Of course, he’s insane, stupid, she told herself. For one thing, he waited for years. Insane and delusional. Capable of anything.
“Were you the one who shot Cory? Shot me?”
Scanlan shook his head. “No. He was only supposed to take Cory out of the equation.”
Sunday’s eyes filled with tears. “Bastard. Cory was a million times the man you are.”
“You have yet to learn who I am,” he said calmly. “When you do, you will understand.”
“That you’re delusional? I think I got that.” She couldn’t help snapping at him, but again, he maintained an icy calm.
“Sunday … our life together will be a happy one. I can promise you that. You will work to make me happy, or I will end your life. It’s that simple. When we are married, I will have us flown to our new home. At any point, if you disobey me, I will add a few more bullets to the one lodged in your spine.”
Sunday was rocked by this. “How do you know about the bullet in my spine?”
“I was there, at the hospital. I held your hand.”
For Sunday, the knowledge that he had been there while she was in a coma was too much to bear. He really had intruded on every part of her life. “Why me?” she whispered desperately. “I’m nothing special. Why me?”
“You are a goddess.” Finally, he sounded angry, passionate. “You, Sunday, are everything. Everything.”
Sunday wondered how he could make such pretty words sound so terrifying. She met his gaze again and saw he madness in his blue eyes. Obsession.
Oh, God, River … I don’t think I’m going to make it … I love you.
I love you.
Hours later, they drove into Vegas. Sunday’s eyes were scratchy from exhaustion and the silent tears she had shed. Berry was awake but scared into dead silence. She looked at Sunday with huge, terrified eyes and Sunday held her tightly.
The car stopped and Scanlan made them get out. The Little White Chapel. It was tacky beyond belief and had she been there with River, they would have been laughing and joking around.
But the gun pressed to her side was no laughing matter. She saw unmarked cars pull up and a fleet of police offers get out but Scanlan merely grinned at them and forced Sunday and Berry inside.
Inside, the receptionist stood up in alarm when she saw the gun. “Hello,” Scanlan said in a friendly voice. “One marriage please. Right now.”
They were hurried into the chapel, another couple looking annoyed to be shoved quickly away. They were less annoyed when they saw the gun, more terrified as Scanlan asked them, with mock politeness to be their witnesses. They both nodded, never taking their eyes off the gun. Scanlan told the clerk to hurry.
“We seem to have some unwanted company, so if we could make this quick?”
River burst into the room, followed by a bunch of cops who had obviously been trying to stop him. “I object,” he snarled.
Scanlan laughed. “We haven’t gotten to that bit yet, asshole.”
He reached for Berry but Sunday was too quick for him. She stamped on his instep then shoved Berry as hard as she could at the nearest adult. “Go!”
Scanlan grabbed her, pressing the gun to her again as River, grabbing his daughter, passed her to a police officer and turned back to face Scanlan. The gun’s muzzle was hard against Sunday’s ribs—if it went off now, her heart would be shredded in a second. River’s eyes never left the gun.
“Scanlan, it’s over. Let her go.”
Brian’s lips were pressed to Sunday’s temple. “Not a chance, Giotto. I kind of knew it would come to this, but you being here to see her die just makes it all the better.”
Sunday wasn’t about to die quietly. She struggled with him, ramming her elbow into the center of his body again and again. Every police weapon was trained at Scanlan, trying to get a clear shot—if she could just …
With one last try, Sunday used her body weight to try and throw him off, bending double with the effort. Shots rang out, deafening her and she felt herself being propelled through the air. There was pain. The breath in her lungs was pushed out of her.
Then River’s arms were around her and as she opened her eyes, she saw Scanlan falling and felt only relief. She laughed, mostly from shock, and gazed up at River. “Hey, baby.”
River’s eyes were almost crazed. “Sweetie, hang on, we’ve got you … hang on …”
Why was he telling her to hang on? She was safe; she was free. “River, I’m okay.”
