by Katrina Liss
I push him away, puff out a teary breath and take another sip of my hot drink to calm myself.
"So Victor Walker is up for a real relationship, huh?"
"The minute I met you."
I laugh. "I don't believe that."
"Two minutes, then?"
"Why didn't you tell me? You should have said.”
"I did try, but you were pretty resistant to the idea. And somehow I always said or did the wrong thing. Made things worse."
"You can say that again."
He grins, his silvery eyes look up at me from beneath the sexy sooty lashes.
“Oh, I got something for you.”
He dips in his jeans pocket and brings out a box. It looks like a ring box.
No… I'm not ready for that. No way…
He flips it open and my heart skips a beat. Inside the box is a white metal band studded with opals and one fat tourmaline.
They are my birthstones.
I touch my chest, feeling a little choked.
“Belated happy birthday.”
“Wow. It's beautiful. Thank you.”
“It’s a promise ring. Platinum. I had it made for you, for your right hand ring finger."
“And what are you promising?”
“Honesty. No more lies.”
He removes the ring from the box and slips it on my finger.
I hold it up and admire it.
"Always the charmer—always there with the winning shots."
"What can I say? It's in the genes. But tell me one thing… have I broken any rules at all giving you that ring?"
I place my finger to his lips and smile. "Absolutely not."
"Good. Well, I'm improving already."
I lean forward and place my lips to his. ‘You are.”
He pulls me close, his mouth claiming mine. Fire whips around my veins as the kiss deepens.
Maybe I could work on forgiveness.
At the very least, give it a damn good try.
One Year Later
VIC
“It’s nearly seven. Are you ready, baby?” I call out to Ella.
“Just a tick… need to find something—” her muffled voice returns to me from our bedroom.
I go fetch her, pacing into the bedroom.
There she is, her cute ass in the air, bent over inside her closet, rummaging through her stuff.
Bags, scarves and shoes fly out.
“What you lost?”
She turns to me. “The box of my mom’s special things. I’ve looked everywhere and I wanted to wear her earrings tonight.”
“Didn’t you put that in the safe?”
“Oh my God! Dory brain!” she slaps her forehead and stands up. “Would you get it for me please? I can’t ever remember the damn combo.”
“Sure, but it’ll cost ya.” I lean forward for a kiss.
She responds with a smacker on my lips and I also get a big squeeze of my backside. It’s a part of me she can’t seem to keep her hands off. Not that I don’t have the same problem. That sweet ass of hers is a peach of a thing.
I slip my hands around her waist and we have a bit of a moment which is fast heating up and heading towards the bed. I get lost in her sometimes. Actually, all the time.
She pushes away with a loud puff of breath.
“Hold that thought, Romeo. We’re gonna be late.”
“Would we be missed?”
She laughs. “I should think so.”
I kiss her cheek and set off for the safe in my study, to retrieve her box, while she fixes her lipstick.
I return to the living room to find her waiting there.
“Here you go,” I pop it in her hand. She opens it and fishes around through the little pieces of jewelry, looking for the earrings she needs.
I perch on the sofa arm, watching her fix them in her ears.
“What d’you think?” she says, doing a twirl. Her chiffon black dress swings out and I get a glimpse of her slender thighs. My thoughts go a lot higher… well beyond her panty line.
Which is where my thoughts hang out most of the time.
“You look perfect.”
“You always say that.”
I shrug my shoulders. “Tell it like it is.”
“Not too Audrey Hepburn?”
“An exact blonde replica.”
“Seriously?” She mock punches my arm.
“I am being serious.”
She runs her eyes up and down me.
“You look lovely… very hot… way too sexy,” she says.
“I aim to please.” I stand and hold my hand out for hers. “Let’s go, beautiful.”
Leaving my apartment en route to our engagement party feels a whole different affair to before. The fake engagement we had a year ago. That was one fucking bad call. I don’t know what I was thinking. Sometimes I think it was another me; another life.
Actually, it was.
Today I’m on cloud ten. In fact I don’t think I’ve had a bad day since Ella and I had our first real date exactly one year ago today. Sure we’ve had disagreements, like anyone, but they’ve been nothing. Meant nothing.
We’re solid as rock.
We didn’t want to rush things. Ella’s still young. But 21 is a decent age for her to get engaged. It’ll be another eight months to the wedding as Ella wants to get wed on her mothers birthday in June.
