Travel, Live, Love - A Contemporary Romance (The Armstrongs Book 5)

by Gray, Jessica

  When she awakened the next morning, she checked her blog with her smartphone and gasped for air. Her love post – as she called it – had hit a nerve. It had received well over one million views. Hundreds of comments had been left, and she had a large number of emails waiting for her response as well. She quickly scanned everything, but there was nothing from him.

  She fell back into the pillows of her hospital bed and wanted to die. What good is my life if I can’t share it with Patrick?

  Angela continued to wallow in self-pity throughout the day, oblivious to the worried looks the nurses gave her sisters when they came to visit. She wanted Patrick, and she might have to accept the fact that he didn’t want her.

  Chapter 28

  Patrick was driving his sister Samantha crazy. He was absolutely detestable in his depressed state of mind.

  She finally had enough of his moping and told him, “Go find her.”

  Patrick looked at her like a wounded puppy and then asked, “But how?”

  “Man, you’re so stupid! Doesn’t she have that blog? Isn’t there some kind of contact form?”

  Patrick’s face lightened up. He grabbed Sam off her feet, twirling her around and kissing her cheeks soundly. “I love you. You’re the best sister in the world.”

  She growled back at him, “I’m your only one.”

  He rushed over to his luggage and pulled out his laptop. He quickly logged on and then browsed to her blog site. He read her most recent blog post and paled and blushed at the same time. His heart took several beats and he felt a chill rushing down his spine.

  Samantha had to come to his help and took the laptop out of his trembling hand. “Have you seen a ghost, bro?”

  He pointed to the screen. In big letters, the title of her latest post read, You have to live the life you love. It’s your only one.

  “That’s my line. I said to her. She didn’t forget.” He glanced at the post and saw that it had been published two days earlier. Oh my God. I have to find her.

  He read the entire article, twice. His heart warmed and he got her message loud and clear. She loves me! She wants me!

  Excited for the first time since returning to New York, he sent off an email through her contact form with his phone number. He checked his phone every five minutes, causing Samantha to laugh at him. “Give it a break, Patrick. She does have a life.”

  No she doesn’t. Not without me. He shook his head. “Sam, you have no idea. I love that woman so much. I love her more than anyone else, even more than myself. I want to be near her, hold her hand, laugh with her, support her, every second of every day.”

  Samantha said, “That must be some kind of virus, making all my brothers fall like flies and find their true love. I’m the only one that’s doomed…”

  Patrick suddenly felt guilty; he’d been so absorbed with his own misfortune that he hadn’t paid attention to his sister. He closed the distance and hugged her tight. “Sam. Tell me what’s going on. Is it Craig again?”

  Tears dwelled in her eyes and he could sense how her body tensed against his embrace. His sister was one of the strongest, most independent women he knew and he admired her for it. But her strength was also a curse, because she never let people outside the family see her softer side, the side that made her all the more lovable.

  “It’s just that Craig says he loves me, but he definitely loves himself more. When push comes to shove he puts his own needs before mine every time.”

  Patrick’s heart went out to his sister, but as much as he wanted to fix things for her and send her boyfriend flying, he knew she’d never allow that. She had to get rid of him on her own terms.

  “Sam. If you ever need me to punch him in the face, gimme a call, okay?”

  Despite her welling tears she had to laugh. “He’s not that bad. And I can handle it.”

  Patrick didn’t think so, but then, who was he to decide? “I love you, sis.”

  She finally relaxed in his arms. “Thanks, Patrick. I love you too. But don’t even think of meddling with my love life. Just because all my brothers are floating on cloud nine doesn’t give them any rights over me.”

  He grinned; there she was again, his fierce and aggressive sister. He finally settled down, but each time he moved, he glanced at his cell phone screen. Why hasn’t she called?

  Patrick was preparing to go for a walk when his phone rang.

  “Hello?”

  “Patrick? It’s Angela.”

