Never Too Late (32 page)

He grinned, and pulling her back to him, captured her mouth with his. Breathing a small sigh of relief, she melted into him, loving the feel of him again after so long apart. His tongue delved into her mouth and caressed hers, and his sweet taste filled her. It was like finally coming home.

He broke the kiss with a ragged groan, his breathing as strained as hers as he rested his forehead against hers. “We’ll have to get married. The sooner the better. That’s what I was going to say.”

She laughed. “If you’re asking, then yes.”

“I wouldn’t take a no from you, my Molly,” he said with a smirk. “Not anymore.” He pressed a kiss to her lips and scooped her up into his arms. “But first I need to take you to our bed and keep you there for a very long time until I’ve managed to convince myself you’re really here with me.”

She wrapped her arms around his neck and snuggled into him as he strode from the room. This was perfection. The only place in the world she wanted to be right now was in his arms.

Two Weeks Later

The bells of St. Mary’s church pealed once more just after the wedding photos were taken. They’d already rung loud and proud for a full fifteen minutes after Molly and Jake had stepped out of the church as man and wife.

Reverend Harrington, looking dignified in his priest’s robes, glanced up at the bell tower with his usual surprised glare. “They’re keen today,” he said of the six bell ringers of St. Mary’s. “Looks like this extra set is just for you, Molly.”

The resonant peals rang out into the blue October sky and danced through all of Appleby. Not that many people were still in their houses to hear. They had all turned up at the church this sunny Saturday morning to witness her marry Jake.

She smiled and pushing back the short veil on her flower-braided hair, glanced up at Jake as he stood beside her on the rose-bedecked church steps, looking magnificent in his three-piece grey suit and silver necktie.

Bending, he placed a kiss on her lips. “You invited the entire village,” he murmured.

“They’d have come anyway.” 

It had taken him by surprise. He’d only invited Damon and Lilayni, and had been expecting a small wedding, but Appleby didn’t do small, not for the ‘Lord and Lady of Barrowdene’ and their wedding had been hijacked into a village celebration. Luckily she’d warned Norma’s crew beforehand, and they were waiting back at the house, complete with a huge marquee pitched on Nate’s beloved lawn, ready to cater for a packed lunchtime reception. Just as well. Groups of people were already leaving the church and heading across the road to Barrowdene for lunch.

She glanced around, still unable to fully take in that she was standing here today, now as Jake’s wife. Everything had moved so quickly in the two weeks since she’d gone to find him in Chateau Blanc. He hadn’t been kidding when he’d said he wanted them married soon. He’d practically browbeaten poor Ian Harrington into speeding up the church’s usually sluggish wedding preparations, and even her wedding dress had been sorted in record time without her having to lift a finger. It was her mother’s dress and Nan had altered it to fit. Now the cream lace gown with its three-quarter sleeves and off-the-shoulder neck, clung to her curves and swept to the ground looking like it had come straight from a high-end designer’s showroom. 

But really the day had only turned out the wonderful way it had because everyone in Appleby had pulled together for her. Smiling in contentment, she clutched her pink and red cascading bouquet of Barrowdene’s roses. It was good to be back in her village.

Damon came up to them, looking suave in his suit, which was a darker grey than Jake’s for his position as best man. He kept a possessive arm around a smiling Lilayni, who wore a dusky-pink dress similar to Molly’s other bridesmaids: Sophie, Anna, and Kitty.

“You are glowing.” Lilayni kissed her on both cheeks.

Molly laughed. “And you, Lilayni.”

The sadness that had been in Lilayni’s eyes weeks ago in Barrowdene’s orchard had completely vanished, and from the tender way Damon gazed at her, it was easy to see he was as in love with Lilayni as she was with him. Maybe he always had been.

“You’ll be wanting to get the reception started if you intend to leave for France by afternoon,” Damon said to Jake.

“I’d leave right now if I could.” Jake’s look was brooding as he slid an arm around her waist and drew her to his side. “I have a sudden need to get my wife all to myself.”

She gaped at him. “We can’t just ditch everyone.” But the raw desire in his voice thrilled her.

“Molly.” Nan, in a smart cream jacket and dress, came to the steps and looked pointedly at her rose bouquet. “Are you ready?”

