If Only Read online

  She couldn’t seem to help herself. Even though she knew Scott wasn’t rightfully hers, that in another time, he belonged to another woman, she reached for him, her fingers entwining with his. Her left hand cupped the back of his head as she brought his mouth down to hers. They kissed, and Bree savored each and every second, praying she was really getting a second chance at happiness.

  Secretly though, she was afraid he would disappear, and once again she would find herself alone. She broke away from the kiss and cupped his face, immersing herself in his chocolate brown eyes. “Scott,” she questioned, “How old am I?”

  He stared at her intently, his deep gaze searching her face for any hint she was joking. Her green gaze was sure and steady. “On Christmas Day, we’ll have been married for two years, and you turned twenty-seven on your last birthday. Remember, we went out and celebrated your birthday and the fact we had gotten a book deal.”

  “A book deal? What book deal?”

  Scott sighed as he looked at her and grinned. “You and I got a writing contract with Sexton Books. We signed a contract about six months ago, agreeing to publish three books a year for the next five years. Usually, I go to the office and do the illustrating while you stay at home and work on your writing.” Then he gave her a wicked grin. “But today, I might just stay home with my favorite girl.”

  She squealed as his muscled body covered hers and rolled her over so she was the one on top. His hand reached over and brushed the auburn curls away from her face. He looked into the depths of her green gaze and whispered, “Do you have any idea how much I love you, Mrs. Bree Weston?”

  The sound of his name connected with hers gave her a secret thrill. She knew now what she had been missing all this time. She had unknowingly given up the love of her life. She felt complete for the first time in years. Scott was stroking the contour of her cheek when suddenly she made the connection. She sat up in bed. “Wait a minute.” She looked down at him. “Did you say Sexton Books?”

  He rolled over in bed and sighed. “I have a beautiful woman in my bed. A woman who is my wife, and she wants to talk about our job? What is wrong with this picture?” he asked dramatically as he flung his pillow at Bree.

  Bree giggled as she snuggled against him. Her lips met his for a quick kiss. “You wouldn’t believe me if I told you,” she warned him.

  Scott folded his hands behind the back of his dark head as he stared at her. “Try me,” he challenged.

  She gazed into his chocolate brown eyes and sighed. “Okay, but don’t say I didn’t warn you.” She took a deep breath and then continued, “I’m not sure exactly what happened. All I know is last night, I was out with Jade and Heather celebrating my divorce.” She looked over just in time to see Scott raising his eyebrows quizzically.

  “Our divorce?” he asked.

  Bree shook her head. “No. Last night I was thirty, and when I woke up in your arms this morning, I was twenty-seven.”

  The sound of his laughter caught her off guard. She whirled around to face him, only to discover, to her chagrin, he was practically rolling around on their bed.

  “Scott,” she yelled. “I’m not joking!”

  He snickered and then tried without success to wipe the smile off his face. “Sure, baby. Anything you say.”

  She tried to block the sound of his snickering out of her mind as she continued, “The reason I was so curious about Sexton Books is because I was married to Bryan Sexton.”

  Scott’s mocking came to an abrupt end.

  “I married Bryan after I broke off my engagement to you. He was charming at first, and then after we were married, I realized what a monster he was. He hit me on a regular basis, and he was also emotionally and sexually abusive.” She looked up to meet Scott’s chocolate brown gaze. “He made me feel like I was worthless, like I was nothing. His abusive ways caused me to have three miscarriages. He claimed he wasn’t going to share me with anyone.” Her voice began to shake as she continued, “I finally filed for divorce, and when it was finalized, I felt like a bird being set free from a cage. Jade and Heather took me out to a bar to celebrate, and while I was feeling relieved my marriage was finally over, for some reason, I started thinking about you. You were the one I had let slip away, the one I was meant to be with, but I blew it. I was on my way out of the bar when I literally ran into you.”

  He listened intently and then questioned, “How long had it been since we’d seen each other?”

