Not So Easily Broken
NOT SO EASILY BROKEN
Not so Easily Broken
by
Annalisa Simon
A Marriage Spice Collection Novella
Derrien Island Trilogy
Book 1
Not So Easily Broken
Text Copyright © 2012 Annalisa Simon All rights reserved. Except for use in book reviews, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part, in any form by electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, is forbidden without the written permission of the author.
All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non transferable right to access and read the text of this eBook on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage or retrieval system in any form or by any means, whether electronic or manual, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of the author.
All characters in this book exist only within the imagination of the author and have no relation whatsoever to anyone bearing the same name or names. More information about the author and other books produced by the author can be found at: http://passionatelymarried.wordpress.com
Summary
Ramon Belham is planning the perfect seduction for his wife for their seventh wedding anniversary and everything is falling into place. Every plan he's envisioned is precisely designed to capture the heart of the woman who stole his heart nine years ago; because more than anything else he wants his wife to love and trust him.
Courtney Belham loves her husband, but haunted by the disappointments and abandonment she's faced in the past, she is not prepared to give her heart fully to anyone, especially not to Ramon. Faced with insecurities about his past relationship with another woman, she was ready for a divorce. But, no matter how hard she tried she seemed to be fighting a losing battle with her own heart and mind.
Now seven years into their marriage, they both recognize that it is time for change; it is time for something new. Courtney wants to open her heart to Ramon fully, and he's done waiting for her to try. He is a man on a mission and will stop at nothing until his beautiful and talented wife surrenders to him heart, mind and soul.
No weapon formed against you shall prosper,
and every tongue which raises against you in judgment
you shall condemn.
This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD,
and their righteousness is from Me,”
says the LORD.
Table of Contents
Summary
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Note to the Reader:
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Coming Attractions
Chapter 1
As the morning sunlight fell on the round solitaire diamond on the ring finger on Courtney Belham’s left hand, it radiated the beauty of ten thousand rainbows. Against the backdrop of the crystal blue waters at the north end of the Port Elizabeth marina, it shone like an explosion of light that mirrored the happiness and beginnings of hope she felt in her heart. Admiring it thoughtfully, she twisted her hand watching the light reflect in every direction till the diamond sparkled like fire. Courtney smiled and allowed her thoughts to drift back to the day when she and her husband Ramon took their wedding vows in Cassidy Gardens, in an intimate morning affair.
When he slipped this ring onto her finger and promised to be faithful to her and to love her for the rest of his life she wanted so much to believe that it was all true, so much to trust his words and the love she saw in his eyes. She was twenty-four then compared his twenty-eight and both of them were hopelessly in love with each other. As she walked down the rose carpeted aisle wearing her ivory, satin, princess cut Alfred Angelo gown she remembered how he chuckled and bit his hand as he stared longingly yet appreciatively at her, and how he took her hand at the bridal arch with such gentleness and care, never once breaking contact with her eyes. She was mesmerized by him, and his powerful magnetism overpowered her senses till she barely heard what the minister said that day. For as long as she lived, she would never forget the look of possession, love and tenderness that filled his eyes. It shook her to very her core and filled her with an insatiable heat to become one with him in the closest way possible between a man and a woman. It was at that moment that she really thought that she was the luckiest woman alive.
Prior to their wedding had been two years of excruciating exclusive dating before she accepted Ramon’s marriage proposal to her. Sometimes she wondered why she made him wait so long considering how hard it had always been for them to keep their hands off each other. Whenever they were alone the result was the same. Those warm heady sensations would overwhelm them both whenever they touched or kissed and they would make love up to the last possible point before she struggled to regain control over her emotions and her actions. She saw the frustration it caused him on countless occasions and knew that he was often stretched beyond the limits of control but somehow he always respected her decision to stop. She struggled to stay true to the values she learned while growing up but her body betrayed her every single time making it impossible to keep her values and still be with him. Leaving him was impossible so it was then that she stopped fighting him and accepted his proposal. He had actually asked her about five times before she said yes! This decision was difficult for her because at the age of seventeen before she met him she decided that she would not open her heart to the pain of marriage and would remain a free and independent woman. But Ramon somehow managed to slip by every one of her defences and took her heart and never gave it back.
On their honeymoon, they had barely made it into the room before they were overwhelmed with desire and passion for each other. Over the two years they dated the desire they felt for each other had built up to such a fever pitch that she felt as though she was drowning in liquid fire for that entire week. Wave after wave of pleasure swept over them till they were absolutely drunk with love. She swore that at points they forgot to eat, too consumed with devouring each other mind, body and soul. Oh the memories they made in that resort on Grand Cayman!
