by Calinda B
From the widening and spark of fear in her eyes, I knew she was thinking about the same thing.
“You hid me away. You were ashamed of me. You wanted nothing to do with me. Until now.” I pointed at Portia. “Until she came back. Because you don’t like to give up your possessions, do you?”
Portia’s gaze prickled my face. Concern, regret and a host of other emotions flared over her expression before she turned grim eyes back to Kaylan. “If you stay,” she said quietly, “you and I will have a reckoning. One I’m not sure you’re prepared for.”
Kaylan opened her mouth no doubt to send a biting retort, but something in my Mother’s face stopped her. “This is not over,” she hissed as she turned on her heel and fled.
"Oh, I'm sure it isn't," Portia muttered as we both jumped at the sound of the slamming door.
We stood there for a moment not saying a word. Portia rinsed off the pan and set in the sink. “I’m going to go.”
I opened my mouth to protest, but she interrupted me.
“I will be back, Ava. You’ve had several shocks today.” She reached over and took my hands. “Matthias will be back, too.”
“He won’t,” I said.
My mother swept past me but paused at the curtain separating my home from the shop. “You’re speaking to someone who has a damn near perfect matchmaking record.” She winked. “Trust me.”
I was too exhausted to do anything except toss on some pajamas and collapse onto my couch with a bowl of popcorn and streaming episodes of Crazy Ex-Girlfriend. Mmm, Nathaniel. The third episode in a row was playing when there was a soft knock on the door. The only reason I heard it was because I had a security system set up with cameras and audio. I rarely turned it on because my dad had really annoyed me when he insisted I set it up. Nothing ever happened here in Midnight Cove. Except for apparently illegitimate babies. I snorted at my maudlin thoughts, but hit pause on the tv and got up to see who was at the door.
My heart fell to my feet. Matthias. He was the only reason I’d turned the security on tonight. I was in the mood for no visitors except for him, even though I didn’t believe my mother when she told me to trust her. Too many people wanted trust with blind faith. I’d been bamboozled too many times to allow that. But something in me wanted to trust her. And look who was now standing outside my door.
What he was here for, though, I had no idea.
I dragged a hand through my curls only to get my fingers tangled in the wild waves, bit out a curse, and hurried to the door. I took a couple of deep breaths and opened the door.
He’d looked better, but he stole my breath as his gray gaze met mine. “Ava,” he said with a short nod. His expression was unreadable. “May I come in?”
So formal. I nodded and stepped aside. He came in and brushed past me, the comforting woodsy scent of him filling my nose.
I shut the door and leaned against it watching him. “To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?” I asked, my tone neutral.
He fished around in his pocket and I suddenly felt my heart turn to stone.
“I need to give this to you,” he said, handing me back the stone and gem ring.
“I - I don’t understand,” I said, though I was pretty sure I did.
“Karina has been sent away.” Matthias didn’t elaborate.
“Okay. So you aren’t engaged anymore?”
“I am,” he said, rubbing a hand across the back of his neck.
“Oh.” I reached out to take it, but Matthias inched his hand back.
I tilted my head up to him curious. “I’m not sure I understand.” Peevishly, I added, “Also, I usually don’t accept refunds or exchanges for jewelry purchases.”
One of his eyebrows rose. “That would be terrible.” He took a step closer. “If I were looking for a refund.”
I pressed my back harder against the door. Confused, I stared at him. “Then what do you want?”
"I want you to take the ring from me," he murmured, taking another step closer to me. He was inches away.
I reached out again for it, but Matthias yanked his hand away.
“Damn it, Matthias. You won’t give it to me! Now you definitely aren’t getting a refund.”
“Why would I want a refund from my new fiancee?”
I blinked. “What?”
He took my hand in his. “Your mother came to visit me.”
Befuddled I kept blinking trying to figure out what my mother had to do with him receiving a refund from me. “Okaaaay?” I drawled.
"She showed me a printout."
I blew out an annoyed breath. “Matthias, I don’t care about this. Give me the damn ring and go to your new fiancee!”
“It was a very interesting print-out.”
I rolled my eyes and was about to push off from the door when he held up a sheet of paper.
“Don’t you want to know what it said?”
I did. I so did. Hope was a beacon spreading warmth in my chest. “No.”
The side of his mouth quirked and he held it up even closer. My name was on the paper, toward the very top of a very odd graph. “I have no idea what this is.” But the speed of my heartbeat was picking up.
“This is the result of your mother’s magic and a foolproof algorithm built by both your mother and father. Do you know why your name is there?”
I started to move away, but he stopped me with a warm hand pressed against my chest. He was way too close to me.
“No, Matthias,” I snapped. “It’s been a long day and I’m over your games.”
“It’s for me,” he said softly. “It’s a list of perfect matches for me.” He shifted, closing the distance between us. Our thighs were smashed together, his chest was against mine and his mouth was oh so close. “Your name is the only name on it.”
I swallowed hard and laughed hysterically. “Has to be a mistake,” I choked.
