Kindle Edition Amazon Simmone Thorpe CreateSpace E-Store Amazon.com Paperback Category:  Romance Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Author Platform ISBN-10:  1489520503 Type: Fiction Pages: 132 Copyright: Ocotber 24, 2012 ISBN-13: 9781489520500 Can a love tested to the limit truly survive? A woman must decide what she truly believes about her husband before it's too late. CAN A LOVE TESTED TO THE LIMIT TRULY SURVIVE? Ramon Belham is planning the perfect seduction for his wife for their seventh wedding anniversary and all of his plans are falling into place. Every sensuous detail he’s envisioned, is precisely designed to recapture the heart of the woman who stole his heart nine years ago. Courtney Belham loves her husband, but trusting him with her whole heart is another matter altogether. Haunted by a past filled with painful events and suspicions of her own husband’s betrayal with another woman, she was ready for a divorce. Fighting through the pain and finding healing has come at a great cost and now Courtney wants to open her heart to Ramon fully and frankly he's done waiting for her to try! This is a man on a mission who will stop at nothing this time, until his beautiful wife surrenders her heart, mind and soul.       Excerpt Chapter 1 As the morning sunlight fell on the round solitaire diamond on the ring finger on Courtney Belham’s left hand, it radiated the beauty of ten thousand rainbows. Against the backdrop of the crystal blue waters at the northern end of the Port Elizabeth marina, it shone like an explosion of light that mirrored the happiness and beginnings of hope she felt in her heart. Admiring it thoughtfully, she twisted her hand watching the light reflect in every direction until the diamond sparkled like fire. Courtney smiled and allowed her thoughts to drift back to the day when she and her husband Ramon took their wedding vows in Cassidy Gardens, in an intimate morning affair. When he slipped this ring onto her finger and promised to be faithful to her and to love her for the rest of his life she wanted so much to believe that it was all true. She wanted so much to trust his words and the love she saw in his eyes. She was twenty-four then compared his twenty-eight but she was hopelessly in love with him and it scared her and thrilled her all at the same time. Walking down the rose carpeted aisle wearing her ivory, satin, princess cut gown, she remembered how he chuckled and bit his hand as he stared longingly yet appreciatively at her, and how he took her hand at the bridal arch with such gentleness and care, never once breaking contact with her eyes. She was mesmerized by him, and his powerful magnetism overpowered her senses till she barely heard what the minister said that day. For as long as she lived, she would never forget the look of possession, love and tenderness that filled his eyes in that moment. It shook her to very her core and filled her with an insatiable need to become one with him in the closest way possible. It was at that moment that she really thought that she was the luckiest woman alive. Before she finally agreed to become Mrs. Ramon Belham, were two years of excruciating and exclusive dating, and Courtney winced at the memory. Sometimes she wondered why she’d made him wait so long considering how hard it had always been for them to keep their hands off each other. Whenever they were alone the result was always the same. Those warm heady sensations would overwhelm them both whenever they touched or kissed and they would make love up to the last possible point before she struggled to regain control over her emotions and her actions. She saw the frustration it caused him on countless occasions and knew that he was often stretched beyond the limits of control but somehow he always respected her decision to stop. She struggled to stay true to the values she learned while growing up but her body betrayed her every single time making it impossible to keep her values and still be with him. Values which at the time were conveniently blamed on her family’s religious beliefs but she knew the deeper truth in her heart. She was afraid of what full commitment would mean and of being completely his. Terrified was more like it! Sometimes she wished she had a relationship with a man who was safe; someone she could be with but not lose her heart to at any time. Safe was the last word she would use to describe Ramon because being with him challenged all of her fears and all of her restraint. Leaving him was an impossible choice, so it was then that she stopped fighting him and accepted his proposal. He had actually asked her about three times before she actually said yes! Even now she smiled at his persistence! As much as she loved him the decision to get married was difficult for her because at the age of seventeen and before she met him, she’d decided that she would never open her heart to the pain of marriage and would remain a free and independent woman. But Ramon somehow managed to slip by every one of her defences and took her heart and never gave it back. On their honeymoon, they had barely made it into the room before they were overwhelmed with an intense desire and passion for each other. Over the two years they dated, what they felt for each other had built up