Seduce Me (The Heart Series)

by Angela Estienne

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Acknowledgments

  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

  Coming Soon

  Copyright

  Title Page

  Seduce Me

  The Heart Series

  By Angela Estienne

  Acknowledgments

  This is my first book that I have ever written. I have to thank my husband Mark Estienne, my son Kyle Estienne and my friend Sarah Cumberland for encouraging me with this rollercoaster ride I have endured over the past year. This all started as a hobby, something to fill my time when I became disabled. Through your belief in my writing and coxing me through self-doubt, I now have a finished article.

  My thanks also have to go to Mr Mark Jephcott for doing the artwork, I gave him my vision, and as usual, he exceeded my expectations through his skill as an artist.

  Next, I have to say a massive thank you to Maria Tyssen for being one of my guinea pig readers. Her love and passion grew for Jasmine and Luke’s story. The more she read the more she was hooked. I found it hard to make subtle editing changes in time to keep up with her need to read the following chapters that I was still working on.

  Chapter 1

  I awoke in the hospital confused as to how I got here. My eyes scanned the room. Caitlin is sitting next to the bed holding my left hand. I became worried about her she is freezing. Her long Auburn hair flowed, untamed, and out of control across her face as she slept. My throat was dry. I tried to swallow but I was having trouble. I glanced down at my bruised hand and noticed a needle sticking out with a thin clear tube attached. I let my eyes follow the tube, it led to a transparent bag mounted from a metal stand. I put my hand on my face and felt another tube coming out of my nose. Bleep . . . bleep . . . bleep . . . what’s that noise? I looked around and noticed wires trailing from under my gown, they led straight to the machine that was making that damn awful bleeping sound. I can hear faint voices in the distance. I tried to sit up. Ow! No! Stop moving, that hurts. My side was killing. What is happening? I had a deep sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach.

  I started shaking. Panic was taking hold. Tears started falling. I squeezed Caitlin’s hand and she awoke.

  “Jasmine, thank god you’re awake,” she said.

  I tried to sit up again, “ouch!” She pressed the buzzer to call for a nurse. She glared at me in absolute horror.

  “Don’t move Jazz!” She looked at me with her deep brown eyes. Her long curls were falling down around her face. She reached for a tissue and wiped away my overflowing tears. She placed one hand against my shoulder, to prevent me from moving. I tried to move again, but the pain was excruciating. I needed to move. My body was numb, “please keep still Jasmine,” she said. Caitlin let go of my shoulder and tied her unruly hair up out of the way.

  Caitlin pressed the buzzer again, and a nurse raced in through the door.

  “Nice to see you are awake.” What the hell happened? Why am I in hospital? The nurse looked at me, “can you tell me your name?” What a strange question, Yes I know my name.

  “Jasmine Williams,” I replied, with the worst croaky voice I had ever heard. My throat was sore and dry. It felt like I had swallowed a cactus. The nurse smiled at me.

  “Good, now that’s a great start.” Caitlin walked around the bed to hold my right hand. The nurse put a cuff on my arm and pressed a button on the machine, the cuff went tight, too tight!

  “Ouch, that is hurting me.”

  “I am almost finished.” I sighed. I was confused and frightened. Then she shoved something in my ear.

  “What is going on? Please tell me, why am I here?”

  “All in good time Miss Williams.” I looked at Caitlin willing her for some answers. I knew my best friend would tell me, given the chance. The nurse walked out of the room.

  “Come on Cat, tell me what is going on?” She sat on the side of the bed, holding my hand. She started stroking the side of my face.

  “Jasmine, hun, you are lucky to be alive. You were in—.” we were interrupted as a doctor came in the room.

  “Hello Miss Williams, you are looking a lot better. I am the on call doctor. May I ask how are you feeling?”

  “Confused, frightened,” I replied.

  After a few more questions, they gave me a drink of iced water. At last, I could talk properly.

  “Why am I here? Where is Greg? What is going on? I have so many questions, what happened?” I felt terrified. No one was giving me any answers. Tears fell again.

  “Slow down Miss Williams.” Cat wiped away my tears again, “all your questions will be answered soon enough, rest now.” I didn’t want to rest. I needed to find out what happened.

  Cat sat patiently for the doctor to disappear.

  “Look at me, Jasmine.” I turned my head to look at her, “you’ve been unconscious for just over five days.” Five days! What the hell had happened? I felt the tears pricking the sides of my eyes again, a lump formed in my throat. I gulped and squeezed her hand.

  “So what’s todays date?”

  “Thursday 22nd February.” Oh no, what is going on? “What is the last thing you remember honey?” I tried to take in a deep breath, ouch! I temporarily forgot about the pain in my side. I had to take a minute to think of what happened.

  “Erm . . . I was sat in the restaurant with Greg. We had just had an amazing steak dinner, and then I wanted a hot fudge cake with fresh pouring cream for pudding, so Greg had a bowl of ice cream with lemon sauce. We finished the night off with a coffee. We were both full and tired so we left the restaurant at about 11:30 p.m. I was supposed to be driving home, but I had my heels on and I had forgotten to bring my trainers with me, so Greg drove. As we were walking to the car, he stopped and told me ‘I was the most beautiful creature he had ever laid eyes on.’ He then kissed me.” My tears started falling again.

