His Word...Doubt

By Carol Delmornay

Samantha Barnes worked hard for years to establish her new identity, but it all came crashing down around her ears at the Hamilton Estate's annual masquerade ball when she found herself back in the presence of her wealthy and sadistic former lover, Nathan Buchanan---and all because of Levi Webber's unrelenting pursuit of her. The most magical ni

• Language: English
• Publisher: Carol Delmornay
• Release date: Dec 23, 2016
• ISBN: 9781540828774

Carol Delmornay

Carol Delmornay is a married mother of three, born and raised in the beautiful city of Perth, Western Australia. She and husband Mark moved to a small town in the Goldfields region of Western Australia in December 2015 to renovate their home, and design their gardens. Always a veracious reader, the urge to write didn't hit until later in life. In between attending her children's sporting activities and running a business with her husband, Carol poured many hours, blood, sweat and tears into her first four book series---"His Word-The Trusted Saga". Carol also enjoys writing erotic short stories for her Facebook page---Seductive Angel's Devilish Desires. Carol spends all her spare time writing and listening to music, swimming, walking and enjoying the peaceful life of the country.

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Also by Carol Delmornay

His Word...Discovery

Book One in The Trusted Saga

I dared to dream.....

I yearn for my words to seduce your imagination,

to persuade you to enjoy a sinful ride of lust

and feel every line,

making your heart beat hard and fast behind your ribs

and create a sensual glow upon your skin,

to leave you wet and wanting

with the desire to hunger for more.

That electrifying moment when he captures a fistful of hair,

and wrenches,

breathing life into your dormant soul.

Chapter One

Samantha

The only thing echoing through my mind was Nathan’s smarmy voice, while I clutched Levi’s jacket in a two-handed death grip as he strode through the crowd in the ballroom.

Panic consumed me, and I was conscious of little else.

He’s found me—oh, my God—Nathan’s found me.

I was only vaguely aware of Levi’s friend, Sebastian, holding the door of the limousine open, when Levi ducked his head, stooped down, and pushed me through the opening.

He sat, and cradled me in his lap, holding me tightly when the door was thrown closed with a loud thud.

The sleek black limousine moved slowly away from the entrance of the Hamilton Estate—and away from the evil that was Nathan Buchanan.

Samantha—are you okay? Levi asked tensely.

I couldn’t stop the uncontrollable shaking that had taken over me, although my tears were beginning to dry up. Instead of the fast-flowing river that was cascading down over my cheeks, there was now only a trickle meandering down onto Levi’s broad chest.

Levi—please...just get me away from here!

We’re leaving, Sweetheart, everything’s okay, now, he said calmly.

No, everything’s not okay—it’s as far from being okay, as it can be. Oh, God.

I shuddered when the sense of having Nathan’s arms around me materialized in my mind, evoking the terror I’d experienced, and Levi’s arms tightened solidly around me.

He was content to hold me securely in his lap, offering me some time to compose myself, while I clung to him. We travelled for several minutes in silence, until Levi spoke.

Who’s found you, Samantha? he asked concernedly.

His deep voice resonated through his chest, and rumbled against my ear. What the hell am I going to tell him? I’ve tried so hard to keep this from everyone—-what the hell am I going to do?

Samantha, he prodded gently. Who is it that you’re talking about?

I buried my face in his chest.

Someone I wasn’t prepared to see. Or ever wanted to see again, as long as I lived.

Levi’s chest rose, and fell with a patient sigh.

Samantha, his hand lifted, and he placed a finger beneath my chin, tilting my head up so I had to look him in the eye. I need a name—who found you?

Before I could decide if, or how, I was going to answer his question, Levi cursed under his breath, and shifted me on his lap.

Leaning to one side, he reached in, and extracted his vibrating phone from the pocket of his pants. Glancing at the screen, he tapped it with his thumb, and accepted the call.

What is it, Seb?

He listened quietly to whatever it was Sebastian was telling him. I made a move to slide off his lap while he was listening, but his steely arm tightened around me.

Thank you, Seb.

He dropped the phone on the seat beside him, and stared at me in thoughtful contemplation.

