastener down a few inches, he revealed the white dress shirt with a set of wings embroidered on the left breast pocket.

"Makes sense," I nodded.

"What do you mean?"

"The fact that the flight attendants know you, and you were able to get your seat switched," I said, gesturing with a nod of my head to the attractive blonde who'd been leaning over him.

Lance was an indisputably magnetic man; tall, broad shouldered, and exuding just the right amount of confidence without being arrogant. And he was more than just easy on the eyes, he was easy to talk to. Although it had been a long time since I'd casually chatted with a stranger, nothing about our conversation seemed awkward or unnatural. And the more he talked, his voice as delicious and smooth as warm syrup, the more I realized I was developing a rather serious attraction to him.

After almost three hours of sitting in his company, I found my gaze unintentionally flitting to his lips, and my thoughts drifting to fantasies of what he might look like with his shirt off.

"Brooke?" he said, breaking my musings.

"Hmm?" I asked, forcing my eyes back to his.

A question flashed across his face, but he didn't give it voice. "I said, how come you're going to Paris alone?" he chuckled.

"Oh," I breathed. "It's...um...a long story."

"We've got the time," he suggested with a quirk of one shoulder.

Inhaling, I felt my face fall as I began to tell him what had prompted my sudden desire to experience more than my tunnel-visioned, career-driven existence.

"Sorry," he whispered, consolingly. "I didn't mean to upset you," he added sincerely.

"It's alright," I quietly offered, shaking my head. "It's not your fault."

"So, you've vowed to start living for something other than work?" he asked, clearly trying to draw me away from sorrowful thoughts of Helena. "That's great."

"Yeah," I nodded a little reluctantly, "I guess."

"You guess?"

"Well, it's just a little scary; throwing caution to the wind."

"Hmm," he hummed, his lower lip jutting out fractionally. He was silent for a few seconds, and then the thoughtful expression faded. His mind, it seemed, had settled on something. "In the spirit of throwing caution to the wind," he began quietly, tipping his head a little closer to mine. "Can I tell you that I've been thinking about doing something for the past three hours?"

"What's that?" I wondered aloud.

His intense, brown eyes moved from mine to my mouth. Without another word, his face slowly drifted nearer. His movement, so gradual, gave me plenty of warning; plenty of time to pull back or tell him to stop. But I did neither. Instead, my tongue quickly leaped over my lips, moistening them.

Just a breath from me, his eyelids dropped closed, and his head tilted so our noses did not collide. After what felt like an incredibly long moment, during which I felt my heart rate triple, his soft, inquiring lips merged smoothly with mine.

The second we came together, I experienced a spark; something that had long been dwelling dormant erupted, sending a rampage of warmth to my cheeks. Pulse thrumming in every cell, I felt my fingers begin to tremble as I lifted them to his jacket and clung on for dear life.

My reaction was, I know now, disproportionate to what Lance was doing. It wasn't a frenzied, passionate kiss. It was calm, easy and almost experimental. However, it stoked a fire in my loins that I'd not felt burning for a very long time.

After sampling my lips with his, he eventually opened his mouth slightly. My tongue responded rapidly and reflexively, forcing its way between his parted lips and racing over the warm, sweetness that I found within. His tongue entwining with mine, I found a hint of coffee and chocolate on his taste buds. As their rich flavor struck me, I moaned longingly. But the sound wasn't a desire for coffee or for chocolate, it was a desire for him. It was a desire for much more than just his lips and tongue. I needed to feel his hands on me.

Restlessly, I shifted in my seat, feeling the flood of warmth between my legs. Seeming to suddenly come to my senses, my eyes snapped open and I pulled back from him. "God," I muttered, inhaling hasty, shallow breaths.

"Wh- What's wrong?" Lance asked, shaking his head in confusion.

Staring at the mild disorientation in his eyes, I had to fight the urge to simple tug him back to me. To avoid the temptation, I released my hold on him and slowly pulled my hands back into my lap. "I...um..." I quietly uttered. "This is crazy."

"It's throwing caution to the wind," he agreed, smiling.

"But, we don't really know each other," I whispered.

"We're only kissing," he whispered.

"Yeah," I acknowledged with a roll of my eyes, "but-"

"But?" he urged, concerned by the sudden way I'd cut myself off.

"I..." I tentatively began. For several seconds, I silently debated how frank I should be with him. After all, I didn't want him to gain the wrong impression. But, then again, what did it matter what impression he had of me. After we got to Paris, there was a good chance I'd never see him again. "Um," I mumbled. "Well it's just that, things were getting a little intense. And I have a feeling that if we were somewhere less public, then we...err..."

Lifting his large right hand, he curled a gentle index finger around my chin and coaxed my face to his.

"What are you saying, Brooke?" he calmly asked.

"I..." I shakily replied, feeling my limbs melt under the heat of his gaze. "I...I want you," I whispered.

# Chapter Five

Almost before the words were out of my mouth, Lance was getting to his feet. Dumbstruck, I looked on, wondering if I'd offended him. Or perhaps he was put off by a woman being so forward. Although, I couldn't imagine many men being left cold by an overt come-on.

He walked back down the aisle before lightly tugging the elbow of the blonde flight attendant, Cat. Twisting and craning my neck so I could see over the top of the seats, I watched them share a brief few words before she nodded and smiled agreeably. I could lip-read the word 'thanks' from him, and then he smartly spun on the ball of his foot.

With long strides he came back up the aisle, and as he reached his seat he leaned forward. "Come with me," he said, offering me his warm hand and an even warmer smile.

I opened my mouth to speak, but a series of unintelligible mumblings were all that emerged.

"Come on," he chuckled. "Let's go somewhere a little less public."

Unsure what he meant, I found myself nevertheless taking his hand and allowing my body to be pulled from the seat. Somewhere, in the back of my mind, I was aware that I would not have accepted his invitation so readily just two weeks before. But then, two weeks before, I wouldn't have been on a plane to Paris, either.

He lead me up the plane, toward the nose, until we reached the thick security door that separated the cockpit from the rest of the plane. Stopping, he released my hand and tipped his face up to the ceiling. Finding what he was looking for, he stretched onto his toes to reach the handle of a hatch in the ceiling.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

Not providing an answer, he tugged the hatch down and with it came a small ladder. "Up you go," he encouraged with a flick of his head.

"Should we be doing this?" I mumbled, anxiously.

"It's fine," he insisted, one hand snaking around my hip and guiding me to the steps.

Placed directly in front of him, I felt the heat of his solid frame at my back. As my hands tentatively folded around the ladder's white rails, he shuffled forward, pressing himself more firmly against me. A very obvious, very large bulge was thrust to the small of my back and I felt all of the air leave my lungs.

"I want you too, Brooke," he whispered, head dipped down so his cheek was resting against mine and the words brushed my skin. "I want you so bad."

The tiny part of my brain that was still functioning rationally paused and wrestled over whether I was about to do something I'd regret.

Live for the moment, I reminded myself. Grab opportunities; experience new things. Well, Lance was certainly an opportunity and having sex with someone who'd been a stranger to me less than four hours before was definitely new.

Not that my internal conversation mattered anyway. The larger, lustful part of my mind was in control of my actions and had already compelled my feet to climb.

The ladder lead to an attic space above the cockpit. It had two bunks, one either side, and a narrow space between them. Both bunks were really just mattresses with white pillows at the head, red blankets folded at the bottom, and beige drapes that were hung on a rod above and swept open.

"I know it's not much," his voice called from below, as he began to follow. "But it'll give us some privacy."

"It's fine," I replied, turning to watch his dark head emerge through the hatch.

Smiling, he quickly took the last few rungs and yanked the opening back into place behind him.

"What if someone comes in?" I asked.

"They won't," he replied softly, taking a step toward me. "Cat's told the flight crew that I'm getting some shuteye up here."

"But-" I muttered.

"Don't worry," he smiled, placing both hands on my hips and tugging me toward him. "I promise, we're not gonna be disturbed." His fingers drawing lazy patterns, his grin brightened as he pressed himself against me.

The heat radiating from him was verging on scalding, and the pressure of his body caused my heart to leap into my throat. Struggling to swallow, I drew shallow breaths as I felt the rapidly flowing blood flush my cheeks.

He released me just long enough to chuck his jacket, allowing it to fall to the floor. Then, his hands were on me again, more insistent than before, hungry, lustful. As his head bent forward to claim my mouth, his fingers swept up the inside of my sweater, coming into contact with the bare skin beneath it.

At his touch, I arched, pressing my breasts more firmly into his hard chest as I accepted his open-mouthed desperate kiss. Tongues tangling and darting frantically back and forth, and breath coming in pants, he rubbed the bulge in his pants against my abdomen, causing me to moan deep in the back of my throat.

Desire pooled between my legs; raging and raw, the craving to be touched was flooring in its intensity and its suddenness. With mouths continuing to move voraciously over each other, my tongue was far too busy for words. Desperate to feel some relief from the ache, I reached to his right hand and eased it away from my breast.

He allowed me to guide him toward my jeans and when I released him long enough to unbutton them, he no longer needed direction. His fingers instantly slipped inside my pants and massaged me through my underwear.

"Ugh," I grunted into his mouth, grinding feverishly against his hand.

His tongue stilled, and I felt his lips lift in a smile. Tearing his mouth from mine, he met my wild, hungry eyes. "You're so sexy," he uttered, his voice suddenly deeper and tinged with lust.

I couldn't help but wonder how many women he'd seduced like this; he seemed well-practiced. However, those thoughts abandoned me in a hurry when he gently hooked the crotch of my panties aside. "Oh, God," I whimpered, as his long, thick fingers parted my folds. Carefully, he stroked upward, lubricating himself with my arousal before reaching the tight, engorged and needy bud of my clitoris.

With expert movements, he rolled the pad of his index finger in small, slow circles. Feeling the strength seep from my legs, I hurriedly grabbed his shoulders to keep myself upright. Lance noted the effect he was having and smiled.

"God, Brooke," he murmured. "You're so warm...so wet."

"Argh," I cried, my eyes closing and head tipping back on a neck that no longer wanted to hold it. "Lance," I panted, "I'm so close."

"I know," he whispered, replacing his finger with his thumb and allowing the longer digits to slide down to my entrance.

With a frantic jerk of my hips, I begged him to penetrate me. I did not care whether I looked like a slut. Nor did I care whether it was obvious how desperate I was and, therefore, how long it had been since I'd been touched that way. All that mattered was that he finished what he'd started.

I expected him, like every other man I'd known, to force his fingers deep into me in a quick, aggressive thrust. Men I'd slept with, if they bothered to prepare me at all, liked to use their fingers in the same way they used their dicks. However, Lance was full of surprises. He barely entered me at all. Instead, he used the tip of his index finger to circle my sex in the same rhythm he was stimulating my clit.

"Oh, God," I exhaled, my nails digging into the hard muscles of his shoulders.

Gradually, so gradually, it made me want to scream, he slipped one finger into my channel. Even then, he only went as far as his second knuckle. In complete control over not just his body, but also mine, he traced the spongy flesh for a few seconds before pressing against the front wall.

The speed and accuracy with which he found my g-spot was truly something to behold. Yelping, I bucked against him, my head suddenly snapping upright and eyes wide. "Jesus," I hissed.

"Good?" he asked, with a knowing chuckle.

"I...I..." I stammered, mouth dry and uncooperative.

His dark, dangerous eyes fixed on mine, he applied pressure and began to move his finger back and forth.

"Shit," I screeched, losing my grasp of him and hands flailing to resume my hold.

Sparks of molten heat were shooting up from the juncture of my thighs, filling my belly. As though a vise had clasped my brain, I was focused on just two things: that feeling, and the sensual, lustful look in his eyes.

Fingers moving more purposefully as he sensed the coiling of the spring, Lance urged me to keep my eyes open. "I want to see them when you come," he explained.

At any other time, I might have felt self-conscious about that, but I was too far gone to register anything beyond his command. Spiraling higher, I rocked against him, rubbing myself against the thumb that had stilled.

And then, before I was aware of what was happening; before I had expected it. The wave crashed over me, stealing my breath and making me senseless to everything beyond it. I forced my lids to remain open, and kept my eyes on his. What I saw within those bright, vibrant depths was enough to make me shiver with a second orgasm.

# Chapter Six

My entire body was thrumming with the aftershocks of the climax. I was in a daze as the next few seconds passed, I wasn't aware of Lance undressing me; wasn't aware of him undressing himself either. My conscious brain only kicked in again when I was laying on one of the bunks, looking up at him as he confidently rolled a condom down the length of his shaft.

