Enlighten (Thornhill Trilogy Book 2) Read online

  ENLIGHTEN

  Thornhill Trilogy

  Book 2

  By J. J. Sorel

  Copyright ©2018 J. J. Sorel

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

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  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form, including electronic or mechanical, without written permission from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews or articles. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, events and incidents are pure product of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or an actual event is purely coincidental and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party websites or content therein. This ebook is licensed for the purchaser’s personal use and enjoyment only. Please respect the author’s work.

  AUTHOR’S NOTE

  All the characters in this fairy-tale romance are consenting adults. For those readers who like their romance novels peppered with descriptive sex scenes, then this is for you. However, for those disinclined towards steamy boudoir scenes I suggest you either approach this with an open mind, or just pass it on to someone looking for an escape in the arms of a sexy read.

  Also by J. J. Sorel

  Entrance Book 1 Thornhill Trilogy

  Enlighten Book 2 Thornhill Trilogy

  Enfold Book 3 Thornhill Trilogy

  The Importance of Being Wild

  “I dedicate this novel to all the hopeless romantics out there”

  CHAPTER ONE

  CHAPTER TWO

  CHAPTER THREE

  CHAPTER FOUR

  CHAPTER FIVE

  CHAPTER SIX

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  CHAPTER NINE

  CHAPTER TEN

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

  CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

  CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

  CHAPTER THIRTY

  CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

  CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

  CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

  CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

  CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

  CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

  CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

  CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT

  CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE

  CHAPTER FORTY

  CHAPTER FORTY-ONE

  CHAPTER FORTY-TWO

  CHAPTER FORTY-THREE

  CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR

  CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE

  CHAPTER FORTY-SIX

  CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN

  CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT

  Enfold - Book 3

  FREE SAMPLE READ – THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING WILD

  CHAPTER ONE

  “These are for you, Clarissa.” Greta handed me a large bunch of blood-red roses.

  My arms were suddenly weighed down by what appeared to be at least five dozen roses. Brushing against my face, the flowers released such an intoxicating perfume that it took me a moment to gather my senses.

  “They’re beautiful. You shouldn’t have,” I said, standing aside to allow her passage. Strewn with clothes from my recent arrival, the room was shamefully messy.

  “They’re not from me, Clarissa.” Greta raised an eyebrow. “From an admirer, I would hazard to guess.”

  I answered her wry grin with an uncertain smile. We both knew who they were from.

  “I can’t stay, got lots to do. Since we fired Bryce, I’m running the Veterans’ Health Center, as well as the estate.”

  Placing the flowers on the table, I was about to respond when a card fell out of them, landing on the ground. My focus did a sharp shift from Greta’s penetrating stare to the white envelope on the floor. All I could hear was my heart pounding.

  When I finally snapped out of it, I noticed Greta’s big blue eyes upon me. “Oh, yes, of course,” I said finally. “I can pop over in an hour or so and start work. I’d like to.”

  “That’s good of you to offer,” said Greta, doing a quick sweep of my unsettled space. “There’s no need to hurry back. You’ll need some time to settle in first, I think.”

  “I’ve already taken enough time off,” I said, fidgeting with my sleeve button.

  “That’s not an issue, Clarissa. We’re just happy to have you back,” said Greta, smiling. “Tomorrow will be fine. I’d like to discuss a new fund-raising idea that Aidan has come up with.”

  “I’m looking forward to hearing about it. The galas were fun, though,” I said, my voice wavering. A replay of my dramatic exit from the last ball flashed before me—running away, tears streaming down my face, after that chilling confrontation with Aidan’s ex.

  “They’ve run their course, I believe,” said Greta. She lingered for a moment. I could tell she wanted to say something. “Your father should be back later today. He’s dying to see you. Would you like to catch up for dinner this evening?”

  “I’d love that. I dropped in briefly last night. He was up to his head in new acquisitions and off in la-la-land. He’d picked up some rare editions of Henry James. I could barely get a moment of his attention.”

  Greta laughed. “Tell me about it. Anyway, he’s got to eat.”

  “Let’s do that, then, Greta,” I said, my legs weak with anticipation as I side-glanced the little white envelope.

  “How does seven o’clock sound?” asked Greta.

  “Perfect.” I hugged Greta, seeing her to the door.

  After Greta had disappeared down the cobbled path back into the main house, I returned to the table, indulging in the heady perfume of roses that had taken over the room.

  My stomach tightened as I ripped open the envelope.

  The card that quivered in my hand had an image of two lovers entwined with an angel overhead. It read: I can breathe again knowing that you’ve come home. Love Aidan.

  I expelled a long sigh. Two weeks seemed like a lifetime of being apart. Aidan would be back on Saturday, which was when I’d been engaged to perform at Dorothy and Rudi Cohen’s soiree.

  I didn’t want to do it. But I’d promised to give a talk on Gustav Klimt. They were such nice people, and good friends of Aidan’s. I’d agreed to it when Aidan was by my side, his arm around me tightly. Supporting me, loving me.

  The buzz from my phone made me jump, startling me out of my dream. I pressed the button.

