Book Boyfriends Cafe Summer Lovin' Anthology 2015

by Melinda Curtis

  “Tell me how this feels, Rebecca.”

  The gentleness in his voice brought tears to her eyes. “It feels right,” she moaned. “It feels . . . perfect.”

  That pleased him, too. He leaned over her back, lifting her so that his hands could pleasure her nipples as he thrust into her. He whispered something against her spine, words she couldn’t interpret, but whose meaning she somehow knew.

  “Open your eyes,” he said. “Look at us.”

  In spite of her sex-drenched haze, Becca pulled her eyes open and watched the two of them in a primitive dance, faces intense, full of ecstasy. The pressure built and built, taking them to the brink, and then dropping them over.

  They stayed like that, locked together, dazzled by what had happened, what they had found together. Finally, whispering words of praise for her, Aaron eased out of her, laid her limp body down on the bed, and covered them both. They slept curled together, perfectly content, as if they had all the time in the world.

  She woke to more kisses. On a laughing groan, she said, “You’re insatiable.”

  “You have no idea,” Aaron growled in her ear. “This is a goodbye kiss, though. Now, wake up and do it properly.”

  Stricken, she came fully awake. It was daylight and he was dressed in his flight suit, the straight, clean lines emphasizing his height and the width of his shoulders. It wasn’t the first time she’d seen him dressed like this, but it was the first time since she’d been so devastatingly in love with him.

  He pulled her to her knees and held her tight. She clung to him, her head buried against his neck, breathing in his scent, imprinting the feel of his skin on hers, storing the memories as deep in her soul as they would go. When she thought she could look at him without bawling like a toddler with a skinned knee, she lifted her head and offered her mouth.

  Of all the kisses they’d shared in the past week, this was the sweetest – full, all encompassing, melding them together. He drew away and placed tiny kisses on her cheeks, her jaw, the soft skin beneath her ear, then her eyes, where he encountered tears in spite of her best intentions. All the while he whispered words to her that she didn’t understand, though she knew their meaning. He didn’t tell he that he loved her, but these words were a promise. She could tell by their intensity.

  At last, he pulled away from her. His eyes glittered with purpose. “I have to go. Dahhak will have all of you out of the country by nightfall. I’ll contact you when I can.”

  The uncertainty of that statement nearly had the tears flowing again, but she fought them back. She watched him go to the dresser which he’d replaced while she slept, and pick up his keys.

  She scrambled after him, and he held up a hand as if to keep her from stopping him, but she whirled around him, threw open the ebony box and found the pendant from her long-ago broken necklace.

  “Take this with you as a . . . a good luck charm.”

  He smiled. “You went through my little treasure box?”

  “I was looking for condoms.”

  He lifted an eyebrow at her.

  “I wanted to make sure you had plenty and that they all had my name on them.”

  “Liar.” He grinned to take the sting out of the word. He looked down at the initial. “I found this in my car. I was going to return it, but there was no opportunity. Funny, I’d almost forgotten I had it.”

  She folded his hand around it. “Don’t ever forget again.”

  He walked to the door and gave her a long, warm look. “Goodbye, Rebecca.”

  She was so close to tears, she couldn’t even speak, but she gave him a shaky smile. He swung out the door and closed it behind him. She started to run after him, but heard voices in the hall and knew his mother was seeing him off. Having a guest run, stark naked, out of her son’s room would not be an acceptable way to repay her hospitality.

  Becca slumped with her forehead pressed against the door and listened to him walk down the hallway, her heart shattering a little more with each step.

  Chapter 10

  The day dragged with no word about what was happening. Even Sara said she couldn’t get any information. Aaron’s friend, Jamal arrived to check on Sophie, bringing some malaria medicine and more painkillers. He also wrote her a medical pass saying she needed to get home to her own doctor so she wouldn’t have any trouble getting on a plane. After that, there was nothing to do but wait nervously until Dahhak called to say he had chartered a private plane for them to Casablanca, and from there they would fly on a commercial jet to Paris and then to New York.

  The mood immediately lifted for everyone except Rebecca. She knew she had to get home, but she was leaving without having anything settled between her and Aaron. She wandered through the house, memorizing the layout of the rooms, noting the location of Aaron’s family’s treasures so that when she was back home she could imagine him here, in these rooms, with these things around him.

  She walked into the den and found Jenny in there. She was looking at the pictures on the wall, especially the one of the five pilots that had been taken in their backyard. Becca studied it with her for a moment and then said, “I was looking at this picture the other day and I couldn’t figure out what Ferran was looking at off camera. It was you, wasn’t it?”

  “Yes.” Jenny smiled, then her shoulders drooped. “I was so completely crazy about him. Talk about young and stupid.”

  Becca slipped an arm around her. “Just young. Looking back, I can’t believe I didn’t see what was going on.”

  “You were focused on Aaron, as he was on you so you didn’t really notice what was happening around you.”

  “I can’t believe Mom and Dad didn’t see what was happening with us, though.”