Care to explain to me how it is you know Nathan Buchanan?

His expression was bland, but his piercing, almost black eyes, seemed to burn right through me, and all of a sudden, I found it hard to swallow. My heart rate started climbing. Fuck.

I—um—know him from a hospital—he—was a patient.

I was hoping like hell that small explanation was going to be enough, but something told me my brief answer wasn’t going to go anywhere near to satisfying Levi. And I was right.

A hospital, huh? Levi lifted one brow incredulously, clearly indicating he didn’t really believe me. "And how long ago was this—meeting, Samantha?"

A feeling of foreboding nudged at my anxiety. Something in his tone was putting me on edge. I tried to sound casual.

Oh—um—I don’t know—around four, or five years ago, I answered quietly.

Were you also a patient?

No—no, I was working there, I said, without thinking.

Levi’s brow rose expectantly, and I felt an unusual urge to explain further.

I was a kitchen hand. I delivered the meal trolleys to the wards—things like that, my voice trailed off.

Hmmm.

Levi’s thumb began to graze faintly back, and forth, over the material of my costume, across the edge of my exposed thigh. That simple movement temporarily distracted my thoughts, but he still had me pinned with his piercing gaze.

"You just happened to meet Buchanan while you were delivering meals?"

Yes, I confirmed in a low, but shaky voice.

My anxiety started growing. I couldn’t shake the feeling that he was leading to something with his questions.

So—was it Samantha Barnes—or Angelica Williams, who met him? he asked sternly.

My eyes widened, and I stiffened on his lap.

How in the fuck does he know my full name? My heart was thumping loudly inside my chest, and I felt the iciness creep through my veins, chilling me to the bone.

From his penetrative stare, it was suddenly apparent that he was expecting me to reply with an answer he already knew. I recoiled—pushing against his hard chest with my hands to move myself as far back from his grim expression as I could, while his arms trapped me on his lap.

Feeling the blood drain from my face, my head began to spin in turmoil.

Let me go, I said hoarsely.

He immediately released me. I quickly slid off his lap, and away from him on the seat, still in shock.

I tried to think, tried to recall who knew the name Williams. I mentally counted them. There were five people in total who knew that name.

My thoughts promptly became crystal clear. There were only two possible choices. And there was only one I was putting my money on. Kiara. I propelled myself slowly along the seat, until I was in the opposite corner, away from Levi.

"Where did you hear the name, Williams?" I asked tensely.

I’m sure I saw a glint of regret flash through his eyes, before he sighed.

I heard it from Kiara, he exclaimed.

It was like I was hit in the stomach with the butt end of Toni’s baseball bat. I was right.

I felt betrayed. And sick to my stomach. Kiara knew too many details about my past. Oh, fuck—what else has she told him?

Huh, I snorted as it dawned on me. When you took her to dinner, right?

I raised my brows, and waited for him to either confirm, or deny my suspicions.

Yes, he confirmed simply.

No wonder she was such a fucking bitch toward me at the club. I couldn’t speak. All I did was sit there, and slowly shake my head in disbelief.

Take me home, I demanded crisply without even looking at him.

I crossed my arms in front of me, and huddled into the corner of the seat, staring unseeingly into the darkness through the side window.

How did the most magical, romantically exhilarating night of my life, turn into my worst possible nightmare?

Levi

ANGELICA RETREATED into the far corner of the seat after she demanded to be taken home.

The silence between us became deafening. A wide chasm opening wider with each minute that passed. She didn’t even glance in my direction.

There were a million questions rolling around inside my head that I needed her to answer. But I knew she didn’t want to speak with me at the moment.

Why in the fuck did I have to mention the damned surnames?

That was the catalyst.

The frostiness she emanated was compounded by my confirmation my knowledge of them came from Kiara on the night I had dinner with her.

My blood pressure started rising, knowing the information Suzie imparted to me that night in the restaurant, made a hell of a lot more sense, now.

Angelica, and Buchanan, must have been involved in an intimate relationship. He was the loaded wealthy guy Kiara had alluded to.

