by Melody Anne
ALSO BY MELODY ANNE
Undercover Billionaire
Kian
Arden
Billionaire Aviators
Turbulent Intentions
Turbulent Desires
Turbulent Waters
Turbulent Intrigue
The Billionaire Bachelors Series
The Billionaire Wins the Game
The Billionaire’s Dance
The Billionaire Falls
The Billionaire’s Marriage Proposal
Blackmailing the Billionaire
Runaway Heiress
The Billionaire’s Final Stand
Unexpected Treasure
Hidden Treasure
Holiday Treasure
Priceless Treasure
The Ultimate Treasure
The Surrender Series
Surrender
Submit
Seduced
Scorched
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, organizations, places, events, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
Text copyright © 2018 by Melody Anne
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher.
Published by Montlake Romance, Seattle
www.apub.com
Amazon, the Amazon logo, and Montlake Romance are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc., or its affiliates.
ISBN-13: 9781503905153
ISBN-10: 1503905152
Cover design by Letitia Hasser
Cover photography by Wander Aguiar
This is dedicated to my father. I miss you so much.
Daniel Franklin Beecher, January 19, 1949, to January 25, 2018
CONTENTS
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-One
Chapter Thirty-Two
Chapter Thirty-Three
Chapter Thirty-Four
Chapter Thirty-Five
Chapter Thirty-Six
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Chapter Forty
Chapter Forty-One
Epilogue
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
AUTHOR’S NOTE
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Prologue
“Do you promise it’ll be like this forever?” Eden asked as she ran her fingers across Owen’s smooth chest.
The sun was bright, the air was warm, and it was a perfect August afternoon. At this moment, Eden Skultz didn’t think her life could get any more perfect. She hadn’t had the easiest childhood, but that had all changed the moment Owen Forbes had walked into her life.
They were young—she was seventeen, he was nineteen—and they were utterly in love. She couldn’t imagine her life without him. He sighed while caressing her back, the sound reverberating through her.
They were naked, out in the middle of the mountains in the back of Owen’s truck on a pile of blankets. They’d just made love, and all was right with the world.
“I can’t imagine anything more perfect than what we have,” Owen told her. She giggled when he suddenly sprang up, then flipped her over so she was on her back, lying beneath him. His young-but-solid body felt right pressed against hers.
She smiled as he leaned down and kissed her cheeks, then her lips. She felt him hardening against her, and she laughed again.
“You’re insatiable,” she told him.
“You make me this way,” he assured her.
They made love again.
This was a typical day for them. They were inseparable. Nothing could possibly tear them apart. They lived in their own little bubble, and though trust wasn’t easy for Eden, she knew Owen wouldn’t hurt her. She felt it in her bones.
They didn’t leave the mountain until the sun was lowering in the sky. They finally made their way back down the logging roads, ready to join the rest of civilization. She sat next to him on his bench seat, one of his hands on the steering wheel, the other on her thigh.
When they got to her house, Owen kissed her for long moments, both of them feeling an ache because they had to say goodbye for the night. It didn’t matter how much they were together; it was never enough.
Eden’s porch light flashed, and Owen let her go, a chuckle escaping him as he looked at her front door.
“I think your father’s telling us it’s time to stop,” he said.
“One more kiss,” she begged.
Owen didn’t hesitate. He held her close and kissed her long and hard. They were both breathless when they pulled apart. She was glad to see his reluctance as he walked away from her. Their eyes connected one last time as he took a moment, gazing at her through his front windshield before he backed up his truck.
She watched him turn around, not moving until his taillights disappeared. Only then did she walk into the house, finding her father seated in his favorite easy chair with a book in his hands, his worn reading glasses hanging low on his nose. He looked up and smiled.
“You could at least try to be a bit more discreet,” her dad told her.
She giggled. “I love him,” she said with a shrug.
“I know you do, Baby Girl, but remember you’re both young,” he said.
She frowned. “I hate hearing that. I know we’re young, but the heart knows what the heart wants.”
“That’s very true. But you haven’t seen the world yet. I don’t want you to live someone else’s dreams. I want you to live your own,” her dad said.
“I’m living my dreams,” she said. Not that she truly knew what her dreams were.
“There’s more to life than a boyfriend,” he told her.
“I have friends, too,” she reminded him.
“I just don’t want you to get hurt,” her dad said.
“Why would I get hurt? Owen loves me.” It was a simple statement.
“Yes, I believe he does,” he agreed.
“I love you, too,” she said. She walked over and gave him a kiss on the cheek before she went to her room. Right now, in this moment, life was perfect. She couldn’t imagine that would all change in the blink of an eye.
