For You
Thank you for purchasing this publication of The Wild Rose Press, Inc.
She took a delicate sip of the chilled liquid when
they paused near the doors to the terrace. They were closed against the cool night, but a draft kept the over-warm air of the crowded ballroom at bay.
He pulled at his cravat, something he’d done repeatedly throughout the night, and let out his breath in a gush. “That’s better. It’s hot as an oven in here.”
She placed a hand over his to get him to release his collar. “We’ll stay but a few more hours. You may untie your cravat the moment we are out of sight within our carriage. Until then, please refrain from disrobing in public.”
He grinned and pulled her closer to his side than was seemly. “You’re just dying to get me naked, I see.”
She gasped. Heat flooded her face. “I meant no such thing. I—”
Drew laughed. “Sorry, sorry. I couldn’t resist. Modern humor.”
She flipped open her fan, waving it before her face in an attempt to hide a bit of the blush that had surely turned her face a brilliant shade of red. For a moment, she’d thought him capable of reading her mind, for thoughts of him naked had indeed entered her head.
For You
by
Emma Kaye
A Candy Hearts Romance
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either 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.
For You
COPYRIGHT © 2016 by Emma Kaye
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission of the author or The Wild Rose Press, Inc. except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.
Contact Information: [email protected]
Cover Art by
RJ Morris
The Wild Rose Press, Inc.
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Adams Basin, NY 14410-0708
Visit us at www.thewildrosepress.com
Publishing History
First Tea Rose Edition, 2016
Digital ISBN 978-1-5092-0466-3
A Candy Hearts Romance
Published in the United States of America
Dedications
To the man I’d travel through time for—I love you.
~*~
To my family and friends—Your support means everything to me. Thank you.
~*~
To Allison Byers and everyone at The Wild Rose Press. Thank you for believing in my story and working hard to make it the best it can be.
Chapter One
“You’re mocking me, aren’t you?” Drew Engledown studied the candy hearts spread out on his desk.
For You.
Only You.
Be Mine.
“No one’s mocking you, Drew.” Marie rolled her eyes. “You…have a secret admirer.”
He dropped the box, sending candy hearts scattering everywhere across his desk. “What?” He flipped the box over to read the signature. He hadn’t bothered to look earlier figuring it was just one of many boxes distributed by his assistant.
There it was.
To: Drew, Happy Valentine’s Day! From: A Secret Admirer
“Did you see who dropped it off?” He sorted through all the women he knew in the London office of Beecham and Barwick. He couldn’t think of a single one who might have sent him candy.
Hmm. That wasn’t entirely true. He’d been working up the courage to ask Cindy from legal out to dinner. She’d flirted with him from the moment he moved here. He hadn’t realized until lately that she was married.
That small fact didn’t seem to bother her, apparently, but he had no interest in married women. He did have standards.
“Nope. Sorry. The candy was in your mail when I picked it up this morning.” She tapped a pile of pink message slips on the corner of his desk. “You should get a move on. Chuck changed your meeting to ten.”
He checked his watch for the time. Nine fifty. Damn.
He swept the candy back into the box, slipping the entire thing into his coat pocket. He’d need the sugar an hour into this next meeting if he wanted to stay awake.
He was going to be late. “You couldn’t have mentioned this a bit sooner?” The file he needed was already in his briefcase, so he plucked his laptop out of its stand and tucked it into its slot. He’d waste at least five minutes on the lifts alone, plus he needed to walk the few blocks over to Leadenhall Street. Damn.
Marie just shrugged. “You were actually thinking about your love life—or, lack thereof, I should say—for once. Who am I to interrupt? It’s about time.” She sauntered out the door with a jaunty wave and a wink.
He was sweating by the time he got to the meeting, only ten minutes late. “Hey, everyone. Sorry I’m late. Didn’t get the message until twenty minutes ago.” He settled in, and the meeting got underway.
Two hours later, the grumble in his stomach told him he’d need more than a box of candy hearts to satisfy him, so Chuck’s invitation to lunch was a no brainer.
“Brilliant idea, mate,” he replied to the suggestion in his best English accent.
“Not bad, not bad.” Chuck laughed. “We’ll have you speaking with a proper accent in no time.”
“I beg your pardon. My accent is excellent. I am English after all. I simply wasn’t raised here.” He’d been born in London thirty-two years ago, but his father had taken a job in the States when he was eight. He hadn’t spent more than two years in the same country his entire childhood. When he wanted, he could pull off at least a dozen fantastic accents. “You recovered from your honeymoon yet?”
Drew rolled his eyes at the dreamy expression that took over Chuck’s face and immediately regretted the question. He was about to be treated to a monologue of Brenda’s perfection and the joys of being married.
Not that he wasn’t happy for his friend. He was. He just didn’t like comparing his friend’s wedded bliss to his own solitary existence.
He let Chuck ramble for a good five minutes. Man, he had it good. He’d thought Chuck was something of a sap while he and Brenda had dated. Now, Drew was plain old jealous. He’d never met anyone he could remotely imagine being with for the rest of his life. Sure, he’d had girlfriends. He’d even considered proposing to Heather, but that was more because they’d dated for a year and marriage was the next step. Not because he had the overwhelming urge to spend the rest of his days with her.
