Uncovering You: The Complete Series (Mega Box Set) (290 page)

“I felt it too,” he whispers.

I squeal. “Oh my God, isn’t it amazing? Oh, oh! One more!”

Rich lowers his face to my belly and kisses me there. He turns his head to look at me. “Do you think they’re fighting?”

I smile at him. “You better straighten it out.”

Rich nods, all serious now. “Hey there, little guy,” he says. “You haven’t seen me yet, but it’s your daddy here.” He glances at me. I smile, encouraging him on.

“I haven’t seen you yet, either. Well, that’s not exactly true. I’ve seen ultrasounds. But it’s not the same thing.” He clears his throat. “Anyway, I just wanted to warn you, you’d better not be picking on your sister. If you are, you can bet your little bum she’ll be born first and will always be the oldest.” He moves his head to the other side of my stomach. “And you. If
you’re
the one picking on your brother… atta girl! You show him that you’re your daddy’s daughter.”

“Rich!” I admonish, smacking his head. “You’re not supposed to pick favorites!”

He grins sheepishly at me.

“Just wait ‘til she’s a teenager,” I warn him. “Then she’ll have you tearing your hair out.”

Rich frowns. “I’m quite fond of my hair.” He leans his head back to my stomach and whispers, “Mommy thinks you’re going to be a little rascal. I know you won’t. You’re going to be daddy’s angel.” He smiles at me. “And you’re going to be just as beautiful, just as smart, and just as strong as your mother.”

“Rich, stop it,” I say, turning away. “You’re making me blush.”

He kisses his way up my body. When he reaches my ear, he rustles, “You know how sexy I think you are when you blush.”

That
comment makes me break out in a dozen shades of red.

“Wait here,” Rich says, pressing a finger to my lips. “I have something for you.”

He hops out of bed. My eyes zero in on his glorious backside, and I feel a flare of disappointment when he covers it with his blue sweats.

“What is it?” I ask.

“You’ll see!” he calls, running into the other room.

He returns with one hand behind his back. “No peeking,” he warns when I try to look around.

“Rich, you know I hate surprises,” I pout.

He winks. “This one will be worth it. I promise.” He steps onto the bed, then falls to his knees by my waist.

“This,” he says, running his free hand over my tummy, “and you—” he picks up and kisses my hand, “—and us, are all amazing. And I want us to last forever.”

“Rich, you know I love you. Of course we will.”

“Yes, but I want to make it official. I don’t want to make the same mistake my father did.” Slowly, he brings his other hand around.

When I see what he’s holding, my heart stops beating. My chest tightens, and I forget to breathe. Cradled in his palm is a small, black, velvet box. His eyes do not leave mine as he opens it and offers it to me.

Inside is a ring with the biggest diamond I’ve ever seen.

“Will you marry me?” he asks simply.

Words fail me. It must be the damn hormones from the pregnancy, because all I can do is nod my head in a jerky way and blubber like an idiot.

Rich picks up my hand, which is trembling. He takes the ring out of the box and slides it onto my fourth finger.

It’s a perfect fit.

He has a coy smile on his face. “You still haven’t said yes,” he reminds me in a whisper.

“Yes,” I breathe.

Then he kisses me, and thus begins the best day of my life.

 The End.

Special Bonus:

The Alastair Affair, Book One

(My latest published book! Released November 8, 2015)

The Alastair Affair, Book One

A Dark Romance by

Scarlett Edwards

www.scarlettedwards.com

Copyright © 2015 Edwards Publishing, Ltd

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party websites or their content.

Cover design by Scarlett Edwards

First Edition: November 2015

Book Description:

It was supposed to be simple: A chance to get away for one summer and explore an old castle in the English countryside.

A chance to discover the secrets of the past.

I was supposed to be alone. Just me, a backpack full of books, and boundless enthusiasm in my heart.

But I was not alone.

He
was there.

Sylvain Alastair.

A man of power, mystery, and great wealth.

A man of darkness.

He lured me in and made me his. I sensed the raw, twisted desires inside him... and gave into them.

My lust for him became insatiable. He was my darkness. I was his light. I brought out his need for domination. He brought out my need to submit.

And there, locked away in his castle... he taught me the pleasures and pains of
The Black Tower.

Series Disclaimer:

The Alastair Affair is a dark romance series that includes elements of psychological and physical abuse coupled with suspense.

The characters are not meant to depict a BDSM relationship. In fact, there is no BDSM. There is only the darkness of one man's mind... and the pains a young girl will go through to break into his heart.

The series ends in a HEA... but the journey there will be dark and twisted.

Prologue

Who am I?

I am nobody. I am nothing. I am a being who can see, and hear, and feel, and sense, but most of the time, those faculties are denied to me.

I live in darkness. My world is eternal night. I breathe old, stale air.

My body is thin, my muscles are wasting.

My existence is meaningless. Except…

Except for when he is here.

He possesses more than my body. He controls my mind.

I give myself willingly.

Who am I? I have no name. Once, what feels like a century ago, I was called—

And yet I dare not think on my past.

But whose am I? That is a different question altogether. That, I can answer in full.

I am Sylvian Alastair’s.

I am my Master’s.

The high tower door swings open. Cool air rushes over my naked back.

He walks in.

“Hello, Dani.” I wince. That name… he mocks me with that name.

