by Ju Ephraime
“I can’t remember for certain. At the time I was so petrified. I thought someone was trying to kill me. They fed into my insecurities, and I was too naïve to notice.”
“But try to think back to one incident. For example, was Earline present when that rock flew into your room?”
“You know, thinking about that particular incident, I don’t recall Earline being there. I had gone to Marcie’s room, and we went to Tia’s, but when we went to Earline’s room, she was not there. At the time, I didn’t think anything of it because we always stayed in our rooms or by the pool until the late afternoon. Earline had walked up while we were in the manager’s office. She didn’t seem unduly perturbed about the incident, not like Marcie and Tia. Her main concern was telling me I had to get off the island before I became a statistic. And stupid me, I believed her.”
“You aren’t stupid, darling. You were in a foreign country, and someone evidently wanted to keep you away from me. That would scare anyone, especially if you had no idea who wanted to harm you. The rock through the hotel room was bad, but the rock through the windshield could have caused you to have an accident, and then who knows what would have happened? This is a wicked woman.”
“I believe she is certifiable. To do this to me, someone she professed to love, is beyond insanity. She is someone to fear. It took me a long while to stop looking around, waiting for someone to attack me at any moment. Even though I’d returned to England, the fear never left me. I had a difficult time sleeping, and missing you didn’t help.”
“I’m so sorry you had to go through that, but had you confided in me, some of this could have been avoided.”
“In retrospect, I see that now, but at the time, I couldn’t convince myself that you could protect me. I didn’t know how determined the other woman was to get you. So, I figured, if I removed myself, the threat would go away, but I was wrong. I see that now.”
“I’m glad to hear you acknowledge that,” he said.
“I’m still mystified as to why she picked me out of the group to focus her obsessive attention on. I gave her no indication I was swinging that way.”
“Sometimes you don’t have to do anything to attract someone’s attention, and evidently, this had been brewing for a while. What it does show, however, is that you had no confidence in me.”
“I do have confidence in you. I knew you would rescue me tonight. Don’t ask me how I knew; I just did,” she told him.
Running her hands over his arms, she reached up to press a kiss on his lips.
“I love you, Foxx. I love you so much it hurts.”
“Tell me we’ll be together from now on,” he whispered against her lips. “No more secrets.”
He gazed at her in soul-deep sincerity.
“Yes.” She nodded slowly. “You have my word this time.”
“Does that mean you’ll be marrying me soon?” he asked, staring at her with some concern about her answer after what she’d just been through.
But a radiant smile broke across her face. “Of course I will,” she whispered in a tone of pure joy. “It’s the only way I know to heal my broken heart.”
She was sitting on his lap while she sipped the shot of Hennessy he had given her, supposedly to relax her and numb the pain and discomfort she was experiencing. So, she was in a blissful alcoholic fog.
She felt so lethargic she didn’t want to move, and being in the comfort of Foxx’s arms, having him love her as he used to, was just where she wanted to be. Thinking about it, indirectly, she had Earline to thank for helping her achieve her ultimate goal.
She knew Foxx had feelings for her, but it was getting damn near impossible to get him to acknowledge it so they could move on. This might very well prove to be the catalyst they needed.
Foxx’s lip twisted as he noticed the look of contentment on her face. He saw the unadorned light of love shining in her eyes. She was his. There was no fighting it. He couldn’t afford to lose her again. This time he intended to keep her with him for eternity and beyond!
“Are you ready for that shower now?” he asked.
“Yes, I believe I am. Otherwise, I’ll fall asleep in your arms like a contented baby.”
“That I won’t mind at all,” he said as he took her with him into the shower.
She was covered with dirt from the bag, and some of it had gotten on him. He stripped them both and then stepped into the shower, still holding her as he bathed her like a baby. After the shower, he wrapped her in a warm towel and applied some antiseptic ointment to her face.
With the mist of tears in his eyes, he whispered against her lips, “I love you. Vous pauvre, mon chéri. You poor darling! I’m yours. Always and forever!”
This man was so concerned for her. He owned her heart. She placed her hand on his face and gave it a love rub as he leaned down toward her. When he turned his face into her hand, she rubbed his lips with her finger.
Foxx opened his mouth and sucked her finger in, doing with her finger what she wanted to do to him. She opened her mouth to take in a ragged breath, and quick as a fox, he took her mouth in a hungry, passionate kiss.
It was the kind of sinful, wicked kiss that signaled trouble for her, but she was saved because her body gave into exhaustion and she was asleep before she knew it.
“Therèse!” Foxx tried to wake the woman who had slept beside him the whole night through without waking once. His poor baby was exhausted. This entire business with Earline had taken its toll on her. He was just about to shake her again when she turned and buried her face against his chest. He knew she was awake.
