Vanessa Miller - The Best of All

The best is worth waiting for…

Surry McDaniel loves designing beautiful clothes. In fact, it’s the only thing she truly loves. Clothes can never fail her, the way people can. But when she’s accused of stealing designs, Surry risks losing the life she’s spent years building.

The only person who can help is Ian Duncan, a political strategist who knows how to fix bad PR and who hasn’t been able to stop thinking about Surry since they met. But Surry has kept him—and everyone else—at arm’s length as long as they’ve known each other. Helping her would be a risk, but the more Ian gets to know Surry, the more he knows that while she needs him, he needs her even more.

The man was swimming toward her corner of the pool. As Surry was trying to decide whether to get out of the water or to move over to avoid being in the way, he stopped swimming and stood up.

“Ian,” she said, surprised as she watched him wipe the water from his face.

“You were expecting someone else,” he said as he took a few steps in the pool and then bent his head down and allowed his lips to lightly touch hers.

Was this really happening? Was Ian kissing her? His lips felt so good that she couldn’t help but put her arms around him and pull him closer. She opened her mouth and hungrily kissed him until she imagined herself purring with pleasure. “Mmm,” she said with her eyes closed as the kiss ended.

Leaning into her, Ian kissed her eyelids, her forehead, her cheeks. He placed another soft kiss on her mouth and then said in a husky voice, “I wish I had known that all I had to do to shut you up was to kiss you.”

Surry’s eyes popped open. She pushed him away and jumped out of the pool. “I’m going to get dressed for dinner.”

“Don’t go. I was just beginning to enjoy myself,” Ian called after her.

With hands on her hips, she turned back to face him. “You were enjoying yourself a bit too much. And I’d appreciate it if you don’t let it happen again.” With that she swung around and left the pool area with as much dignity as she could muster.

VANESSA MILLER

is a bestselling author, playwright and motivational speaker. She started writing as a child, spending countless hours either reading or writing poetry, short stories, stage plays and novels. Vanessa’s creative endeavors took on new meaning in 1994 when she became a Christian. Since then, her writing has been centered on themes of redemption, often focusing on characters facing multidimensional struggles.

Vanessa’s novels have garnered rave reviews, with several appearing on Essence magazine’s bestseller list. Miller’s work has received numerous awards, including a Best Christian Fiction Mahogany Award and a Red Rose Award for Excellence in Christian Fiction. Miller graduated from Capital University with a degree in organizational communication. She is an ordained minister in her church, explaining, “God has called me to minister to readers and to help them rediscover their place with the Lord.”

The Best of All concludes Vanessa’s For Your Love trilogy for Harlequin Kimani Romance.

The Best of All

Vanessa Miller

www.millsandboon.co.uk

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Dear Reader,

Writing about Surry McDaniel and Ian Duncan was more like visiting two old friends. They were so easygoing that it felt as if I had known them for a lifetime but only now decided to write their love story.

You’ve read about Danetta and Ryla in the first two books of the For Your Love trilogy. Now I’d like to open the door to Surry’s world in the final book of the series…and I guarantee you that it is definitely The Best of All!

Ian Duncan is not a man to be taken lightly. He’s successful but dreams of even bigger success with the woman he has fallen in love with. Surry, on the other hand, has no time for love. She is on the fast track to success and isn’t willing to stop for anyone…but Ian Duncan just might change her mind.

Thanks for taking the time to read The Best of All. I truly hope you enjoy reading this story as much as I enjoyed writing about Surry and Ian.

Happy reading,

Vanessa Miller

To Diamond—the best is truly yet to come for you.

Believe it and receive all that God has for you…. All my love!

Contents

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

Epilogue

Chapter 1

“I love what you’ve done with this boutique. It is simply divine.”

“Thanks, Ryla,” Surry McDaniel told her friend, sweeping her gaze around the newly renovated boutique. “A lot of blood, sweat and tears went into the creation of Designs from the Motherland, so I’m glad that you think I made the right decision.”

“Made the right decision? Are you kidding?” Ryla Carter took a silky white nightgown off the rack and held it up against her body. “If you had opened this store just three months ago, I would have worn this lovely number on my wedding night. I guarantee that Noel wouldn’t have been able to resist me in this gown.”

Surry joined their friend Danetta Windham in a chuckle. The three of them knew all too well that Ryla had tricked Noel into marrying her, and because of that the first night of the honeymoon was a complete disaster. It was good that they could finally laugh about it now.

“All’s well that ends well,” Danetta said.

“Yeah, but that hot mess didn’t look like it was going to end so well,” Surry reminded the group.

“Oh, but it did.” Ryla strutted over to the checkout counter and laid the gorgeous nightgown on it. “And that is why I can still afford to purchase this expensive gown. Because my husband—” she lingered on the word husband for a long moment as she pulled out her black AmEx card “—can afford to keep me in the finest silks money can buy.”

“Glad to hear it, because I use only high-quality material. My boutique is called Designs from the Motherland because everything comes from Africa. The fabric is light and airy, meant for weather like ours here in Houston Hotter-Than-Hades, Texas.”

“Well, I’m going to purchase this fabulous swing skirt,” Danetta announced as she held up a print skirt with vibrant blues and tans.

“I love that skirt,” Surry said. “Everyone went wild for it last week.”

“Oh, that’s right. You had your first fashion show in Ghana. Tell us about it,” Ryla said.

The three women poured themselves a cup of coffee and then retreated to the lounge area Surry had set up at the back of the boutique, which offered customers the luxury of relaxing and enjoying refreshments while being waited on by the staff. Designs from the Motherland wasn’t an ordinary boutique. It was an experience.

Years ago she traveled across Africa, writing books about the culture and atmosphere in countries such as Kenya, Ethiopia, Zambia, Ghana and even Egypt, which tends to be commonly associated with the Middle East. She’d had the time of her life exploring and surrounding herself with people she could deeply identify with. Oh, she loved America and wouldn’t trade her country for anything, but a piece of her heart was in the motherland.