“Give me a moment,” she said to Jake.

With a nod he released her, and bunching up her long dress to keep its white hem off the grass, she went with Nan around the side of the church. Nan was walking much better now that her leg had completely healed. It also helped that Jake had hired two new full-time staff to help her around Barrowdene. Nan had no need to work anymore, but Molly doubted any of them would ever persuade her to sit down and rest. 

They reached the greying headstones that marked Molly’s parents’ and grandfather’s graves. Bending, Nan cleared old flowers from the stone vase and Molly carefully placed her bouquet there. The roses shone red against the grey-white stone, with the small flowers that had been plucked from the walls of Rose Cottage standing out like deep-red rubies.

“They would be so proud to see how you’ve turned out.” Nan said, brushing away a tear.

Molly placed an arm around her shoulders and kissed her cheek. “It’s all because of you, Nan.”

“There you are.” Sophie weaved her way through the apple trees towards them, looking radiant in her pink bridesmaid’s dress and with her thick dark hair in a side plait. 

Molly glanced past her, surprised to see her alone. Sophie seemed to have picked up an ardent admirer at the wedding, a tall man with floppy brown hair and a rather haughty look in his eyes, who rarely left her side. Molly would never have pegged him as Sophie’s type.

“Your car’s here, Molly,” Sophie said

“Why would I need a car to go to the reception? Barrowdene is just across the road.”

“You can’t be crossing roads in that beautiful dress,” Sophie said, astonished. “You’re the bride.”

“Sophie’s quite right,” Nan said with a sage nod. “It wouldn’t be seemly.”

With a resigned shake of her head, Molly walked back with them. “Where’s your new beau?”

“He’s not my beau.” Sophie glanced around nervously as if expecting him to leap out from behind one of the apple trees they passed. “He’s a friend of Mum’s. I think she was hoping we’d like each other.”

“And do you?”

“God, no.” Sophie gave a fine shudder. “I… I mean, he’s nice… in his way, but definitely not my sort.”

“Then have you told him, or at least your mum? Because it looked to me like you’re definitely his sort.”

“I can’t. Not yet. I don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings.”

“Oh, Sophie.” Molly looked at her, exasperated. “You’ll end up in a world of trouble if you don’t speak up for yourself.”

Sophie smiled at her. “It’s your fault in a way. Now that you’re married, Mum’s been introducing me to any man she knows because she’s scared I won’t find anyone.”

Nan chuckled. “You’re in for a rough time, child, if Kathleen’s got the bit between her teeth.”

“Yes, I think you’re right,” Sophie said with a small sigh.

They rounded the corner of the church and Nan’s eyes sharpened. “Look at that! I turn away for a minute and those two are at each other’s throats.”

Molly followed her gaze to where a scrubbed-up and besuited Nate was standing glaring at Clara Ainsley who was snapping at him and poking a stubby finger at his chest.

“Go on and find Jake, Molly,” Nan said. “I’ll see you back home later.” And she rushed off to break the two of them up

Molly glanced around for Jake and her gaze fell on the church steps. The tall man who’d been following Sophie around all morning was standing there with Kathleen. He turned and on seeing Sophie, started down the steps towards them.

Sophie paled. “Oh, I have to find Anna and Kitty.” And she darted away with the man hot on her heels.

Molly stood gaping after her. What on earth had Sophie got herself into?

“Ready to head to the reception?” Jake came up and slipped an arm around her waist.

“I’m not sure,” she mumbled absentmindedly, still staring at the man who had now caught up to a nervous-looking Sophie and was talking to her.

Jake laughed. “We can still sneak away if you want. I have a far better time planned for us once we get to Paris.”

She turned back to him then and smiled at the mischief in his eyes. “Nan would kill us. In fact, the whole of Appleby would kill us, and I’d rather not lose you any time soon.”

He brushed his lips over hers. “Then let’s go and give the people what they want, Mrs Hennessy, and make this the quickest reception ever.”

He steered her towards the waiting wedding car, but she glanced back with a frown at where Sophie was still talking to the tall man.

“What is it?” Jake asked, following her gaze.

“Sophie. I’m not sure what’s going on.”

Just then, Anna dashed up to Sophie and put an arm around her, her whole body language territorial as she faced off with the haughty-looking man.

