Love’s Trusting
By
Maryann Jordan
Love’s Trusting
Copyright © 2015 Maryann Jordan
Kindle Edition
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without the written permission of the author, except where permitted by law.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Cover Design by: Kari Ayasha, Cover to Cover Designs
covertocoverdesigns.com
Editor: Shannon Brandee Eversoll
ISBN: 978-09864004-0-7
Dedication
I dedicate this love story to my husband, Michael. We met in high school and went our separate ways. We met in college and once again went our separate ways. Then we met one more time…and that was it. It was the right person at the right time. And we’ve been married for thirty-three years.
So to all the enduring loves, the second chances, the one-more-times. This book is for you.
Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright Page
Dedication
Acknowledgements
Author Information
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
Epilogue
Books by Maryann Jordan
Other Authors Of Interest
Acknowledgements
First and foremost, I have to thank my husband, Michael. Always believing in me and wanting me to pursue my dreams, this book would not be possible without his support. To my daughters, MaryBeth and Nicole, I taught you to follow your dreams and now it is time for me to take my own advice. You two are my inspiration.
My best friend, Tammie, who for eighteen years has been with me through thick and thin. You’ve filled the role of confidant, supporter, and sister.
My dear friend, Myckel Anne, who keeps me on track, keeps me grounded, and most of all – keeps my secrets. Thank you for not only being my proofreader, but my friend.
Going from blogger to author has allowed me to have the friendships and advice of several wonderful authors who always answered my questions, helped me over rough spots, and cheered me on. To Kristine Raymond, you gave me the green light when I wondered if I was crazy and you never let me give up. MJ Nightingale and Andrea Michelle – you two have made a huge impact on my life. Anna Mychals, EJ Shorthall, Victoria Brock, Jen Andrews, Andrea Long, A.d. Ellis, ML Steinbrunn, Sandra Love, thank you from the bottom of my heart.
My beta readers kept me sane, cheered me on, found all my silly errors, and often helped me understand my characters through their eyes. A huge thank you to Denise VanPlew, Sandi Laubhan, Barbara Martoncik, Vanessa Spradling, Jennifer Alumbaugh, Anna Mychals, Danielle Petersen, Shannon Brandee, Leeann Wright, Lynn Smith, Kelly Williams and Tracey Markin for being my beta girls who love alphas!
Shannon Brandee Eversoll has been my editor for the past three books and what she brings to my writing has been amazing. She and Myckel Anne Phillips as my proofreader gave their time and talents to making Love’s Trusting as well written as it can be.
My street team, Jordan Jewels, you all are amazing! You volunteer your time to promote my books and I cannot thank you enough! I hope you will stay with me, because I have lots more stories inside, just waiting to be written!
My Personal Assistant Barbara Martoncik is the woman that keeps me going when I feel overwhelmed and I am so grateful for not only her assistance, but her friendship.
This is the sixth book cover that Kari Ayasha from Cover to Cover Designs has created for me and her talent is evident in every detail. Thank you for working with me.
As the owner of the blog, Lost in Romance Books, I know the selflessness of bloggers. We promote indie authors on our own time because we believe fully in the indie author community. I want to thank the many bloggers that I have served with, and who are assisting in promoting my series.
Most importantly, thank you readers. You allow me into your home for a few hours as you disappear into my characters and you support me as I follow my indie author dreams.
If you read my books and enjoy them, please leave a review on Amazon. It does not have to be long or detailed…just that you enjoyed the book. Reviews are essential to indie authors!
Author Information
Maryann Jordan
I am an avid reader of romance novels, often joking that I cut my teeth on the old bodice rippers. I have been reading and reviewing for years. In 2013, I created a blog, Lost in Romance Books, to promote and showcase indie authors. In 2014, I finally gave in to the characters in my head, screaming for their story to be told. From these musings, my first novel, Emma’s Home, The Fairfield Series Book 1 was born.
I am a high school counselor having worked in education for thirty years. I live in Virginia, having also lived in four states and two foreign countries. I have been married to a wonderfully patient man for thirty-two years and am the mother to two adult daughters. When writing, my dog or one of my four cats can generally be found in the same room if not on my lap.
Please take the time to leave a review of this book (on Goodreads, Amazon). Reviews are the lifeline for indie authors.
Feel free to contact me, especially if you enjoyed my book. I love to hear from readers!
Facebook:
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Blog:
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Prologue
“Are you sure?” he asked while sliding into the back seat, trying to maneuver her so that she was more comfortable.
Her blue eyes held his as a nervous smile played about her lips. “Yeah,” she whispered. “I’m ready.” I’ve loved you since I was thirteen years old. And every day for the past five years I have thought of only loving you.
