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Bonus Chapter #1
Alana Swanson
Seven years later
With shaky hands, I secured the last pin in my hair and smoothed the non-existent creases on my simple white dress that ended a few inches below my knees. Butterflies fluttered in my belly as I gazed into the mirror. I’m getting married.
Memories from my past tried to crowd in. I was in the room with my friends. Friends I grew up with. Professional stylists skirted around me as my friends made fun and laughed while I got ready for my big day.
I pushed the unwanted memories aside and blinked my tears away. No. Don’t go there. I had come a long way since then. The path to redemption wasn’t easy. People judged me at every turn. I took it all. Because I deserved it for what I did to my sister.
My throat constricted. I lifted my hand to rub my chest where it hurt. Guilt still ate away at me, and my only consolation came from knowing Arianna was better off w
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Resisting Her 1
I never realized leaving her would be this hard. Even though it was just for three months, it felt like a lifetime. We hadn’t been together for that long. Still, from inside, I felt torn when I held her that morning.“I’ll miss you,” she mumbled, kissing my lips. Her lips lingered, and I tasted her sweetness now mixed with her salty tears.I should tell her I’d miss her too. My tongue glued to the roof of my mouth and my throat constricted. No words came out as I gazed into her hazel eyes. She tried hard to blink her tears away, but they kept falling.Brushing away a teardrop, I kissed her eyelids, unsure what to say. I wouldn’t see her for another three months. The past twenty-four hours had been pure bliss. My cock ached from all the lovemaking. It was time for our goodbyes. Only I wasn’t ready. I’d never be ready.“I…” Words failed again. Closing my eyes, I rested my forehead on hers. I
Resisting Her 2
The sun was a huge ball of fire, floating lower on the horizon. I gazed into the ocean, lost in thoughts. The restaurant scene kept replaying in my mind.“You promised, Orlando.”I didn’t even hear him coming in. With a deep sigh, I turned to face my younger brother, Enrique. He used my name only when he was pissed. He must have found out about my meeting with Desmond.“I’m sorry, Enrique. You know how much expectation we had from this deal.”My brother glowered, running a hand through his unruly hair. His honey-brown eyes pinned me with accusation. His eyes were the only feature he inherited from the woman who brought us into this world.“And I tell you we don’t need this deal anymore. That bastard is dating her, brother.” He stabbed the air with his index finger. “The gossip magazine is full of their photos. Didn’t you read how she dated his son for a year before jumping i
Resisting Her 3
Sleep once again evaded me, and I walked toward the beach. The beach always soothed me. The salty air and the sound of the unrelenting waves always put my mind at ease. Whenever I stayed here, I spend the night at the beach, enjoying the peaceful solitude.The water was warm despite the cold breeze that bit my skin. The cold no longer hurt. It helped to numb the raging emotions. My personal therapy. Every person reacts differently to pain. To me, it was the work and sometimes the biting cold.Meeting her today wasn’t on my agenda. It never was. Fate set us up all those years ago. I did not realize it took more than a few dates to understand someone. Having sex with a woman wasn’t love. At the tender age of eighteen, I was unable to differentiate infatuation from love. And that led to my downfall.I never revealed my true identity to anyone in college. My privacy mattered the most, and that was why I stayed in the college dorm and used public
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The vase crashed with a thud and broke into tiny pieces, spilling its guts on the marble floor. Throwing it didn’t lessen my anger. It only intensified it because, damn, I liked that vase with an intricate floral pattern along its neck.I took pride in keeping a cool head in dire circumstances like this. But the mention of her name was my undoing. Isabela, my mother, didn’t know when to give up. If things were different, I’d have admired that quality. Only it wasn’t. The cold-hearted woman was out for our blood. Wasn’t what she did enough? The morning breakfast churned in my stomach.“Brother, what’s going on?” Enrique entered my room just as I disconnected the call with our lawyer, Benjamin. “Is it true she’s back in Linnesse?” His gaze slowly slid to the broken vase.Exhaling a tortured breath, I nodded. “Yes.”“And you all didn’t bother to tell me this because&hel
Resisting Her 5
“Mike!”I turned, hearing her gasp, and an involuntary smile lit my face noticing her soaked form. What did she do now? He hoisted her up, not heeding her protests, and carried her to the water.“I warned you not to zone out. For that, you’ll be punished.”Oh, that made sense. Mike had always been protective of both girls since childhood. The pain in his eyes whenever he noticed the sadness on her face was obvious. Another reason I should stay away from her. Despite the logical side of my brain forcing my body toward the mansion, I found my gaze trailing after them.“Mike, no, I don’t want my hair wet.”“Too late!”Her surprised squeak was everything I could ask for. Laughter bubbled up from my chest. The terrified look on her face when he dropped her would forever grace my mind. A round of laughter accompanied her fall.“I hate you.” She spat and wiped t
Resisting Her 6
Silent waves kissed the sand as if they hadn’t met in a long time. So perfect and delicate. The night was calming with a gentle breeze that played with the strands of my hair. I hadn’t known peace for a long time.Every night I came here to forget things. To numb my bones. But tonight was different.Tonight, I came to reminisce about the evening. My gaze kept going to the narrow path that opened to the beach. What’s she doing now? Temptation grew deeper, gnawing at my insides to check on her. Just get a look. Now that I knew how she felt in my arms, I wanted to hold her again.Alive.When our lips connected, eleven years of carefully erected walls crumbled with a roar. Emotions poured in like the water out of the floodgates. She made my hormones rage with a simple smile. Now as I sat with a goofy grin on this cold bench, longing for another encounter, I never thought I’d feel like my old self again.One kiss made me
Resisting Her 7
“So, you and Arianna, huh?”Papa caught up with me during our usual morning run. Despite the pain he went through, he had been a good father to us. The best father in the world. He was always there when we needed him the most.“It’s too soon, Papa.”“Liar, liar, pants on fire!” Enrique ran past us, and my stare drilled holes in his back.Papa––a man of few words––shook his head with a chuckle. “She is good for you.” That was all I would get. But that was all I needed. “I know what’s going on in that mind of yours.” We continued the jog until he slowed and glanced at me. I stopped, turning to face him. “Take a chance with that one, son. Women like Arianna are hard to find. Don’t make the same mistake I did.”“Thanks.” I masked my smile. “I’m going to bring Boxer to the estate. He’s never gone this long
Resisting Her 8
“It’s clear.” Her relief was evident when I informed her.A lightness settled in my heart as our hands brushed on the walk back to our tent. We said nothing when we went to lie down on our respective sides of the makeshift bed.The gentle breeze and silence gave me a satisfaction none of the luxuries ever did. The smile on my lips stretched. I waited for her to fall asleep before turning toward her and spooning her body against mine.“Good night, Arianna,” I whispered into her hair and rested my chin over her head. Arianna moved, making my heart skip a beat. She turned and snuggled to my chest. Just as I relaxed, thinking it was just a reflex action, she spoke.“What a loser.”“Huh?” Crap. Was she awake? I froze like a kid caught with his hand in a cookie jar.“I said she’s a loser,” she repeated.Oh, God! My heart raced. Now, she knew.Already kno
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