He tilted my chin up. “The Deadication Dating Agency does not make mistakes. Don’t you think there was a reason I was coming in here? A glimpse of that wild hair and those gypsy eyes and I was done for.”
“What about Karina?” I whispered.
“What about her?” he whispered back.
“She’s prettier than me. She has more status. More money. More -”
His mouth covered mine, shutting off my protests immediately. Vaguely I felt something slip onto my finger. When we broke apart, both breathing raggedly, I lifted my hand up. Sparkling on my left hand was the otherworldly ring. I gasped and held it up. "Matthias -"
He put a finger over my lips. “Stop thinking with your head and start thinking with your heart. The ring is still yours even if you don’t want me.”
I studied him. The light blond hair, the stormy gray eyes that had mesmerized me from the first day I met him. The lanky build, the boyish grin, the appreciation for antiques very few people shared. "What about your parents?" I asked in a desperate last-ditch attempt to give him a way out.
“They happily disowned me.”
I let out a sound of dismay.
“Don’t,” he laughed. “Karina was their last ditch effort to get me to pave my own path. They didn’t want me living their life, but they couldn’t come right out and say it.” He adjusted his tie. “We are properly repressed, Ava. It took subterfuge and some sadness until I finally realized it.” A wide grin brightened his face. “So I’m disowned, but I left with a massive bank account and an invitation to attend Sunday dinners.”
“I will,” I blurted.
“Will what?” he asked as he brushed away a wild curl.
“Be with you,” I said. “Take this ring,” I babbled. “All of it!”
“Good answer,” he whispered close to my ear. “Now go spend the money I gave you for it on our wedding.”
Happiness bloomed through me as he claimed my lips for another kiss.
Epilogue
12 months later
* * *
It was the most awkward wedding of the century. But I looked like a sexy
little goddess if I did say so myself. I wore a royal blue glittery bustier with a long white tulle princess skirt over it and I shunned the veil for a tiny blue and silver tiara. Matthias was resplendent in a tux.
My mother showed up wearing a simple blush skirt and a black turtleneck, her legs looking a mile long in a pair of black stilettos. I needed her to show me how to do that. Anytime I wore heels I still looked short. But today I'd shunned shoes much to the embarrassment of Kaylan and to the delight of my father.
I still couldn’t believe Kaylan was here, but I did my best to ignore it. Something was up with my parents. I could feel it in my bones.
Matthias’ parents were here. Our first meeting had been awkward and stilted, but after I spilled soup down my top at dinner, they both snort laughed so hard they spit out their drinks. We ended up being fast friends. His mother winked at me as I walked down the aisle littered with peonies and pale white roses. Matthias stood at the front of the arbor, his face a mix of trepidation and joy.
His eyes lit up when he saw me, but immediately darkened with a look I knew all too well. The blush started at my toes and crept all the way up to hairline much to the amusement of him and all of our guests. Whispered chuckles broke out in the audience and one of Matthias’ more rowdy friends yelled out, “You owe us another hour at least, randy boy!”
My blush deepened even further when Matthis growled, "Forty-five minutes or one of you unfortunate bastards might walk in on a surprise in the guest bathroom."
Loud laughter broke out. “Matthias,” I hissed. “This is our wedding.”
He pulled me close and winked at our minister who cleared his throat uncomfortably. “I know that. I also know I want everyone else to know exactly how well our wedding night is going to go.”
He was still, all these months later, completely incorrigible. But I was madly, head over heels for him. As the vampire minister droned on about love and fidelity, Matthias stared at me with an intensity that made me fidget and drop my bouquet several times. When he finally pronounced us husband and wife, I blurted out, "Oh thank the gods," and laid a steamy kiss right on him. He responded very enthusiastically and we had to be pulled apart by our family and friends.
“Later,” he growled to me as his best man dragged him to the reception area.
“Promise?”
His gaze promised even more.
“Nailed it,” I whispered as I let my mother lead me back to my dressing room to change into something I could dance in.
Two hours later, my feet were killing me and I was so hungry I could eat a wildebeest. I excused myself and headed down the hall to the restrooms closest to my dressing room. These were less populated than the ones closer to the reception area, so I stepped in hoping to get away from all the well-wishers. Not that there was anything wrong with people wishing Matthias and me the happiest of marriages, but there was only so much people contact I could stomach in a day.
The sound of whispered voices, giggling and bumping made me pause. I stood stock still with my hand still on the door to keep it from whooshing shut. I should leave. I should totally leave.
The words “I’ve missed you so much, Portia,” made my mouth drop open.
I knew who that voice belonged to. I stepped further in, taking great care to minimize the noise of the door. I stepped around the corner and crept into the shower area where the voices were coming from. My head was screaming Noooooo, but my heart was screaming Yesssssss as I saw two people locked in passionate embrace.
Portia Kadish, my newly-found mother, and Gaeleron Birch, my father. Who was supposed to be married. I blew out a slow breath and cleared my throat. Both stiffened and my mother looked around my father’s shoulder.
