The Promise of Love
The Promise of Love
ISBN #
978-1-78430-642-7
©Copyright Billi Jean 2015
Cover Art by Posh Gosh ©Copyright June 2015
Edited by Sue Meadows
Totally Bound Publishing
This is a work of fiction. All characters, places and events are from the author’s imagination and should not be confused with fact. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, events or places is purely coincidental.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any material form, whether by printing, photocopying, scanning or otherwise without the written permission of the publisher, Totally Bound Publishing.
Applications should be addressed in the first instance, in writing, to Totally Bound Publishing. Unauthorized or restricted acts in relation to this publication may result in civil proceedings and/or criminal prosecution.
The author and illustrator have asserted their respective rights under the Copyright Designs and Patents Acts 1988 (as amended) to be identified as the author of this book and illustrator of the artwork.
Published in 2015 by Totally Bound Publishing,
Newland House, The Point, Weaver Road, Lincoln, LN6 3QN
Totally Bound Publishing is a subsidiary of Totally Entwined Group Limited.
Warning:
This book contains sexually explicit content which is only suitable for mature readers. This story has a
heat rating
of
Totally Burning
and a
Sexometer
of
2.
Love’s Command
THE PROMISE OF LOVE
Billi Jean
Book six in the Love’s Command series
“True love isn’t something that comes easy, but it’s a promise, once made, I will always keep”—David Jansen.
Paris Masters wants nothing more to do with men. She is lonely, but wise enough to know that love isn’t something she wants to tangle with any time soon.
David Jansen is the best sniper the SEALs have ever produced—he also has a reputation for being the biggest smartass. Why put himself out there for real when all he’s ever experienced has taught him to be smarter than that?
In Paris Masters, he discovers not only that love is worth the risk, but also that it is a promise he will always deliver on.
Dedication
To everyone who loves this series—
I hope this one surprises and pleases!
Trademarks Acknowledgement
The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of the following wordmarks mentioned in this work of fiction:
All of Me
: John Stevens and Toby Gad
Iron Man 2:
Marvel Comics
Avengers:
Marvel Comics
Hulk: Marvel Comics
Iron Man: Marvel Comics
Skittles: Mars, Inc.
Craigslist: Craigslist Inc.
Criminal Minds
: CBS
Skype: Microsoft Corporation
Yahoo: Yahoo Inc.
Honda: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
Ken: Mattel, Inc.
The Shining
: Stephen King, Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.
AK-74M: Kalashnikov Concern
Hawkeye: Marvel Comics
The Avengers:
Marvel Comics
Coke: The Coca-Cola Company
McDonald’s: McDonald’s Corporation
Applebee’s: Applebee’s International, Inc.
Egg McMuffins: McDonald’s Corporation
Weather Channel: The Weather Company
Pepper Potts: Marvel Comics
Monopoly: Hasbro
Jeep: Fiat Chrysler Automobiles
iPhone: Apple, Inc.
iPod: Apple, Inc.
G.I. Joe: Hasbro
Old Spice: Procter & Gamble
Angry Bird Stella:
Rovio Entertainment Ltd.
James Bond: Ian Fleming, Eon Productions
Ben & Jerry’s: Ben & Jerry’s Homemade Holdings, Inc.
Wheaties: General Mills
Captain America: Marvel Comics
Red Bull: Red Bull GmbH
Adidas: Adidas AG
Chapter One
Paris Masters stared over at her best friend and worried she’d not heard her right. They were playing the music loud, but she was certain Sara had just said she was hooking up with this guy for the first time—
ever in real life
—today.
“You’ve never actually been in the same room with this guy?” A flash of that Craigslist stalker did a quick rewind through her head followed by every warning she’d ever heard about strangers.
“What? Don’t look so shocked, Paris. Come on, you mean you’ve never hooked up with a guy on the first date?”
“No. God, no, I mean, don’t you watch
Criminal Minds
?” she demanded then put her eyes back on the road. It was snow covered, and even though it was a highway, it was still dangerous.
“Life is not a television drama, no matter how many episodes you watch,” Sara said and lifted her bare foot up on the seat to finish her pedicure. The fact that she could actually paint her nails fire-engine red while Paris drove was amazing, but that was Sara—always successful.
“I know life isn’t like the movies, but the newspapers and such are real, right? I mean, come on, how do you know this guy doesn’t have bad breath, or can’t put a sentence together?”