  Jenny wandered to Aaron’s desk, picked up an agate paperweight and said, “I’ve thought about that a lot over the years and I’ve decided that they saw what they wanted to see. They had their minds and their plans set regarding our futures. They couldn’t change their mindsets and blocked out any indication that something – like a man – could change what they intended for us.”

  “Sounds harsh and unbending.”

  Jenny shrugged. “They didn’t mean for it to be. They were sure they knew what was best for us, no matter what.”

  Becca said, “Let’s make a pact that we won’t do that with our kids. We’ll let them be themselves, choose their own paths.”

  Stricken, Jenny looked up and swallowed. Becca rushed to her, gave her a hug. “I’m sorry. I didn’t think . . . .”

  “It’s all right. Sometimes I forget, too. And since there hasn’t been a man in my life for a while, it hasn’t been an issue. If I ever meet the right man, we can adopt. Maybe.”

  “Of course.”

  Becca wanted to ask what she and Ferran had discussed as they had driven through the desert, but Jenny had a closed look on her face, one that told her little sister not to pry. Even though they had begun to repair their sisterly bond, there were some things Becca knew had to be left alone for a while.

  Dahhak arrived a short time later with another man. They got everyone into two of Aaron’s vehicles and took them to the airport. The group didn’t go to the main part where Becca had flown in, but to an area where a private plane waited on the tarmac.

  As an authorized agent of the Ministry of Tourism, Dahhak was authorized to check their passports and let them leave the country, which they did within half an hour of boarding the plane.

  As they took off, Becca watched Côte de Diamant drop away beneath them and tried to guess if she would ever be here again. With tear-filled eyes she saw a group of military jets flying in the distance and wondered if Aaron was in one of them. There were so many unanswered questions, unresolved issues between them, but she knew there was nothing she could do but wait to hear from him. She only hoped it would be soon.

  ~*~

  Two months. It had been two months since he had seen her. Aaron downshifted as the sports car took the corner at a crawl so he could read the street signs. Th
e built-in global positioning system could have told him how to find her house, but he preferred to depend on his memory after looking at a map of her Phoenix neighborhood. It was a skill he intended to keep well-honed even though he wouldn’t be having anymore adventures in the desert for a while.

  He pulled into a neighborhood of newer homes, built close together with tiny yards and two car garages in front. He found Becca’s house with unerring accuracy.

  He had been on communications lockdown for a while and after that, he and Becca had a few unsatisfactory conversations. He was here now, at her front door, and anxious to see her.

  He had only been able to tell her that he was safe, as was Ferran. The Côte de Diamantian show of force had warned off their aggressive neighbor and the attempted coup collapsed before it really got started.

  Aaron stepped out of the car and walked to the front door, noting the desert flowers and bushes she had planted along the walk. When he rang the doorbell and got no answer, he stood back and listened, then walked around to the side of the house. He heard the sound of water so he reached over the gate, unlatched it and let himself in.

  She was in the pool, swimming laps. He watched as she went one full length, turned with an underwater flip, and started the next lap. Grinning, he walked to the side of the pool and crouched down, his haunches resting on his heels, and waited for her to notice him.

  ~*~

  When Becca saw him, she squeaked in alarm, swallowed a mouthful of water, went down, and came up sputtering. Swiping water from her eyes, she coughed and blinked.

  “Aaron! Why didn’t you tell me you were coming?” She swam to the side of the pool and pulled herself out while he stood. Before she could grab a towel and dry herself off, he pulled her into his arms and kissed her, then held her away from him.

  “I wanted to surprise you,” he said.

  “Well, you did.” She stood on her toes, wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him again, putting all of her love and pent-up worry into it.

  Aaron returned her kiss, then held her away again, smiling as he looked her over. “You look better than you did when you were in Côte de Diamant.” He ran his hand over her skin, then resting them on her bare waist. “You’ve got curves now where a woman’s supposed to have them. And you’ve gained a little weight,” he said approvingly.

  “Ten pounds.”

  “And may I say whoever designed this hot pink bikini did a hell of a job.” He reached behind her and untied the strings.

  She gasped in surprise as the top fell away. Aaron tossed it into the pool. His hands came up to cover her breasts.

  Her gaze darted around the yard. “Aaron, anyone could see us!”

  He bent to kiss her, then trailed kisses down the side of her neck. “Don’t worry, I’ve got the most vulnerable parts covered.”

  She shivered at his welcome touch. “Still . . . .” she managed to say on a laugh.

  “Then let’s go in the house,” he said, his hands going to the strings at the sides of her bikini bottom. “In fact, where’s your bedroom?”

  “This way.” She started into the house, but before she had taken two steps, her bikini bottom fell away as well and joined the top to float companionably in the pool.

  She knew she should probably protest, but he was kissing her, urging her down the hallway and she wanted him as badly as he wanted her. Her fingers flew down the buttons on his shirt, she jerked it down his arms, and then her mouth was on his warm skin, breathing in the spicy sandalwood scent of him, touching and tasting.

