by Lauren Wood
It took a bit of doing, but she managed to put him into the vehicle in the back. She would bury him with honor and suddenly there was a hand touching her shoulder. She swerved to the side of the road, looking back to see that he was smiling. Her heart felt like it was going to jump out of her mouth.
“I had to pretend to be dead and I had to make it look real. Your reaction sold it and I hope that you can forgive me for not telling you this part of the plan. That toxic atmosphere was enhanced and I was lucky that I was holding my breath or things could have gone a whole lot worse.” Marcel saw the anger in her eyes and was terrified that his little ploy had destroyed the one thing that he couldn’t live without. “I meant no harm and I only wanted to do what was right for everyone. This way, your mother will still have her crusade and my people know that coming here will only be detrimental to their health. I’m not sure they will stay away forever, but for now they’ve seen the effects of what this world can do to me and that was more than enough to prove to them that staying here any longer than necessary was stupid. I know that what I did was wrong, but I had to weigh all the options.” She had pulled away from him and was looking at him with this distaste and shock mixed into one.
“I should hate you. No woman or any one should feel that kind of crushing pain from losing the one that they love. You went about this wrong and you made this arbitrary decision without even consulting me. I can’t fault you for your reasoning and my outburst and subsequent grief had certainly proven to my mother that you were worthy of her respect. I suppose I could forgive you, but that’s on the precipice that you can forgive me.” “I should’ve told him, but I was unsure myself until this morning. Feeling my stomach turn was only a sign, but the test that I did under the sly had proven that what I suspected was true.” “I promise that I won’t make the same mistakes that my mother did. I hope that this is the only time that you keep these things away from me. You need to remember that we are a family and all three of us are going to have to rely on one another.”
Marcel was taken back for a second and then he realized the full meaning of what she was saying to him. They were going to have a baby born of love and that was something that they could both share. The way that she hugged him told him that his ruse did not ruin what they had together. He was worried that she would feel betrayed, but this was essentially the only prudent course of action.
They held hands and they drove into the sunset with their lives forever linked. Fearing reprisal from the government they decided to leave before being discovered all over again. They did not return to his home world and the vessel that had brought him here was repaired after the child was born.
They found an oasis that was uninhabited and began a simpler life of living off the land and on the love that they had for each other.
THE END
LAUREN WOOD ROMANCE: SNEAK PEEK!
ALL MINE: THE COMPLETE SERIES BOX SET
SNEAK PEAK
PREVIEWS
All Mine Series is here, all in one complete set!
Only Mine: Carlos & Eve
“From the instant we met, I could see your innocence. You were both shy and bold, all at the same time. I needed to learn more. I need to know all of you.”
Always Mine: Joel & Cameron
“I knew once I saw you that I would make you mine. You were pure and a little dirty in the same breath. It was going to take a lifetime to know you, to really know you.”
You're Mine: David & Carol
“From the first look, I knew that I wanted you. You were sassy with a little sweetness. Now I have to have you back in my life and in my arms.”
Forever Mine: Marcus & Angela
“She was a girl from my past. The girl of my dreams and I wasn’t going to rest until she was in my arms again”
Be Mine: Lucas & Fran
“I ran a gang, dealt with life and death every day. She was harder than that. She was the one that made my heartbeat slam in my chest and wonder what if there was more.”
**END OF PREVIEW**
Read for FREE on Kindle Unlimited or purchase for only 99 cents in the kindle store! Continue reading All Mine – The Complete Series Box Set
**FLIP PAGE FOR MORE PREVIEWS**
***
MY BEST FRIEND’S LITTLE SISTER: SNEAK PEAK
PREVIEWS
A Bad Boy Romance
BLURB:
My brother’s best friend was sexy as hell and now I was finally getting noticed.
I was back in town after finishing up my degree and I ran into my brother’s best friend Rex. Rex was the man that I had dreamed about when I was a teen and he had never given me the time of day.
Now he was seeing me and once I had his attention, I wasn’t going to let it go. There had always been something about Rex, but now I knew what it was.
Watching him in action was all it took to make me realize what it was I really wanted.
I wanted to be the girl that made him beg for more.
I wanted to be his girl.
Chapter 1
Charlie
“Your sister is going to be back in town tonight. I was really hoping that you would stay around until then at least Charlie.”
“I don’t know if I can. Work has been hectic and I need to get back into the city.”
My mom looked at me like she didn’t believe me or didn’t think that it was important enough to blow off what she was asking. It wasn’t work that was going to hold me up. It was the fact that I had other things to do. It wasn’t the 9 to 5 job that kept me busy, but the one that I did on my own time that she didn’t know about that was giving me so much grief. The one that she wasn’t supposed to know about, but always suspected something when her gift cost a bit too much during the holidays. I was still trying to keep her in the dark about work, so it was never a good idea to try and use it as my excuse.
