James Black Read online

  I’ve done everything I can think of to do over the past few weeks to prove to her that I love her and I will never betray her again, but she’s still holding back. I’m determined to beat her down and have her finally accept what I already know. I love her and I want her… in every sense of the word. She’s my love. She’s the only woman for me. She’s going to be the mother to my child and I want more children. I want her on my arm for the next fifty years. I want her to take my name. I want her to accept everything I want to give her. Everything I want to share with her… all of me.

  Filming wrapped earlier this week on the first film and we have a three-week break in the schedule before we all head back here to start the second installment in the film trilogy. The studio is already creating a buzz for the second film and we’ve just finished the first. It’s slotted to be the highest grossing film trilogy in recent years, so they’re anxious to get us back to work.

  Hugo is sitting across from me in my apartment. Avangeline and Julee are shopping for a dress for the red carpet since she’ll be photographed with me for the first time. I’m secretly gleeful. This is the first red-carpet event I’ll attend with anyone who means a thing to me.

  I haven’t told her yet, but Scarlet and her billionaire fiancé will also be in attendance. She’s also presenting.

  Hugo looks up. “What’s that smile for?”

  I grin at him. “Just thinking of AJ in L.A. with me.”

  He grunts. “You sure she’s going to come with us? She’s changed her mind at least twenty times in the past week.”

  I nod. “She’s coming. I want her on my arm. I want everyone to see her with me.”

  He looks at me closely. “You know that the questions are going to be insane and you two will be on the front cover of every magazine from here to Thailand?”

  Reaching into my pocket, I take out the box. I grin as I toss it to him. “I know. That’s what I’m hoping for.”

  He opens it and whistles as he laughs. “Damn, man, you’re breaking out the big guns. Ok, as long as you’re aware of what you’re in for.”

  I laugh back and grin at him. “I know exactly what I’m in for and I know exactly what I want. She’s the one, Hugo. She’s my love and as soon as she understands that I’m not going anywhere and I’m in this for the long haul, we can get on with our lives.” I nod at the box he’s holding. “I plan on being photographed with her for the next fifty-plus years, God and Avangeline willing.”

  He salutes me and winks. “Glad to hear it, man.”

  He tosses the box back and I pocket it before we both settle into our respective tasks. He’s working on my schedule and I’m reading through the new script… Or I’m supposed to be reading through the new script. I can’t concentrate though.

  The door jiggles and the two ladies walk in to the apartment. Both are loaded down with bags. Julee is saying, “Be quiet, AJ. You look amazing in that dress. Nothing like a whale. Just shut the hell up.”

  Standing up, I walk over and take AJ’s bags before leaning down to press a kiss to her mouth. She glares at me. “It’s your fault I’m going to look like a fucking whale. I’m not going. Everyone is going to make fun of me and want to know why you brought me.”

  Julee laughs at me. “That’s all you, lover boy. I’ve been dealing with the queen of hormones for four hours. You put her in this condition, and she’s ignoring me even though she looks amazing in her dress, so it’s up to you to console her. Don’t let me down, Iceman.”

  I chuckle as I hug the precious cargo trying to get out of my arms. “Iceman?”

  Julee nods and flips her keys from hand to hand. “Of course. Top Gun is my favorite movie ever and your eyes are ice blue. Therefore, you are ‘Iceman.’ Got it?”

  Chuckling, I nod. “Got it. Thank you for taking her today. We’re going to get all packed up and leave day after tomorrow. Are you and Larkin still ok with taking care of Marie Leveau while we’re in L.A.?”

  She squats down and Marie lopes over and licks her face. She laughs. “Yeah, we’re good with taking care of your baby. Good practice for babies of our own. Just without fur. Remember, Louboutin’s. Sparkly ones. Size 8.5.”

  I laugh. Oh, I remember. She told me she would keep Marie and all I had to do was buy her a pair of two-thousand dollar heels. She was kidding, but I told her I would. She’s joking again, but I really am going to get her some shoes.

