by Cheryl Holt
“Maybe. Or maybe not. What are the chances we would cross paths? What are the chances my father would be Captain Miles Ralston and you would be a Lost Girl? Can’t you feel how we’ve been drawn together?”
“I might feel it. Occasionally.”
“I’ve tried to stay away from you, but no matter what I do, I’m dragged back to your side. It’s my destiny to wed you, Caro. How can you imagine Fate—and my father’s ghost—will permit me to escape your steady pull?”
She been gradually retreating, and finally, she bumped into the stones of the fireplace. He realized she could go no farther, and he swooped in and wrapped her in his arms, his blue eyes filled with anguish.
“Don’t turn me away, Caro,” he said. “If you won’t be mine, if you won’t have me, what will become of me?”
“Would you really give up your gambling club?”
“Yes, yes, yes! A thousand times yes. I would give up the world for you.”
With that, he swept her into a torrid kiss that was wild and debauched. The passion they generated was like an explosion, like a detonation that could incinerate the whole kingdom. It was fiery and raw, and she shouldn’t have participated, but the sorry fact was that she’d never been able to resist him, and she couldn’t now.
He continued on, wearing her down until her limbs were rubbery, as if her bones had melted. If he hadn’t been holding her up, she might have sunk to the floor in a stunned heap.
The information he’d shared had left her dazed and perplexed, so on the spur of the moment, she shouldn’t agree to wed. She should ponder and debate in a rational way. Yet how could she not agree?
She always conveniently forgot that she’d lain with him, so it was possible she was increasing with his child. They’d sinned and marriage was the sole remedy that would save them. Could she remain stupidly proud and reject him?
He’d proposed that night in London, and he’d just proposed again. What if she refused him, and he had enough of her stubbornness? He was proud too. What if he stomped out? Could she bear to suffer that conclusion?
Her fit of pique had been fueled by his gambling, by his owning his wicked club, but he’d offered to relinquish it. For her. So she’d be happy. So she’d trust him. When he was prepared to make such a sacrifice, could she ignore it? Could she walk away?
No, she couldn’t.
Eventually, he slowed and their lips parted. He gazed down at her and said, “You still haven’t answered my question. Will you marry me, Caro? Will you let me be your kept man? If you won’t have me, if you force me to carry on without you, how will I survive the loss?”
“Oh, Caleb. . .”
“I love you, Caro.”
The declaration burst out of him, and they were the last words she’d ever expected to hear. Before she could stop herself, she said, “I love you too.”
“Then why are we arguing? Say yes. Say you’ll have me as your husband.”
She stared up at him, and she was deluged by a river of images. She recalled the first day they’d met out on the lane at Grey’s Corner. He’d instantly tantalized her, and since then, her infatuation had only grown.
Her entire life, she’d simply wanted one thing: She’d wanted someone to have for her very own. She’d wanted someone to cherish. And here he was! Caleb Ralston! The one man who would be hers forever.
She inhaled a deep breath and held it, then, feeling as if she was running toward a cliff and about to jump over, she said, “Yes, Caleb, I will marry you. I will have you as my husband.”
“Do you mean it? I won’t allow you to change your mind later on.”
“I won’t ever change my mind.”
A knock sounded on the door, and Libby hollered, “What’s happening in there? It’s awfully quiet. You two haven’t murdered each other, have you?”
A key was stuck in the lock, and Libby peeked in, seeing them huddled in each other’s arms over by the hearth.
She raised a brow. “I take it everything is fine.”
“Yes, Libby,” Caro said, “everything is perfect.”
Lord Barrett followed Libby in and asked, “Are we having another wedding?”
Caleb responded, “Yes, we are.”
Lord Barrett shuddered. “The air is brimming with matrimony, and I can’t fathom why it’s occurring or what’s causing it.”
“It’s easy to figure it out,” Libby told him. “After too many years of searching, the Lost Girls have found the men of their dreams.”
