Healed by Love - Book 2 Read online

  Healed by

  LOVE

  ~Book 2~

  by

  Ami LeCoeur

  &

  Elle Dawson

  PUBLISHED BY:

  Career Life Press

  Copyright © 2015

  Ami LeCoeur and

  Elle Dawson

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this publication may be copied or reproduced in any format, by any means, electronic or otherwise, without prior written consent from the copyright owner and publisher of this book.

  This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or to actual events, is entirely coincidental. All names, characters, businesses, organizations, places, events, and situations are either the product of the author’s imagination, or used fictitiously, and are not to be construed as real.

  This series is a collaboration between Ami LeCoeur and Elle Dawson, based on characters from the High Stake Seduction series, created by Ami LeCoeur.

  Healed by LOVE

  Book 2 - Summary

  When your heart is missing, what do you do? You find it!

  When Thompson gets the call that his daughter is missing, he and Maria begin a quest. Not just to find the girl he loves so much, but to discover the truth behind her fear. And to do everything within his power to fix it.

  Maria sees a new side of him as she discovers a new side to herself. A sensual side she thought was forever lost. She’s making up for lost time, living in the moment. She’s saying ‘yes’ to the new possibilities coming her way. Life is beautiful and her future brighter than she ever imagined. If everything goes right, she might even be able to walk again.

  But in the shadows, jealousy spreads its ugly wings. They don’t call it the green-eye monster for nothing. It is a monster. And it doesn’t care what or who gets in its way.

  This is book 2 in the Healed by LOVE serial. It contains adult themes and is intended for those 18 and older.

  Connect with Ami on Facebook: http://facebook.com/AmiLeCoeurBooks

  Connect with Elle on Facebook: http://facebook.com/ElleDawsonWrites

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  Healed by LOVE

  ~Book 2 ~

  Chapter 1 – Emily

  I was kinda sad, but tried not to be. I knew I’d probably get in trouble, but I hugged Daddy even tighter—he was a hero and I didn’t want him to go. I started to cry, but I made myself stop. Then a stupid tear slid down my face anyway. Daddy wiped it away.

  “I love you, punkin,” he said as he kissed my cheek. “We’ll have fun again soon. I promise.”

  Mommy was angry. So angry, I could feel how mad she was. It was worst when her face went all red like it looked now. It was worst-worst when she talked funny, like she was doing now, smiling and barely moving her lips. She looked like a puppet. A wooden puppet with a big smile painted on her face, and her lips hardly moving.

  I was afraid I would make things worse if I took too long. My mom only ever yelled at Daddy when it was about me. So I pretended everything was okay and smiled really big, like everything was fine as I kissed Daddy and Miss Maria goodbye. I didn’t want Daddy to feel bad, so I did my best to skip and sing my hero song as I headed toward the door. It was harder than I thought. Stupid crutches.

  Instead of going inside right away, I hid on the porch to see what would happen next. I heard Mom saying something, but I couldn’t hear the words. Then Daddy jumped in his big truck and slammed the door. Mommy was still talking, even when the truck started rolling backward.

  “Baby killer!”

  What? What did she say?

  Daddy’s big truck got loud and his tires squealed as he headed down the street. I turned and sneaked into the house while Mommy was watching them leave.

  Baby killer?

  What was she talking about?

  Who would kill babies? Certainly not Miss Maria. And not my daddy either. My dad is a hero.

  Moving as fast as I could, I hurried to my room. I quietly shut my door and turned on the light before I tossed my bag on the bed. I looked down at my blanket, covered with princesses. I used to love this blanket, but now… I don’t know. I love when Daddy calls me his little princess and treats me like I’m special. But sometimes I think this blanket is more for the little kids, and maybe I'm too old for it..

  Mommy won’t let me get another blanket. When I asked her for a new one, she said this one was just fine. Sometimes I think she doesn’t want me to grow up.

  I heard the front door slam. That’s not good. Then I heard some dirty words, and that made me suck in my breath. I hated when she got like this. It made my tummy hurt. There was nothing I could do or say that would make her calm down. And if I did try, well, sometimes that made it even worse.

  When had my mommy changed so much? She used to be nice to me. I remember how she liked to show me off to people. She was proud of me, of how good I walked. People would see us together, and she always brightened up—almost like she had a special glow. She was patient with me then. But not anymore, and that made me sad. Really sad. No matter how much I thought about it, I couldn’t figure out what I had done to make her change so much, to make her mad at me all the time.

  I sighed, looking around my room, remembering what Miss Maria and Daddy had told me about blending in, about hiding ‘in plain sight’. Of course, Mom knew every corner of my room really well, and she also knew I was in here, so I probably wouldn’t be able to try the new hiding trick I learned today. At least, not right now.

  I looked down at the princesses on my blanket, all smiley, and wondered… if I could smile really big like them, pretending everything was alright, would I be able to blend in with them?

  My door opened suddenly, and I looked up at Mom’s red, blotchy face. I really, really didn’t want to be in trouble. I wished I was small and there was some place I could crawl into.

  “Get your pajamas on! Right now. And don’t let me hear a word out of you. Oh, please! Stop that sniveling, young lady. Now!”

