"There's my girl," I said as I smiled at
her. "Now say it for me…"
"Fuck the odds," she said with a small
smile. "I'm keeping you."
"Hell yeah." I grinned at the sound of a
swear word coming out of her mouth. "Fuck the odds and the whole
damn world. You, baby, are permanent. You are cemented, glued and
fucking nailed to everything inside my body that pumps life into
me. The odds and every other asshole who tries to interfere with
that will lose, because I'm betting my money on us. And I always
win."
"I love you, Kyle," she whispered as she
buried her face in my shirt.
"I love you too, princess," I murmured as I
kissed her hair. "I'm always gonna protect you." Even as I said the
words, the fear of tomorrow flooded my veins.
Trouble was brewing.
I could taste it.
But I would keep my promise to her.
If I had to die trying.
****
The end
Follow Kyle and Lee's story
in
Forever We Fall
Broken #4
December 2014
Acknowledgements to some of my wonderful readers
Alycia Sanchioni. Lorrie Moar. Cindy Ellis.
Gayle Brown. Stephanie Kidney. Dania North. Sami Prince .Jen
Littlefield. Csenge Benyei. Lisa Thomas. Lisa Fallon. Deborah
Noble. Daisy Balanzar. Zoe Todd. Charlotte Evans. Charlotte Johnson
Drew. Gina Stone Holman. Joanna Thingsaker. Nicola Pafomow. Rachel
Percival. Amanda Austin. Aimee Monastero Olivet. Barbara Hoover.
Pamela Price. Angela Ginty. Kathy Shorten. Colette Wilmot. Tracy
Quirke. Mary Finnegan .Amy Harrington
I love you all, guys
xxxx
Fellow Author, LJ
Burnley…
When All Else Fails
L J Burnley
PROLOGUE
My Teacher once
asked me to describe Fear.
“Fear, is a
strong emotion caused by the anticipation or awareness of Danger.”
I replied.
He then asked
me to describe Fearless, and I laughed.
“Fearless is
someone too stupid to see the danger.”
I now realise
that there is another meaning to Fearless…….When someone no longer
cares about the Fear.
November 1st
1998
“Miss Croft?”
the strong and confident voice inquired.
I’d been
sitting on the edge of my seat fiddling nervously with the bracelet
at my wrist, but now my head shot up at the sound of that
voice.
Oh, my,
God!
Before me was
the most gorgeous man I’d ever seen, and with that thought came
another one…. I’d always considered the male species with
indifference, because the boys I knew didn’t really have a great
deal going for them really. They were obnoxious, good for breaking
girl’s hearts, and excellent at breaking wind.
But this was no
boy standing before me, and as I stared up into those magnificent
blue eyes, a strange yet wonderful sensation worked its way through
my body. This man was sex on legs.
“You are, Miss
Croft?” he asked again, with a small smile that played at the
corner of his mouth, it was almost as though he knew what thoughts
had just been racing through my mind.
I practically
jumped out of my seat and thrust my hand out towards him. “Err,
yes,” I said quickly.
Taking hold of
my hand, his eyes travelled every inch of me and embarrassment
flared hot on my cheeks. Now I was definitely worried that he’d
guessed my train of thought.
“I’m Marcus
Charlton, pleased to meet you.”
I smiled but
words evaded me. Was he thinking I was simple? I was probably
acting simple, but worse than that I was sure my hand was
sweating.
Letting go of
my hand, he said, “If you’d like to come this way.”
Half expecting
him to wipe his hand down the back of his trousers I followed him
down the hall and studied him from behind. I noticed that his
short-cropped hair was almost as dark as mine. He was tall, six
foot at a guess, with a body that sent shivers of excitement racing
down my spine, but it was those eyes of his that had left a lasting
impression on my mind. It was almost as though they could penetrate
my soul and see exactly what was going on inside.
July 21
st
1999
"Prepare
yourself, Mrs Charlton, for a night to remember," he said as he
carried me across the threshold.
