Bells Will Be Ringing Read online

  “Are you sure your mother won’t mind?” she asked. She’d never been invited to meet a guy’s family during such a special celebration. That had to mean something important, didn’t it?

  “The more the merrier is what she always says. You might get the inquisition, but if you’re willing to take that chance, I’d love to have you there. My family is a bit overwhelming when I’ve been away from them for a while. I need a buffer,” he told her with a grin.

  “I’m the buffer?” She gave him a sideways glance. “I’m not sure if I’m supposed to be insulted by that thought, but if it’s any consolation, I might just have invited you to my family’s get together for a similar reason,” she admitted.

  He laughed as they stood at the valet stand waiting for his car. “We’re quite the pair, aren’t we?” he mused. “Tell you what. I’ll gladly be your buffer if you’ll be mine.”

  “That sounds fair,” she told him before the car arrived and they went out into the frigid night air.

  He drove them back to her place, and they went via a roundabout route so they could gaze at the Christmas light displays in various neighborhoods along the way. She couldn’t remember spending a more enjoyable evening in the entire year since her mother had died. Alan had brought the joy back to the season for her. Without him, she very much doubted she would have enjoyed anything this year. Not with all that had happened to reopen old wounds.

  When they got to her place, she invited him in. She’d been dreaming of having him in her home—in her bed—for days now. Ever since their amazing sojourn in the snowstorm. She’d built it up in her mind so much that she wasn’t sure anymore if reality could live up to the fantasy of what had come before. That hotel room and waking in his arms had been magic, and everything after they’d made love had been bathed in a soft fuzz of enchantment.

  She’d been walking on clouds ever since and was almost afraid she’d built up her expectations to something totally unrealistic. She needn’t have worried. Just seeing Alan again and being with him throughout dinner proved all over again that he was the perfect gentleman…the perfect man. For her.

  He’d made her laugh. He’d made her think. And together, they’d talked of serious things she’d never talked about with anyone else. They’d touched on her losses…and his. He’d opened up to her about the friends he had lost and they’d grown closer, if that was possible.

  Now, as he took her in his arms and carried her across the threshold of her bedroom, she just about swooned at his romantic gesture. Her insides quivering, he set her on the bed and proceeded to undress her…slowly. He nibbled at each inch of skin exposed, lingering longer in some places than others as her breath came in short gasps and her desire for him rose to new heights.

  “Alan,” she gasped his name as he rid her of the last of her clothing, then made room for himself between her thighs. She felt daring. Breathless. Wanted.

  It was a new feeling for her. Never before had she felt so totally at ease with a man and secure in her own femininity. Alan made her stronger than she was. Bolder than she’d ever been. Happier than she deserved.

  Wait. Did she really feel that way? Like she didn’t deserve happiness? Something was wrong with that thought, but she couldn’t focus anymore as Alan started working his way down her thigh with nibbling kisses that paused, then zeroed in on a certain sensitive spot that made her fists clench on the comforter under her as her hips rose off the bed.

  Little squeals of pleasure were wrung from her chest as Alan teased, then pleased her in turn. He knew just how to touch her. Just how to lick and fondle. She came hard and fast before he moved upward, trailing his hot tongue along her belly, pausing to circle around her belly button, then go higher.

  “I really like the way you respond to me, Eileen.” His tone was deep, almost growly, and it turned up the heat within her another notch. The smile he sent her way as he hovered close over her straining breasts was pure deviltry…in the sexiest possible sense.

  “Don’t leave me hanging, Alan,” she whispered, licking her lips like she wanted to lick him. All over.

  With a groan, he rose up, capturing her mouth with his as his cock settled against her most sensitive place and sought entrance. Good. He wasn’t going to make her beg.

  She kissed him deeply, giving as good as she got from him while doing all she could to encourage their joining. Finally, he reached between them with one hand and guided himself into her, pausing to rub the tight nub that nearly sent her to the stars right then and there.

  He pushed inward and they were one. Alan groaned, as she squirmed beneath him, adjusting to his size and welcoming his warmth. Then, he began to move and thinking wasn’t required. Only feeling. Feeling so intense, that she was powerless in thrall to Alan’s desire and her own.

  The pressure built and redoubled, then rose again as Alan pushed into her over and over. She was nearly incoherent with passion as finally, climax rolled over them, pushing her upward toward the stars, safe in Alan’s arms.

  She never wanted to leave his embrace. She never wanted this pleasure…or this night…to end. They held each other tight deep into the night. There were still lots of question marks in her mind about the possibility of a future together, but she was willing to suspend all thought of that for the time being. The time she had with Alan was too precious to waste worrying about tomorrow.

  The day before Christmas Eve dawned bright and cold. Alan woke to find himself in bed with the woman of his dreams. Life couldn’t get much better than this.

  He’d come to a decision, and the time was fast approaching to share it with Eileen. He only hoped she’d respond the way he wanted. A lot was riding on what she’d think about what he’d decided. Now, he just had to find the right moment to tell her.