Had it really been seven years of married life already? she wondered to herself. Courtney frowned as she looked at the rhythm of the ocean swells as they slapped against the boards of the deck. To her disappointment, what had started out so well had dissolved into complacency and routine and by the fourth year she started to believe that the happily ever fairy tale did not exist, at least not for her. In fact, they had recently faced some pretty turbulent times but they were learning that the secret to a successful marriage was in making each other the centre of their lives again. In fact, just two years earlier they were on the brink of divorce and at the time it seemed that it really was over between them. The arguments, the accusations, the lack of communication all created the recipe for the chaos and pain they had experienced. It was the nightmare that formed her decision not marry in the first place, one that she hoped she would never have encountered.
Courtney shook her head as if in an attempt to clear away the awful memories and firmly reminded herself,
“All of that is in the past Courtney; you have absolutely nothing to worry about so stay focused. Today is going to be amazing! ”.
Her flashback into the past was suddenly interrupted by the shrill and almost singsong v
oice of Patricia Helmsley, owner of Lascelle’s Boutique. Courtney had once again asked for her expert help in finding the perfect dress for her anniversary dinner that night. Whenever she needed that ultra formal and unique outfit it was Patricia who could always make sure she looked her best. Actually, she had arrived over thirty minutes before but she had unsuccessfully tried to find what she was looking for. Feeling a little frustrated, overwhelmed and angry at her own procrastination she decided to take a stroll along the boardwalk to get some inspiration. It was early and being a freelance photographer meant that she could set her own hours. She still had almost an hour before her first appointment for the day at 10:30. So she had strolled along allowing the tension in her body to drain away as she inhaled the salty air of the Caribbean Sea. Somehow she always had a connection with water and often chose an activity near it when she needed to de-stress. Perhaps that is why she chose to situate her studio close to the marina district when the commercial space opened up four years before. Now that she was back in front of the boutique, Patricia had come out to find her, no doubt having found the perfect ensemble.
“Sorry Courtney love, for taking so long, but I wanted to make sure that I found all of the dresses suited to your skin tone and the occasion before I called you in. I know how special an anniversary celebration can be,” she laughed, placing a jewelled hand on her bosom. “My husband and I just celebrated our twenty-sixth wedding anniversary last month.”
“Really? That is really great!” smiled Courtney impressed at their achievement. “I hope that Ramon and I make it that far”.
“Honey, marriage takes work and most of all it takes commitment. It will work if you both want it to work”, said Patricia. “Now come on inside here and try on these dresses. I know that at least one of them will be just what you are looking for.”
Courtney walked into the boutique and into the dressing room and began looking through the selection of dresses which Patricia had hung on the dressing room hooks for her. There were actually three extremely beautiful dresses hanging on the rack inside the dressing room that looked as though they belonged on the bodies of celebrities at the Academy Awards.
“Uh Patricia, these look really haute couture, are you sure they are in my budget?” came Courtney’s voice from inside the dressing room.
Patricia shook her head silently because she could never understand Courtney’s obsession with budgeting for clothes. This was a relatively wealthy woman married to a very wealthy husband. Money was the least of her issues. She heard the door open and saw Courtney come out holding a teal blue sequined dress in her hands. Amazingly, it perfectly matched the teal blue knee-length halter sundress Courtney was already wearing at the moment. What it did not match though were the white tennis shoes on her feet. Patricia noted how her attractive and breezy style of dressing matched her light-hearted and easygoing personality. Sometimes she wondered how such a brilliant photographer could miss knowing how beautiful she really was and how suited she was to wearing even the finest gems.
“Don’t worry about the price, I know what you like so trust me, you can afford them.” Patricia said as she walked over to Courtney.
Without waiting for another comment Patricia gently guided Courtney back into the spacious dressing room and shut the door behind her. Outside, Patricia went as far across the store as she could to make a quick phone call. When she was positive that her voice would not carry across the room she then dialled the number.
“Good morning”, responded a rich baritone voice.
“Hello is this Ramon Belham?” asked Patricia.
“Yes it is.”
“Good, this is Patricia from Lascelle’s Boutique. Your plan is unfolding quite well, and Courtney is inside right this minute trying on the dress you selected,” whispered Patricia.
Ramon smiled to himself because he knew that the plans he had in mind for Courtney that night were going to blow her mind and his as well in the process. The thought of seeing her wearing the dress he selected was already stirring his imagination and driving him wild with desire. If he was going to make it through the day he would have to really control his thoughts, but right now that seemed like impossibility. Adding a little more force to what he was afraid sounded like a broken voice he asked,
“Great, now you are sure she will select the white one?”
“Yes, of course, I gave her sizes in the others that would not fit as well, so she will select the right dress, Mr. Belham. I will also add the two cashmere and silk scarves to the bags as you suggested.”
“Ok. I also want you to slip the pearl and diamond set I gave you yesterday into her shopping bag with the card attached as well. Don’t forget. I want her to have the new jewellery because I know how you ladies need to have that perfectly matched set,” laughed Ramon.
“Okay I won’t forget. This is so exciting and romantic, I just love to see young couples in love,” cooed Patricia.