“I love you, Foxx. I cannot stop telling you because I’m so sorry I caused you unnecessary pain. I love you deeply, passionately, and completely.”
“My darling, I love you, too. I never stopped loving you. You are everything I ever wanted in a woman, Therèse. My heart recognized you that day in the café. I never thought I’d say this, but the pain was worth it because it’s all the sweeter loving you all over again. You are in my blood.”
They remained in bed, and he had his way with her, loving her as only Foxx could.
He had her breathing in ragged gasps as he went from one breast to the other, sucking hard. Flipping her onto her stomach, he brought her back into the fold of his body and drove into her again and again until she was clenching around him. He was coming with an orgasm that seemed to go on and on. It hit him with such force that he slammed into her just as she claimed her release, and they soared together.
“We’re not done,” he whispered hoarsely into her ear as her body relaxed back into him. Reaching down, he plucked at the nub of flesh that was super-sensitive at the moment, with fingers that knew her far too well.
Another orgasm rocked through her, causing her to scream only one word, his name. “Foxx.”
Epilogue
Foxx sank into the softness of the bed and told himself there was no way he should be feeling as hungry for the woman lying across his body as he did. But he couldn’t help it. He knew he was besotted and didn’t care. He felt a deep sense of rightness. She was his world, and without her, he was nothing!
Freshly showered, Therèse was lying against Foxx’s chest, her body warm and sated. She loved this man with a love that knew no boundaries, no limits; she was unequivocally his.
Taking his hand, she looked at the ring on his finger... Her ring that she had placed there when they had exchanged vows. He was her husband now, hers for all eternity.
They had been married in the same chapel where Daphne and Wolfe had been married, but unlike Daphne, she hadn’t wanted a big wedding. Foxx had to persuade her to get married in a church because she was happy with having a justice of the peace do the honors.
Foxx’s mother would have none of it. She conceded to not having the big wedding she had been looking forward to planning, but on the church issue she could not be swayed.
His mother was not buying into the quickie wedding, and when her own parents sided with his mother, it was thr
ee against one. Foxx stayed out of it. He wanted whatever she wanted, but in the end, the parents won. So a church wedding it was, followed by a small, intimate family breakfast.
Her parents flew over for the wedding, and they loved the island so much they remained for two extra weeks after the wedding. The only other guests from her side were two of her alumnae sisters, Marcie and Tia. They, too, were delighted to be back visiting the island under happier circumstances.
Foxx was quite taken with her parents. He claimed to be indebted to them because they were the ones who’d made it possible for her to return to the island a second time, and for that, he would be forever grateful.
When he thought back to how he’d almost lost her, it gave him the shakes. Taking hold of her left hand, he spread it over his heart while his other hand caressed her stomach where his child was growing inside her.
He loved this woman, and it would take him a lifetime to show her how much. For now, he had to be content just telling her. “Je t’aime, ma chérie. Mon coeur est à toi, maintenant et pour toujours! I love you, sweetheart. My heart is yours, now and forever.”
Complete
Surrender
Ju Ephraime
Envision School Publishing.com
Connecticut, 2014
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.
ENVISION Business & Computer School Publishing, an Imprint of ENVISION Business & Computer School, LLC 23 Kimberly Avenue West Haven, CT 06516
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.
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.”
Copyright © 2014 Julia E. Antoine
All rights reserved.
ISBN-13: 9780989561549
ISBN-10: 0989561542
LCCN: 2013954313
www.juliaeantoine.com
Printed in the U.S.A.
This is the third title in the LaCasse series, set in the beautiful island of Martinique with its wonderful and exciting people.
There are so many people I have to thank for making this book possible, I’ll begin with my friends across the pond, and my daughter, who took time off from her busy schedule to give this book a final inspection for me, to all of you, I say, thanks. It most certainly takes a village.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Prologue
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
Prologue
Raymond was feeling on top of the world. He was on his way to the airport to catch a flight back to his island home of Martinique. He had been gone for a little over five years now, and it would be good to be home to see his family. The last time he had visited was to attend his brother, Wolfe's wedding. Wolfe had married an American, and they’d just had a new baby. He had also found out that, in the past six months, his other brother, Wolfe's twin, Foxx, had himself married a foreigner, this time a British woman. He had yet to meet her because, according to Wolfe, their wedding had taken place in an almighty big hurry because, supposedly, Therèse, Foxx's new wife, was with child. They had deprived his mother of her customary big wedding, although they did get married in the same church where Daphne and Wolfe had gotten married. It was a very simple affair that only a few family members attended. If he knew his maman, she must have been beside herself. Oh well.