“We Skyped and chatted on Yahoo,” Sara said, as if that was good enough. “He’s hot.”
“That’s it? You talked to him online and he’s hot?”
“You were with Greg too long,” Sara grumbled then perked up. “But this place, it might have another guy there, you know? You could see.” Sara left that dangling out there like it might entice Paris. “You can take a few days off, come on.”
“Uh, no thanks, really, I’ve had enough of men to last me a
long
time. Besides, I
have
taken a few days off.” The drive alone to Wyoming from Canada took a day.
“Sweetie, Greg was an ass. You are such a catch. Any man would be crazy not to keep you. And he just what?” Sara asked. “Had you and cheated on you!”
Paris couldn’t argue with that, not really. Sara was right. Greg had turned out to be a slimy cheat. What he’d done, though, was nothing compared to Alexander. Life was much more complicated than Sara would admit but really, Paris didn’t want to rehash her mistakes, she just wanted to move on. Again.
“Paris, are you listening to me? You can’t—”
“You’re right, you are, he was a disgusting pig, but don’t you get it? That’s why,” she muttered and caught her breath. “That’s why I need a break. I just didn’t get it. Not with him, and I didn’t get it with Alexander, either.”
At the mention of Alexander, the car turned uncomfortably silent. Any reference to Alex did that, but she’d grown beyond the pain and betrayal, or she thought she had.
Sara brushed her auburn hair off her face and tucked it behind her ear to frown at her. “Alexander was insane, Paris. No one knew he was capable of such a thing. No one. How could we?”
“No, I knew better. You nailed Greg, but I ignored all the warning signs. I stayed with him, even knowing it wasn’t good. I got on that ice with Alex knowing, deep down,
knowing
it wasn’t safe. I did it anyway. It was like my brain and body went on autopilot. I ignored Greg’s excuses and late hours. I ignored the warning tingle that Alex wasn’t all right in the head.” She stopped to catch her breath and barreled on. “
That’s
why I’ve taken a break from men, Sara. That’s why. I had no idea how to stop myself.” She was ashamed to admit it to Sara, but it was true. She needed help—something to stop the cycle she fell into with men.
Sara had been her friend since they’d been kids, but she’d gone off to university while Paris had put school on hold for her chance with skating. Now Sara was back and seemed happy dating one guy after another. Sara had to know something that would help.
“I had no idea at all he was cheating, not really. I didn’t allow myself to think about it. I just accepted his lies. I never questioned his business trips or late nights. Not once. Two years. He was cheating all that time, from the first,” she added, that sick, depressed feeling rising up to swallow her along with her tears. “Alex did the same thing to me, Sara. He stared me in the eye, right in the eye, and told me everything was all right between us. I went on the ice with him sure I shouldn’t, but unable to stop. There’s something wrong with me. Something I have to fix, you know?”
“Oh, Paris, don’t think like that!” Sara cried. “Look, Alex was insane. His suicide after what he did to you is proof. How could you know a person you’d skated with for years would suddenly decide to drop you on purpose! And Greg,” she muttered. “Don’t even get me started on him. He was a class act, full of dodges and shadows. He talked in circles and wore you down with his complaining. You are beautiful. He is a jerk. You shouldn’t take a break—
not for three years
—because of him. You should dive in and have some real, honest-to-goodness orgasmic sex with the first hot guy that draws your eye.”
Paris laughed again, but knew she wasn’t about to do any such thing. Not with a complete stranger. She wasn’t sure how Sara did it. How could she reveal so much to a man she didn’t know? Sex was intimate. It left you wide open and vulnerable.
“Just stop thinking about it as some holy grail of intimacy and let your brain turn off. Feel, enjoy, experience life without that big jerk.”
“You make it sound like I’ve been sitting around moping over Greg and I haven’t. I just haven’t.”
“Okay, what have you been doing?”
Paris made a face. “I’ve been doing a lot of things I want to do, like my own thing,” she finally said. “Building my student list and taking care of my uncle without him knowing it.”
“All right,” Sara said, laughing. “You’re right. Both of those are hard, your uncle the trickier of the two, but that’s not living.” She motioned to the truck stop sign up ahead. “I know you know that, too. You can’t hide away from men and relationships because your first real one was horrible. Alex doesn’t count. He was your skating partner. He never loved you. And you didn’t love him. I bet you didn’t love Greg either. So, now you’re free. Look deep, figure out what you want, but until you do, why not have some fun along your way to Mr. Right?”