Enslaved to Love: Never Forget

By Soleil Berlin

Marie Bernard is sent to France with the feeling of Déjà vu. Catching the eye of two men, Yves and Leonce, she is determined not to succumb to the advances of Yves, the mysterious man who seems to ignite a burning desire inside of her. Torn between two men, will the past and present collide and will she risk it all to be with the love that she could never forget?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Soleil Berlin
• Release date: Sep 1, 2013
• ISBN: 9781301863129

Soleil Berlin

Soleil Berlin was born and raised in Raleigh, North Carolina. She attended and graduated from the University of North Carolina Greensboro with a Bachelor of Arts degree. Since she was a teenager, she has been an avid reader of historical romance novels. She enjoys writing novels that keep you interested until the very end.

Book preview

(ENSLAVED TO LOVE: NEVER FORGET)

Smashwords Edition

Copyright © 2013 by (Soleil Berlin)

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without written permission from the author.

ISBN 9781301863129

Printed in USA by Bookista Publishing (www.bookistapublishing.com)

Prologue: France 1796

Marie Blanco hurried along the moonlit path. Though she had nothing but moonlight to guide her, she did not stumble. She had taken this route many times on her way to see her secret lover, Pierre Aragon. It had been at least a week since their last tryst and though she often berated herself for not fighting harder, she could never resist the pull between them. Her hands trembled as the held up her long skirt. It wouldn't be easy to explain away dirt and grass stains when she returned. Finally the familiar cottage came into view. She could see a faint light shining though the curtained windows. Marie paused in front of the door with thoughts of fleeing in her mind. If she left now, perhaps she could pretend that this love affair had never begun. Before she could will her body to move away, the door opened and Marie came face to face with the lover she knew so well.

Pierre had been anxiously waiting for Marie to arrive. All of his day was spent counting down the hours until they were together again. Seeing her indecisive stance in the doorway goaded him into action. He quickly took hold of her wrist and guided her into the cottage and into his waiting arms. Her hair smelled earthy and alive. Her skin was soft and warm. Her body trembled slightly with her emotions. This heavenly creature with eyes the color of expensive chocolate had been tormenting his mind and heart since the moment he first laid eyes on her.

You came my love, Pierre gasped in wonder. His emotions caused his voice to become deeper and a bit breathy as if to not ruin the moment.

I couldn't stay away, Marie answered piteously. It was true. No matter how much she berated herself in her mind, she continued to come back for more.

A hand lightly gripped Marie's chin and drew her face up to look into the eyes of the man she loved. A single tear drop tumbled down her cheek as she trembled again with emotion.

No my love, Pierre shook his head as he leaned closer. It is I who cannot stay away from you. It is as if I have been bewitched.

Before Marie could think of a retort, Pierre took her face between his hands and drew their lips together. What started as a simple brush of lips turned into a waterfall of kisses as their emotions crashed over them. Guiding them to the single bed, Pierre gently tumbled them down so his body pinned Marie's to the soft blanket. Marie was lost in the sensation of Pierre's warm hard body so tight against her own. Neither lover heard the sound of crunching tree limbs and rustling bushes until the door was abruptly thrown open with such force it slammed against the wall.

Pierre was grabbed by the back of his neck and pinned face first against a wall. Marie was horrified when she opened her eyes to see Monsieur Gil and his two sons. His larger son Miguel had Pierre pinned against the far wall as the other, Leonce, grabbed Marie by her wrists.

Did you really think you were going to get away with this girl? Gil bellowed. The windows shook with the force of his voice as he took hold of the back of Marie's hair. She screamed as several strands of hair were ripped from her head to fall on the bed below. You have made a fool of me for the last time!

Gil dragged Marie from the bed and towards the door of the cottage.

Don't forget me! Marie tries in vain to fight the two men off and return to her captured lover. Never forget our love!

Pierre fights hard to remove the painful hand from his neck, but can only struggle helplessly as he watches his love carried away into the night.

Chapter 1: New York City Present Day

Marie Bernard checked her cascading curls in the mirror one last time. It wasn't that she doubted her beauty; enough people, men and women alike, had commented on her exotic features to assure her that she was far from ugly. Born to an African-American mother and a White father, Marie was what some would consider as 'white passing'. Her skin was California bronze though it lightened up a fair bit during the winter months. As a child she had been occasionally bullied for being so fair in complexion but as an adult she found it never came up much in conversation. She was equally proud of both heritages and tried not to let others' misguided views affect her too much. She especially took pride in the knowledge that her ancestors came by way of France.

Her almond shaped eyes were the color of mocha and her full lips were turned slightly up as if she were eternally happy. At the moment they formed a full smile as she mentally went through a checklist of what she packed, in her head. Marie had recently gone through a tough break-up after a long term relationship. She had been with the man for going on five years and though nothing went wrong in the relationship, she always had this nagging feeling that something more was out there. Thankfully a photography assignment came up at work that required someone to relocate to Nice, France for a few months. Marie jumped at the chance. It would be the perfect thing to get her mind off of her failed relationship, and maybe she would even get to learn more about her family history.

All right Aragon. Make sure to hold down the fort while I'm gone. Marie bent down to scratch behind her tabby cat's ears. The cat stared up at Marie with his clear blue eyes before jumping back onto its favorite window sill. Nodding to herself, Marie gathered her bags and left to catch her flight.

