TheBrokenOrnament (7 page)

“Just put the bags in the car. The limo has a huge trunk. I daresay that every one of the packages will fit.”

It took Joseph four trips to carry everything to the car. When he returned after the third trip, Hunter stood, lifted Cherie in his arms and followed Joseph out to the car.

Carefully, he placed her in the back seat, before climbing in to sit on the seat facing her. After Joseph closed the door, Hunter leaned forward and took Cherie’s hands in his. He didn’t know what to say. What
could
he say?

Cherie slowly tugged her hands away from his. “I’m—I’m okay now.” She pulled a napkin from her pocket and wiped her nose. “I’m sorry. It’s still so new. I’m having a hard time dealing with it.”

“Of course you are, baby.” He reached over and brushed a lock of hair from her face. “Anyone would have a difficult time losing the people they love most.”

He couldn’t stop himself from touching her. It most likely made her feel uncomfortable, but he needed the contact. After so many centuries alone, he
needed
to touch her, to feel the warmth of her skin beneath his fingertips.

She
was the reason he had survived all these centuries alone. His soul had waited for this woman to join him. He looked down at his empty hands, needing to reach out to her, but knowing the contact made her uncomfortable.

Looking up, he met her wary gaze and smiled softly. “Perhaps we should be on our way. The faster we get to Washington, the sooner you will have an answer to your question.”

“Yes,” she said with a nod, “I’d like that.” she smiled at him through her tears and sat back. With a sigh, she closed her eyes and shook her head. “I must look a sight.”

“You’re beautiful,” he said—and meant it.

A blush crept up her neck to her face and she turned to look out of the window. “Thank you.” She smiled a sad smile and turned to look him deep in the eyes. “For lying, that is.”

“Who’s lying?” he asked and sat back with a smile. “I happen to like women who resemble Rudolph.”

“That wasn’t nice.” She shook her head with a chuckle. “That wasn’t nice at all.”

Chapter Thirteen

Cherie hadn’t thought it possible to go from such utter dejection as she’d felt just a few minutes ago, to laughing, but he managed it somehow.

She wanted to reach out and touch him, but wasn’t sure how to make the connection. She also wished that he would move next to her, take her in his arms and tell her everything would be alright again. She’d needed that before. How many times had she wished for just that over the last few lonely weeks? Every night, she’d prayed for a way to move on, a way to go on with her life.

After one night, one temper tantrum, and one broken ornament her niece had sworn was magical, she had the answer to her prayers sitting across from her. He looked at her as though she was also the answer to his prayers. Who knew? Perhaps they could be the answer to each other’s whispered pleas to a god long forgotten, but never gone from this world—or the next.

She stared at Hunter for a minute, realizing that for the first time in the last two weeks, she had forgotten her pain. When he kissed her, everything seemed to melt away and there was only him.

She bit her lip and stared at him for a minute before clearing her throat. “Kiss me.”

“Excuse me?”

Cherie almost smiled at the expression on his face. “Kiss me.” She cleared her throat. “You said you wouldn’t kiss me again unless I allowed it.” She twisted her fingers in her lap and tilted her head. “This is me allowing it.”

Immediately, he reached over and pressed a switch on the door panel. A black sheet slid up out of nowhere to block the driver’s view. He pressed another button and said, “You know where to take us, Joseph. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask.”

“Yes, sir,” was the driver’s only reply.

Before she could even think to change her mind, he slid across the seat and pulled her into his arms. The heat of his body seeped into hers and she smiled against his chest.

“I thought vampires were cold, unfeeling people.”

“That just goes to show what you know.” His voice rumbled against her ear. “Or what you don’t know, as the case may be.”

Pulling back, he cupped her chin and tilted her head back. “It’s impossible.” He shook his head. “I
know
it’s impossible. Yet, here I sit, looking down into your beautiful violet eyes, thinking how much I love you.”

Gently, he leaned forward and brushed his lips against hers. Cherie closed her eyes as he pressed little kisses over her face and jaw. Was this what it was like to give herself to another with a love that’s real?

The strange feeling in her stomach was nothing like what she’d felt before. With a frown, she pushed the memories back. She needed this, she needed
him
—even if this
was
like it was before.

Taking a deep shuddering breath, she grasped the hem of her blouse. She needed the contact, the warmth of another human being and, damn it, she needed to feel alive.

Hunter pressed on last kiss to the tip of her nose and tucked her head beneath his chin. “That’s not what you need, love.” He rocked her against him. “You need comfort. You definitely don’t need me to make love to you right now. What you need is for me to hold you, to tell you that you matter to me. That, as unbelievable as it seems, I love you.” he gave her a gentle squeeze. “I have waited centuries to say that to a woman and I do
not
say it lightly.”