“Oh. Hello,” she said, her voice a hysterical lilt.
“Hi, Mom.”
My dad slowly turned around, still holding Portia in his arms. But instead of feeling guilty, one of his eyebrows rose.
“My divorce was finalized two weeks ago, Ava.”
I blinked.
“I was going to tell you, but your wedding didn’t seem like the most appropriate time.”
Portia was silent, watching me.
My throat worked. “This -” I said. “This is amazing.” I choked on a sob.
Portia broke away from my father and started to reach for me, but I waved her away. “No, no. Carry on. You guys have twenty-four years to catch up on.”
My father held his arms out to me.
"No. Ewww. Dad." I gave them both another once over, nodded, and left them to finish their make-out session.
As soon as I was out of the bathroom, I leaned against the wall and exhaled heavily. Holy. Crap.
I wasn’t sure how I felt. Part of me was ecstatic. Part of me was sad because I wasted two decades of my life reaching for love from Kaylan that had never been there. The other part felt hopeful.
Matthias rounded the corner and smiled when he saw me. But his smile faded when he saw my expression.
“Ava?”
I’d just married the man of my dreams. And my real parents were making out in the bathroom.
Life was weird. Very, very weird.
But it was full of love. No matter how long it took.
I took several steps toward my husband, then broke into a full run, launching myself at Matthias.
This was home. No matter the winding path that brought us here.
About the Author
S.E. Babin is a USA TODAY Bestselling author with a passion for writing books with a paranormal twist. Whether it’s romance or mystery, she loves taking the norm and turning it into the extraordinary. Her love of reading turned into a curious exploration to see whether or not she could write her own novel. Beginning with random, terrible poetry and a slightly popular reimagining of Beowulf’s Grendel in her high school English class, Sheryl spent way too much time in the library, killing any chance of her becoming a cheerleader or anything even remotely cool.
Find her on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/SEBabin or over on Twitter @hungrybiblio. She loves to hear from readers!
Flawless
Jude Ouvrard
I dedicate this book to Susan Ramsey, Tracey Millen, Rachel Hargrave, Danielle Hassell Littleton, Sylvia Nguyen, Sandra Chevrier etc… Thank you for being so supportive of my work.
Kisses & Hugs
Acknowledgments
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
* * *
At first, when I decided to join The Diamond Club World, I felt like I was diving into black water. I knew nothing about this world. I had only watched few movies, mostly because of my crush on the actors and not really for the storyline. So, I had a lot of thinking to do and I came up with TJ and later Harlow.
To write Harlow, I was inspired by Susan Ramsey… Yes, even the last name. She has a spunk and says what she thinks. Harlow was a fun character to write, she had a good energy and was the perfect fit for TJ. Thanks to Susan for inspiring me with this character and for reading the story and giving me your input.
I always feel bad when I send my manuscript to my editor. I know I’m giving her a headache and too many reasons to have a drink or two. My words are probably a pain in the ass but in the end, I LOVE THE STORY and I think she does too. Thank you, Rachel, for your patience and hard work.
Thanks to Danielle for your advice and feedback. Your help is always appreciated. After all these years, you’re still helping me. THANK YOU!
To Dana. I’m mad and sad at the same time that you haven’t read this one. It was my surprise to you. Your name in my story. I miss you. You were a great woman and I hope you are now free of pain.
Also, I want to thank Sandra. My lady, my friend, the one who understand my craziness without judgement. I’m proud of the person you are. Strong, beautiful and true to yourself.
Tracey, always there to comfort my insecurities or to virtually kick my ass. Thanks for that! You are the reason why I’m writing and following my dream. Soul sister power!
Sylvia, you were o
ne of the first, if not THE first to buy a book of mine. I know life gave you the most beautiful gift a mom can ask. You are now a grandmother and I see the happiness in your eyes and I hear it in your voice when you call me. Thank you for supporting me throughout the years.
* * *
Thank you all,
Jude xox
* * *
In Memory of Dana Clark Klugerman
January 3, 1977 – February 2, 2017
Prologue
Returning from work in the middle of the night has been my normal for years. An owl’s life, as they say. Always in the dark. Never under the light. I still believe my day will come, though. This existence is temporary—albeit a longer than usual temporary—and I don’t see myself in this hell hole for much longer.
What isn’t normal is hearing my father’s cry. That hasn’t happened since Mom’s death. So I know something is wrong when I get home, and after going through my routine—cleaning the makeup off my face and changing into comfy pajamas—I walk by Dad’s bedroom to see the light is still on, and he seems to be crying. I hate to see him hurting like this. He has been hurt enough for a lifetime.
His best friend Thomas is ill and has few more weeks to live, maybe days. At the Club, Thomas has been trying to arrange for his wife, daughter, and son’s future. Mostly for his son TJ, who I’ve heard a whole lot about, but never met. Thomas keeps his family away from the Club for the most part. The one time he brought TJ to the club, I was home with the worst hangover ever. I still regret that day.