  “It’s all right hun, take your time.” She rubbed the side of my face. I took in some steadying breaths.

  “We got in the car and pulled out of the car park. He made a left turn onto Royal Hartley Place. He stopped at the traffic lights. I leaned over and put some music on the radio. Then I started teasing Greg about what we were going to get up to this weekend. We were on our way home, happy laughing together. The song by Queen–Fat Bottom Girls came on the radio, so we started singing along with it together, you know, having a good laugh. We stopped at the traffic lights on Seven Lands Street and then . . .” My mind went blank. What happened next? Come on brain, what happened? “What has happened Cat? Please tell me.” She looked directly at me with her tear filled baby browns.

  “You were in an accident. It looks like a drunk driver hit the car, from what I can gather, but I don’t know for sure.”

  “So where is Greg? Is he all right? I need to see him.” She gave my hand a squeeze.

  “Jasmine,” she said, “you’re lucky to be alive. You have stitches on your head. You have a few broken ribs, a few cuts, and bruises.” her voice trailed off. “I am so . . . so sorry. I don’t know how to tell you this.”

  “Tell me what?” My mind was racing.

  “Greg . . .”

  “What ab
out Greg?” My mind was now in free fall.

  “He . . . died in the crash darling.”

  “No! He can’t be. Someone’s made a mistake.” She hugged me so tight. My ribs were hurting, but I didn’t care, “this isn’t true. It can’t be true. Stop lying to me and take me to him now.” I moved the covers off my legs and attempted to get out of bed, but the wires stopped me in my tracks. Now this wasn’t a bright idea Jasmine. My adrenaline was coursing through my veins.

  “Where do you think you’re off to Jasmine?”

  “I am off to find Greg.”

  “Sweetheart. I swear. I am not lying to you, now come here.” She wrapped me up in her arms.

  “No! No! No! This is not happening to me.” I burst out into tears. I started screaming for Greg to come back. She rocked me back and forth with her body, trying to comfort me. Slowly I drifted off to sleep in her arms.

  The next morning when I woke up Dylan was perched on the side of my bed, but Cat had disappeared.

  “Where’s your sister Dylan?”

  “She’s stepped out to get a drink, but I am here babe.” He took my hand and stared at me with the same dark-brown eyes his sister had.

  “I want to go home Dylan, get me out of this joint, please.”

  “What and risk the wrath of Cat? I don’t think so.”

  “Pussy.”

  “Yep your right. I would like to keep my bollocks for a few more years yet.”

  As I glanced out of the door, I noticed a man stood watching me. I had another sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach.

  “What’s up Jazz? You’ve gone pale.” I glanced at Dylan and then back to the man, but he had gone.

  “Nothing, it’s all right. It’s only me imagining things.” Cat walked back into the room.

  “Hi babe, I have brought you a coffee.”

  “Thanks Cat, when can I get out of here?”

  “Soon babe, be patient, please. The police are outside. Do you feel up to talking to them?”

  “I want to get it over with and get out of here.” She went out and escorted the policeman into me. Dylan was still holding onto my hand. He was lightly brushing my knuckles with his thumb. I don’t know the last time I saw him so worried. He was always the joker among us. Serious Dylan didn’t look right somehow. I envied his carefree attitude. He loved to party. Greg and I would always go out with Caitlin and him every other Saturday evening, on the odd occasion if he managed to hang onto a girl long enough, they would tag along with us, but more often than not, he would pick up some fresh blood to extend his night’s fun with. We all enjoyed clubbing and dancing all our troubles away.

  Cat sat at the other side of me and took my hand in hers. She squeezed my hand.

  “Don’t worry Jazz, we are right here with you. Take your time.” I was glad I had my two best friends sat at my side.

  “Miss Williams, I am PC Naples, we have been waiting for you to wake up. I wondered if I can take down a statement from you?”

  “Yes, I suppose so, what would you like to know?”

  “First off, can you tell me what happened on Saturday the 17th February please? Now take your time, we are in no rush.”

  “I don’t remember a lot.” I told him exactly what I had told Cat, but this time my tides of tears wouldn’t hold back. Unfortunately, now I already knew the outcome from that fateful night, “sorry I can’t be of much use.”

  “Don’t worry, Miss Williams, we have some CCTV footage of the area.”

  “Did anyone else get injured?”

  “Not seriously.”

  “What about the driver who hit us?”

  “I am sorry. I am not at liberty to give you any further information. Please understand this is an active, ongoing case. We are hoping to prosecute for manslaughter, if you remember any other details, no matter how small, please give me a call.”

  “Yes I will thank you.” Oh, crap, manslaughter! I hadn’t even thought about Greg’s death like that.

  “Can I take your mobile phone number? So I can contact you with any updates or if we need any further information.”

  “Yes.” I reeled off my phone number to him. He handed me his card, and he left.