For the first time in a long, long time, Cherie fell asleep in a man’s arms.

“Wake up, baby,” Hunter said as he pressed a kiss to her forehead. “We’re here and Gregori just went to get Kaylee.”

He chuckled when she bolted upright. “Where is she?”

“Inside somewhere.” He looked out through the open door. “Gregori said that she seemed as excited as you.” He turned to look at her. “It seems that her sister, Cherie Belle died as a teenager.” He sat back and looked rather confused. “Apparently
her
Cherie had been run downat the age of seventeen by a drunk driver who thought she and two of her friends were trash cans on the side of the road. And,” he paused for a moment, “in this reality, you have both expired.”

Cherie looked toward the open door and gasped when she saw her sister exit a building and skip down the stairs. Tears filled her eyes as she cried, “Kaylee!” It
was
her sister. Cherie clamored from the limo and ran to her sister. They hugged each other, each of them sobbing.

“I’ve missed you so much,” they both said at the same time.

They stepped back holding each other’s arms.

“How have you been?” Kaylee said. “Let me look at you.”

“No.” Cherie shook her head. “Let me look at you.” Her eyes widened and her mouth fell open. “You’re pregnant!”

“Yes.” Kaylee nodded happily. “I am.”

Cherie leaned to the side to look back toward Kaylee’s home. “How’s little Nikki?”

Kaylee smiled serenely and rubbed her rounded belly like any proud mother would. “She’s fine, but…” she paused and tilted her head, “how did you know that we’d decided to name the baby Nicole?”

Cherie looked at the man who walked up behind her sister. “Gregori, I presume?” She held out her hand. “I’m happy to meet you.” She looked back at Hunter as he moved to stand behind her. He wrapped a possessive arm around her waist and she leaned back into him.

She had her sister back, she would have her niece back, and she had a man who would love her for the rest of her life, no matter how long her life turned out to be. More importantly, they were a family.

Taking her sister’s hand, she tugged her toward the house. “You have to tell me everything. After all, we’re sisters, but we don’t really know each other, do we?” Reaching out, she touched the slight baby bump on her sister’s belly and bent down. “Hello, Nikki, I’m your Aunt Cherie. We’re going to go to the ballet together and you’re going to learn all about magic.”

When she straightened, Hunter wrapped his arm around her and tucked her beneath his arm and pulled her toward the house. “We’ll
all
learn about magic together.”

About the Author

Dear Reader:

If you’re reading this, I hope it means that you’ve just enjoyed reading one of my books. Always a romantic, I started weaving little fantasies for my friends at the tender age of fifteen. Never once did I think that writing would be my dream until about ten years ago. After complaining to my husband that my favorite authors didn’t write fast enough, my husband asked a fateful question. “Why don’t you write one of your own while you’re waiting?”

Once I started, he couldn’t stop me. Now, I write in the morning before work. I write during my breaks at the day job. I write at night when I should be relaxing. Heck, I’ve even been known to write in my sleep. Every member of my family has had the dubious honor of witnessing my fingers moving over the keys while I'm off in dreamland. Sometimes it even makes sense!

I grew up in Southwest Florida where I met and married the love of my life. My husband was in the Navy for twenty years, so if you wonder where I have gotten some of my ideas, I blame him. I suggest you do the same. He’s always saying he has wide shoulders. Let’s load them up, shall we?

Currently, I live in a small town in Michigan, seven miles from the nearest grocery store. I love living out here in the country. It gives me the peace and quiet I need to continue to write these stories for you. It also shows me a lot of natural beauty that I try to share with you in my books. While my titles may be dedicated to certain individuals who have touched my life in differing ways, please remember, every one of them is written for you.

My most recent dream is to continue what I do, to share more stories with anyone willing to read them. My new dream is to be able to pursue both my writing and my husband fulltime. Do you think he’ll run?

More books by Tianna Xander

The Chosen Series:

Virgin’s Blood

Alicia the Awakening

Afraid to Dream

The Endowed Series:

The Endowed

Sinful Heat

Getting Physical

The Paradise Series

A Stranger in Paradise

Gates of Paradise

Return to Paradise

Trouble in Paradise

Road to Paradise

Another Day in Paradise

Naked in Paradise

Seduction in Paradise

Looking for Paradise

Healing in Paradise

A Melody in Paradise

Summer in Paradise

Other Books by Tianna Xander

Beary Merry Xmas

Polar Bear S-express

The Ornament

Sexy Santa Dreams

Lhampyre Yule

And many more!