  Her eyes met his, looking for a glimmer of amusement in his eyes, but she found none. “Not since the night I called things off between us years before. Your brother, Luke, was getting married, and you had stopped at the bar for a quick drink with the guys. When I ran into you, we exchanged a few words. You told me you had been married for the past two years, and you and your wife were expecting a baby.”

  “How can this be, Bree?” Scott asked. “I mean, we have an album full of pictures from our wedding. I can show you the mortgage we signed for this house. And all of a sudden, you’re saying none of that ever happened? Do you know how ridiculous that sounds, baby?”

  She nodded, tears blurring her vision. She took a deep breath. “I know it sounds crazy, Scott, and I swear I don’t understand it either. I don’t know what’s happened or why. Maybe fate is giving us a second chance to be together.”

  He got a wicked glint in his chocolate brown eyes as he winked suggestively at her. “Maybe we shouldn’t argue with fate.”

  She giggled as he tackled her back onto the bed. She grabbed a pillow and caught him square in the face as he pressed his chiseled body against hers. Her laughter subsided as he took her into his arms.

  He pressed his mouth against hers, grinning as he opened his mouth to meet hers. Their tongues entwined, their bodies pushed against one another. Her mouth was moist and ready, welcoming him with a need that seemed to overwhelm them both.

  Bree’s mouth pressed against his, her heart and soul seeming to go into the kiss. His tongue taunted her, teasing her until she couldn’t take it anymore. She pressed her knee against his hardened manhood as she moaned into his mouth. The sound of Scott’s tortured groan filled her with womanly power. It had been years since she had affected a man in this way. With Bryan, sex had been more of a chore, one of the wifely duties she was expected to perform. It was for his pleasure only; her pleasure hadn’t seemed to matter.

  Scott removed the sheet covering Bree’s body, her earlier embarrassment already forgotten. His mouth left hers and traveled downward, kissing her neck.

  She felt like she was riding on a roller coaster, his body on hers causing several emotions to come bursting forth. An overwhelming love washed over her, and heat coursed throughout her body.

  Then her stomach began to roll and lurch. Quickly, she pushed him away from her as her hand came up to cover her mouth.

  Scott looked up at her, confusion etched on his handsome face. “Baby, what’s wrong?” Then he noticed her face was ghostly pale. “Honey, are you okay?”

  No longer caring about the fact she was naked, Bree ran into the adjoining bathroom and closed the door. She barely made it in time before she lost anything and everything in her stomach.

  Scott could hear the sound of her gagging and retching from the bedroom. He knocked gently on the door. “Bree, baby, please open the door.” He turned the doorknob, but to no avail; she had already locked the door. “Bree?”

  The sound of her being so sick was nearly his undoing. “Bree, honey, don’t you think you should see a doctor? You’ve been doing this for about a week now, and despite what you may think, I don’t think this is simply a stomach virus.”

  Realizing he was running late, Scott had started putting on a stone-washed pair of blue jeans and a navy polo shirt by the time Bree walked back into their bedroom. He looked up, his body tensing when he realized just how pale she was. “Why don’t you go back to bed, baby?” he murmured gently. “You’ve done so much writing lately I’m way behind on my illustrations anyway.”
r />   At her nod, he reached over and touched his mouth to her cheek. His large hands gently caressed her face. “Do me a favor and call the doctor today, okay? I love you, Red. I’ll be home just as soon as I can.”

  Scott leaned down and kissed her forehead, brushing a stray curl away from her face. “I’ll try to come home early today. I don’t like the thought of you being alone when you feel so sick. I’ll tell Monica that tomorrow, the two of us are taking the entire day off. Okay?” he questioned.

  “Sure, that sounds like fun,” she whispered.

  “Okay, baby.” He pressed his lips against Bree’s temple, and then he brushed away some of the crimson hair that had fallen into her emerald eyes. “Get some sleep, baby. I love you.”

  *

  Bree watched miserably as he walked away, and she longed to call him back, to beg him not to leave her because she was so afraid if he left, he wouldn’t come back. That thought made her feel even worse. Her eyelids began to feel heavy so she closed her eyes and welcomed sleep.