The nine hour flight did nothing to dampen Marie's excitement over finally stepping foot in France. She had always dreamed about visiting the country of her ancestors. Something about France had always fascinated her, even as a little girl. It was almost as if something were waiting for her. She knew that that sounded silly or strange, but she could never shake the feeling that something significant was waiting to be discovered in this country.

Moving through the streets of Nice, Marie was struck by how familiar everything seemed. It was as if every building had a story to tell her if she could only stop and listen long enough. And then there were the dreams.

Ever since she could remember, Marie had been plagued by strange dreams of a chateau in the countryside and a dark haired man with piercing blue eyes. She would always awaken trembling, not with fear but desire. It was one of the reasons she had broken it off with her ex, Darren. Although he was nice, he could not compare to the aura of her fantasy man. Something about him was so powerful and yet she felt only love and desire from him; never fear.

Perhaps coming to France would give her a chance to work out what these dreams meant. Or maybe she would fall in love with some charming Frenchmen who would sweep her off of her feet and wash away all of those repeating dreams.

Standing on the balcony of her hotel room, Marie let the breeze from the Mediterranean wash over her. The smell of the sea was calming and she let her hair cascade out of its restrictive bun. She had a few days before she really needed to get down to the business of taking pictures and wanted to use that time wisely. She had already mapped out a list of restaurants and museums that she wanted to take a peek at while she was here. There might even be some great pictures to take along with sight-seeing.

Marie returned to her bedroom to change into more comfortable clothes. It was too warm for anything restrictive so she settled on a nice turquoise maxi dress that she was told looked amazing against her bronze skin. She left her hair free and decided to forgo any other accessories except her trusty camera bag.

Glancing in the mirror one final time, Marie checked to make sure she had everything she needed before heading out of her hotel door. The city was waiting and she just knew that something major was going to happen.

Chapter 2

Marie walked slowly along the Promenade du Paillon. She enjoyed the hustle of tourists checking out the various sights, children and parents laughing under the shining sun. She couldn’t deny the familiarity that took hold as she gazed at the rooftops above.

I feel like I’ve been here before, Marie said to herself in wonder. She didn’t understand why she was feeling this way. It was the first time she had ever been on the European continent, or any other continent other than the one she was born on actually. Marie was not a religious person, but her feelings for this city were making her contemplate reincarnation. Maybe I’ll even meet tall dark and handsome!

Well if you’re looking for one, I do have a brother. Marie was startled and whirled around towards the direction of the voice who answered her. She really needed to stop talking to herself out loud.

The voice belonged to a woman who could only be described as exquisite. She was around five foot eight with deep russet brown hair and striking emerald eyes. Her skin looked soft and touchable and her long swan-like neck led down to a loose fitting boho dress and legs with seemingly no end. The whole package made Marie feel unkempt and frumpy. Surely no one could possibly be that naturally beautiful.

Sorry, I didn’t mean to ease drop on your conversation. The woman spoke fluent English but with a faint French accent. If she were a man, Marie may have swooned. As it was, she tried to pick her jaw off the floor and answer like a normal human being.

Oh! No, it’s okay. My doctor says I should find real people to talk to anyway. Talking to yourself is usually the first sign that you’ve gone a little batty. I try not to make it a habit. Marie was inwardly cringing. First caught talking to herself and now she was rambling like an idiot. Thankfully the other woman seemed more amused than annoyed by her never-ending stream of chatter.

Understandable. I tend to do it too. My mother always said when she wanted intelligent conversation she’d look in the mirror. The other woman’s laugh was like the chiming of bells. Marie was really starting to worry about her sanity. Why was she so overwhelmed by this woman? She startled again as a hand was thrust in front of her face. My name is Jacqueline Martin.

Uh, I’m Marie. Marie Bernard. Marie took the aforementioned hand and tried to cover up her discomfort with, what she hoped, was a friendly smile.

It is a pleasure to meet you Marie. What brings you to Nice?

Oh, I’m here for work, on assignment. I’m a photographer.

Me too! Jacqueline reached into the bag at her side and pulled out a Nikon that looked well used. I’m here on assignment for the next few weeks.

Oh, you aren’t from here?

The women slowly made their way into a small bistro with outdoor seating. Marie was glad to have Jacqueline to help with the ordering. Her French was very rusty and she was afraid of ordering something other than what she wanted by accident.

My family is from Marseille. We used to come here when I was a little girl and I’m hoping to get some great photographs for the magazine I work for. Jacqueline took a sip of her espresso and sighed as if coming home. Have you ever been?

Marie shook her head and chewed furiously at the piece of pastry in her mouth.

No. This is the first time I’ve ever been to France, period. Actually, this is my first trip outside of the United States. Marie looked around and sighed. Part of my family is from France and I learned some French as a child.

Oh, no wonder. Your French was so good.

My French is horrible! I was so afraid I was going to order the wrong thing like an octopus croquette or something. Marie’s laughter was infectious and soon Jacqueline joined in.

Well, I could try to get them to make you one if you’d like. Marie’s eyes widened until she saw the mischievous look on the other woman’s face. Unable to keep a straight face, Jacqueline doubled over with laughter setting Marie off as well.

Soon the women were talking as if they had been friends for life. Marie learned that Jacqueline hadn’t come to Nice alone. Her fiancé and brother joined her, though they preferred to relax on the beach rather than take in the tourist sites. Once the women finished their pastries, they decided to wander the city and find some inspiration