I burned with fury when I thought about what Buchanan had allegedly put her through.

Fucking hell—starring role in his movies, drink spiking, needles, beaten up—no wonder she fucking fainted.

I shifted on my seat, and Angelica glanced sideways at me, with narrowed eyes.

Samantha?

Just leave me alone, Levi, she answered in a stony voice, and returned her attention back to staring at the darkened scenery zipping past in a blur.

When I picked her up off of the dance floor, she’d been panic-stricken. She’d latched onto me, and her eyes were wide with alarm. I can’t get that look of fear in her eyes out of my mind.

Samantha, I called to her assertively. I had dinner with Kiara solely to gain information about you.

Her head snapped around to confront me.

"You did what?" she asked quietly.

I wanted information regarding you, and I knew Kiara could give me what I wanted. It was a fishing expedition, I explained simply.

"You took Kiara on a date to obtain information about me? she shook her head. Did you sleep with her, too?" she asked bitterly.

Fuck.

It wasn’t a date. If she told you that, it was a lie. And no, I did NOT sleep with her.

Did Kiara know that? she snapped at me irritably. Because I’m absolutely certain she considers she was on a date with you. You’ve got no idea what you’ve done, Levi. When she figures out you only took her out to gain information about me, her voice trailed off, and she shook her head. She’s not stupid. You’ve just stuck a stick in a hornet’s nest.

Angelica sighed heavily, and her shoulders dropped glumly.

The next few minutes were long, and silent.

She didn’t say another word, until we pulled up to a stop in front of her home. She opened the door, and alighted from the back of the limo, before either Simon, or I, could open it for her.

Angelica took one long look at me, and I knew where I stood.

I never want to see, or hear from you, again.

She spun around, and started walking to her front door as I got out of the limo, and slammed the door closed.

Samantha?

She completely ignored me.

Samantha!

Her name came out as an order to halt, and I winced. But it worked. She stopped—long enough to spin around, and take a defiant stand.

She reached her hands up around the back of her neck, and unclasped the necklace, while she locked eyes with me. It dangled in her hand, while she placed her clenched fist against the brick wall to steady her, and used her free hand to slip off her heels, one by one. She held them both by the heels in the same hand the necklace was dangling in.

Take these now. I’ll have the dress cleaned, and delivered once it’s done.

She extended her hand, waiting for me to take them from her.

Samantha—they’re gifts.

"I don’t want them. I don’t want anything from you. Take them with you, and leave me the hell alone."

When I didn’t make any move to collect them from her, and she decided she’d waited long enough, she dropped them down on the front lawn, and yanked her front door open, disappearing inside, and slamming it shut behind her.

I’m going to need to do some serious damage control to mend this monumental fuck up. Tonight couldn’t have ended any more disastrously if I had planned it.

Chapter Two

Samantha

Without warning, the lights flicked on, glaring brightly in my eyes.

Toni appeared before me, emerging from around the wall of the hallway, dressed in her bunny print flannelette pajamas, with a towel wrapped around her head, and a stupefied look of surprise on her face.

I leaned my head back against the rear of the front door, and clenched my eyes shut. She obviously heard the door slam from the harsh way I’d thrown it closed.

What the hell happened? Jesus Christ, Sammi, you look like you’ve seen a ghost! What are you doing here? Why aren’t you at the Hamilton Estate? I thought you’d still be hours yet, she rapidly fired questions at me.

I shook my head slowly, unable to form words at that moment to answer any of them. My trembling legs wouldn’t hold me up any longer, and I slowly slid down the door, until my butt hit the worn brown carpet, and I couldn’t go any further.

I wrapped my arms tightly around my bent knees, shaking uncontrollably, and still feeling like I was going to pass out at any minute.

Toni dropped to the floor in front of me, and pried my arms away from the strangle hold I had around my knees, clearly very worried about me.

Sammi?

I don’t want—to see—or hear from—Levi Fucking Webber—ever again! I choked back a sob of despair.

What the fuck happened? Toni demanded urgently.

I should have listened—you were right—I was right. I shouldn’t have been within a hundred miles of him, my voice dropped to a harsh whisper. What in the hell was I thinking?