  She’s accepted me since AJ and I got back together and she was the one who finally gave me the address to find AJ. She’s a great friend to AJ and has opened up to me. She also knows I plan on keeping AJ for the long haul and helped me with the ring. She and Larkin are a pretty fun couple and I now consider them friends and friends are not something I’ve had a lot of in my life. I’ll owe her for the rest of my life.

  We chat a bit more and she says they’ll be by to grab Marie tomorrow night and then she leaves. Hugo clears out not long after and I make AJ rest on the couch while I bring the bags into our bedroom. She’s moved in with me for the most part, but she’s still holding onto her apartment. I’m hoping that we can get rid of that soon, too…

  Slowly I’m checking things off of my list.

  As I come back out of the bedroom after setting her bags in the closet, I look at the couch and my heart warms. She’s curled up, fast asleep with her hands on her stomach and Marie is in a ball at her side with her head resting on her hip, protecting her.

  The picture on the couch is my life.

  *

  Avangeline

  Oh my God… Why did I agree to this? I can’t get out of the car. People are everywhere. Cameras are everywhere. Flashes are going off all around and everywhere you look are the most beautiful people in the world.

  I’m going to throw up. I look good. I can admit it. James had someone come to his house to do my hair and makeup and help me dress. The whole process took four hours, but I look amazing. My dress is emerald green and empire waist so it fits my bust and flares right under them. You can tell I’m pregnant, but I don’t look like a whale. My eyes were done up in browns and greens and they are sparkly and gorgeous. The colors she used really make the amber glow.

  The car stops and James looks over at me. He takes my hand and rubs it. Leaning over, he kisses me. It calms me… a little. “Are you ready?”

  I shake my head no. I’m not ready. I want the car to turn around. He chuckles and whispers, “You look gorgeous. You’ll be great.”

  The door opens and he smiles at me. “Showtime.” He steps out and waves at the crowd. They go insane. Leaning in, he takes my hand and helps me out. As he does and I stand, his arm goes around my waist and the camera bulbs start going off. He’s smiling and waving and signing things that are thrust at him with the hand that’s not on my thick waist.

  We stop and I recognize Ryan Seacrest. He starts interviewing James. He smoothly answers all the questions about the movie and being back in L.A. Then, Ryan looks at me, compliments my dress, and asks who I am. I freeze and panic.

  James just smiles and looks down at me. “This is the love of my life and soon-to-be mother of my child.” His places his hand on my stomach and Ryan asks a few more questions after congratulating him and telling me again that I look amazing.

  I’m in a daze. James just told Ryan Seacrest that I’m the love of his life and that we’re having a baby. He just told about forty million people that we’re together and we’re having a baby.

  I can’t breathe. My dress feels too tight. James feels me stumble and stops to look down at me with concern. He waves off a woman I recognize from E and says he’ll be with her in a minute. He leans down into my face so I can hear him over the crowd. “Are you ok? What’s wrong?”

  I just gape at him. “You just told Ryan Seacrest that you love me and we’re having a baby.”

  His puzzled expression makes me want to laugh. “I do love you. We are having a baby.”

  I laugh. “I know, but you just told about forty million people that, James.”

/>   His expression clears and understanding comes into his eyes. “I know that. I told everyone about us. I’m going to tell everyone about us. I love you. I’m proud we’re having a baby. I want everyone to know I’m a taken man. I especially want you to know that, Avangeline. I want you to understand that I’m in this forever.”

  I blink at him. He leans down and kisses me. On the red carpet at the Awards. In front of journalists and broadcasters from around the world. Fireworks are exploding behind my closed eyes and I’m not sure if it’s from his kiss or the cameras I’m certain are pointed at us.

  A lovely feminine voice breaks into our bubble and we break apart as she says, “Ok, you two. Break it up. You’re hogging the headlines.”

