Excerpt from

Forsaken

The Found, Book Two

By Caitlyn O’Leary

Chapter One

“Put on your clothes.  You disgust me.”  Seth was beyond tired, and seeing his wife on his bed, naked and spread for him made his bile rise.

“Carson, I need you, remember how it was?”  She tried to entice him by playing with her breasts.

Seeing her gown on the floor, he picked it up and tossed it on top of her.  “That’s the problem Portia, I don’t remember anything, let alone it ever being any good.”

“That night together was the best night of my life.  It could be like that again if you’d just try, dammit.”

“Get out of my room,” his voice deadly.  Her eyes widened and she scrambled off the bed.

“Fine, but don’t think this is the end.  You are going to make me pregnant again.  Daddy wants a grandchild.”

“Oh cut the bullshit, there was never a baby in the first place.  You dragged my ass to the altar under false pretenses.”

“Carson, you got me pregnant that night.  You believed me before, why don’t you believe me now?”

The million dollar question.  He knew from the moment he laid eyes on her she was a criminal and likely involved in drug smuggling with her father.  He intended to put her behind bars, and instead he had married her to protect his unborn child.  A child that likely never existed.

“Get the fuck out, Portia, before I do something we both regret.”

She slung the gown over her shoulder and left his room, uncaring if the servants saw her naked or not.  His wife was quite a piece of work.

Seth…Carson, whatever the fuck his name was, Hell he was beginning to question his own identity.  Yanking at the bowtie of his tuxedo it knotted tighter instead of opening.

“Good, maybe I’ll choke.”  He was sick of living the double life.  Finally he pulled, ripping it apart at the seam.  “God damn motherfucker!”  He did the same with the cuffs of his shirt, satisfied when the cufflinks flew across the room.  They were gold with diamonds.  Maybe the maids would steal them.  “Good for them.”

Fuck, he needed to shut the hell up, it was a bad habit to talk out loud.  He knew his room was bugged.  There was a damn good chance of video surveillance too.  Once when Portia was high she said she hoped there was, that it added to the spice.

Not that he would touch her.  He warned her when they started this travesty of a marriage it wouldn’t be consummated, but she hadn’t believed him.  Hence the weekly ritual.  Sometimes she’d bring in some kind of sex toy, one night he’d found her tied spread eagle to the bed.  He didn’t even want to know who had helped her into the position.

He pulled off the rest of his clothes, hoping they would tear as well, but they didn’t.  At least one of his dress shoes left a dent in the wall.  They could report he had a temper tantrum for all he cared.  It had been an ugly fucking night and Portia was the cherry on top.  He needed a long hot shower to erase the stench of the scum he brushed up against.

God, he hoped it would help his headache.  Grabbing three ibuprofen and some Rolaids he chewed them all down, praying it would help his head and his stomach by the time he finished the hot shower.

He often wondered if they had audio and video in the shower too, it wouldn’t surprise him.  Nothing surprised him about these bastards.  Had he ever had such a bad headache?  It was the woman at the party, she reminded him of his Annie, and then he had to listen to Lobado’s men talk about their new source of income.  The pulse of pain in his head was so bad his eyes started to water.

What the fuck had he gotten himself into?

****

Annie reminded herself to be happy.  She escaped from the people intent on kidnapping her baby, but all she could focus on was her baby’s father.  Somehow she managed to drive Seth away.  She took out his letter, went to her desk, and pulled out the tape.  Carefully she taped the seams where it was coming apart because she had unfolded and folded it so often.

“Annie,

I won’t be coming home after this assignment.  Things have changed.  I have changed.  I have decided on a new life.  I deeply regret the promises I made to you but will be unable to honor. 

I won’t defile our time together by speaking of it now, only know this, you are loved.

I am entrusting this letter with my father, so you can tell him if you need anything.  I can no longer claim the name Natani, but you will always be cared for by the family of Natani.

Seth”

Annie pushed the paper flat against the desk.  She didn’t know why she wanted to look at it.  The letter had almost killed her when Rafe Natani, Seth’s father, had handed it to her almost a year ago.

****

Seth’s parents had found her at her apartment not far from the college in Farmington, New Mexico where she was spending a lot of her time.  She was working on her doctoral thesis in Archeology based on the Anasazi, and using the college campus library.

“Miss Newman, you don’t know us, but we’re Seth’s parents.  Would you allow us to come in?”  Everything dropped away as Annie looked at the middle aged Native American couple on her porch.  Dear God, Seth had died on assignment with the DEA.  Annie grabbed her swollen abdomen and fell to her knees, staring up at the caring faces of Seth’s parents.

