returntobelletori_GEN
Page 1
Table of Contents
Excerpt
Return to Belle Tori
Blurb
Preface
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
Preview the next book
About the Author
eBooks by Michelle Hoppe
Michelle recommends … Sami Lee
Excerpt
The soft, slow strains of the waltz continued, as Gregory glided across the floor, Sophia in his arms. She followed his lead, her feet moving in the direction the soft pressure from his fingers on her waist directed. Her scent filled his nostrils, an intoxicating mixture of orchids and spice. Her breast pressed against his chest, her eyes smiling up into his.
“The beauty of this music only pales when compared to the beauty of your eyes.”
“Your tongue is as smooth as your father’s.”
“I would not know since I have yet to meet the man.” Gregory regretted the words the moment they left his lips. The smile faded from her face as she realized what she had said. “Do not worry chéri, I have no doubt my debonair qualities come from my father.”
“I’m sorry Greg; I did not mean to hurt you.”
“And you didn’t.” Moving quickly, he danced her off the crowded floor. Without giving her a chance to stop him, he swept her out the open French doors into the garden. Taking her hand in his he ran toward the high outer wall of the estate, putting distance between them and the other guests. The further away from the mansion he traveled the darker the night became.
“Greg, where are we going?”
Slowing to a walk, he turned, pulled her body in a tight embrace and lowered his lips to hers. Moving his hands over the bare skin of her shoulders, he kissed her deep, his tongue exploring the soft moist inside of her mouth.
She leaned into his embrace, her hands coming to rest on his waist as she allowed his tongue to mingle with hers, plunging first into his mouth, then hers until he pulled his lips free. “I could get lost in your kiss, Sophia.”
“Then I fear we are doomed, monsieur.”
“Why do you say such a thing?”
“Because I am already lost in yours.”
Greg tenderly kissed her again, his fingers moving up and down her spine. He deepened the kiss, sucking her tongue into his mouth as he worked the laces holding her bustier in place. He felt her pull back. “What is wrong, chéri?”
Putting her hands on his chest, she leaned away from his body. “I cannot.”
“You cannot what?”
“Greg, I’m working. I cannot be away from the party without Pierre discovering I am missing. I must return inside.”
“Like hell. I have waited for this moment all damn day. I want to make love to you, Sophia. There are plenty of others to care for the needs of the male guests.”
“I do more than care for the needs of male guests.”
“Yes, you are very talented at setting the security system.”
“Fuck you.”
“Oui, I accept your offer, fair Sophia.” Watching her sputter, trying to find words to respond, he was shocked when she simply stomped her foot and walked away. Waiting until she reached the lighted area near the garden, he hit his fist in the air and walked toward the kitchen entrance.
Return to Belle Tori
Belle Tori, Book 2
Michelle Hoppe
Published 2018 by Book Boutiques.
ISBN: 978-1-946363-89-3
Copyright © 2018, Michelle Hoppe.
All rights reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of Book Boutiques.
This book is a work of fiction. Any similarity to actual persons, living or dead, locales, or events is wholly coincidental. The names, characters, dialogue, and events in this book are from the author’s imagination and should not to be construed as real.
Manufactured in the USA.
Email support@bookboutiques.com with questions, or inquiries about Book Boutiques.
Blurb
It’s hard to convince someone they’re your soul mate if you can’t find them!
Book 2 of Michelle Hoppe’s passion-filled contemporary series, Belle Tori, finds Jason Hunter globetrotting in a wild game of hide and seek.
In Return to Belle Tori, you’ll find the road to romance is full of twists and turns, and sometimes you have to wait for Fate to take a hand.
Follow Jason on a wild ride as he searches the world for the woman of his dreams. With the help of the staff at Club Belle Tori, his best friend Samuel Grimes, and a Las Vegas PI, Jason closes in on his prey.
After months of searching, the most unlikely chain of events leads to the discovery of her hideaway. With his goal almost in sight, for the first time in months, Jason is unprepared for the twist of fate that may keep him from her side a little longer.
Return to Belle Tori is a fantastic romp around the world as Jason and Victoria await the fates bringing them together again. And the question everyone wants answered: Will Jason take advantage of the club’s pleasures while the search is on, or will he remain true to the woman he believes is his soul mate.
Previously Published
(2004) Liquid Silver Books | Original Title: Belle Tori Too
Dedication
To my wonderful friend Karen Graham, I dedicate this, the second book in the Belle Tori series, to you. It was your faith and continued support which convinced me to submit the first book in this series for publication.
Without your repeated assurances that “yes people want to read this type of romance” I might still have my books safely tucked away in a drawer.
Thank you, Karen. I love you.
Acknowledgements
Cover Artist: Valerie Tibbs, Tibbs Design
Preface
Nestled between the covers of this novel you will find the second part of a great love story; the heart-stopping, toe-tingling, sensual romance of Victoria Lane and Jason Hunter.
