by Ju Ephraime
When she heard the elevator buzzer, she knew it had to be Wolfe, though she wasn’t expecting him this early. Sure enough, he walked into the bedroom, removing his shirt.
She still got turned on just watching him undress. The muscles rippled as he moved, and she was getting hot watching the show.
“You should have waited; I tried to hurry to help you with your bath, but the traffic was extremely heavy today,” he told her.
“That’s okay, darling. You’re welcome to help me with my bath after our guests leave. I do believe I’ll need a long bath after all the hostessing I’ll be doing.”
“You? Hostessing? I can see it now: ‘Wolfe, can you get me this? Can you get me that?’” He laughed. “However, I will be waiting with anticipation to bathe you. You had better have something planned to hurry them off.”
“You haven’t lost your one-track mind. That’s all you think about; it is a wonder you get any work done,” she told him.
Wolfe just kept laughing as he walked up to her. “Are you certain you want to go down that road? I have no problem showing you just how I get through the day, and you know you would not have it any other way.”
Daphne wound her hands around his neck. She loved to hear him laugh. She always waited for his chuckle after he ended the laugh. She’d loved this man to distraction from the first moment she saw him. She didn’t think she could love him any more than she did that first day, but she had been proven wrong. She had grown more deeply in love with him every day.
Only a couple of nights ago, they had been heading out to his parents for dinner. He came up to help her with the zipper in her dress, and that was all it took. They never left the house. Wolfe gave his mom some lame excuse, and they remained in bed the entire night and into the next day. She often wondered what would happen after the baby arrived but she was certain they’d take it in stride. They made a perfect team.
Daphne was convinced she’d been born for him, and he for her. It had taken them a little while to figure it out, but now she knew exactly where she wanted to be, where she needed to be. Her husband had her in a constant state of ecstasy, and she would have it no other way.
About The Author
This is the debut novel of, Ju Ephraime, which has been hailed as, “a fresh new voice in high heat romance,” by Amazon Publishing. It will interesting to following this author to see how she progresses in this new publishing arena. If this book is any indication, then we are in for a treat! Fresh locale, fresh voice, and lot of sizzling romance. What’s not to like!
If you enjoy this book, leave her a review wherever you purchased the book and sign up for her monthly giveaways at:
http://www.juliaeantoine.com or on her blog at:
http://www.juephraime.blogspot.com
Loving Therèse
Ju Ephraime
Envision Business & Computer School Publishing
Connecticut, 2012
****
ENVISION Business & Computer School Publishing, an Imprint of ENVISION Business & Computer School, LLC 23 Kimberly Avenue West Haven, CT 06516
Copyright © 2012 Julia E. Antoine
All rights reserved.
ISBN-10: 0983602921/13-978-0983602927
LCCN: 2011941000
www.juliaeantoine.com
www.envisionschoolpublishing.com
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission from the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. For information address inquiries to, ENVISION, 23 Kimberly Avenue, West Haven, CT 06516.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
If you purchased this book without a cover, you should be aware that this book is stolen property. It was reported as “unsold and destroyed” to the publishers, and neither the author nor the publisher has received any payment for this “stripped book”.
Printed in the U.S.A.
TABLE OF CONTENT
Introduction
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
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Epilogue
Critical acclaim for the intensely passionate novels of
Ju Ephraime
“Ephraime is a fresh new voice in the romance genre.”
—Readers’ Review
Ephraime characters come alive in an engagingly fresh style.
—Midwest Book Review
Complex and emotionally powerful
—All about High Heat Romance Review
Wonderful and unique
—Editorial Evaluation
INTRODUCTION
Foxx was hurrying to take his brother’s fiancée, Daphne, to do some shopping on the pier. Daphne and Wolfe were to be married in a couple weeks, and she needed to do some last-minute shopping. He had been delegated to accompanying her. Wolfe was very protective of her and would not allow her anywhere near the pier, without someone accompanying her.
A month ago, one of Wolfe’s ex-girlfriends had kidnapped Daphne and tried shipping her off on one of the foreign ship that were docked on the pier. Only Wolfe’s tenacity had saved Daphne, and since then, he had become almost fanatical about her going anywhere alone.
Foxx liked Daphne as a sister-in-law, and anything he could do to help his brother out, he would. After all, Wolfe was his other half, given that they were identical twins. Foxx knew he could expect the same from Wolfe—they had each other’s back, so to speak.
Laughing and joking with Daphne as they entered his friend Clayton’s café, he was not prepared for the sight that met his eyes. It felt as if he had walked into a solid wall; the pain in the vicinity of his heart was excruciating.
