“Aloha,” Cash said.
He curled her into his arms as the car started moving. Her eyelids hung heavier, heavier…
Waking up, Nicola stretched, rolling her shoulders, twisting into Cash. His eyes were on hers, and they were clearly not in the sedan anymore. She was very much sprawled out on a king-sized bed of what was obviously their honeymoon retreat. She pressed her lips together and blinked as the new surroundings. “Whoa.”
“Hey, sweet girl. You were out.”
“We’re here?” The opulent bedroom was tropical heaven.
“Have been for almost ten hours.” Cash chuckled.
She sat up, still wearing her clothes from the airplane. “You didn’t wake me up.”
“A firing line couldn’t have done that.” His rumpled blond hair and killer eyes would never get old. With a lazy grin, Cash leaned over and pressed his lips to hers. “Morning, wife.”
That would never get old either. “Mmm. Morning, husband.”
He tugged her over onto his naked chest. “We’re not switching to that cutesy bullshit husband-wife nickname stuff, are we?”
She laughed. “Maybe. It’s fun at least one time, right?”
“Maybe more than once.” He tilted his head. “You’ll always be Sweet Girl, anyway.”
Nicola planted her lips on his. “Always from back in the day.”
“Speaking of which.” Cash shot up. “Up and at ’em.”
“Coffee first.”
He snagged her hand. “C’mon.” With a flick of his free hand, he threw his hat onto his head. “Go put your bathing suit on. We have our own pool.”
“Now?”
“Yeah. Come on!”
They hadn’t had breakfast, but with the man standing in front of her like that, wearing board shorts and his cowboy hat. There was no refusing him. “Give me a sec.”
As fast as she could, Nicola changed and reappeared, only to find him hold a bottle. “Wine?”
He winked. “It’s a pool party.”
“Sure. Why not? Honeymoons are the best.” Nicola stepped closer to him, and he beamed. Whatever he’d planned was bound to be epic. “What are you up to?”
“You know, Sweet Girl. That bikini doesn’t leave much to the imagination.”
She blinked and looked down at herself. It was true, but he’d ever complained before. A bit of déjà vu tingled at the back of her mind. “You don’t like it?”
“Damn.” He wrapped his arm around her neck, locking her in for a kiss. “I’m going to love giving this back to you.”
Giggling, she tilted her head. “What—whoa!”
Cash hauled her up and over his shoulder, wine bottle in one hand, her securely fashioned in the other.
“Cash! What are you doing?”
His powerful body toured them through the beachfront house that she hadn’t seen and out onto the porch. In the backyard was a perfect, private pool.
In one giant step, the insane man that she married leapt in. “Ringing any bells?”
It was Hawaii, but the water was still cold. Clinging and climbing all over him, she laughed. “No. What are you talking about?”
“This is just too good.” He dropped down, drenching them both.
“Cash! It’s cold.”
“You have to kiss me, Sweet Girl, or drink wine. Those are your two choices.”
“I’m freezing.”
“You don’t want to kiss me?” he asked, eyes dancing.
Déjà vu hit again. Hard. Flashbacks from college, of them in the pool the first time they kissed, with the wine bottle and her teeny-tiny bikini, surfaced with a flood of emotion. “Really?”
His eyebrows went up, questioning if she was clued in. “You don’t want to kiss me, Nic?” he asked again.
Yup, she was totally clued in. “But that was my line.”
Cash’s grin glowed. “Now my sweet girl has it.”
Nicola leveled her face with his, lips hovering against the silky fullness of his. She paused, then laughed as she remembered the magic before their first kiss. “You don’t want to kiss me.”
“Hell, yeah, I do.” Cash’s strong hands ran up her back, far more confidently than they had been years ago in college. He skimmed over the string of her bathing suit top then tugged it free and held her to him. His tongue touched hers, and they didn’t need the wine anymore.
The bite of the chilled water was gone. Nicola melted against her husband, letting him engulf her in his muscled arms. Her fingers threaded up his strong neck, into his beautiful hair, and goodbye went that cowboy hat, floating away. Just like it had so many years before.
