from the porch, like a wife seeing her husband off for the day.
He just waved before he reversed out of the yard
ahead of Garcelle.
As she drove away from the house, Garcelle
frowned in thought. At first she'd thought Zorrie
was hanging around to protect the interest of her
deceased friend; now Garcelle thought the woman
was nothing but another man hunter in disguise.
Zorrie watched Garcelle reverse her beat-up little
Volkswagen out of the yard. With each turn of the wheels carrying Garcelle farther from the house,
Zorrie's face changed, losing its pleasantness. "Good
riddance," she muttered, with a wave of her hand, as
she walked into the house.
Her future house.
Ever since her first visit to this dream house,
which her friend had put together for years of enjoyment with her husband, Zorrie had envisioned
herself as the lady of the house, with Kade Strong
as her man. She felt no shame about that.
Zorrie and Reema had been friends since childhood, but Zorrie had always felt like she lived in
Reema's shadow. Reema had been prettier, wealthier,
and more popular. She had had more boyfriends,
more dates, and more fun. Although Reema had
always made sure to include her best friend, Zorrie
had just lived with the jealousy for all those years.
In fact, Reema and Zorrie had been together at a
high school party when they both met the handsome
Kade. From the beginning, he had only had eyes for
Reema. He had barely spared Zorrie a second
glance, but she had secretly longed for him. Craved
him. Wanted him.
Most of the time she was their third wheel, getting
a firsthand view of all the wonderful things Kade did
for her friend. She saw it all and wanted it all for
herself. Even after she moved to North Carolina
after college, she had thought of Kade and missed
him something awful. She had wished things with
him could've been different.
Zorrie slowly climbed the stairs, her hand trailing
up the banister. She went into Kadina's bedroom and
stood by her bed, looking down at the girl as she slept
peacefully. "You should've been my little girl," she said softly as she bent over and smoothed the hair on
Kadina's forehead. "Stepmother will be just fine."
She smiled in satisfaction before she left the room
and made her way to Kade's bedroom. She inhaled
deeply, with a soft moan, taking in the scent of him
that still lingered in the room. She couldn't wait to
share this space with Kade.
She pulled her nightgown over her head and
slipped between the sheets of his bed, holding one
of his pillows close to her nude body. She dug her
face into the pillow and inhaled deeply. "Oh, Kade,
why couldn't you see how much I loved you?" she
whispered. "How much I still love you."
Zorrie had it all planned. She would keep being
his friend and confidante and in time would become
his lover and wife.
As she hugged the pillow and pressed it between
her thighs, she looked at Kade and Reema's wedding photo. Her eyes shifted to the face of her
childhood friend. "Don't worry, Reema. I'll take
real good care of him for you."
Garcelle spent her day off giving the house a deep
cleaning. Whenever she thought of that moment
she'd shared with Kade on his porch, she scrubbed
harder. She had wanted to kiss him so badly. So badly
that she could still almost taste him.
She sat back on her heels in the bathroom and
stared off at a nothing spot on the wall. Everything
had become so complicated so quickly. Discovering
that Kade might be feeling her the same way that
she was feeling him just kicked it all up a notch. She
had been catching all kinds of hell resisting him,
but to have to resist a desire they both felt?
Kade Strong was not ready. Point blank.
There was a knock at the front door. Garcelle
pushed away thoughts of steamy first kisses and
naughty horseback rides as she walked to the living
room. Her steps faltered when she looked through
the glass screen door and saw Joaquin standing on
the
He just waved before he reversed out of the yard
ahead of Garcelle.
As she drove away from the house, Garcelle
frowned in thought. At first she'd thought Zorrie
was hanging around to protect the interest of her
deceased friend; now Garcelle thought the woman
was nothing but another man hunter in disguise.
Zorrie watched Garcelle reverse her beat-up little
Volkswagen out of the yard. With each turn of the wheels carrying Garcelle farther from the house,
Zorrie's face changed, losing its pleasantness. "Good
riddance," she muttered, with a wave of her hand, as
she walked into the house.
Her future house.
Ever since her first visit to this dream house,
which her friend had put together for years of enjoyment with her husband, Zorrie had envisioned
herself as the lady of the house, with Kade Strong
as her man. She felt no shame about that.
Zorrie and Reema had been friends since childhood, but Zorrie had always felt like she lived in
Reema's shadow. Reema had been prettier, wealthier,
and more popular. She had had more boyfriends,
more dates, and more fun. Although Reema had
always made sure to include her best friend, Zorrie
had just lived with the jealousy for all those years.
In fact, Reema and Zorrie had been together at a
high school party when they both met the handsome
Kade. From the beginning, he had only had eyes for
Reema. He had barely spared Zorrie a second
glance, but she had secretly longed for him. Craved
him. Wanted him.
Most of the time she was their third wheel, getting
a firsthand view of all the wonderful things Kade did
for her friend. She saw it all and wanted it all for
herself. Even after she moved to North Carolina
after college, she had thought of Kade and missed
him something awful. She had wished things with
him could've been different.
Zorrie slowly climbed the stairs, her hand trailing
up the banister. She went into Kadina's bedroom and
stood by her bed, looking down at the girl as she slept
peacefully. "You should've been my little girl," she said softly as she bent over and smoothed the hair on
Kadina's forehead. "Stepmother will be just fine."
She smiled in satisfaction before she left the room
and made her way to Kade's bedroom. She inhaled
deeply, with a soft moan, taking in the scent of him
that still lingered in the room. She couldn't wait to
share this space with Kade.
She pulled her nightgown over her head and
slipped between the sheets of his bed, holding one
of his pillows close to her nude body. She dug her
face into the pillow and inhaled deeply. "Oh, Kade,
why couldn't you see how much I loved you?" she
whispered. "How much I still love you."
Zorrie had it all planned. She would keep being
his friend and confidante and in time would become
his lover and wife.
As she hugged the pillow and pressed it between
her thighs, she looked at Kade and Reema's wedding photo. Her eyes shifted to the face of her
childhood friend. "Don't worry, Reema. I'll take
real good care of him for you."
Garcelle spent her day off giving the house a deep
cleaning. Whenever she thought of that moment
she'd shared with Kade on his porch, she scrubbed
harder. She had wanted to kiss him so badly. So badly
that she could still almost taste him.
She sat back on her heels in the bathroom and
stared off at a nothing spot on the wall. Everything
had become so complicated so quickly. Discovering
that Kade might be feeling her the same way that
she was feeling him just kicked it all up a notch. She
had been catching all kinds of hell resisting him,
but to have to resist a desire they both felt?
Kade Strong was not ready. Point blank.
There was a knock at the front door. Garcelle
pushed away thoughts of steamy first kisses and
naughty horseback rides as she walked to the living
room. Her steps faltered when she looked through
the glass screen door and saw Joaquin standing on
the
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