  His pulse raced and despite the cool air his body broke out in a sweat. “Angie, darling. I missed you so much. And I’ve been worried sick. Please tell me where you are so I can come visit you.”

  “I’m still in New York.”

  “So am I. I’ve been staying with my sister.”

  Angela gave him the name of the hospital and her room number, before asking, “Do you think you could find time to visit me today?”

  “Sweetheart, I’m already at the door. Will see you in thirty minutes.”

  He hung up the phone and headed for the door. “That was her.”

  “Great. Now, before you go running off to see her, do you think you might want to stop and put some shoes on?” Samantha gave his stockinged feet a glance.

  Patrick blushed and then hurried back to his room to grab some shoes. When he emerged, Sam was standing by the front door, ready to drive him to the hospital.

  “You don’t have to do that,” he said.

  “Yes, I do. I am looking forward to meeting this paragon of virtue you keep raving about.”

  “Sam, please. Can you wait until tomorrow? I really, really, want to meet her alone first.”

  Samantha took pity on him and nodded . “Okay. Not today. But tomorrow there’s nothing you can do to stop me from seeing her.”

  Twenty minutes later, Patrick was getting out of her small car in front of the hospital. He bade her farewell and then headed for the gift shop to purchase a huge bouquet of flowers. But once he had the flowers in his hands, they seemed inadequate to express his love, and he went right back into the shop and picked out the largest box of chocolates they had.

  Fate had just given him a second chance, and he was determined to do everything in his power to make Angela happy.

  Chapter 29

  Patrick was so anxious to see her, he didn’t have the patience to wait for the elevator, and took the stairs, practically flying up them to the fourth floor. He burst out onto the floor and headed towards her room, only to be stopped by a buxom nurse with a no-nonsense face. “Where do you think you’re going?”

  “Sorry, I’m here to see Angela Halliwell.”

  “Not with those, you’re not. Her immune system is still weak and she’s on powerful antibiotics. No flowers are allowed in this particular part of the hospital.”

  Patrick handed her the flowers with an apology: “I’m sorry. Here, please enjoy them for taking such wonderful care of her.”

  The nurse relaxed a bit and then gave him a nod. “Her room is behind you, son.”

  “Thank you.” He spun around and then burst into her room.

  Angela smiled broadly at him as he entered her room and approached her bed. Their eyes devoured each other, and when he leaned in to kiss her, she met him halfway. He kissed her, hungry, impassioned like it was the first time, and in a way it was. She met each of the laps of his tongues with a lap of her own and when they finally parted, they were both panting. Breathless, but happy.

  Angela voiced his thoughts: “Thank God you’re here. I thought I had lost you.”

  “Me too. I missed you every single minute, and my sister almost kicked me out for being insupportable.”

  “I’m so happy.”

  “I bought you flowers, but the nurse wouldn’t let me bring them in.”

  Angela shrugged. “I don’t care. You are everything I need. Now that you’re here, everything is fine. When I think that my brat of a sister almost kept us apart…”

  He hugged her again, and kissed her temple. “None of that m
atters now. And I managed to rescue my other present. Trust me, it’s way better than flowers.”

  “What is it?” she asked.

  He flashed her a secretive smile. “You have to guess.”

  “Oh, please just tell me. I can’t guess. Please.”

  “Okay, but just because you’re still sick.” He pulled the large box of chocolates from inside his lightweight jacket. He watched as her face lit up. He loved her so much, it literally hurt.

  She rewarded him with another passionate kiss for his gift. “I love it! You’re the best man ever, bringing me chocolate.”

  Hmm. If buying her chocolate always earned him a kiss like that, he’d have to do it each and every day. His big hands moved up and down her torso, careful not to hurt her broken ribs. He slid his hand beneath her shirt and relished in the feel of her soft and silky skin. He placed little kisses down her neck, her shoulder, her collarbone. He wished he could undress her right here and there, and it took him a great deal of self-control to stop.

  He murmured into her ear, “You have no idea how much I want to make love to you.”