Owen was singing at the top of his lungs, enjoying a Garth Brooks song about rivers and dreams. His cell phone rang, and he thought about ignoring it, but then he thought it could be Eden. He picked it up and answered.
He might not have done so if he’d realized that call was about to change his entire destiny . . .
Chapter One
Ten Years Later
“Are you going to let me in?”
A person
could only resist temptation for so long before they were no longer responsible for their actions. The more Eden Skultz said this to herself, the better she felt—and the more she believed it was true.
Owen Forbes!
Yes, she was thinking his name like it was a curse word. She figured that would help her hate the man who’d broken her heart. Actually, broken wasn’t the correct term.
Mangled.
Shattered.
Obliterated.
Those were more accurate words.
She hadn’t thought it possible to love a man as much as she’d loved him. But Owen Forbes had been her entire world. And then he’d left her without a goodbye. It didn’t matter that it had been ten years ago. No one had ever hurt her as much as he had. Because he’d left without so much as a backward glance. One day they’d been fine. He’d been telling her how much she meant to him. She’d been secure. And then the next—he was gone.
At first she’d been worried, devastated to think something might have happened to him. She’d sought out his family, and then she’d known. They’d been tripping over themselves to apologize to her, saying they weren’t sure what had happened. He’d left—and it had been on his own. No one had forced him. He’d left her.
And she’d stayed in Edmonds, Washington.
Stayed with her father.
Stayed with her friends.
Stayed put.
Maybe she hated him because she hadn’t done anything with her life. And maybe she hated him for breaking her heart. But whatever the reason, she hated him—or she desperately wanted to.
Now she found herself gazing at him as she waited at his front door, asking to come inside his home. She wasn’t sure how she’d ended up on his doorstep. He’d come back to town—and it seemed to be permanent.
It had been ten years. He’d visited, and every time he had, it had broken her heart a little bit more. But now he was officially back. And it was killing her. She wanted to not care, wanted the old feelings for him to go away, but it was nearly impossible for her when he was pursuing her, when he wouldn’t leave her alone.
Over the past few years, he’d ridden into town with his same flirty smile, his same can-do attitude. He’d made it clear he wanted her. She’d made it even more clear she wasn’t his for the taking. She’d resisted him . . . until now. Something had drawn her to him on this night; something had pulled her to his house.
Some people called it fate, called their lives destiny in the making. She wasn’t sure that was the case. All she knew was she’d been driving, planning on going home; then she’d found herself turning up his driveway.
As she stood on his front step looking at him—at his tall, muscular frame, at his perfectly tanned skin, at the way he filled an entire doorway as he stood staring at her—she knew the truth. She knew she could never hate this man.
Yes, she knew she could look in the mirror at her own sun-kissed complexion, at the way her eyes were slightly slanted, at how her cheekbones rested high, and her plump lips were more often turned up than down, and she could admit she wasn’t hideous. But Owen—oh, Owen—he was in a class of his very own, and when he’d walked away from her, he’d made her feel as if she wasn’t good enough for him.
And she hated him for causing her to feel that way. Somewhere deep inside she knew no one could make her feel anything. But the people who said that—they hadn’t met Owen Forbes.
Eden continued standing at the entrance to Owen’s home, looking at him like a deer caught in the headlights. She wanted to have the strength to turn around and walk away. But she didn’t.
His lips twisted up, making the rugged planes of his face that much more attractive, though that seemed impossible and irritated her all that much more. She scowled, admitting to herself she probably wouldn’t let someone inside her place who was looking at her the way she was looking at him.
But he moved to the side, his wide frame no longer blocking the doorway. “Come in,” he said, the words a purr—an invitation.
She knew with every ounce of her being that she should flee—she should turn around and run for her life. This was a road she shouldn’t go down. But even as she had this thought, she found herself stepping forward, entering the lion’s den.
“Thirsty?” he asked after shutting the door, his large home suddenly closing in on her.
“Screwdriver,” she answered quickly. “Strong.”
She could’ve sworn she heard a chuckle escape him as he led the way into his kitchen. The lights were dim, making this scene even more intimate than it should’ve been. He pulled out a chair at the kitchen island, and she sat, neither of them saying anything. Words had never needed to be spoken between the two of them. It appeared time hadn’t changed that.
He was quick as he pulled down a bottle of vodka and some orange juice, the clink of ice in her glass sounding like a shotgun blast in the quiet kitchen. Her body trembled as he handed over the cool glass, and she had to clutch it tight so she didn’t drop it.