Lower jaw dropping open, I simply gaped at the size of him. I'd known he was big, I'd felt that when he was still clothed. However, I was not prepared for just how large he was. Not just impressive in length, it was also thick. It was easily bigger than anything I'd seen in the flesh, and a good match for what I'd seen in the few porn flicks I'd watched.

God, or mother nature, depending on your point of view, had been very kind to Lance. Being well-hung was not the end of his gifts. Above his noteworthy groin was a thin waist, defined abdominal muscles and a broad, bulky chest.

"You okay?" he asked, his hands falling from his sheathed manhood and his face peering down at me.

"Yeah," I nodded, breathlessly.

"You sure?" he asked, running a hand through the hair that was no longer sitting quite so neatly and had fallen onto his forehead.

"Come here," I smiled, holding out my hand to him.

Reaching out, he interlaced his fingers with mine, taking a step as I gently drew him closer. "You're beautiful," he said, eyes moving over my naked form.

Forcing myself into a sitting position, I lifted my face to him, silently requesting a kiss. He provided it instantly and generously, his lips moving sensually and teasingly over mine before his tongue and mine resumed their acquaintance.

As the kiss lingered, he lifted one knee onto the bed and placed it between my slightly parted legs. Slowly, he lowered his weight, urging me back into the mattress. Melting into the bed, I instinctively spread my thighs inviting him to settle between them.

Graceful and steady, Lance lifted his other leg onto the bunk and braced his hands either side of my arms. The rubber of the condom brushed my inner thigh and my hips involuntarily writhed in response.

"Hmm," he mumbled against my lips, before leaving them to trail my neck, my breastbone and then the tight peaks of my nipples with his tongue.

Both of my hands tenderly cupped the back of his head, fingers lacing in his thick hair. "Oh," I mewled contently, curling one leg over his lower back.

His hot, wet mouth sucked enthusiastically on my soft flesh as his lower body began to settle into the cradle of my hips. Squashed against the top of my thigh, I realized his straining member still hadn't been attended to. I couldn't be sure how long we'd been in the flight crew's sleeping quarters, but Lance was unquestionably showing more restraint than any boyfriend I'd had. The very fact that he'd brought me to orgasm _before_ focusing on his own needs made me feel a rush of affection for him.

"I want you inside me," I breathed.

Head lifting, his dilated pupils struggled to focus. "Sure you're ready?" he asked.

"Oh, yeah," I nodded. "I'm more than ready." In truth, given the size of him, I wasn't entirely sure I was ready. I did, however, know that I was as ready as I was ever going to be. I'd never felt so horny in my life; never been so desperate to feel a man fill me.

"Okay," he nodded, before his face sank down to mine and he kissed me again. His right hand meanwhile had left the mattress and was moving between our bodies. Carefully, he took himself in his fingers and guided the condom-covered tip toward my waiting sex.

Both gasping rapidly, our lips separated. I looked up into his face, fascinated with the little tick of his jaw as he seemed to struggle with his profound patience and control. The fact that his mounting need, which was almost becoming unmanageable, was for me, made me feel indescribably sexy.

Urging him to let himself off the tight leash he'd forced on himself, I wrapped my other leg around him, crossing my ankles just above his buttocks. Then, I pulled him to me.

The fat, rounded tip of his shaft entered slowly, stretching the tight circle of my entrance. As I felt that delightful swell of flesh, just the right side of painful, I tossed my head back into the pillow and released a groan of pleasure.

No longer needing to be guided, Lance left his manhood and both hands returned to the mattress. My fingers stroked up the length of his forearms, before trying to curl around his thick biceps. I found them so taut that I realized he was still holding back.

"More," I panted, tightening my legs around his waist.

He inched a little further, making my eyes pop with the sensation. He felt even bigger than he'd looked. My channel flexed, muscles contracting and releasing hurriedly in their attempt to expand for him.

"Ugh," he groaned, eyes shut and chin dipped to his chest.

Puffing out rampant breaths, I continued to coax him, just as desperate to satisfy him as I was to find my own pleasure at being joined with him. "I want you," I whispered, hands clasping his upper arms roughly. "I want you deep inside me."

"Brooke," he wheezed, hips jerking slightly as the last vestige of his control fought against his primal desire. "I don't want to hurt you."

"You won't hurt me," I insisted. "Please, Lance, I need you."

"Oh, God," he panted, hips driving suddenly forward until he was buried to the hilt.

"Argh," I cried out, my brain reeling from a bizarre mixture of discomfort and intense pleasure. Stretched and filled so deep that I thought his shaft might penetrate my stomach, I clung to his sweaty skin not wanting him to ever leave me.

"Are...are you alright?" he asked shakily.

"Yes," I replied quickly. "Yes! Oh, God. Lance, you feel so good."

"You feel good," he echoed, kissing my temple, then my cheekbone and finally finding my lips. "So tight" he mumbled against my mouth. "So good," he added, before gently sliding his hard rod from me.

I groaned as his rigid length swept along the slick softness of my body until he was just hovering at the entrance. "Harder," I whispered.

This time, he didn't ask questions. With a masculine grunt of breath, he slammed his hips to mine, forcing his erection deeper than before.

"Oh, yes!" I screeched, finding an explosive pleasure that I'd never experienced before. Clitoral orgasms had always been my thing, with my g-spot occasionally having been stimulated by hand – mostly my own. Until Lance, I'd never noticed anything particularly pleasurable in good, old-fashioned thrusting.

Whether it was his size, his style or something else, I do not know. But I do know, that I quickly found myself on the verge of climaxing once more.

"Brooke," he breathed, withdrawing and readying himself to drive into me again. "Oh, damn, you're so beautiful," he muttered.

"Faster," I begged. "Harder."

My quietly spoken plea triggered something in him, causing him to break into a rapid pumping rhythm. Each time, he went as deep as he possibly could and withdrew almost completely.

"Yeah," he mumbled. "Oh, Christ."

The movement of his shaft was hurried, but no less conscious of me. Although I didn't seem to know exactly what he was doing that felt so good, but he continued giving me exactly what I needed. Feeling the familiar tightness building, I began to roll my hips, stimulating my clit against his pubic bone whenever it was close enough to be pressed against me.

"Lance," I yelped, head thrown back into the pillow. "Yes, yes," I mumbled. "Yes!" I screamed, the sound echoing around the small quarters and joining the throbbing of my racing heart beat against my eardrums. As the climax struck me like tiny electric shocks, my entire body shook, writhed and jerked beneath him.

"Oh, God, Brooke," he hissed, suddenly stiffening. He held that tense pose, with eyes tightly shut and even the muscles in his buttocks clenched, for a fraction of a second. And then, his hips jerked against mine and he exhaled a shaky breath. "Jeez," he mumbled, slowly opening his eyes as his lower half continued to roll in lazy circles that, unbeknownst to him (or maybe not unbeknownst to him), was causing my orgasm to roll on and on; less intense than in the first few seconds, but undoubtedly still there.

"Wow," I sighed, staring at the curved, white ceiling. "That was incredible," I added, thinking aloud.

"It was amazing," he breathed, letting the weight of his upper body slowly press me into the mattress before resting his face in the crook of my neck. "You're amazing," he whispered, lips grazing my skin.

"Ha," I chuckled. "I'm not so sure about that."

"I am," he affirmed sincerely.

I could feel his member softening, but he did not pull it from me. I was glad that he didn't. In no hurry to break the closeness I felt with him, I would have been happy to lie like that for hours.

"Brooke," he hummed, lifting his weary head, "where are you going to be staying in Paris?"

"Um," I replied, shaking my foggy head. Unlike him, I was in no state to talk about anything other than what we'd just done and, even then, preferably in words of one syllable or less. "Um," I continued to mutter nonsensically. "Well...I don't actually know," I told him quietly. "I mean, I left New York very last minute and didn't bother to book a hotel. I figured I could just wander around and find one with a free room."

"Oh," he replied nodding before resting his forehead to mine. "Well, yeah, you could do that, I guess." After a moment's silence, he added, "Or you could spend a couple of days with me."

"Hmm?" I asked, wrapping my arms around his back and drawing patternless shapes on his clammy skin with my palm.

"I'll have some free time during the conference," he explained. "So, we could spend it together. What do you think?"

Suddenly panicked, I was quiet. I'd thought we were just fooling around. It hadn't entered my head that he might want to pursue a relationship outside of our mile high club adventure.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"Lance, I," I began apologetically. "I should have been more clear before we...did this, I'm not really looking for anything heavy right now, you know? I'm trying to...well, I'm just trying to have some fun."

Lifting his head from its perch on mine, he tipped it back just far enough that he could look into my eyes. With the same broad smile he'd worn when I first saw him, he brushed a strand of hair from my face. "That's all I'm talking about," he said tenderly. "Having fun."

"Oh," I sighed, reflecting his grin. "You mean the kind of fun you've just shown me?"

"Something like that," he chuckled.

"In that case, why not?" I laughed, lifting my head and pressing my lips to his.

### To be continued...

### Thank you for reading!

Please visit your favorite eBook retailer to view the next books in this series.
Loving The White Billionaire

by

Monica Brooks
Copyright © 2014 by Monica Brooks

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 any persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Loving The White Billionaire

All rights reserved.

This book is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America. No part of this work may be used, reproduced, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording and faxing, or by any information storage and retrieval system by anyone but the purchaser for their own personal use.

This book may not be reproduced in any form without the express written permission of Monica Brooks, except in the case of a reviewer who wishes to quote brief passages for the sake of a review written for inclusions in a magazine, newspaper, or journal—and these cases require written approval from Monica Brooks prior to publication. Any reproduction or other unauthorized use of the material or artwork herein is prohibited without the express written permission of the author.

# Chapter One

"Remember the first time we came here?"

"I do," I said as I looked around at the dark field. There was a large oak tree off in the distance, I could just make it out among the large man-made lake that some of its branches shadowed.

"Remember our first kiss?"

"Yes, of course Ethan! What is this about?" I asked impatiently.

Today was just a normal ordinary day. I got up, got dressed in my usual attire as an accountant, and later came back to my apartment.

I hadn't planned anything besides heating up the leftovers that I had from last night, having a long conversation with my boyfriend via Skype, and eventually turning in for the night after a relaxing bubble bath.

So when I got a knock on my door at a quarter to seven, I was definitely not expecting Ethan to be standing there with roses in hand, and an invite to walk down memory lane.

"Be patient my love, just wait," He assured as we continued to walk towards the tree.

"Okay, I'll be patient."

"Good. Remember what I told you that first day under the Oak tree, you know, the night of our first date?" he asked as his arm wrapped snugly around my waist.

"Like it was yesterday," I said closing my eyes momentarily as my mind went back to those words.

"I love you like I've never loved anyone before," he whispered softly in my ear in the present just as he had in the past.

"I can't believe that I found you at such a young age," I said truthfully as we were now standing under the branches.

"Me neither, baby," he said through that beautiful smile that I'd grown to love.

We stood there, just gazing into each other's eyes as the water from the lake lapped at the man-made shore. The grass was plush like carpet under the soles of our feet, and the soft breeze helped in the creation of goose bumps rising on my long brown arms. He reached his dark chocolate hand up to run it through my loose black curls as they tickled my shoulder blades.

His full lips held a smile that lit up his deep brown eyes. His chiseled jaw was lightly dusted with facial hair; something that he knew heightened his sex appeal.

"I could get lost in those honey brown eyes." he told me before leaning in to gently kiss my forehead.

My eyes shut tight at the warmth of his kiss, and my heart continued to pound deep in my chest. God I loved this man so much. He was my everything, my world, my...

"Ethan?" I asked abruptly as he loosened his fingers from my locks and began to kneel. I was taken by surprise, so much so, that I couldn't believe what was going on around me.

As if on cue, a thousand little lights began to make their presence known among the branches of the tree, and after getting a closer look, I could see that they were soft white Christmas lights.

When I looked back down to Ethan, I gasped. In his hand, was a little black box that he opened to reveal a small but stunning diamond ring.

"Marry me, Jaida, so that we can add this memory to our very own special place."

"Ethan..." I said through the tears that were welling up behind my eyes.

"Jaida...Jaida! Ms. Jaida!"

I hadn't realized that I'd drifted off into la-la land when my boss walked in through the door. I immediately straightened my posture and organized my desk in the appropriate manner as she walked further into my office.

Folding my hands neatly in front of me, I looked up and into the eyes of Mrs. Gallagher. She was a tall woman with hair the color of the warm sunset. Her eyes were as vivid blue as the sapphire necklace that I never saw her without.

She was a thick woman, and dressed herself to accentuate her curves in the most professional way. I smiled as she pulled out a chair in front of my desk to sit, and waited patiently as she sifted through a crisp manila folder. She was making me extremely nervous.

