Ready to Love Again (Sweet Romance #2) (24 page)

Chapter

Thirty-Four

Chase

“Are you saying you’ll give us a chance?” I asked as she held me.

“Yes, Chase. I was scared at first, but if you’ll let me, I’ll make up for that.”

“There’s nothing to make up for. Like you said, we have a clean slate now.”

I can’t believe what I’m hearing. This amazing woman wants me the way I want her. I turn in her embrace and place a chaste kiss on her lips. She claims my lips with hers and her tongue seeks entrance to my mouth, something I am only too willing to grant. The kiss is sweet, I can taste the wine on her breath. There’s something so enticing about this goddess in my arms. If she’ll have me, I want to make her mine forever. No matter what our pasts hold, we have a chance of a future. We have a chance to make each other happy and there’s nothing I want more.

Breaking the kiss, Alyssa pulls away and looks into my eyes. I can still see a trace of pity, but the one thing that overrides that is lust. I’m getting hard just thinking about her naked in my bed. I don’t want to push things with her, but as she claims my lips again, my cock starts twitching, telling me to make her mine. Coming up for air, I breathe in deeply and the air I inhale is a mixture of the cool evening breeze and her perfume. I am entranced. Before I can chicken out, I take her hand and stand from the wicker love seat. I feel no resistance from her as I lead her back into the house and up the staircase.

Entering my bedroom seems to flick a switch in us both as we frantically start to take each other’s clothes off. Once I am just in my boxers, and Alyssa wears only her panties and bra, I take her in my arms and kiss her. Her kiss ignites a fire within me and I lead her over to the bed. I lay her down and place feather-light kisses in a trail from her mouth, down her neck and to the mounds of her beautiful breasts. I kiss each in turn and nip each between my teeth as I hear her groan. That is a sound I treasure. Kissing down to her stomach, I feel the goose bumps break out across her creamy skin. I feel her hand in the back of my hair and I close my eyes. Every moment spent with her is to be cherished, burned into my memory. If there’s no tomorrow, I want to prove to her today how much she means to me. I will spend every day making sure she knows just how loved she is.

I want to taste Alyssa, something it seems I haven’t done in a while. I remember how good she tastes, but still, the real thing is better than a memory. So I begin by tracing her clit with my tongue, eliciting little gasps from her. Slowly my tongue moves to her sweet little pussy. She cries out into the night as my tongue delves inside her and her grip on my hair tightens. I slide a finger inside her in place of my tongue, as I kiss my way back up her divine body. She is warm and oh so wet as I feel her clench around me. I have told this woman I love her, but this is more than love. I crave her like a flower needs the sun and rain. I am a better man just for knowing her. She’s the closest thing to heaven that I can imagine.

Claiming her lips with mine, she kisses me back passionately. One hand traces my spine as the other remains in my hair.

“Take me, Chase, claim me. I’m here, I’m yours and I’m waiting,” she whispers across my skin, causing the hairs on the back of my neck to stand on end.

I’ll be damned if I don’t do as the lady asks, so I position myself over her and lean down to kiss her as I slide myself inside her. She moans loudly as I bury myself deeper. I lower myself over her body and begin to find a rhythm that has us both panting and gasping for air. She rakes her nails down my spine, causing me to groan into her mouth as I kiss her once more. She wraps her legs around my waist and her feet dig into my ass, forcing me closer to her, deeper inside her. As I love this goddess with my heart, mind, and body, she looks up at me through hooded eyes, a raw need shining in them. I give in to her silent demands. She feels incredible, matching my rhythm with her hips, grinding herself against me. I’m ready to explode and I can see she knows it. She nods almost imperceptibly, giving me a silent permission. I work her harder and up the pace, she’s frantically clawing at my back and my ass as I come inside her. Thoroughly sated, I feel her own release around me and I smile down at her before kissing her with all the pent-up emotion I have carried with me for the last few days that I haven’t been at work, haven’t seen her beautiful face.

As I lie beside her, Alyssa runs her hand over my chest. She snuggles into the crook of my arm and before long we drift off to sleep, wrapped up in each other. Somehow we were two people, but we’ve now become one.

