Through the Thorns

By Julia Kanno

The woman he loves has come back from the dead—and unfortunately, this rose is all thorns.

Finally, after two years of mourning, Zac's brother has agreed to sell the house he all but abandoned after the death of his wife.

In the spirit of helping his brother move on, and of course the continuous harassment from his sister, Zac agrees to take a much-needed vacation from work and pack up what remains of Rose's belongings. What his family doesn't know—actually, no one knows—is that Zac never quite stopped being in love with Rose, not after they broke up in high school and certainly not after she married his brother.

Zac is well aware that a weekend spent packing up what's left of the only woman he's ever loved will be little more than torture...with a side of emotional hell (alcohol sold separately).

Upon arrival, he immediately notices how the house and the surrounding garden have fallen into disrepair. It isn't until nightfall that he truly starts to realise just how...disturbed the house really is. After a few doors slam and the phrase 'writing on the wall' comes to life before his very eyes, Zac is terrified enough to flee. But before he can make it to the door, he is confronted with the ghost of his sister-in-law, Rose.

However, the sultry seductress before him and his sweet, shy Rosie are two very different entities. And as much as he would like to believe otherwise, it seems this rose is all thorns.

Can he stop himself from touching her regardless?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Totally Bound Publishing
• Release date: Nov 12, 2012
• ISBN: 9781781841259

Book preview

A Total-E-Bound Publication

www.total-e-bound.com

Through the Thorns

ISBN # 978-1-78184-125-9

©Copyright Julia Kanno 2012

Cover Art by Posh Gosh ©Copyright October 2012

Edited by Amy Parker

Total-E-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, Total-E-Bound Publishing.

Applications should be addressed in the first instance, in writing, to Total-E-Bound Publishing. Unauthorised 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 2012 by Total-E-Bound Publishing, Think Tank, Ruston Way, Lincoln, LN6 7FL, United Kingdom.

Warning:

This book contains sexually explicit content which is only suitable for mature readers. This story has a heat rating of Total-e-burning and a sexometer of 2.

This story contains 51 pages, additionally there is also a free excerpt at the end of the book containing 5 pages.

THROUGH THE THORNS

Julia Kanno

The woman he loves has come back from the dead—and unfortunately, this rose is all thorns.

Finally, after two years of mourning, Zac’s brother has agreed to sell the house he all but abandoned after the death of his wife. In the spirit of helping his brother move on and, of course, the continuous harassment from his sister, Zac agrees to take a much-needed vacation from work and pack up what remains of Rose’s belongings. What his family doesn’t know—actually, no one knows—is that Zac never quite stopped being in love with Rose, not after they broke up in high school and certainly not after she married his brother. Zac is well aware that a weekend spent packing up what’s left of the only woman he’s ever loved will be little more than torture…with a side of emotional hell—alcohol sold separately.

Upon his arrival, he immediately notices how the house and the surrounding garden have fallen into disrepair. It isn’t until nightfall that he truly starts to realise just how…disturbed the house really is. After a few doors slam and the phrase ‘writing on the wall’ comes to life before his very eyes, Zac is terrified enough to flee. But before he can make it to the door, he is confronted with the ghost of his sister-in-law, Rose.

However, the sultry seductress before him and his sweet, shy Rosie are two very different entities. And as much as he would like to believe otherwise, it seems this rose is all thorns.

Can he stop himself from touching her regardless?

Dedication

To Marie Claire Remolano. I don’t know if Lord Byron was telling the truth when he wrote that ‘It is better to have loved and lost, than to never have loved at all.’ I don’t know if there is an afterlife or a higher being that protects us. Hell, I can’t even remember what I ate for breakfast this morning. However, I wanted to let you know, Claire, that I truly believe Deacon lives on in you.

"For this is Wisdom; to love; to live,

To take what Fate, or the Gods, may give,

To ask no question, to make no prayer,

To kiss the lips and caress the hair,

Speed passion’s ebb as you greet its flow,—

To have,—to hold,—and,—in time,—let go!"

—Laurence Hope, The Teak Forest

Trademarks Acknowledgement

The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of the following wordmarks mentioned in this work of fiction:

Lowe’s: Lowe’s Companies, Inc.

Hallmark: Hallmark Cards, Inc.

Goodwill: Goodwill Industries International, Inc.

Mickey Mouse: The Walt Disney Company

Chapter One

Sometimes good intentions just didn’t cut it.

Zac tightened his grip on the steering wheel of his truck and found it a poor substitute for his sister’s neck. Was it something in Haley’s genetics? Were all sisters like that? Were they all hellbent on driving their brothers into the ground with their insanity disguised as concern? He didn’t think so. If they were, the murder rates would be steadily rising. He was sure of it.

Thoroughly blaming his mother for the basket case he called ‘sister’, he turned into the suburban neighbourhood his brother and late sister-in-law had made their home during their short marriage. Virginia was on the cusp of spring and he rolled down the window, eager to sample the scent of flowers in bloom. The crisp, chilly air cooled the sweat dampening the back of his neck. It was a pleasant relief. Well, sort of.

I don’t want to be here.

Regardless of the blues and pristine reds of the houses flying by him, the place reeked of death. His colourful surroundings were almost morbid, considering the turmoil he knew was waiting for him in the last house on the left.

Zac was as happy as any brother could be for Stacey. His brother had climbed through the depression that had nearly sent him spiralling into self-destruction after Rose had…died. After three years, Stacey finally seemed ready to move on. Unfortunately, moving on meant selling the house where it had happened. It meant boxing up Rose’s studio and trying to get things into some semblance of the realtor’s standards.

 Zac’s throat worked as his mind tormented him with a picture of Rose’s silvery-blonde hair and sweet blue eyes. He fought not to close his own eyes as he eased on the brake and flicked on his blinker. He didn’t want to see the house again. He didn’t want to be faced with her memory. Hell, he’d nearly worked himself into an early grave trying to find some sort of peace after it had happened. His heart ached, and he pushed aside the memories trying to claw their way to the surface.

Almost of its own accord, his gaze wandered to the left, where the house he’d been trying to avoid loomed ahead. The place hadn’t changed. The white paint was a little lighter, but the red door still gleamed in the morning light, as if freshly painted. It was the doorway to certain hell.

He tensed with the urge to stomp on the gas and leave this unpleasant task to his brother. He was the one who’d had the pleasure of being Rose’s