First she catches me daydreaming, next she's firing me a week and three days before my wedding. I really needed to get a grip, I swear Ethan's pre-wedding jitters are contagious; he'd been pretty jumpy lately. But most men were right before the wedding; it's what I expected.

"Daydreaming again Ms. Jaida?" Mrs. Gallagher asked interrupting my thoughts yet again.

"I'm so sorry, I just have a lot on my mind lately; I'm ok, anyway, did you need something?" I asked as I forced myself to relax a little.

"You can relax all the way now, I'm not in here to fire you," she reassured, laughing slightly as she saw my noticeable change in posture.

"Oh, thank goodness," I breathed.

"Am I really that much of a hard ass?" Mrs. Gallagher asked she finally found the paper she had been rifling through that folder for.

"Of course not! No, I just-I'm so distracted and I really did not want that to reflect on my work here at the firm..."

Mrs. Gallagher dismissed my worries with a wave of her hand.

"Relax; I know how stressful planning a wedding around work can be. That is exactly why I am giving you this to sign and date," she said handing the sheet to me.

I noticed immediately that it was my pay stub. I was a little confused; I didn't get paid until Tuesday, though it was Monday, it was still unexpected. I began to fold it and put it away in my desk like I normally did, when I heard Mrs. Gallagher pointedly clear her throat.

When I looked up at her, I noticed an almost complacent grin on her small red lips. Looking back down at my pay stub, I noticed that my vacation time that I had put in for had been approved. Not only that, but an extra week had been added on, fully paid, and starting...

"This week? But it's only nine in the morning and I have so much to do today..."

"I'll see you in two weeks Ms. Peterson," Mrs. Gallagher said as she stood up and extended her hand.

"Thank you so much, I really appreciate this," I said as I took her hand in a friendly shake.

"You deserve it," she said with a nod, and with that, she was out of the room. Cleaning up my desk and shutting down my computer didn't take long. With a glance at my surroundings to make sure that I hadn't left anything behind, I turned around and made my way to open, and then lock my office door behind me.

My evening went normal as per usual, save for the fact that my fiancé didn't last for too long on Skype. I tried to see him earlier today with lunch in hand, but he was too busy with a patient. It didn't bothered me too much; he was very busy with his new medical career. At thirty-two, Ethan had graduated from medical school, and started working immediately after.

He'd already been offered a job at one of the best hospitals in the state of California; and was making a good living. I, on the other hand, hadn't gotten the ball rolling as well. I barely made it through school, and finding a job was tough. Luckily for me, I happened to know one of the women who worked in the firm I currently work for. She put in a good word for me with Mrs. Gallagher.

Ethan didn't live too far from here, but he did live far enough away from me to spend at least one hour in traffic to get to me. And even though that is a lot of time spent back and forth in a car, it's my preference. I'm old-fashioned in that sense. Though I'm not a virgin, I did want some things traditional.

The moment we get back from our honeymoon, I will be moving out of my little nest to live in his palace. Looking around at the plush beige furniture, the vivid yellows and purples of my flowers and the modernized style of my apartment, I began to feel a pang of sadness. This place was all my own, and in a matter of a little under a month, I would no longer call this place my home.

I took a deep breath and sank deeper into the comfort of my couch. The sound of the alarm going off on my phone gave my heart false hope when I noticed that it wasn't a call from my Ethan. I wondered what he was up to; he seemed like he had a lot of things to do. I hoped that it wasn't going to keep him up too late.

There was no use worrying myself over it too much. Taking a deep breath as I soaked in a few extra seconds on the couch, I reached over and switched off the light before proceeding down the hall to bed.

***

It had been such a long time since I'd woken up on my own free will. Typically the alarm clock would have woken me up with its violent screaming by now. The malleable plush of the memory foam, that formed to make my queen sized bed, hugged my curves oh so well as I stretched my muscles to relieve the ache of a long night's sleep. A moan escaped my throat as I rolled over on my stomach; my hair forming like a cumulus cloud around my head.

The light from late morning barely made its way around my thick bamboo blinds. My head still against my pillow, I reached beneath it to find my phone. I knew that it was bad for the battery, but I'd kept it close to me all night, just in case Ethan called. My eyes hadn't fully adjusted to the light, making it hard not to shield my eyes from the bright light of my screen.

"Ethan called me last night?" I said aloud as I immediately called him back.

The phone rung for a few seconds before I heard his voice. Unfortunately, it was the sound of his voicemail. Pulling my phone away from my ear, I checked the time and noticed that it was nine.

Ethan should be at work; better not bother him with one thousand calls, texts, and voice messages. I felt so desperate, but it was because I was missing my fiancé. I figured that maybe I should go back to sleep and wait for Ethan to call me back, but before I could get comfortable, I heard a knock at my door. I checked the time again in confusion...I wasn't expecting anyone?

Was it one of my brothers? I thought as I walked down the hallway, smoothing my hair out as I neared the door. Looking down at myself to make sure that everything was in place, I lifted my gaze to the door before opening it.

"Ethan!" I said forgetting my composure as I wrapped my arms around his neck.

"Good morning, baby," he responded with a swift kiss to my forehead. He seemed a little tense.

"How are you? I missed you so much," I said giving him a tight squeeze before backing away to study him. He seemed different, as if something had changed.

"Go get some clothes on, let me take you to breakfast."

"Are you sure? Don't you have to work?" I asked.

We were now standing in my living room an arms length away from each other.

"Aww, are we going somewhere special?" I asked as I set out on my task.

"That's for me to know and for you to find out, babe, so go get ready," he said with a wink before I turned around and walked to he bedroom with a skip in my step.

# Chapter Two

I love how Ethan spoils me. Though he's been distant lately, I realize now that it's purely just the wedding jitters. During our drive I brought up the arrangements for the wedding a couple of times, and he seemed sort of jumpy, so I let it go while we were still in the car. When we finally stopped, it was at our favorite restaurant, the one we used to frequent while he was in school.

Everyone there knew us by name, what they didn't know is that we were recently engaged. When the owners caught wind, they immediately offered to pay for our dinners, and a complimentary bottle of champagne.

I noticed how Ethan looked at me when I told them of our news. He seemed shocked, almost as if it were a secret. I noticed that he was also a little more subdued during the meal. He didn't seem like he was as hungry as he should be, being that he had a juicy sirloin steaming in front of him.

When it was time to leave, the owners congratulated us once again before we headed off into the night.

"I can't wait for us to be married," I said reaching over to cup the back of his neck in a warm embrace. He tensed just a little before relaxing and giving me a small smile.

"Yeah," he said looking back to the road and giving a nod.

"What's wrong?" I asked, noticing his change in demeanor.

"Nothing baby, nothing, let's just...talk about something else," He said reaching over and forcing a smile as he patted my thigh. I nodded my head in compliance before looking ahead of me.

These pre-wedding jitters were really getting the best of him.

***

It was now three days before the biggest day of my life. We'd had our rehearsal just a few hours ago, and now we were on our way to the rehearsal dinner. Though the ride was short, we still didn't say much to each other. Boy I've never seen him this tense; not even for his medical exams. I decided to let it go whenever he would get tense like this, especially after that first time he asked me to talk about something else.

I figured that he needed time to deal with this on his own. As we arrived at our destination, Ethan opened the car door for me and held my hand in his as we made it through the doors of my Uncle's restaurant. It was a small place, but it was decorated beautifully. He'd reserved the place entirely for us, and as we sat down at our designated table, our family began to come in.

I looked to my right at Ethan; I couldn't quite describe the look on his face. I could describe how much I didn't like it though. It made me feel uneasy. I reached over to squeeze his leg; he didn't look over at me, though he did smile.

I smiled as well, and even though I wanted more, I decided to let the evening happen. As my family began to fill their seats, and the champagne was poured, I relaxed after a small flute. The champagne was very sweet; just the way I loved it. The vibe overall was great, and the toasts that were made brought tears to my eyes.

I looked over at Ethan; my eyes were brimming with tears to see that he was already looking at me. He was smiling, warmly for the first time in days. I could see and feel the love in his eyes as he stared straight through mine and into my soul. I knew he could see his mate in me. Our emotions were mirrored so perfectly, it was like a fairytale.

# Chapter Three

I realized in an instant that something was wrong. I was in my car when my phone rang. I noticed that it was Ethan and instantly my heart started thrumming in my chest. It was the day before our wedding and I was supposed to be on my way to my best friend's house for my bachelorette party. But Ethan seemed urgent; he couldn't tell me over the phone and had asked to meet in person.

"Just meet me by our tree!" he'd said when I tried to ask him for further information.

"Okay, Ethan...I'll be there," I had said before he hung up the conversation. As I drove on towards our favorite little spot, my mind kept racing. I could not for the life of me keep my thoughts quiet, nor could I keep them positive.

I wanted to think romantically; here Ethan was on the night of his bachelor party and he wanted to see me. But on the other hand I couldn't. He seemed so anxious, so...frustrated with me, and I hadn't even done anything.

Nearing the corner, I slowed down just before the road ended and the gravel path started. Parking my car off to the side, I carefully got out, and proceeded down the half-lit trail. Making my way further towards my destination, I took off my heels and let my bare feet touch the dew-soaked grass.

I could barely make out a tall, dark figure in the distance, but I knew that it was Ethan. As I came closer, he noticed me, but didn't come towards me. The only light that guided my path now, was from the full moon. Though there were no other lights, I could still see pretty clearly. I could see clearly enough to notice that Ethan was troubled. I stopped a few paces in front of him.

He hadn't looked up at me since I neared him. I knew him too well to think positively at this moment. There was something wrong, something terribly wrong. The wrinkles he was creating in his forehead were so prominent that I felt they were permanent. As I looked closer, I couldn't believe my eyes. His face was tired, over tired, like he hadn't gotten any sleep. I noticed the bags that I had never seen before had moved in under his eyes.

"You've been stewing over whatever this is for a long time," I stated simply.

"I don't know how to tell you this. Jaida...I still love you..." he said, though he still hadn't looked at me.

"Ethan, look at me..."

"Jaida! Just let me think!" he said cutting me off.

Though they were only words, they cut like a knife. It wasn't the words that hurt, it was the inflection. The tone that he threw at me. The volume of his voice.

"I've been thinking about this for about two weeks now...Jaida...I don't want to marry you."

"What..." my voice broke off, and came out as a pained gasp.

"I'm sorry Jaida," he said, his eyes on his feet.

"Look at me," I demanded softly.

"Jaida..."

"Look at me!!" I screamed.

He flinched at the sound of my voice, but he did as I asked. He looked at me. That's when I saw it. That's when I saw the guilt, the pain, and most importantly...I saw that he was not as upset by this as I was.

"Ethan why? Why are you doing this to me the night before our wedding?" I asked; the tears were pouring down and creating mascara lines in their wake.

"I don't think that's important..."

"I deserve to know why the love of my life is calling off our wedding! Ethan tell me now!"

"Come on Jaida, I'm just not ready! Why do you need to know so badly?"

"Damn it Ethan! We have been in a relationship since high school, there is no way you're not ready!" I said becoming exasperated with the conversation. He was jerking me around, and I knew it. It pissed me off so much that all I could think about was hitting him across the mouth.

"I cheated on you...twice."

I wanted to hit him, but he beat me to the punch. His words were so harsh that they knocked the wind out of me. I took a step backward and nearly stumbled; the shock from his words made me clumsy. My hand came up to wipe at the stains of my tears as I turned around. I couldn't look at him; I couldn't even bare to be around him at that moment.

"It was a mistake, but once I did it I couldn't take it back. It was with two different women," he said quietly behind me, causing me to sob.

"Two..." was all I could muster.

"Jaida, I didn't want to hurt you."

I wiped at my tears once more before turning around to face that man who I'd never hated so much in my life. He went from high school sweetheart, to piece of garbage in two seconds flat.

"When did you do this?" I asked him.

"Back in college, and then the night of our engagement" he said causing me to moan as if he'd hit me again.

I turned around to leave; I couldn't stand there any longer. I couldn't bear to hear any more from him. I made it only a few steps however; he'd grabbed my arm to stop me. I tried to jerk free, but he wouldn't let me go.

"Let go!" I screamed before turning around with all of my strength, and punching him in the face.

Normally I wasn't violent. But I'd had part of my childhood and the beginning of my adult life spit in my face as if it meant nothing to him. His head jerked back from the impact of the hit, and he stumbled backward while holding his jaw. I didn't want to hurt him, but at least he let me go.

"We are done! Do you understand me? We're done! I _never_ want to see your face, hear your voice, or read your sorry ass messages! You will not call my phone, you will not come to my home, and you definitely will not be a part of my life anymore!" I said as he stood there watching me in shock.

