Freefall to Desire
Tearing his lips from hers, he rasped, “If you don’t want this, stop it now.”
In response, Brianne gyrated her pelvis against him and kissed the underside of his jaw.
Alex groaned in pleasure, and Brianne felt a surge of power. There was something completely thrilling about knowing that she could seduce a man like Alex.
He was tall, dark and handsome—and she was tired of trying to deny that there was something between them.
As she continued to kiss his jawline, creating what she knew was a path of wonderful sensations all the way to his ear, he gripped her behind and squeezed the flesh. When his finger slipped beneath the edge of her panties, a jolt of heat went straight to her center.
Suddenly, she was being eased onto her back, the sheets were being kicked aside and then Alex was on top of her. Every nerve ending in her body was on fire. Her breathing was ragged as he stared down at her. And she saw the obvious lust in his eyes.
But not just lust. There was something else there. Something tender. Surely she wasn’t imagining it.
“Make love to me,” she whispered.
Books by Kayla Perrin
Kimani Romance
Island Fantasy
Freefall to Desire
KAYLA PERRIN
has been writing since the age of thirteen and once entertained the idea of becoming a teacher. Instead she has become a
USA TODAY
and
Essence
bestselling author of dozens of mainstream and romance novels. She has been recognized for her talent, including twice winning Romance Writers of America’s Top Ten Favorite Books of the Year Award and the Career Achievement Award for multicultural romance from
RT Book Reviews.
Kayla lives with her daughter in Ontario, Canada. Visit Kayla at www.KaylaPerrin.com.
FREEFALL TO DESIRE
Kayla Perrin
This book is dedicated to Lady Sharon.
Talented fashion designer. Dedicated mother.
Great friend. I admire how you’re going after your dreams, making them a reality. And proving that it’s never too late. God bless you, my friend!
Dear Reader,
After
Island Fantasy,
many of you asked me to write a story for Shayna’s sister, Brianne. I’m pleased to tell you that I have, and
Freefall to Desire
is the result.
If you’ve enjoyed reading my stories over the years, you’ll know that I often infuse elements of intrigue into my books. I love the heightened emotions of a romance combined with intrigue. Because when the world around the characters is falling apart and they’re most vulnerable, they’re often more likely to let go and seize love in an unguarded way. It’s spontaneous and raw and thrilling!
I knew before I set out to write Brianne’s story that I wanted there to be an unsolved mystery in the book. One that would force her to work closely with someone from her past and one that would give her a second chance at love. So when Brianne, who has guarded her heart since losing her fiancé, suddenly finds herself in love’s grip—especially when she least expects it—it is sweeter and more intense than anything she has ever experienced. Because this time, it’s real.
Please let me know how you enjoyed Brianne and Alex’s story by emailing me at [email protected] or by contacting me on Facebook or Twitter. Up next will be Selena’s story, a friend of Brianne’s you’ll meet briefly in this book. I plan to continue writing stories that feature friends and family of my characters, because I know how much you love them.
Until next time,
Kayla
Contents
Prologue
B
rianne Kenyon held her breath, her eyes locking with Alex Thorpe’s the moment he stepped into the lobby. For two long hours she had been waiting for his return, praying every second of that time for the best possible outcome. But one look at the defeated expression on his face and she knew that the news was not good.
She rose from the sofa where she and her sister, Shayna, had been sitting and waiting by the cozy fireplace—but nothing about their visit to British Columbia was cozy.
“Nothing?” she asked Alex as he reached her. “No sign of him?”
He ran a hand over his head, emitting a groan of frustration. “Brianne, I’m sorry.”
“But how can that be possible?” she asked. “There has to be
something. Some
sign of him on the mountain.”
“The Rockies are vast, Brianne,” Alex explained. “He could be anywhere.”
Brianne stared at Alex, willing him to say something that would give her hope. Not the spiel she’d heard from the Canadian authorities over the last five days.
“But,” he continued, then stopped.
“But what?” Brianne asked quickly. She felt her sister slip her arm around her waist, offering support. “There is something. What is it?”
“It…it’s not good.”
Brianne’s stomach sank. She felt nauseous. But she had to know. Good or bad. “Tell me.”
“The search team…they found something,” Alex explained slowly. “Carter’s jacket. It was torn…and…bloody.”
“It might not be Carter’s,” Brianne said without hesitation.
“It was. After I described to them what Carter was wearing that day, they were able to identify the jacket as his. And the moment they showed it to me, I confirmed it.” Alex paused. “It’s bad enough to be out there in this weather, but without a jacket?” His statement hung in the air, heavy and ominous.
Brianne’s brain tried to process the news. She couldn’t speak.
“What are you saying?” Shayna asked. “Do the authorities think that Carter—”
“They don’t want to jump to conclusions,” Alex interjected. “But at the very least, they figure Carter’s hurt. The blood could mean that he fell…or that he was attacked by an animal.”
“What kind of animal?” Shayna asked.
