Turn To You

By Claire Matthews

Torn between war and passion, will Ben and Amy find their way to each other?

Amy Maddox is a young war widow in the winter of 1943 when she's hired to tutor Sergeant Ben Schuester in German. As their mutual attraction blossoms into love, they are faced with Ben's impending deployment, and the dangers of the war in Europe.

Can Amy open her heart again? Can Ben face his feelings for Amy, knowing that his future is so uncertain? After spending a brief but idyllic Christmas together, Ben must leave, and his journey tests the strength of their burgeoning love.

Through the dramatic backdrop of World War II, Ben and Amy deal with passion, loss and heartache in search of their happily ever after.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Totally Bound Publishing
• Release date: Jun 6, 2011
• ISBN: 9780857155719

Book preview

A Total-E-Bound Publication

www.total-e-bound.com

Turn To You

ISBN # 978-0-85715-571-9

©Copyright Claire Matthews 2011

Cover Art by April Martinez ©Copyright June 2011

Edited by Rebecca Hill

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 2011 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 been rated Total-e-sizzling.

TURN TO YOU

Claire Matthews

Dedication

To my Twitter girls… I can always count on you for support and laughter.

Trademarks Acknowledgement

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

The Adventures of the Thin Man: Dashiell Hammett

Woolworths: Woolworths Limited

Chapter One

Fayetteville, North Carolina

December 1943

Ben walked slowly up the driveway of the small, red-brick house, noticing the large, decorative wreath on the front door, its red ribbons and gold-glitter pinecones beckoning him forward.

He straightened his dark green tie, smoothed his khaki dress shirt, and pulled his garrison cap a few inches lower on his short, dark-blond curls before pulling the brass knocker on the door and giving it three sharp taps. He was dressed in full uniform, although this was a private, one-on-one session with a German language tutor, arranged by his commanding officer. He knew he was being deployed to Germany in January, and Colonel Braxton had arranged for him to receive intensive language tutoring over the next four weeks. The colonel was sketchy on the details of his mission, but Ben Schuester was not the type of soldier who asked a lot of questions. He went where he was needed, without hesitation or explanation. It was one of the reasons he was being sent to Germany on a special mission.

As he waited at the door, a burst of early December wind blew across his back. He would miss Fayetteville. He’d only been stationed there a few months, but he had quickly come to love the weather, the people, and the small-town atmosphere, so different from his hometown of Lima, Ohio.

The door opened quickly, pulling Ben from his thoughts and sinking his senses immediately into deep brown eyes, wavy red hair, and a slim, petite body that was shivering against the cold, covered only with a lightweight pink cardigan and brown pencil skirt.

Umm, yes, Ma’am… I’m here for an appointment with Mrs Maddox? he said, pulling his hat off and twisting it in his fist.

Yes, I’m Mrs Maddox. You must be Sergeant Schuester. It’s nice to meet you, she said with a smile, holding out her hand to shake his. Ben took her hand, despite his confusion.

I’m…you’re…you’re Mrs Maddox? The German tutor? He ran his free hand through his hair, stopping at the back to scratch his neck.

Yes, I’m Mrs-Maddox-the-German-tutor, she grinned, moving aside so he could enter the front hall. He stepped in, still a bit stunned by the notion that his tutor was not, in fact, an old German hausfrau, but instead, an attractive, young…married woman. With big, brown eyes that made his breath catch in his throat.

Come on, I thought we’d be more comfortable in the back, she said as she led him to a brightly-coloured eat-in kitchen, stopping at a table that