I might have been that girl, once, but he has done all he can to purge me of my associations with her.

He whips me. I scream. He kisses me. I cry.

He leans in and whispers, “I love you,” in my ear.

And I… I say the words back.

Chapter One

Three months earlier…

“Min, this is fucking insane,” I say. I brush the hair out of my eyes as I stand from stuffing the last of my things in the suitcase. “You know that, right?”

“Hey, don’t blame me.” Min swings her legs over the side of the bed and jumps down. “This wasn’t my idea. This was all you.”

“And as my best friend,” I say, crossing my arms, “shouldn’t it be your responsibility to talk me out of it?”

She grins. “Nah. Who knows, it might even be good for you. You get out of this dead-end town, go somewhere fresh, broaden your horizons. Yadda, yadda, yadda, all that shit.”

“I don’t think taking on the role of caretaker for a castle that hasn’t been lived in for a century and a half is going to broaden anything. I’ll be even more isolated there.”

“And that’s why you’ve got all your books… those journals… your catalogues.” She skips closer. “You’re looking forward to this, I know. And you can’t weasel your way out of it, sis. You signed the contract of employment already, haven’t you?”

“Last Wednesday at the notary,” I tell her.

“Then you’re all set.” She gives me a hug. “I’ll miss you lots. Text or call as soon as you get there. It’s only for three months, right?”

“Yeah,” I say. “Just till the end of summer.”

“Then next time I see you will be in school, huh? Unless I come and visit.”

“You’d be bored out of your mind if you do that,” I say.

“What? Why? You don’t even know what it’s like yet!”

“No, but I know what you’re like.” I smile. “Plus you’re off to Europe with Brad. Go do the whole adventure thing. I’ll be fine.”

“You better be more than ‘fine,’” she warns. “I want all types of crazy stories out of you when you come back. A creepy old castle? There’ve got to be, like, ghosts and shit.”

“I really doubt that,” I deadpan.

She laughs. “Always the skeptic. And yet—“ she glances at my backpack, overflowing with books, “—a hidden romantic. You’re a contradiction, D.”

“Maybe I’m just complex,” I retort. We’ve had this conversation before. “Anyway—”

I’m cut off by a blaring honk from the driveway.

“Ugh.” Min rolls her eyes. “Cabbies. Should have used Uber.”

“For a two-and-a-half hour drive?” I shake my head. “I don’t think so.” I pick my backpack up and sling it over my shoulder. Min rights the suitcase and sets it on its wheels.

Then she gives me another hug.

“I really will miss you,” she whispers. “Stay safe.”

“Yeah,” I say. I hug her back. “I’ll miss you too.”

***

The castle looms like a dark shadow at the top of the hill. It stands as the only object visible on the skyline. With the sun just starting to set beyond it, it feels like something out of a fairy tale.

Of course I’d seen pictures of it online. But even now, from a distance, there’s a certain magnificence to it that pixels on a screen cannot capture.

I came across the job posting from the Office of Career Services at my university. It had made its rounds amongst the archaeology students. Most didn’t have the slightest interest. But for me – despite what I told Min—this was the perfect fit.

I’ve always had a fascination with old places, old places and old things that have stood the test of time. It’s what made me declare my major a full half-year earlier than anybody else. I’d known what I wanted to be the moment I stepped foot on campus as a first year.

The job posting was such: a wealthy family had owned the estate for generations. It’d been passed down for as long as they could remember. It had been part of the family, but slowly, their use of it became less and less. At the start of the last century, it was used as a summer house of sorts.

Not anymore. The appeal had dwindled away.

So it’s stood abandoned for years. Now they want someone to come in and catalogue the place. Figure out what it’s worth, what sort of value it has.

I think they might be looking to sell it. But that was not explicitly stated. They just wanted me—or anybody else—to come in and document the state of every room, every square inch of the property.

It was a little unorthodox to offer to undergraduates. Most of my classmates probably saw it as such. They doubtlessly assumed it to be little more than glorified house-sitting.

But I saw an opportunity. It’d be a chance for me to get away for one amazing summer and get lost in the countryside. I’d have this enormous estate to explore, all to myself. It’d be me and my books and nothing else.

And being paid to do it? That was the icing on the cake.

The driver turns off the road leading to the castle and brings me to the nearby town. “Village” might be a more apt description. Maybe even “hamlet.”

I’d booked a room at a bed and breakfast for my first night. Tomorrow, in the morning, when I’m all fresh, I’ll see what sort of accommodations wait for me on the estate.

***

I’m greeted by a woman named Tammy at the door. She’s polite but not overly-welcoming. She shows me to the cozy little room she has set up for me, tells me breakfast is at ten, and leaves me alone.

I set my suitcase down and look around. The room is small but comfortable. There’s a little bed. The sheets are fresh. I even have a mini fridge stocked with bottled water.

I take one out and unscrew the cap. My stomach rumbles. I’m hungry.

Good thing I brought food.

I fish out a bag of trail mix from my backpack, settle down on the bed, pop open my latest book, and read until sleep takes over.

Chapter Two

I’m wakened early the next morning by a banging on the door.

“Dani!” calls the woman. “Dani, there’s a call for you!”

I rub the sleep from my eyes. I check the time on my cell. It shows 6:52 AM.