Book One—Club Belle Tori—introduced Jason Hunter, a handsome, self-made millionaire playboy. Tricked by his best friend Samuel Grimes into joining the very exclusive Club Belle Tori, a Las Vegas swingers club, named for its beautiful sexy owner, Victoria Lane.
Jason, known to his friends as Jase, is a headstrong determined charmer, used to getting what he wants. He was confident Victoria would be no different from all the other women over the years. His seduction of the beautiful Victoria did not go exactly as planned; he never expected to fall in love, any more than he expected her to flee his arms at the first possible opportunity.
Pierre DuMonte, best friend and business partner of Victoria, aided Samuel Grimes in his plot, along with the staff of Club Belle Tori. Tony, the bartender, Sophia, the club’s customer service coordinator, and Yvette, Victoria’s secretary. These five people twisted fate to their will and fanned the flames of desire.
Victoria Lane, lovingly nicknamed Tori by her grandmamma, did not want to fight any longer. Pierre was determined to see her in a one-on-one relationship. Believing her wild life as owner of a swing club was not enough, he railroaded her into agreeing to meet Jason.
Stu
nned silent from the moment they met, Victoria surrendered to Jason’s well-executed moves, once again allowing a man below the surface of her womanhood. It did not take long for memories of her husband Matt, killed in some random shooting seven years earlier, to crash in. Dread and fear seeped deeper into her heart, when during an evening on the town, she witnessed Jason fight for his life with a knife-wielding drunk.
Only seven days after their first glorious moments together, Jason, injured and worried, was forced to return to his office in New York City. Afraid to leave, unable to stay, he needed three short days to resolve the problems plaguing a client, before he would be free to return to Belle Tori. Knowing her fears were unfounded, Jason reluctantly kissed her good-bye, promising to return and devote the rest of his life to loving her.
Victoria, driven by the deeply rooted terror of losing another man, and against the advice of Pierre, decided this budding relationship with Jason would never work. Putting aside her growing feelings, letting go of the joy she felt in his arms, and with uncertainty in her heart, she gave into her dread. Only hours after Jason left for New York, Victoria boarded a plane and disappeared into the setting sun.
Monday morning Jason returned to Club Belle Tori as promised. Pierre was waiting at the top of the stairs when his limo arrived. While Pierre did his best to soften the blow, he knew if Jason was the man he believed him to be, the shock would quickly run its course. He was not disappointed as Jason took control.
Chapter 1
Has it only been four months, Jase wondered to himself. It seems like a lifetime. Yet the search was no closer to completion than the day he started. Four long months of loneliness, frustration and dead ends, as days melted into weeks. One hundred and twelve days of longing, yearning for the woman he held in his arms for only a moment in time, the night they met, forever etched on his soul.
He closed his eyes and dreamt of her skin, soft and smooth, as her naked flesh responded to his touch. The remembrance of her lips warm and hungry, as her tongue sought the very depths of his mouth. In his mind, he saw the way her hair curled, framing her face. The satisfaction in her eyes as she reached the edges of ecstasy. To hold her again, the driving force behind his months-long search of the world for the woman he loved.
It was not fate which had brought them together. It was careful planning and plotting by two friends. His best friend, Samuel Grimes and her best friend, Pierre DuMonte, took destiny by the hand to work fate to their will. They lured him here to Las Vegas with a simple plan in mind: open the doorway to passion by introducing man and woman, stand back, and watch the heat build until the flames of love ran out of control.
In his wildest dreams, he never imagined finding a woman so closely matched to his needs. She was open, honest, and headstrong. The last quality not his favorite, for it was her inability to accept fate which led her to flee from his arms. The chance encounter with a knife-wielding drunk, a small yet bloody cut on his chest, and her damn fear of losing a man, driving her to run before their love could grow strong enough to overcome all.
After a quick trip to his New York office, he'd returned to Belle Tori to find her missing, turning the dream into a nightmare. Never one to lose control, Jason came close that day. Stupid, childish, selfish. All words he used to describe her behavior, as he yelled like a lovesick schoolboy.
Pierre offered no interference when he took control of Club Belle Tori. This was where he felt closest to Victoria, here in her club, her home, with her staff. He moved into the residence, commandeering her office and Yvette, her secretary. Never doubting success, he hired a private investigator to find her. All he needed to bring her safely back was for someone, anyone, to tell him where she was hiding.
It is ironic, Jason thought, her fear of losing me to death, has driven her to lose me in life. Was it only four months, it seemed like a lifetime?
