“Guess not.”
“It looks delicious, Mr. Ferland.”
“Thanks. You can call me Jeffrey.”
Jeffrey served the plates, and then sat down on his chair. The three of them started eating.
“Nathan tells me you’re a mechanic,” Amanda told Jeffrey. “Like his best friend Ashton wants to be.”
“Well, sort of. I’m an expert who can fix cars in a jiffy, but electric cars and all that new tech are different. Ashton likes cars, but he also likes technology. His ambition is to work at an electric car factory.”
“Like Tesla?”
“Right.”
“He’s actually saving for one of those cars,” Nathan told them. “Ashton believes electric is the future.”
“Oh, it is, son. Oil won’t last forever, as old-school fellows like me.”
Nathan gave an uneasy laugh.
“I would like to hear more about you,” Jeffrey said to Amanda. “The way my son talks about you, it’s clear that you’re the woman of his dreams.”
Amanda blushed, and began telling Jeffrey a bit about her life, and how she’d met Nathan.
The following afternoon, Amanda took Nathan to meet her family. The Tilleys lived in a big, but not so ostentatious house northwest of the city.
Nathan stopped outside a gate that would open into a rotunda. Amanda got off the car to open it. When she returned, Nathan drove on.
Moments later, Amanda rang the doorbell. She and Nathan waited, until the door opened. An attractive, tall blonde woman who bore a striking resemblance to Amanda looked out at the two of them.
“Ma fille!” said Mrs. Tilley, joining her hands together in front of her. “It’s been so long, baby. And…oh, this must be Nathan Ferland.”
“Pleased to meet you, ma’am,” Nathan said, shaking hands with the woman.
“I’m Florence Tilley,” she said. “Come in, come in.”
Amanda and Nathan followed Mrs. Tilley inside the house. It looked much as it did outside. The furniture and décor indicated that an affluent family lived there, but it wasn’t in-your-face obvious.
“Nice house, Mrs. Tilley,” Nathan said.
“Thank you. You make yourselves at home. I’m going to fetch Will.”
Mrs. Tilley walked to the back of the house. Nathan continued taking in the living room.
“Whoever came up with this color scheme really has a way with aesthetics.”
“My mom,” Amanda said. “When we bought this house, it was she who assumed most of the responsibility for how we wanted it to look.”
“If I didn’t know what she was, I’d venture a guess at interior designer.”
“You don’t know what she is, and she actually hired an interior designer. Mom’s a realtor.”
Nathan chuckled.
“My guess was close enough.”
“And my father is a doctor.”
At that moment, someone came into the room. It was a guy who appeared to be high school age (well, Amanda still does, too, Nathan thought). He was muscular, dressed in a mix of casual and elegant, and exuded charisma.
“Sister!” said Ryan, walking forward. When he noticed Nathan, he nodded. “I’m Ryan Tilley.”
“Nathan Ferland,” he replied, shaking hands with Ryan. With his wavy blonde hair and blue eyes, Ryan was every bit as good-looking as his sister.
“How are you, sis?” Ryan asked, hugging his sister. Though he was younger, he was at least four inches taller than Amanda. That made him close to six feet.
“What grade are you in?” Nathan asked.
“Senior year.”
“You’re pretty tall for a high school student.”
Ryan laughed.
Mrs. Tilley came back, along with her husband.
“Hello, my daughter,” said Amanda’s dad, and she walked forward to hug him. “We missed you.”
“I missed you all, too.”
William smiled, and then looked at Nathan.
“You brought a friend from school, I see.”
“That’s Nathan,” Florence said. “The guy that Amanda has kept us waiting to meet.”
Amanda giggled.
“I’m Nathan Ferland, sir,” Nathan said, shaking hands with William.
“Pleasure to meet you,” Amanda’s dad said. “I assume you’d like to see the rest of the house. My wife told me you liked it.”
“Why don’t you give him a tour, Amanda?” Florence told her daughter.
“Okay,” she said.
