Entwined Book Three: Entwined, #3

By Katherine King

FROM #1 INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLING AUTHOR KATHERINE KING 

The explosive conclusion to The Entwined Series!

Alexa's life is in turmoil with her past coming back to haunt her. Has playboy Eric really changed and willing to stay by her side? 

Raw emotions, sizzling sex scenes, all while being kept on the edge of your seat.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Katherine King
• Release date: Sep 18, 2018
• ISBN: 9781386310297

Katherine King

With her first two books in a two-part series, "Captivated," reaching #1 on Amazon and #2 on iTunes, Katherine King has established herself as an International Bestselling Romance Author. A mother, wife, dog lover, restauranteur and innkeeper, Katherine wears many hats...but by far her favourite job is being a writer. Sign up for her free starter library at www.katherineking2001.com

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Entwined

Book Three

Dedication

For my readers...

Thank you!!!

Special Thanks:

As always, to my amazing proofreaders, you are one in a million! Thank you so much Darlene Boone, Colleen Fowler, Kelly Ann Marshall, and Paula Newhook. Your support, which goes way past just proofreading, is just what this writer needs. I don’t know what I’d do without you! I hope I never have to find out.

XO

And to my Street Team...where would I be without you! All of your support in reading, promoting and most especially, sending me little notes of encouragement...I don’t know how I became so lucky to have you all come onboard when we have only met virally. Your unwavering support and dedication of your time makes my heart melt.

To my hubby Bernie, thanks for ousting me as an erotic romance author on Facebook. If you hadn’t done that, I don’t know if I would have been brave enough to tell people myself.

Of course, to the one person in my life, the first person who ever knew about my writing, who changed my life completely for the better - my amazing daughter, Rebecca. I definitely wouldn’t be writing today if it wasn’t for her. She was the one who put me on the path to publishing my writing and following a dream I always had since I was a girl.

To my queen Quinella, I couldn’t ask for a better writing companion.

I’m a lucky gal.

Entwined

Book Three

By Katherine King

Chapter 1

Alexa

Trying to still my racing heart, I stare at Eric’s hand.

As my head becomes a little clearer, I know I overreacted.

But hearing those words, whispered once again in my ear, had completely terrified me because it had brought me back to that night when I had never been so terrified in my life.

I feel a sob well up in my throat as my eyes move from Eric’s hand, up his naked chest to meet his eyes where I can see remorse and a plea for me to forgive him.

Knowing there’s really nothing to forgive, that I’d been the one to overreact, I slowly extend my hand to take his.

As his warm grasp completely envelopes my hand, I feel a calm slip through me.

This is Eric...

Not Jack.

Gently, he tugs on my hand, softly prompting me to make the next step back into his arms.

Sighing deeply, I step forward and feel his arm slip around my waist, sweeping me off my feet so that I’m now kneeling on the bed with him, chest to chest, my ear over his rapidly beating heart.

Releasing my hand, he slips that arm around my waist, pulling me in even tighter again as I feel his lips whisper over my hair.

I’m sorry, he whispers once again, and I feel my heart tear.

He has nothing to be sorry about. I had been the one that overreacted.

Wrapping both of my arms around his naked waist, I squeeze him in silent apology as I forcefully push away the nightmares of my past.

There’s nothing to be sorry for, I whisper past the lump that suddenly formed in my throat.

He squeezes me tighter and I feel a deep sigh expel from his chest.

You can tell me anything, Alexa, he whispers but I remain silent.

Despite his sentence, Eric remains patient, not pushing me for more, staying silent for a few more minutes. Then I hear him ask softly, Can I come back tonight?

Wanting nothing more than to remain here, just like this for forever, I nod against his chest, never wanting reality to return.

But as it always does, I become aware of the time and realize that I’m already running behind on my morning routine and that I’ve stupidly allowed him to stay too long this morning by losing track of the time. Reluctantly, I push away the heaven of feeling Eric’s arms around me. Looking up at him, I still see the remorse in his eyes and I reach up to pull his head down to me.

Whispering my lips over his, I say, I’m sorry. That was me, not you.

He nods, keeping his lips softly connected to mine as he accepts my apology.

Opening my mouth, I sweep my tongue into his, loving and enjoying the taste of him before having to end the kiss.

Pushing away from him, I move off the bed and head to the door.

I’ve got to get to work and you need to be gone before Jenny gets up, I say as I turn back one more time to allow my eyes to feast on his glorious nakedness.

He once again reminds me of one of my stallions, with his hair tussled from my fingers, the weariness clearly showing in his eyes. It makes me want to go back to him, to reassure him that I’m fine, that we’re fine, but I know if I do, I’ll end up back in bed with him.

I’ll see you downstairs, I murmur instead and opening the door, I step through.

Shaking my head, sighing deeply, I push away the ghosts of my past as I head down the stairs.

A few minutes after I begin the process of brewing my morning coffee, Eric joins me in the kitchen, slipping his arms around me from behind.