  They spent the morning together, eating breakfast in bed and making love again in the lazy morning sunlight. Her house was charming, and he felt right at home, even if the color scheme was a little girly for his tastes in some parts of the house. The master bathroom was pink, for example. Not that he didn’t like pink as a concept, but it was a little hard to get used to after spending so much time in the Navy where pink as a decorating choice didn’t seem to exist.

  They showered together, and the pink walls and towels didn’t matter. Only the walk-in shower and the little tiled seat that came in so handy, made an impression on him as he powered into her, making Eileen moan in the most satisfying of ways. He loved that he could do that to her. He loved that he could make her scream his name or growl with impatience for him to move faster or deeper, or whatever the situation called for. He loved that he could make her into a fierce lover who demanded what she wanted from him.

  The contrast between the demure, polite façade she showed the world and the needy lover he brought out in her heated his blood and brought an answering growl from his inner caveman. He loved that he could be himself with her, no matter what mood was upon him. She seemed to like it when he let things get a little rough, as much as she liked it when he was more refined. He knew he loved it when she showed him her passion openly and in every way.

  Flat out. He just loved her. Everything about her fascinated him. Every response. Every emotion. Every compassionate word. Every loving touch.

  He couldn’t imagine his life without her in it, and as the day wore on and they spent it together, he realized the time had come to make his move. They hadn’t left her house all day, but he’d come prepared. What he needed was in his coat pocket, and it only took a moment to retrieve as she finished putting together the dinner they’d both helped prepare.

  Alan set the dining room table, secreting what he’d need on a disused chair next to his place. He wanted to find the perfect moment to tell her of his decision, and he thought for certain the moment would come at some point during or after dinner. He was ready when she started putting dishes on the table, and he went back into the kitchen with her to help bring the rest out.

  They ate the salad he’d chopped up with his own clum
sy hands then moved on to the main course. She’d made chicken teriyaki, which was absolutely delicious, and he told her so multiple times. There were side dishes, too, a few of which he’d helped prepare by opening cans and mixing things in bowls before popping them in the oven or on the stove. All in all, it was a delicious meal that both impressed him and passed by all too quickly.

  When she would have gone into the kitchen to get the pie she had left there, he stopped her, one hand on hers. She looked at him, seeming surprised by his action. She’d probably be a lot more surprised by the time he spoke his piece.

  “Eileen, honey…” She sat facing him, watching him with a faintly questioning look. “I’ve really enjoyed spending time with you these past weeks.”

  “I’ve enjoyed spending time with you, too,” she told him, looking a bit wary as he tried to find the right words.

  “The thing is, you know the decision I’m up against. The decision I came home to mull over and make.” He wasn’t saying what he wanted to say, but he would get there. Eventually.

  Eileen visibly swallowed, now seeming even more on edge. Dammit. He was screwing this up.

  “I’ve made my decision. You helped me make it. I mean… I hope you’ll do that. Sorry. I’m not very eloquent tonight, it seems.” He blew out a gusty chuckle, nervous as hell.

  Maybe actions would speak louder than words. He reached for the item he’d left on the chair next to him then got down on one knee next to her.

  “Eileen, I’m not going back to the Navy. I want to come home. To you. I want to come home to you every day for the rest of our lives. I want to know if you’ll be my wife. Honey, will you marry me?” He opened the ring box and held it up to her, showing her the sparkling diamond he’d picked out over the weekend, just for her.

  Tears flooded Eileen’s eyes as emotion took over. “Yes!” she gasped. “Yes, I’ll marry you.”

  She reached out and flung herself into his arms. Luckily for the structural integrity of the chair she was sitting in, he met her halfway. They hugged and kissed, then hugged and kissed some more. The pie was forgotten as just being together became more important.

  A long while later, they came up for air, and Alan’s blue eyes gazed down into hers. “I love you, Eileen. You helped me see the goodness in life again.”

  “I love you, too, Alan. You made me laugh again, and for that, I can never thank you enough.”

  *

  The angel celebrated her one-year anniversary in heaven as she watched her beloved daughter crying happy tears in the arms of the man she loved. It had taken a little maneuvering to get them together, but the angel was pleased with the results. Alan would be good to her girl and help replace the last lingering bits of sadness in her heart with happier feelings of joy and love.

  It was one of the last things she could do to help her daughter, the girl she’d had to leave behind when she passed into the next world. Eileen had been through so much. She deserved this chance at happiness with someone who could love her deeply and true.

  “Lucky Eileen.” The restless spirit had arrived to watch over the angel’s shoulder. “She never would have bagged a guy like that if you hadn’t been looking out for her. That was a nice trick, with the snowstorm.”

  “Mary, you still haven’t learned, have you? I may have helped fate along a little, but they were meant to be. Can’t you see that?”

  Mary looked down at her friend and shrugged. “If I’d had a guy like that, I wouldn’t have ended up the way I did. Where was my guardian angel when I needed them?”

  “Honey, they tried, but you were too intent on having things your own way. Every time the ones who loved you tried to intervene, you went the other direction.” Eileen’s mother, the angel, shook her head in despair.

  “How could I have known that?” Mary snapped.