“You two can come meet us in the game room,” said William. “We’ve got a Wii U and a Playstation.”
Florence gave a shy smile.
“Dad’s a doctor and all, and still likes his videogames,” Ryan commented.
“Hey, you’re never too old. Where do you think I got my hand dexterity from, to perform all those surgeries?”
Amanda let Nathan outside to the backyard, in which the Tilleys had a garden. It was mostly flowers, including roses and violets.
“Your dad’s a character,” Nathan said, walking hand in hand through the garden with Amanda.
“Yeah. I love them all. My family.”
“And they love you. We all do.”
Amanda looked at the flowers, going red.
“What’s your favorite flower?” Nathan asked.
“My mom’s is the violet. She likes that color. And my favorite flower is the carnation. I prefer them in red or pink. I like pink roses, too.”
“It’s no wonder there are carnations in this garden, too.”
“Yeah. They’ve been here for almost as long as I’ve been alive.”
Now I know what flower to pick for Valentine’s Day.
Nathan and Amanda stood in front of a few rows of carnations. There were white ones, and red, and pink, and violet.
“You don’t have a pet?” Nathan asked, looking around the garden. He had half-expected for a cat to spring out at them by then.
“My parents used to have an Aussie,” said Amanda. “She died when I was very little. Mom hasn’t wanted to get another pet. She doesn’t want to have her garden destroyed.”
“You could get a small-sized adult. Like a Chihuahua or a Pomeranian. Or even a cat.”
Amanda grimaced.
“Mom doesn’t like cats. Neither does dad.”
“You?”
“I can stand them.”
Amanda and Nathan continued to walk through the garden, admiring the flowers. The yard was decent-sized, and was surrounded by a tall, white wooden fence. It gave some privacy from the neighboring houses.
Nathan placed a hand around Amanda’s shoulder. She looked back at him. He thought she was the most dazzling woman he’d ever laid eyes on. Amanda looked cute with her curtain of golden hair falling down from under a royal-blue winter wool cap.
Amanda glanced down at the ground, sighing, and then looked at Nathan again.
“I never thought I could feel happy again after losing Liam. It was like the end of the world for me.”
Nathan squeezed Amanda’s hand gently.
“I wouldn’t have thought so, either, if I had known what happened to you.”
“Would you have still fought for me? If you’d known, that could have seemed like even worse odds to you.”
Nathan planted a quick kiss on her lips.
“My love, I’d fight for you with any odds and still come out on top. I’d confront anything for you. You’re the woman I’ve longed to meet, the most beautiful one that I’ve ever seen. My dream date.”
In that moment, Amanda looked like the happiest woman in the universe.
What did I do to deserve all this? Amanda thought with a soft laugh. A tear escaped from her eyes.
“I love you,” Amanda said, placing her arms around Nathan’s neck and pushed him towards her. Their lips met in a kiss that signified the end of their lurid journey, and the beginning of a new and happier one. The beginning of their new lives together.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
I
van Kendrick dreamed of writing books since he was in high school. Now that he’s free from the demands of schoolwork, he has extra time to devote to his passion for books. Kendrick prefers reading romances, mysteries, and thrillers—especially when they have strong, beautiful women and/or cool tech. When he’s not writing, Kendrick spends his time learning more about computers or playing videogames. Kendrick’s a big fan of Pokémon and the Legend of Zelda.
Kendrick currently lives in a small humdrum town in south Texas. He looks forward to moving to a better city. Due to being a fan of superheroes like Iron Man, Kendrick is fond of big cities with tall buildings.
http://authorivankendrick.wordpress.com
Twitter: @IvanKendrick
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BONUS SNEAK PEEK
Keep reading for an exclusive excerpt from Infiltrating Your Heart, an upcoming adult romance novel from debut author Kassy Markham…
Mercedes
Today, I’m finally going to meet Gabriel O’Hara. I’m standing in front of my mirror, adjusting my makeup. I want to look irresistible. In fact, Patrick demands that I look that way. Though he assured me I’d look desirable wearing just about anything, Patrick would rather not take his chances of Gabriel not liking me.