Chapter

Thirty-Five

Alyssa

I woke the next morning wrapped in Chase’s arms. I looked at him, his face relaxed in sleep. I traced the contours of his face with my fingers. He really was strikingly handsome. The previous night, he had looked so sad as he spoke of Katalina, that wasn’t a look I wanted to see on him again. I knew there and then that I would do anything to make him happy.

As my fingers traced his perfect torso, he woke with a smile on his face.

“Good morning, beautiful,” he said, his voice a little rough.

“Good morning,” I replied as I leaned in to kiss him.

He lay me on my back as he rose above me and deepened the kiss. I could feel the warmth pool in my abdomen, but I didn’t have time to act on it. Justine would be leaving soon and I needed to get home to say goodbye, and also thank her for pushing us together. If it wasn’t for her, my heart wouldn’t feel so light this morning. My smile began on the inside.

“We’d better get you back home.” Chase read my mind.

“I guess so. I know what I’d rather be doing,” I teased as I ran my nails lightly down his spine.

He shivered under my touch and leaned in to kiss me again. He captured my lips and his tongue entered my mouth. He stole my breath as I pulled him closer to me, wanting to feel every inch of him against me. He kissed my neck and I realised that warmth I was feeling wouldn’t go away until we did something about it.

***

An hour or so later, we had showered together after making love. Chase had worshipped every inch of me, slowly. We were ready to go back to my place to see Justine and the boys off. I left my hair to dry naturally as we made the short journey from Chase’s place to mine.

Justine was just loading the dishwasher with breakfast dishes when we arrived.

“Good morning, lovebirds,” she greeted as she walked across the kitchen to embrace me.

“Good morning, Justine, morning, boys. You all packed up and ready to leave Auntie Lys?” I asked as I ruffled the boys’ hair and they moaned at me for doing it.

“We were waiting to say goodbye, Auntie Lys,” Phoenix said as he stood and hugged me.

“Well, I’m sure glad you did. I wouldn’t want you going before I had time to hug you and tell you how much I love you boys.”

Cadan stood and hugged me.

“We love you too, Auntie Lys, lots and lots,” he said as I held onto them both tightly.

“Did the two of you manage to sort things out?” Justine enquired.

“We did.” I smiled brightly and reached to hug her.

“Thank goodness for that!” she said and pretended to wipe her brow.

“And it’s all thanks to you,” Chase said.

“I aim to please.” Justine looked at him and I realised that she had a genuine smile on her face. I didn’t know exactly how her mind had been changed, yes, there was Ethan’s diary, but it was like a switch had been flicked and she was genuinely happy to see me love and be loved.

After a coffee together, Justine and the boys had to hit the road for home. I was sad to see them go. It may have been my choice to move away, but that didn’t mean I had wanted to lose them in doing so. I was so glad to know that I hadn’t lost them and that they would be back in the school holidays to visit. Justine promised to visit every chance they got.

The two of us stood at the bottom of my driveway, waving them off. A tear rolled down my cheek and Chase wiped it away with the pad of his thumb.

Epilogue

2 months later

If someone had told me a year ago that I would be in this position, I would have said they were mad. I wasn’t going to forget Ethan in such a hurry. But what I have come to realise lately is that I will never forget about Ethan, even if I am in love with someone else.

Today, Chase is taking me to a tattoo parlour to get a tattoo in memory of Ethan. I looked at several options, but the one I chose was perfect. I knew it the moment I saw it. I don’t have any other tattoos, I have always been a little scared of needles. But for Ethan, I would do this, to honour him. I showed Chase and he agreed it was the perfect thing to get.

We drive to the tattooist and I am inevitably a little scared. We get there and a bulky guy with a shaved head looks up from the tattoo he is currently working on.

“Alyssa?” he asks.

“Yes.”

“Go on through.” He nods his head in the direction of a little doorway.

Chase holds my hand as we walk towards the door. I knock lightly and a female voice calls out for me to enter. We go in and a petite, pretty brunette woman greets us.