The intensity of his kiss, the hardness of his body, the complete focus that he had on her, he was a dream come true. “I love you, Cash.”
With his thumbs hooked into the sides of her bikini bottoms, he stared into her eyes. “Back in the day, I waited my whole life to have you. Then I found you again through the scope of my rifle.” He slid her bathing suit off then did the same with his.
Naked in his arms, she knew there was more he left unsaid, and her heart swelled with each second that passed.
“And now it’s you and me forever. What do you think should come next?”
They had the world. Anything they wanted could come next. “Meaning?”
“The day you’re ready for a family, Nic, so am I.” He squeezed her, and she could feel his heart beat against her chest. “Too many obstacles stood in our way to get here today. Whatever it takes, whatever you want, I’m by your side. Always.”
“Wow…” One day there would be little Garrison babies in their arms. “A long time ago I promised you that we’d get to happily ever after.” Nicola put her hands on his cheeks. “We’re here, and every day gets better and better. I love you.”
***
I hope you enjoyed Garrison’s Creed! Now it’s time for Jared and Sugar to find their happily ever after in Westin’s Chase
. Go to Cristin Harber
for more information!
Cristin Harber is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling romance author. She writes sexy romantic suspense, military romance, new adult, and contemporary romance. Readers voted her onto Amazon's Top Picks for Debut Romance Authors 2013, and her debut Titan series was both a #1 romantic suspense and #1 military romance bestseller.
THERE IS NO LIGHT IN DARKNESS
Claire Contreras
“Don’t believe in everything you see.
Because what you want might not be what you need.
Hold your breath, jump with me, and we’ll survive.”
— Phillip Phillips
Tell Me a Story
Prologue
Screams coming from downstairs wake me up. I rub my eyes and look at the pink My Little Pony alarm clock my daddy put on my nightstand. It reads: 3:30. I know it’s not afternoon because there is no light shining through my windows. I throw off my covers and run to the door, opening it quietly. I look down the hall and see that mommy and daddy’s bedroom door is open. That’s when I hear the loud noises. Bang. Bang. Bang. Three. That’s how many I hear. I try to make myself scream, but I can’t. I’ve heard that noise before, it’s the noise that happens when my daddy’s gun goes off. That’s the noise that happens before the deer stops blinking.
But there are no deer here.
I run downstairs and pass the pink Happy Birthday banner daddy was putting up for me before bedtime. When I get to the kitchen, I see a man walking to the door carrying someone over his shoulder. The person he’s carrying is wearing my daddy’s PJs, but his head is covered. I gasp loudly when I look at the floor and see my mommy.
“Mommy!” I shriek. “Mommy!” but she doesn’t look up from the pool of red water she’s laying in. The smell makes my tummy ache. I kneel down beside her and start shaking her as I crinkle my nose. I look up when I hear footsteps and see a man that I don’t know. He has one blue eye and one shiny eye. I don’t like him. He’s giving me a mean look. Behind him there’s a boy I’ve se
en before. We look at each other for a long time; he looks blurry through my tears, but I can make out his big green eyes. The shiny eyed man yanks him by his arm and leaves. He yells something, but the noise in my ears doesn’t let me hear it. I keep shaking mommy until another man comes in, a nice looking man with yellow hair, like mine, and pretty sky blue eyes. He touches my face lightly as tears stream down his face. “Close your eyes, baby girl,” he whispers. And I do. I open them back up when he pinches my arm. He lifts me in his arms, and I realize he’s taking me away from mommy. “Mommy!” I shout as I try to squirm away, but he hugs me tighter. My eyes are starting to feel heavy. I try to keep them open to search for light, but I know I’ll never find it.
Chapter One
Present
I open my eyes to the dark and shoot up into a sitting position. My chest is heaving, and my body is dripping in sweat. I put my hands over my heart in hopes of getting it to slow down as I gulp deep breaths in between heavy pants.
I hope I didn’t scream. I hope I didn’t scream.
I listen for footsteps, but the only sounds I hear are coming from the torrential downpour outside my window. I try to get my eyes to focus on my surroundings, but I can only make out the little red numbers illuminated on the black alarm clock on my dresser. 3:30. That number haunts me.
