9781618850676UnchainedMelodyHunter (26 page)

Annalise
looked. She saw herself standing there. She saw him—gorgeous, beautiful Ethan.
Then she forced herself to look down at the part of her body causing her so
much shame. She really looked and what she saw was a webbing of pale pink
scars, still visible, perhaps, but not as prominent or repulsive as she had
always thought. While this was important, the true revelation, and what she
couldn’t miss seeing reflected in the mirror, was the look of love on the face
of the man who knelt at her feet.

“Come
to bed with me, Ethan.” She led him back to their bed. Lying down together, she
kissed him with all the love in her heart. He returned the favor, raining
kisses from her face, down over her breasts, arriving finally at her perceived
imperfections. He healed her with his kiss, pressing his lips on the scars residing
as much on her heart as they ever had on her body.

“Will
you do something for me, love?” he asked as he rose over her, a hungry look in
his eyes.

He
entered her slowly, making her gasp at the pleasure. “Anything,” she whispered.
The act of his possession symbolized the strength of their love, the
fulfillment of their dreams and the joy of belonging to someone who also
belongs to you.

“Marry
me.” He didn’t wait for her answer. Passion swept them past the point of
coherent thought. For the first time since Pace Bend, Annalise could respond
without trepidation, without fear. Bringing himself to his knees, he sat back
on his legs, drawing her up into his lap. With the full force of his passion,
he moved her up and down on his shaft. Her long dark hair flowed back like a
waterfall of silk. Gasps and groans of pleasure escaped from her trembling
lips. He leaned over and suckled at her breast, devouring her nipple and moaning
his pleasure. Holding on to his shoulders, she rode him. She bucked and
bounced, completely comfortable in his love. He laughed out loud with the sheer
elation of finally, at last, coming home. This was his woman and he was never
going to let her go. Their climaxes, when they came, were tremendous,
simultaneous eruptions of their devotion. And when it was over, when she was
lying in his arms, close to his heart she gave him her answer to his question.

“Yes,
of course, I will marry you. I never stopped loving you. All the time we were
apart, I never let you out of my heart. I wrote those love stories so I would
remember. Despite the dark days, I never let go of you. The memories I had were
so precious and so sweet that I refused to give in to the despair. So I wrote
books keeping my dreams alive. I always prayed someday I would find love with
you, my hero. I never gave up on a happy ending.”

Epilogue

“Scarlet, I’m getting married.”

“What?
Oh, Annalise, that’s wonderful. When? But, most importantly, who?”

“In
six weeks. And Ethan, of course. Who else?”

Annalise
heard the sigh on the other end of the phone. “Oh, you found Ethan. Honey, I’m
so happy for you. You’ve never stopped loving him, have you?”

“I
can’t talk long, but soon, I’ll explain everything. I promise. Anyway, is six
weeks enough time?”

“Are you hinting you still want me to make
your wedding dress?”

“You
made me a promise and I’m holding you to it. And by the way, there’s someone I
want you to meet.”

“Don’t
go there, Annalise. You know I don’t date.” Even with three hundred miles
between them Annalise could hear Scarlet’s pain.

“You’re
a beautiful woman, Scarlet. There is nothing in the world wrong with you. And
this man is incredibly special. It’s Alex, Ethan’s brother. I’ve told him about
you and he can’t wait to meet you.”

“I
wish you hadn’t done that.” It was a good thing Annalise couldn’t see the pain
on her sister’s face or the utter hopelessness. “I’ll start the dress immediately,
and I’ll come early enough to make sure it fits.” Annalise heard what almost
sounded like a sob, but then her sister’s voice righted itself. “I am so happy
for you, Lise. I love you so much.”

Annalise
closed the top of her cell and leaned back into Ethan’s arms. “Are you
matchmaking, sweetheart?” He nuzzled the side of her neck, his hands moving up
to cup her breasts. He never tired of the precious privilege of touching her
whenever and however he wanted.

“Shamelessly,”
she giggled, “they’re perfect for each other.” She pressed her hips back into
the hard evidence of his arousal.

“I
tell you who’s perfect for each other. We are.” He let his hips buck forward,
nudging his powerful erection into her, pressing and rubbing until she had no
doubt they fit together to perfection. Lifting both of her arms, she clasped
his head and then turned to meet his kiss.

“I
love you,” she moaned.

“Oh,
my love.” Ethan whispered. “My darling. I hungered for you for so long. I was
so terribly lonely without you. Every day away from you was an eternity and my
soul felt like it was dying every moment we were apart. I need your love. I
need you, babe. Thank God, you came back to me.” Ethan buried his face in her
neck. Grateful.

Like
a song finally sung.

Like
a symphony finally finished.

Ethan
and
Annalise’s
unchained melody—their perfect romance—their
sweet love story—had just begun.

*The End*

About
The Author

Sable Hunter writes erotic romances that run
the gamut from cowboys to New Orleans witches to Texas good old boys that play
football one day and ride bulls the next. She grew up in south Louisiana
along the mysterious bayous where the Spanish moss hangs thick over the dark
waters. The culture of Louisiana has shaped her outlook on life and has
made its way into her paranormal romances where the supernatural is entirely
normal. Presently, Sable lives in Texas and spends most of her time
in wild and wonderful Austin. In the spring, her home sits in a field of
bluebonnets.

While writing takes up a lot of her time,
Sable also loves to cook Cajun, Creole and Tex-Mex. She is passionate
about animals and has been known to charm creatures from a one ton bull to a
family of raccoons. For fun, Sable has been known to haunt cemeteries and
battlefields armed with night vision cameras and digital recorders hunting
proof that love survives beyond the grave.

She writes for Secret Cravings Publishing and
has several books coming out in the next year.

Contact:
sablehunter[email protected]
URL:
www.sablehunter.com