“Quick Rafe, let’s help her inside.”

“Seth, is he?  Did he?  Did he suffer?”

“Oh honey, no.  He’s not dead.  We’re handling this badly.  Let us help you.  Seth’s not dead.  He’s fine.”  The Natani’s helped Annie into her cooler apartment, and settled her on the couch.

“What can I get you to drink?” the woman asked as she hurried towards the kitchen.

“I don’t need anything.  Where’s Seth?  Is he hurt?  Is he finally home?”

“He’s not hurt.  He’s not home.  My name is Rafe, the woman currently rummaging through your kitchen is my wife Wanda.”  Annie looked at his hand holding hers over the large swell of her tummy.  They both looked up at the same time.

“Am I going to be a grandfather?”

“I’d prefer to tell Seth he’s going to be a father first.”

“I brought you some lemonade.  I also found some graham crackers, I thought they would suit.”  Wanda sat down on the other side of her husband after handing her the glass and setting the plate on the coffee table.  She squeezed her husband’s shoulder.  “She’s so young.”  She whispered to her husband, but Annie heard her.

“I’m twenty-four.”

Seth’s mother gave her a long considering look, Annie was used to it.  She knew she had a baby face.  “Do you want to see my driver’s license?  I’m actually working on my PhD.  I’m going to be twenty-five in three months.”  She watched as Wanda relaxed.

“I’m sorry honey, I worry for you.  I hate to see babies raising babies.”

“So do I, but I’m a grown woman, and I want my baby very much.  Please tell me why you’re here, this is killing me.”

“Are you pregnant with our son’s child?” Mr. Natani persisted.  Annie looked him in the eye, and was struck by the lack of family resemblance between Seth and his parents and then remembered the strange circumstances surrounding his adoption into the Natani home.

“I beg your pardon, but why are you here?”

This time Mrs. Natani spoke.  “Annie, we need you to stay strong,” she looked down at her belly.  “Especially now.”  She opened up her purse and pulled out a letter and handed it to her husband, who in turn handed it to Annie.  “Seth sent us a letter, with this letter enclosed.  He said we needed to be here when you opened it.”

It was the first time she read those words.  She didn’t say a word, didn’t cry, and showed no emotion.  She was used to rejection.  She didn’t know how she had managed to drive him away, but she had.  It was the story of her life, she had done something so wrong her mother abandoned her all those years ago.  The first foster home she lived in gave her back after two years.

She took small comfort in the fact he bothered to lie and say he had loved her.  She would cope, she always coped, no matter what her age, she coped.  Only this hurt a million times worse.  But she wouldn’t give into the hurt, she had her daughter to think about.  She stroked her tummy and murmured reassurance to Nell as she kicked in agitation.  Her baby felt her Mommy’s upset.

“It’s okay, baby girl,” Annie crooned.

“We’re having a granddaughter, Rafe!” Wanda cried out ecstatically, and Annie burst into tears.

“You need…You need to leave.”

“Miss Newman, we’re not leaving.  May I read the letter Seth gave you?”  It fell out of her numb fingers and fluttered to the floor as Annie tried to hand it him.  Picking it up, he read the note and then handed it to his wife.  Wanda took longer to read it, and when she finished she stifled a sob.

“You’re coming home with us Annie,” the woman said when she stopped crying.

The rest of the afternoon was a blur.  There was no way on God’s green Earth Annie would have thought her apartment in Farmington would be packed and she would agree to move to Shiprock with Seth’s parents, but it’s exactly what happened.  Wanda Natani was a force of nature.  Her husband was the steady wind behind the force, just steadily pushing, ensuring everything moved forward.

Annie didn’t have to lift a finger.  Somehow packers and movers showed up out of thin air within hours of the Natani’s arrival.  One of the moving men said he would drive her car to Shiprock, which is when she came out of her stupor.

“I’m more than capable of driving.”

“We never said you weren’t,” Rafe smiled easily.  Seth had the same smile, and it always meant the same thing, she was going to lose an argument.

“Then please give me back my keys.”  Annie held out her hand.  The whole day was surreal.  It was a month before she was due to deliver.  Her thesis was a week away from being done, and it felt like her life was over.  That kind of thinking was unacceptable.  She needed to take control.  She had her daughter to consider.

“Sure, Miss Newman, you can drive.  But the roads from here to Shiprock are icy.  Are your tires studded?  We want you to be safe.”