  “Cat did you hear what he said? They are treating this as a manslaughter case. I am lost for words.”

  “As I said before, I think the driver of the other car was drunk, Greg is regrettably no longer with us, so this makes sense.” I swallowed the lump that appeared in my throat again. I tried to drift off to sleep, but the new information was overwhelming. I didn’t know how to process it all.

  When I opened my tearful eyes, Caitlin and Dylan were still sat next to me holding my hands.

  “Hi hun, would you like a drink?”

  “Yes please.” Caitlin got up and brought me some water. I took some very small sips.

  “Jack Bennet has been coming to the hospital to visit you, he is concerned about you,” Caitlin said.

  “That’s all I need JB hanging off my every word again.” We went to school together. He always had a crush on me, but I could never think of him in that way.

  “Well I have some more bad news for you then. He is popping back in tonight to check up on you.”

  “How did he find out I was in the hospital?”

  “Dylan,” she said. I turned around and scowled at him.

  “Dylan, why did you tell him? It took me over six months to get rid of him last time. He is nice, but I am definitely not interested in him, not like he wants me to be.”

  “He always asks after you, I had to tell him. He is still my friend. Plus he would have only found out anyway. I think it was better coming from me.”

  “I suppose your right, but don’t lead him on. I know you, Dylan Fisher.” He gave me one of his mischievous smiles and kissed me on the hand.

  I changed the subject fast.

  “So who are all the cards and flowers from? They’re gorgeous.” I was desperate to think of anything else apart from my grief. Caitlin walked over and passed me all the cards. I had no idea I knew so many people. I started reading all the get-well cards, but I found nothing from Greg’s parents, then I turned to the cards from the flowers. Cat, Dylan, Cat’s parents, JB, work colleagues and acquaintances, and one from H.H?

  “Who is H.H?” I asked.

  “We have no idea. We were hoping you would tell us.”

  “Well who brought them into the hospital?”

  “A delivery driver.”

  “Have Greg’s parents been in?”

  “No, we haven’t seen hide nor hare from them yet.” I wonder why they haven’t visited me.

  Jack Bennet walked in. Now don’t be nasty to him Jasmine. He is Dylan’s friend, play nice. He walked up to me and kissed me on the cheek. I had a cold, pit-curdling feeling run right down my spine.

  “Hello stranger, how are you feeling?”

  “Like my whole life has been ripped apart. How about you JB, how are you feeling?” Jasmine Williams I told you to play nice. Be quiet, I can’t do with him hanging around me again like a lost soul.

  “Jasmine, I am really sorry for your loss, if I can do anything to help, please tell me.” I took in a painful lung full of air.

  “How about going away and building me a time machine, so then I can go and bring Greg back to me, can you do that for me? Well? Can you?”

  “I think I made a mistake in coming here. I’m sorry Jasmine. I really am. I liked Greg.” Thank god he is going, if I had given him an inch he would have taken a mile, but now I feel guilty for being so off with him. I can’t win. As soon as Cat and Dylan left, I burst into tears, this was a living nightmare. How was I going to live without Greg? He was my heart and soul. We were engaged to be married. I couldn’t even think of my life without him.

  When I woke in the morning, Caitlin was asleep on the chair. She looked so peaceful. Dylan and Cat were nothing alike. They were like looking at day and night. Caitlin had her head screwed on, never rushed into any decisions. Everything was always plan
ned out in advance. She reminded me so much of her mum, but I loved her more than anything.

  Later in the day her parents came into visit me.

  “Jazz darling, how are you feeling today?” Caitlin’s mum asked.

  “Dorothy, I’m so glad you’re here. I am still the same. My body hurts. My mind is filled with confusion.” She bent over and gave me a comforting cuddle.

  “You are looking a little better today. We kept popping in when you were unconscious. We’ve been so worried about you sweetheart.” She rubbed her hand on the side of my face.

  “You know me Dorothy, you can’t keep me down for long. I always manage to bounce back through my crazy life.”

  “Well you look perfect to me,” Caitlin’s dad said. He leaned in for a hug.

  “Noah you are nothing but a sweet talker.” Dylan really did take after his dad, they were both blessed with silver tongues.

  “I have brought you something special.” Dorothy reached into her handbag and pulled out a big bar of fruit and nut.

  “Thank you Dorothy, you know me too well.” We both smiled at each other. Dorothy and Noah were like my adopted parents. They supported me like they did their own children. I classed Dylan and Caitlin as my brother and sister, even though they were not my blood family. Noah was born with the gift of the gab and got on with everyone he met. Dorothy was quiet and restrained kind and gentle, a perfect mother figure.

  By the next morning, I was ready to break out of hospital. I now needed my own bed and space. A nurse came into the room. As she entered, I became aware of a man observing me from outside of my room.

  “Morning Miss Williams.” Caitlin shot up off the seat. As I looked up again he had disappeared. I was left feeling slightly unsettled, but then, as I thought about it, the nurse’s station was outside my door. They were probably visiting a relative or something. My over active mind had nothing else better to do than imagine someone watching me.