Crossroad to Love (Fab Five Series) - By Anna Kristell Page 0,95
if this was all there would be, she was grateful to be a part of at least one facet of Ryan’s life. She would learn to contain her desires and the urge to kiss him every time he looked across the desk at her while working on a project. After all, this was the path they had chosen, wasn’t it? Co-workers and friends, but not lovers.
Late one balmy evening in the early summer, everyone had gone home except Ryan and Katy. Katy had taken the day off for an appointment and had come in late to catch up on some work for the next new restaurant. Ryan had sent a very exhausted Chloe home early and had told Shane to go home with her. He had offered to lock up.
As Katy sat at one of the tables, in the private dining room with her work spread in front of her, Ryan watched quietly from the doorway. She was concentrating intently on the sketches and they were obviously giving her some problems. God, she’s beautiful when she’s working on something. Oh, hell, Ryan, she’s beautiful all the time. He continued to watch her for a while and then it hit him. This must have been what it was like for Marnie and Joe, working together every day.
Closing his eyes, he silently spoke to his dead wife, “I understand now, Marnie, and I forgive you. May you and Joe both finally rest in peace.” He also said a silent prayer for Bill, Bree, and the lovers lost so long ago on a rainy Chicago highway. Closure… at last.
Knowing what he had to do next, he went into the kitchen. When he returned, he walked to the table where Katy was working and set a cup of herbal tea in front of her. “You look like you could use this, you were concentrating awfully hard on that set of designs. Giving you problems, is it?”
She looked at him gratefully and took a sip of the tea, “Thank you, Ryan. Yes, I just can’t get it right. It’s for the restaurant in Florida, actually. I’m trying to come up with ideas and, having never been to Florida, I’m just not getting it.”
“Well, maybe we need to take a field trip to Florida, then.” Ryan laughed as he reached over and took her hand.
He walked behind her and began to massage her weary shoulders. She could feel the tension easing out of them. “Um… feels good.” I could get used to this, she thought as she sipped the tea and began to relax.
Dragging herself back to reality, Katy said, “Oh, you’re just talking crazy, now, Boss.”
He stopped massaging and walked back to the table. He sat down and, taking her hand in his again, he said, “Ah, but you see, my yellow rose, I am crazy. Crazy about the little gal from Chicago that I once said blew into my life like a Texas tornado.”
Am I dreaming? Have I died and gone to heaven? What is going on? Speechless, she could only look at him as he continued.
“Katy, I’ve been doing a lot of thinking, lately. I love working here with you. I love how your eyes crinkle when you laugh at something one of the staff says. I love how you come in all sleepy-looking before you’ve had your coffee. I love how excited you get when an idea comes together for you. In fact, I love just about everything about you. I have since that night last fall when you walked into this restaurant with your friends. I’ve been a damn fool, my sweet, sweet Katy. I’ve wasted months fighting a battle that was never meant to be fought. I know now, with all my heart, that we belong together.”
Ryan had not called her his yellow rose since last fall. Katy started to speak, but he stopped her. He dropped to his knees, turned her toward him and took both her hands in his. With tears in his eyes, he looked up at her. “Kathryn Barron, will you do this foolish man the honor of becoming his wife? If you say yes, I’ll even throw in a honeymoon to Florida.” He smiled up at her, gold flecks sparkling.
Katy answered with a simple reply, “Yes,” and fell into his arms, finally free to unleash the desires she had been denying for months. She matched his passion with every kiss and tender caress. Katy gave herself to Ryan with no qualms about whether or not it was meant to be. He was her soul mate in every way. She knew it and he knew it. He will be mine forever.
Later, as she lay in his arms, she knew, I am finally getting my happy ending.
About the Author
Anna Kristell is a small town gal from southern Indiana with a passion for romance. She has lived in Ohio, Oklahoma, and Texas, but returned to Indiana in 2005, where she resides with her husband. An avid romance reader since her teen years, it has always been her dream to create love stories of her own.
Crossroad to Love, her first novel, will be published in January, 2013 by Lazy Day Publishing, followed by The Road To Her Heart in March and The Road To His Soul in May. Anna is planning to continue the series with several more romances in the coming months.
Rebel Ink Press will be releasing Unlikely Lovers in February and Sunny’s Love in April. New characters and storylines continue to find their way into her thoughts and as long as they do, Anna plans to keep sharing them with you.
When she is not writing, she can be found at her day job in the billing department of a local community mental health center, reading, traveling, or spending time with family and friends. Anna has a grown daughter and son and three grandchildren.
You may contact her at:
http://www.annakristellromance.com and check out her weekly blog articles at http://www.annakristell6.wordpress.com. Anna can also be found on Facebook and Twitter.
Table of Contents
Title
Table of Contents
Legal
Dedication
PROLOGUE
CHAPTER 1
CHAPTER 2
CHAPTER 3
CHAPTER 4
CHAPTER 5
CHAPTER 6
CHAPTER 7
CHAPTER 8
CHAPTER 9
CHAPTER 10
CHAPTER 11
CHAPTER 12
CHAPTER 13
CHAPTER 14
CHAPTER 15
CHAPTER 16
CHAPTER 17
CHAPTER 18
CHAPTER 19
CHAPTER 20
CHAPTER 21
CHAPTER 22
CHAPTER 23
CHAPTER 24
CHAPTER 25
CHAPTER 26
CHAPTER 27
CHAPTER 28
CHAPTER 29
CHAPTER 30
CHAPTER 31
About the Author
Table of Contents
Title
Table of Contents
Legal
Dedication
PROLOGUE
CHAPTER 1
CHAPTER 2
CHAPTER 3
CHAPTER 4
CHAPTER 5
CHAPTER 6
CHAPTER 7
CHAPTER 8
CHAPTER 9
CHAPTER 10
CHAPTER 11
CHAPTER 12
CHAPTER 13
CHAPTER 14
CHAPTER 15
CHAPTER 16
CHAPTER 17
CHAPTER 18
CHAPTER 19
CHAPTER 20
CHAPTER 21
CHAPTER 22
CHAPTER 23
CHAPTER 24
CHAPTER 25
CHAPTER 26
CHAPTER 27
CHAPTER 28
CHAPTER 29
CHAPTER 30
CHAPTER 31
About the Author