Without Limits: A BWWM Collection of Passion and Desire, page 83
“Listen Mrs. Papadakis. I love your son. Otherwise I wouldn’t have taken a fucking bullet for him.” She gestured to her bandage shoulder which really was killing her. She will blame the pain for her lack of filter if
Demetrius ever asked her about this conversation.
She took a deep breath before continuing in perfect Greek. “Let me first and foremost inform you that you are fucking with the wrong bitch. Your son already informed you that you would be the third to know when he would be getting married. First, he had to let my father know, but my father has been dead for many years, my step-father lives on the East Coast so that makes my cousin the family stand-in,” she pointed to Katie who sat at her bedside looking confused at the conversation being conducted in Greek but nodded in acknowledgment when Ebony pointed at her, “so he has her approval. You know he already staked his claim on me way back on that day in your restaurant where we first ate breakfast, and now thirdly you are being informed. So, it’s time for you to let go of your dream of Elpida being a part of your family unless you can convince Titus to hook up with her,” Ebony ignored the female voice from the crowd that yelled “Hell no.”
“Demetrius is going to be my husband, the father of my kids and if you ever want to see those kids you better get on board with the idea of me being Demetrius’, because I’m about to come into a large sum of money and I have no issues with asking Demetrius to travel the world with me and manage it for me. Thus, ensuring that the amount of time he is home in this city is minimal and that you will never see him or our children.”
“My Demetrius would never agree to such a plan.” Dayanaris triumphantly informed her.
“Yes, I would.” Demetrius announced from behind the crowd in the doorway. He pushed his way through the women to reach Ebony side. He picked up her hand and placed a kiss on it before placing a gentle kiss on her lips completely ignoring his mother as he greeted his future wife.
He turned to his mother with a serious look in his eyes. “Yes mother if that is what my wife, my number one, wants to do then that is what we will do. Oh, I would come back to see Dad and the rest of the family when you’re not around. Ebony is the most important person in my life and if you’re going to make life difficult when you are around then we will just eliminate being around you.”
Demetrius’ mother realized that he was serious about cutting of ties with her for Ebony. He saw her shoulders slump slightly in defeat before she got her backbone back. She turned on her heels and marched out the room. “Fine. I at least get to plan the wedding.” She stated.
“No, you don’t.” Ebony called out from her hospital bed. Dayanaris paused briefly at that statement before marching on the other women following her. Elpida didn’t even look in their direction.
“Wow never a dull moment in this family.” Katie gave Ebony a kiss on the forehead before leaving. She gave Demetrius a wink as she followed his family out the door.
“So, we have a wedding to plan?” Demetrius asked sitting on the side of her bed.
“Well technically I haven’t been asked to marry anyone it was just stated that someone was going to marry me.” Ebony sly said to Demetrius.
“We must skip the formality of asking then just like you never mentioned to me that you spoke Greek.” Demetrius pulled a ring box out of his pocket and kneeled on the floor next to Ebony’s bed.
“Well you never actually asked me if I spoke Greek. You and your mother just assumed I didn’t understand it when you started talking in it back at the restaurant.”
“Well I guess that is what I get for assuming. I better correct the other assumption that I made.”
“What would that be?”
“Ebony Elizabeth Archer. As I kneel here on this germ-infested floor. I must tell you that from the very first moment when you hit me with a left hook that I knew I needed you to make my life complete. I have no future without you. And my past means nothing since you were not a part of it. Will you do the honor of marrying me?” He opened the ring case to show her a perfectly cut marquis chocolate diamond.
“Oh, how can I say no. I took a bullet for you and you brought me chocolate. Yes, I will marry you.” Ebony held out her hand so that Demetrius could put the ring on her finger.
“I love you Ebony Archer.” Demetrius leaned in to kiss her.
“I love you Demetrius Papadakis.” Ebony accepted this kiss and any more he wanted to give her in the future.
About the Author
I live in Fountain, Colorado with my husband and two kids. I have been writing all of my life. I became addicted to romance novels when I was teenager thanks to my mother’s love of reading. I wrote my first romance novel when I was in junior high school. I decided to stop hiding my desire to write and to just go for it.
Thank you for reading my book. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I did writing it. Stay tune there is more to come. Sign up for my Newsletter and follow me on Facebook and Twitter. Please consider leaving a review.
Twitter: @MissSassy714
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Also Available from Donna R. Mercer
Club Envy Series:
Jericho
Sebastian
Lathan (forthcoming)
Brandon (forthcoming)
Inappropriate Date Series:
Studdin’ Axxel (out now)
Catchin’ Wesley (forthcoming)
Stealin’ Reaver (forthcoming)
Lickin’ Karamel (forthcoming)
Love’s Taken Over
Michelle De Leon
About the Story
Emerson Isles is a well-loved star of a television drama series. She’d come a long way in a relatively short time and was enjoying her success. A “friend” from her past starts to unravel her world by threatening to expose a secret they share. No longer the timid girl he grew up with, Emerson fights to protect what’s hers and winds up falling for a man who didn’t know how long she’d been an important part of his life.
