Don't Let Go: A Full Hearts Novella Read online

  “So, do you think that he’ll finish the program?”

  “I don’t know, Alicia. I sure hope so. If losing Megan and his baby isn’t enough to make him see it through, I can’t think what will.” Ben picked up her hand and kissed her knuckles, grateful for his own life.

  Alicia gave him a sad smile, thinking of their friends. “I talked with Megan last night for a couple of hours. She is just devastated by all of this. When she first left, she just thought the shock of losing them would stop him from drinking and taking the pills. I don’t think she realized how far things had gone. Now she’s just in limbo waiting for him to get better. I can’t imagine how hard that would be if it were you and I, especially if we had a child.”

  “I know, I keep thinking about what we’d do if it were one of us,” Ben said as he pulled their truck into the driveway, glad to see his cozy home.

  Ben turned to Alicia as he took the keys out of the ignition. “You know, honey, the stats aren’t too good on him making a full recovery the first time. I told him he should come out here as soon as he’s finished rehab, but I don’t know if he’ll take me up on it. I talked to my parents and they said he can stay at the ranch as long as he needs to. It would be good for him to be around the family and away from the people that he can get drugs from.”

  “I hope he does decide to stay here a while,” Alicia replied, getting out of the truck. “Come on, you, I’ve got your favourite supper in the Crock-Pot. I thought maybe you could have a hot shower while I get things on the table.”

  “Alicia,” Ben said, taking hold of her hand as they walked up the steps to their front door, “I know I don’t say it enough, but I am really grateful for the life we’re building together. I know we don’t ever seem to have enough money and I can’t buy you all of the things that you deserve or take you on nice trips, but in the end, everything that is important in life is right here on this front step right now.”

  Alicia tilted her head and smiled before giving him a lingering kiss. “I know it is, Ben. I don’t need any of that stuff. You’re all I’ve ever needed since I first laid eyes on you.”

  Three Months Later

  The Caribbean sun had almost completed its descent over the crystal-blue waters. Ben sat on a towel on the icing sugar that disguised itself as sand with Alicia leaned up against his chest. She sighed happily, pressing her cheek to his as she ran her hands lazily along his bare thighs. Ben was wearing only his swim trunks and Alicia was in her new turquoise bikini with a long, flimsy skirt covering her legs. They had spent the late afternoon swimming and relaxing on the secluded beach, deciding to stay for the sun’s final, spectacular show of the day.

  “Can you believe we are finally here?” she asked as they waited for the stars to make their appearance.

  “Not really,” he replied. “It’s sure been a long time coming. It seems like the best dream ever. You, me, the sand, the surf and now this sunset.”

  “I know. Do we really get another nine days here?” She turned and kissed Ben on his neck as the last of their fellow spectators made their way slowly up the beach, leaving them alone.

  “I believe that’s what our return ticket has printed on it, but let’s not think about that just yet. How about you and me pretend we are the only two people on this island and we’re staying for a good long time?” Ben nuzzled her neck for a moment and then found her earlobe with his lips, savouring it.

  “Why, Ben,” Alicia said coyly, “if there is no one else on this island, that means we can do anything we like, anywhere we like . . .”

  “Exactly,” Ben replied in a low, sexy tone as he slid his hand in between her thighs. Finding the high slit in her skirt, he ran his large hand along the silk of her legs, wasting no time in getting to her bikini bottoms. He toyed with the strings resting on her hips. One little tug and they would fall away from her, leaving her exposed under her skirt. Trailing kisses down her neck to her collarbone, he pulled at the strings. “I’ve been waiting to do that all day,” he murmured in her ear.

  Alicia gasped a little at the thought of being so exposed to the world before she realized that they really were alone. She allowed herself to enjoy the hot breeze as it caressed her sensitive skin. “That’s kind of why I bought it.”

  Ben’s fingers moved along the length of her sex, taking in its satin warmth. Alicia gave a little moan and turned to find his mouth with hers, feeling her body respond as it always did to Ben’s touch. After years of his kisses, she never stopped getting that thrill from feeling his lips on her. He kissed her the way he looked at her, as though she were the only woman to have ever inhabited the planet.

