Letting Go

By Danielle Taylor

She’ll steal his heart...but is he ready to love again?

Violet Simon has one option for the future: take over her father’s place at the head of the multi-billion dollar Simon International Automotive. Her dreams don’t coincide with her father’s though. Tired of the mundane life she leads, Violet signs up for a month-long adventure vacation.

South African born Morné Styger struggles with a horrific past, but he is attempting to make a fresh start in Los Angeles. When the enigmatic Violet calls him up at Adventures Inc. seeking a month of thrills, he is eager to impress his first high profile client. With her violet eyes and innocence, not to mention the similarities to someone he loved and lost, Morné finds it difficult to stay on the professional side.

Tension and desire collide from the moment they meet. Morné plans on showing Violet how to enjoy life to the fullest, but in the end, they teach each other the art of letting go.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Titan InKorp
• Release date: Feb 14, 2014

Book preview

Prologue

~Morné~

Two years ago…

Warm, salty ocean breeze drifted through the broken glass of the sliding balcony doors. Recessed spotlights in the ceiling above lit her slender frame, giving me an all too perfect view of the carnage she suffered.

Her lifeless form draped in nothing more than the shredded remains of an ivory dress she bought for tonight, splattered with her blood.

Tears stung my eyes, clouding Annalize’s body from my vision; hatred and grief warred for attention. Tonight was meant to be a special night.

A night for celebrating…a night for love.

I needed to be closer to her.

One final kiss, though I would carry the taste of her lips with me until my dying day.

One last feel of her silken blonde locks on my cheek.

One last time.

I needed to touch her. I would walk through thick curtains of fire and slice my own flesh with rusty blades to get to her.

I twisted in the restraints. Wire hangers used as make-shift cuffs bit into my wrists, prompting a mouthful of foul curses. Long slivers of broken glass were scattered across the newly installed hardwood floors. Both arms strapped to a dining room chair made clearing a path across the short distance between us impossible.

In short choppy bursts, I shuffled over to Annalize. The toppled chair scraped over the floor. Chunks of glass dug into my cheek and tore the sleeve of my shirt. The waistband of my jeans rubbed the fresh wounds inflicted on him by the two men who broke into my home.

Just a little further…

I inhaled, catching the wildflower scent of Annalize’s shampoo. Thousands of blunt instruments sliced at my heart. But I kept moving, forcing my body closer.

Almost there…

I pushed through the physical pain and continued across the floor until reaching her side. I touched my forehead to hers. Annalize felt warm still, despite her dull cobalt stare and motionless chest.

An explosive charge went off in my brain. I shook under the strain of grief. Bit my lip so hard I tasted blood.

She was gone. Forever gone.

I moved as close as I could to her. I breathed in the scent of her hair; anguished muffled sounds came between shallow breaths.

I touched my lips to her eyelids, forcing them shut.

I kissed the tip of her nose.

I brushed a soft kiss to her lips.

She had no breath.

And I broke apart forever, lying on the floor next to the only girl I would ever love.

One

~Violet~

My cellphone buzzed on the desk. Another new email. A welcome distraction from looking over financial records. Numbers. The only thing I knew how to do right; but this…trapped in an office, working for my father, it wasn’t what I wanted.

At times I had nightmarish dreams of watching this place go down in a maelstrom of flames and fury. I always woke in a mixture of delight and sorrow.

I tapped the screen on my phone and opened the message.

It instructed me to call Adventure’s Inc. to discuss the month-long adventure package I bought. No hesitation. I dialled the number listed at the bottom of the email. Nervous excitement drummed in my chest at the sound of each ring, waiting for the company’s owner to answer.

I needed this trip. Not only was it my annual vacation, but I decided to make important changes in my life and this was the first step in claiming independence from an overbearing father and get far away from the company.

Where would this adventure take me?

What kind of excursions would I go on?

After this vacation finished, would Father treat me like an adult?

Or would he still think of me as a child?

And was there anything I could do to prove him wrong?

Good afternoon. Adventures Inc., Morné Styger speaking.

Shock at hearing the company’s owner answering the phone turned to slow burning desire, collecting low in my belly. I had heard an Afrikaans accent once or twice before on movies, but they were nothing like this.

Rich, baritone, and sensual, it caressed the air and came across the line like a symphony playing just for me. He pronounced his name ‘Mourn-ay’ and I wanted to ask him to repeat it. Or say anything at all.