* * * *
The cold November air, driven by unseen forces, swept over manicured gardens, knocking the last late buds of fall from their stems. Winter snows were still a couple of weeks away, yet the bitter cold of the French countryside seeped in to steal body heat quickly. At the far end of the valley lay the Parker family estate, its granite manor built in the eighteenth century, protected by high stone walls. It was mid-afternoon, the sun just starting its descent on the horizon. Church services ended mid-morning and the Parker clan gathered to celebrate the birthday of the heir apparent. His coming of age party had been planned to the last detail, complete with gifts and advice from the many friends and relatives invited to share this occasion.
Yet those who knew this outgoing young man best were aware he needed some time alone. Daniel James Parker Senior walked quickly away from the milling guests, leading his grandson toward the solitude of the balcony. As they stood in silence overlooking the fields below, Daniel tried once again to make amends. “Take as much time as you need son, I will keep the wolves at bay,” referring to the fifty-plus people attending the party, mostly well-meaning family members, wishing to share sage advice on his plans for the future.
“Thank you.”
Turning to look his grandson in the eye, Daniel smiled weakly, “Just remember we all believed it was best to wait for you to come of age before allowing you to set out on your journey.”
Gregory Parker was a fine young man, strong, determined, and highly intelligent. “You were all wrong, Sir,” the bitter tone of his voice a telltale sign of his steadfast anger. “The last three years have been hell, and why? What grand purpose was served by making me wait?”
“Your mother was and still is concerned, Greg. She had her reasons.” Knowing they would never agree, Daniel did not wait for a response. Instead, he briefly tapped Gregory’s shoulder in reassurance before turning to leave him alone with his thoughts.
* * * *
Thinking back on the last twenty-one years, he knew his mother loved him completely and wanted only the best for him. However, he had a right, a right to know his father, even if it was twenty-one years after his birth. There was no lack of male role models in his life, his grandfather and uncles provided all the companionship a young growing boy needed. Yet from the time he was five years old he'd known that an important person was missing.
Outsiders, looking in, believed Gregory’s life was perfect. But, there was a void in his life only a father could fill.
Time and time again, he questioned his mother about his father. Each time she told him the story needed to wait until he was older. Three years ago, on his eighteenth birthday, Gregory took his mother aside, to this exact same balcony, and told her it was time. He did not give her the opportunity to put it off again. After several minutes of arguing, she finally agreed to tell him.
“I was seventeen and my father consented to my spending the summer in Paris with friends. He rented an apartment for us on the Champs de la Rouge. We left right after school let out,” she started to explain.
Anxious to get to his father’s name, Gregory tried to interrupt her, “I don’t need a long story Mother, just his damn name.”
Ignoring his outburst, Babbitt Parker drew her lips tight, her well-shaped brow lifting slightly at her son’s use of foul language. “There is no need for vulgarity young man,” she stated flatly. “And, before I continue with this story, I want you to promise me something,”
“What do you want mother?”
“You will promise not to leave in search of him until you are twenty-one,” she replied.
“Twenty-one!” he shouted. “Mother I’ve waited eighteen years for you to tell me about my father and now you expect me to wait three more to go find the man. What kind of bullshit is this?” Her earlier admonishment about swearing, brought to mind by the lifting of her brow, reminded him to remain calm. Reining in his temper he again tried to reason with her. “I am sorry mother, but I’m unwilling to put off the search for my father any longer. You should have told me years ago who he is.”
“Be grateful for what I’m willing to tell you son. If you w
ould prefer to await your twenty-first birthday we can rejoin your grandparents in the salon.” Her voice held a note of finality. Gregory knew he would have to consent to her demands or wait; something he was not willing to do. With little hesitation, he agreed to his mother’s stipulation. Less than an hour later, he knew the entire story.
Now here he was, twenty-one years old, standing on the same balcony of his mothers’ family estate. Tomorrow he would be boarding a plane to the United States where he would finally meet the man who should have been part of his life from the beginning. Gregory was excited, nervous, and relieved.
For the last two weeks all his mother could do was warn him about the dangers of American culture, as well as worry that his father would refuse to see him. She had driven him to distraction, which in turn led to his continued use of foul language, causing her to chide him repeatedly. Now with less than twenty-four hours to wait, all he wanted was to speed up time and get to the airport.
Thinking fondly of his grandfather and silently thanking him, Gregory descended the stairs heading toward the stables. Hoping to delay his return to the party, he saddled his horse, riding out into the windswept fields.
Chapter 2
Seven long days after leaving France, Gregory Parker finally arrived in Las Vegas. He had spent his first three days in New York, waiting for the Parker family law firm to locate his father, while he played the tourist, seeing the many sights the city had to offer. He enjoyed the ride to the top of The Empire State Building, and the Statue of Liberty. Grand Central Station was too crowded, but the nightlife was wonderful.
He found freedom in New York City. Away from the watchful eyes of his family, he was able to be himself, do what he wanted, and enjoyed being on his own for the first time in his life. The excitement and noise of this great city appealed to his youth. He decided he would return to this exciting city and play, after his search for his father was complete.