to such a fever pitch that she felt as though she was drowning in liquid fire that entire week. Wave after wave of pleasure swept over them till they were absolutely drunk with love. She swore that at points they forgot to eat, too consumed with devouring each other mind, body and soul. Oh the memories they made in that resort on Grand Cayman! Had it really been seven years of married life already, she wondered to herself. Courtney frowned as she watched the rhythmic motion of the ocean swells as they slapped against the boards of the deck. Just like the tide ebbed and flowed, her memories then shifted to the times when things became unbearably difficult between them. To her disappointment, what had started out so well had dissolved into complacency and routine and by the fourth year she started to believe that the happily ever fairy tale simply did not exist, at least not for her. In fact, they had recently faced some pretty turbulent times but they were learning that the secret to a successful marriage was in making each other the centre of their lives again. In fact, just two years earlier they were on the brink of divorce and at the time it seemed that it really was over between them. The arguments, the accusations and the lack of communication all helped to create the recipe for the chaos and pain they’d experienced. What was worse was that it all materialized in the form of the exact fear that caused her to hesitate in marrying him in the first place. A fear that she’d hoped she would never have encountered. Courtney shook her head as if in an attempt to clear away the awful memories and firmly reminded herself, “All of that is in the past Courtney; you have absolutely nothing to worry about so stay focused. Today is going to be amazing”. Her flashback into the past was suddenly interrupted by the shrill and almost singsong voice of Patricia Helmsley, owner of Lascelle’s Boutique. The location of her store on the marina made it a favourite for many tourists who enjoyed yachting and sailing on their private boats. She had met several international stars and business people who often made it a point to stop by and say hello whenever they visited the island. Courtney had once again asked for her expert help in finding the perfect dress for her anniversary dinner that night. Whenever she needed that ultra formal and unique outfit it was Patricia who could always make sure she looked her best. Waiting till this eleventh hour to shop was pretty crazy because there was no guarantee that she would even find something she liked. So far, she proved herself right on that point. After thirty minutes of unsuccessfully trying on six outfits that did not suit the occasion or her taste she just felt like giving up! Feeling a little frustrated, and overwhelmed by her own procrastination she decided to take a stroll along the boardwalk to get some inspiration. It was early and being a freelance photographer meant that she could set her own hours. She still had almost an hour before her first appointment for the day at ten-thirty. So, she strolled along allowing the tension in her body to drain away as she inhaled the salty air of the Caribbean Sea. Somehow she always had a connection with water and often chose an activity near it when she needed to de-stress. Perhaps that is why she chose to situate her studio close to the marina district when the commercial space opened up four years earlier. Now that she was back in front of the boutique, Patricia had come out to find her, no doubt having found the perfect ensemble. “Sorry Courtney love, for taking so long, but I wanted to make sure that I found all of the dresses suited to your skin tone and the occasion before I called you back in. I know how special an anniversary celebration can be,” she laughed, placing a jewelled hand on her bosom. “My husband and I just celebrated our twenty-sixth wedding anniversary last month”. Patricia was a beautiful woman whose slanting eyes betrayed her Spanish ancestry. Her short form was petite and she was always dressed in her usual jacket and trousers ensemble with a floral spray on the shoulder. Today her crème coloured jacket fitted closely at her waist and the coral coloured rose at her shoulder accentuated the bronzed highlights in her hair. “Really! That is really great, congratulations,” smiled Courtney impressed at her achievement. “I hope that Ramon and I make it that far”. “Honey, marriage takes work and most of all it takes commitment. It will work if you both want it to work”, said Patricia. “Now come on inside here and try on these dresses I selected for you. You know, you need to let me help you a little more with this particular outfit. I am sensing that this anniversary is very important to you and the tension is not helping you make up your mind. Just relax and trust me okay! I know that at least one of these will be just what you are looking for.” “You are right as always!” smiled Courtney. “I just need to relax and enjoy this!” Courtney nodded and walked back into the boutique and into the dressing room where Patricia laid out her selections. Taking a deep breath to clear her mind she began looking through the selection of dresses which Patricia had hung on the dressing room hooks for her. The three extremely beautiful