Sammi, Jesus, what fucking happened? Toni’s voice raised an octave with concern, and sounded strained, but she was also sternly demanding an answer.

Before I could begin to tell her what happened, I was startled by a loud knock, and felt the vibrations of it through the wooden door on my back.

I jumped in dismay, and scurried away from the door on my hands, and knees.

Samantha! Open the door!

Levi ordered me fiercely to respond through the closed door. I grabbed Toni’s hand strongly.

Is that Levi? Toni inquired incredulously in a tight whisper. Why didn’t you let him in?

"Don’t you dare open that fucking door, Toni!"

My furious whisper made her freeze when she started to do exactly that.

Samantha! Open the damned door! Levi demanded again.

I shook my head at Toni, and she frowned with confusion. Levi’s voice continued to demand that I open up.

I have nowhere I need to be right now, Samantha, so I’ll wait here all night if that’s what it takes for you to open this damn door!

He sounded like he meant every word. Will he really just wait on the other side of the door all night? Levi pounded on the door again, but this time he put some more muscle

behind it, and it shook brutally with the force.

Samantha!

His demands were getting louder, and more insistent.

He doesn’t sound like he’s going any time soon, Sammi, Toni whispered loud enough for me to hear her.

Again, he pounded hard, and the door shook.

Open. The. Door!

Levi continued for several seconds.

Sammi, you better open the bloody door, and talk to him, before he either knocks it in, or the neighbors decide to come out, and investigate what the hell all the raucous is about, Toni whispered urgently.

There is no way that is going to happen. Scrambling to my bare feet, I made a dash for my bedroom. Right before I slammed my bedroom door, I hissed at Toni.

You open that door, Toni, and you’ll have to deal with him, because I don’t want to see his face again, ever!

Silently thanking the landlord for having a lock on the bedroom door, I slammed it shut, and twisted the lock on it when I heard another thump on the front door, with enough

severity to cause the windows in my room to rattle.

Jesus, he’s going to knock the damn thing down in a minute.

"Where is she?"

I heard Levi’s voice bellow irately, and demandingly. Toni must have opened it.

I wished fervently that I had Toni’s room. At least then I could have escaped out of the window. Mine was the room at the front of the house, and I would be seen if I tried to scramble out through that.

"Levi, I don’t care who you are, don’t you use that tone with me!"

I heard Toni bellow angrily in return. From her tone, I knew her legs will be straight, and slightly parted with her back muscles tense, and her arms crossed furiously against her chest. Her full lips will be pursed with her nostrils flaring in, and out, and her eyes will be fiery rounds of brown shooting daggers at him.

It was exactly the same stance she used with me when I pissed her off. I clamped my hand over my mouth to stem the hysterical giggling rising up in my throat that was threatening to erupt at the image. What the fuck is so funny about this situation? Absolutely nothing!

"I don’t know what the hell happened while Sammi was with you, Levi, but I can tell you one thing for sure—she doesn’t want to see you again."

"I insist I talk to her."

"Well I suggest you insist on talking to her at some other time, because right now, you seem to be presented with two chances of that happening—Buckley’s, and none!"

There was a short lull in their arguing, before I heard Levi’s voice again.

Is she all right?

I smiled bitterly when I heard Toni snort her response to his question.

I’d hazard a guess, and say NO, she’s not all right!

There was more silence. It stretched so long, I wondered if Levi had left.

Easing my hand on the doorknob, I almost opened my door, and then I snatched it away like I was grasping glowing hot coals when I heard Levi’s voice again.

Can I wait for her to calm down?

Not on your life! I think you better leave, Levi.

He obviously made no move to depart.

I will call the police if you don’t.

Toni’s no-nonsense tone certainly conveyed that’s exactly what she’ll do if he didn’t leave.

Let Samantha know I will call her.

Don’t expect her to answer if you do.

I heard Toni snap back in response.

I waited. I heard the front door close. Then the sound of an engine starting up, and I listened carefully to hear it fade when it drove away.

I closed my eyes, and heaved a sigh of relief. Crossing over to my bed, I sank down on the edge, and put my head in my hands.

