An Unbreakable Bond (9 page)

Tristan groaned before surging all the way in. Shocked at the stinging sensation, she flicked her head round and buried her face in his shoulder.

He stilled as something tried to register through his fog of passion, but he’d gone past the moment of return.

Allowing his passion to fuel his movements, he began an assault of rhythm that rocked against her sensitive clitoris and her breath caught in her throat.

Annabelle dug her nails into his arms as the sharp pain subsided into waves of intense pleasure. Intuitively, she shifted and raised her legs around his hips just as his lips lowered and conquered hers.

Groaning deeply, she matched him in movement and he lifted her hips to meet his thrusts. Never had anything felt so incredibly glorious. She felt so powerful as her muscles clenched against his hardness inside and she felt the exact point of when he began to lose control, raising the tempo higher with each thrust, panting in unison as the pressure built up.

Arching her back she threw back her head as his lips pinched and nipped her neck and then cried out in wonder as the fire once again rushed forth and exploded. He gave a final thrust and called out her name as he released himself into her.

Angry with her traitorous thoughts, she threw the pen to the other side of the room! Why was she punishing herself again? Sighing heavily, she absently toyed with a loose button on her bright pink shirt. She’d dressed in a daze this morning. The thrown together ensemble was odd to say the least, old khaki linens with silver stilettos and a frazzle of wild auburn hair fanning around her face. She felt how she looked, out of control.

Why did it have to be him?

What was it about him that drew out the worst in her and also the best? He irritated her, yet at the same time he made her want to fling herself at him and rip his clothes off! If only she’d reached out to him sooner ten years ago. Leaving it until his last night had not given her enough time to share her feelings. If she had, maybe he would have realised that he felt something for her?

Looking at a picture of April on her desk, she followed the contours of her daughter's face with her fingertip.

Moping about the past won’t change anything. In her perfect dreams he would never have left or he would have taken her with him, but he hadn’t loved her back then and he didn’t love her now. For God’s sake he was about to get married to someone else! There was nothing she could do and she had to accept that and let it go. A sob escaped from her and she put her hand to her mouth to keep down an unexpected torrent of pain.

Turning the picture face down so she wouldn’t have to see him staring back at her through the image of April, she blew her nose, squared her shoulders and mentally shut a door on the past. Maybe they did need closure? Maybe his marriage to someone else will set her free to live and find someone of her own. Her lip wobbled at the thought and she picked up a file. Burying herself in work was just what she needed to put him completely out of her mind.

It had just turned eight-thirty when she heard the shop bell go. Lifting her head to smile at the prospective client and let them know that she was closed until nine, her heart lurched forward and the smile froze on her face. Looming in the doorway was Tristan and he had a dangerous look in his eyes. He shut the door behind him.

This was not good. Not good at all.

“Annabelle, we have to talk.”

“If I give you an apology will you go away?”

“No”

“I thought not.” She felt vulnerable and her abdomen tightened in anxiety. The reality of their situation was that he was getting married and she’d hid a huge secret from him. If he found out he would want to be in April’s life, but him being married to someone else, living another life and maybe having further children was more than what she could handle. It was time to take control of the situation and play it cool, be business orientated and leave the past in the past. “So, what do you want this time?”

He leisurely leaned his tall muscular frame against the door and watched her as she blinked in quick succession. “Perhaps what I want will need a little coaxing and taming?”

Her breath quickened. It was folly for her to think that his relaxed appearance actually meant that he was calm and collective. No, she was acutely aware of the waves of potent magnetic heat pouring from him, filling the room. Attempting to swallow past the dry lump forming in her throat she watched him as he slowly and deliberately crossed his arms.

Taking in the movement, her eyes leisurely roamed down the expanse of his wide chest, savouring every contour of his body encased in a black Italian cut suit. If she opened her mouth now she would be virtually panting! He reminded her of a powerful black panther as it silently and calmly creeps upon its prey. She shivered, all that male testosterone packed into one form, utterly lethal, it really shouldn’t be allowed!

In her mind there was only one way to deal with a powerful black panther. It took observation skills, watching it for signs of a strike, then, just as it is about to pounce, picking up the biggest stick and whack it!

Coughing nervously, she raised her eyebrows in a questioning look. “Tristan..?”

Tristan was in no hurry to answer her. Greedily, he observed the soft lines of her form as she sat there looking unkempt, wild and delicious with her wary-filled eyes. Last night he’d done nothing but think about how he wanted to touch her, inhale her scent and fill his hands with her creamy skin. When sleep finally came it was filled with erotic dreams, and by dawn, having completely tangled himself up in his sheets, he got up only to pace the floor, debating whether to come here. Seeing her now he knew he couldn’t have stayed away. Anticipation churned in his stomach and his blood began to pulse with heat.

“Tristan…please, what do you want? I’m very busy.” She felt as though she was balancing on the edge of a cliff, waiting for destiny to make its decision.

“What I want Annabelle,” he lazily drawled out as he pushed himself off the door, “Is you.”

A trickle of shock rolled down her spine and she felt her jaw drop. What?! Oh God, she’d just fallen off the cliff! Earlier, she’d made up her mind to close the door on the past and now he comes out with this! Her heart was racing and she felt all of her emotions unravelling again!
No, no,
no!
She could not go down this turbulent road again! Maybe she heard him wrong? Yes, that’s it, she’d misheard.

“What did you just say?”