Both settled into the back of his parent’s old SUV that had been given to him when he went off to college. They suddenly looked at each other nervously. Reaching across the seat, he slid his hand around the back of her neck then gently pulled her forward until their lips met. The kiss was like so many they had shared over the past several years – soft and sweet, but this time there was more urgency, knowing that something life-changing was about to happen.
He slipped his hand up under her shirt and pulled it over her head. The lacy bra shimmered in the moonlight. This is new. She must have just bought it. Knowing that she was as anxious for this night to go as they had always planned made him smile. He’d grown up with this beauty and knew that she had been in l
ove with him for a long time. But it wasn’t until she turned fifteen that she had really caught his eye.
They’d been together ever since, throughout high school and now into his first year of college, but had never had sex. They’d promised each other they would wait until she was eighteen, and that was today. Or rather tonight. After the family celebrations, they drove to their place by the river under the large old tree that had seen many a lover under its branches.
Raising her hand to cup his cheek she asked, “Where’d you go?”
“Oh, baby, I’m right here with you,” he assured her as he unsnapped the front closure on her bra. Her pale, rosy-tipped breasts spilled out and he leaned his head down to capture her nipple in his mouth, sucking deeply.
“Ahh,” she moaned as he lapped and sucked first one and then the other. She could feel the juices begin to flow and knew what he would find as soon as he slid his finger up her skirt. Which I wish he would do…now.
As if on cue, he slid his hand along her thighs seeking the prize that lay waiting. Quickly discovering that she was as wet as he anticipated, he thrust his finger inside. Moving it around with his thumb on her clit, it only took a moment for the orgasm to roar over her as it milked his finger.
When he slid his finger out, she watched as he brought it to his mouth, swirling his tongue around, sucking her juices off.
Jesus fuck, I could come in my pants right now. Determined to not make their first time be a disaster he slid her skirt down over her legs and dropped it onto the floor of the backseat. His dick was screaming for him to get on with it and he was losing the battle of trying to take things slow. Barely able to hang on to his control he pulled his shirt quickly over his head and maneuvered out of his jeans, pulling a condom out of his pocket.
She looked at his beautiful body. Boys hate to be called beautiful, but it was the only word she could think of to describe him. Tall, blond, slate-blue eyes, with a body that made every girl envious of her boyfriend. They’d been naked before but held off of sex. Until now. Until tonight.
The backseat did not afford them very much room, so he had the forethought to put the seats down so they could make a little bed. He lay her on her back, his hand skimming from her cheeks down her long neck to her breasts and then lower. Pulling himself over her with his weight resting on his arms, he kissed her as his legs nudged hers apart.
Trying to be careful, he slid the end of his cock into her entrance watching her luminescent blue eyes widen in momentary distress.
“Just go quickly,” she encouraged. “I’ve read that makes it less painful.”
Nodding, he plunged in to the hilt, but her gasp halted him as he saw tears slide down her cheeks. Oh Jesus, I’ve hurt her. He stilled but his dick was unhappy and the desire to move was almost overwhelming.
She lay panting for a moment trying to acclimate to the sharp pain and intense fullness that she felt. It finally eased and she looked at his strained face.
“It’s okay. You can keep going,” she said softly.
“I’ll stop if you want. I’ll do anything for you,” he vowed.
Smiling up at the man that she loved more than anything in the world, she nodded. Needing no more encouragement, he slowly slid in and out, allowing her body to continue to accommodate his girth. Her juices began to flow making the friction burn less and delight more.
She hadn’t been allowed to date until she was sixteen, but for the past two years since then he had not had sex with anyone else. At nineteen, his college friends teased him mercilessly about his abstinence, but for him it was her. Had been for years. And would always be. When he went away to college, he vowed to her, “You can trust me. I’ll never betray you.”
But now, his dick was screaming in delight and he wasn’t going to last. “Baby, are you good?”
She had read the magazines and romance novels about losing her virginity but had no idea how it would feel. But this…this was amazing. As he pumped in and out, she could feel herself becoming wound up like the old clock her grandfather kept on his mantle. Tighter and tighter. Suddenly he dipped his head down and sucked hard on her nipple and it was as though the tightness in her entire body exploded and she swore she could see stars behind her closed eyes.
With only a few more thrusts, he felt his balls tighten as he powered through his own orgasm, pouring himself into her tight pussy.
They lay there for a long time in the bed of the SUV, limbs tangled, panting, fogging up the windows, creating their own little world. He continued to thrust a few more times as his dick finally calmed down. It was a bit later that he pulled out and tossed the condom to the side.