I take a deep breath again and plop my body back down on the bed. I’ve been having the same nightmare for the past twenty-one years. My new therapist prescribed a sleeping pill that’s been helping me sleep dreamlessly. Tonight, it isn’t enough though—not that anything ever will be. If the nightmare was just that—a nightmare—it wouldn’t hurt so much. If I could understand it, maybe it would hurt less—maybe more, who knows. No amount of counseling is ever going to make me feel safe anywhere. I can’t sleep without my bedroom door locked and double-bolted. I can’t go anywhere without a wooden baseball bat in my car and a can of pepper spray in my purse. I don’t feel safe anywhere—not even in my dreams.
A minute later I hear him pounding on my door. This is the issue with having a roommate. I sigh, getting up to open it.
“Are you okay, Cowboy? I heard you scream,” Aubry asks as his concerned blue eyes search my face.
“I’m good, Aub. Go back to sleep; it’s still early,” I reply with a weak smile, hoping that appeases him enough.
He takes a deep breath and runs a hand through his shaggy dirty-blond hair. “I’d feel better if you’d let me stay here. Besides, Cole would kill me if I leave you alone right now.”
I roll my eyes at that. “Aubry, Cole’s in New York, and he’s nobody to kill you over leaving me alone.”
He shakes his head dismissively and pushes past me to step into my room. Aubry and I have been best friends since we met thirteen years ago when I moved into Maggie’s house. She is Aubry’s adoptive mother and my guardian. Both of us attended The University of Chicago, so it was only natural that we would room together. That was seven years ago, and we’ve been living together ever since. He now works for an up-and-coming advertising agency, and I’m a third-year law student at Loyola University.
“Where’s Haley?” I ask as I walk back to bed.
“She left. We broke up. Long story. We’ll talk about it later,” he replies as he looks around my room, probably trying to locate my extra comforter.
I sigh. “Aub, really, I’m fine now. I’ll get a glass of water, and I’ll be fine. Promise.”
He stops and searches my face again before sighing and shaking his head. “Alright, Blake, you know where to find me. If it happens again, though—”
“I know. Here,” I interrupt as I give him the key to my room. He gives me a kiss on the head before closing the door and locking it behind him.
I switch on the television while yawning and stretching my back. I should find reruns of SportsCenter on right now, which is exactly what I need. When I find the channel, I smile at the sight of Cole in his sharp navy suit and tie. I let his smooth voice soothe me as I drift back to sleep. Later, I feel my bed sink and wake with a start. What is Aubry doing? I turn to see Cole grinning widely as he shows me the key I’d given Aubry earlier. After a couple of minutes of staring at him, I realize I’m not dreaming and launch myself at him, sobbing uncontrollably.
“It’s okay, baby. I’m here now. Everything’s okay,” he coos as he caresses my back.
I climb on top of his lap and let him cocoon me in his protective arms.
I hate crying. It makes me feel weak. Unfortunately for him, I only let myself cry in front of Cole. Lately my nightmares have gotten more detailed and my lack of sleep is starting to affect my life. Most days I feel like a walking zombie. I’ve been living on a 5-Hour Energy diet for the past month. I’m not even sure if I’m remembering things or making them up as I go. I feel like my reality and my nightmare are meshing together, and it’s only a matter of time before I drive myself crazy with all of it.
“This one was so real, Cole,” I say in between sobs.
He continues to stroke my hair. He doesn’t have to say anything to me; he’s been dealing with my nightmares for a long time.
“I know, baby. Go to sleep. I’m here now; nobody will hurt you,” Cole says softly into my hair.
It isn’t until I wake up a third time and feel an arm wrapped around my body that I register that Cole’s sleeping with me. I turn sideways in his death grip, so I can watch him sleep for a little while. Watching him sleep is an old favorite pastime of mine. When we were younger, I used to do it all the time if I had trouble going back to sleep.