I look at myself from all angles to make sure I look just right. I’m wearing a violet blouse with inch-thin straps. The V-cut shows a modest amount of cleavage. I paired the blouse with a pleated cream-colored skirt that reaches to a couple inches above my knees. Expensive black sandals complete my look. As I stand there, I think to myself that it’s been a long time since I dress up without wearing fuck-me high heels. This is refreshing.
After making sure I look perfect, I stand up and apply my perfume. I decide to leave my glasses behind. I want to make the best impression possible. Once I’m ready, I walk out of my room. I only have to wait now. Patrick said he would call to let me know where Gabriel will be.
To pass the time, I watch TV. I want to grab a cookie from my jar on top of the fridge, but I don’t want to have to brush my teeth again.
My father comes out of his room a moment later. He always does so at around this time of day to take his medicine. He looks at me on the couch.
“Are you working early today?” He asks me. I turn to him. He’s stopped on the doorway to the kitchen.
“No. I’m just hanging out with a friend,” I lie. He must have made the assumption because I’m dressed up. I only do that for work or special occasions.
My father nods, and gets on his way. I turn back to the TV. It may not be obvious, but I worry about him.
A quarter of an hour later, I hear my familiar ringtone. I grab my purse from on top of the coffee table and pull out my smartphone.
“Hi.”
“Good afternoon, Mercedes. It’s Patrick.”
“I know,” I reply. It comes out chillier than I intend.
Patrick scoffs. I’ve got to try to be friendlier towards him. He’s never done me any wrong.
“You’ve got such a sunny personality.”
I laugh.
“So do you.”
“You need to move. Gabriel is going to be at the Sports Authority shortly.”
Patrick gives me an address. It’s not that far from the Academy of Art.
“And remember: make sure that your first encounter seems accidental. You don’t want Gabriel to think that you intended to run into him.”
“Of course not. I know what to do.”
“Good. Get going, then.”
I hang up and then put my phone back inside my purse. After grabbing the remote, I turn off the TV.
Here it goes.
I head outside to my car. I’m already quite full of anticipation. Patrick told me he wouldn’t text me a photo of Gabriel until I get there. It’s not fair.
A little while after, I pull up into the parking lot in front of the Sports Authority. Patrick already texted me the photo a couple of minutes ago. I know because I heard my smartphone beep. I pull it from my purse and check the messages. Then I click on the photo.
Holy shit.
Gabriel is handsome. He’s no Chris Hemsworth, but he’s a man any wife would be proud to have. It seems Patrick wasn’t kidding when he said any woman would love to be handed to his brother on a silver platter. The only thing I’m not happy about now is that Patrick spoiled the surprise. If I’d met Gabriel without seeing him before, I would have been breathless.
Well, maybe that’s a good thing. I’m glad that I’m a pretty good actress.
I take a deep breath, and step out of my car. I’ve got a good plan to run into Gabriel. Trying to seem calm, I walk right into the store. I’ve visited it a few times to buy my exercising equipment. Keeping a great body shape is beneficial to your health. And it keeps me looking good, which is crucial for my job.
I hope Gabriel is still here. I want to find him before he sees me. That will turn the tables in my favor.
Wishing I could don sunglasses indoors, I walk around the store. I make sure to appear to be searching for something rather than someone. As I walk, I think I could use the opportunity to buy new exercise pants and sports bras. A bike would be useful, too.
I walk through the clothing section, keeping alert for any sign of Gabriel. Patrick hasn’t told me anything about his brother, so I’m not sure where to look.
After grabbing a couple pairs of exercise pants and a sports bra, I go to the fitness section. When I walk past a corridor, I halt in my tracks.
Gabriel is there, holding a heavy-looking dumbbell. I look at his arm. He looks ripped, all right. Gabriel must pump serious iron.
Don’t look nervous. Don’t look nervous.
Now that I know where Gabriel is, I’m going to keep an eye on him. I want to bump into him at just the right moment.
