Jesse didn’t look at her at first, a flush of red high on his cheeks. His long fingers squeezed hers, the tiniest movement. Love. Bree felt disconnected from the world, her breath hitching and stalling. Jesse turned his head then and his smile made her weak. He slid a hand around her waist, pulled her to him, leaned his head against hers. Bree sighed, unable to resist his touch, her entire body tingling. Her arms slid around his body, his familiar, solid, comforting shape. She felt him slid his fingers into her hair, press his lips against her forehead. She looked up into his eyes and a sense of calmness, of security came over her. You are my home. Jesse smiled when he read the love in her expression. They didn’t speak.
They stayed like that until the ferry docked on the island. Letting the other passengers filter off before they stood, they walked slowly from the harbor, fingers still linked, Jesse’s thumb brushing the back of her hand rhythmically, sending warm tingles through her. At the edge of Main Street, Jesse pulled her into an alleyway, and into his arms. In silence, they stood, locked together. Then he let her go, touched the back of his hand to her face, his eyes shining.
‘Goodnight.’
She smiled at him, her face soft with love. ‘’Bye.’ She leaned against the corner of the building, watching him walk slowly home. Before he went inside, he turned and raised his hand. She waved back and grinned. When he had gone, she started to walk toward Kizzie’s home, debating whether to get a cab back. The evening was cool built but was only a couple of miles walk home.
At the villa, Bree glanced at Kizzie’s closed bedroom door as she passed, grinning to herself. Kizzie would have loved to know what just happened. Sorry, Kizzie, just for today, this is mine. She smiled to herself and went to bed.
Emory steeled herself then nodded at Dante and the psychiatrist. ‘Okay.’
Sophia sat beside her, holding her hand. Today, they were going to tell her everything, about who she was, where she came from, who wanted to kill her.
Dante and Sophia had been incredibly kind, and she hadn’t wanted for anything since she woke up. They bought her clothes, fed her, arranged medical treatment. She had talked to them so she knew a little – her name, that she was a teacher, that she had been involved with some kind of massacre at her school. She had been horrified at that and had gotten so upset that Dante had called in some psychiatric help too.
Now, a month later, she was ready. She nodded at Dante who smiled at her. She had grown incredibly close to the man, as well as Sophia, who turned out to be his cousin. She had become aware, lately, of a change in her and Dante’s relationship. They spent long evenings talking, laughing; she found him intelligent and erudite, and he was definitely an attractive man, his warm eyes, his swarthy skin, his athletic build. She was aware of his attraction to her, but something was holding her back.
She wondered now if she would discover what that was. Flashes of memory had stared to come back to her, mostly disjointed nightmares but every so often, something that felt like a lover’s kiss would drift across her mind. She had been loved, she knew it in her soul.
She just didn’t know who by. Now, as she sat ready, she knew one thing. It was the man in the photograph they placed in front of her wasn’t it. He was older, florid, arrogant and her stomach curled with a subconscious dread.
‘This is Raymond Grace,’ Dante said gently. ‘This is the man we think shot you. Your ex-husband.’
Emory picked up the photograph and stared at the face. Yes. She nodded. ‘I know this face. I was married to him?’ Her voice was gruff, full of astonishment and Sophie couldn’t help but let out a chuckle.
‘Honey, we’ve all been wondering how that happened.’
Emory laughed and suddenly she felt better. She put down the photo and looked expectantly at Dante. With a nod from the psychiatrist, Dante handed her another photograph. This time it was of a young woman, a teenager, short dark hair and dark, dark eyes. A tomboy. Emory’s pulse quickened. ‘I know this girl…I know her.’ As she studied the picture, she began to smile. ‘I feel like…she’s a friend. A good friend.’
‘You saved her life,’ Dante said gently. ‘Her name is Bree Saffran.’
Emory felt a jolt, one that took her breath away. ‘Bree? I know her, Bree, oh my god.’
Suddenly she felt like she couldn’t breathe. She bent double and then Dante was there, holding her. She rocked back and forth.