He wasn't expecting the hit, although he's the one who threw the first punch. His lip was bleeding a little amount of blood, but he'd heal. The wound he left on my heart was something that I would never recover from. As I walked away from him, I heard him say that he still loved me before I picked up my pace until I was running towards my car. My shoes were knocking together violently in my hand as I ran faster and faster towards my vehicle. My breath was ragged as I reached the car.

Unlocking my door was harder than it should've been as I fought to see through the blinding tears. When I finally got the door open, I got in my car, cranked the ignition and shot off down the road. I heard a ring on my phone that I'd left in the car. I thought it might have been him so I hesitated. It finally went to voicemail but then picked up once again. Reaching over into the passenger seat, I grabbed the phone and answered it without looking.

"Hello?" I answered with my voice full of emotion.

"Jaida, honey what's wrong?" I heard my best friend ask in a worried tone.

"Nothing, I'm fine," I lied.

"Girl! You better tell me what's wrong right now!"

"I'll tell you when I get there," I said, turning off the exit to change direction. I was already halfway home when I remembered that I still had my bachelorette party to attend. I knew that I wouldn't be up for the party, but my best friend was who I really needed right now.

"Okay girl, I wish you would tell me now, but I can wait. I'll let the girls know too, all right?"

"Ok, thank you, goodbye."

My best friend's house wasn't too far from me, actually the exit I took put me right next to her neighborhood. Coming up on her neighborhood, I drove a few yards down before I came to her house. There were a lot of cars, but I could see some of the girls were leaving.

I drove past them, hoping they wouldn't recognize my car. I didn't want anybody to see me like this except my best friend. I decided to pull up on the grass at a neighbor's house and waited for the rest of the girls to leave. Once they were gone, I pulled up and parked in her driveway.

She knew right away when she saw me. She knew those tears, she'd felt that same pain. When we were in high school she too had a sweetheart, but he cheated on her with her sister. She'd remarried since, but she had severe trust issues. Her husband was quite the man to put up with it, but that's why we all admired him so much. The most awkward part about it was that my now ex fiancé and my best friend Josie's husband, were best friends in college. He was actually at the bachelor party, or he was supposed to be. I wondered, as I walked into her living room and sat down on her couch with a glass of red wine, if Ethan had called off his bachelor party as I did.

"When did it happen?" Josie inquired.

"The first time or the second time?" I asked in response. Josie rolled her hazel eyes and sucked her teeth.

"I should've known his big black ass was cheating. All those muscles and those straight white teeth!" Josie could always make me laugh.

"Josie! I am trying to be mad," I said after a chuckle.

"I'm for real, Jaida, that man has always had hungry eyes," she said seriously.

"Yeah but I thought they were all for me. At least I got to hit him once," I said massaging my knuckles.

"Shut up! No you didn't!" she said genuinely surprised.

"It just came out of me, I feel bad about it...but at the same time I don't. I felt hit when he told me, it was like a punch to the kidneys," I said leaning back as I reached down to touch my sore feet. I hadn't put my shoes back on, and rode all the way to Josie's house barefooted.

"Girl, you let him off easy! You remember what happened with my break-up after I caught Daryl cheating on me?" she stated rather than asking the question. God knows I would never forget that day.

It was on a Saturday afternoon, and Josie and I had just gotten our nails done. Ethan was still at school, and I was off that day. At the time, I was actually living with Josie while I scraped by through college.

We hadn't planned on going back to the apartment; we were supposed to go straight to a movie. Josie had forgotten her movie card, and decided that since we were going to pass our place on the way there, we might as well stop.

"These neighbors always have people over; they never heard of guest parking?" I remember Josie saying as we passed her taken parking spot.

"Ugh, I live here and I never would park in your spot," I said as Josie unbuckled her seat belt.

"Exactly. I'll be right back, girl," Josie had said before jumping out of the car to go into the house.

I remember admiring my nails and relaxing against the car seat as I waited. The sun was bright and sunny, the wind was blowing softly, and the birds were singing my favorite melodies. And then out of nowhere, I heard a scream that ripped through my serenity and straight into my heart.

Jumping out of the car as fast as I could, I ran up the stairs leading to the door, and slammed through it. The entry way was connected to the living room, which eventually led to the kitchen/dining room area. Turning left, I found the stairs that lead to the master bedroom where I heard the scream come from.

As soon as I was in the room, I too couldn't help a little shout of my own. There Daryl lay naked in the bed, holding the sheets to cover his manhood, while non-other than Josie's own sister stood covering her breasts in the corner of the room.

"Are you serious? My sister?!" Josie screamed through furious tears as she took a step further in the bedroom.

"Jo, just hear me out okay?" Daryl said while he still clutched their sheets.

"Shut up! You're a lying cheating bastard! I can't believe you would do this with my sister!" she said as she took another step.

By that moment, I knew that no one else knew I was even there. It was almost as if I were only visible for that one shocked scream I let out, and then no more as the situation escalated. I didn't realize it before, but Josie was walking purposely towards the closet. I didn't understand why at first, but then I suddenly remembered.

And by then, so had Daryl, but by the time she pulled out what she was aiming for, it was too late. Daryl shot up from the bed and stood in front of Josie's sister Amelia. It was something so simple, yet so stupid. This fool had just been caught cheating, and just as his distraught girlfriend pulled out a gun, he goes to protect the woman he was cheating with? I still couldn't understand to this day how he could be so stupid.

"Are you protecting her? You love her Daryl, is that it? You love this little conniving bitch!" Josie had spit that last word out like it was poison.

"Josie, put the gun down," he'd said as he began to walk closer.

"Wrong answer Daryl."

"It was like they knew you were about to shoot," I said to Josie in the present. She smiled and tossed her light brown hair back over her shoulder.

"Come on now. Daryl was stupid but not that dumb," she said as she raked her fingers through her hair at the crown. I noticed that she did this when she felt proud of herself.

"I am though. I should have known."

"Hey, I should've known, it had been going on as long as the relationship of two years. I didn't though, and it is not my fault that he cheated on me. It's him; he's the one that's wrong," she pointed out with such compassion.

"Thanks, Josie."

"Listen girl, you can stay here tonight, I'll run you a nice bubble bath, we'll drink some wine, and then stay up all night eating ice cream and watching chick flicks."

"That sounds good, but I need to go home. Since there's no wedding tomorrow, I'll be going to work. I need to drown myself in it so that I don't think too hard about Ethan," I said.

"I understand. Just call me if you need anything okay? And be safe driving," she said as she walked me to the door.

"I love you Josie," I said giving her a hug. She hugged me back in a way that only she could.

"I love you too Jaida, I'll see you soon, bye hon."

***

Needless to say, people were shocked to see me at work. Not only was it supposed to be the day of my wedding, I looked like a garbage bag. My hair was scraped back into a curly bun type hairstyle, I had no makeup on, and my clothes were wrinkled. This was so unprofessional and so unlike me, but I didn't feel like me since last night. I felt like a human vessel filled with pain and sorrow. As I unlocked the door to my office, I realized after the second and third unsuccessful attempt to get it open, that I was using my car key. Waking up, I finally got the right key out, and made it into my office.

This was so not like my bubbly personality. What had I let this man do to me? Five minutes after I sat behind my desk my boss walked in and closed the door behind her. She walked only a few steps in before she stopped and stared at me. She looked worried, a little angry, bust most of all confused.

"He cheated on you didn't he?" She asked. What the hell?

"How did you...?" I started.

"Don't worry about how I know," she said cutting me off, "What's important is that you don't lose yourself to the cruel actions of some jerk off. Listen you need to keep your vacation, as a matter of fact, I'll add a few extra days as long as you promise me one thing."

"And that is?" I asked.

"Get your ass up, get it on that plane, and enjoy your honeymoon," she said.

"Honeymoon...I'd forgotten all about that. I can't go without him."

"Nonsense! You're to go on that trip or you're fired," she said with a wink as she turned around to walk away.

"Thank you, Mrs. Gallagher," I said before she had the chance to leave.

"Put on some lipstick and remember that no man is strong enough to break your heart. You're welcome Jaida, I'll see you when I see you" and with that she was gone.

And after a few moments of shock, I made the necessary arrangements over the phone, and left the office.

# Chapter Four

The Gran Malia in Rio Grande, Puerto Rico was the most beautiful city and place I had ever visited. The people were gorgeous, the smell was inviting and the climate was just the way I liked it. The sun kissed my skin, and naturally lightened my usually darker curls. As soon as I got to the hotel I was greeted by a beautiful woman with a thick Spanish accent.

I couldn't help but thank God that Ethan wasn't here; he'd probably lay her for all I knew. I had to concentrate on the positive, and force Ethan out of my mind. This was still my honeymoon and I wasn't going to let him ruin it.

The receptionist at the front desk looked puzzled when I said that my husband wouldn't be joining me, on account of the fact that he's a cheating bastard and I refuse to marry him. I could've left that part out, but I didn't.

Almost immediately after I'd gotten to my hotel room, I'd fallen asleep. When I woke up, it was eight. Though the room was absolutely beautiful, I couldn't stay here. I threw on a deep purple sundress, took my hair down out of its tangled bun that I'd been donning since yesterday at work, and made it look more presentable. I wasn't runway ready, but I wasn't looking to impress anyone either. Right now, I was looking for a strong Bahama Mama at a bar to drink away my sorrows.

***

When I finally got back to my hotel room, it was by the grace of God, and also the receptionist at the front desk. The one that I'd told my life story to. Turns out her name is Sonya, and she's the sweetest lady I'd ever met. She helped me onto my bed, and out of my sandals, and even left a glass of ice cold water beside my bed with the instructions to drink two before falling asleep. Before she left, she placed two Tylenol on my bedside table next to my glass of water. My lamp was still on, but the light was dim enough for me to be able to fall asleep within a matter of minutes.

I knew I was dreaming the moment my hand slipped into Ethan's. His smile was bright and exuberant while he looked into my eyes. I saw that he had no bags under his eyes like he did the last time. I also noticed that he had no facial hair. His hand was smaller, along with his stature.

As we ran, I noticed that the field we ran through was bright and vibrant in color. The clouds were white and fluffy, and the sky was as blue as a robin's egg. The temperature was what changed first. It went gradually from entirely warm to chilly, until it was downright freezing. The sky had shriveled into a depressing gray, and the field was covered in dirty snow. When I finally noticed Ethan, he looked the way he did when I left him. Older, sadder, and tired.

I woke up with a jolt. That dream was not something that I wanted to experience again. I had a hard time controlling my tears, and my head was throbbing against my skull. I felt like it was fighting to get out. I immediately grabbed my drink and spilled some in the process of grabbing the medicine that Sonya had left me.

Throwing them to the back of my throat before downing the entire glass, I slammed the cup down and flinched at the sound of it.

"Jaida? Ms. Jaida? Are you still sleeping?" I heard a thick Spanish accent call through the door.

"Oh thank God!" I said to myself, "I'm awake, I'm coming!" I said as I gingerly made my way to the door.

"Aye dios, you look terrible! Did you drink the water last night?" she asked. I instantly felt guilty.

"I just did this morning, I'm sorry!" I said closing and locking the door behind us.

"Oh, I figured you wouldn't have. You were so tired, I felt so sorry for you," she sympathized while trying to fix my hair for me.

Studying her carefully, I noticed a small scar on her forehead and her lower jaw. I didn't want to get caught staring so I focused on her eyes. They were dark, but gray and beautiful. They were like I'd never seen before. Her hair was a dirty blonde which cast a great contrast against her dark skin.

"I will make you something for hangovers, okay? You get yourself fixed up and I will be back."

"Oh, you don't have to do that, you're probably working right?" I asked as I started looking through my bags.

"Oh no honey, my papa owns this place, I work here when I feel like it. I'll be right back," she said with a wink, and was off before I could say anything else.

Figuring that I might as well get myself together, I went through my luggage to find something to wear before I went to the bathroom and hopped in the shower. I figured that a hot steamy shower should do the trick. It always made me feel better when I was suffering from a hangover. Plus whatever Sonya had in store, I should be feeling great by this afternoon.

It worked the way I thought it would. After my shower, I already felt ten times better. I still had a little bit of a headache, but I didn't feel dizzy and nauseous anymore. I did still feel weak though, so I took it easy when getting out of the shower. I figured that I should probably wash my face and moisturize my hair with some leave-in conditioner and some old-fashioned H2O.

My hair was usually a tangled mess in the morning after not wrapping it up, but when I woke up, I noticed that I was laying on the same side I'd fallen asleep on. I promised right then and there that I would never drink that much again.