I study the way his long brown eyelashes fan his golden cheeks. His defined jaw and twice-broken nose that accent his features perfectly. The short chestnut brown hair I used to love to run my hands through. His full pink lips are slightly parted. My eyes drift down from his face to his toned muscular arms down his naked chest to his taut stomach that he works so hard to maintain and they land on the V that leads to his masculinity, where my fingers itch to touch him.
As if on cue, Aubry barges through my bedroom door. “Russell is here,” he pants, covering his face with his left arm.
I crinkle my eyebrows. “Did you open the door with the key, or did Cole leave it unlocked again?”
Aubry takes a deep breath. “He left it unlocked. Did you hear what I said?” he asks in an annoyed tone.
“Take your arm down,” I say with a laugh. “We’re dressed...well, I am anyway. I’m not sure how Cole looks under these sheets.”
“Well, like I said, Russell is here. I haven’t let him in yet but I don’t think he’s going to be happy that there’s a guy in your bed. Actually, I know he’ll be pissed that Cole is in your bed,” Aubry specifies, pointing at Cole’s sleeping form.
I groan. He’s right. My boyfriend will be upset. Russell already has his speculations about Cole, and I don’t want to add fuel to the fire. I’ve never let Russell stay the night, and if he finds Cole in my bed, it’ll be the breaking point of our relationship. The last time Cole was here, he accidentally mentioned that I had the most comfortable bed in the apartment. Russell asked Cole how he would know that, and Cole answered that he slept in it all the time. That turned into a huge fight between Russell and me. I almost broke up with him over it because the last thing I need is somebody telling me what to do—but I need Russell in my life right now.
I sit on my knees and start shoving Cole’s body with both hands. “Cole, you have to get up. Cole, wake up.”
Cole’s lips form a slow smile, showing off the dimple on his right cheek. “Hmm...Blake...”
I look back at Aubry with pleading eyes, but he just stands there laughing and shaking his head. Idiot.
I glare at him. “Aubry, can you go open the door for Russell and entertain him?” I hiss.
He shrugs. “Whatever. Don’t be pissed at me when the British invasion catches you off guard,” he mutters walking back to the living room. I shake my head at his lame words as I continue to shake Cole roughly.
“Cole, wake up!”
I say loudly.
His green eyes pop open, and he sits up startled. “What?” he asks confused. “I was just having the best dream.”
I roll my eyes. “Russell is here. You have to get up and go to the guest room...please,” I beg. He narrows his eyes at me for a couple of seconds before muttering a curse and uncovering himself roughly as he stands. He stretches his arms above his head, giving me full view of all of his toned back muscles and that gorgeous firm ass of his that’s covered by tight black boxer briefs. I close my eyes and squeeze my fists together to resist the urge to squeeze it. Damn, it sucks to have to depend on people.
Russell’s stepfather is the Morris in Lewis, Smith, and Morris Law Firm—one of Chicago’s biggest firms. I learned this two years ago, when we first met in law school. I started getting closer to him because of it. We were friends for a while before we became a couple earlier this year. The fact that he’s smart, charming, good looking, and has a sexy-as-hell British accent makes being with him painless. I do like him, though. He’s a fun guy, he’s nice, and he doesn’t annoy me. As long as he doesn’t try to push me to talk about my past, we should be fine for a while. The only people I trust can be counted on one hand. Unfortunately for Russell, my hand only has five fingers, and they’re all taken by a trustworthy person, so he won’t be making the cut.
Cole looks back at me with a smirk on his face, and I know I’ve been caught ogling. I shrug, and he chuckles.
“We can make him leave, you know?” he says huskily with a mischievous twinkle in his eyes. My treacherous heart speeds up, and the butterflies in my stomach awaken.
“No, Cole. We can’t,” I sigh, trying to keep my composure. “Just go over there. I’ll see you later,” I say as I wave him off in the direction of the bathroom. “Thank you for last night.”
I don’t even bother to ask him what he’s doing here. I already know the answer to that. Today is my twenty-fifth birthday. It’s also a day that I do not, under any circumstance celebrate. I don’t accept presents. I don’t accept phone calls. Nothing. My birthday is a reminder of the day everything was taken from me.
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