I allow myself to savor this feeling for a moment and close my eyes.

Wouldn’t it be so nice to have him here every morning, just like this? – my heart silently whispers.

I feel an ache begin deeply, a yearning...

For something that I know someone like Eric could probably never give me.

I have meetings all day today, but I’ll be back around 9 tonight, ok? he whispers into my hair.

Nodding, I keep my eyes closed, trying desperately to not feel like I’m lost as he steps away from me. I hear the door to the kitchen open and close and I feel as if my heart is bleeding as I stupidly long for things I know I can’t have.

Shaking my head, I open my eyes and roll my shoulders, forcing myself to brush the stupidity of my feelings away.

Buck up girl. You have no time for being sappy, I whisper to myself.

After pouring myself a cup of coffee, I head out to the barn and am greeted by an angry Onyx, who’s kicking his walls in his impatience at being fed later than usual.

Crooning to him, I watch as his neck muscles jump and flex as I slowly open the stall door. As soon as I place the morning feed in his stall, he settles, completely forgetting about his anger. Shaking my head at him, I close the stall door and move on to quickly feeding the rest of the horses, all the while thinking of how to get caught up on my usual morning routine time.

Jenny is up, watching her morning cartoons on my overused, second-hand laptop at the kitchen table as she waits patiently for me to return from the barn.

I feel a sting of guilt that I wasn’t there when she walked downstairs, and I tell myself that tonight Eric will have to leave by midnight.

I really cut it too close this morning, – I sternly remind myself.

Kissing the top of Jenny’s head, I say, Sorry baby. Mommy is running just a little bit behind.

That’s okay, Mommy. I know you’re busy, she replies easily.

But still the guilt remains and stays with me all day.

By the time it’s time for Eric to arrive, I’ve told myself that as soon as he arrives, I have to put my foot down that he’s to go back home to sleep tonight.

I couldn’t take another chance on allowing him to distract me in the morning.

Hearing his knock on my door promptly right at 9:00, I swing the door open. I’m resolutely ready to tell him firmly before he even enters the house of my decision, but it dies a quick death in my throat.

Dressed in his usual black t-shirt with his tight, faded black jeans, he’s the stuff of any girl’s dreams as he holds a bouquet of flowers in one hand and in the other, a large paper bag.

No, - I silently admit. He’s the man of my dreams.

My heart skips a beat.

Easily grasping the screen door’s knob with the hand holding the flowers, he presses the latch to open it and step through.

Leaning down, he kisses me on my cheek before he whispers, I thought we could have a movie night and I brought wine and cheese.

Straightening, he gazes into my eyes.

I can’t help but nod my head in response, completely forgetting my resolution to tell him he can’t stay until the morning.

Because I don’t want to send him away, ever. I only want to do exactly as he has requested. To curl up next to him, let all of my problems fall away, pretending that this is just a regular, normal night hanging out with a man I’m so into...

With a man so handsomely and beautifully gorgeous as Eric taking me to bed, allowing my body to seek solace from his, as I slept next to him all night.

His happy grin pushes away any further doubt as he once again leans forward to place a lingering and savoring kiss upon my lips.

Then straightening away from me, he glances around my kitchen, saying softly as he gestures to the flowers, I need a vase for these.

My heart thumps, and uneasiness slips through me as I reply, I don’t have one because no one has ever given me flowers since... My voice trails off as I feel my cheeks burn.

His eyes come to mine, and for a few seconds, there is complete silence.

Finally, he murmurs, I’m sure a juice jug or something will do.

Nodding, feeling awkwardly embarrassed at my admission, I move to a kitchen cabinet to retrieve a jug. Filling it with water, my hands are shaking.

It seems as if every single moment spent with Eric allows him to burrow further into my heart.

And into my past.

Despite my best efforts, he was slowly slipping past all of my resistance, past the careful line I had wished to keep between him and my past.

All of my secrets.

Once the jug is filled, I turn to find Eric standing close to me, his eyes soft with understanding. He places the flowers in the jug, then taking them from me, he places them on my kitchen table before turning back to me.

Reaching out, he takes my hand, giving it a gentle squeeze as he says, It’s okay. I’m equally as thrown off because I’ve never given a woman flowers before you.

I see the honesty in his eyes and my heart beats, so very grateful for his admission.

He had let me in on a small part of his past to make me feel better.

Let’s go find a movie to watch, he murmurs, and I nod my head.

After we settle on the couch, hip to hip, Eric opens the brown bag he brought and produces a bottle of red wine, two wine glasses that were carefully wrapped in cloth along with a covered tray of cheese, bread, and fruit.

Why don’t you select a movie while I open the wine, he suggests.

Nodding my head, I turn on my TV and scroll through the Netflix selections.

Thinking that Eric wouldn’t want to watch anything romantic, I select Stephen King’s remake of IT.

Eric settles back against the couch after handing me my glass of wine and taking his. I take