  Angela looked down to the bulge in his pants. “If this huge bulge is anything to go by, I have a pretty good idea.” Their eyes caught, and warmth spread throughout his body when he saw all the love there.

  At that very moment, the three of her sisters walked into the room. Angela introduced him and he hugged first Willow and then Sydney.

  When it was Harper’s turn, she apologized to him. “Sorry, Patrick. I didn’t know she loved you. I was trying to protect her, because I thought she needed some recovery time after breaking up with Jasper.”

  Patrick wasn’t one to hold a grudge; he might have done the same to protect his sister. “Let’s forget about that, okay?”

  Sydney chimed in, “But she is on the rebound and we don’t want to see either one of you get hurt.”

  “I understand and I don’t care,” he said giving Angela a tender look full of love and understanding.

  “She travels. A lot.”

  “I know that. I travel a lot as well. And I would love to travel the world with Angela.” Patrick knew what they were doing, but he wasn’t having any of it. They could try and scare him off but it wasn’t going to work. He met Angela’s eyes and his pulse quickened with the look of love she gave him.

  “She’s never going to give up her career and stay at home,” Willow interjected.

  “I hope not. I have admired her and her blog long before I met her, and when I did, reality surpassed my wildest dreams. Angela is the woman I’ve been waiting for my whole life. She complements me in every aspect of my life, and only together with her I’m whole. I love her and cherish her and I will strive every day to be a better man for her. To make her happy.”

  Patrick had never been a man of many words, and like most men he rarely discussed his feelings. But the love he felt for Angela was so big, so overwhelming, that the words tumbled out of him without thinking.

  He could see how Angela’s eyes dampened, and he put his arm around her shoulder. Her sisters were momentarily stunned and it took a few moments before Harper finally found her voice and said, “Then you might just be the perfect man for our sister. Treat her well.”

  “Glad I meet your approval,” he answered, half joking but also rejoicing inside, that he had not only found the woman he loved, but also met the approval of her sisters.

  As with all the Armstrong men, family was very important for Patrick. His family was very close-knit, and just as his siblings and parents would welcome Angela with open arms, he wanted to be an integral part of her family as well.

  Patrick prepared to leave so she would have some alone time with her sisters. “I’ll be back in the morning unless you call me. I mean it; you call if you need anything or just need to talk to someone. I’ll come back if you need me.”

  Angela glanced up at him. “I promise.” She lifted her head for his kiss, and he savored the feeling of her lips against his own. When Willow made a low whistling noise, only then did Patrick release her and step back with a sexy grin upon his face.

  “Ladies, it was nice to meet you. I hope to see you all more frequently.” Patrick winked at Angela and stepped out of the room.

  Chapter 30

  Willow waved a hand in front of her face and then turned on Angela. “Okay, you forgot to mention how extremely hot he is. And I do mean scorching hot.”

  Angela grinned. Yes, he was hotter than hell. Images of all the dirty things she wanted him to do to her as soon as she got out of the hospital flashed through her mind.

  “Hey…stop dreaming. We’re still here,” Sydney said.

  “How could I forget my pain-in-the-ass sister? Can you please explain to me what that interrogation was for?”

  “Hey, we’re your sisters,” Harper defended her actions. “It’s our job to vet the men who want to take you out.”

  “Yeah, sis. We’re just looking out for you,” Sydney agreed. “You’re on the rebound, the absolute worst time to start up a new relationship.”

  “I truly love him. And I’ve never felt happier in my life. He’s everything I never knew I needed.”

  “We can see that now. And he loves you too.”

  Angela grinned. She felt better. With Patrick by her side, everything was possible. Willow joked once again how unfair it was, that Angela had secured the hottest guy ever.

  “Yes, and I don’t share him, not even with my sisters.”

  Willow made a pout. “You’re so selfish.”

  Harper and Sydney started to giggle, and Willow asked, “Does he have brothers?”

  “Yes, five, but they’re all taken.”