Damn, he made sense.

“Annie, you need to call her Annie, Rafe.  She’s our daughter now.” Wanda said as she came up and wrapped her arm around Annie’s shoulder.

“No, I’m not, what are you talking about?”

“Don’t panic, we’re not kidnapping you, this is totally your decision.  But know from this day forward we consider you our daughter.  We would have whether you were carrying our granddaughter or not.  We don’t understand the choices our son has made, but he has much love for you, and therefore we have much love for you.  You are part of our clan, our family, and our hearts.”  She studied their faces and read the truth in what she said.  For the second time Annie started crying.

“Miss Newman, I mean Annie, please don’t cry.”

“Hush Rafe, these are good tears.  She knows she finally has a home.”  Wanda pulled her into the warmest hug she could remember.

Annie rode in the Natani’s car to Shiprock.  When they got to their modest adobe home, the moving truck wasn’t there.  Instead an older woman was standing in the doorway, looking very elegant in a long caftan and boots.

“Mom.  What are you doing here?” Rafe called out.

“A good question, since my son didn’t see fit to tell me he was bringing home my granddaughter and great-granddaughter.”  The woman ignored her son and hugged her daughter-in-law before standing in front of Annie.

“Welcome Annie Newman.  My name is Shilah Natani.  I am your grandmother.”  For the second time Annie was engulfed in a pair of loving female arms.  This time Nell kicked out, surprising her and the older woman.  Shilah broke away, and rested her hand on Annie’s belly.  “And you little one, welcome.  What is your name?”

“Her name is Nell.”  Annie smiled, loving the fact Shilah treated Nell as an actual person, because in her eyes, Nell was a person, she just hadn’t come out to meet everyone yet.

“Welcome Nell, I am your great-grandmother.”  Annie felt her baby kick in obvious excitement.  It was like when she ate a piece of chocolate, or the few times she had gotten lost in a daydream about Seth.  Nell was extremely sensitive, just like her Daddy.  Tears formed for the third time but she willed them away.  She was not going to ruin the joy her daughter was feeling at that moment.

“Granddaughter, it is going to be all right.  This too shall pass.”

Annie looked into the eyes of a woman who though related to Seth by blood, really seemed to be his grandmother.  Maybe there actually was hope.

“There is reason to hope.  Trust me.”

Nell kicked again against this woman’s hand, as if she too was telling her to believe.  Annie’s tears dried up.

“You are right.  I am blessed.”

“You don’t believe it yet, but you will.  You are strong my granddaughter.  We don’t understand everything, but you need to know my grandson loves you.”

“I can’t Grandmother.  I can’t hold onto that, it will break me.  But I can believe in all of you.  I can believe in Nell, and I can believe in myself.”

“That’s enough for now.”  Shilah Natani pulled her towards the house, and they sat down while Wanda made hot chocolate.  Again Annie felt Nell’s pleasure.

“I wonder where the moving truck is, I need to call them,” Rafe said as he pulled out his cell phone.

“It’s at my house,” Shilah stated.  “The only room here, is Seth’s old room.  Annie wouldn’t want to stay in it.  It’s best she stays at my house.”

“Mom.”

“Shilah…” Wanda started.

“Annie, what do you think of that idea?” the older lady asked as she covered Annie’s hand with hers.  Why was she so drawn to her?  She turned her hand over and grasped it, like she would a lifeline.

“I would love to stay with you Mrs. Natani.”

“Please call me Grandmother, or Shilah whatever you are comfortable with.”

Annie thought it over.  Her mother had abandoned her when she was six.  She had never had a grandmother.  Again, looking into this woman’s eyes was like looking into a part of Seth.  Even though he had abandoned her as well, it was like a part of him was still with her.

“Grandmother.  I want to call you Grandmother.”  Nell kicked in agreement, and Annie gave a wan smile, the first smile since reading the awful letter.

“You’ll do Annie Newman.”

Biography

Caitlyn O’Leary was raised in a small town in the Pacific Northwest.  She has always been an avid reader.  Her earliest creative writing endeavors consisted of “ghost writing” exercises where she pretended to be her younger brothers and sister when she did their homework assignments.

Years in corporate America honed her ability to manipulate words by day and at night she read everything she could get her hands on, including many steamy romances.

Now happily married to her long, tall Texan and living in Southern California, Caitlyn has finally found the time to write erotic happily ever afters.  She enjoys swimming, traveling, babysitting for her nieces and nephews, spending time with friends and family, and doing lots of “research” with her husband for upcoming novels.

