Blazing Love: A Hot, Romantic Suspense Series, Book 2 (The Carlisle Sisters) (12 page)

Manette had been quietly placed in a mental institution where it was doubtful that she would ever be released.  Claude had experienced a sudden, and seemingly genuine, change of heart toward Marceau and was acting as a sincere brother should toward his sibling.  Tracy suspected that hearing how Manette had planned for his demise had a lot to do with Claude’s new sensibilities.

She watched as Beth and Grey walked down the aisle as man and wife.  She smiled brilliantly at Blaze as she joined him to follow the happy couple. 

“Does this give you any ideas?”  he grinned.

“Maybe,” she quipped.

“Good,” he said.

They had reached the entranced of the reception area and stepped aside.  He pulled her into his arms.

“Why Blaze Hartford! Whatever do you think you’re doing?”  she teased.

“I am head over heels in love with you, Tracy Carlisle.  Will you marry me?”  he asked seriously.

She laughed delightedly.

“Yes!  Yes, I will marry you, Blaze.  I love you so much!”

She smiled radiantly.

He bent his head and kissed her deeply.  Hélène stood across the room and watched them with a knowing smile.  Something told her that she would be planning another wedding very soon.

The End

*****

I hope you enjoyed this story!  If so, please pick up the next book in “The Carlisle Sisters” series for your Kindle:

Book 3:  Absolute Love

(Continue on for a
FREE CHAPTER
from this installment!)

And if you missed it, you can go back and read…

Book 1:  Unlikely Love

And one more thing…if you would
RETURN TO AMAZON
to give this book a positive review, I would
really
appreciate it!  Thank you!

A Note From Kay Brody

Thank you so much for reading my first published series!  Since this is the second book in the series, I hope that means you’ve read, and enjoyed, the first one!  If not, please check it out so you know how this crazy ride began for the The Carlisle Sisters.  And when you’re ready, Book 3:  Absolute Love, will be waiting for you!

I chose to set this book in France because I’ve always wanted to go there.  I love
everything
about France: the sites, the food…the men!  I just hope it lives up to my expectations when I finally make it there.  I wonder if I will get to indulge in all of what the country has to offer or if I will have a special man in my life by that time to keep me occupied!  I think I’d be happy either way!

Until then, I am going to keep on writing!  By day I spend my time as a court reporter writing about everything from petty crimes to murders but it’s at night that I REALLY get to have fun writing romance!  Romance is my favorite genre and the naughty girl in me tends to make at least
part
of each story hot & steamy.  Since you are reading this I assume you like reading stuff like that as much as I enjoy writing it!  In that case, it seems like we’re a perfect match! 

So, let’s continue on with the series.  And when you’ve finished each installment, please do me the favor of returning to Amazon to give me a positive review.  I love being a court reporter but I would
really
love writing fiction full-time!  A girl can only take so much gore and violence and I’ve had my fill. 
Please
help me get to that next step by telling others about my work.  I promise I’ll pay you back in the form of entertaining, compelling & sexy stories!  Thank you, in advance!

With Love & Passion,

Kay

My Website: 
http://www.kaybrody.com/

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http://misskaybrody.tumblr.com/

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About The Author

Kay Brody is a Jersey Girl who traveled all the way to the University of Missouri-Columbia to get a degree in Journalism before returning to the Garden State to try and make her way in life as a writer!

By day she works as a court reporter but by night she WRITES, WRITES, WRITES; occasionally taking breaks to feed her addiction to pop culture.  And all the while you can bet that there is a hot cup of tea by her side!

While she is a hopeless romantic, still in search of that special someone, she does have
one
new love in her life:  AMAZON!  Amazon’s self-publishing platform has given Kay the opportunity to get her thoughts, hopes and innermost desires out into the world for everyone to read (hopefully!!!)  She has already published her first series of romantic suspense novellas (The Carlisle Sisters, Books 1-3) as well as a fun series of trivia books aimed at fans of television, movies & pop culture in general.  And while she writes new material everyday, she also has a vault full of previously unreleased stories (mostly romance, sometimes with a touch suspense or comedy, always with a splash of naughtiness...) that will also be available on Amazon very soon!

