Echoes of the Heart Page 18

  ‘That would be great. She’s a good person. When you get to know her better, you’ll realise how much she needs a good friend, and she’ll be a loyal friend to you in return.’

  Searching the reception room, Amanda saw Sophie sitting on the edge of a group. It was clear Jake’s ex-wife had no romantic interest in Jake and was genuinely happy for them, but occasionally Amanda caught melancholy in Sophie’s expression.

  ‘Every now and then there’s sadness about her, but I know now it has nothing to do with you or your failed marriage.’

  ‘Like all of us, she wants to be loved. She just hasn’t found the right person yet.’

  ‘She’s rich and beautiful but her life hasn’t been easy, has it?’ Amanda asked.

  ‘No. Both of you have had it tough one way or another. But for you that’s all about to change.’

  He trailed tender kisses across her forehead, and down across her eyelids before capturing her mouth. Fierce longing coiled within her and her stomach clenched as their lips melded. Every stroke of his tongue against hers made desire drum through her veins, flowing like red-hot lava. Her legs trembled and her surroundings faded into oblivion. She was consumed by her need to have him fill the aching place deep within her.

  ‘I can’t wait another second to make love to you,’ she groaned against his mouth. ‘Do you think it’s time for us to leave yet?’

  ‘You’re insatiable,’ he told her, teasing her ear with his teeth.

  ‘I could say the same about you,’ she flirted, shifting her hips as discreetly as possible so she ground against his erection.

  ‘Stop that, woman, or you’ll have to stay where you are for the rest of the night to hide the effect you have on me.’

  Laughing up at him, she’d never known so much happiness.

  He waltzed her over to his cousin, who was his best man. ‘Time to announce our departure, Blake.’

  ‘So soon?’ Blake smiled.

  ‘Not soon enough,’ Jake murmured in Amanda’s ear as Blake made the announcement.

  ‘You have to throw your bouquet!’ one of the female guests called out.

  In a flurry of activity, the single women gathered behind Amanda.

  ‘You too, Sophie,’ Jake’s mother insisted.

  Amanda threw her bouquet over her shoulder. Amid female squeals, Amanda turned. Sophie looked back at her with a bemused expression, the bouquet clutched to her chest.

  ‘Looks like you’ll be the next bride, Sophie!’ Jake’s mother exclaimed, clapping her hands together in delight.

  Jake’s arm encircled Amanda’s waist. He turned her to him and delivered the most loving, sensuous kiss she’d ever experienced. In that single kiss, she felt his promise to love, cherish and honour her. She gave a quiet moan, and put her heart into kissing him back.

  Tenderness soon turned to passion as her libido kicked into frantic overdrive. Jake’s tongue invaded her mouth and his hands clasped her waist, thumbs brushing the curves of her satin-clad breasts. Just a taste of what he would do to her tonight.

  Finally, with much heckling from the assembled wedding guests, he raised his head and gave her a wicked, sensual smile, his eyes ablaze with passion. ‘I’m going to spend the rest of my life showing you how much I love you, darling.’

  Amanda’s heartbeat tripped. After all the heartache she’d endured, she could hardly believe that she and Jake had found their way back to each other. Everything in her future looked so much brighter and she knew she would never have to face any problem alone again.

  ‘You’re making all my dreams come true,’ she told him breathlessly.

  ‘And you far surpass all of my dreams and fantasies,’ he replied. ‘Speaking of fantasies…’ He lowered his mouth to her ear and she felt heat invading her cheeks as he outlined his plans for their wedding night.

  Placing her hand into his, she allowed his love and passion to flow through her as he led her through their guests and they made their farewells.

  He paused at the exit of the function centre. ‘I love you truly, madly, deeply and thoroughly, Mrs Formosa,’ he told her. ‘I’m totally committed to making every day of our marriage a happy one.’

  Her eyes misted for her husband’s words were the echoes of her heart.

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  ISBN: 9780857991461

  Title: Echoes of the Heart

  Copyright © 2014 by Alyssa J Montgomery

  All rights reserved. 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 publisher, Harlequin Enterprises (Australia) Limited, Level 4/132 Arthur Street, North Sydney, NSW, Australia, 2060.

  All characters in this book have no existence outside the imagination of the author and have no relation whatsoever to anyone bearing the same name or names. They are not even distantly inspired by any individual known or unknown to the author, and all incidents are pure invention.

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