  “Why do I have such bad luck?” Then, it was as if she’d suddenly thought of something else. “…Does he have cousins?”

  Angela shook her head. “I don’t know, but I’ll ask him. I would imagine so, since he comes from such a large family.”

  “Do that. If they’re as handsome as he is, I might even hook up with all of them.”

  “Gosh, you’re such an act! Grow up, girl.”

  “We’re headed to see that new action movie.” Harper glanced at her watch and then told her sisters, “We need to get going.”

  Willow made a dreamy face and then whispered loudly, “I can’t wait to see this one. Channing Tatum runs around for most of the movie without a shirt on. Yum!”

  Angela laughed and shook her head. “You are seriously ill. Do you ever think about anything other than sex?”

  “Of course I do. Sometimes. And don’t knock it until you try it. In fact, with that hunk of yours, I highly recommend a heavy dose of sex followed by a heavy dose of sex.”

  Sydney looked as if she was going to explode and Harper scowled at both of them. “Girls, Angela has to rest; we should leave.”

  “Alright. Bye, sis.” They all hugged and kissed her and soon they were gone.

  Angela leaned her head back and closed her eyes. She loved her sisters, and it was kind of sweet, the way they had tried to protect her. But she didn’t need to be protected from Patrick. He was one of the good guys.

  She reached for her cell phone, only to find a text message from him: Miss you already. Love you so much. P

  I must be the luckiest woman in the world.

  Chapter 31

  A few days later, Patrick came to pick her up. He’d been visiting every day for as long as the nurses had permitted, but today she was leaving alongside him. Gosh, I’m so nervous.

  She had bandages on her arm, and beneath her blouse, she still had tape wrapped around her broken ribs. As Patrick helped her into the waiting taxi, she noticed the nicely wrapped box sitting on the seat.

  “More chocolate?” she asked him.

  “Nope. Much better.”

  “Better than chocolate?” She was intrigued, and nervous. He slid into the taxi, and inspected her with a wicked grin as she opened the package with trembling hands. He wouldn’t, would he? It’s way too fast. And the box is mu
ch too big.

  She finally fumbled the box open and exposed an extra-large box of condoms. Whoa. Shivers of lust coiled through her body and she leaned closer into him, pressing her back against his muscled chest. He murmured into her ear, “I didn’t want to risk running out of condoms again, but if you’d rather wait…”

  “No.” Her harsh answer surprised her as much as him. He raised an eyebrow, but she quickly added, “I don’t want to wait one minute longer.”

  When he continued to nibble her earlobe and trail kisses along the depth of her cleavage, emotions flooded every inch of her body. By the time they drew up before her apartment building, she was wet and dripping, ready for him.

  Patrick paid the taxi fare and then helped her from the back seat. He picked her up in his arms and carried her up the steps and into the small foyer of the apartment complex. He looked so damn hot; she needed to rip off his clothes and see and feel what lay beneath.

  They stumbled into the apartment, his lips sealed over hers. He broke the kiss, both of them gasping for air. He dragged his eyes down her body, causing a delicious shudder. He unbuttoned her blouse and kissed her bare shoulder, stealing her ability to think clearly. Patrick guided her backwards until they reached the bedroom, as they both tore frantically at each other’s clothes.

  She was down to her bra and panties, when she heard a sound and the bedroom door opened, with Jasper standing in the doorframe. Everyone was shocked into stillness. Angela was the first to come to her senses. “What are you doing here?” She grabbed her blouse and held it in front of her torso.

  “I live here.” Jasper seemed to unfreeze upon hearing her voice.

  “No, you don’t. I told you to move out. It’s over.” She was shaking with fury.

  Jasper turned on the charm. “Come on, sweetheart. You can’t do that to me. We’re so good together.” He turned towards Patrick. “You better leave now. This is still my place.”

  Patrick went from scorching hot to menacing in a fraction of a second. He stood like a wall of muscle, his feet hip-distance apart, arms crossed. “Angela told you to leave. Now.”