On the way to the café, he’d been feeling good, almost himself, for the first time in a long while. He and Daphne were debating which flavor of coffee they would buy. Daphne had her favorite, and he had his. As he walked through the door of the café, she was trying to convince him hers was the better of the two. He knew his was better, and turned to tell her, “no way will I be drinking vanilla frappé,” he found himself staring into a face he’d thought never to see again, his ex, Therèse.
The shock of seeing her on the island was so great that it had robbed him of speech. He opened his mouth to give Daphne his opinion of her vanilla frappé, but nothing came out. There was a loud pounding in his ear, and he realized it came from his heart rate accelerating.
He pushed passed her and exited the coffee shop, without bothering to order anything. He made it to the side of the building, before stopping to try and pull himself together. He took several deep breaths before the restriction causing his discomfort lessened enough that he could rejoin Daphne.
He didn’t know what she thought of him, abandoning her this way. He hoped she didn’t think he was losing his mind. Speak of the devil, she had followed him outside.
“Foxx, Foxx, are you okay?”
“I’m all right, Daph. I just had a bit of a scare.”
“What sort of a scare? Do you want me to call Wolfe? You gave me quite a scare too. Are you ill, is that it?”
“I’m all right now, Daph. I
just saw a ghost from my past. It was so unexpected that I felt physically sick, but I’m all right now.”
“Is it the young woman who was entering the café behind me?”
“Yes, how did you know?”
“I didn’t, but she was the only other person walking into the shop at the same time we were. Also, although you didn’t stay long enough to witness it, her reaction to seeing you was almost identical to yours. So I could tell you guys have a history together. Do you want to talk about it?”
“No. I really don’t want to talk about this now, if you don’t mind, Daph. Did you get your coffee?”
“I didn’t. I had to see if you were all right. I’ll go get them now if you tell me what flavor you want. ”
“That’s okay, Daph, you go get yours, I’ve lost my appetite for coffee anyway.”
“I’ll only be a sec.”
She was in an out in a sec, as she’d promised. She avoided looking directly at the young woman who had such a powerful effect on her brother-in-law, but she allowed herself one side glance. She was a very attractive woman. She would respect Foxx’s wishes and let the matter rest, for now. Accepting the coffee from Clay, she rejoined Foxx outside.
“Here I am, armed with coffee and ready to face the day.”
“Let’s hurry to get your shopping done, so I can have you back home before Wolfe begins to worry. You know how he gets.”
“You want to get rid of me, I understand. But don’t go blaming Wolfe. I’ll only go to one shop, I’ll be done in a jiffy. Let’s go.”
“You are a sweetheart, Daph. Thanks for understanding.”
He was still reeling from the shock of seeing Therèse. He couldn’t believe she had returned to Martinique. When she’d left the island, she’d sworn she would never return. He wondered what had happened to cause her to come back, after two long years. Two long years of hurting, wanting, and needing her with no solace anywhere. Why now, when he was just beginning to get on with his life?
Her returning now would reopen a wound that still festers, a wound that refused to heal, and he had tried. Boy, had he tried. Nothing worked. It was as if she had infected him with an incurable virus and there was no antidote for it.
It was ironic because he’d first met Therèse at this very same coffee shop, two years prior. He’d walked into the shop with a couple of friends. They were being loud and obnoxious, as usual, having just returned from an away game. They had won six-two. They were ecstatic.
Being the last one to enter the coffee shop, he stood in the doorway, glancing around, trying to spot his friend Clayton, (Clay to his friends), who owned the shop. He couldn’t spot him, and was about to make his way to the back, when Clay had walked in. They greeted each other with the usual fist bumping, and the usual request from Clay asking him to keep his friends under control.
“I don’t know if I can. You know how the guys get when they have a win, especially from an away game, but I’ll try.”
“Just try, that’s all I asked,” Clay replied.
As he’d turned to walk away, his gaze had fallen on the most beautiful creature he had ever laid eyes upon. She had wide, expressive, almost silver-colored eyes. He did have a thing for beautiful, wide eyes. Couple that with full, pouting lips, and he was lost. She was so gorgeous it took his breath away. He was never one to be attracted to a woman for her physical appearance alone, but there was something about this girl that spoke to him. He’d felt a connection with her; to this day, he couldn’t explain it. It just happened.
She had been with a group of women, and he could tell immediately that they were all tourists. So he made a detour to avoid walking in her direction, and went to join his friends at the other end of the shop. The distance didn’t make an iota of a difference; he was aware of her every move, even if he tried not to he felt her. He felt her like an itch under his skin.
The women spoke among themselves, only in English, and he found himself following the high-low dive of the English accent. He knew when she was speaking because her voice had a melodious quality to it, which was further emphasized by her British accent.