‘I remember. I remember… the school. David, it was David…he was going to kill her, oh my god, oh no, god, he had a knife…’
Dante held her as she sobbed, the memories crashing back. He nodded to Sophie and to the doctor, who both quietly left the room. He held Emory tightly, letting her cry herself out. When she stopped, sighing and apologizing, he took her face in his hands. ‘Stop apologizing, you have nothing to apologize for. You’re a hero, Emory.’ He stroked her face with his thumbs. Emory gazed at him and suddenly the atmosphere in the room changed. Emory drew in a shaky breath. ‘Dante…’
His lips met hers and he kissed her, gently, shyly, questioningly. Emory closed her eyes, felt the sensation of his embrace and sank into it. She tangled her fingers in his dark hair as they kissed and when she opened her eyes, she saw the love in his.
‘Emory,’ he said in a soft voice, ‘I’m crazy about you. You are everything I have ever wanted but I don’t want to coerce you, or take advantage because I would hate it if you were to regain your memories only to find that there is someone else, someone you left behind and you felt I betrayed that.’
Emory gazed at him, her hand cupping his cheek. ‘Dante…I just don’t know, I cannot remember. What I do know is this – there’s something in my mind that keeps pulling me back. Something, I just can’t reach it. You’re a wonderful man and I don’t want to break your heart, or mine. Until I know everything, I can’t make that decision. But know this…,’ and she leaned her forehead against his, ‘right now, this moment? This is ours. The rest of the world doesn’t exist.’
Dante frowned, not understanding. ‘Emory?’
She pressed her lips against his. ‘Hold me.’
He pulled her into his arms and kissed her, feeling her arms curl around him. God, he wanted this woman so badly and she was giving him what he wanted, right here, right now, with no expectations.
They held each other for a time then Dante walked her back to her room. ‘You know now you’re feeling better, you can come up to the main house. Stay in one of the guestrooms.’
Emory looked hesitant. ‘I don’t know…I think it’s best that we keep a distance, don’t you? For now, I mean.’
Dante smiled. ‘Of course. But I promise, it would be a pleasure to have you there.’ He hadn’t meant that to sound dirty but when Emory giggled, he realized and flushed red. ‘You know what I mean.’
‘I do.’ She sat down on her bed. ‘Dante, I don’t know how I can ever repay what you’ve done for me. It’s just incredible. Maybe…I don’t know, maybe I could do some work for you?’
He rolled his eyes. ‘You know anything about conglomerates?’ He grinned as she pulled a face.
‘Not a thing.’
‘Just keep getting better, that’s all I ask. Now, listen, talking of work, I have to get back, so, you have everything you need?’
‘I do. Thank you, Dante.’
He smiled and left the room, his emotions swirling inside him. She had gotten under his skin, this beautiful woman, and he knew he was in great danger of falling in love with her. So, was that the reason you didn’t mention Luca Saffran? He pushed the thought away and told himself that his detectives hadn’t confirmed that Emory was in a romantic relationship with the man. Yeah, right. Dante sighed, pushing the guilt to the back of his mind, and went to work.
Luca looked up as his secretary knocked at the door. ‘Someone to see you, Luca.’
Luca glanced at the clock. A little before ten p.m. He frowned. ‘Really?’
She nodded then as she stepped back, Luca saw the last person he expected. He stood and strode
over. ‘Maximo…what are you doing here?’
Maximo shook his hand and fixed him with a steady look. ‘I’m here to offer my help, Luca. As a friend. As someone who lost someone he loved. And not only that, But I think I can help you. I think we can help each other…’
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EVERGREEN
An Alpha Billionaire Romance
Part #7: Kizzie
By Michelle Love
#7: Kizzie
As both she and Jesse were both night owls, it was no surprise to Hannah that at twelve o’clock she heard a soft knock at her door. She opened her door. ‘Jeez, you look…happy.’
Her brother grinned at her as she let him in but stayed quiet. He swaggered over to the easy chairs and slumped back into one. Kizzie laughed at the playful look on his face.
‘Seriously dude, I haven’t seen you smile in I don’t know how long.’ She peered at him. ‘Did something happen?’ She grabbed a couple of beers from the fridge, handing him one.