A shiver ran
down my spine with the anticipation of things to come. I was both
afraid and excited; for tonight, I was about to become a woman.
He pulled the
gown down slowly and let it drop at my feet. Stepping out I moved
away and stood waiting, but he made no move to come towards me as
his eyes roamed my body from head to toe. In one quick stride he
pulled me close, and with one hand in the middle of my back to
support me he pushed me backwards slightly enabling his other hand
to travel my body, first to my breast and then down towards my
stomach. His fingers left a burning trail in their wake and when he
slipped his hand between my legs I thought I’d been struck by a
thunderbolt.
Impatient now,
I tugged at the button and zip of his pants struggling to undo
them. Taking hold of my hands Marcus moved away and slipped out of
his trousers. His eyes never left mine and I was suddenly aware
that each breath I took was laden with the heavy sound of passion,
and when his tight little boxer shorts followed the trousers my
breath caught in my throat in a rather loud gasp.
“He’s so big!”
Miss Sensible noted accurately.
Panic gripped
me for a moment and I was suddenly afraid again.
Obviously
seeing the fear in my eyes, he said, “I will not hurt you, Frances,
trust me."
Kneeling before
me he slowly removed my stockings, tracing little kisses along the
length of my legs as he did. His breath was hot against my skin and
every nerve in my body screamed out for more, and closing my eyes I
savoured every delicious moment.
My body started
to quiver, but with passion rather than fear, and I was suddenly
overwhelmed by desire as he slipped my panties down.
Lifting me in
his arms he laid me gently on the bed and straddled my body, and
then the onslaught of passion began. First his lips traced their
way down my body leaving no part of me un-kissed, but no other part
of his body touched mine except for those lips, and when he took my
nipple in his mouth I thought that maybe I’d died and gone to
heaven.
I moaned and
arched my body towards him hoping he would take me now, but he
continued down, over my stomach, which fluttered at his touch.
Light kisses caressed the inside of my thighs, and never, not even
in my wildest dreams had I thought I would ever feel this way. I
wanted to scream for him to take me, but only a moan escaped my
lips.
Then his
fingers were between my legs working their magic, and I opened them
wider without even realising it. Suddenly his tongue darted inside
me making me jump and I grabbed his shoulders tightly.
I relaxed
slightly, but still gripped his shoulders as he returned his
attention to the spot between my legs. And then it happened, and
suddenly I was soaring higher and higher like a bird, spinning and
spiralling as I went. My mind was reeling at the exquisite pleasure
that I was feeling and I cried out as my nails sank deep into the
flesh of his shoulders. The passion seemed to come over me in waves
building in intensity until it flowed from me, and I cried out as I
felt a hot rush between my legs.
Once I could
trust my voice, I spoke, "My God! Marcus, what did you do to
me?"
He looked up
from between my legs with his lips glistening. "I gave you your
first orgasm, the first of many."
December 23
rd
1999
I was swaying a
little as I walked towards the house and letting myself in I made
my way to the living room. I was no sooner through the door than
Marcus was on his feet, and on reaching me he slapped me hard
across the face.
"You’re nothing
but a slut!" he shouted.
Shocked, I
stepped back. "Marcus, what..."
"Shut up you
bitch." He slapped me again, and my mouth closed abruptly. "I know
exactly what’s been going on you little slag."
"What has been
going on, Marcus?" I asked, not even sure myself.
"Don't play
your games with me." He grabbed a handful of my hair and pulled my
face close to his, and that was when I smelt the whisky on his
breath.
"I'm not
playing games, and I don’t know what you’re talking about."
"Don't lie." He
banged my head against the wall. "Elaine's phoned, and she’s told
me everything." He banged my head against the wall again.
"Marcus, stop
it and let me explain."
"Explain what
exactly?" With each word my head connected with the wall.
"Whatever
Elaine’s told you, its lies." The tears were ready to fall.
"You’re a
bitch, Frances." He pulled me away from the wall and pushed me to
the floor where he set about me.