I decided to throw on some perfume. Though I instantly regretted it. It was too strong and brought back a wave of nausea. I found a window not too far from the mirror that I stood in front of, and walked over to crack it open. The breeze gently caressed my face as it brought in the smells of Rio Grande. A small smile reached my lips as I turned to face the bathroom. I felt that everything, since last night, had been a blur of alcoholism and drowning my sorrows in it.

I never took the time to appreciate my surroundings. The bathroom, that I was standing in, was the color of the sand on the beaches of Puerto Rico. The mirror was the perfect size with lighting that made every swipe and application of make-up perfect.

As I walked out and into my junior suite, I noticed that the colors spilled from the bathroom and decorated the room nicely. The room was furnished with sturdy mahogany that glowed in the light let in through my personal balcony. I'd dressed myself in a short but flowing floral dress that showed my knees

As I opened my balcony door, I heard a knock at the main one. Turning away and deciding to save that for later, I made it towards the front door. As I opened the door, the smell of coffee and lemon awakened my senses.

"Room service!" Sonya said as she walked in with coffee.

"Oh, you are a life saver!" I exclaimed excitedly.

"Where should I put it? I found a spot," she said answering her question as she took a seat. Taking the seat next to her, I welcomingly accepted the cup of coffee she offered and blew on the steaming brew before taking a sip.

"Oh, this is so delicious!" I exclaimed as the first sip hit me like a burst of sweet fire. It was seasoned with cinnamon, honey, and some other seasoning that I couldn't name. Either way, this was going to have to be an every morning thing.

"Thank you, and trust me you don't need to have a hangover to enjoy. My mama used to make this for me until I got pregnant," she said offering me a slice of lemon. I took it and added it to the concoction.

"How old is your little one?" I asked her.

"He's three, he'll be turning four on the sixth."

"Oh, after Independence Day," I commented.

"Yes ma'am, you'll enjoy what the resort has planned for the fourth. It's a very festive event."

"I'll bet," I said after taking another sip of coffee.

"So, I remember you said that you were alone..." Sonya mentioned casually.

"Oh, right...that. About that, I'm really sorry for blurting that out at you," I said hiding my shame behind my mug full of spiced coffee.

"Don't worry, I wasn't surprised," she suddenly realizing how that sounded and began to turn red, "What I meant by that is we get a lot of solo honeymoons! Sorry!" she said.

"No don't be, I understood what you meant. I guess I'm not the only who has heartbreak," I said placing my empty cup back down.

"You definitely aren't; there's a man here on his own. He's very handsome and I think he's single," she said prodding me.

"Oh please! No, no, no! Never again!" I said swearing off all men.

"Okay, but don't say I never did anything for you," she said smiling.

"Leaving?" I asked as she collected my mug.

"Yes, I promised to take Matthias, my son, to the park for the resort today."

"Oh, that's nice, well you two have fun. Thank you again for the help last night; I really appreciate it," I said while she walked up to the door.

"Not a problem, you should go to the Yhi Spa; it is heaven on earth!" she said as she stood in the hall.

# Chapter Five

Being that it was already the middle of the day, I'd already missed the opportunity to watch the sunrise. I always liked to travel, and my biggest delight was taking photos of the sunrise in different cities and countries. I figured that I would just make sure that I went to bed a little early tonight so that I could catch it.

Getting my phone, I ventured out of my room and onto the resort. The breeze was so fresh and sweet that I could almost taste it. The climate was perfect; humid but not like I was going to drown in it. As my sandals clicked against the pavement as my feet carried me onwards, I noticed how different the hotel was.

It went from grand and regal to still beautiful but relaxing and tropical. I soon found my feet crunching on the beige gravel as my steps were covered by the shadows of palm trees. As I walked further, I noticed there seemed to be structures that I soon found out were little day beds. "Prefect." I thought as I made my way towards one of them.

I saw a movement and out of the corner of my eye, I saw something green flash. I'd reached the bed by now, and was holding on to the side as I watched a large sized Iguana emerge from the shroud of vegetation.

"Godzilla," I whispered before I heard a soft chuckle next to me. Jerking my head in the direction of the sound, I noticed a very tall man leaning against the opposite side of the frame. His hair was jet black and his same colored brows framed his steel blue eyes like perfection. His smile was pink and full, and his jaw was chiseled and outlined in sexy stubble.

"Hi, my name is Axel," he said extending his hand, showing off his large bicep. I really needed to get a grip, I wasn't even attracted to white guys...right?

"Hi, I'm Jaida," I said as I took his large hand in mine. Where was my voice? Hell, where was my hand for that matter? It nearly disappeared in his warm grip.

"Those iguanas pop up out of nowhere. Or, should I say, those Godzilla's," he said with a wink and a smile.

Damn this man was to fine for his own good. It just wasn't fair. I was only five foot five, but he easily towered over me by a foot. His shoulders were broad and strong, his chest was sturdy and chiseled beneath his v neck shirt, and his body tapered perfectly into strong legs. He was built like a superhero, and damn if I wasn't a damsel in distress.

"Yeah, look at the size of that one!" I said pointing in the direction of where I last saw the monster. Just my luck, the iguana played me like a fool and disappeared, making me look delusional in front of Mr. Sexy.

"What are you talking about?" he asked me in a joking manner. I couldn't help but smile; his grin was so contagious.

"Hey, I know I'm crazy to a certain point, but I know I saw Godzilla," I joked back. His chuckle rumbled deep within his chest as he straightened up and came closer to me. My heart skipped a beat as he took a seat on the bed next to where I was standing.

"Care to join me?" he asked as I stood there, nearly frozen in place.

I smiled before I took a seat next to him, though not too close. I smoothed out my dress as I sat down with a smile in his direction as he returned a dazzling one of his own. I dare not think that he was as attracted to me as I was to him. I never thought I was an ugly girl by no means, but there was no way this GQ model would go for an accountant like me. Besides, I'd already sworn off all men.

"You think a lot don't you? And fast too...is that part of your job?" he asked. Had this man just read me?

"Um, I'm an accountant at a law firm, so, I guess you could say that I need to think fast and often," I said confirming his suspicion as he nodded his head.

"I guessed that. My mom was an accountant, she often had that look on her face when she pondered things."

"Aww, that's sweet."

"What do you mean?" he asked a little confused by my comment.

"I mean, a lot of men don't remember such small things. You're very observant," I commented.

"I enjoy being able to sit back and just watch people's mannerisms. I almost got a job with the government but decided to go with technology."

"Oh yeah? That's cool, what company do you work for?" I asked knowing how much it costs to come here. Ethan and I saved up for a few months to afford this place.

"I own my own company," he said simply.

"Oh, good for you," I said.

"You actually seem congratulatory," he said a little surprised.

"I'm one of those few people who enjoy seeing people happy and thriving," I said with a shrug and a chuckle.

"That's very refreshing to hear," he said as he studied my face.

"What is the name of your company?" I asked feeling shy under his piercing gaze.

"FrostFire Industries," he stated.

FrostFire Computers were considered to be the most technologically advanced computers currently on the market.

"I actually work on a FrostFire," I said with a chuckle.

"Do you? Awesome, that's good to hear. How does it run?" he asked genuinely, as if he didn't know the answer.

"Amazing," I said matter-of-factly.

He laughed genuinely with his head back and his hand on his stomach. The sound was melodic and strong. I found myself laughing along with him as it died down. I noticed an unruly curl that liked to make its presence known in the middle of my forehead every once in a while, pop back up and tickled my brow. Tucking it back, I noticed that his eyes watched my every movement. I should feel uncomfortable, but there was something about his gaze. I truly felt admired.

"My hair likes to grab my face every once in a while," I said, pushing back my curly bundle.

"You seem to have a lot of it," he said leaning forward, his deep voice closer than ever before.

"Since birth; full head of crazy curls," I said as I looked into his gaze.

"So what brings you here?" he asked me suddenly sitting back.

"Oh...just vacation," I said continuing to smooth my locks; my eyes were now on the lush vegetation before me.

"I won't prod," he said winking at me as I looked over.

"What about you?" I asked directing the conversation towards him.

"Just vacation. I needed a break from the company, from the computers, and from the people," he said.

Although I couldn't boast about my observation skills, I felt he was telling the truth.

"So here you are basically giving me your actual excuse for being here and I have fallen short," I said leaning against my right arm.

"Like I said; I won't prod. Besides, I'll be here for a week, if you feel you want to tell me by then, you can be my guest," he said as he pushed himself up from the seat. My eyes ran up the length of his impressive body as he turned to look at me full on.

"It was nice to have met you, Jaida. This might be forward, but, would you mind joining me for dinner tonight? There's an Asian bistro on the resort that I have been dying to check out," he offered.

"I'd love to. What time?" I asked.

"Does six sound good?" he asked; I'd never seen a smile so bright.

"Sure, I'll meet you there," I responded.

"I'd rather escort you," he offered, completely throwing me off guard. I thought all men were pigs?

"Oh."

"We could meet in the lobby so that you don't feel like I'm only trying to figure out what room you're staying in," he said with a wink. I chuckled slightly; was it that obvious?

"That sounds fine. That's kind of nice actually," I admitted as I continued to hold his gaze.

"Great, I'll see you then," he said.

"I won't be late," I said maybe a little too excitedly.

I felt embarrassed, but he soon extinguished that feeling as he reached for my hand. Placing it in his, I nearly blushed as his lips met with the back of my hand. The contact caused heat to rush from the spot his lips connected with, down through my core.

"I know you won't," he said softly before he turned around and walked away.

What had just happened? I just broke up with the love of my life only three days ago, and here I was going on a date with this stranger? Axel, the owner of FrostFire Computers, to say the least.

***

It was about four when I heard a knock at my door. I had my flat iron gripped in my hair as I slid it down my blown out curls. Finishing up that section before I made it towards the door, I smiled a greeting towards my new friend, Sonya.

"Hey, good to see you! I was hoping that you would come by, where's Matthias?" I asked as we walked into the bathroom.

"Oh, he is with his papa. We met up at the park today," she answered as she voluntarily began to help me with my hair.

I was about to object; only Josie knew how to do my hair the way I liked it. But Sonya seemed like she knew what she was doing. Actually, she seemed to know more than I did. The way she used the hair care products in conjunction with the heat tools made me feel like she did this for a living.

"I got my certificate for cosmetology in France," she said simply.

"Well, by all means, but I have a date at five-thirty," I said batting my eyes animatedly.

"OH! Mirate! Look at you!" she translated in English.

"Yeah, I know how much of a hypocrite I am."

"Don't worry, I don't judge. If you're going out with who I think you're going out with, I totally understand," she said with a slight pucker to her lips. Josie did the same thing when she was speaking matter-of-factly, especially when it came to gorgeous men.

"His name is Axel Frost," I said remembering the story behind the company logo. Fire was his father's personality while Frost was their last name. He'd lost his dad not too long before he launched his first line of computers and decided to change the name of the company from just Frost Computers to FrostFire Computers.

"Oh, that is Mr. Sexy!" she said.

I laughed at the name she'd chosen for him, being that I'd already deemed him Mr. Sexy myself. "Great minds think alike, I gave him that name the moment I saw him!" I said laughing as she put the finishing touches to my hair.

"Wow, my hair looks great! Good thing you showed up when you did, I could never get it to look like this. Then again, I'm not some super fancy cosmetologist!" I said causing her to laugh at my compliment.

"Don't worry, while you're here, I'll teach you some things."

"Thank you for being so nice. Having someone cheat on you after so long is the hardest thing to deal with," I said as I looked down to pick out some makeup.

I noticed though that when I looked up, her face was a little somber, like she was thinking about something. Maybe she had been through the same thing I had? Before I could say anything to her, her face had brightened up when she saw my makeup.

"May I do the honors?" she asked.

Admiring what she did with my hair, I obliged.

# Chapter Six

When I reached the front lobby, I was exhausted from the trip. This resort was huge and the walking was a plenty. But every step was worth it. It was such a beautiful escape from San Francisco. The palm trees, the flowers, even the iguanas were welcome in my company.

Though I was tired, the jitters would not allow me to keep still. So I started wandering around the vast lobby, stopping every now and again to touch a flower here, and to read a brochure there.

It wasn't that Axel was late; I was early. Fifteen minutes early to be exact. I left earlier to give myself time to decide whether or not I wanted to stay. Axel seemed like a great guy, but I just went down that road. Just to be cheated on at a pit stop. Suddenly my mood changed.

I felt saddened, broken, and just awful. Like those emotions from that night came up and slapped me in the face. I tried to fight back tears, and nearly lost the battle when I remembered my boss's words. "Put on some lipstick and remember that no man is strong enough to break your heart."