H-hello, this, um, this is Violet Simon. I-I uh, I just received an e-mail asking me to call you regarding my adventure.

Ugh, nice, Vi.

I could negotiate my way out of any corporate situation at any given time. Talking on the phone to a guy who sounded as good as I bet he looked? Apparently not.

Ah, yes, Ms. Simon. Please give me a moment to pull you up on my screen. He hummed an unfamiliar song, staccato and irregular. "Ja, okay, there we are. All right, from what I understand, you want to be surprised with most of the excursions, yes?"

Um, yes, that’s correct. I’m not very experienced– Whoa, what?

What the hell did I almost say?

Oh, hi Mr. Stranger, but let me be an incompetent idiot here and tell you about things you didn’t even ask me.

Clearing my throat, I continued, What I mean to say is, uh, I’ve spent pretty much every day of my life sitting at a desk, with the rare boring beach vacation. Sure, it’s great to get some sun and relax, but I want something exciting and wild. I just don’t know how wild or even where to begin.

That’s fine, I’m very good at what I do, he chuckled, a dark and sensual sound.

I bet you are.

My inner brakes slammed on, reminding me of the reasons for this arrangement. I needed to find myself, who I was outside of Simon International Automotive.

I actually have a few ideas for you, but each one will only take a few hours or a day or two. In that light, you said you wanted to fill an entire month, is that correct?

His voice turned my knees to jelly. Thankfully my leather office chair cushioned my butt. Who knew what would happen if I’d been standing up?

I’d probably fall and hit my chin on the desk, knocking myself unconscious. Ugh I was such a failure with guys.

I didn’t have much time for dating. Since I was old enough to work, I helped run my father’s internationally renowned automotive parts company. We produced parts for expensive luxury vehicles and had a number of defence contracts as well, for a few Commonwealth countries and the United States. And that was my life.

In fact, the last time I had a date was two years ago; nineteen years old and Father decided at nine-thirty that I had to get home. He sent his driver to collect me from the restaurant. I’d never been so embarrassed before and since that night, shied away from relationships.

Especially the ones Father tried to set me up in, which would end up making him more money, should a match be made.

Um yes, I answered. One month. Is that going to be a problem?

A masculine laugh came across the line. No problem at all. I just need to double check that you have a valid passport that will not expire before the end of the year.

Yes, I do. I am Canadian, and I have also got British and Swedish citizenships, and all passports have at least two years left on them.

My assistant David stepped into the office; I held my hand up to silence him before he spoke.

Six weeks on the job and I expected him not to interrupt a phone call. If he paid any attention to the phone on his desk, he would have seen one of my lines were engaged. I waved my hand to signal for him to leave.

Wow, and I thought I had a few citizenships under my belt! Who is Swedish, your father?

Once the door closed and David was safely on the other side, I responded. Yes, our surname was originally Simensen, with the letter E in place of the O, but my father dropped the ‘sen’ part when he relocated to Canada, and changed the sound to Simon. He thought it sounded less foreign, though I don’t see why it matters when most of this continent was settled by foreigners.

I have to agree with you there. Morné laughed again, the masculine sound adding fuel to a slow burning fire low in my abdomen. The funny thing is, I can’t count the number of times people have told me that I should go with my middle name and possibly change my surname for the purpose of pronunciation… To be honest, I lost count well over two years ago. Though when I tell people my middle name, they generally prefer Morné. Much easier to pronounce!

"Okay, now I have to ask. What is it?"

Are you sure you want to know? People have, and I’m not exaggerating here, they’ve actually choked trying to say it!

Mr. Styger, I wouldn’t have inquired if I didn’t want to know. I suppressed a giggle.

Don’t forget the reason for the call, Vi.

Please, dear God, don’t call me ‘Mr. Styger.’ I couldn’t handle a day of it, let alone an entire month. Call me Morné.

A month?

But that meant…he would be my guide.

An entire month of his accent.

Now that I knew who would be my guide for the vacation, I wanted to see what Morné Styger looked like. A few keys tapped on the keyboard and a click of my mouse brought the Adventures Inc. website up on my monitor. I hovered over his name listed on the employee profiles then pushed the mouse button down.

Seconds ticked by as long as minutes, waiting for the picture to come up.

The file loaded.

Looking at him sucked the air from my lungs.

