Cupid's Mistake (17 page)

~Carol
A. Hughes, Author and Instructor

DEDICATION

This
love story is dedicated with gratitude to the First Responders ~ Firefighters,
Law Enforcement, Emergency Medical Personnel, Military and Civilian Support
Teams ~ and the families, friends and loved ones who worry about and support
them. You are an inspiration, a light in the darkness, a protector, a helping
hand, a shoulder, a friend. Thank you.

And
to my husband ~ my every hero, every single day, in every way. I love you.

Ah,
my beloved, fill the cup that clears

Today
of past regrets and future fears;

Tomorrow?
Why, tomorrow I may be,

Myself,
with yesterday's sev'n thousand years.

~Omar
Khayyam

Pearls of Pleasure

By
Chantilly White

PROLOGUE

Big Bear Lake, California ~
September, 2009

Gwen Coffey hugged her secret to herself like a warm, fluffy
blanket. One covered in bouncing baby bunnies and sweet little kittens with
drippy milk mustaches. She didn't have a fluffy, oh-so-cute blanket, though, so
she hugged the sofa pillow instead, and grinned like a fool.

Tomorrow. She would tell David tomorrow, and watch his
sapphire eyes light up like Christmas, New Year's and the Fourth of July all
rolled into one. He'd be off-shift for a few days, and they could celebrate in
style.

She'd make a special dinner—prime rib, that was his
favorite—and wear something lacy and see-through and absolutely useless
for anything but ripping off. And later. . .

Her belly quivered, just thinking of the hours they'd spend
in their bed, enjoying a more intimate celebration. The way he would run his
hands over her skin.

The pleasure they'd share.

A jaw-cracking yawn interrupted her musings, and that made
her smile, too. Her cheeks ached from smiling so much, smiling nonstop for the
past two days, but it was impossible to quit. It was a wonder David hadn't
clued in already. Even the dragging fatigue couldn't dim her joy.

Snuggling further into the sofa pillows, she spun fantasies
full of fun while the sunlight lazed across the floor in a slow-moving
arc—family gatherings, shopping excursions, trips to the zoo.

That was for later, though. For now, they had so much to do,
so many changes to make. So many people to tell. They could take her famous
banana muffins to the firehouse and announce it to everyone. David would strut
like a peacock, she had no doubt. She laughed to herself, picturing the scene.

Maybe Julie and Scott and Tony and his new girlfriend could
come over for dinner next week, too, and she could start pumping Julie for
tips.

She yawned again. She'd have to make some lists. Plan a few
menus. . .

Drifting to sleep with a smile still curving her lips, Gwen
slid warmly into dreams. Strong arms came around her and held her tight. Safe
and secure in the place she most wanted to be, always, nestled in her husband's
embrace. Their dream-fingers entwined lazily, and their voices, though
indistinct, rumbled in comfortable murmurs. David's deeper tones blended with
her lighter ones, forming their own special, familiar music. She floated
through the dream, cocooned in a cloud of soft contentment.

The sirens woke her. She came out of the dream slowly,
disoriented by the late nap, and sat up on the couch, pushing the heavy length
of her hair out of her face. She felt fuzzy and gummy and a little nauseous.

Padding to the kitchen for a glass of water, she stood at
the sink, sipping slowly to rinse the cottony coating out of her mouth. A wave
of dizziness swept over her and she swayed, grabbing the edge of the counter to
right herself.

"Whoa," she said. "That's new."

Belly rolling uneasily, she made her way out to the deck for
some fresh air. The lake was still as glass in the late-afternoon light, the
only ripples flowing from a family of ducks passing by the end of their dock.

Slow, deep breaths seemed to help her equilibrium. She
stretched lightly, side to side, changing hands with the water glass as she
moved.

Sirens sounded again, drawing her eyes to the left and over
the tops of the trees toward town.

"Oh, no."

Black smoke boiled into the sky in thick, curling clouds.
Black and oily and heavy, smoke only a building fire could produce. It was hell
smoke, shot through with deep red flames.

And David—David was working.

The back of her neck prickled and goose bumps shot across
her skin, making her shiver. Sending a quick prayer heavenward for David and
his fellow firefighters, she hoped they'd contain the blaze quickly, before any
people or any more buildings were jeopardized.

She couldn't smell it yet, or taste the acid of it on her
tongue. The breeze blew the spiraling smoke away from her for now, but it
wouldn't be long before the searing brimstone of it overwhelmed the wind and
swept over the lake.

Gwen tamped down the usual urge to go investigate, to hover,
just as she tamped it down every time her husband worked a blaze. She'd do more
good at home, preparing for his return and staying out of their way at the
scene.

Later—later, she and Julie would take food to the
station.

David would be tired when he got home. He'd be hungry. He'd.
. . he'd—a brutal pain stabbed into her chest, making her gasp, and the
dizziness swooped over her once more.

"Damn it."

Shaking it off, a hand to her chest, she struggled to draw a
deep breath. The pain faded slowly. She rubbed the ache over her heart and
strove to regain her train of thought.

Food. She'd been thinking about food.

Her belly rolled again. Maybe something more bland than the
spaghetti with meat sauce she'd originally intended.

Mentally adjusting their dinner plans, Gwen had half-turned
to go back into the house when the explosion sounded. The boom of it shook the
ground, the house, rattled the windows. It startled the birds from the trees
and sent the ducks flapping across the lake.

The churning cloud of deep black smoke tripled in size in an
instant and violent, multi-hued flames spewed into the sky like lava.

But it was the second, sharper pain arrowing into her heart
that had the water glass slipping from her fingers to shatter at her feet.

And she knew.

And she began to run.

And she began to scream.

~End
Excerpt~

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Thanking
the fabulous people who so generously give of their time to help me on my
writing journey is my favorite part of putting the final touches on a book. I
am so blessed to have an abundance of these hard-working angels in my life.
Cupid's
Mistake
is my fifth published work, and
this story would not have been possible without the guidance and critiques of
my mentor, the comments and suggestions from my beta readers, or the love and
support, as ever, of my family and friends, many of whom fall into multiple of
these categories. Thank you all, every day from here into eternity, and thank
you especially to Anthea, Annwyl, and Jen, for always going above and beyond,
for the endless support, and for reminding me who I am.

 
With love, always,

~Chantilly

February,
2013

ABOUT
CHANTILLY

Chantilly White was born and raised in southern California,
an only child who spent her days acting out favorite scenes from beloved
fairytales and reading everything she could get her hands on. Childhood
favorites were soon followed by romance novels, which heavily influenced her
beliefs about life and love.

Always a storyteller, Chantilly holds a degree in Creative
Writing/English Literature from the University of California at Riverside. Now
living in the Pacific Northwest with her husband, three kids and three crazy
cats, she is a member of Romance Writers of America (RWA) and several local and
online chapters. She serves as Membership Chair for the Evergreen RWA chapter
in Everett, Washington.

Chantilly writes romance in a variety of subgenres,
including Contemporary, Historical, Paranormal and Fantasy Romance. Sports
romance is also on the horizon, as a series centered around a football team has
been brewing in her mind. Stay tuned for more details!

Her short stories,
Pearls of Passion
and
Pearls of Wisdom
, and novels,
Pearls of Pleasure
and
Unwrapped
, are available now, with
Remember Me
and
Captivated
coming soon. Look for them on Amazon and anywhere e-books are sold.

To learn more about Chantilly, please visit her website at
http://ChantillyWhite.com