I needed those words at that moment. They are what helped me fight back these tears. I smiled as I rummage through my clutch for some red lipstick. Using the mirror that was built in, I smoothed the lipstick over my full lips before closing the tube and resealing the clutch.

"Jaida?" I heard him say.

I could see him out of the corner of my eye before I turned my head to take him all in. My God, he was dressed to the nines in his steel gray dress shirt and black dress pants. His stature commanded attention as he glided down the lobby towards me. And as he came closer, I could tell that he was equally impressed by my look. I was wearing a long royal purple dress that swayed to reveal a deep slit that bared my toned legs. It hugged my curves sensually as the quarter sleeves were made up of intricate lace. My hair was down to the middle of my back in soft romantic curls, and my makeup was subtle complimenting the almond shape of my eyes.

"I'm stunned, you're even more beautiful now than when I first saw you," He complimented softly.

"Thank you, Axel. You look incredible yourself."

"Do I?" he asked in such a goofy manner I couldn't help but to laugh.

"Sorry, I have a tendency to lose my composure around gorgeous women," he said offering his arm to me. I found myself admiring the way his muscles rippled underneath his slightly hairy arm. The same black silk that adorned his crown.

"Well that's okay, I have the tendency to babble about nothing when I'm around a gorgeous man," I said as we began to walk to our destination.

"That's alright, we'll be good buffers for one another," he said looking down at me as I looked up at him.

This man would be the death of me. He smelled like pure ecstasy, I found my breasts tightening as his gaze roamed over my body. I didn't make it apparent that I could see him, and I wasn't going to. It felt so good to have someone admire me. Ethan would look at me every once and a while, but never with a hunger like this.

Had I really been that oblivious? Now that I thought about it, Ethan hadn't been as affectionate or caring as he used to be. It stopped being magical about two years back, but I just felt that we were getting accustomed to each other. I should've seen it coming.

"You're thinking way too hard, Jaida; we're on vacation remember?" Axel said interrupting my downward spiral. If this wasn't going anywhere far, Axel was a seriously good distraction right now.

Like a gentleman, Axel pulled out my chair and pushed it in before taking the seat next to me. We were sitting behind the fanciest Teppanyaki grill I had ever seen. The menus were so extensive with sushi and so many different Asian cuisines. I decided on a roll that was dressed with fancy ingredients and colorful sauces on top of the Teppanyaki steak and shrimp on the grill.

Axel went with the filet minion and lobster special.

The food was prepared excellently and the sushi roll that I had was the best that I'd ever had in my life! It was absolutely delicious. Axel had eaten just about everything on his plate. I was impressed with his appetite being that he was very fit. I was glad that he didn't have the chef trim the fat. Something about a person, male or female, that could enjoy the guilty pleasures in life was incredibly sexy to me.

"Wow, dinner was fantastic," he said wiping his chin with his table napkin.

"Amazing isn't even the word, my friend," I said patting my belly.

"How was that roll?" he asked taking a sip from his cup while the waitress came around with the bills.

"I've never had anything that delicious."

When she got to us, she handed me my bill before handing Axel his with a smile. Checking out the damage, I didn't feel as bad as I thought I would. It was fifty dollars, but it wasn't going to break me. Reaching below the table for my clutch, I straightened up with my card in hand when I noticed that my bill had disappeared. I looked to my right thinking that possibly my hair had swept it off the bar, but it hadn't.

"You guys have a great rest of your night," the waitress said, as she placed a card and a few receipts back on the bar. I went to ask the server to print me up another ticket when I heard Axel chuckle.

"Axel, I was going to pay for that. You didn't have to," I actually felt that maybe he didn't believe me for a second.

"I know. But I asked you on this date; I fully expected to pay," he said as he smoothed my right sleeve. His touch sent goose bumps up my arms and down my spine.

"Thank you, Axel," I stated genuinely. I was very grateful for his act of kindness. Though he made more than I did, Ethan was always okay with me paying for our dinners. I thought I didn't mind until Axel just paid for mine.

"You're welcome, Jaida," he said as his gaze locked with mine.

I felt so impelled to take his mouth in a kiss. His lips were so inviting and full. I tried so hard to stop my eyes from breaking contact with his so that I could stare at his lips. But his eyes were so mesmerizing I found myself leaning closer before reality hit me.

I suddenly readjusted myself to make it seem that I'd leaned purpose for that purpose alone. I didn't want him to think that I was desperate. I mean, he was incredible to look at, and he did just buy me a meal, but what if he just wanted to get in my pants? I couldn't deal with that on top of everything else.

"Are you ready to go?" I asked softly.

"Ready when you are," he said standing up and extending his hand down towards me. I took it in mine and stood.

When we made it back to the lobby, it was only eight at night. Still fairly early, but I decided to turn in for the night so that I could wake up in time for the sunset with my camera at the ready.

We were nearly silent the whole walk back, but I found that didn't bother me; his company and his presence soothed me enough to where I didn't feel the need to talk.

Axel was now facing me, his hands behind his back, giving him a more authoritative stance as we waited for the next move. I didn't know exactly where to start, so I just waited for him.

"Well, I would walk you back, but I don't want you to feel uncomfortable. Although I would prefer to, just to make sure you make it back safe," he said.

"You can walk me back," I stated; in that short time I'd grown a little more trust in him.

He smiled and nodded as he again took my arm in his.

The walk back seemed shorter than the walk I took to meet him. Probably because I didn't want the night to end so soon. Part of me honestly wanted to tear his clothes off with my teeth while the other part just wanted to sit up and talk. I knew that I couldn't have either, not without inviting sex into the equation, so I decided to say goodnight at the door.

Before he left, I stopped him by placing my hand on his shoulder.

"You really are quite the gentleman, Axel."

He brought the back of my hand to his lips before smiling and walking away.

Sleep was going to be hard to come by tonight.

When I woke up, it was to the alarm on my phone. The sun was still sleeping, giving me enough time to go to the bathroom and get dressed. I threw on some short denim shorts and a white scoop neck t-shirt before I headed outside with my camera in hand. I already knew where I wanted to capture the sunrise, and it was at the secluded beach on the resort.

I needed to hurry before it was too late. Though I had plenty of time, I still felt as though I should speed up. That's when I thought to myself. _What am I doing? I'm not at work! I'm on vacation!_ I needed to let go of my everyday life this week, and that's exactly what I was going to do.

Deliberately slowing down my pace, I took the time to appreciate the foliage and the smells of the flowers. I took in the sweet and salty smell of the sea as its scent sailed through the breeze. I made sure that I stopped to stick my toes in the soft sands of the Caribbean before I readied my camera for the perfect shot.

As the sun began to slowly rise and peak above the horizon, I found myself thinking about Axel's eyes. As the warmth from the sun's rays began to touch my skin, I remembered Axel's warm kisses on my hand. I found myself wishing that he'd given me even more.

As I snapped the first picture, I found myself chuckling slightly at the memory of Axel's goofy demeanor. It was just as sexy as his serious mannerism. By the time the sun was above the horizon, I'd taken about twenty shots. I felt that was more than enough to add to my gallery, and began to make my way back to my room.

I figured I'd take a nap, being that I woke up before the sun. Also because there was no way I could ever do this back in San Francisco. My eyes were on the path ahead of me, until I found them directing my hands to open up my camera. The pictures were even stunning the second time.

"You're going to run into me if you don't look up," I heard a deep voice warn playfully.

"Oh sorry...," I apologized as I looked up, but smiled when I saw who it was, 'Axel.'

"Good morning Jaida, did you get your pictures?" he asked before coming to stand beside me as he looked down at my camera.

"I got at least twenty of them. I have a collage on my wall at home of the places that I've been. Every year I try and get a few pictures of the sunrise in different places. Here's a picture of my wall at home," I said as I clicked through the pictures on my camera.

"That's impressive," he said honestly as he nodded his head in approval.

"Thank you. I started when I was twelve and my dad took me on my first trip to Italy. I couldn't sleep because I was so excited to be in another country that I stayed up. He'd bought me a camera especially for that trip, and our view gave me the perfect opportunity to take a few pictures."

I turned my head to look up at him to notice that he was already looking at me. He smiled a beautiful smile which coaxed one of my own. Just like at dinner, I found it hard not to look at those lips.

Again I looked away. I wanted him, but I shouldn't. I turned my attention back to my camera, trying hard to hide my shame. He was smart and intuitive enough to know what just happened; I felt too embarrassed to say anything.

"Have you eaten breakfast yet?" he asked softly.

"Um, no, I was actually thinking about taking a nap," I said, the embarrassment causing my "stick-in-the-mud" persona.

"You could take a nap," he said shocking me with two fingers under my chin as he lifted my eyes to connect with his, "But I wouldn't be able to spend the time with you that I wanted," he finished with a smile.

My heart was pounding in my chest so hard that I could feel it in my throat. If his fingers were any lower, he would've felt it too. My breath was coming out a little quicker than I wanted it to, and I could feel my nipples tightening as his breath polished my lips.

"Let's get some breakfast," he said close to my lips.

"Yeah, sounds good."

# Chapter Seven

After I had changed into more formal pants and a blouse, Axel and I decided to dine at one of the resort's beautiful cafes. I remembered seeing it on the brochure. It was so regal but not intimidating as it was painted the prettiest blue I had seen in a restaurant. Axel pulled my chair out again before taking his seat across the table from me.

We ordered a light but delicious breakfast that didn't fill us but satisfied us none the least. When the bill came, I offered to pay, but Axel smoothly declined and sent the waitress on her way with his card in tow. He was now shaking his head at me in a playful manner.

"I believe in chivalry. I know you were used to footing the bill in your previous relationship, and I know we aren't an item, but I'm old fashioned in the sense that a man should pay the bill."

I was taken aback slightly by his accuracy. His intellect was impressive, but it did bring up feelings that I was trying to suppress.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hurt your feelings," he said sincerely as he leaned forward, his hand reached out to touch my elbow as I brought my hand to my mouth.

I didn't realize how his words would hit me until they were spoken. It wasn't as if he were intentionally trying to hurt me. I was just super sensitive; it did just happen this week. Taking a deep breath and collecting myself before I gave in to the tears that were building pressure behind my eyes, I put on a smile and faced him.

"I know. It's just fresh...I...I'm sorry Axel, I have to go," I said and abruptly stood. I hit the table with my legs and caused water to spill in his lap, but I only said sorry as I retreated to my room. I was almost running by the time I got to my door, it was as if I were going to throw up, but in actuality, I was only coming in here to cry.

I threw myself on my bed and immediately began to sob. All the tears that I had kept in came pouring out like raindrops as they streaked my cheeks and soaked my pillow. I grabbed the pillow and held it close as I wrapped my arms around it.

I thought about Ethan. Instead of pushing him to the back of my mind, I thought about him. I recalled every little detail about him. The way he smelled, the way his lips tasted and the way he talked to me. I remembered how he was in our relationship. I remembered how caring he seemed and how sweet he was.

I then thought about how our relationship used to be when we were truly happy. Before the first woman and before the second woman or however many there were. I thought about the happiness we shared and he threw away over some other women I thought about everything that we'd ever built together and how he didn't feel that it was as important as I did.

As I sobbed, I then started to think about all the little things that used to annoy me about him. I thought of the stupid way he would chew, how sloppy of a kisser he could be during sex, and the fact that he very rarely ever footed the bill. And this was well after he was hired to work for the hospital and making six figures.

I remembered how he was only affectionate during sex, but after he would just roll over and go to sleep. He has never kissed the back of my hand, never once had he pulled out my chair for me, and he definitely wasn't a gentlemen. Axel was though, and I had just run away from him after splashing a drink on his lap. Good thing it was water, but it was still just as insulting. He'd just paid for my breakfast for goodness sakes!

A gentle knock on my door caused me to jerk upright; I wasn't expecting any visitors. I figured that it would be the maid service, or even Sonya. But it wasn't either of them.

"Oh, hi...uh-Axel," I said looking down at the ground. I tried my best to cover my face. I hadn't even dried my tears.

"I probably should just stay in here for a while to give myself a chance to calm down..." My voice trailed off as all I felt were two sturdy arms wrapped around me. The door slammed shut, and all I could feel was warmth. I'd collected myself, but only for a few moments before I instantly started sobbing again. My arms came up to wrap around his body as he smoothed his hand over my hair. He held me so tenderly I felt as though he actually cared. This man, that I had known for only a few days, showed more concern in this embrace than Ethan ever had in the entirety of our relationship.

This hit me, and I began to sob harder. I buried my face deeper into his sturdy chest, breathing him in with every sob, holding him closer with every beating of our hearts. His fingers made their way from the tendrils of my hair to my cheek to dry my tears. He wiped them away so gingerly, so tenderly...so sweetly.