  “Tabs, where are you? Are you back?” I missed not having my best friend to talk to. With her kick-ass, knock-out-imagined-fear attitude, Tabitha was the person I needed to speak to.

  “I am. I got back last night. Are you in Malibu?” she asked.

  “Yes.” I expelled a long-winded sigh.

  “Hey, what’s up? You don’t sound too good.”

  “That’s an understatement. I don’t know where to start, to be honest,” I said, walking around and looking for a vase big enough to house the largest bunch of roses I’d ever received.

  “Has something happened between you and Aidan?”

  “You could say that,” I said, poking my head into the cupboard.

  “What are you doing? You’re making a racket, Clary.”

  “Sorry. I’m just looking for a vase big eno
ugh for sixty roses.”

  Tabitha whistled. “Let me guess? From Aidan?”

  “Ah-hu,” I said, flopping onto the sofa in defeat.

  “So then, tell me, what happened?”

  “Jessica, his ex, turned up uninvited to the last gala event. She cornered me and gave me the story of her sordid life with Aidan.” I took a breath, expecting Tabitha to jump in, but she remained uncharacteristically quiet. “Anyway, she told me that she’d found Aidan in bed with Amy, that’s the PA before me. And that the shock was so great that Jessica ran and slipped and fell, causing a miscarriage. The child, according to her, was Aidan’s.”

  “Holy shit! Oh Clary. You poor thing,” said Tabitha.

  “Yeah, well. Anyway, Aidan told me it wasn’t his child. Jessica had bedded half of LA, apparently. And that he’d broken off with her at the time.”

  “That sounds reasonable enough. Have you taken him back? Please say you have,” sang Tabitha.

  Good question!

  “Not quite, Tabs.” My voice was small. Expecting one of Tabitha’s tirades, I held the phone away from my ear.

  “Why the fuck not? Clary, need I remind you that Aidan is one hot catch?”

  “I know. I’ve been so damn miserable. Anyway, enough of me. I’m dying to see you,” I said, lifting my tone to forced cheeriness.

  “What about this afternoon?” asked Tabitha.

  “That would be great. I need your head-kicking advice. Are you at our place?”

  “No.”

  I wasn’t expecting that answer. “Where are you?”

  “I’m at Venice Beach. It’s the same building where Aidan has his penthouse. Evan has an apartment there as well—gifted to him by none other than your very generous lover. All of Aidan’s security staff live here. Evan told me that Aidan bought the whole apartment complex to house his ex-army buddies.”

  Why was it that every time I heard something about Aidan, it was to do with his generosity?

  I missed him madly. My body, like that of a drug addict in withdrawal, was in so much pain. It was worse at night. Even my dreams were intruded upon by Aidan, deliciously naked, holding me, taking me deeply, only to leave me to awaken with creamy longing between my legs, and a throbbing heart that shriveled in cold tears.

  “Do you want me to meet you in Venice somewhere?” I asked, not sure if I could handle visiting Aidan’s other home. It would only summon up memories of when we made love all day and night, causing me to hobble about the following day.

  “I’d love you to come by. I can’t wait to show you my new home, Clary,” said Tabitha.

  “Your new home? Seriously, Tabitha? I mean, are you sure you’re ready to move in with Evan? It’s only been a few weeks, after all.”

  Tabitha giggled. “I knew you’d say that. We’ve just spent two weeks together. And we were inseparable. It was beyond amazing.”

  “But I want to talk to you in private. I need some of your sage if not reckless advice,” I implored.

  “I’m alone. Evan’s got some business to attend to. He won’t be back until later tonight. It will be just us. I’m dying for you to meet him, though,” said Tabitha.

  “I’ll be there in an hour. Do you want me to pick anything up on the way?”

  “Yeah, donuts. I’ve got such a craving for them,” said Tabitha.

  “Oh God, Tabs, tell me you’re not pregnant,” I said.

  Tabitha laughed. “No way, silly girl. You know how much I love donuts.”

  “Yeah, sure. It just seems like a lifetime since I’ve seen you. I’ll pick some up. Catch you soon, sweetie. I can’t wait. I’ve missed you, Tabs,” I said, my voice cracking. Oh no, not tears again. I’d become such a cry baby.

  “I’ve missed you too, Clary.”

  After putting down the phone, I went back to look for some vases. One was never going to do it, so I opted for the three vases I found in the cupboard. With the perfume rushing through me and making me all dreamy, I separated the long-stem roses carefully to avoid piercing my fingers. I placed some in each vase. After which, I stepped back to study them, making sure there was symmetry.

  I picked up the card Aidan had sent and kept staring at it as if trying to glean more from it. The love heart made my skin tingle.

  Greta must have informed Aidan of my return. That didn’t surprise me. The relief emanating from her face when I’d agreed to come back to the estate was stamped all over her normally stoic visage. Aidan’s happiness meant everything to her. It was one of the many reasons I’d formed a deep affection for Aidan’s aunt. I loved that Aidan’s well-being was Greta’s primary concern. I also appreciated, deeply, that Greta had liberated my darling father from a lonely existence by becoming his girlfriend.