Jake chuckled. “Don’t worry about it. If she can’t handle the guy, her sister looks to be more than capable of it.”

He was right, and Molly breathed a sigh of relief and smiled. Sophie would be okay.

Turning her to him, Jake covered her mouth with his, and sighing she raised her hands to his face and stroked her fingers over the short hairs of his beard, loving the feel of him, and delighting in the knowledge that he was hers now and forever.

THE END

Every autumn, I get to marvel at apple trees in full fruit. They’re a beautiful sight, especially the ones with apples as red as London buses. The story of Appleby was born one such autumn as I stood staring at an apple tree, with the merry bells of an ancient church peeling in the distance (this was a Sunday). There in my head, out of nowhere, popped up the image of a curly-haired girl standing in front of a white Georgian house. That was my first impression of Molly, and through her I met Jake and the other residents of Appleby village. 

I had a lot of fun writing Molly and Jake’s story, and I hope you enjoyed reading it too. The next novels in the Appleby series will follow the love lives of Sophie and her two sisters, Anna and Kitty. And along the way I’ll also be writing some shorter novellas about other couples we meet during the journey. 

The first of those novellas is ONLY YOU (Lilayni and Damon’s story). I’ve included an excerpt here, so turn the page and read on to find out more.

❤Alyssia

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www.alyssialeon.com
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Lilayni Perrot isn’t about to give up on love. That’s not what a self-respecting French woman does, and especially not a red-headed one. The man she gave her heart to may be avoiding her like the plague right now, but she’s determined to win him back, come what may.

Billionaire Damon Solarin may be a respected CEO, but he comes from a gritty past, and he’s not afraid to fight dirty when he needs to. He knows the value of trust, and he knows an empty promise of love when he hears it. Lilayni may think she’s won him over, but he has other plans for her, plans that have nothing to do with love.

And unfortunately for Lilayni, disaster lurks just around the corner.  The nemesis that tore Damon and her apart in the first place isn’t finished with her yet. There’s a price to pay, and she must be the one to pay it.

In the middle of threat, secrets, and rivalry, Lilayni must convince Damon of her love. But if she does, is she prepared to face the grim truth that he might have been ruthless enough to use her for his own gain?

The cold panther hunted in the middle of Manhattan. A predator, its teeth bared, its claws sharp, and its larger than life body blazing like fire, lit from beneath by orange light, as it tensed, ready to pounce, water dripping like crystal blood from its colourless fangs.

Lilayni Perrot shivered and stepped further back into the shadows of the imposing ice sculpture. The big cat looked about as approachable as the man she hunted tonight.

She ran nervous hands over her slim figure-hugging sheath dress. It came to mid-thigh, leaving her shapely legs open to notice, and its green colour—a darker emerald than her eyes—made her wavy red tresses glow as they hung loose down her back almost to her waist. A light, but artful touch of make-up to enhance her beauty, and she stood out a mile in a crowd of the most expensively dressed people in New York. She needed that. She needed to stand out tonight. She needed him to notice her, and not take his eyes off her.

He didn’t know she was here, and surprise was her only advantage. Now if she could just dig up the courage to approach. She took another step back, moistening suddenly dry lips with the tip of her tongue.

People milled around in the crystal chandelier lit grand hall of the hotel, men in sharp evening suits and women in rainbow colours of designer wear, ranging from short sexy minis all the way to floor-sweeping ball gowns. Glasses clinked and laughter rose among the flowing chatter. Manhattan’s affluent were out in force on a mild September evening to support their favourite charities.

But business was happening too. Deals were being made and finalized with the shake of a hand or a clap on the back. And that was where he was, in the middle of a group of business men standing way off to one corner of the hall and ignoring everyone else as they talked. He stood out from them all.

His tall six-foot-four frame placed him above most in the group, backed up by a formidable muscular build like that of a star rugby player that couldn’t be hidden by the fitted layers of the dark suit he wore. His black hair and beard were cropped close and neat, accentuating his rugged striking features, but it was the way his light-copper eyes glowed against his umber skin, almost as if lit from within, that caught people’s attention and held it. Nobody took just one glance at Damon Solarin. And when that sinfully handsome face broke into a wide easy grin, you were lost forever.