  I lean back and look into the gorgeous face of Scarlet Lockhart. James grins at her. “Hey, babe.” She leans up to kiss his cheek and then James shakes the hand of the very attractive man accompanying her. He looks very familiar. As the men exchange pleasantries, Scarlet looks at me and observes my dress. “Hello, Avangeline. I’m Scarlet.” She leans over and hugs me. It’s genuine and I find myself hugging her back. “It’s so nice to finally have the pleasure of meeting you. You look smashing.”

  I look her over. “Hello, Scarlet. You look beautiful, too. It’s nice to meet you as well.”

  She chuckles and it’s like sunshine. I see why America loves her. “Darling, I can’t hold a candle to you and I sincerely mean that. You are glowing and gorgeous. James is a very lucky man.”

  I look from her to the men. James is studying us. He looks from me to Scarlet before he pulls me back over to him, tucks me into his side, wraps his arms around me, and kisses the top of my head.

  Cameras are once again firing in every direction and I realize the significance of what he’s just done. He wanted me here tonight. He wanted me to be seen with him. He wanted the world to know that I’m pregnant. He wanted me to meet his old love and to feel comfortable in the fact that he’s made mistakes and yes, he loved her, but that was in the past. He loves me now and he’s just made a huge gesture to show that to the world. To prove that to me…

  I look up at him with all of the love in my heart and see the answering glow in his eyes.

  Scarlet was James’s past and he wouldn’t be who he is without her and everything they endured together… but cupping my stomach in the arms of the man I love I finally realize the past doesn’t matter… what matters is the here and now and James shows me every day that he loves me and he wants this. He’s ready for this. We’re his future.

  Life is unexpected. It’s full of uncertainty, pain, and trials, but at the end of the day… what matters the most is love. Sometimes the unspoken gestures have the most profound impact.

  And I can trust in that.

  Book 2 James Black

  Coming May 2015

  Playlist

  Chris Brown – See You Around

  Sara Evans – A Little Bit Stronger

  Maroon 5 – Sugar

  MacKenzie Bourg – Heartbeat

  Florida Georgia Line – Smoke

  Ludacris – Money Maker

  Lady Gaga – Applause

  Fall Out Boy – Alone Together

  Luke Bryan – Better Than My Heart

  Heart – Secret

  Miley Cyrus – Someone Else

  Nick Jonas – Avalanche

  Neneh Cherry – Buffalo Stance – 12” Version

  Meghan Trainor – Lips Are Movin

  Labrinth – Beneath Your Beautiful

  Shinedown – My Name [Wearing Me Out]

  Luke Bryan – What Is It With You

  Imagine Dragons – Nothing Left To Say / Rocks

  Taylor Swift – Today Was A Fairytale

  Shinedown – Through the Ghost

  Firehouse – When I Look into Your Eyes

  Fall Out Boy – Immortals

  Chicago – Look Away

  Dan + Shay – Show You Off

  Selena Gomez – The Heart Wants What It Wants

  Olly Murs – Wrapped Up

  Billy Currington – We Are Tonight

  One Direction – Night Changes

  Fifth Harmony – Sledgehammer

  The Band Perry – You Lie

  5 Seconds Of Summer – Amnesia

  Kyler England – Battle Cry

  Jamie O’Neal – There Is No Arizona

  Brett Eldredge – Mean To Me

  Sam Hunt – Make You Miss Me

  Kelly Clarkson – Already Gone

  Joe Nichols – She’s Just Like That

  Nelly – Dilemma

  David Guetta – Turn Me On (feat. Nicki Minaj)

  Imagine Dragons – Gold

  Go West – The King Of Wishful Thinking

  Breaking Benjamin – Had Enough

  Cheap Trick – I Want You to Want Me

  About the Author

  Skye Turner

  Skye Turner is an avid reader and an editor turned Internationally Bestselling Author of the Sexy Adult Romance series Bayou Stix.

  She attended Southeastern Louisiana University and Louisiana State University where she majored in Mass Communications, centering her studies in Journalism. Unfortunately, life intervened and she never finished her studies.