Jesse’s smile was smug. ‘Might have had a moment with a certain someone. Had to go into the city this afternoon.’
Kizzie’s mouth was a perfect ‘O’. ‘You saw Bree? She didn’t say anything.’
He nodded and sighed happily. ‘On the ferry on the way back. Is she here?’
‘Asleep in the guestroom. Do you want me to wake her?’
Jesse shook his head, giving her a smile. ‘No, let her rest.’
‘What did you talk about?’
He leaned forward, grabbed his beer. ‘Nothing.’
She raised her eyebrows at him. ‘Okay…nothing at all?’
He shook his head, but she laughed at the satisfaction in his eyes. ‘Well, I guess you two have never needed words, hey?’ She leaned forward and clinked her bottle against his, and grinned at the look of happiness on her brother’s face. ‘So, what now?’
Jesse shook his head. ‘Honestly, sis? I have no idea.’
Zea looked over at Flynt now as they drove back from City Hall. Mrs. Flynt Newlan. Wow. Flynt grinned over at her, knowing what she was thinking. ‘Crazy, huh? Wifey.’
Zea chuckled. ‘Hubby. God, I never even called David that. Sorry,’ she added as she realized how insensitive she was being but Flynt gave a good-natured shrug.
‘Baby, it’s okay to talk about him, you know. I’m secure enough in our relationship that if it helps to talk about him, do. I may regret this, but I want us to be totally honest about everything.’
Zea felt her chest hurt with the force of love she felt for this man. ‘Thank you, honey. I’m just thinking, my God, what a whirlwind…from that first night, fucking in an alleyway to this.’ She laughed out loud, and he joined in and took her hand.
‘Zea, I was like an animal the minute I saw you. God, your lips, your eyes, even with that haunted look. The curves of you…damn. I was arrogant enough to believe that you felt the same.’
His words made a pulse beat furiously between her legs and she leaned over to him, nuzzling his ear. ‘Mr. Newlan?’
Flynt grinned. ‘Yes, Mrs. Newlan?’
‘Pull the car over. Somewhere we won’t be seen. If you want animal, I’ll give you animal.’
‘Yes, ma’am.’ Flynt was laughing as he turned the wheel and drove down the next turning into the dark woods.
In a clearing, Zea got out of the car. ‘Where are you going?’ Flynt asked. Zea grinned, and as he got out to join her, she pushed him back onto the hood.
‘Lay back, hubby,’ she ordered as she stripped off and he smiled, doing as he said. She pulled his jeans off and straddled him, cupping his cock in her hands, stroking its silky length until it became rock hard. Flynt groaned as she worked on him and then, reaching between her legs began to massage her clit, feeling her dampen and shiver under his touch. When, finally, she guided him inside her soft, wet warmth, she rode him gently at first then as their gazes locked, they moved faster, harder, wanting to lose themselves in each other. In the quiet of the forest, their moans and cried echoed and as they reached orgasm, both of them delirious with pleasure, Zea knew that her whole world now was this man. And that was more than enough happiness for a lifetime.
Kizzie switched the television off and lay on her couch listening to the silence. Jesse had gone home, and Bree was dead to the world in the guestroom. She liked having Bree here; the other girl seemed to share her love of peace. The reason Kizzie had picked this little villa on Bainbridge was the quiet, the solitude. She had always been a loner – odd considering she was a twin, but Lexi had been the same. Kizzie and Lexi had always orientated themselves around each other, always knowing when the other needed alone time and never holding a grudge.
God, she missed Lexi…her sister had always been the sweetest one out of all three siblings, the most grounded. It was tragic and yet weirdly inevitable that she was the one murdered. The Auburn School Shootings may have faded from the news stories but not from the memory of everyone involved, not from Washington State. Kizzie would sit in coffee shops and diners and overhear people talking about it and she would want to scream at them to shut up. You weren’t there! You didn’t lose anybody! But she didn’t. Because what did she know? They could have lost friends, cousins, brothers, lovers. Sisters.
I am not dealing with this well. For the last seven days, she had repeated those words to herself, trying to see if she could crack the wall of ice that had formed around her heart. She wanted to cry, wanted to scream and break down, because until she did, she didn’t know how she could move on.