“You are going to have to make time for Sherry. I haven’t seen her all year and it would be nice to have both of my kids back in one place. You know that she is never here long. Don’t you miss your sister?”
Here comes the guilt and I knew I was going to be lost in it if I didn’t find some reason quickly why I couldn’t come. “I do miss her, but she is going to be back for a while I though. Isn’t she taking off a little time before she goes back? Besides, I was supposed to meet Rex later.”
“Well tell him to come over. I haven’t seen him in a while either. I never see you since you moved to the city. I hope that Sherry doesn’t do the same thing. You guys go off to college and don’t come back. You are supposed to come home after you get your degree.”
“I had to go where the money was. No one around here wants to pay anything, so unless you want me pumping gas at the station, there isn’t anything for me here.”
She was rocking back and forth in her wooden rocking chair, a tea in her hand. The porch afforded a good view and mom was enjoying the breeze. What I didn’t understand was why everything had to come down to this. Why was it that she couldn’t see it was miserable in this small town for anyone under the age of fifty? There were no jobs, no people that I really wanted to hang around. Hartford had always been the kind of place that you wanted to leave. It didn’t matter how you got there, it wasn’t an end game place. It was a jumping off place for me and I didn’t want to ever get back to the slow life that I had here. I preferred the fast-paced life that I had made for myself in the city.
“I know son. I just wish you were closer and weren’t so busy…”
“I will try to come out more. The drive isn’t so bad.”
She smiled to herself and we both knew that she had won. Mom got what she wanted by her gentle suggestions because Sherry and I knew that it was her way of manipulating us to do what she wanted. Even though we knew about it, it didn’t change the effectiveness of her tactics after all of these years.
“Good I would like to see you more and for once I would like both of you kids to be home at the same time. We will have dinner. I miss that.
If you guys would start having kids of your own, I would have grandkids to keep me occupied.”
“Okay, you win. I will stay till Sherry gets back, but I am not talking to you about grandkids. I don’t even have a steady girlfriend right now, so that is going to have to wait.”
“What about Tina? She seemed like a nice girl.”
I chuckled to myself and shook my head. Tina was a great lay and sucked me off like her life depended on it, but she wasn’t really the type that I would want to marry, if there was even such a thing out there. She was a rebound and I had only mentioned her before to avoid a similar conversation about my love life. It was never what I wanted to have with my mother.
“It just didn’t work out. I am only twenty four. No one that I know is married yet. It is better to find the right one, isn’t it?”
“I guess, but don’t wait too long. I am getting old and your father has five years on me. I would like to see them before I leave this world.”
I smiled at her and shook my head. It was hard to be aggravated with her and at this moment I just couldn’t be. She got her way, she always did and there was nothing that I could do about it. I was told by those who knew us both, that I got that specific trait from her. Not even the devil could refuse me. Well she was the one person that I couldn’t convince.
“Okay, well then I have a couple of calls to make and then I am going to go pick up Rex.”
“Just be back for dinner. I will make your favorite.”
She was bribing me with food now. Roselyn would use anything in her power and since she had always been a great cook that had always been on the blackmail list. I couldn’t say no to her lasagna and she knew it.
“I will be here by six. Dad will be home around then, right?”
Rosalyn nodded her head. “Like clockwork. I wish you would get something like that so that I would know where you were and when to expect you.”
“Okay mom, I got to go. I will be back in a little bit.”
I got off of the porch before I was pulled into something else. I really needed to get back to the city like now, but I was just going to have to wait and see how it went. There was no getting out of dinner and then I would see Sherry. Sherry was like my mom. She would rope me into something. It was what she had done before heading across the country for college. I doubted that anything had changed. The only difference I seen in the summer when she was back was that she was more annoying than usual.
Getting in my little red car, I peeled out of the driveway, but not enough to turn an eye from the older woman on the porch. She would tell me if she thought I was being too rowdy. I looked back in my rearview mirror and I swear that I could see the scowl on her face.
Sighing to myself, I thought about just not going back, but I knew better. I knew that the next time I seen her there would be consequences. It was just one dinner, right? I would be in and out in no time. Rex and I would just have to drive in when it was all over. I had business that had to be taken care of tonight, one way or another. If not, I would have to figure it all out when I got back. I hated to leave the club unattended for too long, especially on a Saturday night. It was like asking for trouble.
Chapter 2
Rex
“How the hell did I know that I would find you here Rex with some hot female on your arm?”
I looked over to Charlie and shook my head. “Because you have the worst timing as always and there is only one bar in this whole town. Where the hell else would I be but here trying to get a taste of the local fare? It has been a while since I found one as sweet though.”
The woman next to me giggled, liking the attention and it told me more tha anything that she was the kind of girl I was looking for.
“True. And who do we have here?”
