Fated Hearts
Book 8 Southern Bride Copyright © 2021 by Kelly Elliott
Cover photo by: Shannon Cain/Photography by Shannon Cain
Cover Design by RBA Designs
Interior Design & Formatting by: Elaine York, www.allusionpublishing.com
Developmental Editor: Kelli Collins
Content Editor: Rachel Carter, Yellow Bird Editing
Proofing Editor: Andrea Varnyken, Yellow Bird Editing
Proofing Editor: Elaine York, www.allusionpublishing.com
No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without the written permission of the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
For more information on Kelly and her books, please visit her website www.kellyelliottauthor.com.
Chapter One – Roger
Chapter Two – Annalise
Chapter Three – Roger
Chapter Four – Annalise
Chapter Five – Roger
Chapter Six – Annalise
Chapter Seven – Roger
Chapter Eight – Annalise
Chapter Nine – Roger
Chapter Ten – Annalise
Chapter Eleven – Roger
Chapter Twelve – Annalise
Chapter Thirteen – Roger
Chapter Fourteen – Annalise
Chapter Fifteen – Roger
Chapter Sixteen – Annalise
Chapter Seventeen – Roger
Chapter Eighteen – Annalise
Chapter Nineteen – Annalise
Chapter Twenty – Roger
Chapter Twenty-One – Roger
Chapter Twenty-Two – Annalise
Chapter Twenty-Three – Roger
Epilogue – Roger
Sneak Peek
Other Novels by Kelly Elliott
Roger
“I’M SORRY, MR. Carter, but all flights out have been canceled due to the snowstorm.”
I sighed but then quickly flashed the older woman behind the American Airlines counter a smile and a wink. I traveled enough to know that if the issue was weather-related, they didn’t have to put you up in a hotel, and I knew things would be booked fast because of the storm. “It’s not your fault. Can’t control the weather, even if you do have lovely blue eyes.”
She blushed and leaned in closer. “We don’t normally do this when it’s weather-related, but I can offer you a hotel room over at the Grand Marshall since it looks like you may be stuck here for at least two nights.”
“Two nights?” I asked with a frown.
“It’s a pretty intense storm that’s moving in.”
I took a quick glance around the airport. Hotels were going to be booking up fast, and the Grand Marshall was a luxury one with a nightclub on the top floor. I’d be stupid to turn it down. I looked back at the lovely lady. “I think I should take that room before they’re all g–one.”
With a grin, she replied, “I’ll get you all taken care of. They always hold a few rooms for us just in case.”
An hour later, I stepped into my room at the Grand Marshall right outside O’Hare Airport. I walked straight to the bedroom, dropped my one bag by the window, shut the curtains, and then face-planted on the bed.
“Christ on a cracker, I’m fucking tired.”
I had been on the business trip from hell, and I swore it was the longest trip I’d ever taken. Considering it was only supposed to be two days, for me to think that showed how messed up the entire thing had been. Delayed flights getting to Chicago. Too much pizza and beer, and meeting after meeting. I hated negotiations, I hated pompous-ass businessmen, and I hated flying. I hated business trips, in general, and I hated being stuck in the frigid north where the temperature outside was cold enough to freeze my goddamn balls off. Not to mention I was hungry. The whole way here in the Uber, I had debated whether I should eat or just go to sleep. Considering I had made it to the hotel alive despite the daredevil driver, I decided to go for sleep.
My phone buzzed and I rolled over to pull it out of the back pocket of my jeans.
“What?”
“Hello to you too. What has you so grumpy?”
The voice on the other end of the phone was my brother Truitt’s. It was his fault I was stuck in Chicago in the first place. It should have been him here, but he had asked me to do him a favor. Never again.
“First off, asshole, it’s nearly midnight. I’m stuck in Chicago for what looks like another two days if this storm is as bad as they say it will be, and I haven’t gotten laid in at least six months. No…longer. Oh, and I’m hungry as shit.”
“Dude, that sucks big time for you. How did the meetings go?”
“Is that all you care about, the stupid meetings? Do you even care if I’m sleeping in a chair in O’Hare right now?”
Truitt laughed. “Please. I know you, and I’m almost positive you’ve sweet-talked yourself into a hotel room—and not only a hotel room, but most likely one that’s right there at the airport so you can get on a plane at a moment’s notice when they start flying out.”
I sat up and stared straight ahead in the dark. “My God. How is it you know me so well? They put me up at the Grand Marshall.”
Truitt whistled. “How young was the ticket agent?”
“I’d say she was around Mom’s age.”
Truitt laughed. “It’s scary how well I know you. Now, the meetings?”
With a sigh, I fell onto my back again. I could hardly keep my eyes open. “Truitt, I’m so fucking tired I can barely think straight. I’m so tired I’m not even going to eat. I’ve been sitting in a small, cramped boardroom with stuffy producers, directors, and suits from the network since seven this morning. It’s now almost midnight, and I haven’t eaten, I haven’t taken a shower, and all I want to do is sleep.”