At that moment, I grew closer to him than I had to Ethan in the years we'd been together. I'd stopped sobbing as soon as his fingers caressed my cheek. My hands were wrinkling the back of his shirt I was gripping it so tightly. As I lifted my head, I notice that the front of his shirt clung to his chest being that my tears had soaked them. Navy blue looked so good on him, especially against his gray slacks and beige cardigan.

He dressed so sharp, and he smelled like a fantasy come true. As I looked further up, I noticed that his chin was tilted; his eyes were on me, but did I dare look up? As I felt his breath against my forehead, my eyes clamped shut as I felt his soft lips against my skin.

My breath caught in my throat because my heart started beating so rapidly that I could barely remember to breathe. The second kiss came just like the first; soft and sweet as it landed on my cheek. He kissed me there twice before I finally lifted my head to look at him.

His lips were on the tip of my nose for just a second before he pulled away. My heart was beating so fast I knew there was no way he couldn't feel it. My eyes trailed from his hairline down his strong, sturdy nose, to his lips, and finally to connect with his eyes.

His eyes were darker as I looked into them. They were dilated and spoke a clear message as they bore into mine. I kept his gaze, inviting him, coaxing him, as I titled my head back slightly; my lips were there for the taking. I wanted him to kiss me so bad that I could almost taste him.

Slowly he bent his head; his lips grazed mine so softly I could've mistaken their presence for the slight whisper of his breath. His lips pressed against mine so tenderly, so gingerly it was almost as if he'd never kissed before. Not that it didn't seem like he didn't know what he was doing, it was more like tasting the forbidden fruit. He wanted it with all of the lust in his body, but he knew that it was not his for the taking.

This made him crave for it more and more as he deepened the kiss. His tongue began to prod and tease before I accepted it in my mouth. It swirled and danced with mine sensually as his hands began to roam. They were sick with wanderlust as they roamed every inch of my body. I felt them down my back, over my shoulders, and over the swell of my ass. I pressed my body against his as he began to tease my nipples. I gasped at the intensity of the sensations that pulsed through my veins making my blood grow hot. He was driving me crazy, I wanted more of him, and I could tell by the stiffness in his pants that he craved me as well.

I moaned into his mouth as he began to caress my breasts with such vigor that I started to quiver internally. He began to walk forward, leading me backward to the bed before we fell down in a heap of black and white. Our arms wrapping around each other, our hands exploring, and our lips locking as our tongues tasted. This was going so fast that I didn't even realize that my pants were unbuttoned.

My eyes opened slightly as I felt Axel begin to pull my pants down past my thighs, over my knees, and down my calves. I bit my lip as he came up to place his lips on my smooth stomach. I sucked in my breath at the feel of his lips against my skin as they connected with the flesh of my breasts. My shirt was above my head, off, and across the room with one flick of the wrist.

He paused for a moment to admire my skin. His hand came up to touch it softly as though my body was beautiful marble. He took time to appreciate and remember each and every curve. He admired every inch of me, as he seemed to taste and caress each spot. I'd never been admired like this before; never.

He finally turned his attention back to my lips as he sank his into mine. His lips passed over mine over and over again as I writhed against his body. I craved him and I ached for him as he kneaded my breasts firmly. I lifted his shirt above his head and had to take a moment to admire the intricate pattern of his washboard abs. His hands were beginning to unbutton his pants before he stopped to reach into his pocket.

"What are you looking for?" I asked as he searched through his wallet. I don't know what he was looking for, but I knew he couldn't find it. Closing his wallet his hands came down on either side of me as he hung his head in shame.

"The missing condom," he said.

"Oh..." I said feeling the disappointment crawl up through my abdomen. It's not like we couldn't get one, but the moment was over.

"I'm sorry, Jaida. I would really love to rip those panties off with my teeth but, we don't have any birth control."

"Yeah, I haven't been on it for a while now. Ethan and I were supposed to have a baby after we got married..." I stopped talking and cleared my throat. "Nothing, sorry," I mumbled before turning away and crawling up the bed towards the pillows. I immediately flipped the soaked plush over to hide it from Axel's scrutiny.

"So, Ethan is the name of the man who put those tears on that pillow," he said as he came up to sit next to me. I felt like a child as I crossed my arms underneath my breasts and turned my head slightly away from him. How could I just blurt that out like that?

"Why are you so observant?" I asked trying not to laugh but ultimately failing. He laughed along with me before wrapping his arms around my waist as he pulled me into him.

"I was really nosey as a kid," he said with a chuckle as I leaned my head against his bare chest. His heartbeat was so melodic I could get lost in the rhythm of it.

"We were supposed to get married and have three kids," I said quietly as the laughter died down. Axel just listened to me as I began to talk.

"We met when we were freshmen in High School. We were such nerds, small and feeble. We looked out for each other when we could. We always got picked on; I had braces and he had glasses and braces, so we weren't the popular ones in school. Then as we got older, our bodies started changing. By sophomore year I had boobs and he started bulking up; we also realized that we had feelings for each other. He was my first kiss, my first boyfriend, and my first lover."

I snuggled closer to him as I wrapped my arms around his torso. I smiled slightly when his hand came up to reach my hair as he gently stroked it. He didn't say anything but I knew that he was listening.

"There came a point in high school when we were the popular kids. A lot of girls tried to hit on him, but he never batted an eye. He only saw me. Two eight years after our graduation, Ethan proposed to me. Two years after that we started planning our wedding. Ethan wanted to be established in his career before we were married; he wanted to be able to provide for our kids and not struggle like our parents.

"The night before our wedding he calls me to the same place he proposed to me, and tells me that he cheated on me with two different women. He calls off the wedding, and I put an end to our lives together. The next day, I pack my bags, get the 'ok' from my boss, and hoped on the flight that we were supposed to take together. Now I'm here," I finally finished with a sigh.

"I'm a very understanding person, but some people just baffle me. I would kill to be able to have a woman loyal enough to stay by my side for so many years," he said with such sincerity.

"Axel, why are you single?" I asked as I picked my head off of his chest to look into his eyes. My hair was falling down in front of my face, and smoothing it back, I tossed it to the side as I waited for his reply.

"I'm thirty five years old, I think I am attractive, I'm educated, and I love to cater to the woman in my life. But when women see me, they are only interested in the fact that I'm wealthy."

"Oh, right. You're having a hard time finding someone who's there for you and not you money. I get it," I said looking away and at the sun as it peeked through the balcony doors.

"But then there's you," he said causing me to stare back into his eyes.

"Me?" I asked perplexed.

"You. When you first saw me, you didn't recognize me. But when you finally did, you weren't star struck. You didn't seem like it mattered to you that I was featured in Forbes magazine. When you saw me for the first time, you only saw what was in front of you, not what was in my pocket," he said, easing my confusion.

"I have my own money. I'm not a billionaire, but I don't have to be. I have more than enough to live comfortably on my own without help from anybody else," I said simply.

"Spoken like a real woman," he said causing me to smile proudly.

"Well..." I said animatedly shrugging my shoulders like it was no big deal.

"You know, this might make you feel weird but, I've never dated anyone...like you," he said simply.

"You mean...short?" I asked giving him a little wink.

"You know exactly what I mean, I'm trying not to sound offensive here!" he said giving me a little poke in my side.

"You mean somebody who is black?" I asked him as the word 'Bingo' all but appeared in big red letters on his forehead.

"There you go. Good, now I don't have to say it."

"What? You were nearly in my cookie jar and you were afraid of telling me you'd never had chocolate chip?" I asked putting my hands on my hips. He chuckled, embarrassed at my brashness.

"I have never been romantically involved with a black woman. Not by choice, but by circumstance."

"That's okay, I've never been with a man who wasn't Ethan and Ethan was pure chocolate," I said as I came close enough to him that if I leaned forward I could easily peck his lips.

"So are you normally attracted to white men?" he asked complacently, though I could tell that he seemed a little uncomfortable.

"To be honest I'm not. But, I think it was more along the lines of I just wasn't really looking. I had my mind set to one person; I treated the rest of the world as though they were off limits. But, to tell you the complete truth," I said as I leaned close enough to the point where we were sharing breaths, "I've never felt this attracted to any man before. It's like you're the forbidden fruit," I said softly against his lips.

Licking his lips before he spoke, I could tell that he was fighting himself to keep composure. But if he'd had a condom, the look he gave me told me that he would've torn me apart right then and there. He reached up to touch my bottom lip softly.

"The feeling is mutual," he said seductively.

I smiled against his caress and closed my eyes as his lips replaced his finger. He was slow and passionate as his fingers roamed my scalp and tousled my silky locks. As the kiss grew deeper, I knew that we were in the danger zone. But so did Axel, and before the kiss lead us any further, he broke it off by placing his hands on either sides of my face.

"Jaida, do I need to go to the store?" he asked.

"Maybe," I said as I began to straddle his lap, "I'm finding it hard to resist you, Axel," I said before nibbling at his bottom lip.

"How about we go to lunch, and then we go to dinner, and then you come back with me to my hotel where I can taste that brown skin all night long," he said reaching up to smack my ass, shocking me at the intensity of the hit.

"Damn that felt good. If you keep that up I might not be able to last until dinner."

"Get dressed, I'll meet you back here after I change. I still have a wet spot that I walked all the way back from the restaurant with," he teased while standing up.

I sat back and admired every muscle as they rippled beneath his smooth skin. Something as simple as buttoning his jeans was so sexy as the action caused his biceps to bulge. I found myself missing his abs as he pulled his shirt down over his head to conceal them. A smile was on his face as he picked up his cardigan; he knew I was watching his every move.

"You're watching me like I'm a movie," he noted as he came over to plant a kiss on my lips.

"You're better," I said with a smile.

"Get dressed, I'll be back in fifteen," he said before running his fingers through my hair and disappearing out of the doorway.

I instantly felt a moment of glee that caused me to throw myself back on the bed with a squeal. The excitement was tenfold and I couldn't stop the raging feeling of lust as I replayed our little visit. I felt like I was in a teenage dream. This feeling isn't something that I have experienced in a long time.

As I collected my discarded clothes, I decided on my bathing suit and sheer cover up. Its design was dark blue and wrapped around my body perfectly. The contrast of my tribal print white and black bikini set it off seamlessly. My hair was swept back in a messy ponytail that sat on top of my head as I went to the door to find my sandals.

Just as I reached it, I heard a knock and a familiar voice. When I opened the door, it was Sonya with a pleased look on her face. No doubt she saw Axel leave the room, and looking at the sheepish grin on my face, she knew exactly what went down. Only she really didn't being that we hadn't done anything.

"So...how was it?" she asked as I let her in.

"We didn't go that far," I said as we took a seat in the living area of the suite.

"Oh sure you didn't, a man doesn't leave a room that happy if he hasn't sampled the goods, but that's ok, I won't pressure you into telling me anything," she said as I rolled my eyes with a smile.

"Whatever! How is Matthias?" I asked remembering his play date yesterday.

"Cute and fat," she said with a giggle.

"Can I see pictures?" I asked her.

"Of course," she said as she snatched her phone out of her back pocket and flipped through her photo gallery.

Matthias looked nothing like his father who was standing behind him in the picture. He was all Sonya. From the dirty blonde hair to the dark gray eyes. Maybe his father carried a little extra weight, that or Sonya kept in the gym. That was the only thing that I could say was anything like his father.

"Wow, what does he get from his father? He's all you," I said handing her back the phone. She grew silent for a moment, almost as if I had struck a nerve. Clearing her throat, she looked over at me with a sheepish look on her face.

"Nothing. That's not his father," she said with an ashamed look on her face.

"Oh, is that your brother?" I asked trying to figure it out.

"No, that is my Ex-husband. He and I split when Matthias was two."

I knew what she was telling me even though she didn't say it. Matthias didn't look anything like her husband because she'd had Matthias with another man. What made it click was the shame written all over her face. She'd conceived Matthias with another man _during_ their marriage.

"I know you probably think that I am a terrible woman. Who does things like this? I had a choice, but I chose wrong," she said somberly.

"Sonya..." I started but stopped. This woman had been so kind to me. From making sure that I made it back to my room alright, to stopping by to check on me, to fixing my hair up before my date with Axel.

Though what she did was wrong, I felt that I couldn't hold it against her. Here she was trying to live better and away from her past. I felt that I shouldn't judge her wrongly.

"Don't worry, though I've been cheated on myself, I don't see you any differently. You're still a good person," I said with my hand on her shoulder.

"He reminds me of it every time I drop off Matthias."

"Why do you drop him off to your ex-husband if that's not his son?" I asked confused at the whole setup.

