Embrace Me
By Rebecca Turley
Adult Fiction
Summary:
What
will happen to the girl who has everything?
After
a rough start to life, Shannon Downing finally has it all. She has her Mr.
Notice Me, she has reconnected with her long-lost mother, and she is the sole
heiress to a multi-billion dollar company. The only problem is going public
with that information.
Hidden
away at a ranch in Texas at her mother’s insistence, Shannon’s world starts to
crumble. Not only does she learn of Maisy Field’s kidnapping, but she hears a
secret that could destroy everything and everyone she loves.
What will happen
when news comes out that she is the missing heiress to Downing International?
Will she become the next target for the elusive kidnappers? And what about the
secret she overheard? Will the love that she and Mr. Notice me share be enough
to hold them together?
Excerpt:
Some parts of
my New York life were the same. The main thing being that my dear friends Lorna
and Bradley were still a big part of my life. Charlie and I now lived in his
stunning penthouse flat together in Brooklyn. By far, the best part about
living there was waking up every morning in Charlie arms with the New York
skyline surrounding us. I always felt as if I was home.
Luckily, I had seen nothing of the Field family; my mother made sure of
that. I could only imagine what she must have said to them in their board
meeting once we left our island. A few months later, I noticed the Fields lost
a lot of stock in some unstable deal, which would have cost them dearly. I had
a feeling my mother was making her point.
The only major change in New York was my high powered job and how much I
loved it.
Charlie had been right, and I threw myself into making Headcom the best
marketing front line company New York had ever seen. Contracts were coming in
from all over the world. As the workload began to double, I took Lorna on as my
Assistant Director. She almost squashed me to death in celebration.
“No way! Are you being serious?” she screeched as her long red hair
danced frantically behind her back.
“Yes. I couldn’t think of anyone else I’d rather work with.”
“You do realise you don’t have to do this? I mean, I know you are
grateful that I helped save you from the evil William Field and find your
mother, but I did it because you are my friend. You don’t owe me anything.”
“I know that, silly,” I laughed. “I am doing this because you are the
best. You have had input in every major contract we have gained. Lorna, you
deserve this.”
“Thank you, Shan. I really don’t know what to say.” She wiped the tears
from her deep brown eyes.
“Just say you and Bradley will come and celebrate at Charlie’s and mine
tonight?”
“How could I refuse?” replied Lorna, catching me in another body
crunching hug.
The four of
us sat on the balcony watching the traffic glide across the Brooklyn Bridge.
Dusk was slowly falling in the distance as we sat sipping our red wine.
“Did you watch the game last night?” Bradley asked Charlie.
“No, I was working late.”
“Did Forever America go for your ideas in your meeting yesterday?”
Bradley remembered.
“Yeah. We have signed a six month contract.”
“Charlie, that’s wonderful!” Lorna beamed. “You never told me, Shan.”
“I was going to,” I replied, embarrassed that I had forgotten.
“I only told her this morning. Shannon has had an eventful week,
promoting some annoying girl at work.” Charlie smiled at me, noticing the panic
on my face. He could tell I felt guilty as he changed the topic.
“I am not annoying,” Lorna protested, looking at me. I just laughed.
“Are we all still up for the charity ball on Friday night?” I asked a
few bottles of wine later.
“Of course,” Lorna replied, refilling our
empty glasses.
“Have you sorted your dress?”
“Yeah, I went to Bloomingdales. They have the most amazing dresses. What
about you, money bags?”
I rolled my eyes, grinning. Lorna was always so witty. “I have a dress
but, no, I haven’t spent the price of a car on it.”
“Why not?” asked Bradley. “It’s not like you can’t afford it.”
“Shannon is still a secret, remember? It’s safer this way—for everyone,”
Charlie replied, stroking my face. “She would be a target for so many people. Not
to mention the press. Jennet wants her prepared for that before the
announcement is made.”
I wasn’t really sure if I would ever totally prepare myself for that
day. Maybe if I hadn’t witnessed what it felt like to be a daughter of a
multi-billionaire with Megan, I wouldn’t fear it so much.
Megan had been used to her fame. She had
grown up with it—loving the limelight and all the perks that came with it.
Somehow, I knew it wouldn’t be that way for me. I would be a journalist’s dream
story: Princess Rapunzel Returns!
Charlie feared how I would handle everything. He wanted to protect me,
but he could only do so much.
My mother had her own ideas of protecting me. She had silenced all the
witnesses on the beach the day Charlie rescued me, promising to bankrupt anyone
who broke the confidentiality agreement—it appeared that most of them had been
the Fields’ lawyers. Her protection, however, also included living on her
ranch in Texas. I didn’t like the thought of being so far apart from Charlie,
but I knew it was something I would have no choice but to consider at some
point, because even he was telling me it was a good idea.
I sat playing
with my empty mug, watching Charlie prepare dinner.
“You need to at least consider Texas, Shan. Your mother is right about
the media circus,” he muttered, bringing Texas up yet again. This was the third
time this week.
“But I want to stay with you!” I sobbed.
“I can stay with you at the ranch when I am not working. It really won’t
be that bad,” he replied. “I mean, it’s safer for you. That’s the most
important thing.”
“I thought us being together was?”
“But we are together. Just because we are apart, it doesn’t mean I love
you any less.”
“I know. It’s just hard being away from you.”
“It’s only Texas, Sweetheart. I really think you need to consider
it—just for a while.”
“Are you bored of me already?” I asked, suddenly worried. He was the
most striking man in the world, after all. He could have had enough of me.
“You are so ridiculous sometimes,” he laughed, putting his hands through
his deep brown hair as he was walking towards me.
“Why?” I asked. He still hadn’t answered my question.
Charlie sat next to me on one of our kitchen stools, taking my hand in
his before he spoke. “I travelled across the world to save you, Shannon
Downing, because I know I will never love anyone the way I love you. How the
hell could you think I would ever get bored of you?”
He moved his head so our lips were just inches apart. I could feel my
stomach burst just at our closeness as his blue-green eyes poured into mine.
“Well, if you put it that way,” I replied, overcome by his words.
“You, Miss Downing, need to realise the worst is over. It’s only happy
times ahead for us now. We have already found each other. All we have left to
do is enjoy it.”
“I can live with that,” I whispered as Charlie’s soft lips pressed
tenderly against mine.
I knew he was right, but all my life, when things
were going right, something bad was always lurking around a corner. That was my
old life, though. Surely things were different now.
About the
Author:
Rebecca Turley lives
in the captivating town of Malvern, Worcestershire in the UK with her husband
Jon and cat Millie. A hopeless romantic like most women, she enjoys
becoming lost in a love story almost as much as writing one.
Embrace Me is
the sequel to her debut novel Notice Me, released in 2012.
Author
Links:
Embrace Me—
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Embrace-Me
Paperback: https://www.createspace.com/4358000
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17996710
Notice Me—
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15774533
Website:
http://www.rebeccaturley.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RebeccaTurley82
Twitter:
@RebeccaTurley1
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