He shook his head and she saw the blood. “No, baby …”
As the adrenaline seeped away, she began to feel the pain—a very familiar pain. Oh, damn it, damn it … not again … not this … her chest hurt …
River’s voice began to sound as if it were coming from inside a tomb, or from the end of a very long tunnel. “Please, help us, she’s been shot … she’s been shot …”
The last thing she remembered was his beautiful green eyes, full of tears, and his voice, begging her to live.
Chapter Twenty-Three
“Mommy?”
Sunday thought she must be hearing voices. Her entire body was aching, her head throbbing with pain. And she knew she wasn’t a mommy. Not yet. Maybe not ever.
“Mommy?”
She opened her eyes to see a gorgeous, dark-haired child with bright green eyes being held by the most beautiful man she had ever seen. “Am I dead?”
“No, baby, no.” The beautiful man was choking back tears. “No, my darling, you’re going to be okay.”
“Mommy.” The little girl reached out and Sunday held her arms out. He put the girl into them.
“Careful, Berry, don’t hurt Mommy.”
But I’m not her mommy. I wish I was, I wish, I wish … But Sunday held Berry close, breathing in her comforting smell. “Hello, baby, baby, baby.”
“I love you, Mommy.” Berry’s hot little breath on her cheek as she kissed her.
“I wish I was your mommy,” Sunday began to cry, “I wish I was.”
“You are my mommy,” Berry said fervently. “I prayed and asked my Mommy Lindsay if she would mind if I had a new mommy. I said I would never forget her, I promised. Daddy said I could have two mommies if I wanted.”
Sunday started to cry in earnest then. Red-eyed, River sat down on the edge of the bed. Sunday looked up at him. “What happened?”
“Scanlan got off a shot before they killed him. It hit your ribcage and bounced off but broke your rib. They were worried the broken rib had pierced your heart but you were lucky. We were lucky. God, Sunday, I love you so much … I was so scared I lost you.”
“Never,” she said, “You’ll never lose me.”
He bent down and kissed her mouth. “This is us. This is our family.”
“And we are unbreakable,” she said fervently.
Berry looked at them. “Daddy, Mommy … when are you going to get married?”
River grinned, looking at Sunday. “The minute Mommy says …”
“Yes,” Sunday finished for him and they laughed. “Hell, yes.”
Berry looked delighted but also, she made a face. “You did a swear.”
“So I did … forgive me?”
Berry nodded and they laughed. River stroked Sunday’s hair. “You have some other visitors. Carmen, Daisy, and Aria are outside.”
“Well, bring them in! I’ll need some maids of honor to go along with my flower girl, here.”
Carmen, Daisy and Aria all hugged her gently, and Sunday found herself overwhelmed by the love of her friends. Her family.
River excused himself a little while later and came back an hour later. “Sweetheart, there are some people here who want to see you … can I ask them to come in? You’re not too tired, are you?”
She shook her head, curious to see who it was. Carmen, Daisy, and Aria were clearly in on the secret because they all grinned and made room next to her. River poked his head out of the door. “You can come in now.”
The first person through the door took Sunday�
�s breath away. Rae, her assistant from New York, gave a cry and threw herself at Sunday, who burst into tears, hugging her old friend back hard. Her old boss and some of the old team were next, and then, lastly, a visitor who Sunday—or Marley—had never expected to see again.
Patricia Wheeler, Cory’s mother, stood in the doorway and they gazed at each other. For a moment, neither said anything. Then Patricia held out her hands and said simply, “Forgive me, darling. I should never have abandoned you.”
As the two women hugged tightly, Sunday looked over Patricia’s shoulder at her family, her extended family, and then at her love. River. “Thank you,” she mouthed at him, “and I love you.”
A month later, back in Colorado, their lives settling back down, Sunday went to find River. He was in his studio, painting, determined to work with his new reality. The colors in his eyes were fading fast now but he refused to get down about it.
She went to him, slipping her arms around him and feeling him kiss her forehead. “Hey, baby.”