“How did you know?” At Chuck’s blank look, Drew rolled his eyes and cuffed Chuck on the shoulder. “About Brenda. Obviously she’s the one for you.”
“Seeing as how I’ve just married her, I obviously agree.”
Drew grinned. “Truth. Anyway, everyone can see it from that glazed-over look you get at the mere mention of her name. But how did
you
know? How do you know you’re still going to feel this way in fifty years? Hell, in even five years? Aren’t you worried that some day you’re going to wake up and hate the way she…” He shrugged. “I don’t know…the way she squeezes the toothpaste tube or sings in the shower.”
“I already hate the way she sings in the shower. Woman’s tone deaf.” Chuck laughed, then turned thoughtful. “Seriously?”
“Yeah.” Suddenly Drew really wanted to know the answer.
“I don’t know.”
“What?” Not what he’d been expecting.
“No one knows, Drew.” Chuck didn’t say, duh, but it was implied in his tone. “I don’t have a crystal ball. I can’t see into the future.”
“You know what I mean. What made you think this is the one you can spend the rest of your life with. That you don’t need any other woman because she’s enough.” He punched Chuck’s shoulder. “You weren’t exactly a one woman type of guy before you met her. Now you’re all Brenda, Brenda, Brenda…”
“I just know. I want more of everything with her. I don’t just want to get in her pants. I want to hang out with her. Talk to her. Tell her about my day. All that shit.” He paused. “
And
I want to get in her pants.”
Drew laughed. “Yeah. I’ve noticed. We were all a little worried we were going to have to hose you off at the wedding.” They walked on in silence while Drew thought over all the girls he’d ever dated. “I’ve never felt that way about anyone. Not even Heather. And I almost asked her to marry me.”
“Of course you haven’t felt it before. If you had, you’d either be married or nursing a broken heart.” Chuck stopped, putting a hand out to halt Drew’s progress. “You’ll find your girl. You just have to be patient. And try. You won’t find her holed up in your office day and night.”
“Yeah. Right.” Drew cleared his throat. “So. We done being all girly? All this relationship talk’s making me feel like I should go do my nails or some shit. You see the game last night?”
They continued on. “Speaking of Brenda—”
“I thought the girl talk ended five minutes ago.”
Chuck grinned. “She’s never far from my mind. Which is a good thing.” He checked his watch. “Because I promised her we’d meet her at the new pub in exactly five minutes. She wants to see you for some reason. Said the timing was really important. Made me promise—not a minute early or late.” Chuck shrugged. “She gets these
feelings
. I’ve learned to pay attention when she says to be somewhere at a particular time. And, conveniently, the place is right across the street.” He pointed, then looked back at Drew and stepped off the curb.
Right in the path of a double-decker.
Time seemed to stop. Drew didn’t think. He sprinted forward, shoving Chuck out of the path of the huge tourist bus.
The last thing he saw was the look of horror on Chuck’s face as he stumbled flipping around to stare back at Drew.
Drew didn’t get a chance to scream from the pain of impact before everything went blank.
****
Julia Engledown, Countess of Payne, surveyed what was left of her jewels. She could wish the trinkets had little to no value, so she would have no need to consider which to sell next. Most every item of worth she’d brought to her marriage with the earl had already been sold.
Only her most prized possessions remained. Each piece, so carefully placed upon her bureau, had been given to her by her mother upon one specific occasion or another.
She straightened the diamond necklace from her sixteenth birthday, only one month before her mother’s death. The matching bracelet glinted in the flickering light from her candle.
Finally, she snatched up an emerald ring. She’d never much cared for the clunky gem that had been in her family for generations, though she still hated to get rid of it.
She had little choice in the matter. Those loyal servants who remained deserved to be paid for their efforts. And food for her table would be nice as well. She could stretch the sale of the emerald to last several months now that she’d paid off the majority of her husband’s debts.
She prayed no others presented themselves at her door. Lord knew her husband’s heir would not take responsibility for them.
Six weeks had passed since Payne’s untimely death. The news had not entirely shocked her when cousin Engledown had relayed the details. A man of her husband’s proclivities should not be surprised to meet his end at the barrel of a gun.
The state of their finances?
Now that had been deeply disturbing.
To find that her husband had squandered her not immodest fortune on games of chance and women of questionable morals was unwelcome. To realize he’d left his wife and mother with barely a feather to fly with had been devastating.
She’d been dealing with the consequences ever since.
The grandfather clock at the end of the corridor struck the midnight hour. So late. No wonder her jewels swam before her eyes, and the candle was nothing but a stub.
Thump.
She spun toward the door joining her room to the earl’s. The noise had come from the other side. No one should be in there at this time of night.
Cousin Engledown perhaps? He certainly liked to act as if he already owned this house. She’d been unable to keep the new earl from taking over the entailed properties, but she’d be damned if she’d let him kick her out of this house until the last possible moment.