Looking up into his blue eyes as she cupped his face with her hand, she said, “I love you. I’ve loved you for the longest time.”
Smiling down at the beauty whose dark hair and blue eyes proclaimed her Irish heritage, he said, “I love you too, doll. I’ll always love you, till the end of time. You can trust in that.”
Chapter 1
(four years later)
“I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss your bride.”
The wedding was beautiful and as Suzanne stood in her jewel-blue bridesmaid’s dress at the front of the church, she looked on as her boss and good friend was finally married to the man who had swept her off her feet. Suzanne was a veterinarian technician for Annie’s clinic in the city of Richland. The small apartment over the inner-city clinic that Annie used to live in was now hers since Annie and Shane had moved out to the suburbs. It was an old, tiny apartment, but Shane had made sure it was safe for Annie; it now gave Suzanne a chance to be near work and save on rent.
Glancing to her side was her good friend and fellow bridesmaid, Lily, in a pale blue dress that highlighted her blonde hair. She saw Lily and her fiancé, Matt, making eyes at each other, their happiness obvious to everyone.
Happy for her friends, she could not help the longing that twisted deep inside. The desire to love and be loved. To find the one that would never forsake her. No matter what…Stop. Don’t go there. Not today. Reminding herself that this was Annie and Shane’s day she smiled back at the happy couple.
Soon the reception was in full swing. Sitting at the table with Lily and Matt, she saw Lily looking around as though desperate to find someone.
“Who are you looking for? Matt’s going to get jealous if you don’t pay attention to him,” she joked.
“I’m trying to see when BJ comes in. I can’t believe that you two are so close to me, but I haven’t been able to introduce you to each other since you’re never in the same place. He had to miss the wedding but will be here for the reception and I’ll finally get you two together.”
The light dimmed just a little in her eyes as she admonished gently, “Lily. Don’t try to fix me up with someone. You know I’m not interested.”
Lily speared her with a sympathetic look. “Honey, I know you were hurt a long time ago. And I know you grieve for something lost. I just want to see you happy.”
Smiling at the couple in front of her, she gave a little shrug as she whispered, “I had happy once. But when it’s broken, there’s no getting it back.”
She stood and then kissed the top of Lily’s head as she said, “I’m going to go mingle with some old friends. You two have fun.” Winking at Matt, she floated away.
One table in particular caught her attention. Four large, handsome men sat around the table, as comfortable in their suits as they would be in a biker bar. Tony Alvarez ran a security company that had helped save Annie when she had been kidnapped earlier in the year. Gabe, Vinny, and Jobe sat with him with one chair empty. Having all served in the military together, each man brought their own special skills to their new civilian careers. Tony had been the squad leader and maintained that position in his new business. While they all seemed like brothers to her, she knew that the table full of hard, handsome men would catch the eye of any single women at the wedding…and probably a few married ones as well. They all stood as she approached
and Gabe leaned over to give her a hug and a brotherly kiss on her cheek. Greeting them, she nodded toward the empty chair. “Who’s missing?” she asked.
Vinny, always the ladies’ man, jumped up to pull the chair out for her. “Why you, of course.”
Laughing, she punched his shoulder as his twin Gabe responded, “It’s for BJ. He’s on his way from a family event.”
Raising her eyebrow at this news, she had the feeling that BJ’s co-workers and friends were just as anxious for her to meet him as Lily was. “Hmmm, well we’ll see if he shows.”
Giving each man a hug, she made her way over to another table. She saw some old family friends from Fairfield, the town she grew up in, so she moved over to greet them. Emma Campbell had been her high school counselor and had married her brother’s best friend, Jake. Along with them was Carol and Tom Rivers, another one of her brother’s best friends.
The two couples couldn’t believe that the beautiful woman in front of them was so grown up.
After hugs and greetings, Emma kept her arm around her, pulling her in tightly. “I miss you so much. Your mom’s bakery was never the same after you left home. But I’m so proud of what you’ve accomplished. Are you happy?”
“I love my job and working for Annie,” Suzanne effused. “I’m thinking about going back to school to become a veterinarian nurse. It would allow me to do a few more things than I can do right now. The animals are great and our clinic…well, I can’t think of a better place to work.”
Emma exclaimed, “Your enthusiasm for your job is overwhelming. But that still doesn’t tell me if you are happy.”
Suzanne found herself scrutinized by Emma’s thoughtful gaze. “I’m happy enough,” she replied, her smile not quite reaching her eyes.
“Do you ever see…” Emma began.
Shaking her head, Suzanne’s eyes widened. “Nope. And no, I’m not talking about it.”
Love's Trusting (The Love's Series) Page 1