Dedicated to my best friend and favorite romance author, Tmonique Stephens. Thanks for the motivation and support!
Chapter One
Detective Rachel Aron was pursuing a suspect down a dark alleyway. Her weapon was drawn and the adrenaline pumping through her veins kept her mind off the pain in her ribs where the culprit had punched her before taking flight. She should have waited for her partner, but there was no time.
“Give it up, Santana. There’s no place else for you to run to.” The suspect had tried to scale the wall at the end of the alley but was unsuccessful. Rachel stood steady anticipating he would try something foolish. She didn’t have to wait long; Santana reached behind and pulled a hand gun from the back of his pants. Before he could bring it round front, Rachel fired.
“Cut!” The director yelled and hopped down from his chair. “That was perfect, Emerson. We’re going to work on the scene with your partner questioning the crowd. You can go and hang out in your trailer for a bit if you want.”
“Thanks, Mark. I might just hang around and check it out.”
“Whatever you’d like. It’s all good.”
Mark rushed off with his assistant trailing behind him. A wardrobe runner helped Emerson out of her leather jacket and holster. She patted her friend on the shoulder before heading off to see what was going happening on the next set.
She was about to take a seat when she felt her phone vibrate. Emerson didn’t recognize the number but answered it anyway. It could have been a producer or someone needing her to be some place. “Hello?”
“Well, hello. I can’t believe I finally caught up to you.”
The voice didn’t sound familiar. “I’m sorry, who is this?”
“Wow. I didn’t think you’d forget me, Opia.”
Emerson froze. No one had called her that in almost a decade. “And I still don’t know who this is.”
The man let out a heavy sigh. “It’s Quentin.”
Emerson moved away from the set. “Quentin? How in the world did you get my number?”
“Well damn, woman. Nice talking to you, too.”
She closed her eyes tightly. “It’s just a shock hearing from you. It’s been a real long time.
“That it has been. How’s my girl?”
Emerson paused. “I’m fine, Quentin. How have things been with you?”
“I thought maybe I could take you out to lunch so we can catch up. It’s obvious what you’ve been up; I’d like to hear about how you got to be Must See T.V. every Thursday night.”
Emerson didn’t know how to feel about his sudden interruption, but she was curious to see why this blast from her past was really calling her. “What are you doing right now?”
“You want to meet up today? You missed me?”
Hardly, but Emerson kept the comment to herself. “No time like the present. I don’t have to be back to work for a minute. Why don’t we meet at the BBQ’s we used to go to?”
“That’s what up. Can you give me an hour?”
“Sure, I can do that.”
“Opia, my ride or die. I’ll see you then.”
“Bet. Bye.”
Ride or die. What a joke.
Emerson went to her trailer to change into her own clothes She slipped a blush colored turtle neck over her head and pulled her deep brown hair up into a ponytail. Her navy jeans hugged her hips possessively. She slipped on her pink Tims and headed up the avenue. Even with her oversized shades on people tended to recognize her on the streets of New York. Most were very respectful and kept their distance. Others would get excited and rush up to her for an autograph. She always graciously obliged.
The weather was slightly breezy and it felt good being out and about. They put in long hours on the set of Justice for All. But she never complained. She was living her dream come true.
It was a short walk to the restaurant. She knew she’d get there way before Quentin, but it gave her a chance to eat something before dealing with his drama. A server came over as soon as she was seated.
“What would you like to drink, Ms. Isles?”
“An iced tea with lemon would be nice, thank you. But I’m ready to place my meal order, as well. I’ll take the quarter chicken and ribs with a side salad.”
“Coming right up.”
Emerson was halfway through her lunch when she spotted Quentin in the doorway. She hadn’t recognized his voice, but definitely knew his face. Afro-Cuban swag for days. He was nothing if not charming. He used to wear his hair in cornrows, but his short cut was sleek and suited him well. He spotted her and headed over to her table.
Quentin looked down at her meal but didn’t comment. “You look beautiful, Opia. May I sit?”
‘Of course, please do.” Emerson gestured towards the chair. “I’m still surprised to hear from you.”
“It’s long overdue. We used to be tight; we should have never lost touch.”
Emerson tilted her head. “Quentin, we weren’t even really friends when you think about it. I was the shy girl on the block and took a lot flack for being a plain jane. You decided to get next to me because you figured I’d be so thankful for a boy’s attention that I’d give you some. And unfortunately, I did. You made it clear you weren’t my boyfriend.”
“We were kids. What did we know about relationships?”
“Or being parents. After I got pregnant and our families decided adoption was the best option, you barely threw up your hand to say hey when you saw me in the street.
Quentin dropped his head. “I was scared. Mr. Babbett wasn’t trying to have me hanging around his granddaughter anymore. I was public enemy number one.”
“He was very protective. I certainly miss him.”
“My dad is mostly an invalid now. He had a massive stroke.”
“I’m sorry to hear that, Quentin.” She stared into his eyes. “Why did you really contact me?”
