From Loss To Love Box Set

by Gabrielle Snow

  God, she’s gorgeous.

  Hank swallowed heavily, but kept his eyes fixed on hers, gazing as her hands fell to her side, one gripping the edge of the couch while the other reached for his head, threading her fingers through his hair and squeezing.

  She dropped her head into his shoulder and whimpered, her body shaking as she came undone around him, panting and gasping for breath. Hank wrapped one arm around her and held her close, inhaling her sweet scent.

  As soon as she was able to catch her breath, he lowered her onto the couch and laid down next to her, pleased when she snuggled against his side, absentmindedly throwing one arm over his torso.

  “I think I’m convinced,” Madeleine whispered, pushing his hair out of his face. “Unless you want to try that again.”

  Hank chuckled as he reached for her hands and placed one kiss on each of her knuckles. “You are greedy, aren’t you? Maybe I will try that again.”

  “Well, I’m sure you’d like a demonstration too,” Madeleine offered, her voice husky and full of promise. She trailed her fingers along the outer edge of his sweatpants then stopped atop his member, patting it as she did.

  “Now who’s being a tease?”

  “I am not a tease,” Madeleine replied, traces of laughter in her voice. “You started this, and you shouldn’t start something you can’t finish.”

  “Is that so?”

  In a second, Hank rolled over, so he was on top of her, pinning her hands on either side of her head. “I think maybe I should try that again, but with a different technique.”

  Madeleine grinned and wriggled her hips. “I think you should.”

  “DADDY.”

  Hank looked up from the pile of paperwork in front of him and found himself looking directly at Geraldine who stood at the foot of the door, hovering uncertainly, her eyebrows scrunched together.

  “Yes, sweetheart?”

  “Can we go and visit Mommy today?” Geraldine asked.

  Hank leaned back in his chair. “Do you want to go and visit her today?”

  Geraldine nodded.

  Hank glanced down at the paperwork then looked back up, at his daughter’s expectant features, a hint of mistrust lurking in the depths of her eyes. Finally, he gathered all the paperwork into a pile and stood up, stretching his back as he did.

  “Yes, we can do that. Do you want to pass by and pick up some of her favorite flowers?”

  Geraldine’s face lit up. “I think she’d like that too. Can we?”

  “Of course we can. Let me just make a quick phone call while you go and get your sweater, and put on some shoes too, please.”

  In a flash she was gone, scrambling up the steps, a flurry of restless energy. Hank smiled and shook his head, a familiar twinge in the center of his heart. He missed Lily, of course he did, and he’d intended to make time to visit her grave, but somehow work always got in the way.

  Even in death, she was right.

  He was a workaholic through and through, desperate to prove himself, and unable to sit still long enough to enjoy the fruits of his labor before he was onto the next thing, another venture having caught his eye.

  Lily used to call him her busy bee, affectionately at first until she realized that her mistress wasn’t going to be other women, or alcohol. Instead, it was something much harder to be compared to.

  If he were being honest, he couldn’t blame her for feeling the way he did, given the fact that during their last year of marriage, he was in the office far more than he was at home, and some days, it was as if Geraldine had forgotten all about him.

  It killed him that it was Lily’s illness and subsequent death that had changed everything, forcing him to turn his life around and shift some things, so he could work from home, allowing him to be a better parent.

  It was too late for him to change the fact that he was a crappy husband, but there was still time for him to turn the tide in his favor and become a good father, or at least he hoped that was the case.

  Minutes later, he stood outside in the main hall, his hands shoved into his pockets as he waited for Gerry. True to her word, she came racing down the stairs with Madeleine following after her, looking relaxed and unhurried in a simple pink dress with her hair in a high ponytail.

  “See? I told you Daddy would be waiting for me,” Geraldine proclaimed, shooting Madeleine a triumphant look.

  “Alright, alright. You win.” Madeleine held her hands up as they reached the bottom of the stairs and squatted, so she was at eye level with Geraldine, her expression one of infinite tenderness. “Are you sure you don’t want me to come?”

  Geraldine shook her head. “Daddy will take me, and this way you can finish that book you’ve been wanting to read.”

  Madeleine laughed and stood up. “Fair enough. I’ll miss you, Gerry.”

  “I’ll miss you too.” She wrapped her arms around Madeleine’s waist, with Madeleine’s arms falling around her shoulder. Seconds later, Geraldine drew away and bounded out to the car.

  “Good luck,” Madeleine whispered.

  “Thank you.”

  He tried to read her expression, but she didn’t seem bothered, not in the slightest, and for that he was relieved. “Movie tonight?”

  Madeleine smiled. “Maybe.”

  With that, she spun on her heel and left while Hank remained rooted to the spot, watching as her hips swayed, each step taking her further and further away from him, her long legs taking huge strides then she was gone.

  He blinked and shook his head, forcing himself to place one foot in front of the other until he was outside, looking up at Madeleine’s window. He forced himself to turn away and slid into the car, immediately reaching for Geraldine as he did.

  “Brad, can you take us to the flower shop a few blocks down? And then the cemetery? Thank you.”

  “Of course, sir. Good day to you, Ms. Geraldine.”

  “Good day to you, Mr. Brad,” Geraldine greeted, her eyes fixed on the view outside, her face pressed to the glass. “There should be nice sunflowers today, right Daddy?”

  “I think so,” Hank replied.

  “They were her favorite,” Geraldine reminded him.

  “I remember,” Hank responded, ruffling her hair as he did. Once upon a time, he’d loved Lily dearly, and although his love for her had changed, growing into something deeper, he’d never stopped being in awe of her, even after she fell out of love him and planned on moving on.

  Now, it was strange to look back and realize he hadn’t even been shocked.

  Deep down, he knew it had nothing to do with the fact that he didn’t care for her anymore, but surely he must’ve seen it coming because he’d taken the news calmly, asking her to sit down and talk about that.

  And they’d stayed up for hours, with Lily airing out her concerns, and him letting her vent to her heart’s content. In the end, he realized that she was right, and it was better for them to remain civilized and cordial for Geraldine’s sake, and that she wanted more.

  Of course he’d wanted to be the one to give her that, but he wasn’t above admitting defeat, and it had been one of those cases. With Madeleine, he wanted things to be different, to be able to give her the sun, the moon, and everything in between.

  She was worth it.

  Chapter 2

  Madeleine.

  Being with Hank was confusing.

  No, it wasn’t confusing, it felt good, in all the right ways, but she didn’t like not being able to act normally, and being forced to sneak around like a bunch of criminals breaking some kind of explicit rule.

  Of course she’d known it wasn’t going to be easy, and she’d read her fair share of forbidden romances, and the dismal fate of couples who did, but she refused to give it any more weight than necessary.

  After all, this was real life, and her books, beautiful and vivid as they were, still remained pieces of fiction. Hell, this wasn’t Wuthering Heights.

  And thank God for that because she remembered a little too well how thi
ngs ended up for Catherine and Heathcliff, and as much as she loved the story, and getting swept away in the romance, she didn’t want their ending.

  Add in the fact that Hank truly believed he couldn’t be with her.

  Yes, try as she might, she couldn’t seem to shake off the confession he muttered in his sleep, vulnerable and brutally honest, but necessary all the same. Afterwards, she kept meaning to bring it up, to ask him if this has anything to do with his late wife, or if it was his fear talking, but she kept chickening out, finding all the excuses in the world to avoid it at all costs.

  She wasn’t proud of herself for it, or the way it manifested itself when she was around him, making her act strange, but she didn’t know what else to do. To bring up such a delicate topic, when she was uncertain of their delicate footing, could spell the kiss of death, sealing their fate with a cloud of doom hanging overhead.

  Thankfully, she had Geraldine to keep the dark thoughts at bay.

  Actually, if it hadn’t been for Geraldine’s strict schedule, and the need to adhere to it, Madeleine would’ve driven herself mad with worry. In fact, she wouldn’t have been able to help it because she was very much the kind of person to overthink, and to overanalyze things to death.

  This was no exception.

  Christ, I really need a drink, and someone to talk to.

  As things stood, the only person she had for company, aside from Geraldine was Hank, and she couldn’t confide in him, not yet in any case. First, she needed to sift through the tangled mess in her head.

  “Can we go to the pool today?” Geraldine asked, looking up from her spot on the floor. After changing from her tennis clothes into normal house clothes, she’d insisted on spending some time in the play room, and Madeleine had just been sitting there, mindlessly flipping through her Kindle for the past hour.

  Relieved at the suggestion, Madeleine looked up. “I think we can yeah, but hold on. I think they said the weather was going to be bad today.”

  She jumped to her feet, set her Kindle down and walked over to the windows, peering out. Overhead, the sky was beginning to dark, clouds gathering on the horizon, and a clear whistle sounded.

  “Sorry, sweetheart, but it looks like it’s bad weather today,” Madeleine replied, turning her face away from the window and looked down at Geraldine who was sprawled across the carpet, multiple sheets of paper with various drawings strewn about her.

  Behind her, a flat screen TV played one of her favorite cartoons, the volume turned down, and the couch in front of it beckoning her invitingly. Geraldine let out a long sigh and clasped her hands behind her back.

  “But I don’t want to draw anymore,” Geraldine complained. “Can we do something else instead?”

  Madeleine tapped her chin. “Let me think. How about we play a game?”

  Geraldine removed her hands and sat up. “What kind of game?”

  “Do you have any board games lying around?”

  Geraldine blinked. “What are board games?”

  “What are board games?” Madeleine repeated, giving a slight shake of her head. “Only one of the best ways to pass the time. I used to love playing them whenever my parents were around.”

  Geraldine tilted her head. “They sound like fun, but where are we going to get them?”

  “Isn’t there a toy store around the corner? We can go get it and come back.”

  In an instant, she crossed the room, poked her head out and called out for William, excitement coursing through her. She hadn’t been able to play with anyone in years, not since her friends outgrew the phase, and she moved out of her parents’ house.

  “Yes, Ms. Wright?” William asked, materializing out of nowhere.

  “There’s a toy store around the corner, right?”

  William nodded.

  “Gerry and I are going to go and buy a board game. I’m going to teach her how to play monopoly.”

  William glanced out the window. “You cannot go out in this weather, Ms. Wright. I will send someone or go myself.”

  “Really, it’s no trouble—“

  William held up his hand. “Do not trouble yourself, Ms. Wright. I would very much like to see Ms. Lorum learn to play such a game. I myself have spent many hours collecting property and teasing my brothers.”

  “It is fun, isn’t it?”

  “It is. Oh, before I forget, Mr. Lorum asked me to inform you that he and Geraldine will be going out for lunch today. As such, you have a few hours off to do with as you please. Just make sure you are back here by seven on the dot.”

  “You got it, Will.”

  William made a face and sighed. “I never understood the shortening of names. Surely, people are not in such a hurry that all the letters cannot be pronounced.”

  Madeleine smiled. “You never know.”

  “Quite. I shall see to it that the board game is delivered to you at once.”

  With that, he spun on his heel and left, leaving Madeleine to retreat back into the room. She fished her phone out of her pocket and sent her mom a quick message, and asked if she wanted to meet for lunch, her question met with a resounding yes.

  “SO, YOU LIKE HIM?”

  “Yes.”

  “And he likes you?”

  “Yes.”

  “Then honey, why on Earth are you two sneaking around? There ain’t nothing wrong with two consenting adults dating.”

  Margaret Wright gave her daughter an incredulous look from across the table, over the rim of her glass. Madeleine had spent the past hour or so, filling her mother in on what it was like working for Hank Lorum, and all the events leading up to her secret relationship with him.

  The entire time her mother had listened with rapt attention, her eyes widening during certain parts and nodding sympathetically during others. Tucked away in the back corner of one of their favorite Indian restaurants, Madeleine enjoyed being able to speak freely, the quiet hum of rain droning on in the background.