She looked up at him. “Hey, gorgeous. I finished them.”
“My dad’s diaries?”
She nodded and he took a deep breath in, waiting for her to tell him what she knew.
Sunday smiled up at him. “He didn’t know anything, Riv. He knew nothing about her abusing you.”
The relief was obvious. River’s body sagged and he let out a long breath. “Thank God. Thank God.”
“The cherry on top is … he knew he’d made a mistake by marrying her. He was planning to divorce her; he’d already cut her out of the will, as you know. All he cared about was you.”
River leaned his head on top of hers. “I’m glad he didn’t know, for his sake and mine. It would have killed him.”
“He loved you so much, River, and he was so proud of you. So, so proud of the man you had become.”
“Thank you, baby. God …” He picked her up and twirled her around and Sunday giggled. As he put her down, he crushed his lips against hers. “We should celebrate.”
He was already unbuttoning her short as she smiled up at him. “Well, Berry is asleep …”
“Then we shouldn’t be too loud.”
“Good luck with that,” she laughed as he pushed her shirt from her shoulders and they began to make love long into the night.
The End.
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An Impossible Love: A Forbidden Love Romance
The Hottest Daddy Extended Epilogue
A Billionaire Single Daddy Romance
After surviving a stalker’s obsession, Sunday and River are planning their wedding and looking forward to beginning a new life in Italy together with their daughter, Berry. The wedding day is perfect, and followed by a blissful, erotic, sensual honeymoon in the Seychelles.
Returning home, Sunday is surprised when her old boss offers her a career opportunity which throws all their plans into disarray. Will Sunday follow her heart—and her family—or return to the career she thought she had lost forever?
Can she, a modern woman, actually have it all?
Sunday secured the tiny white flowers into her stepdaughter Berry’s hair and twirled her around. “You look beautiful, BerBer.”
“I know,” said the little girl with all the guileless confidence of a six-year-old.
Sunday chuckled and hugged her. “Now, we’re clear on what your job is this afternoon, right?”
Berry rolled her eyes. “Mommy, I only have to scatter the petals in front of you. It’s not hard.”
Sunday smothered a grin. “Of course, I’m sorry. I trust you.” She drew in a deep breath. “Gosh, I wish I wasn’t so nervous.”
“Don’t you want to marry Daddy?”
“Of course I do, more than anything.” She leaned in conspiratorially. “It’s all those people watching me walk down the aisle that scares me. Do me a favor, Ber, and distract them for me?”
Berry gave her a high five, giggling. They were in the best suite in the hotel in Siena, where later that afternoon, Sunday would marry Berry’s father, River Giotto—the love of Sunday’s life. They had decided to marry in Italy, close to where they would soon be living, rather than Colorado, and River had paid for all of their closest friends to come with them. The wedding itself would be a simple ceremony in the hotel’s sumptuous grounds, followed by a casual reception—music, food, wine, and laughter.
Sunday, still in her silky under slip, looked at the wedding dress hanging on the wardrobe door. It was simple, plain, all the detail being in the veil she would wear. She didn’t want the full merengue, she had told the wedding planner, and she’d had help from her girlfriends, Daisy and Aria, to pick out the perfect thing to wear.
Daisy had cried at everything she tried on, garnering much teasing from both Aria and Sunday. Aria, thin and exhausted from chemotherapy, was determined that she would be well enough to fly to Italy and River made sure she and Daisy were treated like royalty—business class flights, and a gorgeous suite as well as on-hand medical help if Aria needed it.
Sunday would walk herself down the aisle, along with Berry, of course. River’s best friend, Luke, would stand up next to him. Sunday now ran through everything in her head, knowing everything was planned down to the last second, but still, after everything they had been through in the last year, she allowed herself the nerves.
Daisy came to help her into her dress, and Sunday grinned as her friend tried not to cry again. “Dais, seriously, you’ll make me cry.”
“I’m just so happy you got your happy ever after, Sun.”
Sunday smiled at her. “Your turn next.”