“I’m not going to lie. I’m attracted to you. I never thought you were ordinary, but you have truly grown into a gorgeous woman. No longer bashful clearly.” He stopped and faced the server who had returned to the table to take his order.
Emerson wasn’t buying a bit of it. That had been almost eleven years ago. She was quite sure he hadn’t thought of Opia Babbett or their child in a long time. But ‘Emerson Isles’ had piqued his curiosity.
“I don’t know. Because of our history I thought it would be cool to get to know each other all over again. We’ve both matured. I’m single. Are you single?”
“My shooting schedule is so hectic I’ve not even entertained being coupled up in a long while. But I’m good.”
“We’re connected. Maybe we could get to be a family one day. Have you told any of your friends about the baby?”
“Why would I? That wasn’t an easy time for me. Even talking about it with you makes me feel some sort of way.”
“If you want to tell it one day, I’m here. I mean it happened to me, too.”
“Well, I don’t want it brought up to the public or my friends. I keep private things out of the media and it wouldn’t serve any purpose anyway.” Emerson could tell he wasn’t expecting any push back from her.
“I understand. No harm intended.” Quentin peered at her from behind his glass of cola. “I see now that I came on entirely too strong. Opia…I mean Emerson, I apologize.”
“It’s all right. We’re on the same page now.” She pointed to his burger. “How is it?”
“Delicious.” He clearly was not referring to the sandwich.
Emerson resisted the urge to roll her eyes. “Good, I’m glad you enjoyed it. I’m going to have to wrap this up. I’m due back on set in a little while.”
“We didn’t even really catch up. Can we try again?”
She considered her answer carefully. “I’m not really interested in revisiting the past, Quentin. You remind me of an Opia Babbett I don’t know anymore and don’t want to. It’s nothing personal. You’ve done fine without me all these years; I’m sure you’ll continue to be okay.”
“I hear you. I wouldn’t have felt good about not having tried, but I respect your feelings about it.”
“Thank you. I have to go.”
Quentin stood up. “I’m going to finish my lunch. You be good.” He moved in for a hug.
Emerson returned his hug and picked up her bag. “YOU be good.” She smiled and waved goodbye. She didn’t look back as she made her way across the dining room. She remembered how much of a pest Quentin could be and instinctively felt that if she gave him and inch, he’d try his best to take a whole mile. She didn’t have time to deal with that.
Back on set, Emerson had to struggle to stay focused, but she churned out great scenes anyway. Acting had become her refuge. At first it was just a way to become someone else for a little while, but she studied hard and became a truly talented actor.
The crew wanted to hang out and go for drinks after they wrapped for the night, but Emerson declined and called a car to take her home. The doorman greeted her warmly. She knew she was one of Henry’s favorite residents. The building was home to a few celebrities and not all were as down to earth or pleasant as she was. They barely even spoke to her. Yet, Emerson didn’t care. She loved her penthouse apartment. It was nothing like her old place in Brooklyn. She had worked relentlessly to earn her chops and she treated herself to a dream home in Tribeca.
The second thing she did when she could afford it was to pay a pretty penny to find out who had adopted her baby. It was a closed adoption and she wasn’t supposed to know, but nothing remained hidden from the rich if they could find out whose palm to grease.
After she dropped her bag onto the stand in the foyer and kicked off her boots, Emerson headed to a painting hanging above her overstuffed couch. Behind it was a wall safe. She punched in the combination and removed a file folder she’d stored inside.
She plopped down onto the couch and began to read through the documents and clippings she’d obtained and gathered. Jacobi and Carrie Janssen had given her daughter a home soon after she was released from the hospital. There had been a few complications with the pregnancy since Emerson had only been sixteen years old at the time and hadn’t realized she was pregnant until her third trimester. She remembered the pain of the delivery and the pain of the having to give her baby up. Emerson knew it was the right thing, but the right thing doesn’t always feel good. She had never even had an after-school job; she wouldn’t have been able to support a baby. She lived with her grandfather and her mother. They weren’t trying to raise another child. Emerson was in a depression for a while after that. Her mother, Adele, felt bad for her, but didn’t regret the decision she’d made on her behalf.
Emerson pushed those memories aside and recalled the day she first met Jacobi Janssen. At the time she didn’t know he was her child’s adoptive father. He was a very talented stuntman and had a great reputation in the industry. She was just starting out in television and was a guest star on a show he worked on regularly. In the scene, he had to save her from a burning building. The star he doubled for wasn’t allowed to do anything dangerous, so Jacobi stepped in. Trying to make a good impression, Emerson volunteered to do the stunt on her own. Jacobi had put her completely at ease as he explained what to do and they pulled it off without a hitch in one take. That was their only scene together and they hadn’t worked together since, but she definitely remembered him well.
Jacobi was tall with strawberry blonde hair and hazel eyes. He wasn’t muscle bound, but he was incredibly athletic and strong. He had to be to perform his craft well. But most of all he was kind. The crew absolutely loved him.