Standing on the beach next to a surfboard, Morné leaned his weight on one leg wearing a wetsuit rolled low under defined abdominal muscles. He had an eight pack. Did guys have eight-packs? I counted. Eight. Eight bulges of abdominal muscle. Eight of the sexiest muscles I’d ever seen.

I looked up his tall frame, licking, then biting my lower lip. Dark stubble covered his jaw, rugged and masculine. My pulse slammed in my veins.

His hair was thick and dark and dripping wet above a pair of intense and haunting whiskey eyes. One second it looked like they were happy; the next I saw sadness. In a flash it changed back. Like a holographic image, altering when I moved.

His lips though…they drew me in like a moth to the flame. Smooth, full, and sensual, they curved upwards in just the slightest hint of a cocky grin. A private joke kind of smile. I wanted to know what he was thinking when the picture was taken.

I smiled back at the image, nibbling on my lip. All right, Morné.

Thank you. And my middle name is Daantjie. He pronounced the name Dahn-tyee.

Wow, and I thought Ragnhild was a bizarre one. I shut my eyes, shaking my head at my own stupid self for disclosing personal information without being asked.

So, what else did you need to know? I asked.

Erm, let me see… Morné paused and a muffled sound came across the phone. Any convictions that would make entering another country difficult or impossible?

Alarm flashed in my eyes. Just what kind of people took these adventures?

No, I don’t have any convictions. I’ve never even received a speeding ticket.

Oh really?

I pictured him raising his brows.

Is that because you’ve never been caught?

No, I laughed. Never sped.

How is it possible that you’ve reached… He paused, the sound of clicking, most likely a computer mouse, coming through the line "…sorry, almost reached twenty-two, and never pushed the speed limit?"

"Mr. Sty– um, sorry Morné, I do work for a company that specializes in automotive safety, among other things. And, I have seen the kind of devastation that speeding can cause."

Hmm, well I have just added something else to your list of adventures. Tell me, Violet, would you say that you are a risk taker or someone who prefers to follow the rules?

My defenses rose. Spine stiffened. I’ve mostly followed the rules. Why? Is there something wrong with that?

No, nothing wrong with it, but I will most certainly make sure you break a few rules over the next month, he laughed softly. Nothing illegal, I promise, but you’ll have fun.

Well, as long as there’s nothing illegal… I grinned, tracing a finger down one side of the v-shaped ridge of his hips on my screen.

Then I yanked my hand back. Thankfully he couldn’t see me. What the hell was I doing?

Oh, look at Violet, sees a gorgeous guy with muscles and a dark tan, and she loses her stupid mind.

Stupid!

Perfect, he continued. I assume that the budget is the same as you mentioned in your original enquiry?

The ceiling I put on this month long holiday was much higher than anything I paid for. Sitting on a fortune did nothing when a person wasn’t living their life. In my new mindset, money didn’t matter as much as the experiences gained. I needed a life. And I was pathetic enough that I had to pay for one.

Yes, I said, keeping the hint of depression from my voice. But if we go over, it’s fine.

Letting out a low whistle, he replied, I don’t think we will be going over, Miss Simon. Unless one of your fantasies involves throwing hundred dollar bills from the top of a building by the bagful.

Morné, my fantasies have nothing to do with tops of buildings or bags of money– well, maybe doing something naked on top of the building doesn’t sound so bad. I laughed, imagining the gorgeous guy squirming behind his desk.

At the same time, my stomach clenched. Heart fizzed and burned, dropping into my gut.

What the hell did I just say?

"Jislaaik!" he exclaimed through a long, ragged breath.

The word came out sounding like yis-laik.

What did it mean?

Now didn’t feel like the right time to be asking for a translation.

Met with silence, I knew I took the conversation about ten steps too far. How to fix it though?

Say you’re sorry, for starters.

I apologise for that, Mr. Styger. I-I don’t know what came over me, but it won’t happen again. Maybe we should uh…

Oh man, I had no idea what to say or do to make this go away. Too bad life didn’t have a rewind button.

Or a delete button.

"Ja, erm. Give me a minute, please."

The call went on hold.

I pushed my face into my free hand. What the hell was I thinking?

What was wrong with me?

The truth stood out clear as a bell; I didn’t know how to act around people when numbers weren’t involved.

