Fated
A Silver Publishing Book
Fated
Copyright © 2013 by Angela Skaggs
E-book ISBN: 9781614959366
First E-book Publication: May 2013
Cover design by Lee Tiffin
Editor: Monti Shalosky
Logo copyright © 2012 by Silver Publishing
Licensed material is being used for illustrative purposes only. Any person depicted in the licensed material is a model.
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All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.
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This book is written in US English.
PUBLISHER
www.SPSilverPublishing.com
Note from the Publisher
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Silver Publishing
http://www.spsilverpublishing.com
Dedication
Thank you to my team of first readers, Chelzie, Starla, and Sarah.
Thank you to my wonderful friends that have supported me, talked with me,
held my hand, laughed and cried with me.
To my kids, who give great hugs and think it's pretty cool that mom writes books.
Thanks guys, mom thinks you're pretty cool, too.
Trademarks Acknowledgement
The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of the following wordmarks mentioned in this work of fiction:
The Times
: Times Newspapers Limited
Chapter One
The dreary afternoon rain proved distracting as hell and when the phone rang, Sabrina eagerly grabbed it, hoping for some kind of diversion from the boring article she had to write about the economy.
"Hello?"
"Sabrina, I've got a peach of an assignment for you!" Marv always sounded like he had the greatest assignment in the world for her, but they usually turned out to be the same mind numbing dreck she'd been writing for the past six months since she'd signed on to freelance for the Whittaker Agency.
Sabrina rolled her eyes. "What is it this time, Marv?" She reached for her pen and pad because boring or not, dreck paid the bills, and the rent on her apartment would be due in two weeks.
"Exotic Destinations is looking for an article on the Solstice celebrations on Avebury Plain in Wales. I know you used to live over there, so I thought you might like first crack at it."
Sabrina's knees nearly buckled. She'd run as far and as fast as she could from Wales, and the past, and here Marv smacked her in the face with it.
"Um," she stammered, her mind racing a million different directions.
"Sabrina, you okay? If you aren't interested, I can give it to someone else," Marv said quickly. "I thought you'd like to maybe see the old stomping grounds."
"No, I mean yes, I would like to go back. I have several friends there that I haven't seen since I left. What is the assignment exactly?"
"I'm emailing you the details, just make sure to get back to me within the hour or I'll have to go to the next writer on the list. This is a plum and I know several people who aren't going to be happy I didn't call them first."
"Got it, Marv, and thanks for thinking of me." Sabrina opened her email.
She clicked on the message and sat down heavily in her chair, the phone falling to the floor, forgotten.
The details of the article were simple, cover the annual celebration of Summer Solstice on Avebury Plain. She'd need to include pictures and local customs. They would pay for her airfare and room and board along with a five thousand dollar payday once the article had been turned in. With effort, Sabrina pulled her gaze from the screen and picked up her planner. It would be tight, but she could fit the trip into her schedule. The only question now? Did she consider herself ready to go back there?
Setting down her calendar, she rose from her chair and wandered over to the window, staring out at the rain. Memories slammed into her with bruising force…
"Who's that? They must be new staff."
Sabrina glanced up and over to where Ronnie nodded. At one of the tables against the wall sat two men. Newcomers were a rare event for Llewellyn Women's College, being so far off the beaten track. The dark haired one lifted his head and cool green eyes met hers in a frank stare.
She flushed and dropped her gaze back down to her book, cheeks burning. "No idea."
"He's cute," Ronnie said, continuing to stare in obvious appreciation.
Sabrina looked at the two men from beneath her lashes. Yeah, one was cute, but the other—well, cute wouldn't be the term she'd use. Intense, brooding, sexy as all hell—those fit him much better. From the top of his thick, black hair, down his rugged, craggy face with its oft broken nose and square jaw, to impossibly wide shoulders, thickly muscled chest, a narrow waist and legs that looked like tree trunks—yeah, cute would be a misnomer. The tingle of awareness flaring deep inside of her made her response more caustic than usual.
"If you say so," she replied, dropping her gaze back down to her book.
The words swam on the page and she couldn't shake the inexplicable
something
that made her want to lift her eyes and devour him slowly, like a rich, decadent soufflé.
"He obviously likes what he sees," Ronnie said tartly, flipping her long, blonde hair back over her shoulder and straightening, thrusting her ample chest out when she preened.
"Aren't you dating Doofus?" Sabrina frowned, carefully marking her place with her finger before looking at her best friend.
From the second they'd met at boarding school, Ronnie Waterston had been there no matter what. Anarchy to her calm, Ronnie had slowly but surely pulled her out of the shell she'd retreated into at the death of her parents. She loved her like a sibling, and fought with her just like they were true born relatives instead of heart sisters.
Ronnie turned to glare at her. "His name is
Duff
."
"Doofus, Duffus, whatever. You're dating him, right?" Sabrina said pointedly, her brow arching.
"We've got an open relationship," Ronnie said with a disdainful sniff, turning her attention back to where Hottie McHottie had been standing next to a hulking brute, talking animatedly. "Dammit, he's gone!"
Sabrina snorted with laughter, flipping the page on her book, forcing herself to not look if both of them had left. "Serves you right, Ms Open Relationship."
"Oh, shut up," Ronnie said, slouching back against her seat.
Her reaction to him had been so stunning that she'd floated through the rest of the day, unable to concentrate on anything. And then, seeing him again, learning he'd become the new assistant coach of their team, it was lucky she could even play…
"Okay ladies, I have some good news for you." Coach Parsons lifted his hands and beckoned to the girls milling around the practice field. He turned to look over his shoulder and motioned to the man standing on the edge of the field. "We're lucky to have one of the rising stars in British football with us for the next eight weeks while he's on convalescence leave. Ladies, I'm happy to introduce Patrick Mason."
Sabrina stood stock still when the man she'd locked eyes with earlier in the dining hall moved to stand next to Coach. Her heart pounded in her chest as their gazes met again. Heat flooded her body, and her cheeks flamed as his eyes slid slowly over her, lingering on the swell of her chest before sliding slowly down the rest of her body and rising back up to meet her gaze. She was just as busy checking him out, from the tight black tee that outlined every muscle on his chest to the loose mesh shorts hanging low on his hips. Even his legs were fucking sexy, thick with muscle and peppered with dark, curling hair.
Coach's voice brought her abruptly back to herself as he called her name. "Sabrina, come here. Mason, this is my captain, Sabrina Grady. She's a Yank, but she plays a damn good game of football."