  I pressed my lips together real tight to stop me from wanting to cry, and nodded quickly. I knew better than to say anything right then. It would only make her madder and that’s the last thing I wanted.

  I stood up and walked over to my dresser, setting my crutches to the side. I opened my drawer and pulled out my warm pink pajamas. These were my favorites. Daddy had bought them for me last Christmas. I set them on the bed and Mommy walked out, slamming the door and I heard that clicky sound I hated.

  Oh no.

  I looked down at the pajamas and tried to hold back my tears. This was going to be another long scary night when I was locked in my room, afraid that she might come back and start yelling at me again. Sometimes she left me alone until morning—but other times she screamed at me for a really long time. And sometimes she broke my things, throwing them against the wall.

  My heart beat faster just thinking about that. I went over to the little desk in the corner and pulled my iPad Mini from the drawer where I had hidden it under some papers. I looked around, trying to find the best new hiding place. Mom had broken my first one when she was mad, so Daddy got me a new one. I still felt sad for not telling him the whole truth when he asked about what happened. Was it a bad lie that I said it got dropped by accident?

  Shoving the iPad under my mattress, I climbed on the bed and waited. I was too antsy to read. She would be back soon, and I didn’t dare play with my toys or books, or she might break them when she came back. No way am I getting my secret iPad back out. With my luck, that would be the very moment she would come in.

  So instead, I looked around my room, trying to fill up the time until she came back. I thought about the aquari
um and how much fun I had today. Me and Daddy and Miss Maria had spent hours there, watching all the creatures living under the sea. It had been a special day. I sighed a happy sigh, remembering what fun it was to ride on Miss Maria’s lap while Daddy pushed us.

  We had seen all kinds of fish and turtles, including little baby fishies—I slapped a hand over my mouth to stop the giggle that came shooting out of me when I said that word. Still grinning, I got lost back in my head, thinking of the big giant porpoises and the crabs that skittered across the sand sideways. I bet I could make up a good story about them.

  I got to see fish that hid out, big fish and little fish who looked just like their surroundings. That’s when Daddy had told me about a secret way of hiding—about being very still and quiet and blending into the things around you. I liked that idea. I liked to be in the background anyway, so maybe I might use that sometime, like when I didn’t want the mean boys to tease me.

  I looked over at my clock and remembered I hadn’t changed into my pajamas yet. Mom would be seriously ticked off if I wasn’t ready for bed when she came back. I pulled off my shirt and tossed it on the bed. I yanked my PJs over my head, enjoying the soft fuzzy warmness. I stuck my fingers through the armholes wiggling my hands like I was a fish going into a very tiny space.

  Oops! I better pay attention, Mom could be back any minute.

  I finished getting dressed and put away my dirty clothes. I glanced around my room, looking for anything that would make her madder. I stuffed my suitcase bag in the closet. There. My room was perfect. Surely she couldn’t find anything bad to say about it now.

  It seemed like forever passed while I sat on my bed, waiting. I still didn’t want to read. I yawned, but it was because I was bored, not because I was tired.

  Maybe I would make up a story, like about being a mermaid. Sometimes I liked to pretend I was a mermaid—after all, I could swim in the water using my arms without any problem. Just like Ariel, the little mermaid who could swim in the water, but had a hard time walking on land.

  When I was a little girl I thought mermaids were real, but now… I didn’t know anymore. I hoped they were. I really, really liked mermaids. I even saw a TV program where a man swore he saw one. But Mom just laughed when I said I was really a mermaid and I’d walk someday, like Ariel.

  Just as I was about to get my notebook to write down my story ideas, Mom jerked the door open again. “Go brush your teeth—and make it snappy, young lady. I’m in no mood for your slacking and wasting my time tonight.”

  Wow, I knew better than to say anything when she talked like that! I scrambled up with my crutches and headed for the bathroom as she turned back to her bedroom. I stepped through my doorway, glancing across the hallway into her room. She was putting a scarf over the lamp and fluffing her pillows.

  Oh. Company was coming. That meant I would definitely be locked in my room all night. I frowned. I didn’t like being locked in, but maybe with company she would be too busy to come yell at me.

  “I told you, make it snappy. Honestly, you are as inconsiderate as your father,” she said, glaring over at me.

  “I’m sorry, Mommy.”

  “Don’t use that tone with me, young lady. You’re not sorry.” She shook her head and put her hands on her hips, like she does when she’s really mad. “You get more like him every day. Never taking anyone else into consideration. Thinking you’re something special. Well, let me tell you, you aren’t. And neither is he. Regardless of whatever lies he may be filling your head with.”

  Lies? Daddy never lied to me. I didn’t think so, anyway. I held my breath for a moment. When Mom got like this, I just kept my mouth shut. It was a whole lot better than asking questions. That only gave her a reason to go on and on, saying mean things to me. Things like I was being a ‘smart ass’. I wanted to be smart, but I didn’t mean to be a ‘smart ass’, especially when she hated it so much.

  She turned away and I blew out the air I had been holding in my chest. Sometimes I couldn’t even try to figure out what she was talking about.