Caroline smiled up at Caleb and said, “Aren’t we lucky?”
THE END
“Best storyteller of the year . . .”
Romantic Times Magazine
“Cheryl Holt is magnificent . . .”
Reader to Reader Reviews
“Cheryl Holt is on my ‘favorite authors’ list. I can’t wait to see what she’ll write next.”
The Reading Café
“A master writer . . .”
Fresh Fiction
Here’s what readers are saying . . .
“OMG! I just started reading this series yesterday. It was hard for me to close my Kindle and go to bed. So, so good!”
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“Cheryl Holt has packed in so much action that the reader is constantly spellbound. So many characters, so vividly portrayed! Rogues, unfaithfulness, loyalty, and delightful dialogue. You will love this book!”
Gladys
“It was fabulous! I laughed, I cried, I got angry, and I smiled. I read the whole book without stopping.”
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“Action, drama, and intrigue. I read it in one afternoon. I couldn’t put it down!”
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“You just can’t wait to turn the page to see what happens next. Outstanding!”
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“This book is such an emotional roller-coaster. I cried and laughed and cheered. It was so good!”
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SOMEONE TO WED
SOMEONE TO CHERISH
SOMEONE TO LOVE
MY SCOUNDREL
ALWAYS MINE
ALWAYS YOURS
ALWAYS
JILTED BY A ROGUE
JILTED BY A SCOUNDREL
JILTED BY A CAD
FOREVER
FOREVER AFTER
FOREVER MINE
FOREVER YOURS
ONLY MINE
ONLY YOU
HEART’S DEBT
SCOUNDREL
HEART’S DEMAND
HEART’S DESIRE
HEART’S DELIGHT
WONDERFUL
WANTON
WICKED
SEDUCING THE GROOM
LOVE’S PERIL
LOVE’S PRICE
LOVE’S PROMISE
SWEET SURRENDER
THE WEDDING
MUD CREEK
MARRY ME
LOVE ME
KISS ME
SEDUCE ME
KNIGHT OF SEDUCTION
NICHOLAS
DREAMS OF DESIRE
TASTE OF TEMPTATION
PROMISE OF PLEASURE
SLEEPING WITH THE DEVIL
DOUBLE FANTASY
FORBIDDEN FANTASY
SECRET FANTASY
TOO WICKED TO WED
TOO TEMPTING TO TOUCH
TOO HOT TO HANDLE
FURTHER THAN PASSION
DEEPER THAN DESIRE
MORE THAN SEDUCTION
COMPLETE ABANDON
ABSOLUTE PLEASURE
TOTAL SURRENDER
LOVE LESSONS
MOUNTAIN DREAMS
MY TRUE LOVE
MY ONLY LOVE
MEG’S SECRET ADMIRER
THE WAY OF THE HEART
Someone to Cherish
Copyright 2020 by Cheryl Holt
All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions.
ISBN: 978-1-64871-173-2 (Paperback)
ISBN: 978-1-64871-171-8 (eBook)
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Cover Design: Angela Waters
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CHERYL HOLT is a New York Times, USA Today, and Amazon “Top 100” bestselling author who has published over fifty novels.
She’s also a lawyer and mom, and at age forty, with two babies at home, she started a new career as a commercial fiction writer. She’d hoped to be a suspense novelist, but couldn’t sell any of her manuscripts, so she ended up taking a detour into romance where she was stunned to discover that she has a knack for writing some of the world’s greatest love stories.
Her books have been released to wide acclaim, and she has won or been nominated for many national awards. She is considered to be one of the masters of the romance genre. For many years, she was hailed as “The Queen of Erotic Romance,” and she’s also revered as “The International Queen of Villains.” She is particularly proud to have been named “Best Storyteller of the Year” by the trade magazine Romantic Times BOOK Reviews.
She lives and writes in Hollywood, California, and she loves to hear from fans. Visit her website at www.cherylholt.com.