“Because I want to show you how strong you are. You weathered your storm, the one you had been sure would pull you down, and you came out stronger. You don’t need me or anyone else. You’ve done all of this on your own, only looking to me for support once in a great while.”
“I’ve never seen myself as strong or pretty,” she admitted. “I’ve always looked at my downfalls.”
“Are you looking at them now?” I asked.
She shook her head. “No, I’m looking at a woman who’s happy with who she is and with where she is in life. The woman in that mirror is standing next to someone she loves more than life—not because she feels that she has to love him or that she’ll be all alone, but because she simply loves him.”
“I love you, too. You and Amelia mean the world to me.”
“We love you more.” She turned to face me. “We love you with all our hearts. For the first time in my life, I feel completely content.”
“Get used to that feeling because it isn’t going anywhere,” I told her.
“Love was always this elusive thing that I could never quite grasp. It was always just outside of my reach. Now, I feel I’ve truly conquered it. It’s incredible to feel this way.”
I smiled down at her. “Love is elusive—until you find the right person.”
“I guess so.” She stood on her toes and deeply kissed me. “Now, I’ve found you. I’ve captured love.”
Love was elusive. It was also fucking terrifying. But in the end, we would have to face our fears to become the person we wanted to be, and then we could take life by the balls. Then and only then, could we find the happiness we’d longed for, the happiness we deserved.
I knew one thing for certain. Caley and I weren’t going to walk away from this. We weren’t sprinting into it, but we weren’t walking away. We were going to take our time and explore every moment, every emotion.
Time didn’t matter because we’d found that elusive thing called love.
OTHER BOOKS BY K.A. ROBINSON
TORN SERIES
Torn
Twisted
Tainted
Toxic: Logan’s Story
Tamed
Adam: A Torn Series Novella
TIES SERIES
Shattered Ties
Twisted Ties
DECEPTION SERIES
Deception
Retribution
STAND-ALONES
Breaking Alexandria
Taming Alec
Steam
The Consequences of Sin
WRITING UNDER THE PEN NAME K. ANNE
Ultimate Temptations
PLEASE CONTINUE READING FOR AN EXCERPT OF DECEPTION!
I’m strong—or at least, I want to be. I try to be. Oh, how I’ve tried.
But life screwed me over. When I was at my weakest and lowest, desperate and alone, he found me.
Robert changed everything. He gave me everything.
He was every woman’s dream—rich, powerful, and charming. He made me forget the fact that he’s twenty-four years my senior.
He made me feel alive, and for the first time in my life, I was content.
Until I met Cooper—his son.
And Robert? He began to change.
I’m despicable. I know I am. I’m ashamed of what I want.
Things are never what they seem.
Greed.
Lust.
Lies.
Murder.
Deception.
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My feet were killing me. All I wanted to do was go home, take a shower, and crawl into bed.
Work had been brutal tonight. I’d been working at the same diner for almost two years, but up until last week, I’d only been part-time. The day after I’d graduated from Morgantown High School, I’d switched to full-time.
I didn’t really mind waitressing, but my body was still getting used to being on the move constantly. The diner, a small family-owned business, was always busy with the same customers. Most of them knew me by now and usually tipped well. A few college kids would come in from time to time, but they usually went to one of the more popular spots in Morgantown. I didn’t mind though because they were normally the ones who would leave crappy tips.
I pulled into the driveway of my foster parents’ house and yawned. I hoped they were asleep. My foster dad, Rick, was an asshole to me most of the time. The only reason he kept me and the other foster kids around was because of the nice checks he would receive for taking care of us. I knew my time here would be up soon. Today was my eighteenth birthday. Hopefully, my foster dad hadn’t remembered. I didn’t feel like getting kicked out of the only place I had to go tonight.
My foster mom, Tammy, wasn’t as bad as Rick. She could even be nice at times, but her fear of Rick’s temper would keep her from defending any of the kids. Rick wasn’t physically abusive, but when his temper got the best of him, he’d go on a rampage that rivaled a three-year-old’s. Tammy had learned long ago to lock up anything breakable.
I’d been in twelve different foster homes since I was three. Tammy and Rick’s house wasn’t the best, but it definitely wasn’t the worst. I shuddered as I thought about my last two houses. Yeah, I could deal with Rick’s asshole ways. I didn’t give a gigglefuck about Rick’s temper as long as he wouldn’t try to touch me.
I climbed out of my piece-of-shit car and headed for the house. My car was the only thing I truly owned. I’d saved every penny I could and purchased it two months ago. I’d paid six hundred dollars for a 1989 Chevy Impala, and I definitely got what I’d paid for. The body was rusted out in several places. The right rear fender was an ugly green color while the rest of the car was a faded red. It was the ugliest Christmas-themed car I’d ever seen. Actually, it was the ugliest car I’d ever seen—period. But it would get me from point A to point B most of the time. Sadly, it wasn’t even street legal, but I didn’t have the extra cash to get everything I needed to make it so.
Once I reached the house, I stuck my key into the lock and turned it. I frowned when the door didn’t unlock. I pulled the key out, thinking that maybe I’d shoved it in the wrong way, and I tried again. Realization hit me when the lock still didn’t turn over. Rick had changed it while I was at work.
I sighed in defeat before knocking loudly on the door. Lights turned on in the living room, and then I heard the door unlocking.
Rick opened the door and frowned at me. “Yes?”
“Um…the door wouldn’t open for me,” I said.
“Probably not since I changed the lock.”
“Why would you do that?” I asked even though I knew the answer.