“Alyssa, welcome to Inkredible. I’m Hana,” she says as she holds out her hand.

I shake her hand and introduce her to Chase. She shakes his hand and nods for him to take a seat.

“Now then, do you have the picture of what you’d like?” Hana asks with a smile.

I hand her the piece of paper I printed out this morning.

Hana pats the bed in front of her and tells me to sit down and lift up my top. When I spoke to her on the phone to book the appointment, I had told her I wanted it on my ribcage under my left breast, that way, it wouldn’t be too far from my heart. She makes quick work of tracing over my picture to make the stencil to put on my skin. Then she places that stencil on my skin and gives me a mirror to make sure I’m happy with the positioning. I smile and tell her it looks perfect.

I lie down on the bed and I hear the sound of the tattoo gun vibrating. Instead of scaring me like I thought it would, I just feel excited. As the needle moves over my skin, I feel exhilarated.

After Hana is done, I stand and check my reflection. I just love my new ink. My first, but maybe not my last.

“It looks stunning,” Chase says as he takes a look.

“It really does,” I reply as Hana wraps it for me. She gives me a card with aftercare instructions and I pay her.

“Thank you, Hana. It’s amazing. Maybe I’ll see you again.”

“You’re most welcome, honey,” she replies as she holds the door open for us.

We leave the tattoo parlour and I have a smile that stretches from ear to ear. For the first time in a long time, I feel like a weight has been lifted from my shoulders. I know Ethan is looking down on me and smiling. He will always watch over me. I will never stop loving him, but there’s room in my heart for both Ethan and Chase. I have stopped building a wall around my heart and started to allow love in.

Before now, I was scared of loving someone new, but I was also scared of a life spent alone. In this moment, I am ready to feel. I’m not afraid anymore. I am finally ready to love again.

~The End~

Acknowledgements

There are so many people to thank that I don’t know where to start, I could be here all day. I want to thank my son for being so patient with me when I needed to write, for understanding me and being proud of me, but most of all for loving me. My darling Calum, you are my heart and soul and I am so proud to be your mom. You are my sun, my stars, my moon and I will always love you.

Thank you to my Nan for being there to listen to me and encourage me to shoot for the stars.

Thank you to Justine McFadyen for a) BETA reading RTLA, b) for allowing me to name a character after you and c) for letting me use my nickname for you. I heart you, Phylis! <3

Thank you to Vikki Love from Vixen Living Vicariously for BETA reading RTLA. Because you loved the characters, for the feedback on my sex scenes and for not being afraid to tell me how this story really made you feel.

If I could sit here and thank every individual that makes writing worthwhile, I would, but I can’t. What I can do is give a shout-out to some of the people I love the most. Karen Rock—author extraordinaire and uber-awesome person/ Wonder Woman. You are incredible and I strive to be a better person, a better author and story teller because of you. Mich Feeney, thank you for your encouragement. You knew when I needed a nudge and you knew just when to shut up ;) Kelly Hashway—uber-author, super-sweet, amazing lady; thank you for always being my friend. For having my back and encouraging me to dream big. Steph Phillips, Victoria Brock, Hemmie Martin, Nicola Priest; thank you girls for listening to me and providing me with the advice I so needed. Julie Pamplin, my awesome auntie; I love you and I am always humbled by your support.

To anyone I haven’t mentioned by name, know that it is not because I love you less, your support means the world to me. But if I typed all your names, my acknowledgements section would be as long as my book!

I do need to say a special thank you to the kind folks at The Cob and Pen in Fareham. Holly Hunter, thank you and your Dad for letting me put your fine pub in my book. Thank you also to Chelsea for letting me name her as a barmaid. I am honoured that I get to mention you guys!

Thank you to the amazing team at Limitless Publishing. As always, you guys rock! I wouldn’t have three published books to my name without you guys, so a HUGE thank you to you all.

To the cover designer for making my book come to life. Thank you!

Thank you also to Lady Antebellum who don’t know it but they inspired this book!

Lastly, but by no means least, thank you to YOU the reader. Your support means everything to me. It always has and it always will. As long as you believe in me, I will continue to write.

Keren xo