Eden didn’t taste a thing as she downed half the glass in a single swallow. Owen’s brows rose, but he didn’t say a word as she tipped the glass and polished off the rest. The bite of the good liquor was an instant salve to her frayed nerves.
What was she doing?
When her phone rang, the sound nearly made her fall from her stool. Owen chuckled as he took her glass and made her a second drink. She realized that might not be the best idea. But even knowing that, she didn’t stop him.
She picked up her phone, grimaced when she saw it was her dad. A flash of guilt ran through her, as if her dad knew exactly what was on her mind. Then she put the phone on silent and stashed it away in her purse.
Owen gazed at her, making her shift on the stool. She took a moment, closed her eyes, inhaled deeply, and tried to talk herself out of what she was about to do. This was a mistake. It was always a mistake.
It didn’t matter.
All that seemed to matter was how handsome and charming this man before her was. He’d always owned a piece of her heart. Even when he’d tried giving it back to her, he hadn’t been able to. It was a gift she hadn’t wanted back. Yes, it hurt loving this man so much, but love wasn’t something a person got to choose.
The stubble on his strong jawline and the twinkle in his deep-blue eyes brought that familiar tingle of awareness alive deep inside her. She was fighting herself, even though she knew it was a losing battle. Maybe it made her feel better to think she had a choice in all of this.
Owen walked around the island and stood next to her, his scent subtle yet intoxicating. He didn’t make a move, but the look in his eyes clearly told her he was hers for the taking. A frustrated sigh escaped her lips before she reached out to him, her fingers fisting in his tight T-shirt. It didn’t take any effort at all to tug him forward.
That first sensation of his lips pressed against hers was exactly what she’d been waiting for. He instantly devoured her mouth. He’d waited for her to make the first move, but that was obviously the end of his patience because he took control.
No one had ever kissed her like Owen did—with an all-consuming passion that made her feel as if there was no one else on this earth but the two of them. She couldn’t even remember her own name when she was wrapped in Owen’s sweet embrace.
Owen’s arms tightened around her as his stubble rubbed against her jaw, leaving evidence of their passionate encounter. She knew she’d look in the mirror later, run her fingers over her marred skin, and relive this moment again and again.
There was an urgency in Eden she couldn’t understand. But thoughts were pushed from her muddled brain as the solid wall of his chest pressed against her aching breasts, the strength of his fingers moving up and down her back, the feel of his lips possessing her. His skin was hot to the touch, increasing her core temperature to dangerous levels.
A groan escaped her as he broke his lips from hers, trailing his sweet kisses across her jaw and down the side of her neck, sucking the skin where her pu
lse was beating out of control. He pressed his hips forward, his thick erection now against her hot core, making her ache in ways she’d only ever felt with this one man.
Owen turned them, her back now pressed against the granite island as he gripped her hips, then lifted, setting her on the counter before moving forward and aligning their bodies so he was in the cradle of her thighs. She barely felt her shirt come off as he continued trailing his lips down her collarbone and over the tops of her breasts.
His hot breath whispered across her nipples before his tongue flicked out, licking her through the lace of her bra. She cried out as her core pulsed. He released the catch of her bra, the weight of her breasts spilling into his waiting hands. Then his rough tongue swept over her hard nipples, and she moaned as she gripped his hair, begging for more.
Owen didn’t move his mouth as he trailed his fingers down her quivering stomach, undoing her pants, lifting her up, then sweeping away the rest of her clothes. Her head was thrown back as she leaned away from him, supporting herself on the countertop. Her body shook as he plunged a finger inside her wet heat.
Owen pumped his finger in and out of her body, building her pleasure up and up as he sucked first one nipple, then the other.
“More, Owen. I want more,” she told him.
His fingers stilled for a moment before pulling from her body, making her feel empty. But that sensation didn’t last too long because she didn’t have a chance to open her eyes before she felt his body pressed against hers, this time with both of them naked.
“I always want you,” Owen told her, his voice fierce with possession.
“Then take me,” she offered.
She didn’t need to say more. With utter confidence, Owen gripped her hips and thrust forward, burying his thick erection deep inside her. The impact was too much, taking her breath away as she adjusted to his girth.
He gave her a few moments to wiggle around him before he lifted her, bringing her to the edge of the counter as he began moving in and out. His tongue danced across her lips, slipping inside her mouth and relearning every hiding place she didn’t know she had, while his hips rubbed against her, his speed growing more urgent as both their bodies drew closer to completion.
When the orgasm came, it was sudden and fierce, making her shake as she felt him pump his release. Their hearts beat out of control as he held her tight, her head buried in that sweet spot at his neck. She gently kissed him, fighting back tears.