  Sliding his fingertips gently into her, pressing his palm against her, rubbing with exactly the amount of pressure that he knew she loved, Ben knew every inch of her body, how she wanted to be touched, what she needed, and he took full advantage of that knowledge as he moved his other hand up over her breasts. Moving his fingers in tiny circles inside her, he could feel her press herself hungrily against his hand. It wasn’t long before they reached that exquisite moment when she tensed in long waves as commanding as those in the ocean nearby. Alicia bit down on her lip to stifle the loud cry that begged to erupt from her throat. Ben’s own breathing become ragged and his entire body hardened at the desire that was building up in him. He wanted her right there on that beach and he was going to have her.

  Alicia collapsed in his arms for a moment, allowing the vibrations in her core to ripple through her. Recovering herself, she turned and propped herself onto her knees, placing her hand over his thick length and massaging him over the fabric of his trunks. Ben ran his hands up over her breasts, squeezing them greedily as he explored her mouth with his tongue. Alicia pulled back, giving him a sexy grin as she tugged at the ties holding her skirt up and held it out to the side before letting it drop to the sand. She reached both hands behind her back and pulled the strings on her bikini top, leaving herself nude before him. Just as he was about to clamp his large hands over her breasts again, she stood suddenly and ran toward the water, turning back and giving him that look that told him to come and get her.

  Ben stood, ripping off his trunks unceremoniously and following her into the warm waves of the sea. Alicia stopped when she was waist-deep in the water and turned back to him, giving him a full view of her gorgeous, lean body in the moonlight. She was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen and he loved her like this, completely carefree and uninhibited. Grabbing her hips with both hands, he pulled her to him, pressing their wet bodies together as the waves lapped at them. They kissed with wild abandon, mouths and hands exploring each as their urgency grew almost frantic. Sliding his hands to her ass, Ben lifted her up so that her legs were now wrapped around his waist and her sex was pressed firmly over his hard length. Alicia rocked her hips from side to side and back and forth until he was finally inside her, causing them both to moan with pleasure. He held her up, moving her body up and down over him with his strong arms as their mouths danced with the hunger and passion they would always have for each other. Soon they found themselves coming undone, unable to contain their cries as they surrendered to the moment.

  Ben carried her as he walked toward the shore. Lowering both of their bodies down into the sand, he lay on top of her, allowing the weight of his body to press her into the soft sand as the water kissed their legs. Caresses and smiles and satisfied sighs held them there in their private paradise as time stopped for a long, delicious moment.

  “I am so in love with you, Alicia,” he declared as he moved his fingers over her cheek. “Every day I fall a little bit more in love with you and I think, ‘Well, this is the most anyone can love anyone else,’ and then the next day, it’s bigger and better and more intense. I want you to know that loving you has been the best adventure of my life.”

  Alicia grabbed the back of his head with her hand and pulled him down for a long kiss. “I know. And I know that I won’t ever stop being in love with you, Ben.”

  “I’m ju
st so glad you finally came around all those years ago and realized how great this could be,” he teased.

  Alicia laughed and slapped him hard on the ass. “Yeah, hard to believe what a fool I was not to see it earlier.”

  “Oh, now, I wouldn’t say you were a fool, honey, maybe just a little slow to catch on,” Ben returned with a grin. Suddenly his stomach growled with a hunger so intense, Alicia could feel it.

  “We’d better find you something to eat, Mr. Mitchell,” she laughed.

  “Yes, we better. Do you think they have any ice cream sandwiches here?”

  “Let’s go find out.”

  Now Available…

  Break in Two

  (Book 1 of the Full Hearts Series)

  Romantic. Witty. Sexy as hell.

  A story as satisfying as the perfect man - long and thick with all the right moves at just the right pace...

  Thirty-one year old Claire Hatley is running from Seattle having just discovered that her live-in boyfriend has traded her in for a twenty-two year old hostess. Devastated and alone Claire must make a fresh start. She answers an ad for a chef at a guest ranch just outside Colorado Springs and finds herself face to face with Cole Mitchell, quite possibly the sexiest man to ever ride a horse. Common sense tells them to stay away from each other, but their attraction is not to be denied. He gives her a glimpse of what love should be, but just as she starts to trust him, the past comes back to tear them apart.

  Join Claire and Cole as they embark on the stormy love affair of a lifetime.

  (Oh...and for those of you with husbands/boyfriends, please tell them “you’re welcome” from MJ.)

  Coming November 2014…

  Breaking Love

  (Book 2 in the Full Hearts Series)

  Seductive. Heartwarming. Passionate.