“Ha,” Daisy rolled her eyes. “If you could clone your lovely man for me, maybe.”
Sunday laughed. “I’ll do my best … and there’s always Luke.”
“Stop trying to make me and Luke happen. We’ve been in the friendzone way, way too long.” Daisy zipped Sunday’s dress. “There. God, you look beautiful.”
“Thank you,” Sunday said shyly. She felt beautiful, too, her eyes wide and excited, a pink blush on her cheeks. She couldn’t wait to marry River—even the thought of him waiting for her downstairs made her want to run down and into his arms.
After the wedding, they would fly off to the Seychelles for a week, while Berry stayed in Italy with Carmen, River’s de-facto sister. Both River and Sunday agree—it was the part of their wedding they were most looking forward to. A week of nothing but sea, sun, sand, and sex. Bliss, thought Sunday now.
An hour later, she was walking down the small aisle in the gardens of the hotel. River, drop-dead gorgeous in a dark gray suit, his smile wide, took her hands as she reached him, leaning in to kiss her. “You’re an angel.”
“Wait until tonight,” she whispered back with a mischievous grin. “I’ll be a devil.”
River chuckled, touching her face, and then it was time. They were married in a few minutes, the simple vows exchanged, and the laughter and applause of their friends and family gratefully received. River kissed his new wife passionately, and a little inappropriately, to the amusement of all who were gathered.
“Mrs. Giotto,” he said with a grin, and she laughed.
“Sunday Giotto. Of all the names I’ve had in my life, it’s definitely a keeper.”
The reception was a relaxed affair, delicious finger food and champagne flowing, and Sunday and River laughed and talked with their friends, but never left each other’s side. Their hands, now adorned with white gold bands, stayed clasped, their eyes meeting often, secret smiles playing on their lips.
River was driving them to the airport and Sunday and he took turns hugging Berry goodbye. The little girl didn’t seem at all fazed that they were going away, still hopped up on all the sugar she had been fed during the day.
River laughed about that as they drove away, waving. “Good luck, Carmen. Berry’s had enough sugar to fuel an uprising.”
Sunday giggled. “And we don’t have t
o deal with it. Huzzah!”
“Huzzah indeed,” River smiled at her. “Guess what?”
“What?”
“We’re freaking married!”
They both whooped loudly and laughed as they sped towards the airport. On the small private jet, they gladly changed out of their wedding clothes and took advantage of the small bedroom, making love then falling into an exhausted sleep as the plane flew them towards the paradise islands.
The secluded beachfront villa River had rented for them had its own private beach, and as Sunday stood on the silky white sand, she wondered at how her life had turned out. River came out from the house and slid his arms around her waist. “You like?”
“There are no words, baby. It’s almost unreal.” The sun beat down on them, the sound of the ocean a balm on her tired body. She turned in River’s arms and smiled up at him. “Hello, hubby.”
“Hey, wifey.” He pressed his lips to hers and the kiss deepened until they were both breathless. River leaned his hot forehead against hers. “I was going to suggest a nice, cool shower …”
She grinned. “Not too cool …” She cupped his cock through his linen trousers. “We wouldn’t want to waste this …”
She giggled and ducked out of his grip, running into the villa with River in pursuit. He grabbed her before they reached the bathroom and threw her over his shoulder in a fireman’s lift, making her shriek with laughter.
She protested as he took her, fully clothed, into the shower, and they play-fought as they tore each other’s clothes off. River dropped to his knees and parted her legs with his hands, burying his face in her groin as she gasped, trying not to slip on the wet tile as his tongue found her clit.
Sunday tangled her fingers in his wet dark curls, tugging on them as River dipped his tongue deep inside her. “Oh God, River …”
He brought her to the brink of orgasm before standing, somewhat unsteadily, and lifting her. His cock, already rock-hard and bobbing under its own weight, thrust deep into her wet cunt and they fucked wildly, River pinning her against the wet tile of the shower stall.
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