  She was awakened by the sound of the telephone ringing. She rolled over in bed and peered at the clock, realizing she had been sleeping for nearly two hours, and remarkably, she felt like a new woman. No more nausea and no more fatigue. She wished now she had gone in to the office with Scott.

  Lifting the receiver, she murmured with a yawn, “Hello?”

  “Bree, darling, you sound absolutely wretched! Are you still feeling crappy?”

  Bree couldn’t help but smile. Heather had been one of her best friends for years, and she had never known her to mince words. She told you like it was, and if you didn’t like it, then tough.

  She cleared her throat and then replied, “I was as sick as a dog earlier so I went back to bed. Now I feel like I could eat a horse!”

  Heather laughed. “Remember what the doctor said, Bree. She said that was perfectly normal.”

  “Doctor?” Bree questioned. “When did I see a doctor?”

  “You’re kidding, right? You and I went to see Dr. Sloan yesterday. You didn’t even tell Scott. You said you wanted to know for sure first. What did he say when you told him? Did he flip out?”

  Bree stood clutching the telephone in bewilderment. She curled the telephone cord around her little finger. What on earth is Heather babbling about? “Did Scott flip out about what?”

  “About you being pregnant!” Heather exclaimed, and Bree dropped the telephone receiver.

  Chapter 2

  Bree stood in the entryway of the kitchen surveying her handiwork. She carefully extinguished the match she had used to light the array of candles scattered throughout the dining room.

  She had a candlelight dinner prepared with all of Scott’s favorite dishes, including his mother’s famous recipe for pot roast with potatoes and carrots. The large octagon-shaped glass dining room table had been lovingly set with their good china and silverware, complete with a bouquet of red Christmas roses she had handpicked from their backyard earlier that afternoon.

  The champagne glasses were filled to their rims with non-alcoholic champagne, and a large tray of hand-dipped chocolate-covered strawberries was sitting in the refrigerator.

  Bree walked over to the wall and dimmed the chandelier, allowing the candlelight to be the only illumination in the house. The romantic and sultry voice of Mariah Carey was playing softly in the background.

  She took a deep breath. Tonight was the night. After calling the doctor’s office this afternoon and confirming what Heather had told her, she was now prepared to tell her husband. She chewed nervously on her lower lip as she drew the red satin robe tightly around her body. She knotted the tie at her waist.

  When she had examined herself earlier in the full-length gilded mirror on the door of their walk-in closet, she thought she might already be starting to show. But wouldn’t Scott have noticed?

  She was secretly afraid if she began to show already, Scott wouldn’t find her attractive anymore.

  But if he was really her husband he wouldn’t care, would he? Bryan would have, but Scott wasn’t Bryan.

  Her heart dropped when she heard the sound of a key being turned in the lock. She took this final opportunity to finish setting the table: centering the silver candlesticks, straightening the roses in the crystal vase, and then running a shaking hand through her soft curls.

  When Scott walked into the room, she almost forgot to breathe. He still took her breath away, even after all this time. She just prayed that once again, she wouldn’t lose him. He was becoming such an important part of her life, and she couldn’t bear the thought of never being held in his strong arms again.

  She looked up to meet Scott’s steady brown gaze, a fire beginning in the pit of her stomach. Scott was staring at her as though she was the main course, and she realized she liked that feeling. She was falling in love with her husband all over again.

  “Hello, darling,” Bree murmured as she wound her arms around his neck and looked deep into his dark eyes. “How was your day?”

  *

  Scott looked around the room, noting the romantic music, the candles lit on almost every available surface, and the slow music playing from the CD player in the kitchen. His gaze finally landed on his wife. She was mesmerizing in a mid-calf red satin chemise, which showed off her shapely long legs. A matching red satin robe was cinched and knotted around her waist. His mouth was beginning to water, and it wasn’t for the roast simmering in the crock pot!