Ramon just laughed as he listened to the older woman live vicariously through the experience. After a few more instructions, they ended the call all unbeknownst to Courtney.
After ending the call on his cell phone Ramon looked up at the curious stares of his staff members who were all seated around the conference table in the meeting room. Ramon Belham, was the owner and CEO of Belham Event Enterprises a successful event planning company that specialized in creating unusual themes for parties, conferences, weddings and the like and today he was placing the final touches on the event of the century, his own 7 wedding anniversary celebration. His business was well respected on Derrien Island and he was often hired to cater and plan the logistics for the biggest events that occurred throughout the Caribbean. That was a mark of his professionalism and also his creativity of thought.
“So is she there on schedule?” queried Marsha his secretary.
“Yes she is,” he said blowing out a gust of air. “I wasn’t sure that she would go through with the shopping trip after the trying week she had at the studio, but she has.”
Everyone else also released a sigh of relief because to get this operation to work without Courtney suspecting a thing was going to be hard. As a photographer, his wife had an uncanny eye for detail and razor sharp discernment. He had been trying all week to seem all nonchalant about their anniversary and had casually suggested that they go out for dinner that evening. But, little did she know just how much he wanted every detail of their anniversary to be perfect right down to the cross on the t in perfect.
Earlier that morning, they had breakfast together on their outdoor deck which overlooked Carlisle Bay. The sun was already up and a cool breeze stirred the leaves of the orange trees they had planted in the backyard. That morning, Courtney made sure he had his favourite banana nut muffin and a steaming cup of latte before he left home. She was always the thoughtful type of person who tried to go out of her way to let him know how much she appreciated him. Sometimes she would slip in a simple I love you note into his briefcase or sometimes she would call him during the day just to hear his voice. But this time, in addition to making sure he had his favourite breakfast she had also served him a fruit salad of grapes, sliced peaches and pineapple in a bowl of light syrup. He could not remember who first came up with the idea to feed each other the fruit, but considering what happened next that point really was insignificant. At one point she got up from the table and moved over to the patio doors and placing a juicy piece of pineapple between her lips beckoned him to come closer with her index finger and a seductive come-and-get- me expression in her eyes. The smile and the promise in her eyes were enough to ignite the fires of desire in him within half a second so in two strides and without a moment of hesitation he had eliminated the distance between them, carefully bitten off the pineapple that she offered him, chewed it and swallowed it to get it out of the way. What he was really after was a maddening desire to taste every drop of the remaining syrup coating her lips. Slowly, he traced her lips with his tongue, enjoying the sweet taste and as he sucked every drop of
that intoxicating juice from her soft lips like a man who had not drunk water in a decade. As he did he felt her body press closer against his rubbing against him rhythmically as if in response to some inaudible but provocative music. Responding to the warm softness of her body, he remembered cupping her lush breasts through the thin material of her sundress until her nipples hardened in response. Her simple invitation had spiralled out of control and as he inhaled her fragrance he knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that he would be late for work that day. The truth was that at that moment he just did not care! After all, being the boss had its perks! All he could think about were the now soft moaning sounds and the feel of his wife’s now pliant body against him and imagining what it would like to press into her hot moist body until they became one. Half stumbling through the sliding doors that led from the outer deck to their living area, they had only made it as far as the sofa before they began peeling off their clothes with frenzied and jerky movements, just wanting to be free of those bothersome barriers. At the back of his mind Ramon could not stop asking himself, who was this new wild woman in his arms. Hardly had Courtney ever wanted to make love during the day and much less outside of the bedroom. The thick fog of desire made it difficult to follow his own line of thinking through because at the moment he preferred to feel and to experience this dream come to real life rather than to analyse it. A bit of reality did creep back in though when she had paused to ask if he had a condom. Pushing aside the momentary annoyance of this constant request he took one from his wallet and put it on hastily. Grabbing two throw cushions he placed one under Courtney’s head and one under her hips so that he could fill her as deeply as possible. As he kissed her again, and their tongues mated with an intensity that left him stunned, the urgency to be inside her consumed him and he could see that she was all but lost as her hips undulated rhythmically against his body. Quickly, he pressed into the sweetness that she offered him, relishing the hot tightness that enveloped him and he began to gyrate in those slow circles that he knew drove her to the point of madness. Courtney gripped his buttocks and had ground herself against him in response as she pleaded with him for more. Ramon increased his tempo and with each possessive thrust that he made in her body they were both filled with a wild excitement. Then Courtney had arched off the rug in unspeakable ecstasy as she climaxed sending him to his own shuddering release. It had to be the most exhilarating breakfast he ever had. This was not the tender and more conservative woman he had married seven years ago. Courtney had really surprised him with this sudden boldness, but he was glad because it was another sign that she was welcoming him more and more back into her heart. This was not at all what he had planned for this morning. In fact he had envisioned that he would be the one to initiate today’s seduction but much later.