Keep Up With Caitlyn O’Leary

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Website:  www.caitlynoleary.com

Email:  Caitlyn@caitlynoleary.com

ADULT EXCERPT

“Do you understand me?  Do you understand exactly what I need?  What I am asking?”

She did, and she would willingly give him anything to erase the agony she saw in his face.  “I freely offer you my body.”  The lines around his mouth eased a little, and then he frowned.

“Baby, tonight I need more.”

“Oh Seth,” Annie stroked his cheek, loving that she could finally touch him outside of those moments of release.  “Whatever you want, whatever you need, it’s yours.  I’m yours.”

“Put your hands over your head and hold your wrist in one hand.”  When she complied she understood why he would want the position, because it arched her back and raised her breasts.

He pulled her legs apart and made a place for himself, his jutting cock resting against her slick folds.  She pushed her knees against the mattress so her sex parted a little more bringing his hot flesh against her moist heat.  It was sublime.

“No.  You don’t move until I say tell you.”  She stopped, and looked into glittering black eyes.  He must have read her intention to thrust upwards.

He gently palmed both of her breasts and thumbed her nipples, back and forth scraping his calloused thumbs over her delicate nubs, causing her to whimper.  “It’s too much.”

“You can take more, baby.”  He rubbed harder and faster.  Her nipples had always been sensitive, and he knew it.  But it was as if he was taking her past the point of pain to a world of pure sensation.  Rivers of heat were flowing from her nipples to her clit and back up again, her juices flowed, she tried to push her hips up, but he pressed her body down into the bed without giving her the friction she needed.

“Seth,” she wailed quietly.  Even in her dreams she knew to be quiet.

He looked down at the hard red tips and stopped.  “Look at how pretty and swollen you are.”  He swooped down and sucked one pebbled nub into his mouth and she let out a low keen, grabbing the back of his head, pulling his long hair.  She didn’t remember his hair being so long.  When did he get long hair?  Why was she dreaming of Seth with long hair?

“Hands over your head.”  He lifted his hips and looked down at her with a wild look in his eyes.  Who was this man?  Never had Seth been so commanding, and why was she even more on fire for him?  She immediately obeyed him, and he rewarded her by grinding against her needy clit.

“Please, I’m begging you.”

“My way.”  He dipped his head back down, and sucked her other distended nipple into his mouth, tonguing it towards the roof of his mouth.  He kept the rocking motion of his hips against her core, until she was close to coming.

“Yes, oh God, yes Seth.”  And then he stopped.  Once again she grabbed his hair and yanked him back.  He reared back and roared.  “Annie, do as I say!”  She trembled at the power in his voice and immediately complied melting into the bed, her desire spiking even higher.

His arms wrapped around her, pulling her up against his hot chest, molding them into one person and his lips pressed against hers, his taste something long denied but never forgotten.  He plunged his tongue into her mouth, thrusting and stroking her ever upwards into a blazing need.  Then he ripped his head away, and started a path of kisses and nips along her jaw.  He licked at the pulse of her neck and bit down, and even more of her juices leaked onto his erection.  He was sliding easier and easier against the parted folds of her labia.

Continuing his path downwards, he lightly brushed her stinging nipples, but she still arched upwards into the beautifully painful caress.  He nipped at her concave tummy, and then swirled his tongue into her belly button.  He licked over her smoothly shaved mound.

“You’re still bare for me.”

“You liked for me to do that.  It makes me feel like one day we could be together.”

“My deepest wish is to be together again, but this is only a dream.”  Tears pricked her eyes.  She didn’t want honesty from her dream lover.  She wanted to revel in pleasure, in the need they had for one another.

“Don’t talk about the future or the past, I want to concentrate on the here and now.  I’ve needed you so much.”  Then what little breath she had he took from her, as his thumbs parted the petals of her sex, and his tongue traced the valley from her opening to her bud and then swirled around until she couldn’t talk, couldn’t move, couldn’t think.

How was it possible she felt every tiny detail of their lovemaking this time?  Every nuance was magnified, and then he slid his thick fingers into her hot tight core and they groaned as one person.  Ever so lightly he took her clit between his teeth and laved it with his tongue, pressing in and out with his fingers. 

“So close.”

“No.  I’m in charge,” he said, lifting his head and looking at her through hooded eyes.  “You will hold on until I’m inside you.”  He bent back down, and continued to raise her up.  Her body shook with hunger, and she panted for air.

“P-P-Pl-Please stop.  I can’t hold on.”

