Recaptured Dreams (32 page)

The spotlight dimmed, and backlights illuminated the first few rows of the audience. Sophia felt exposed. She shouldn’t be there. She didn’t want him to see her. Not yet. She didn’t want to see the sadness in his face when he saw her. She needed one more day.

No.

It was too late for excuses. Too late to turn back. She was a grown woman, one who had to live with her actions. And she was far past the time of running. She’d already run out on him enough; she wouldn’t do it again.

The man she loved stood a few yards away, and she wouldn’t leave now until he knew the truth.

“I’ve made some mistakes in my past,” Xavier said with a gentle curve of his lips, “but no one’s perfect. I’m sure some of our audience members have made mistakes of their own.”

Two more dangerously long strides. He was getting closer. He would be able to see Sophia clear as day if he took two more steps and looked in her direction. The air around her was thick and heavy. Her breaths came shallow and quick. Oxygen…she needed oxygen. But she stood her ground.

“I admit my mistakes,” he stated as he tapped his hand to his stomach. A long silence followed as he took one last step that put him right in front of Sophia. “And I plan to correct my biggest mistake tonight.” He turned, like he knew she was already there.

Sophia looked down at her trembling hands. She blinked feverishly and clasped them in her lap. She could face him. She
would
do it.

Xavier smiled, flashing his wicked grin, and Sophia’s heart fluttered in her chest. For so long, she’d been dying to see him smile. And now, he wasn’t just smiling, he was smiling at her.

He waved at the girl in the wedding dress, and she walked over and stood next to him. He knelt down, his crystal eyes meeting Sophia’s. The entire world disappeared.

“I’m sorry.” His hand closed over hers. “I never meant to hurt you. I didn’t understand. I was hurt, and I didn’t know how to handle it. But I know one thing,” he said as he drew her to her feet. “I can’t live without you. I don’t want to spend one more day without you by my side.”

“Oh, Xavier.” Sophia stood and leaned into him. “I came here to…to…” She couldn’t find the words. “I’m sorry. So sorry. I didn’t mean for this to happen. If I could take it all back—”

“Shh.”

She shook her head. “No, part of it was me. It was my fault. I should have told you—been honest with you. Not being truthful only hurt us both. I should have said something.”

“I understand why you didn’t. I couldn’t even begin to imagine the things that were going through your mind at the time. All the fear. The shock of a lifetime of memories coming back in an instant. If I had taken the time to really see how that made you feel, I would have understood the need for you to deal with it. I see that now.”

Her whole body shook. Was it shock or excitement? She didn’t care; Xavier was here, holding her close, and she couldn’t ask for anything more.

“Your mom’s a strange one,” he said with a partial frown. “I can’t imagine what went through your mind when she told you everything. I should have been there to help you through it. I shouldn’t have ever let you leave my side. And I never should have said those things to you when I left yours. I’m sorry, Sophia.”

He traced the outline of her jaw with a gentle sweep of his fingers. She closed her eyes and drew in a deep breath of his sweet honey scent. God, she had missed that.

“Will you forgive me?” he asked.

She was breathless and needing his tender touch. “Yes. But only if you forgive me as well.”

He kissed her carefully. “Of course.”

She smiled against the warmth of his lips.

“I made this for you,” he said softly as he pointed to the dress. “I love you, my Sophia. I want you to be my wife so I can spend the rest of my life showing you just how much you mean to me.”

Sophia’s head was spiraling. She would have collapsed to the floor if Xavier hadn’t held her up. Drawing him in closer, she pressed her lips to his, pleased when he groaned in satisfaction as her tongue swept into his mouth.

“I’ve been waiting to do that for five weeks,” she said.

“So.” Xavier arched his brow seductively. “Is that a yes?”

“Yes!”

The crowd erupted in applause as Xavier scooped Sophia up and swung her around. She squealed in excitement. He stopped in front of the model in the wedding dress just as she lifted her veil. It was Anne Marie, giving Sophia a wicked smirk of her own.

“You knew,” Sophia said with a whole-hearted smile.

“Of course, darling.” Anne Marie laughed. “Isn’t that what friends are for?”

After one quick hug from her best friend, Sophia was back in Xavier’s arms, relishing every sensation of his touch. The cheers from the audience faded into the background as she enjoyed this moment.

“Mine,” Xavier said. “Forever, Sophia.”

“Yours,” she agreed as she kissed his cheek. She then drew back to give him a mischievous smile. “I was thinking…do you think XS has room for a maternity line?”

Xavier’s head cocked as he eyed her carefully. “What?”

“A maternity line,” Sophia said again, undeterred. “What do you think?”

Several beats of silence passed before a huge grin swept across Xavier’s face. “Are you—?”

She flashed a bright smile and nodded. “And
we
are yours forever.”

He swept her off her feet once again, pressing his face into the crook of her neck. He inhaled deeply, tickling Sophia’s sensitive skin.

“God,” he breathed, “aside from you, this is the best thing that has ever happened to me.”

She giggled, kissing the side of face. “Thank you, for giving me everything I’ve ever wanted.”

Xavier kissed her hard and fast. “No, thank you, Sophia. You’ve given me the life I’ve searched for. I love you and always will.”

“Let’s go home,” Sophia purred as she snuggled closer to him.

Xavier’s eyes flashed hungrily as he looked over her. “Yes…let’s.”

Acknowledgments

I would like to give great thanks to my daughter for her patience in my writing. If not for the long nights and days sitting behind the computer, I wouldn’t have been able to write the wonderful story
Recaptured Dreams
...or any story for that matter. They, along with the rest of my family, have always been supportive of my writing, and I’m blessed to have them in my life.

A
huge
thanks to Candace, the very inspiration behind Xavier and Sophia. It was our own summer long, long ago that she brainstormed with me and came up with the best characters (and story) ever. Without her, these characters would have never been invented.

There are no words I can use to thank this next person. Dr. B has been, above all else, the best possible friend I could have ever imagined. Even though she’s far away, I can count on her whenever I need a push or a hard shove or a shoulder to cry on. She was always honest, made me work hard, and never gave up on me. For that, she will always hold a special place in my heart. So, to the faraway best friend, the stinking little crab, and the person who helped make me me, thank you.

And finally, I would like to give a huge thanks to the entire staff at Omnific Publishing. It has been great to work with such wonderful, knowledgeable people who love my story as much as me. To Elizabeth and Emma—thank you for believing in my story, my characters, and me. To my editor, Colleen, who helped make the story better than I could have ever imagined. To my marketing associates, Kayla and Traci, for helping me put together everything in order to get
Recaptured Dreams
into the world. Coreen, Cindy, and Micha, for their eyes, ears, creativeness, and everything they did to help this book come to life. Thank you,
RD
Team!

About the Author

Justine lives in the Midwest, happily catering to her horse-obsessed teenage daughter and four dogs. She’s never moved from her hometown, but hopes to grow old in a much warmer climate. During the day she works a normal job with college students who try their best to keep her young. They’ve done a good job thus far. At night, said teenage daughter and her horse require mounds of love and attention. The weekends belong solely to her and her writing. That’s when she morphs into a sticky bug, unable to leave the confines of her computer chair. She started writing three years ago after seeing a movie that set off a chain reaction she couldn’t have stopped if she’d wanted. It’s not a hobby for her; it’s an obsession. One she loves and one she loves to share.

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