"Marcus, please
stop it," I cried. "Please, Marcus, stop," I begged.
He pulled me
from the ball that my body had formed until I was lying on my back,
and then straddling me he trapped my arms beneath his legs.
"Are you
sorry?" he asked.
"I haven't done
anything."
He slapped my
face. "Are you sorry?” he repeated.
"For what?” I
shouted. My head was thumping and the weight of his body on top of
mine was almost crushing my chest.
He slapped me
again much harder this time, and my face stung. "You’ve no Idea,
have you?" he said quietly, before the palm of his hand connected
with my mouth.
"I don't know
what she's told you, but its lies." I was crying now, and I was
afraid.
“I want to hear
you say you’re sorry,” he said menacingly as he raised his
hand.
“Just tell
him!” Miss Sensible screamed inside my head.
"I'm sorry," I
said quietly, through my tears.
"Elaine warned
you off Patrick, didn’t she?”
I nodded.
"Yet you
deliberately flirted with him, did you not?”
"She was being
mean to me." I sounded like a petulant child, even to my own
ears.
"What's with
you, Frances? I don't understand, am I not enough for you?" He
seemed puzzled.
"It wasn’t
about you.”
"Of course it’s
about me, and what you were doing with Newton.”
"I wasn't doing
anything.”
He shook his
head. “I can’t believe I’m hearing this.” His voice was amazingly
calm although his eyes blazed with anger.
"I wasn’t, and
I've had enough, so let me up."
"You've nowhere
near had enough." He thumped me hard, and then blackness.
When I came
round it was pitch black and I couldn't move my arms, but as there
was no weight on my body it was clearly obvious that Marcus wasn’t
still sat on top of me. I stopped struggling to be free as panic
threatened to overwhelm me. Taking deep breaths I tried to pierce
the darkness. Finally my eyes adjusted a little and I knew I was in
the bedroom and I was cold. I suddenly realised I was naked, and
with that realisation came another one; the reason I couldn’t move
my arms was because I was tied to the bed head, and that was when I
saw him sitting on a chair over by the door. I could just about
make out his shape. My mouth was dry and I ran my tongue over my
lips in a bid to moisten them. There was a rather large swelling
but it was no longer bleeding.
“Marcus," I
croaked. "Marcus, please, I know you’re there." Only silence
greeted me and I tried again. "Marcus."
There was still
no answer. "Marcus, please answer me." My voice had risen as
quickly as the hysteria building inside me.
I was afraid,
so desperately afraid of the only person I had left in the world,
my husband, whom I loved and adored. I couldn’t understand what
Elaine may have said to make him act the way he had, and not only
that, but how the hell had she got our telephone number?
"We need to
talk.”
I jumped, even
though I’d known he was there. I hadn’t been expecting him to speak
to me and I was startled when he did.
"I'm sorry,
Marcus, but it was only a bit of harmless flirting and I didn’t
mean any harm. Elaine had been winding me up and,” I paused, my
actions felt petty now, but in a desperate bid to make him
understand, I carried on anyway. “It was her fault.” My voice shook
as I spoke.
"There’s only
one person at fault, Frances," he said angrily. “You, and I refuse
to tolerate this again.”
“I’m sorry,” I
wailed.
"I'm going down
now, and maybe you should have a good think about things while I'm
gone. I want the truth, Frances," he said, with a voice full of
menace.
"I’ve just told
you the truth.”
He moved to
open the door, and with the light from the landing shining on his
face I could see that he hadn’t believed a word I’d said.
“I need a
drink, Marcus, and I'm cold."
“Maybe
later.”
I lay for what
seemed like hours, and my throat was now so dry I could barely
swallow, not to mention the fact that my body was numb from the
cold. Despite my situation my mind was in turmoil. What had
possessed Marcus to make him act this way?
Hannah’s words
came back to me, she’d said, “Claudia must be thrilled he’s finally
found someone he can trust.” And then again more recently, she’d
said, “Marcus deserves it, he had a bad relationship.”