He was looking from me to the hot little blonde that I had just met by the name of Candy. I was sure that it wasn’t her real name, but it didn’t matter. The woman was sweet and I was feeling like some sugar. Candy would do just fine. Plus she wanted to be a dancer and make it famous in Chicago, so who was I to kill her dreams? We owned a club in Chicago and were always looking for new girls. All of the girls had other aspirations, just waiting for that one shot. Candy wanted to be an actress someday. For now she would do just fine getting naked on the stage.
“She wants to come with us back to the club. This is Candy and she wants to dance for us Charlie. I told her that she has what it takes, don’t you think she does? Nice little body and a cute face. I think the guys will pay well to see her naked. Wouldn’t you?”
He looked her up and down and I could see a slight gleam in her eyes. “Yes, I can see that, but this is not really a good time for bringing in more girls. We have to go back for dinner at my house before we leave. Roslyn isn’t going to let us go without sharing dinner there and waiting on Sherry to come in. She said you are to come too, so I am here to pick you up. Don’t mean to get in the way of your fun which I am no doubt sure you are about to have with this lovely young lady.”
I wasn’t going to argue with Charlie’s mom, especially if there was cooking involved. Since me and Charlie had been friends for years, I had always loved her cooking. But he was right about what I was there for. I wanted to slide into this woman immediately. I didn’t want to wait, but I would. My mom was long gone and I didn’t even remember her, so Charlie’s mom had always invited me over for holidays. Rosalyn made me feel welcome and I was unable to refuse her.
“Well she gets what she wants.”
“Yes she does. Maybe you can pick up your little friend later on our way out? We can always use another beautiful face at the club Candy and yes, you have what it takes. I am sure many men are going to lose a lot of money trying to get on your good side.”
She giggled and seemed to take a minute to follow the conversation, but reacted properly soon enough. She was pretty, but she sure the hell wasn’t that smart. It was about how I liked them. Less thinking was always good for less headaches. When I made it clear that I was about to head out, I gave her my number and told her to get some things together for the trip. I also promised that I was going to make her scream tonight when all was said and done.
“We have a few apartments in the city and you can share with one of the other girls. I think this is going to be a good change for you Candy. Chicago is a beautiful city with all kinds of opportunities for hot women like you.”
She beamed at me and then kissed me on the lips before going off to do as I asked. I wasn’t too into her, but she was exactly what the guys were looking for back at home and I was always quick to try out the new girls. I had a hankering for the blonde and I would get it out soon enough. It was a win-win situation. Those were the best kinds.
“I see it didn’t take you long to find a friend Rex. I can’t say that you did bad. That little bitch is hot and looks like she is ready to go down on you under the table.”
“She already offered to do just that.”
The look on his face was one of pure joy. “She will be good to have around. I may have to change my stance on diddling with the help.”
“These broads are dying to get out of this town and are willing to do anything to do it. She was hot to trot the moment I laid my eyes on her. Those tits were calling to me. I didn’t think that I was going to do any hiring while I was here. But can you blame me?”
Charlie nodded that he couldn’t. “All I wanted to do was get the hell out of here when I was younger. There is even less to do here if you are a woman. I think anyone with half a brain wants to go somewhere new. I still don’t see what you see in these little towns and why you like come back here with me.”
“I like the women. They aren’t near as suspicious and shifty as they are in the city. They are wholesome and pure. Here they just want to be happy and please you in any way they can. In the city they want everything you have. Candy is naïve and sweet. She will get to Chicago and change, but for now she has that new car smell that I like so much. I really like turning those kinds of gi
rls naughty. Hell, Candy is halfway on her way. Her legs were wide open and she stuck my hand up there. The chick was dripping wet and didn’t have a stitch of underwear on.”
He laughed at me. “I bet she didn’t.”
It was easy for Charlie to say, he had everything that he wanted or a contentment that I couldn’t match. Me, I was still looking for that good girl that I can turn bad. There wasn’t a lot of that in the city, but I didn’t have the patience to find one anywhere else, not when there were girls like Candy to keep me busy.
I finished up my drink and got on my bike to follow Charlie back to his house. I had always liked his family and I was thankful that they were always so nice to me. It was like going home, even though it wasn’t my blood family. I was good to see that normal still existed, somewhere.
The house smelled great and I moved into the kitchen when we got back. That is where Rosalyn was going to be and where all of the good food she cooked would be as well. The longer I was there, the hungrier I became.
“Hey Mrs. Rose.”
She smiled at me and waved me off. “Just call me Rosalyn Rex. You used to call me mom years ago. It is strange to hear you call me Mrs. Anything.”
It was a show of respect and I felt too old to still call her mom. I had when I was younger though, because it was the closest thing that I had ever known to one and she hadn’t seemed to mind.
“Well I am too old to call you ma and Rosalyn just seems too formal.”