  CHAPTER TWO

  Drunk on nostalgia, I needed a moment before buzzing Tabitha. As I stood in front of the Venice apartment tower, a rush of memories coursed through my veins.

  Aidan was the lover of the century.

  Not that I had anybody to compare him to, considering he was my first.

  The way he felt on me, in me, and around me had left me with a permanent ache. Particularly below my belly button.

  Was I possessed?

  I sensed his presence everywhere I went. I wondered if I was losing my mind. Despite only two weeks having passed since that fateful ball, it felt more like a whole year. I hated how time stretched when we were apart and the way it raced along when we were together.

  If this was what true love felt like, then I would have preferred the numbness of gray emptiness. Or would I?

  Aidan had opened me up to a point of no return.

  My soul, my heart, my flesh, my mind, were so exposed and delicate that the slightest thing made me jump, cry, and even laugh when I shouldn’t.

  As my bare-arms drank in the sun’s warmth, I remained pitched against the wall, watching as the vibrant boulevard buzzed. Some folks jogged. Others flashed by on Rollerblades and bikes. The day was active, moving forward. My body was anything but that. I related more to the rare, ambling pedestrian doing their utmost not to collide with the rush of humanity.

  In fact, nothing stood still. Not even my heart. The shimmering blue ocean, also on a journey, collected and deposited our secrets somewhere distant and unknown.

  I loved being surrounded by the sea. There was no other place I could ever be. She was a sympathetic, non-judgmental friend who’d watched me spill endless tears into her salty spray. She knew how much I loved Aidan. She’d been there in the beginning, when I bloodied Aidan’s sheet with my innocence on his yacht. She rocked me as I lay in his arms, his heart beating against my ear. And her blue smile had welcomed my first day as a woman in love.

  The buzzer vibrated under my finger.

  “Is that you, Clary?” An excited voice echoed through.

  “Yeah, it’s me.”

  “Come up to the tenth floor.”

  The large glass doors parted and I headed straight for the waiting elevator. When the doors shut, I revisited the last time I had been there, in that same elevator. Leaning against the cool steel, I recalled Aidan, impatient and hot, pressing hard against me, while his hungry hands caressed my breasts, robbing me of air.

  Equally impatient was my good friend Tabitha, who was there waiting for me after the doors opened. “Clary,” she yelled, hugging me.

  “Hi, Tabi,” I said, holding her tight. Although it had only been two weeks, it was the longest time we’d gone without seeing one another since our relationship began when we were aged five.

  Tabitha took me by the hand. “Come on in to my new abode.”

  The apartment did not occupy an entire floor as Aidan’s did, which, being the penthouse suite, was situated above. It was still double the size of our little rundown apartment in downtown LA. Which was the only place Tabitha had lived after leaving the equally frugal little apartment she shared with her late father.

  “This is lovely, Tabs,” I said, soaking up the unhindered view of the sparkling sea. I tu
rned away and faced my gloating friend. “What do you mean your new abode? What about our little nest?”

  Tabitha tilted her head. “Should we keep it? Just in case, you know, all this comes crumbling down.” Her fingers fluttered through the air.

  “That’s not like you to be so pessimistic, Tabitha.”

  She sniffed. “I know.”

  “Am I sensing uncertainty in your tone? What’s happening with Evan?”

  Her large green eyes softened. “Shit, Clary, I’m sooo in love.” I followed her into the kitchen. “Can I offer you a wine or some bubbly?” she asked.

  “No, I’m driving. A juice or soda will do.” I was surprised to encounter a tidy kitchen. It was very unlike Tabitha, but then, she’d only just moved in.

  Tabitha held up a carton of juice. “Will this do?”

  I nodded. She passed me a glass and then poured herself a white wine. “I’m going to have a drink. I’m not going anywhere,” she said, smiling and doing a pirouette.

  That was my good friend Tabitha, one minute glum, the next leaping for the stars.

  “It’s nice here,” I said, settling down onto the white leather sofa.

  “Isn’t it just? Fuck, Clary, it feels like I’ve won the lottery.”

  “You look amazing. How was Hawaii?” I asked.

  “Didn’t see much of it.” A wicked smile formed on her lips.

  “Oh, Tabs, you sex maniac.” I giggled. “You must have gone out to dinner and to the beach.”

  “Yeah, of course, although”—she raised a brow— “that wasn’t the best part.”

  “So, it was a honeymoon, then,” I said, trying not to sound too judgmental, considering Tabitha had been with Evan for such a short time.

  “It was a fuck-fest, and oh my God.” Tabitha’s voice went up a register.

  “I can imagine.” My tone was dry.

  “Oh, come on, Clary. Don’t go all Miss Prissy on me. You’ve had your share of fuck-festing with Mr. Sex-God.”

  “Yeah, I know,” I said with a sigh. I stared down at my feet. A dark cloud drifted over again.

  “Oh, Clary, what’s wrong? I thought you were talking to him, at least. You’ve got to forgive him. This is ridiculous. That cow of an ex lied to you. Can’t you see that was her aim? To shove a wedge between you and Aidan.”