Gabriel loads some barbells of different weights into his cart. He’s already got other stuff in it.
Seemingly done, Gabriel turns and walks out of the corridor. I walk into an adjacent one. Just when he’s about to walk past me, I step out. I time it with care to bump into Gabriel and not into his cart. This moment is crucial. I can’t make myself look like a fool.
I walk straight into him. My would-be purchases fall to the floor. Gabriel quickly looks in my direction. He grabs me by the arm to keep me from falling.
“Oops!” Gabriel says, looking apologetic. I can’t help but look openmouthed at him. There’s nothing like seeing a person in the flesh. He looked handsome in the photo, but he seems dazzling in person. My gaze drops down to his jaw. He’s got sexy stubble.
“Um…no problem,” I reply. Gabriel looks at me like I’m the most beautiful woman he’s ever seen. His eyes look down my entire body, stopping longer on my breasts. He then looks at the floor.
“Oh, sorry,” Gabriel tells me. He bends down to pick up my merchandise. When he hands it to me, I smile.
“Thank you.”
Gabriel nods. He still looks dazzled by me. To tell you the truth, I’m also dazzled. I didn’t expect that.
“Anytime,” Gabriel says. He flashes a smile that just about melts me into a puddle. What I’m feeling is real. This is no acting on my part.
After a few seconds, I blush. I’m a little embarrassed at my behavior. I wish I was acting.
“Sorry, I d-don’t mean to keep you,” I stammer.
“It doesn’t matter. I—er, you look stunning, if you don’t mind my saying so.”
I look down at what I’m wearing. Now that he says it, I feel a bit overdressed. What must Gabriel think now? That I dress up just to go shopping?
“I don’t mind,” I reply, laughing softly. I look down before his eyes can hypnotize me further. Right now, I’m starting to feel like a moth to a flame. Gabriel’s the one that’s supposed to be feeling like that.
When I raise my eyes, I sense that Gabriel truly feels drawn to me. I decide to turn on the charm a little bit more. I need to make myself impossible to forget.
<
br /> “What’s your name?” I ask. To my surprise, he laughs.
“Funny. I was about to ask the same question.”
“Oh.”
We both laugh together. I don’t know what’s up with us now. I’m sure we look like teenagers.
“I’m Gabriel O’Hara,” he tells me, holding out his hand. I reach to shake it. His grip is firm, and his skin is just a little rough. The muscles are well-developed.
“I’m Mercedes,” I say, looking at him through my eyelashes. You may not guess, but this is a practiced move. “Mercedes Roberts.”
Gabriel nods, as if he really wants to memorize my name. That flatters me.
“Mercedes,” he says. I like the way my name sounds coming from his lips. “Nice to meet you.”
“It’s my pleasure.”
We stand looking at each other. I’m on full seduction mode. I hope that he’s mesmerized.
Gabriel admires me for a few seconds longer. He then looks at his watch.
“I’m sorry, but I must be on my way. I have work.”
“Oh. I didn’t realize I was keeping you waiting.”
“Don’t sweat it. I’d waste time admiring a gorgeous woman any time.”
My eyes widen. He thinks I’m gorgeous!
“You’re not bad yourself,” I tease. He laughs again. “Maybe we could run into each other some other time?”
Gabriel’s eyes light up.
“That would be great. Um, I work at a gym nearby. We could meet there.”
Gabriel tells me the name of the gym. I have other ideas, so I reach into my purse. I pull out a pen and a little notepad and write my number on a page. When I’m done, I hand it to Gabriel.
“Call me anytime,” I tell him.
“Sure,” Gabriel replies, reading the paper. He seems thrilled that I gave him my number without his asking. “Have a good day, Mercedes.”
“You, too.”
Gabriel nods, and I let him go on his way. I look at the stuff I’m holding. There’s just something else I need before I go.
I sigh as I walk. Things went considerably well. If I’d come up with an actual plan, I couldn’t have had better results. For now, I must wait until the next time I see Gabriel. I hope it’s soon.
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