  A slow smile spread across his handsome face as he wrapped his muscular arms around her slender frame. “Uneventful,” he replied. “What about yours?”

  *

  Bree chuckled nervously. “Eventful.” She dropped her gaze from his, afraid he would be able to see right through her. This man knew her too well.

  She released a relieved sigh when Scott wisely dropped the subject. She just needed a little more time to get her bearings. She had thought this would be easy, but when she had seen him, her well-planned announcement just hadn’t seemed right. The soft piano introduction to a song played on the stereo.

  Scott cleared his throat and then held out his hand for his wife. “My beautiful bride, may I have the pleasure of this dance?”

  She reached instinctively for his outstretched hand. He held her against his chest. Her head was resting comfortably against his shoulder as they began to sway to the slow and sensual sound of the music. He grinned.

  Bree closed her eyes as she savored the feeling of her husband’s arms wrapped around her. She was happy for the first time in several years, and she wished this feeling could last forever. Scott would never hurt her. She had never felt this safe and protected in a man’s arms before. She sang along to the music, the sound of her lilting soprano voice filling the room.

  Scott smiled as he pressed her tighter against his chest. He gently kissed the top of her head. “Just in case I haven’t told you, Red,” he whispered into her ear, “you look ravishing, my love.”

  She giggled, pausing to press her knee gently against a particular part of his anatomy before they continued dancing in circles around the living room. “I don’t want to look ravishing,” she confessed with a naughty grin. Her fingertips danced down the expanse of his chiseled chest as she leaned over to whisper into his ear, “I want to be ravished.”

  He raised his eyebrows, his gaze wicked as it raked over her. “I think I can manage that, my darling.” He picked her up and slung her over his shoulder, dangling her upside down as he carried her into their bedroom and tossed her in a playful manner onto their king-sized bed. As she stood up, he grabbed her hands, forcing them behind her back as he pressed himself against her for a lengthy kiss.

  She laughed flirtatiously as she pulled her hands out of his grasp and pushed them against his chest. “Not without eating first, my love. I don’t know about you, but I need my strength!”

  “Wuss!” he called after her with a chuckle as she pulled away from his grasp. Bree laughed as she stepped backward, just out of his reach. She had almo
st made it to the safety of the kitchen when his strong arms encircled her slender waist.

  He shook his dark head with amusement. His hands had snaked around her frame, and he was now spinning her around in circles, her feet dangling off the floor. Her long auburn hair was down in all its glory, flying in all directions, and she looked breathtakingly beautiful.

  Bree threw her head back in reckless abandon as her husband twirled her around and around in circles. Her cheeks were tinged pink with pleasure as she threw her arms tightly around Scott’s neck, instinctively seeking his protection. She chuckled as she placed her head onto his shoulder, and he slowly stopped spinning her.

  “Ooh,” she whispered as she was released from his grasp, “I feel a little lightheaded.”

  He locked his arms around her waist and pressed her against him, his mouth coming down to meet hers. His hot breath caressed her cheek as he teased her, placing soft kisses along the length of her cheek. His kisses moved downward, to the corner of her mouth.

  She released a frustrated groan as she forcefully grabbed the sides of his face and pressed her mouth against his. Her fingertips traced his jawline before running through his hair, tugging playfully on the dark locks. Bree reached for the satin tie knotted around her waist. She peered up at him, her expression coy as she slowly loosened the knot and allowed her red satin robe to gape open. Scott goggled as she lowered the material so it draped seductively off her ivory shoulders, revealing a glimpse of her perfectly proportioned breasts. She released her hold on the delicate fabric, allowing it to fall in a crimson puddle at her feet.

  Bree squealed as he lifted her up into his arms and carried her over to the bed, her arms holding onto his neck for dear life. He laid her down gently and then sat down beside her, his hands running through her auburn curls.

  She sighed contentedly as his strong hands firmly grasped the spaghetti straps of her red satin chemise. He lowered one of the thin straps slowly, revealing the smooth and creamy flesh underneath.