by Carian Cole
LATER, after everyone’s gone home and I’ve cleaned up the yard and taken a shower, I stop in front of the guestroom door on my way to the master bedroom suite.
Sighing, I knock lightly on the door. “Can I come in?”
Five seconds pass before she answers. “Okay.”
She’s sitting in bed reading a book, wearing purple-rimmed glasses that make her look adorably nerdy and sexy.
She didn’t wear glasses before.
She also didn’t sleep in the guestroom before.
“How’s the book?” I cross the room and sit on the edge of the bed.
She smiles, and my breath catches at how young she appears. She could easily pass as Kenzi’s sister rather than her mother. It’s as if she didn’t age at all while she was in the limbo of life and death. “It’s good,” she says.
“What’s it about?”
“A young girl who lives alone on an island.”
“That sounds lonely.”
“In some ways. It’s sad and a little hopeful, too.” She closes the book and lays it on her lap. Her eyes linger on the cover. “I sort-of feel like this girl.”
My heart plunges like an anchor into a bottomless ocean.
“I don’t want you to feel lonely or sad, Em,” I say softly, reaching out to touch her cheek. For once, she doesn’t flinch or pull away from me.
“How about hopeful?” Her voice is weary. Her eyes still refusing to meet mine.
“Yes. Always. I want you to feel hopeful every minute of every day and never stop. Okay?”
Her bottom lip quivers as she nods. “Okay,” she whispers. “I’ll try.”
I kiss her forehead. The scent of her shampoo drifts into my lungs, bringing back memories I ache for her to share with me. “Things will get better, baby. I promise.”
I go to my room and lay in bed wide awake for hours. Insomnia has become my new companion, making sure I can’t escape the fact that my wife has no idea who I am. She feels utterly alone—a stranger in her own home with no memories or attachments to anything or anyone.
Her hope for recovery might be fading, but mine isn’t. The girl I fell in love with, the mother of my daughter, the woman I love more than anything in this world is in the guestroom down the hall.
She might not remember anything, but I do. I can’t forget a moment of it. Of her. Of us.
And I’m not ever going to give up.
COMING SOON
ALSO BY CARIAN COLE
ASHES & EMBERS ROCK STAR ROMANCE SERIES:
Storm - Ashes & Embers book 1
Vandal - Ashes & Embers book 2
Lukas - Ashes & Embers book 3
Talon - Ashes & Embers book 4
Loving Storm (sequel) - Ashes & Embers book 5
DEVILS WOLVES SERIES (Ashes & Embers Spin Off Series, Contemporary Romance):
Torn - Devils Wolves book 1
Tied - Devils Wolves book 2
* all can be read stand-alone
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
I HAVE A PASSION FOR THE bad boys—those covered in tattoos, sexy smirks, ripped jeans, fast cars, motorcycles, and of course, the sweet girls that try to tame them and win their hearts. My debut series, Ashes & Embers, follows the lives of rock band members as they find the loves of their lives.
Born and raised a Jersey girl, I now reside in beautiful New Hampshire with my husband and our multitude of furry pets. I spend most of my time writing, reading, and vacuuming.
Stalk me!
www.cariancolewrites.com
[email protected]
Table of Contents
Title Page
Contents
Introduction
Storm - Book One
Title Page - Storm
Copyright
Dedication
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Vandal - Book 2
Title Page - Vandal
Copyright
Dedication
Quote
A Note
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
Chapter 27
Epilogue
Sterling
Lukas - Book 3
Title Page - Lukas
Copyright
Dedication
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
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Epilogue
Talon - Book 4
Title Page - Talon
Copyright
Dedication
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
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
/> Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Chapter 46
Chapter 47
The Real Talon & Asia
Bonus Material
Chapter One - Loving Storm
Sneak Peek - Torn
Torn - Prologue
Bonus Scene - Asher
Also by Carian Cole
About the Author