To learn more about Kay and all of her books:

Visit her website at
http://www.kaybrody.com/

Read her blog at
http://misskaybrody.tumblr.com/

Connect with her on:

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EXCERPT FROM:

“THE CARLISLE SISTERS, BOOK 3:  Absolute Love”

Chapter 1

Jennifer walked into the office to find Tracy and Blaze locked in each other’s arms.  They were oblivious to anyone having entered the room.  And she wanted to barf at the sight of them. 

She was so angry and jealous that their bliss was offensive to her.  Her foiled attempts to take Blaze from Tracy were still eating at her from the inside out.  Her overinflated ego was not used to such rejection.  Jennifer considered her acumen of securing any man she wanted as superior to that of her sisters.  For a man to choose either of them over her was insane.

She was the beautiful one.  The smart one.  The sexy, alluring one.  How could any man look at her sisters when
she
was in the room?  The thought was ludicrous. 

Yet here she was watching Tracy and Blaze practically having sex in the front office.  She scowled at them as she threw her purse onto the sofa.

“Get a room,” she sneered.

Tracy and Blaze pulled apart and looked at her sheepishly.

“Jen!  We didn’t hear you come in,” Tracy panted, straightening her blouse.

“Obviously,” Jen snapped, bile rising in her throat as she plopped into an armchair.  “Do you intend to do
any
work today?  Or will you be lip-locked for hours on end?”

That comment pissed Tracy off.  Jen, who never lifted a finger to do any work of any kind, was scolding
her
for slacking off?  It was preposterous.

Tracy stiffened.  Blaze saw the tension consume her body and glided his hand down her back.  Jen was antagonizing because she was envious of Tracy.  And Tracy was ready to pounce because she’d tolerated Jen about as much as she was going to. It was quickly becoming a volatile situation which he needed to stifle.

“We’re about to go over to the construction site to check on the progress of the new building.  Would you like to accompany us, Jennifer?”  Blaze asked pleasantly.

“Or maybe we’ll just continue kissing for the rest of the day,” Tracy said, overriding Blaze’s attempts at brokering peace.  “You shouldn’t have a problem with that since you consider working to be a menial chore; something far below your level.”

“So much for reconciliation.  This is going downhill fast,”
Blaze thought grimly.

Jen quickly rose from her chair and advanced toward Tracy.

“How dare you accuse me of being lazy!”  Jen shouted.

Tracy shrugged casually, well aware that feigning indifference would bother Jennifer far more than shouting back at her.

“Because you are.  Ask anyone around here.  You’re a lazy, indolent snob who thinks earning a living is beneath her,” Tracy said.  “You seem to have forgotten that you don’t have a rich husband to take care of you anymore.”

Jen face was red with rage.  She moved forward and raised her hand to slap Tracy.  Blaze quickly moved to catch Jen’s wrist.

“Not going to happen, Jen,” he said quietly.

“Let go of me,” Jen screeched.

“As soon as your intention of hitting someone has left the building,” Blaze said sharply.

Jen stared at Blaze with loathing for several moments.

“Fine,” Jen snarled.

Blaze felt the tension seep from her arm.  Just as he released Jen’s wrist, Grey and Beth entered the office.

“What’s going on here?”  Beth asked anxiously.

“Great!  Two more nauseating lovebirds,” Jen muttered scornfully.

“Jen?  Tracy?”  Grey inquired.

No one answered.

“
Well
?”  Beth insisted.

“Jen was about to slap me.  Blaze stopped her,” Tracy explained uncaringly.

“And you’re lucky he did!”  Jen hissed.

“Jen!  Why?”  Beth asked incredibly.

“Because she is a bitch,” Jen explained.  “What else is new?”

“I’m a bitch for kissing my boyfriend?”  Tracy asked.  “That
is
what set you off, isn’t it?  Your jealousy?”