  “If you’d been quiet and listened to your instincts, you might’ve realized, but you lost all those chances, and now, you’re stuck here, in the middle, between life and the afterlife. You can’t transition fully until you figure some things out, Mary.”

  “What am I, like a ghost or something? And where do you go when you’re not here?”

  “I only come here when I want to see how the ones I left behind are doing. Otherwise, I’m…well…I’m in a better place. A place that’s waiting for you, too, Mary, but you have to earn your entry there.” The angel sighed heavily. “Most people do that during their lifetimes. You didn’t. So, you’ll have to do it now, and it won’t be easy.”

  “What do I have to do?” Mary was intent. No doubt she didn’t want to stick around in the half-world she was in now, forever.

  “You left some people behind, too,” the angel reminded her daughter’s friend. “You’ll have to look after them. Maybe you’ll learn a few things along the way and earn your place.”

  “That’s it? I have to be someone’s guardian angel?”

  “You’re no angel, Mary. You’ve got a ways to go before you can claim that title.”

  EPILOGUE

  The angel turned in that timeless place to watch her daughter and the new fiancé announce their joy to Eileen’s father. How she missed them both. She would’ve liked to know Alan as a son-in-law, too, but fate had decreed otherwise.

  “You need to learn a lot, Mary,” the angel said to the younger spirit who was still at her side, though she continued to watch over her Earth-bound family. “You may have to play guardian to more than one of the people you left behind until you figure it out, but I have faith that you’ll get there in the end. As for me, I’ve accomplished what I wished. I wanted to make sure my girl was happy again. When you love someone, you put their happiness before your own. That’s just one of the things you need to experience for yourself, Mary, before you can join those of us on the next step of our journey.”

  The restless spirit left in a bit of a huff if the angel was any judge, but she’d figure it out eventually. At least the angel hoped she would. That girl had had a lot of issues in life, and it looked like she still did.

  The angel looked down at her little family and wished, just for a moment, that she could still be with them…

  But it wasn’t meant to be. This was as close as she could get, until they joined her in this place, the next step on the journey of existence. There would be much rejoicing when they were all together again, but for the time being, they had to be separate, even though it hurt her heart to see them so sad without her.

  Eileen had a chance now, to be happy and loved. That was the important thing.

  “I love you, sweetheart,” the angel whispered to her daughter from above, reaching out to touch her cheek with the energy that was her form now.

  *

  Eileen looked up at the stars as she and Alan left her brother’s house. They’d stopped in so what was left of her family could meet Alan and hear the news about their engagement before they all spent Christmas Eve together the next day. It had gone really well. Her father and brother seemed to like Alan, for which she was grateful.

  As they walked to the car, Eileen felt a warm touch on her cheek in the chill night air. It was as if someone had just touched her cheek. Brushed it ever so lightly. But Alan was nowhere near her. He was already at the car, opening her door when she paused and looked up at the sky.

  Her heart filled with warmth, and she remembered something.

  “What time is it?” she asked Alan quietly, knowing in her heart the answer he would give already.

  He consulted his watch. “It’s nine-thirty,” he reported.

  “My mother died at nine-thirty a year ago tonight,” she whispered. “And I could swear I just felt someone touch my cheek.” Her eyes filled with tears as she gazed at him.

  Alan came to her and put his arms around her. “I’ve seen some strange stuff in my time, and I don’t think it would hurt anything to believe that maybe your mom is watching over you from above. Maybe she sees you, even now, and is happy for you. For us.”

  “You really think so?�
� Tears were rolling down her cheeks, but Alan didn’t run away. He understood. She knew he’d been through grief himself. He knew what it was like.

  “Yeah. I really do.” He leaned down and kissed her tears away.

  When he lifted his head again, she gazed deep into his eyes. “I love you, Alan.”

  “I love you, too, Eileen.” His lips curved up in a warm smile.

  “I just want you to know that, despite the tears, I’m truly happy when I’m with you. You brought the joy back into my life.”

  “You did the same for me, my songbird. And I’m never letting you go.”

  He kissed her again, this time with a lot more passion. He took his time, and she joined him in the kiss, grateful for his presence in her life. Grateful for the gift of him. The gift of happiness, compassion and most of all…love.

  *

  Thanks for reading Bells Will Be Ringing. If you enjoyed this book, please consider leaving a review.

  A complete list of all of my books, separated by series, follows. You can also check out my website at WWW.BIANCADARC.COM. Or you can sign up for my new release list to be alerted when new books are released.

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Bianca D’Arc has run a laboratory, climbed the corporate ladder in the shark-infested streets of lower Manhattan, studied and taught martial arts, and earned the right to put a whole bunch of letters after her name, but she’s always enjoyed writing more than any of her other pursuits. She grew up and still lives on Long Island, where she keeps busy with an extensive garden, several aquariums full of very demanding fish, and writing her favorite genres of paranormal, fantasy and sci-fi romance.

  Bianca loves to hear from readers and can be reached through Twitter (@BiancaDArc), Facebook (BiancaDArcAuthor) or through the various links on her website.