Scarlet Stone, page 28
“We nearly destroyed ourselves.”
Another nod. He slides his hands into his pockets and it does all kinds of wonderful things to the muscles in his chest and arms.
“Sometimes I feel like we broke together, and some of your pieces mixed with mine, and some of mine mixed with yours.”
He crooks a finger at me. I grin and walk to him, my whole body feeling quite itchy.
“I think I like it when our pieces mix together.” He rests his hands on my belly.
I wait for them to move, make haste with removing my clothes, the sound of my gasp when one of his fingers slides into me—his tongue and teeth torturing my nipples. I’m so horny.
But … he doesn’t move. It’s just my beautifully inked husband—my rock star—holding our baby in his hands and me in his eyes.
“She’s moving,” he whispers, wide eyes focused on my baby bump.
I cover his hands with mine. “We did it, Theo.” Emotion builds inside of me. “After many dinners and small talk, me saying things that made you grin, and you saying things that made me laugh. After countless walks on the beach in the shadows of the night, too much wine and conversation—some of it lies, some of it truth—we finally managed to find a real life and feel … human.”
Theo’s eyes shift to mine. I feel like his whole world—like his song. Then he takes this perfect life, perfect day, perfect moment, and makes it even better by saying that one word that still reaches my soul. “Scarlet …”
The End
Acknowledgements
Four years. Ten Books. I’ve built quite the village.
Thank you to my husband and three children. You are my every breath.
Thank you, Leslie and Kambra, for enduring my weakest moments and messiest manuscripts.
Thank you to Jyl for thirty-three years of friendship. Our “girl time” is my sanity!
Thank you, Shauna, for days filled with random messages and emojis. I’ve come to need them!
Thank you to my amazing assistant, Jennifer, for making me look far more creative and organized than I really am. I’ve stopped counting how many times you’ve saved me on things.
Thank you to my Jonesies Facebook group for reading my words, supporting me, sharing my books with the world, and pretending to enjoy my videos.
Thank you, Sian and Arabella, for making Scarlet truly British. In so many ways, you brought this book to life.
Thank you to my editor, Maxann, for blowing my mind. I love your brain!
Thank you to my beta readers for what has to feel like muddling though my unedited manuscript. You never get to experience my words at their best for the first time. I will forever be grateful for your sacrifice.
Thank you to Monique and Allison for joining my proofreading team over a holiday! I had seven proofreaders for this book. If this book was not perfect, blame them—kidding.
Thank you to Sarah Hansen for the AMAZING cover!
Thank you to Paul for always giving my books a professional look with your formatting and awesome customer service!
Thank you to my readers for choosing my books to read. It’s such an honor to write for you.
Thank you, bloggers, for sharing your love of books with the world. You’re this fabulous bridge connecting readers to new authors.
Thank you to every person who has inspired me to think beyond the norm, value my health, question everything, and live my own truth. You are the spiritual leaders who bring out the best in humanity, the healers who nurture the human body, and the warriors who protect the earth and its resources. I owe you my life.
Also by Jewel E. Ann
Jack & Jill Series
End of Day
Middle of Knight
Dawn of Forever
Holding You Series
Holding You
Releasing Me
Standalone Novels
Idle Bloom
Only Trick
Undeniably You
One
jeweleann.com
About the Author
Jewel is a free-spirited romance junkie with a quirky sense of humor.
With 10 years of flossing lectures under her belt, she took early retirement from her dental hygiene career to stay home with her three awesome boys and manage the family business.
After her best friend of nearly 30 years suggested a few books from the Contemporary Romance genre, Jewel was hooked. Devouring two and three books a week but still craving more, she decided to practice sustainable reading, AKA writing.
When she’s not donning her cape and saving the planet one tree at a time, she enjoys yoga with friends, good food with family, rock climbing with her kids, watching How I Met Your Mother reruns, and of course…heart-wrenching, tear-jerking, panty-scorching novels.
Jewel E Ann, Scarlet Stone