  She lives in small town Louisiana with her husband, two children, and six fur babies.

  When she’s not chained to her laptop pounding out sexy stories she can usually be found playing ‘Supermom’, reading, gardening (playing in the dirt), listening to music and dancing like a fool, cooking, baking, crafting, or catching up on her family oriented blog.

  She loves to incorporate pieces of Louisiana into her writing.

  You can find her here:

  Facebook: www.facebook.com/SkyeTurnerAuthor

  Twitter: @SkyeTurner_Auth

  Blog: www.skyeturnerauthor.com

  READER GROUP/ Street Team on Facebook: Skye Turner’s Bayou Belle’s and Beau’s

  www.facebook.com/groups/1425424561003650

  Goodreads:

  www.goodreads.com/author/show/7164331.Skye_Turner

  E-mail: [email protected]

  I love hearing from readers, so please feel free to reach out!

  Unspoken Memories

  By

  Gabbie S. Duran

  Unspoken Memories

  Book One of the Unspoken Series

  Copyright © 2013 by Gabbie S. Duran

  Cover art by ©Sarah Hansen at Okay Creations

  Editing done by Stephanie Lott

  Book formatting by JT Formatting

  ISBN-13: ISBN: 9781311404282

  Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of the above author of this book.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners.

  Chapter 1

  I CAN HEAR voices, two to be exact, a man and a woman. They’re speaking quietly, but loudly enough that I can clearly make out their conversation. I can’t open my eyes, no matter how hard I try, and they feel heavy, so I keep them closed.

  “I can’t leave her, she’s our money ticket!” he says in a very stressed tone.

  “How much good is she to you now? She’s in a coma! We don’t know if she’s ever going to wake up.” This comes from the woman, and from the way she says it, I know she isn’t happy.

  “Well, it doesn’t matter, I need a little more time to try to figure out how to access the rest of the funds. The longer she’s in this coma, the more
time is on my side, and the more money we get.”

  Okay, this is where the conversation is getting really interesting to me. At this point I’m trying hard to open my eyes, but I keep getting pulled somewhere else, back into the darkness. My gut feeling is telling me keep my eyes closed and keep listening, so that’s what I’m trying to do, I’m fighting the pull that wants to take me away.

  “Well, I’m tired of being your fuck buddy, I want more!” she demands of him in a very loud whisper.

  Fuck buddy? Why is she being a fuck buddy, and whose? But by the way she tells him this, I have a feeling that she’s been his fuck buddy for a while.

  “Look, when we started this you knew to never expect more, but if she’s going to be a vegetable for a while, I’m thinking things are going to change very soon.”

  This doesn’t sound good. I start to freak out, especially since I feel like a vegetable right now. No matter how hard I’m trying, I can’t move a muscle. I wonder, are they speaking about me?

  The room suddenly grows quiet, and I start to hear footsteps fading in the distance. I believe they’re leaving, because I hear the opening and closing of a door.

  I give it a couple of seconds, but the room is still silent. I can finally relax. Then all of a sudden, the darkness begins to take over again.

  I FEEL MYSELF slowly waking up again and I let out a light moan. I can feel the grumble of it traveling down my chest, and it aches. I feel so groggy and weak. I don’t want to wake up, but my body is not allowing me to fall back asleep and I try to slowly open my eyes. It’s hard at first, but after a couple of blinks, I’m successful at bringing them to a slit. My body is aching as I try to lift my arm. It feels like weights are holding it down, but I’m able to move my hand, I think.

  What is that sound? It’s a constant beeping, coming from the side of my head, and it’s speeding up as I move in that direction. I try to lift my arm to get to it, with little success because there’s something tugging at it. When I look down, I see an I.V. attached to my arm, why would I have an I.V.? I attempt to completely open my eyes. I see an older lady who is wearing nurse’s scrubs walking towards me. She must have done something, because the loud beeping is finally gone. It was making my head hurt, so I’m grateful she finally made the thing shut up.