  He skimmed out of his jeans and briefs and then they were on the bed where she had dreamed of him so many times. They were kissing each other everywhere, aroused and feverish, wanting each other. He barely had time to put on a condom before she urged him into her and they were together.

  Becca breathed his name as he entered her, filling her body as he had filled her heart for so long. They moved in rhythm, faster and faster until they reached a climax together, calling each other’s names, and tumbling into bliss.

  After several minutes, Aaron lifted his head and moved to his side to cradle her against him and smile down at her. “That wasn’t what I had expected of our first moments back together.”

  “Then you shouldn’t have taken off my bikini. It’s probably going to clog the pool filter.” Her hands trailed over his chest, his shoulder, then rested on his neck. It would be a long while before she got enough of touching him.

  He stretched to reach for his jeans and pull something from the pocket. “I was going to give you this first.”

  “What?” Becca looked down to see him opening a small velvet bag. He pulled out a diamond ring. Her breath sucked in and her eyes shot up to meet his.

  “I love you, Rebecca. I’ve probably loved you since you were sixteen. Will you marry me?”

  Every bit of air had left her body. She fought for breath. “Ye . . . has. I love you, too.”

  Chuckling, he slipped the ring on her finger.

  “It’s stunning,” she finally managed, holding her hand up to admire the fiery gem.

  He tried and failed to look modest. “We desert types know a thing or two about diamonds.”

  She laid her hand on his chest. “Aaron, this may have to be a lengthy engagement. My father is better, but it’s going to be a long recovery, and our family is only now beginning to reconcile.”

  He smoothed her hair away from her face in a tender gesture that caught at her heart. “How would you feel about living in Los Angeles? I’m no longer the Minister of Tourism. The minister of trade decided it would be a better idea for me to use my contacts here in the U.S. to form trade agreements between our two countries.”

  “You would do that for me?”

  “I would, but the plan was already in the works when you came to Côte de Diamant. Meeting you again moved up the timeline. I’ll maintain my home there and we’ll visit often.”

  “What if Isbahar gets frisky again and wants to start a war . . . ?”

  “Then they’ll have to do it without my participation. I’ve resigned from the reserves. My value to my country, to both our countries, is in mutually beneficial trade.”

  “I like the sound of that.”

  He smiled and gave her a long, satisfying kiss. “We’ll get married whenever you say, but this time you’re going to have the wedding you deserve, no quick Las Vegas chapel marriage this time.”

  “Even though we were already married by the nomad tribal elders?” she asked, teasing him.

  “Even though. I want this to be legal in every country in the world.”

  He kissed her again and murmured something against her lips.

  She pulled back and looked into his eyes. “What is that? You said it to me the morning you left me in Côte de Diamant.”

  “I love you. I will always love you. You are my wife, the mother of my children, the heart of my heart.” Between each phrase he kissed her again. “It’s an old custom in my country.”

  “I like that custom.” Before they could get too involved with each other, she held him off gently and said, “I’ve got a custom, too. It’s a new one I started recently, and I think you might like it.”

  “What’s that?”

  She scooted to the side of the bed and stood up. With a wiggle of her hips, she started for the door, but gave him a provocative look over her shoulder. “Eating mangoes in bed.”

  His laughter followed her down the hallway.

  A Note From the Author

  Thank you for reading Twist of Fate. The idea for this book came to me years ago, but I couldn’t find the perfect setting for it until a visit to Africa. I love stories about reunited loves, and if they have to overcome secrets from the past, even better. If you enjoyed this book and would like to leave a review at your favorite online ebook retailer, I would very much appreciate it.

  In the past, I wrote many romances as Patricia Knoll, and currently write sweet romances as Patricia Forsythe. My online ebooks are set in the
quirky town of Lucky Break, Arizona. Also, my first Harlequin Heartwarming, Her Lone Cowboy, will be available in June, 2015.

  Please visit my website at patriciaforsythebooks.com, on Twitter, @PatriciaKnoll1, or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/patricia.knoll.31

  Happy Reading!

  Her French Count

  Mona Risk

  Copyright © 2013 by:

  Mona Risk

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the prior written consent of the Publisher, excepting brief quotes used in reviews.

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  Praise and Awards

  USA Today Bestselling Author

  Outstanding Achiever 2013 Award at Affaire de Coeur Magazine

  Best Romance Novel winner at Preditors & Editors Readers Poll

  Two-Time winner of Best Contemporary Romance Novel at Readers Favorite.

  EPIC’s Ebook Award Finalist.

  Kindle Top 100 Bestselling Author

  “Risk’s writing is easy to read and engages the reader right away.”

  ~Sally Pink Reviews

  “Keeping the reader entertained with the twists and turns in the plot.”

  ~Got Romance!

  “The writing sweeps you into the story and keeps you turning the pages.”

  ~The Long & The Short Reviews

  Chapter 1

  “Chinese restaurant… Malaysian student…”

  Cheryl Stewart raised the volume on her cell phone and pushed it closer to her ear to decipher the intermittent mumbling. “What’s wrong, Doc?”

  “Heart…stomach…” A pause amplified the labored breathing of her mentor.