A few minutes later, I heard Toni’s soft knock on my bedroom door.

Coast is clear, he’s gone.

I forced myself to my feet, and padded quietly over to the door, hesitant to open it.

He’s definitely gone? I asked Toni through the door.

Open up. He’s not here.

When I twisted the lock, and opened the door, Toni shoved a glass full of an amber liquid at me.

Right. Drink this. And then you better tell me what the hell happened at the Hamilton Estate tonight!

We talked—and drank. Our home was one of the few places I felt safe enough to drink more than I should at any one time.

And tonight, I definitely felt like I needed one, or ten! Toni was heavy handed with the bottle, too. She certainly poured liberally. I must look like I need to consume a strong

one.

You left here as excited as I’ve ever seen you, and you return an absolute mess. What did Levi do to you?

The beautiful gown Levi sent for me to wear was crumpled, and gathered up around my crossed legs on top of the couch. I felt an overwhelming urge to rip it up in shreds.

I need to change, I mumbled angrily, and stomped off to my room, while Toni remained on the couch.

I sought out my favorite oversized t-shirt, needing familiarity, and comfort, leaving the costume piled like an undesirable ball of rags in the corner of my room with the corset

flung idly on top.

Toni waited expectantly for me to answer her question when I returned to my seat.

"Nathan was there."

Saying his name made me feel physically sick. My mouth went dry, and I took a large mouthful of bourbon from the glass resting between my hands.

Are you fucking serious? Toni asked incredulously.

She sat there staring at me in shock.

No wonder you’re a bloody mess, Toni mused quietly. Did you tell Levi?

I shook my head.

No.

I tried to calm my racing heart. I’d painstakingly ensured Nathan wouldn’t be able to find me, and it all came crashing down around my ears tonight.

I was so angry at Levi. If he wasn’t so persistent, and demanded I go to the damned ball at the Hamilton Estate with him, Nathan wouldn’t know I was still around.

His friend Sebastian called him when we left—I fainted, Toni—I was fucking dancing with him. He was masked, and I had no bloody idea who he was.

My body trembled at the memory of his hands gripping my ass.

Jesus, Toni’s eyes widened, and her brows drew together as she lifted her glass to her lips. How much does Levi know? she asked curiously as she took a hearty mouthful.

Taking another large gulp of my own drink, I hesitated in telling Toni what Levi knew—or at least, what he told me he knew.

"Sebastian only informed him of Nathan’s name—Kiara told him about Angelica Williams..."

What? Toni yelled, and spilled her drink in her lap. Are you fucking kidding me, Sammi?

I shook my head sadly.

No—I’m not, I replied despondently.

Holy fuck, Toni mumbled quietly. "How—when——fuck," she repeated.

He took Kiara out to dinner to get information out of her about me.

Toni sat in her seat gaping at me, at a total loss for words, just shaking her head in utter amazement. I drained what was left in my glass, and leaned forward to place it on the little coffee table in front of the sofa.

I’m getting the bottle, Toni stated matter-of-factly.

She jumped up off the sofa, and returned with a half bottle of Wild Turkey, re-filling my empty glass.

I think we need a few of these tonight, she mumbled.

I couldn’t agree with her more. She set the bottle down on the coffee table, and sat back in her seat.

How much does Levi know? she asked hesitantly.

I don’t know, I whispered. I only told him I met Nathan when I was working at the hospital—he asked who met him—Samantha Barnes, or Angelica Williams.

Toni remained expectantly silent, while I took another large mouthful of bourbon.

After he told me it was Kiara who told him that name, I didn’t want to discuss—anything.

Jesus—do you think he knows everything?

I blanched when Toni asked me that, and I felt like I was going to throw up.

I don’t know, I felt my eyes welling again, Toni, do you think Kiara’s told him everything?

Toni looked sympathetically at me, and I felt the first tear breach my lower lid, and fall down over my cheek.

I don’t know, Honey—but you know what she’s like. She will do anything to further her own agenda. And she wants Levi. She’s certainly made that clear.

Toni shuffled