Whatever she wants is fine by me. So long as I get to have her all to myself.
I’m so proud of her as we leave the apartment and get inside the elevator. She’s beautiful, elegant and slender in her high heels; so cute with that neatly stacked blonde bun on her head.
Too neat and sweet, actually.
I wanna mess her all up, pull her hair down, bend her over and fuck her right here and now, but I guess I’ll have to wait a while for that.
Got a whole evening ahead of us. The big party.
Our families are meeting for the first time tonight.
My mom, her dad, plus all our close friends and acquaintances. Forty people in all. We’ve hired out a great restaurant for the bash.
We descend to the ground floor, and exit to the car lot at the rear of the building, slipping inside my BMW.
It’s a clear, cool October evening and Ella shivers so I get the seat heaters running.
We travel in contented silence as I edge through the traffic to pick up Ella’s dad from where he’s staying in the hotel close by. I’d have liked that he stayed with us, but we only have one room functioning as a bedroom.
So much has happened in the last year it makes my head spin.
Ella moved in with me after two months. We couldn’t bear to be apart. Things have been getting better and better. In fact I can’t believe life can be this good. I’m no longer obsessed with work, but keep a healthy balance. I spend a lot of time with Ella and our friends. Especially Romy & Shuniz. In addition to being my business partners, they’re our new besties. We do lots of things together. Share new experiences. Like hot air ballooning. Ella and Shuniz get on so well and she just loves their little baby George who’s four months old soon.
Ella has just signed a lease for her new bakery premises. We’re both so excited. It’s located at the perfect spot on a corner in Greenwich Village. She’s a fully qualified cake queen now. And she has discovered a real skill for occasion cakes. Some of the designs I’ve seen her do have been stunning. She tells me the one she’s made for our engagement is the most amazing thing ever. A stacked infinity band. I can’t wait to see it. And eat it. But her brand items for Sweetella, are much smaller. Donuts. Muffins. Cup cakes. Brownies. Mini tarts. Cheesecakes. All done with a unique Ella twist.
She’s set up shop with her friend Tom, who is the under manager.
I’m her business manager and a sleeping partner.
It’s been fun helping her get started. And Tom and I get on great.
Already the order book is stacking up with catering gigs.
Mom has been a great help getting her into the best society addres
s books.
Yes, Mom and I are speaking again.
It took a while, but during that time I realized how much she meant to me. She’s my family. And I’m making the most of her. However full-on or interfering she may be. That’s her nature.
When I told Mom Ella and I had got back together again, and this time it was for real, she wasn’t exactly over the moon. It was understandable that there would be some reticence and resentment towards her. She’d lied to her, just as I had. But after the two of them had a very long chat, it seemed to resolve things. Now they pass secret looks and smiles when we spend time together. It’s like they’re in league with something. It’s a bit disconcerting at times, the way they’ve gelled. I really do believe my mom loves Ella. And Ella loves her.
It seems Mom’s finally got what she wanted… me married off. Well, almost. She’s been told, categorically, so she doesn’t keep hinting, it will be at least two years before we think of having kids. Although neither of us want to wait too long.
If I was honest, having my baby growing inside her would be something I’d like to see much sooner. But Ella’s young, at the start of a new career, building a business, and soon to be planning the wedding. Add to that we’re moving house after the wedding, to somewhere more suitable than my bachelor pad and she has enough to contend with for a while without pregnancy in the mix.
We’re trying to do things by the book.
Follow the rules.
Engagement, wedding, new home, baby.
In that order.
But who knows what fate will throw our way?
My wife-to-be holds her ring finger out to me.
The big rock of my family heirloom twinkles in the light of the street lamps.
“I really do love this ring, you know,” she says.
“I love seeing it on you.”
“What d’you think your great grandfather would say if he were here now?”
I turn to smile at her. “That the ring was made out of love. And it’s in the right place.”
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Books By Katrina Liss
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DR SEXY SERIES
TRADING HEARTS
About the Author
I'm a romance junkie, but not only that, I like intrigue and drama. I adore writing the erotic and sensual, sometimes throwing in a little dark and twisted, but I always try and remain true to life.
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Acknowledgements
Love and thanks to my family and friends, for believing in me and encouraging me to write my little heart out.