Kizzie pushed that thought away, as she always did, and rolled off the couch. She pulled open one of the French windows and stepped out into the Washington night. A full moon meant that it was well lit as she padded across the grass down to the little beach and into the water a little way. The cold water lapped around her ankles as she stared up at the sky. Earlier she’d managed to finish off a small bottle of vodka, and now she felt her head swirling. God, she was tired, exhausted really. The cold water felt nice on her skin, so she stripped, throwing her dress back onto the sand and dived into the deeper water. It streamed past her limbs feeling cool and the sensation relaxed her, soothing, soothing…
Then her restful state was interrupted by screaming and shouting and someone pulling at her. Leave me alone, I’m asleep, I’m asleep, I…
Kizzie opened her eyes to bright white light. Ceiling tiles and the strong smell of antiseptic. Hospital. What the hell?
She sat up and saw her parents and Jesse standing just outside the door. Jesse looked over at her and smiled. She mouthed ‘What the fuck is going on?’ at him and he nodded, moving to the door. Her parents followed her. Kizzie immediately saw her mother’s red eyes, the strain on her father’s face.
A doctor came in before she could ask them what the hell she was doing there.
Kizzie felt her head whirl, fuzzy with pain. Jesse squeezed her hand. Her father stood at the doorway, watching, smiling whenever she looked over to him. Her mother wouldn’t look at her and Kizzie felt a pull of grief in her chest.
Dr. Napier shone the light into her eyes and she winced. Dr. Napier smiled. ‘Sorry…are you still experiencing confusion?’
Kizzie nodded. ‘Yes, some.’ She looked over at Jesse, perched on the side of her bed. He winked at her, but his face was somber. He exchanged a look with the doctor. Dr. Napier put his penlight away and sat down next to her. He leaned forward, his eyes searching her face.
‘Kizzie…I need to ask you. Why did you stop taking your anti-depressants?’
She stared at him, uncomprehending. ‘What?’
The doctor picked up her charts. ‘We ran some blood. You were on,’ he checked the papers, ‘Zoloft?’
She nodded. ‘Dr. Napier, I didn’t stop taking them. I know the risks, I wouldn’t do that.’
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He looked at her steadily. ‘Kizzie, the blood tests don’t lie. You haven’t been taking them for some time, at least three months. Not only that, we found aspirin in your system. You’re allergic, correct?’
She nodded. ‘Very.’
Bree was in the room then, and Kizzie felt a tug of gratefulness in her. ‘That was me. Remember, earlier, when you said you had a headache? I’m sorry, I didn’t know you were allergic, Kizzie. Otherwise, I would never have – ‘
‘In this case, you did Kizzie a favor,’ the doctor interrupted. ‘If her airways hadn’t been closing themselves off, more water would have gotten in.’ He looked at Kizzie. ‘Bree saved your life twice tonight.’
Kizzie, still confused, tried to smile at Bree.
Bree smiled, a little shyly. Jesse put his hand on his shoulder. Kizzie was silent for a moment then looked at the doctor again.
‘Look, doctor,’ and she could feel panic beginning to rise in her chest, ‘I swear to you. I got my prescription filled last week, there should be twenty capsules left. Get someone to go to my house…’
She trailed off as the three men all shifted. Her father moved to her side, looked down at her.
‘Kizzie, we did that,’ he said softly, his eyes grave, ‘I checked. The bottle was full. I’m so sorry, but none of the pills were gone.’
She was shaking her head from side to side now. ‘No, I remember taking them, damn it, I remember taking it last night. Jesse…you were there…’
‘Not in your bathroom, sweetheart.’ Jesse stroked her hand, but she could see the doubt in his eyes.
‘You’d been drinking,’ the doctor went on, his tone sympathetic, ‘you’d had an emotional day, an upsetting day. What with the recent spotlight on your family’s history…you’d be forgiven for wanting things to, um, change. The fact you went for a swim in the middle of the night, in this weather…Kizzie, it’s okay if things got to you, we can help.’
Evergreen: An Alpha Billionaire Romance Page 19