  “It’s not that simple, mom. Geraldine has already lost a lot, and I agree with Hank. I don’t want to ruin her life,” Madeleine pointed out. “She really is a great kid.”

  Margaret took a spoonful of rice. “I can see that you care deeply about her, but think about it this way. Isn’t it better for her to find out from the two of you rather than learn it by herself, or God forbid, from someone else?”

  Madeleine pushed her food around her plate, the masala not as appealing as it was a few seconds ago. “I know you’re right, but I’m afraid she won’t be able to understand. She’s so young, and she only lost her mother three years ago.”

  Margaret nodded sympathetically.

  Madeleine sighed and dropped her fork. “I don’t know. There’s also the fact that he’s my boss, and I already know that no one is going to approve of me because I’m not the right kind of woman.”

  “Right kind of woman?” Margaret repeated. “Any man would be lucky to have you, Madeleine. You shouldn’t let what other people think dictate your life.”

  “So, you think we shouldn’t come clean?”

  “You already know what I think,” Margaret reminded her, reaching across the table for her daughter’s hand and squeezing. “The important thing is what you think. You have to trust your instincts here, Mad. You’ll know what to do. I’m sure of it.”

  “HELLO?” MADELEINE CALLED out, shrugging off her jacket and folding it over her arm. “Is anybody home?”

  Silence.

  She wandered further into the house, pausing to slip off her wet sneakers, not wanting to track water and mud behind her. Her sock clad feet moved noiselessly against the carpet, poking her head into the living room, the play room then finally the study, but everything looked undisturbed, the same way she left it.

  But the car is outside, and it is seven o’clock.

  Madeleine hurried up the stairs, panic bubbling in the pit of her stomach until she heard Hank’s voice floating down the hallway, and Geraldine’s small voice in response. Relief slammed into her as she ti
ptoed to Gerry’s room and looked in on them, finding Hank in bed next to Geraldine, with her head propped on his shoulder, and a story book in his hands, his feet crossed at the ankles.

  Her heart did an odd little lurch before she turned around and walked to her own room, leaving the shoes by the door. She gave a slight shiver as she peeled off her sweater, then tossed it into the hamper by the bathroom.

  “Nice shot.”

  Madeleine spun around. “I thought you were with Gerry.”

  “She’s fast asleep,” Hank informed her, his jade green eyes perusing her lazily, hungrily, making her feel like the most desirable person in the world, even in a plain cotton bra and soggy jeans. “Just in time.”

  In no time at all, he was across the room, his lips covering hers, soft and inviting, the smell of mint and spices lingering in the air as she pressed herself closer to him, his hands moving behind her back to unhook her bra.

  Hank pulled back, his gaze traveling downward and pressed a kiss atop both her breasts. She sucked in a harsh breath, her nails digging into his shoulders before they moved down, snaking their way underneath his shirt.

  Then, she pulled the shirt over his head and tossed it into a corner, both their jeans following soon after, leaving them in nothing but their underwear. Hank ran his lips over her skin, peppering her with feather light kisses, his hot breath dancing across her skin, and leaving a trail of molten heat in his wake.

  “You should stay like this all the time,” Hank murmured. “So beautiful.”

  Unable to bear it any longer, she drew him up, and sucked on his bottom lip, panting as their lips began a sensual battle for dominance. Impatient, she heard the tear of fabric followed by a rush of air to her nether regions then he pushed his own boxers down.

  He maneuvered them backwards, a thick heavy fog settling over as he settled her on the edge of the bed then kicked her legs open, settling in between them. She let her arms fall on either side of her, gripping the bed sheets like her life depended on it. Hank lowered himself down and she could feel his hot breath on her skin. Slowly, his head disappeared between her legs, his tongue tasting her. Madeleine let out a quiet moan, his whole mouth now sucking her sensitive nub and licking her folds. She was in heaven. Then, all of a sudden Hank got back up, delivering a sensual kiss to her lips. She could taste herself on him, turning her desire into an animalistic need. She needed him.