Recovery

RECOVERY

Shyla Colt

EROTIC ROMANCE

Secret Cravings Publishing

www.secretcravingspublishing.com

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A Secret Cravings Publishing Book

Erotic Romance

RECOVERY

Copyright © 2012 by Shyla Colt

E-book ISBN: 978-1-61885-205-2

First E-book Publication: February 2012

Cover design by Dawne Dominique

Edited by Kyle Lewis

Proof read by Keisa Burrell

All cover art and logo copyright © 2012 by Secret Cravings Publishing

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED:
This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission.

All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.

PUBLISHER

Secret Cravings Publishing

www.secretcravingspublishing.com

Dedication

Thank you to God; who  makes my crazy life connect like a carefully considered puzzle, allowing me to do all the things I love most.  To all of my betas, but especially D.F. Without you this book would have been shelved. I appreciate your friendship and input more than I can ever express. Thank you to my fans who continue to buy my work, visit my blog, and send me their opinions. You guys make all my hard work worthwhile. To my dear daughter and husband who share mommy/their wife with my muse; and my family who support me and express their pride, it means the world. Last but not least to Sam, Dean, Bobby , and Castiel who can make me laugh on the worst of days, and break me out of my writers block. Mr. Abrams without you the world would not be as wonderful a place.

The author acknowledges the trademark status and the following trademark owners mentioned in this work of fiction:

Fender Strat

Christian Louboutin

Christian Dior

Ru Paul's Drag Race

Converse

The Cravings e-book Club

The Cravings Paranormal e-book Club

Have you heard about the newest idea in ebooks, the ebook club? Secret Cravings Publishing has started two ebook clubs and we invite you to become a member of either The Cravings e-book Club or the Cravings Paranormal e-book Club. Join now and get two books absolutely free!

As a member, you will receive
Taming
The Cougar*
by Sandy Sullivan and
Hunting Jaguar**
by D. McEntire FREE, just for joining!

You’ll also receive
4 BRAND-NEW EBOOKS
, specially selected by our Editorial Director, every month for a total price of only $9.99 for all 4. This comes out to barely $2.50 per book,
much less
than the retail price and you’ll be able to enjoy your books
even before
they hit Amazon or Barnes & Noble. We send your books
before
they are uploaded to the popular sales sites.  One of several privileges of club membership.

*
Taming the Cougar
, a western, erotic romance:

Marla isn't looking for love or anything else from a man.
 Can Marla put aside her distrust of men for a younger man? Can Chris convince her he's not like other guys?

**
Hunting Jaguar
, paranormal erotic romance:

Rachel Hayes' Father set out to prove the existence of the Miloni temple and the Jaguar people. Tumi is a descendant of the Miloni race and is sworn to protect their secret with his life. Will he be forced to uphold his vow at the cost of his heart and Rachel's life?

As a member of the Cravings Club, you’ll receive 4 books in a variety of genres every month. We will try to match your books to your preferences, however, if you’re a major paranormal fan, I suggest you join the Cravings Paranormal Club. Everything is the same, 4 books every month for $9.99 except that 3 of your 4 books will be paranormal. The remaining book will be of a different genre.

As a club member, you will also receive:

·
             
our monthly newsletter

·
             
sneak previews of new books

·
             
exclusive interviews with your favorite authors

·
             
special offers not available to the general public

To join and tell us your favorite genres and heat levels  plus which format works best for you, go to the Secret Cravings Publishing website (
www.secretcravingspublishing.com
) At the bottom of the page you’ll see a button for the club. You can sign up there and share your preferences for genre, format and heat level with us. You will be charged, automatically, through PayPal, only $9.99 every month.  Your books will be shipped within 1 day after PayPal payment has cleared. You may cancel at any time by clicking on the “unsubscribe” button located on the Cravings Club tab at the bottom of our website and keep the FREE BOOKS as our gift.  

We hope our Secret Cravings books will delight you each and every month.

Best wishes,

Beth Walker

RECOVERY

Shyla Colt

Copyright © 2012

1 Corinthians 13: Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things.

Chapter One

Maxim watched as Oceane made her way to the microphone in the center of the stage. The way her well sculpted legs were expertly balanced on a pair of white peep toe heels made his mouth water. Raven tresses flowed past her shoulders and fell in chestnut waves down her back.  It was the natural texture he’d always preferred to her flat ironed, sleek look. A scarlet and cream peasant dress accented the toffee tone of her café latte skin, highlighting her slender waist and ample breasts. The wide brown eyes dominated her round face, belying her sweet nature.

But the air of innocence she exuded hide a core made of steel. All five foot five inches of Oceane Dubois’s petite frame was packed with dynamite.

“We’re in for a real treat today, sit back and tune in to Ms. O,” the announcer said before he stepped aside to allow her to take his place.

O was a frequent visitor at Cup of Joe. The quirky coffee spot provided her with an outlet for her poetry. It was her dream to release a book full of her work, but she’d yet to build up her courage. Maxim had been wearing her down day by day before they took their
hiatus.

“Today I’d like to read a piece I wrote about finding your way home.”

       Her voice was honeyed perfection, warm and bright with a slight accent she’d inherited from her French father. It crept inside, infusing him with her sunshine. Every word that left her lips acted like a balm to his battered soul. This poem was about him. He hadn’t lost her yet.

Maxim inhaled and sent a prayer of thanks to the God who had yet to turn his back on him. Six months earlier he would have heard this sonnet from his
fiancée
as she performed an impromptu reading while they lay in bed.

As it stood now, he was huddled in the back of Cup of Joe like some stalker just to catch a glimpse of her. His black baseball cap was pulled low, shadowing his features and concealing his distinct golden brown hair. Pain was the last thing he’d ever intended to cause the woman who’d provided him with so much. Maxim had been a lonely lost wreck until Oceane Dubois had worked her special brand of magic and healed the things inside him that were broken. Now the anguish audible in the lines she delivered was a knife to his heart.