  I took a deep breath in. Lately she had so many rules. I tried, I really tried to remember them all and do as she wanted. Like not asking too many questions. When I did, that’s when she called me the ‘smart ass’. So I pressed my lips together to stop myself from asking. Or, like her wanting me to always call her ‘Mommy’. If I forgot, she would get really mad. She was like those machines at the pizza place, the pin-ball machines. You never knew where the little ball was going to be coming from next, or where you had to pay attention.

  I hurried through the nighttime getting-ready-for-bed stuff. I washed my face and brushed my teeth. I would brush my hair in the bedroom. I liked brushing my hair, it made me feel calm.

  “Okay, Mommy, I’m done.”

  “Then get your ass to bed. And I don’t want to hear a peep out of you again tonight.” She shut my door behind me, and I heard the click of the lock, then her footsteps heading back to her bedroom.

  I shivered, squirming under my covers. Sometimes it was hard not to wonder if maybe someone put an evil spell on my mom—the mom I used to know. I sighed, snuggling down under the smiling princesses. Why were grownups so hard to figure out?

  Chapter 2 – Thom

  The moment Maria said “take me to bed” everything inside my body tightened. Not just my cock, but every cell in my body. After my emotional confession… the turmoil of finally sharing my worst secret… the one that haunted me day and night… the one I knew would make her hate me… I was about to make love to the most wonderful woman I’d ever known.

  My Maria.

  A virgin.

  Damn.

  I’d thought about it—fantasized about it—a million times, but now that it was time, I knew I couldn’t fuck this up. I needed to make it special. Beautiful for her and for me. For us.

  Her calm acceptance and understanding had helped me in so many ways. Like cauterizing the wound that had been rotting inside me for so long. Could this be the balm that healed it? Maria’s touch. Maria’s passion. Maria’s love.

  Emily’s sweet face flashed through my mind and worry crept its way into the moment. That single tear I’d wiped away before she’d glued a smile on her face kept haunting me—was she alright? Was she scared by the outbursts and threats her mother hurled at me? She’d seemed awfully interested in our conversation about hiding. I’d just assumed it was a normal kid thing—like when we used to play hide and seek. Was there something else she wasn’t telling me that I should know about?

  Damn it. How did I not know Em was going through so much? And what was I going to do about it? What could I do about it? I balled my hand into a fist. It was time to find out.

  Maria’s fingertips pushed through my hair, bringing me back to this moment. Bringing me back to her. I crushed her lips with mine and pushed away all other thoughts—I’d worry about those tomorrow. Tonight I was here. With her.

  I lifted her from the sofa and carried her to the bedroom, lying her gently on the bed. My heart was beating so hard, in anticipation—and something close to fear. I was sure she could feel it pounding through my skin.

  Would she be able to… feel me?

  Would I be able to give her pleasure?

  Would she be disappointed?

  Would I hurt her?

  Damn.

  The questions were like a heavy weight tied to my erection.

  I took a deep breath. Calm. Control. Then I looked down at my Maria. Screw that. Screw the self-doubt. The concern. The worry. Maria cared for me and that was all that mattered. I would show her how much I cared for her. I would show her with actions that filled up her senses, rather than hollow words and promises.

  She reached out a hand, pulling me down to her and I covered her sweet mouth with mine. I teased the seam of her lips with my tongue and she opened, welcoming me. I deepened the kiss and felt her response all the way to my balls. She was hungry, feeding on my lips. I fed her.

  I needed to touch her, feel h
er softness, her warm skin. Draw us even closer. She moaned as my hand found her breast, her body arching into my touch. She was so sensitive, so responsive. Twisting and arching against my hand. She moaned again, pressing her glorious fullness into my palm.

  Her fingers were at the hem of my shirt, trying to push it up and over my head. I smiled against her lips, her eagerness nourishing my ego.

  It had been months since I’d had sex with a woman. Months since I’d sunk into a woman’s warmth. From the moment I met Maria, I just hadn’t found anyone else very interesting.

  I usually gravitated to the ones only interested in one-night-stands and who understood the rules of a fuck and run. That suited me perfectly… until now.

  Giving into her insistence, I pulled away and stood by the bed. Her beautiful eyes were hooded as she watched me take off my shirt. I smiled as her eyes widened and she sat up, her hand reaching out, searching, seeking. I looked down and watched her fingers trace the muscles of my stomach; she looked mesmerized as she outlined each muscle in turn.

  When she leaned forward and began to kiss my abs, electricity sizzled through my system. Her soft lips, her fingers, the warmth of her breath were a heady combination and I stood there, giving her time to explore me. We had all night. I’d let her play. Then it would be my turn.

  With trembling fingers, she began to unbutton my pants. I pushed my hands through her thick hair, holding onto its softness as the zipper hissed its way down. Her breathing became ragged as she pushed my pants down my thighs. I wondered if she’d ever seen a penis this close. If being a virgin meant she was completely without some carnal knowledge. When she pushed down my boxers and my rigid cock popped out, I thought I had my answer.

  She looked momentarily frightened and unsure as she examined me, her eyes wide, her mouth falling open. Her reaction fed my ego, but also my concern. She seemed hesitant as she stared at my cock, looking overwhelmed.