Madelynne Ellis - Anything but Ordinary

MADELYNNE ELLIS

A division of HarperCollins Publishers

www.harpercollins.co.uk

This novel is entirely a work of fiction.

The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are

the work of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to

actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is

entirely coincidental.

Mischief

An imprint of HarperCollins Publishers

The News Building

1 London Bridge Street

London SE1 9GF

www.mischiefbooks.com

An eBook Original 2015

1

Copyright © Madelynne Ellis

Madelynne Ellis asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

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 e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.

Ebook Edition © 2015 ISBN: 978-0-00-814879-9

Version: 2015-11-03

Contents

Cover

Title Page Anything But Ordinary MADELYNNE ELLIS A division of HarperCollins Publishers www.harpercollins.co.uk

Copyright This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental. Mischief An imprint of HarperCollins Publishers The News Building 1 London Bridge Street London SE1 9GF www.mischiefbooks.com An eBook Original 2015 1 Copyright © Madelynne Ellis Madelynne Ellis asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work. A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. 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 e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books. Ebook Edition © 2015 ISBN: 978-0-00-814879-9 Version: 2015-11-03

Prologue

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

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Chapter 31

Chapter 32

Chapter 33

Chapter 34

Chapter 35

Chapter 36

Chapter 37

Chapter 38

Chapter 39

Chapter 40

Chapter 41

Postscript

About the Publisher

It reminded Kara of the night it all began. Standing pressed against the railings bordering the canal, with her panties around her ankles and the caress of cool air stirring against her skin. Except this time it was the sea breeze blowing across the bay, ruffling her skirt, and in place of cold iron and inky water stood the sea wall and a thin stretch of white sand.

Two fingers rode the line of her slit, making her hips punch forwards in eager anticipation of the touch reaching her clit. She needed this, after the last two weeks of hell, when everything had fallen apart and she’d wondered how it would ever be righted. Zach had fixed that with his presence alone. Explanations were unnecessary, likewise apologies given in words.

The aching tension that had knotted Kara’s muscles slowly began to unravel as his touch reached the desired destination and worked its magic. He teased his fingers back and forth in her moisture.

‘I’m glad you came,’ she whispered, as her lips found the soft stretch of skin between his ear and the line of stubble upon his jaw. Not that ‘glad’ really encompassed what she felt. No one word could, nor even a thousand. You couldn’t sum up love with words. It was something you experienced deep down on a cellular level. It had the ability to raze and savage, heal and nurture. Love destroyed and elevated, wrought bliss and panic. She’d felt every one of those emotions over the last few days, but now, at last, everything had come full circle. And maybe the fact that it was hard won made the high she was sailing towards that bit sweeter.

‘Not half as pleased as I am.’

Joy radiated off him like heat, and was made manifest in numerous other ways: in the metre of his voice – soft yet pleasure-laced – and in the way the worry lines that had etched his skin were wiped away.

Zach turned his head, forcing her lips from his ear in order to drive his mouth down hard upon them. He worshipped their curves, before pressing inside and stroking his tongue against hers.

Kara’s arousal spiked, sending a shiver down through her tensed limbs, while the touch of his fingers caused an upwards sweep of excitement. The twin sensations pooled in her belly, leaving her overeager and poised on the tips of her toes. Off balance, Kara grabbed hold of Zach’s belt and held on tight. He knew how to do right by her. She couldn’t think of a single occasion when he hadn’t delivered. Zach was the ultimate giver. He gave now, circling her clit with the tip of his thumb, so that it perked up, eager for direct action.

‘Like that, do you?’ He pursed his lips, expression one of bemused contentment.

‘You know I do,’ she sighed, giddy in anticipation of that hot stroke across her clit. Her nipples stiffened, breaking the smooth line of her dress. Immediately, Zach’s gaze dropped, followed by his head, so that he could rub his cheek against the protruding points. His stubble rasped against the fabric and sent a sharp flash of lightning zipping through both breasts and down to her sex, provoking a groan.

So damn good.

Somehow she always forgot exactly how good he was. Great enough that she longed to feel his mouth against her bare skin and to hell with the possibility of being seen. If her dress would have allowed it, she’d have wrenched the fabric aside without a second thought. As it was, she could only tilt her head back and arch her spine so that her breasts were thrust forwards in offering.

If it had been Ric out here with her instead of Zach, then he’d have had a hand in her hair by now, and would be pulling, urging her to give a little more. Zach invariably proved the gentler of the two men. Her two lovers…

A broad grin stretched wide across Kara’s face.

Two lovers – every time she considered those words it felt like her nerves were powered with rocket fuel.

What’s more, they were rock-solid again. Ric would join them soon enough. Then they’d prove triangles weren’t only mathematically strong, they worked emotionally too.