I gave so much of my life to the company, forgoing personal and life experiences to become the perfect employee/daughter my father wanted. Any dreams I had were pushed to the side and now, I couldn’t remember the person I was or the one I wanted to be.

Miss Simon?

This voice sounded different.

Morné passed me on to someone else. Served me right.

Yes, I’m still here.

Good, thank you for holding. I am Zane Styger and I will handle the initial stages of your travel. In a few minutes, you will receive an information package in your e-mail inbox with essentials to pack and your travel itinerary. Okay?

The vacation was still happening?

Taken aback, I nodded numbly a few times, until I realized he couldn’t see me nodding. Uh, yes.

So, when is the earliest that you would like to leave? Morné is free from this evening, as you mentioned in your initial consult that you wanted to start sometime around now. Would tonight be too early?

Tonight? I repeated, staring at the image of Morné on my computer monitor.

He still wanted to act as my guide, even after…the moment when I failed to communicate like a human being.

How about we go over the list now, just to make sure you have everything. If you want to push the schedule back, maybe even a week or two, that’s fine as well. I sent you the e-mail just now. Let me know when you get it.

Uh, okay. I opened my e-mail and saw the new message. I’ve got it.

Good. Read through it; take your time, and be sure to let me know if there is something on the list that you don’t currently own.

Quickly, I skimmed the list. I owned almost every item. Except for hiking boots, but those were available at the mall near my apartment. I made a note to stop by on the way home.

Nope, no issues on my end, I told him.

Good. And most of the hotels you will be staying in have laundry facilities so you don’t need to pack a full month’s worth of clothing. Just go through the list and pack accordingly. You can always purchase things during your trip if and when you need them.

Zane continued explaining the details of the trip. My excitement mounted in anticipation for my ultimate adventure. He arranged for me to take a late flight from Toronto to Los Angeles, where Adventures Inc. was located, and said Morné would pick me up from the airport.

First stop; California. No matter what activities were planned I knew I’d have a blast. All thanks to Adventures Inc.

…I hoped.

Two

~Violet~

Once the call ended, I decided I’d had enough of work. Excitement fluttered in my veins like fiery adrenaline. I shut down my computer and took a moment to compose myself before picking up the phone again. Calling Father and filling him in on my travel plans sounded much easier than facing him in person, but he still managed to make me squirm.

Lucky for me, he didn’t answer. I left a brief message before locking up and leaving my office. For once, everything seemed to fall into place the way I wanted it to, instead of how those around me dictated.

Hello, Violet. The serpentine voice shot down my spine like ice; a malicious omen slithering over my flesh.

Spinning around, I came face to face with a man who, if I had it my way, would no longer be employed at Simon International Automotive, or SIA as most people referred to the company. Derek McKinley was nothing more than a snake.

I loathed being in the same building as him. The same city, if I were honest.

Narrowed eyes glared at me; fingers of dread slinked through the air, wrapping around my throat.

The man was evil incarnate. No one else saw it. Or maybe they chose to ignore it.

Dark brows rose over lifeless, beady black eyes. Leaving so soon? It isn’t even three o’clock yet.

I jerked my head once, indicating the affirmative, still unable to find my voice.

Those eyes flicked over my body in a blatant appraisal.

My skin crawled.

Bile rose up the back of my throat, burning my tongue.

Well, Derek said, I guess I’ll see you tomorrow then. He licked his worm-like lips and forced them into a slimy grin.

He moved a few steps back and my ability to breathe returned.

Greedily, I sucked in a few breaths, trying not to let him see how he affected me.

Um, no, no you won’t. I’m on holiday as of this very moment, I admitted.

Oh? Derek’s smile widened. Well then, have fun.

Turning on his heels, he walked away with a spring in his step. A string of chills slithered down my spine. Something was seriously wrong with that man.

The short drive between work and the mall didn’t last nearly long enough for me to shake the feeling of dread being near the creep provided. I tried to force him from my mind by guessing what the first adventure might be while I shopped for hiking boots. California had the coast, and if we were staying there to begin with maybe we might be going surfing or something to do with sharks.

Both of those ideas sounded terrifying, but in Morné’s very capable and very sexy hands, I was confident he’d keep me free of harm. Besides, I was doing this to free myself from the confines of predictability and to start living life. A little fear was expected. Otherwise it would be too easy.

After a quick stop in the mall to get the hiking boots and a few other necessities, I reached my apartment by four thirty that Friday afternoon. The flight left at ten tonight and arrived a little after one in the morning, local time.