Jen’s hand itched to smack that smug look off of Tracy’s face.

“No,” Jen clarified.  “That just disgusted me.”

“Then why?”  Beth asked.  “Why did you try to hit her?”

“Why should I try to explain anything to you people?  No one here is on my side.  You’ve already made up your minds that this is entirely my fault.  So why should I even bother?”  Jen said dramatically.

Tracy rolled her eyes at Jen’s theatrics.  Leave it to Jen to go over the top to avoid being accountable.

“No one is against you, Jennifer,” Grey said neutrally.

“But you believe Tracy.  Why wouldn’t you?  She’s the golden child who can do no wrong,” Jen retorted.  “Everyone just
loves
Tracy.”

Tracy frowned.

“What are you talking about?”  Tracy asked in confusion.

“Why don’t you go back to New York or France to be with your adoring fans and spare the rest of us ordinary mortals the necessity of having to look at your face,” Jen snapped.

“Good grief!  She’s jealous of my success and she can’t hide it anymore,”
Tracy thought incredulously.

“I’ve worked hard for my success, Jen.  It’s wasn’t handed to me on a silver platter, you know,” Tracy said calmly.

“Oh, no?  A young, thirty-one year old painter is invited to show at the Art de Magnifigance Exhibit in Saint-Tropez and you don’t call that a
silver platter
?”  Jen scoffed.  “It takes artists a lifetime to be invited to show at such a distinguished exhibit.  But you get an invite after only four or five years of painting? What would
you
call such good fortune?”

“I’ve been painting a hell of a lot longer than four or five years and you know it.  I picked up a paint brush when I was four years old and I’ve been painting ever since,” Tracy countered.  “And as for showing at the Annonciade Museum, sure, there was some luck involved.  But it took a lot of hard work to get that luck to fall into my lap!”

“Well, aren’t you the auspicious one.  I should be so lucky,” Jen sneered.

“Maybe you could be if you changed your attitude,” Beth muttered softly.

Jen turned on Beth.

“How dare you!  You self-righteous, pious, sanctimonious bitch!”  Jen yelled.  “You think you’ve got it going on, don’t you, Beth?  You have your precious resort.  The man.  The cooking career.  You’ve got it
all
so you think you can turn up your nose to those less fortunate.  Well, you may be flying high now but eventually you will come crashing down.  Everything you have will burn to ashes; and I can’t wait to see it!”

Beth hadn’t meant for Jen to hear her comment.  She knew it was a bit snarly but Jen had the knack of bringing out the worse in people; and she was no exception.

“I’m sorry, Jen.  But your attitude has been so abrasive lately.  It would make a world of difference to everyone if you could just tone it down a little,” Beth explained.

“Tone
what
down?”  Jen asked sharply.

“Your tongue.  It’s wicked.  And nobody deserves to be on the receiving end of it,” Tracy blurted.

Beth closed her eyes and groaned.  Blaze stood behind Tracy and put his hands on her shoulders.

“I will say whatever—”

“Perhaps we should take a break from this conversation,” Blaze said, effectively cutting off Jen’s irate response.  “Tracy, let’s go check out the new building like we had planned.”

Tracy looked up at Blaze.  He could see the anger in her livid, hazel eyes.  He bent his head and tenderly kissed her forehead.  He felt the tension seep from her shoulders as she exhaled.

“Alright,” Tracy said quietly.  “Beth, I’ll see you later.”

Tracy and Blaze left the office.  Jen watched as Grey put his arm about Beth’s waist and they went into his office and closed the door.  She could only imagine what they were doing in there.  She flounced out of the office and stormed down to the village pier.

Jen thought about the situation that she was in as she walked along the pier.  For the first time she didn’t have a man in her life.  She was stuck living in a place where she didn’t want to be.  And, to say the least, she wasn’t getting along with her sisters.

She couldn’t stand seeing the two of them so lovey-dovey with their men when she had no one.  It was so unfair and intolerable.  And as she stood next to the wood railing looking out at the crystal blue water, she realized that she had reached her limit.