He couldn’t hear what they were discussing, but whatever it was, it was causing her some concern because he heard her say, “Ah, c’mon, you guys, let’s not do this. I don’t like it one bit.”
Although his back was to her group and he tried to get into the camaraderie with his friends, his body leaned toward her, like a flower following the rays of the sun.
Looking back now, he had to conclude they were destined to meet because, as he turned to leave, coffee in hand, she did the same, and they collided. Coffee spilled everywhere, and some of the hot liquid splashed onto her face and hands. In no time, her beautiful face was covered with large red blotches, transforming her into an unrecognizable, fiery-faced individual. So, of course, he had to be the Good Samaritan and offered to take her to the hospital emergency room. He’d suffered only minor burns on his left hand because he’d instinctively leaped out of the way. Her injuries were much worse, and he’d felt responsible. Although it had not been totally his fault, he couldn’t just walk away.
So he took her to the local hospital, and although her French was decent, he had been able to speed things up, by conversing in the native Creole to the nurse on duty and got a doctor to attend her right away.
He’d spent the entire day with her in the hospital. She had been in a lot of pain, yet she didn’t complain, not once, neither did she blame him. She had refused the painkillers they had given her, so he’d found himself talking with her well into the night to take her mind off the pain.
Her friends came to sit with her, but she’d wanted him to stay. She’d told them she’d be fine with him. They had been reluctant to leave her with him, a stranger, particularly the one she had called Earline. Earline did not want to leave, but she had insisted on being left alone with him. It was as if she cherished their time together as much as he did.
He was only too happy to remain with her. The more time he spent with her, the more he liked what he saw. He’d found out her name was Therèse, spelled and pronounced with a French accent mark. She had been named after her French maternal grandmother. She was a good natured young woman with a very vibrant personality that was evident even in her pain.
He spent hours with her talking and laughing, and not once was he bored. After she’d left the hospital, he spent every spare moment he had with her. Wherever Therèse went, there he was. They became inseparable in a very short space of time.
He’d lost all interest in the local girls. He devoted all his time to Therèse. When he was not physically with her, he talked to her on the telephone. He needed to hear her voice if he could not be with her in person.
And so began their passionate love affair, one that threatened to unhinge him. But Foxx would not have had it any other way. They packed a lifetime of living and loving into Therèse’s three-month vacation. He was hers to command. He needed her, needed to be inside her, needed to feel her writhing in total abandon beneath him, on top of him, around him. Hell, he just needed her, even more than he needed to breathe, he needed Therèse. He had considered himself experienced with women, but all his previous encounters paled in comparison to being with Therèse.
She had little experience of her own, but what she lacked in that aspect, she’d made up for in enthusiasm. For his part, the feel of her every time he’d made love to her was something he’d never felt before or since.
His entire existence seemed to hinge on her. She was equally besotted with him, or so he thought, until it came time for her to leave the island and return to her home in England.
She’d chosen England over him and had returned to Bedfordshire and the small bookstore dealing in collectors’ editions she had recently opened.
He’d found out that the enormous amount of work she’d put into opening the bookstore had been the primary reason for her trip to Martinique. Her friends had decided she needed a holiday after working night and day, none stop, to
open the shop on schedule. They’d all agreed that the effort had nearly caused her to have a nervous breakdown.
When she had left him, he’d been so desperate that he’d even contemplated traveling to England after her, but it had not been possible at the time.
He and Wolfe had taken over the management of two family restaurants, and it was critical that he remained until the restaurants had become solvent again. He couldn’t leave the responsibility of two failing restaurants for Wolfe to handle all by himself; it would have been unconscionable.
No amount of pleading on his part had been successful in persuading Therèse to extend her vacation for a month or so, just to give him enough time to put in place some help for Wolfe, so that he could be free to accompany her.
So smitten was he that he had not given much thought to what would happen when he got to England. His primary concern had been being with Therèse, but evidently she’d not felt the same. She’d left him a broken man, and he doubted he would have made it without the support of his family, especially Wolfe’s.
Call him coward, but he dared not reenter the café knowing Therèse was in there. So he turned tail and ran, taking Daphne with him.
Poor Daphne! He was really lousy company, not been able to concentrate on anything. He drove her home as soon as she’d completed her errands.
Seeing Therèse in the café sent him into a tailspin. In that split second, the past two years of emotional progress disappeared, and he was back to hurting, to missing her, to needing her. His craving for her should have lessened after two years, but, if anything, it seemed to have increased. No sooner had he seen her than he experienced an immediate reaction that resonated in his groin. He was in a semi-aroused state that just wouldn’t quit.