He hated having to leave Paris in the winter, but it couldn't be avoided. His family was very close, and he did not want to go another year without seeing them. His sister, Franchesca, who was older than him by four years, had graduated with her doctorate and was just beginning to get comfortable in her new job. He, on the other hand, was satisfied with getting his Master’s; he didn't have the ambition to go on to get his doctorate like Franchesca. He had landed a job with a large investment firm in Paris while attending university. The money was good, and the company was solid. He had been there for the duration of his four years of college.
He was getting impatient; the cab should have been there already. He detested having to race through the airport to get to his plane. The security at the airport was so tight that anyone caught rushing was immediately held back, enough to slow them down and, often times, causing that individual to miss his or her flight. He prayed this would not be his fate today. He had no intention of hanging around the airport terminal.
Just then, he heard a horn, and as he looked out of the window, he saw that it was the cab. Grabbing his suitcase and coat, he gave one last look around his apartment and raced down the stairs. Luckily for him, he was only on the third floor.
He was in such a hurry he didn't even have time to put his coat on, so, as he rushed into the cab, he placed his coat on the seat next to him and proceeded to give the chauffeur instructions to take him to the airport. He settled back and closed his eyes because, if he remained with his eyes open, he would be tempted to leap over the front seat and take control of the wheel. That way, it was safer for both him and the driver.
The slowing down of the vehicle caused his eyes to snap open. There was no way they could be there already.
“Why are we stopping?"
“Je dois prendre un autre passanger. I have to pick up another passenger," the driver informed him.
“That is ridiculous,” he complained to the driver.
Just then, as if on cue, a woman stepped out of the building. To admit to her being sensational would have been an understatement. She looked sensational. She was carrying a black overcoat and dressed all in black, with skin-tight pants, a body-hugging top and black riding boots, which drew attention to her long firm-looking legs.
As she came closer, he realized she was the other passenger the driver had stopped to pick up. Climbing into the cab, she said a brief 'hi' to him and proceeded to arrange her coat in the space between them.
He couldn’t help thinking that she had the most unusual eyes he’d ever seen. They were the lightest copper in color, as if lit from behind, causing them to glow like two large pennies. Her eyes gave her an innocent appearance until you took in her full, sensuous lips, which looked as if they were made for passionate nights.
Her skin was a smooth honey tone, and her hair was long and of a dark color. He couldn’t tell whether it was black or dark brown. A riot of curls framed her beautiful face. Whatever scent she was wearing must have gone to his head because, all of a sudden, he had a massive erection.
Sensing his distress, and thinking it was out of his displeasure at having to share a cab, she turned to apologize to him. But having the full effect of those gorgeous eyes on him was too much for Raymond. He found himself with the overwhelming desire to kiss those succulent lips. The desire was so powerful he almost found himself carrying out the thought before he got himself back in h
and.
He had to get a hold of himself before he assured her that he didn't mind sharing a cab with her. That was all he could say, so he closed his eyes, trying to shut her out, but she was all around him with her alluring scent. He refused to open his eyes to look into hers again—refused to allow her to see his vulnerability.
When he thought she was not looking, he stole a glance at her ring finger, looking for a wedding ring. He couldn't help thinking: If I had a wife who looked like this, I would not allow her to travel anywhere alone.
She caught him looking at her hand and gave him the most beautiful smile, and Lord, she had the two deepest dimples in her cheeks. He was lost; he had a strong partiality to women with dimples. He would really be screwed if he wasn't careful. So confused was he that he shifted away from her, leaving his belongings on the seat between them, as he tried to adjust himself.
All too soon, the cab stopped to let the woman off. She turned to him and thanked him again for allowing her to share his cab. He again reiterated that it was nothing. But, as he sat in the cab watching her walk away, he could not help thinking: There goes my ideal woman, and he hadn’t even asked her name. What a fool he was. Then it was his turn to be let off. Grabbing his suitcase and his coat, he made the same dash he’d been trying to avoid to the security area. Luckily for him, the line was not long because everyone was already on the plane.
He made it through security with barely enough time to get to the plane before they were taxiing the runway to take off.
He slept for most of the almost nine-hour flight. As the plane gained altitude, his ears began to pop. He always carried a packet of gum for just such an occasion, but he’d forgotten to take it out of his coat pocket. Reaching into the overhead storage, he tried searching for the gum but couldn’t seem to locate it. Taking the coat down from the bin to search more carefully, he was assaulted by the unique scent that the woman had been wearing in the cab. It was a faint scent of wild orchid. Why was the woman’s scent on his coat? He reached inside the pocket and took out the cell phone. It was vibrating like crazy, but he wouldn't dare answer it for fear of causing the flight attendant to come after him. He went into the bathroom with the coat, and the smell and feel of it hit him anew. It was even more powerful in the small confined space of the aircraft bathroom. He had loved the woman’s scent, but he couldn’t recall being so close to her that her scent got transferred to his coat.