He lifted up again.  “You can hold on.  You will do as I say.  You gave your word.”  He continued for long minutes, adding a third finger and twisting, layering sensation on top of sensation. 

“Seth.”  The shivering wouldn’t stop.  So very close.  He pulled back at the very second when she would have gone over.  She watched as he licked every drop of her honey off his fingers, lingering and savoring.

“Annie, you were, are and always will be the best thing in my life.”  He seemed so real, she had to tell him about Nell, and then he was covering her.  Surging inside, and every thought splintered.  Her mind shattered with pleasure, she couldn’t hold back her cries of rapture, his name a benediction on her lips.  Then he was gone.

GENERAL EXCERPT

“Stop.”

Thiago continued.

Seth grabbed Thiago’s forearm in a punishing grip, seconds away from breaking it.

“Let go,” Thiago said, through gritted teeth.  “You forget yourself.”

“Until I say differently, she’s my property, or I leave now.”  Seth was truly scared.  Labado was a murdering sadist, and he might have pushed him too far, but he couldn’t ignore it for one more second.  Labado stared at him and slowly let go of the whimpering girl.  She dropped to the floor.  Labado cradled his arm and toed her with his shoe.

“Is she the one?”

“How would I know, I haven’t seen the others,” Seth said in a calm voice.

“Anton, bring in the next sample,” he called out.  Four more young women were brought in for Seth to view, all slightly older than the girl who remained silently crying on the floor at his feet.

After they all were standing in a row, Leslie turned to him.  “Well?”

“And the one in the picture?”

“She’s not as docile, and she has bruising.”

Seth gave her a toothy smile.  “So she has spirit and marks up well.  Too bad you didn’t bring her.”  He set down his drink and got up.

“She’s in the hall.  Bring her in Anton.”  He continued to stand.  This was it, his palms were damp, and a bead of sweat trickled down his neck.  The bastard was gripping Annie tightly by the scruff of her neck, forcing her into the room.  Her face was mostly hidden by her hair.  It was a trick he had seen her use many times to assess a situation without people being aware of what she was doing.  Then like a laser, she saw the girl lying on the ground and she yanked out of the man’s hold and was on her knees in front of Labado, cradling the girl’s head in her lap.

“Oh, I like a woman who knows her place,” Labado crooned.

Why didn’t I break the fucker’s arm?

“What did you do to her?” Annie demanded, her head turning to Labado, as Leslie watched Seth.  He looked at her, schooling his features, so he could survive the contempt he would see in his lover’s, his love’s face.  But while her face was hard and cold her eyes held nothing but joy.

“She is not your business.”

“I’m making her my business.”

“You’re in no position to negotiate.  You’re a captive.  All but naked on the floor.  Where is your leverage?”

“Apparently I’m a commodity of some value, or I wouldn’t be here.”  She tossed her hair and looked at Labado.  “I’m of value to him.  I have leverage.”  She helped the girl off the floor, murmuring softly to her.  God, she was magnificent.  He kept his face flat and raised an eyebrow at Labado.

“You seem taken.” Seth said stating the obvious.

“You don’t.  I thought spirit and easily marked were two of your criteria.”  Labado’s eyes followed Annie as she took the young girl to a sofa.  Anton followed her with an amused expression on his face.

“I find myself drawn to both of them.  They both have,” Seth paused, “certain qualities.”

“I am in complete agreement.  I will take whichever one you pass up.”

“But you told me the other day your current mistress was to your liking.”

“A man can always make room for two women.”  Labado licked his lips as he looked at the women/girls on the sofa.  Seth looked at the four other women in the room.  He wished a man could always make room for six.  God, they had to stop this tonight, but it wasn’t going to happen.  Could Kota and Nate somehow keep track of these four?

“I’m sorry.  I really can’t decide.  If you’re intent on taking one of these two, I’m going to have to go through with the divorce.”  Labado pulled his gaze away from the sofa and stared incredulously at Seth.

“You are talking crazy.  You have what you want.  You just said so.”

“But you are intent on taking what I truly desire.”  He watched as the sick bastard processed what he was saying.  Leslie laughed.

“Well aren’t you just full of surprises.  First you didn’t want any of the women I had to offer, and now you want two.  But I thought you liked spirit, and one seems like a bit of a victim.”

“I like the dichotomy.  But the point is moot.”  He looked at the sofa and couldn’t see Annie’s face, her hair hid everything.  He knew exactly what was going on in her mind, in her soul, because it mirrored his own heart.  He had to pull this off.

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