  MJ is at it again! She's cooking up another steamy romance for your reading pleasure.

  Luc Chevalier is a satisfied man – or so he thinks. His businesses are thriving, he has all the excitement, money and beautiful women any man could want. He dines at the best restaurants and stays at the most luxurious hotels as he makes his way around the globe. So why does he suddenly find himself so restless?

  Megan Sullivan is a single mom with a rather ordinary life. She is comfortable with things just the way they are. She has a six-year-old son, Elliott, a cozy house in Boulder, Colorado, and a photography business to put food on the table. Her ex lives hours away in Florida, providing enough space for him to feed his drug addiction without exposing Elliott to his father's illness. Megan is on her own and she intends to keep it that way.

  Megan is convinced by her best friend to take a trip to Paris for a few days. Little does she know she is about to be thrust into the arms of Luc Chevalier, the sexiest man to ever set foot on the Eiffel Tower. They agree to one night together and no more. In those few short hours he manages to draw out the passionate woman that Megan has carefully hidden way for years. Once she has a taste of what she's been missing, she finds it almost impossible to go back to her life as it was.

  Will two people who don't believe in happily-ever-after manage to put aside their doubts and find their forever?

  Join Luc as he discovers that everything he never wanted is the only thing he will ever need.

  Coming April 2015…

  Breaking Clear

  (Book 3 of the Full Hearts Series)

  Clever. Steamy. Inspiring.

  Harper Young is a talented, feisty art director at Style Magazine. Sitting at her desk one Tuesday morning she answers a call that will forever change the well-worn path of her life. Her father has had an accident and needs Harper to leave Manhattan to go home to Boulder, Colorado to care for him. Given an ultimatum by her heartless boss, she chooses family, leaving her career behind. She drives across the country to find that the only man to make her heart ache with desire will be her new neighbour.

  Evan Donovan is a contractor who's been dealt a rough hand when it comes to love. His wife, Lisa, left him just as the recession forced him to shut down his home building company. Now after three years of rebuilding, he is finally getting back on his feet again. When Harper drops back into his life, he does his level best to keep things on a 'just friends' level. Her older brother, Evan's best friend, won't take kindly to Evan dating Harper.

  Proving that old flames are easily relit, Harper and Evan quickly find themselves in each other's arms. But will Harper's career come calling her back to New York when her father has recovered? Will a man whose heart has been snapped in pieces learn to trust again?

  Lose yourself in Harper and Evan's romantic journey as they fight for their forever.

  Coming June 2015…

  Breaking Hearts

  (Book 4 of the Full Hearts Series)

  Captivating. Enticing. Charming.

  Three years have passed since Trey Johnson left his family's ranch in Colorado after having betrayed his cousin by sleeping with his sexy but treacherous Brazilian girlfriend. Guilt-ridden, Trey has kept his nose to the grindstone, finishing university a year early. As he jogs down the steps after his last exam, he is shocked to discover that he is about to become a full-time father to his son, a child he barely knows.

  Travelling to Brazil, Trey suddenly discovers that he is about to embark on the fight of his life in order to bring his son home. Settling in for the battle, Trey finds himself unexpectedly falling for Alessandra Santos, his son's beautiful, young nanny.

  Alessandra Santos, an obedient daughter and excellent student always does what others expect. Whether her demanding mother or her unreasonable employer, Alessandra find it almost impossible to say no. Now that Trey Johnson, a young, handsome American has sauntered into her life, she will have to find her true voice or lose him forever.

  Join Trey as he becomes the man and the father that he was meant to be.

  Get swept away by a love story so powerful it will make your heart ache, it will make you dream, it will make you believe.

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  MJ Summers currently resides in Canada, not far from the Rocky Mountains, with her husband, their three young children and a goofy dog. When she is not writing, MJ enjoys reading, running, cross-country skiing, hiking, Zumba and yoga, as well as going out with her girlfriends for long giggly dinners every month. She and her husband love to sneak off to the mountains for the weekend. (This doesn’t happen often, but when it does it’s always fun.)

  COPYRIGHT

  Don’t Let Go © 2014 by MJ Summers

  Published by Gretz Corp

  All rights reserved under all applicable International Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen.

  No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of the publisher.

  EPub Edition: July, 2014

  EPub ISBN: 9780992142216

  No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews.