Book Read Free

The Man of My Dreams

Page 1

by Stephanie Aviles




  The Man of My Dreams

  Surrender to Love Book 1

  Stephanie Aviles

  Copyright © 2017 by Stephanie Aviles

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Created with Vellum

  Dedicated with love to my two beautiful children Jaden and Emily.

  Be brave, be kind and never give up.

  * * *

  Love Mom

  Contents

  Acknowledgments

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  About the Author

  Acknowledgments

  Writing and self-publishing my first novel felt at times like I was running a marathon without preparing for it. I was out of breath, tired and just wanted to give up. But when you have a team of family members, friends and editors who are willing to run along beside you cheering you on the entire way and picking you up when you fall, reaching the end with them marks this milestone in my life an even greater success.

  To my husband Juan who encouraged me to start this journey in my life. Without you, this book would not have been possible.

  And my children Jaden and Emily, you give me the strength to be the best that I can be for you both.

  My best friend and soul sister Donna Rosado who pushed me to write and allowed me to discover a passion she saw in me even before I realized it myself. Thank you for introducing me to your creative world and making me realize it was my world too.

  To my parents, who taught me the value of hard work and determination to fight for a dream no matter what life threw my way; this one is for you guys.

  Special thanks to my wonderful editor Cate Hogan who took a newbie under her wing and helped me transform my book from a dream to a reality. To Robin Samuels, my copy editor sent from heaven who gave my manuscript the final touches it needed to shine. To my book cover artist Zoran from Visual Arts—after almost of year of trying to create the perfect cover and coming up empty handed, you created exactly what I was looking for. To Carol Eastman for taking one look at my book’s description and coming up with the perfect depiction to create my book blurb.

  And finally to all my family, friends, and fellow writers who provided the support system and platform to ensure success was the only option.

  Chapter 1

  “What in the world are you wearing?” Kat looked Elena up and down in total disbelief.

  “What’s wrong with it?” Elena asked innocently. She rested her hands on her hips and admired herself in the dressing room mirror. She saw nothing wrong with what she was wearing. She had a pair of nice flat black shoes on, black slacks and a light blue blouse. It fit, looked decent, and most important of all, she was comfy.

  Kat raised a brow. “Honey, your military days are over. You look like the bailiff in a courtroom.” Kat walked up to Elena. “First of all, this shirt is one size too big for you.” She grabbed the sides of Elena’s shirt and pulled them toward her back. “Look—you actually have a waist.”

  “Yes, but now I’m uncomfortable,” Elena complained, pushing Kat’s hand away. She was afraid if she sat down wearing a tight shirt, her muffin top would show.

  “Who said you’re supposed to be comfortable?” Kat said winking at her. “If I had your ass, I would be showing it off, not hiding it in those waist-high pants you have on.” Kat reached in to look inside Elena’s pants. “Do you have granny panties inside there too?” she joked.

  Elena slapped Kat’s hands away. “Hey watch it, get out of there.” They both looked at each other and started laughing.

  Elena looked back at the mirror and took a deep breath. “I’m a lost cause. Dressing sexy was not one of the pre-separation classes offered when I got out of the Air Force.”

  “Well, it’s a good thing you have me here, then.” Kat walked back to where she had been sitting and picked up a stack of clothes. “Here, try these on.”

  Elena turned around in time for Kat to dump a pile of very colorful and silky items in her arms. “I thought you were getting these for you?”

  Kat chuckled. “You forget I’ve been shopping with you before.” She pointed toward the pile of clothes Elena was now holding. “That should get you started for now.” Kat continued to dig through the assortment of clothes the dressing room attendant had brought her. “Excuse me.” She waved her hand in front of the attendant who was more preoccupied with texting than helping them. “These shirts are all large; I asked for a medium.”

  The young girl, who barely looked a day over twenty and not more than ninety pounds, sighed loudly as she looked up from her phone. “The mediums run small.” She looked over where Elena was standing. “A large would fit her better.”

  Kat straightened up, poised for a fight. “How about you reserve your recommendations for yourself and get the sizes I asked for,” she snapped.

  The girl’s face grew red with embarrassment. She shoved her phone in her back pocket, picked up the stacks of shirts, and stomped off to get the new sizes.

  Elena ignored the girl’s statement, choosing not to be offended by it; she didn’t want anything to ruin her first shopping spree in years. “Um…I don’t think I should wear this to my new job.” Elena held out a red lacy see-through nightgown.

  “Maybe you should,” Kat said as she sat down, getting ready to provide her expert fashion opinion on Elena’s new outfits. “I heard they have some nice-looking pilots at Wilbur’s Aviation.”

  “You know where I stand on this.” Elena wasn’t opposed to lingerie, and she enjoyed wearing it for the right person, but therein was the problem—she hadn’t found the right person in a long time.

  “Oh, don’t be such a prude,” Kat reproached. She grabbed the nightgown from Elena. “Charles would love this on me.”

  “I’m sure he would.”

  “And there is nothing wrong with that,” Kat insisted.

  “I never said there was. All I’m saying is that I will be more than happy to wear something like this for a man who has won me over and captured my heart.”

  Kat smiled at Elena’s innocent dream of finding her knight in shining armor. “Listen, men are very visual creatures. They like to see and touch and feel. They are like grown babies. And I get the wanting a man to fall in love with you for who you are as a person, but let’s be honest here—how long has it been since you’ve gotten laid?”

  Elena rolled her eyes. “Please don’t remind me. I’m afraid I’ve become a virgin again.”

  “Don’t you worry—we’ll take care of that.” Kat offered the negligee back to Elena. “Maybe you need this after all.”

  Elena rethought her strategy and her lack of love life. It had been three years since she had been intimate with a man. She refused to have a one-night stand and swore every man she met did not have the qualities she deemed necessary on her checklist. And although she hated to admit it, she had been lonely—eating a pint of ice cream and reading historical
romance novels kind of lonely. Maybe Kat was right after all. Maybe she needed to be a little more daring and a little less dreaming. “Give me that.” She reached out and snatched the lacy thing from Kat’s hands.

  “Now we’re talking,” Kat cheered on. “Now go try those clothes on—you’re going to look like a million bucks.”

  Elena must have tried on over thirty outfits before Kat was finally satisfied she had a diverse enough wardrobe to get her started at her new job. They walked out with both arms filled with bags and ran into the young assistant at the entrance of the store who was actively flirting with a guy instead of doing her job. Without missing a beat, Kat walked over to her. “I just remembered the name of the cream you need; it’s called Monistat. It will help with the yeast infection and itch down there.”

  The young girl’s face dropped, and the hottie next to her quietly walked away.

  Kat returned with a smile on her face. “Now we can go.”

  Elena adjusted the heavy bags in her arms. “Was that really necessary?”

  Kat grinned. “Absofuckinglutley.”

  After a day of shopping in Seattle, Elena was exhausted and excited at the same time. She was back on the ferry from Seattle to Bremerton heading home. Kat had a dinner date with her husband in the city and stayed behind. Elena looked through her many shopping bags and smiled like a little girl admiring her first-day-of-school clothes. With Kat’s keen sense of fashion, she had secured a new wardrobe, most of which she thought was not very practical but after trying on the clothes, she loved every last piece. She was proud of her looks, and for once in her life, she was proud of her thick thighs. Thigh gaps, as Kat had put it, “were overrated.” A small part of her felt childish about wanting to look sexy and feel feminine again after so many years of trying to hide it at work. But this was the new Elena, and she was as giggly as a teenage girl about it. For once she would let her hair down without worrying it was going to violate code by touching her collar. She could paint her nails bright red if she wanted to—hell, she could even get a tattoo or a bad sunburn and not worry about being in trouble for “damaging government property.” She didn’t belong to anyone. She wasn’t an object and best of all, she had the freedom to decide for herself if she wanted to stay or go. She had closed one chapter in her life and was starting another. She was free to pursue her dreams as a fiction romance author and write about all the happy endings she had dreamed of all her life.

  She settled into her seat on the ferry and stared out the window to admire the beauty of the Emerald City. She waved a little goodbye to Seattle as the ferry made its way across the sound to the small towns of Kitsap County.

  Chapter 2

  Elena woke at the crack of dawn; her mom had delivered her usual four-in-the morning wake-up call to wish her good luck on her first day at work. Despite repeated attempts to remind her mom Washington was three hours behind Venezuela, the information fell on deaf ears. The daily morning calls had become a routine since she had separated from the military, and she knew how much comfort it brought her mom, so she just went with the flow. She spent the next hour dressing with care. This was her first civilian job ever, and she wanted to make a good impression.

  Her new job was in the quaint town of Gig Harbor, Washington. During her first visit, she had fallen in love with the idyllic community with its sailboats lining the marina, sea-gulls lazing through the air and charming antique shops and restaurants on Main Street resembling a Hallmark movie inviting you in for a fairytale ending. However, after shopping around for a place to rent, she realized the lovely quiet and picturesque setting came with a hefty price, and her budget had no room for such notions, so she moved thirty minutes down Highway 16 to Port Orchard. Its majestic views of the Olympic Mountains still delivered the peaceful small-town feel at a more affordable price.

  She arrived at her new job fifteen minutes early. The building in front of her was an old aircraft hangar that had been remodeled into office spaces. The exterior was a beautiful dark red with white borders. It looked a little bit like a barn, but it fit into the charm of the town. She could see the runway from the side of the building and from her limited knowledge of airplanes, she spotted a couple of small Cessnas and Piper Cubs.

  She stepped out of the car with a positive attitude, her brand-new high heels clicking on the pavement, and made her way from the parking lot toward the entrance of the building. She paused for a couple of seconds at the door and took a deep breath. Her stomach was in a knot. Beyond this door was the start of her new life. She put on a smile, squared her shoulders and pulled the glass door open.

  A pretty young girl with brown hair, glasses and a big smile welcomed her and took her to where her desk would be. Elena followed her down the hallway where black and white picture frames of old airplanes and several recognition plaques adorned the walls. The hallway opened up into a large open area where a beautiful mahogany desk sat in front of a large window with a gorgeous view of the Olympic Mountains. Next to it was an office with Mr. Wilbur’s name on it.

  “Here we go, this will be your desk,” the young girl said with a big smile as she fidgeted with her glasses.

  Elena’s eyes lit up; she tried to contain the excitement bubbling up inside her. She couldn’t believe this was where she would be working. “This is beautiful.”

  The door to Mr. Wilbur’s office opened. A gentleman in a pilot’s uniform stood at the entrance. “I’ll leave tomorrow for the delivery and then head to Idaho to meet with the new client,” the pilot said with a deep and sensual voice to the shorter older man beside him.

  Elena’s eyes narrowed. There was something familiar about the man who towered a good six inches over who she assumed was Mr. John Wilbur. The way his broad shoulders filled his shirt and the disciplined straight back tapering into a trim waistline made Elena’s pulse quicken in a way she hadn’t felt in years. She tilted her head trying to catch a glimpse of his face, but he was still looking back into the office and talking to Mr. Wilbur.

  “Sounds good,” replied Mr. Wilbur.

  The smooth talker turned around and stopped dead in his tracks when he saw Elena. Their eyes locked.

  Elena stood motionless in the middle of the room. The world couldn’t be this small—it couldn’t be him. She blinked several times, hoping it was just an uncanny resemblance. After all, it had been seven years, but she knew she would never forget those piercing blue eyes and the tousled dark brown hair. The same arrogant jaw and cruel lips stared back at her.

  His gaze traveled over her body seductively and a devilish look came into his eyes. She swallowed hard, lifted her chin and met his gaze straight on. He would not intimidate her—not ever again.

  Chapter 3

  Seven Years Earlier

  67th Fighter Squadron,

  Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, Japan

  * * *

  Elena sat at her desk in the orderly room reading the latest letter from her parents. The large time difference and the outrageous cost of long-distance phone calls had made it necessary to revert to old-fashioned letters. Her mother, as usual, was complaining about the splintering heat in Venezuela, something she had never gotten used to in her thirteen years living there, and of course about her father’s stubborn nature. Apparently, he was refusing to get a colonoscopy done, stating he would never subject himself to such humiliation. At fifty-eight, he was well past due for an exam and despite the doctor’s best efforts to persuade him into the procedure, he would have none of it. Elena’s mother was concerned with the current state of her father’s health and his constant complaints of fatigue. His refusal to seek medical care, swearing he just needed a little rest, had Elena’s mom worried to death. You are the only one who will be able to convince him to go to the doctor, she went on to say and asked when Elena would be coming home for a visit.

  Elena folded the letter up wishing she weren’t an only child living across the world. If only there were something she could do to help, but her hands were tied. She wouldn’t
be able to visit until she was en route to her next duty station, and that was still eight months away. The best she could do now was write to him and try to convince him to seek some care. She folded up the letter and placed it back in her purse.

  She looked up from her computer and noticed both her airmen arguing by the filing cabinet. Elena sighed; those two could never get along. She got up from her chair and walked over to them to find out what the hell was going on now. Elena felt like a mother at only twenty-two, constantly having to counsel both her young airmen who were only a couple of years younger than her.

  “What’s going on here?” Elena asked.

  Senior Airman Julie Mendez snatched the folder out of Airman First Class Christina Wright’s hands. “I told Airman Wright I would be in-processing the new captain this morning.”

  Elena looked at Cristina. “So, what is the problem?” She had never seen her troops argue over who got to in-process squadron personnel before. It was usually a dreaded task filled with paperwork that everyone tried to avoid, herself included.

  “Sergeant Garcia, Airman Mendez is supposed to be at her dental appointment and I’m supposed to take care of in-processing today.”

  Elena looked at both of them suspiciously. Something was going on here, and she was going to get to the bottom of it. “Someone better explain what’s going on.” She turned to Airman Mendez. “Please tell me I won’t be receiving a no-show letter from the dental clinic?” It was more of a warning than a question. The last thing Elena needed was to stand in front of her flight commander explaining why one of her troops didn’t show up for their appointment.

 

‹ Prev