"He loves that little boy with all his heart. Even after I told him the truth he still said that no matter what, that was his son. We have joint custody; I have him three days his father has him three days and on Thursday we alternate. Whoever's parent's house he slept at on a Wednesday, he slept with the other parent Thursday night," she said.

"Is that what you agreed on?" I asked thinking that was so unheard of.

"It is. I wanted to be fair because I had been unfaithful and tore our family apart."

The room was quiet for a few moments before a knock at the door alerted us of another presence. I knew that it was Axel, but I didn't want to let him in until Sonya felt comfortable. I placed my hand on hers and gave it a squeeze before she smiled.

"You have a great date, don't worry about me. Worry about that hunk outside your door," she said with a smile as she greeted him.

It was obvious that he wasn't expecting the receptionist and his expression of shocked confusion caused all three of us to laugh.

"Don't worry, you're at the right room. I was just leaving, you two have a wonderful evening, call me if you need anything. Hasta luego, see you soon." she said with a wave over her shoulder as she walked away.

# Chapter Eight

As I bit into my sandwich, I noticed that his eyes were on me. I tried to pretend that I didn't see him, but I couldn't; my smile gave me away like an alarm. He noticed, and reached across the table of the poolside cafe to pinch one of my cheeks. I playfully jerked and shielded my cheek away from any more teasing pinches. Straightening up and finishing the last bite of my sandwich, I washed it down with a few sips of my mimosa.

"What do you have in mind for dinner?" Axel asked before biting into his sandwich.

"I don't know; we'll leave that up to you," I said.

"How about you decide dinner tonight since I've chosen the last three outings including this one."

"True," I said taking another sip of my citrusy drink.

"You need another?" He asked noting my glass was almost empty.

"No, I think I'll stay sober. Besides it's hot out here, I need to stay hydrated," I said just before flagging down a concierge and ordering two glasses of water.

"That's smart; you know how to take of yourself, don't you," he commented while taking a sip of his water.

"Of course. Back at home I don't have enough time to do a lot of exercise, so I make sure that I don't eat too many sweets or load up on the fatty fried foods. Of course every now and then I slip up and stuff my face with Philly cheese steaks and fried chicken," I said licking my lips in reminiscence.

"I understand. These vacations are the only times where I completely let myself go. I swear if I lived in paradise like this and let someone else run the company, I would get fat."

"It would take years," I said remembering his incredible body.

"You'd never believe that I used to be the fat kid in school," he said as I grimace in disbelief.

"I'm serious."

"Pictures, or didn't happen," I challenged him. He laughed, accepted, and once again left me speechless at the photos he showed me on his phone.

"See?"

"Wow, yeah...that really did happen," he looked like a completely different person.

"Remember when I told you that I wanted to work for the government? Well the position that I wanted had a weight requirement; I didn't lose the weight until then."

"So you've been a little sausage all of your life! I mean, oh I'm sorry, that was really rude of me," I said apologetically as I felt the embarrassment begin to rise up the back of my neck.

"Don't worry sweetheart, my mom still calls me her little sausage," he said with a wink.

I found myself squirming in my chair. The sensations he was igniting in my body even though he was not physically touching made put me on this roller coaster of sexual tension. I needed release, and I knew only one man could do it for me.

"What time is it?" I asked, realizing that I didn't have a watch or my phone.

"Still too early for dinner," he said knowing exactly why I was curious about the time.

"We need to do something to distract us; something fun," I said.

"We could drive a few miles into Old San Juan if you wanted. I've been here before, so I know a few spots that we could hit. Or, we could stay on the resort; there are plenty of things to do and see here as well."

"Hmm, choices..." I said looking at the phone that he'd placed on the table.

We'd now been sitting here for about an hour at the poolside cafe. I'd already finished my food and drinks as well as Axel as the sun grew hotter on our backs. Just at that moment, I thought, maybe we could enjoy the spa together. The heat was raging and I could feel myself start to sweat and get uncomfortable.

"You know we could go to the spa; I know how women are with their facials."

"You are quickly becoming one of my favorite people," I told him.

Our day at the spa was like a dream. A dream that I'd been awake in for a little over an hour. We'd gotten couple massages and facials. I tried yet again to at least pay for half, but he refused. It would take me some time to get used to that, but I was starting to enjoy his refusals. It made me feel taken care of and special.

It was about five in the afternoon when we decided to take a trip into Old San Juan. The smells of the Caribbean cuisine, the feel of the sun against my skin, and the taste of the ice creams and candy that we tasted was a Spanish dream.

When we made it to the store, it was already six in the evening. Axel ran in while I waited outside. As I waited, I heard the sound of a Spanish guitar in the distance. When I turned my head to the right, I saw a beautiful woman clothed in a flowing dress that tickled the sidewalk as she swerved her hips to the rhythm. She twirled around so beautifully that I found myself mesmerized by the movement.

Several people came to watch, sing, and praise the woman in the floral dress. They praised her like she was their goddess. I turned around to look at Axel as he walked through the doors of the convenient store. The moment he drew close enough, I took his lips in a sensuous kiss. It was slow, but hungry as he responded in the way that I wanted.

When I pulled back, I could see that he wanted it just as bad as I did. I smiled as he returned one of his own, softly and only for a moment before he pulled back.

"How about that dinner?" he asked reaching around to cup my bottom in his large paw.

"How about it?" I responded with a smile.

# Chapter Nine

When we got to our seats, Axel, without fail, pulled out my chair for me. I ordered a juicy rib eye while Axel decided on a nice sirloin, both of us had our steaks prepared medium rare. I noticed that while we talked over dinner that we found we had a lot of similarities.

By the end of dinner, I felt like I was getting a better view of Axel. Like he'd shown me such a vulnerable part of him. He was telling me things about his past that he hadn't told anyone. I was relaxed at dinner, but as we started walking back towards his suite, I felt the jitters rising in my stomach and into my throat. In few more steps, I would be in Axels' arms.

When we made it to Axel's suite, I was in awe. This room had its _own_ room. In comparison to my suite, this was a palace. It was decorated in hunter greens and regal oak furnishings. The place was a castle, and I was about to dine with the king.

"Would you like some champagne?" he whispered as he came up behind me.

"S-sure," I said suddenly feeling nervous.

Earlier today I was ready to go like a bat out of hell. Now I wasn't intoxicated by lust; I was hit by reality. Ethan was my first, and Ethan had been my only for a long time. No other man had ever seen my body but him.

"Here you are," he said handing me a flute of champagne.

"Oh, thank you. So, this is what the master suite looks like, huh?" I said walking further in.

I walked past the formal dining room table, and further past the sitting area until I was standing in front of the balcony window. Though I had an incredible view of the resort before me, I could only see Axel as he slowly walked up behind me.

His finger touched the back of my arm very gently before his fingers were against my spine. They traced a small line of goose bumps down until they reached the apex of my bottom. There he slowly palmed a handful, causing me to suck in air at his audacious groping.

My head tilted to the right as I felt his kisses against my neck from the left.

My heart was pounding rhythmically in my chest as the tempo picked up. I felt his hand slide from my bottom to my mid-section before it slid up even further to palm my left breast. My jaw clenched from the intensity of pleasure as he began to toy with my pebble hard nipple through my dress.

I heard the sound of glass touching the floor as he stooped over, but only for a moment before I felt his hand slide up my arm and take my flute. He set it aside with the other before moving me away from the glasses. Still facing the glass, I felt his hands roam and explore my flesh as he began to nibble softly on my ear.

Both of his hands caressed the soft flesh of my busts as he began to work kisses down my neck before he reached my shoulder. I could feel his rigid length rubbing against me and I was happy I had that effect on him. I slowly gyrated my hips in a way that caused him to groan against my cheek as he pulled me into him. He turned me around and claimed my mouth in a possessive kiss.

His fingers found their way through my curls, gently, slowly, and passionately before he gripped a handful. His grip controlled the movement in my neck as his other hand began to undress me. I could tell this wasn't his first time because, within a matter of seconds, my dress was around my ankles.

He'd broken the kiss to stare at my deep chocolate skin in admiration. I could tell that he got high off of the contrast of our skin as his fingers met with the flesh of my stomach. It roamed to the valley between my breasts before reaching down further and further until they met with the lip of my panties.

I bit my lip as his finger dove deeper until his hand created a bulge in my underwear. The sensations caused goose bumps and waves of ecstasy as he began his work against my sex. My head began to lean back when I felt him direct my head forward as he made me watch. His dominance turned me on even further as I nearly released then and there.

He suddenly stopped, released my hair, and picked me up in such a fluid movement that I gasped. My arms around his neck, we kissed passionately all the way to his bed. He placed me down before standing up to undress himself. Licking my lips, I sat up on the bed to help him.

My fingers reached the small buttons of his shirt as he worked on his tie.

Each button seemed to take forever as all I craved was the delicious muscles that lay in wait underneath. When finally he released his tie, I popped the rest of the buttons open with one quick movement. I could almost hear the angels singing as he stood bare-chested in front of me.

I ogled him for a moment longer before reaching out to unbuckle his pants. They came down with ease along with his underwear, his member now stood out at full attention. I was impressed by his size, although it was thicker than I was used to, it looked incredibly attractive.

He pushed me back against the sheets as he climbed in on top of me. Tasting my flesh, caressing my skin and undressing me completely. As he threw my bra across the room, I felt his tongue dart out and swirl around my sensitive bud. I gasped in ecstasy as my back arched. He began to nibble softly, teasingly, and sensually as he massaged the other with his strong hand.

I moaned into his mouth as he came up to kiss me. It was long and a bit rough but incredibly pleasing at the same time. My panties were gone in a flash as his thick erection prodded my opening. I writhed against it, tempting it and inviting it as his hands gripped the flesh of my hips. He pulled away from me suddenly almost as if he had to force himself away.

"Almost forgot," he said reaching for protection.

I smiled at him as he ripped one from the box, but before he could open it, I reached up and took the square package in between my teeth. I kept eye contact as I adjusted on the bed. My knees were supporting my weight as I ripped the edge of the packet with my teeth. Sliding the slick condom from the packet, I tossed the trash aside before I slowly smoothed the rubber over his shaft.

The look in his eyes, as I leaned back on the bed, told me that I was about to experience something wild like I never had before. It was almost a challenge that I readily accepted as I opened my legs for him, inviting him as he crawled on top of me. My heart was thrumming, my breath was heavy, and my forehead was beaded with sweat as I readied myself for him. He looked into my eyes for a long moment before he slowly bent down to crash his lips against mine fervently and forever it seemed, until he stopped to look back into my eyes.

He wanted to watch me and see my expression as he slid into me. He placed his hands on either side of my head before he pushed inch by inch into my flesh. My eyes fluttered slightly as I began to chew on my bottom lip. The first few inches felt so good as they entered my body, I could hardly keep my eyes open.

He paused as he gave me time to adjust to his impressive girth before pulling out slightly only to drive deeper into me. He was causing an array of erotic passion as he reached down to smooth his hand against my bottom. I moaned with pleasure as he began to slide in and out, in and out, in and out as he kissed me passionately.

My nails were against his back as he continued to thrust into me. I felt myself digging deeper as he picked up his tempo. The sound of our hips smacking together filled the room almost as much as my moans of praise and delight. His eyes were on my face as I bit my lips in pleasure; my eyes rolled in the back of my head as his thrusting became even quicker.

"Look at me," he demanded softly, but dominantly.

I looked into his eyes as he instucted me, and then I nearly gasped when he flipped me up to straddle his lap. Holding my hips securely, he lifted me slightly before he began to thrust deeper into me. Faster and faster until I couldn't hold it any longer. My orgasm came in strong waves that made my muscles convulse and my arms buckle. I slammed down against his chest, but that didn't stop him from thrusting over and over until he too came to a powerful orgasm.

Two more strong thrusts, and he was done. Our bodies were drenched in sweat as our breaths came out at the same time in ragged rhythm. His arms were around my body as he gripped me tight against him; my arms did the same as I came down from my incredible climax. It was like a high I'd never been on before, like a roller coaster that reached heaven and back.

I had this feeling in my chest, like something close to euphoria. Hell, maybe it was. But I instantly realized this; no matter how many times, how great it was, or how new it was, I had never felt this with any other man than Axel. I lifted my head up lazily to look into his eyes. The moment I did, I got lost in them.

There I was, one day before my wedding, about to marry a man I had never felt this level of excitement with. I'd never felt this type of happiness with any other man on the planet. At that moment, I'd instantly forgiven and all but forgotten about Ethan. Ethan was nothing compared to this man, and if he hadn't called off our wedding, I would've never met Axel.

I didn't know how he was going to affect my future, but I knew that he could make me forget about my past.

### To be continued...

### Thank you for reading!

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