“I said, I want you,” he replied in a deeper drawl as he took a step forward. Jesus! He’d finally voiced what he’d wanted to say since seeing her again. A surge of adrenalin pumped through him. They could keep denying this sexual and lethal tension between them, but he had every intention to explore it and see if she felt the same. From across the room he could feel her array of emotions as they passed through her, from disbelief, to realisation and then to panic.

Their eyes locked and a silent power struggle ensued. A slight smile curled at the corner of his lips and in that split-second she saw his intention as it flitted further across his face. Overwhelming alarm filled her.

“You wouldn’t?” she whispered, more to herself than to him. Quickly, she stood up and frantically glanced around for an escape, but it took Tristan just three long strides to reach around the desk and stand in front of her.

“Where do you think you’re going?” he growled.

Flustered, she moved the chair between them, but he pushed it away and took a step closer.

Something akin to excitement or dread, she couldn’t work out which one, fluttered in her stomach and she began to step backwards, but he kept on coming until she felt the hardness of the wall behind her.

He was so close she could feel his breath on her face and her heartbeat pounded in her chest. All of her senses were acutely alive and she could smell him, a mixture of pure Tristan and citrus fruits and her knees nearly buckled.

He placed both his hands on each side of her against the wall and slotted his knee between her thighs. She was trapped.

“What on earth are you doing? I told you yesterday that I didn’t want this to happen. I have nothing to say to you.” Her eyes were level with the pulse at the side of his neck and she watched him as he leant down into her ear.

“Ma Belle, but I feel we have some unfinished business to attend to,” he murmured seductively.

The use of her old pet name sent a tremor through her body. It was the reason she’d named her company ‘Wedding Belle Planners’.  “I think we finished our business quite efficiently ten years ago,” she answered him tartly.

She felt him smile near her ear.

“Ah, but at the root of all success is repeat business.” He proceeded to nip her neck gently with his teeth and then blow on the forming red spot.

“Oh,” she sighed, that felt so
good
!

Moving one hand off the wall, he ran a finger down her cheek.

Closing her eyes, she lifted up her chin and tilted her head so that he could have more access. A ripple of bliss streamed through her body as he dropped tiny kisses up the side of her neck and across her mouth.

Their breaths mingled as he held his lips ever so lightly against hers. “Look at me,” he whispered.

Opening her eyes, she gulped at the passion and raw hunger that she saw reflected in his glittering irises, hypnotising hers. She was a goner, and about to be sucked into a wave of surrender when suddenly a vision of April flashed across her mind. The realisation of her situation and what she was about to let him do to her
again
was like a blow to her stomach. One night full of copious amounts of humiliation was enough for one lifetime thank you very much!

Focusing on those unusual green eyes of hers, Tristan watched as the depth of desire faded and the flecks of gold darkened into spit-fire determination.

Stiffening, she grabbed at his lapels and tried to push at him, but he didn’t budge. “Let me go you arrogant oaf!” she demanded.

“I can’t,” he said softly, brushing the words against her lips.

It would be so easy to give in, but the cold reality of the last ten years held fast in her lungs. “Well, let me help you.” Lifting her foot, she stamped her two inch silver stiletto heel into Tristan’s expensive leather shoe.

“What the..!” Startled, he let go of her and jumped back.

She took the opportunity to run around his hopping frame to the door. It was locked. “Of all the cheek!” she mumbled under her breath. Pure adrenalin raced through her heart as she fumbled clumsily with the lock until she finally threw open the door.

“Please leave,” she said breathlessly.

Limping towards her, he scowled. “This is not over Annabelle.”

She snorted and looked up at him with scorn. “You’re not listening very well are you? It ended ten years ago, so stay away! Goodbye Tristan.” He moved past her and she gave him a final shove with the door as she leaned all of her weight on it to slam it shut. This slamming of doors was rapidly becoming a habit.

Chapter 6

“You did what!” Katie was rolling around on the red floppy sofa in Annabelle’s front room howling with laughter. They were having a girlie night in drinking wine and eating Chinese take-away.

“I hope I broke his toes!” she slightly slurred before swaying from the room. Minutes later she returned with another bottle.

Sitting up, Katie held out her glass. “Oh, it’s just so unlike you! I wish I’d have been there to see his face.”

Annabelle took a sip of her wine. “It felt really good to get a bit of revenge, but I’m telling you the guy is prime beef-steak on legs!” They burst out laughing again.

“Seriously though Annabelle, are you going to tell him about April?”

Annabelle put her glass down on the table and played with the stem. “Do you know how often I’ve fantasised about seeing Tristan again?”

“No way,” Katie spluttered. “His name has been taboo for nearly ten years and now you’ve saying that you’ve had secret fantasies!”

“Yeah, but reality is not the quite the same thing is it? Look, it has taken me all this time to build a secure life for April and it would be unfair to disrupt it.” She sighed. “Some secrets are just better left in the closet.”

“Yeah but what if he finds out?”

“How can he? Besides us, there’s only one other person who knows and if nobody tells him, then how can he find out?” She took another sip. “Anyway, he will be gone next week and he’s only flying in for three days over the wedding in August, so he doesn’t need to know.”

“What about April though, doesn’t she have a right to know her own father?”

“Perhaps, but I don’t think his world will have a positive influence on her, especially…” She pointed her finger dramatically in the air, “If that God awful Cara woman is a part of his life!”

Katie laughed and threw a cushion at Annabelle’s head.

A thick hangover greeted her the next morning.
“Urgh.”
She felt her head. Nearly three bottles of red wine between them had not been the greatest idea! Staggering unladylike into the shower, she stayed there for a long time.