Restless nerves jittered. I’d be leaving soon. So soon. Not yet though.

I packed quickly but efficiently, taking extra care not to forget anything. By the time I finished, I had about an hour to kill before heading to the airport. My run-in with Derek made me feel clammy and gross. I needed a shower. A scalding hot shower.

I jumped at the idea and considered burning my clothes in the incinerator – but I liked this outfit. Maybe a good double or triple dry cleaning would sort it out.

Fresh from the shower, steam curling up to kiss the ceiling, I stood in front of the mirror, towel wrapped around my torso, and a pair of scissors in hand. Nervous intensity spiked the air.

This time, I was going to do it. This time, I’d cut it.

I gathered my long, damp wavy strands, holding the scissors ready to slice. Chest rising and falling under exaggerated breaths, I stared at my reflection, vengeance coursing around me like acid waves.

When it came to my hair, I couldn’t work up the courage to cut it. Why?

I knew why; I spent far too much time wondering. Never did any good. Thinking about her set me on edge, made me feel worthless, useless, hated. A woman who didn’t even want me influenced my every decision when it came to my hair.

I wasn’t even a month old and my own mother didn’t want me. She left, heading back to London where she continued with her acting career. The only thing I knew about the woman – aside from what Google displayed – was something Father mentioned in passing once; something my mother had said to him: grow her hair nice and long, don’t ever let her cut it.

Uttering a string of attempted curses, I tossed the scissors to the floor and gathered my waist-length hair into my signature twist, securing it with a double pin. Annoyance vibrated my bones, almost an entity in its own right.

Reaching for the cordless phone on the night table, I dialled Andrew Bradshaw, my oldest and dearest friend, and the one person capable of settling my nerves.

Vi, babe! How are you?

I’m good, thanks, I lied. You?

The usual, he exhaled heavily. And as usual, he didn’t expound on that vague statement. I didn’t push.

I settled into the one reclining chair in my new apartment, facing the massive floor to ceiling windows overlooking Lake Ontario. I just finished packing for my adventure holiday.

Oh, that’s right! When are you leaving? It sounded like he was out somewhere, a club perhaps. Andrew frequented the hottest spots in the city often while I preferred to hide out, away from the public eye. It was a wonder we were still close after all these years.

Tonight. My guide is free from tomorrow, and I thought I’d rather start sooner. Distract myself from the real world, also known as work.

Absentmindedly, my free hand moved to my neck and began the fruitless attempt at working out the kinks suffered from spending far too much time in front of a computer screen.

Tonight? It’s so…so sudden. So spontaneous. Are you sure about this, Vi?

Yes. The response was automatic. I’m absolutely sure. I need this, Andrew. I need something to push me – not just physically, but emotionally as well. The past few years, since I started working for my father, I’ve become a drone. A zombie, almost. This vacation is going to help me figure out who I am, I just know it.

Hmm. Andrew didn’t sound convinced.

We had always played everything far too safe though, and I didn’t want that anymore. I wanted more, so much more, while he was happy with the way things were.

When you get back, can we talk? About, you know, what I mentioned a few weeks ago?

Part of me wanted to just accept and be done with it, never again worrying about the fruitless search of finding that elusive partner. The other part needed more time to see what might be out there. Who knew? Somewhere in the world, I could find the love of my life.

Unlikely, I knew, but I wasn’t ready to give up. I might be incapable of interacting with most human beings in social settings, but I wasn’t completely to blame. How should I know the proper way to act around people my own age when I’d been kept apart from them, treated with kid-gloves for my entire life? God forbid someone disrupt the fragile genius.

I shuddered. I wasn’t fragile. I wasn’t.

Sure. I’ve got to finish packing and get to the airport, Andrew. I’ll call you when I’m back in town though, all right?

Be safe, Vi. Love you, chick.

You too. Be good while I’m gone.

His laughter rang down the line. As good as I can be.

I pictured him winking.

Sure, sure. I rolled my eyes. Bye, Andrew.

Bye babe.

I hung up the phone then, more than ready to begin my journey.

Three

~Morné~

From the moment she mentioned fantasies, I knew it would be a mistake to stay on as Violet Simon’s guide. But I couldn’t let any of my cousins be responsible for such a high-profile client.

If I entrusted the automotive magnate’s daughter to anyone else and something