“Fine, we can talk tomorrow, but can you at least tell me—”
I hit End on my cell phone, turned it off, and tossed it onto the side table. I got up and stripped out of my clothes before sliding into the bed. I didn’t even care that I hadn’t taken a shower. I didn’t even care enough to take the top cover off. I was that exhausted. I knew the moment my head hit the pillow, I was going to be out.
The sound of a hotel door opening and closing had me pulling the pillow over my head. Fucking thin walls. How could they call it a luxury hotel when I could hear every damn thing the person in the next room was doing? The couple next door had been having sex for the last hour and had only just stopped. One of them must have left, which would explain the sound of the door opening and closing. Now, it was finally peaceful, and I could get some sleep. I moved my pillow back under my head and closed my eyes.
I heard the soft click of the bathroom door shutting, and then water started to run.
I opened my eyes and sighed before I pulled the pillow over my head again. As much as I hated that I could hear everything happening in the next room, the sound of the muffled water caused me to drift off to sleep once again.
Next came a woman’s soft voice. “Where’s the damn light?”
No, we don’t need the light on in my dream, baby. Just come to bed.
Even with the pillow over my head, I saw a bright light fill the room—and then the sound of a woman screaming had me jumping out of the bed and damn near falling on my face as I tripped over my luggage.
“Oh my God! Oh my God! You’re naked! Why are you naked!?�
�
I rubbed at my eyes to make sure I was awake and not dreaming. After blinking several times and letting my eyes adjust to the bright light, I saw a woman standing on the other side of the bed.
“Why are you in here?” she shouted. “And you’re naked!”
I blinked again, still half-asleep. “Yes, you’ve already mentioned that. Why are you in my room? I was fucking sleeping—that’s why I’m naked!”
Her lip curled back in a snarl as she jerked her head back and looked at the bed, then me. “Who sleeps naked in a hotel bed? That’s just…gross!”
I scrubbed my hand over my face, pausing for a moment to take in what I was seeing. Holy mother of God. The stranger was dressed in nothing but a white tank top and lace panties. Her blonde hair was pulled back in—oh, Jesus—two pigtails.
That was fucking hot.
I did a quick sweep of her insanely gorgeous body before I finally looked at her face. She looked like a goddess. No, a princess. Both?
“Oh, shit,” I whispered. “You’re beautiful.”
Her mouth opened as if she was going to say something, but then she quickly snapped it shut.
I was staring at the most beautiful woman I had ever seen in my life. She had the bluest of blue eyes, and they stared back at me in utter disbelief.
“Your hair… It’s…it’s in pigtails.”
She frowned and placed her hands on her hips. “Really? That’s what you’re going to focus on right now?”
“I’m sorry. A beautiful woman nearly naked and wearing pigtails is in my hotel room. What else am I going to notice?”
The corner of her mouth twitched before she sighed and dropped her hands. “I believe you’re in my hotel room.”
Laughing, I looked around and motioned with my hands. “I do believe I was here first, princess.”
She growled. Holy shit, she actually growled. “Don’t call me that. I am not your princess. I happen to have a name.”
I stood there and waited for her to give me said name. With one brow raised, I watched as she finally took in my body. She made absolutely no attempt to hide the fact that she was appraising me. And, of course, I noticed the extra few moments she spent on my cock. I smirked and asked, “Are you finished checking me out?”
Her gaze jerked back up to mine. “What?”
“What’s your name?”
“Oh…um…it’s Annalise. Annalise Michaels.”
“Roger Carter.”
Annalise looked all around the room, completely avoiding any eye contact—or any other part of my body. “Could you please put some clothes on, Roger?”
“Can you?”
She turned back to me. “I’m not the naked one.”
I huffed. “Please, I can see your nipples through that thin white tank.”
She quickly covered her chest with her arms and let out another growl, followed by, “Could you at least try to act like a gentleman?”
I reached down and opened my suitcase, searching for a pair of sweats. After finding them, I slipped them on as Annalise pulled a sweatshirt over her head to cover herself. She then started to put on yoga pants. It was hilarious watching her struggle to pull them up. She hopped, twisted, then finally fell on the bed and pulled them on. All the while, I stood there and watched in amusement.
Once she was dressed, she focused her attention back on me. “Okay, so what are we going to do about this?”
I shrugged and headed into the other room to see if there was any water. Two bottles sat on the counter, and I grabbed one to open it.
“Wait! Don’t drink that!”
I glanced at the water and then at Annalise. “Why not?”
“They’ll charge me, like, five dollars for it.”
I twisted it open, and she frowned. “No,” I said, “they’ll charge me the money because this is my room.”
“Well, this is the room they gave me a key to. So, it’s mine.”
“I was here first.”
She narrowed her eyes and looked to be thinking really hard for something to say. “Well…well… Listen here…mister. Um…you’re wrong!”
“I’m wrong that I was here first?” I asked with a humorless laugh.
“Yes. No, I mean, yes, you were here first, but…but…oh, my gosh.” She brought her fingers to her temples and rubbed while mumbling something to herself.
Tilting my head, I let out a laugh. “Let me guess, you’re the type of person who’ll be lying in bed hours later, and you’ll think of the perfect comeback and then get mad because you couldn’t think of it when you needed it.”
Her eyes widened. “How did you know that?”
I rolled my eyes. “Lucky guess, princess.”
“Ugh, stop calling me that. Roger, I’m exhausted. Can we please just go down to the front desk and find out what happened?”
“I’m not changing rooms. I was here first.”
She pointed at me and said, “Well, I took a shower first! Ha!”
I stared at her. “And that trumps me actually walking into the room, crawling into the bed, and sleeping, well before you showed up?”
Annalise shot me a smirk, knowing damn well I was in the right, and she was not.
It dawned on me then that it hadn’t been a dream. “That’s what the water sound was.”
She frowned. “Excuse me?”
I waved my hand dismissively. “Nothing. Come on, let’s go fix this.”
Walking back into the bedroom, I grabbed the key I’d put on the side table and then started for the door.
“Um, aren’t you going to grab your things?” she asked.
“No, because this is my room. You grab your things. I was here first. Dibs.”
She laughed. “Oh, my God, did you seriously just call dibs on a hotel room? What are you, ten?”
I glanced back at her and winked. “You’re just pissed you didn’t think of it first.”
Annalise drew her brows down, inhaled a deep breath through her nose, and exhaled. “Damn it, you’re right. I don’t want to pack up all my bathroom stuff, though. It’s late. I’m so tired.”
It was my turn to laugh. “Now who’s acting like a ten-year-old? Whine much?”
She followed me out of the room and into the hallway. “You didn’t put on shoes.”
I shrugged. “It’s two in the morning. I don’t care.”
Folding her arms over her chest, she glared at me.
“You really think you’re going to get this room?” I asked her.
“I certainly do.”
I pressed the button on the elevator and then turned to face her. “Want to bet on that?”
Her perfectly arched brow rose, and I was able to get a better look at how truly beautiful she was in the bright light of the hallway. “Are we talking ‘money’ bet?” she asked.
“Do you want to talk money bet?”
She nodded. “Hundred bucks you’re the one leaving.”
I reached for her hand. “Hundred you’re the one leaving.”
After a firm handshake, we both turned and waited for the elevator. The doors opened, and we both stepped inside and faced the front.
“Not gonna lie, I’m totally turned on that you bet money just now,” I said.
She made a fake gag sound. “Ugh, gross.”
From the corner of my eye, I saw her take a quick peek down at my junk. It took everything I had not to laugh.
Annalise
DAMN HIM! WHY did he say he was turned on, and why did I look down at his dick? His rather impressive dick too. When he’d jumped out of that bed sans clothes, I’d nearly choked on my own tongue. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a man with such an incredible body. Or such an impressive dick.
No, no, no! Do not picture him naked, Anna. Do not.
“Wow, okay, is it getting hot in this elevator?” I asked, fanning myself with my hand.
“Nope. Feels good to me.”
Oh, no. Now everything he said I was going to associate with something sexual.
<
br /> “It’s hot,” I said. “Their heater must be set to high.”
“If you say so, princess.”
With a look that I hoped told him he was two seconds a–ay from being junk-punched, I huffed. “Annalise. That’s my name. Not princess, baby, sweetheart, darlin’, pumpkin, puffy, lover, sweet-pea—”
Roger held up his hand to stop me. “Wait. Did you just say ‘puffy’?”
I felt my cheeks instantly heat. “No.”
“Yes, you did. Did some idiot actually call you puffy? Oh, my God, tell me why. I have to know.”
Folding my arms over my chest, I looked away from him. “I’m not talking to you any longer.”
He laughed, and I hated the way it made my body feel all warm and tingly. Just like I hated how damn handsome he was. And his body—don’t even get me started on how insanely hot his body was.
I stole a glance at him and nearly groaned. He had dimples. Why, Lord above, did you have to make him hot, big in the Netherlands, and give him dimples?
The elevator dinged as the doors opened, and we both walked out at the same time, bumping into each other. Roger took a step back and motioned for me to go first.
“By all means, you go first, puffy.”
“Oh, my God! I want to punch you so hard right now, you don’t even know.”
He chuckled and walked past me to the front desk. The young woman who had been there earlier came walking out and gave me a sweet smile. But when she saw Roger, her smile grew into a full-on grin.
“What can I help you with, sir?”
He smiled back, and I was pretty sure my knees wobbled slightly. Apparently, so did the clerk’s because she held onto the counter. That was when I knew I was screwed. She had nearly melted on the spot. And then I noticed his blue eyes. If it was at all possible, they were even bluer than mine. Add that smile that should be rated R, and I knew I was going to be the one finding another room.
“Heidi? Is that your name?” Roger asked.
She nodded and sighed. “How did you know?”
“It’s on your nametag,” I stated dryly. She ignored me while Roger cleared his throat in an attempt to hide his laugh.
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