Brianne moved away from her sister then, stepping in the direction of the fire. But it did nothing to warm her. She felt cold from the inside out.
“A wolf,” Alex said. “Maybe a cougar.”
A cougar? God help her. Brianne’s knees buckled then,
and she faltered. But strong arms wrapped around her waist before she could collapse onto the floor.
Alex held her up. “Brianne, are you okay?”
A wolf. Maybe a cougar…
No, she wasn’t okay. “Brianne?”
Brianne broke down and cried. Cried at the reality that her fiancé was lost in the middle of the Rockies, left to fend for himself in horrendous conditions.
In six days he hadn’t turned up. Five days of searching had produced no sign of him—until now.
A wolf. Maybe a cougar…
“Damn, Brianne. I hate this.” Alex cradled her head against his chest. She gripped his arms, holding on to him as she rode through the turbulent emotional wave.
After about two minutes, she shook her head and eased backward. “No. I won’t believe that he’s anything other than okay. Carter is strong. You know how strong he is. He’s got to be fine.”
“Brianne—”
“Don’t tell me I’m wrong,” she snapped. One minute she’d been bawling, the next biting Alex’s head off. She wanted this all to end.
“Brianne, listen to me,” Alex said. “I know exactly how you’re feeling. But it’s worse than we want to think.”
“Everything will be fine when they find Carter,” Brianne said, refusing to give in to despair.
“They’re not going to find him,” Alex said.
“How can you say that?” She felt a spurt of anger. “Why are you giving up already?”
“Because they’re calling off the search,” Alex answered matter-of-factly.
Brianne’s body went rigid. She looked up at Alex in confusion. “How can they call off the search? Carter’s still lost!”
“I wish it wasn’t the case, Brianne. God knows I do. But they’ve searched for five full days, and the snow has continued to fall, covering any possible tracks. It was a fluke they found his jacket. After all this time out there, they think it’s really unlikely—”
“I don’t care what they think,” Brianne interrupted before Alex could say the words she didn’t want to hear. “They found his jacket, so they know he’s hurt. He’s got to be close by. It’s critical that they keep searching so they can find him now!”
“I agree with you,” Alex said.
“Then do something!” Brianne yelled, not meaning to, but unable to stop herself. People in the hotel lobby looked in her direction. She knew they were wondering what was going on, but she didn’t care. She would make as big a scene as necessary if it got her the results she wanted.
Alex raised his hands in a helpless gesture and then let them fall against his thighs. “What can I do?”
Brianne shook her head in disbelief. “He’s your best friend and you’re giving up on him.” She turned around and marched back to the sofa where she’d left her coat. “Fine. If the authorities are giving up the search, then I have to find Carter.”
“Brianne, you can’t go out there.”
Ignoring Alex, she shoved her arms into the ultrawarm parka she’d bought. “Someone has to!”
“Brianne,” Shayna said gently. “If the authorities can’t find Carter…”
“No, don’t say it. Please, Shayna.
Don’t say it.
”
And then she started for the door.
Alex reached her before she could step outside. “Don’t be foolish, Brianne. Carter wouldn’t want you to get lost, too.”
And as she met Alex’s gaze, saw the pain she was feeling shimmering in his eyes, she knew he was right.
There was nothing she could do.
Her knees giving way again, she reached out and gripped Alex’s forearms. Gripped them for dear life as emotion overwhelmed her.
This time when she cried, she couldn’t stop the tears. Because she had most likely lost the love of her life. The man she was supposed to marry next year.
And her life would never be the same.
Chapter 1
Three years later…
B
rianne held the heavy silver picture frame with both hands, staring fondly at the photo of the smiling couple behind the glass.
Three years,
she thought.
Three years since you’ve been gone.
Brianne wore an ear-to-ear grin in the picture, more giggle than smile. She’d been giddy with happiness as she’d posed with Carter Smith, the man who’d stolen her heart at a point when she hadn’t expected to fall in love. She and Carter were standing against a palm tree, the picturesque stretch of sand and blue water in Hawaii behind them. Even if Brianne and Carter hadn’t been in Maui for a romantic vacation, she would have remembered exactly when the photo had been taken.
It had been taken the day Carter had proposed to her.
The helicopter ride Carter had booked for them turned into the most memorable moment of all when he’d surprised Brianne with an exquisite cushion-cut diamond engagement ring. Soaring over a volcano, Carter had asked Brianne to marry him, and she had enthusiastically said yes. Emotionally, she’d been higher than any cloud, expecting that nothing would happen to destroy the happiness she’d been feeling at the time. Brianne had been in love and looking forward to a wonderful life with the man of her dreams. At the time, she couldn’t imagine anything ever going wrong.
But things had gone wrong. Barely two months after they’d gotten engaged. All at once, everything had changed.
Brianne’s eyes misted as she regarded the photo of her and Carter in happier times. It was still hard to believe what had happened, much less accept it.
And yet, here she was, without Carter. Today was the three-year anniversary since that tragic, cold day in the Rocky Mountains.