dresses hanging on the rack inside the dressing room looked as though they belonged on the bodies of celebrities at the Academy Awards. “Uh Patricia, these look really haute couture, are you sure they are in my budget?” came Courtney’s unsteady voice from inside the dressing room. Patricia shook her head silently because she could never understand Courtney’s obsession with budgeting for clothes. This was a relatively wealthy woman married to a very wealthy husband. Money was the least of her issues! She heard the door open and watched as Courtney came out holding a teal blue sequined dress in her hands. Amazingly, it perfectly matched the teal blue knee-length halter sundress she was already wearing at the moment. What it did not match however, were the simple white tennis shoes on her feet. Patricia noted how her attractive and breezy style of dressing matched her light-hearted and easygoing personality. Sometimes she wondered how such a brilliant photographer could miss knowing how beautiful she really was and how suited she was to wearing even the finest gems. “Don’t worry about the price, I know what you like so trust me, you can afford them.” Patricia said as she walked over to Courtney smiling reassuringly. Without waiting for another comment, Patricia gently guided Courtney back into the spacious dressing room and shut the door behind her. Outside, Patricia went as far across the store as she could to make a quick phone call. When she was positive that her voice would not carry across the room she then dialled the number. “Good morning”, responded a rich baritone voice. “Hello is this Ramon Belham?” asked Patricia with a forced whisper. “Yes it is.” “Good, this is Patricia from Lascelle’s Boutique. Your plan is unfolding quite well, and Courtney is inside right this minute trying on the dress you selected,” whispered Patricia. Ramon smiled to himself because he knew that the plans he had in mind for Courtney that night were going to blow her mind and his as well in the process. The thought of seeing her wearing the dress he selected was already stirring his imagination and driving him to distraction. If he was going to make it through the day he would have to really control his thoughts, but right now that seemed like a total impossibility. Adding a little more force to what he was afraid sounded like a broken voice he asked, “Great, now you are sure she will select the white one?” “Yes, of course, she is frustrated enough now to try anything that will fit well, besides I gave her sizes in the others that would not be as appropriate, so she will select the right dress, Mr. Belham. Don’t worry I know Courtney well. I dared not give her the dress with the first set because she usually needs the extra push to even consider spoiling herself. Anyway, I will also add the two silk scarves to the bags as you suggested yesterday.” “Okay, I also want you to slip the pearl and diamond set I gave you yesterday into her shopping bag with the card attached as well. Don’t forget. I want her to have new jewellery because I know how you ladies need to have that perfectly matched set,” laughed Ramon. “Okay I won’t forget. This is so exciting and romantic, I just love to see young couples in love,” cooed Patricia. Ramon just laughed as he listened to the older woman live vicariously through the experience. After a few more instructions, they ended the call all unbeknownst to Courtney. After ending the call on his cell phone Ramon looked up at the curious stares of his staff members who were all seated around the conference table in the meeting room. Ramon Belham, was the owner and CEO of Belham Event Enterprises a successful event planning company that specialized in creating unusual and festive themes for parties, conferences, weddings and any event his clients desired, and today he was placing the final touches on the event of the century; his own 7th wedding anniversary celebration. His business was well respected on Derrien Island and he was often hired to cater and plan the logistics for the biggest events that occurred throughout the Caribbean. That for him was a proud mark of his professionalism and also his creativity of thought. “So, is she there on schedule?” queried Marsha his secretary. “Yes she is,” he said blowing out a gust of air. “I wasn’t sure that she would go through with the shopping trip after the trying week she had at the studio, but she has.” Everyone else also released a sigh of relief because to get this operation to work without Courtney suspecting a thing was extremely hard. As a photographer, his wife had an uncanny eye for detail and razor sharp discernment. He had been trying all week to keep his happiness in check about their upcoming anniversary. He had suggested they go out for a special romantic dinner that evening and she’d agreed. But, little did she know just how much he wanted every detail of their anniversary to be perfect right down to the cross on the t in perfect. Dinner would be the least of his plans if all of this came together in the way he envisioned. After all, this was what he did for a living; thrilling and surprising his clients. But somehow for his wife it had taken on a whole new level of significance. The day was already off to an excellent start but to his surprise it wasn’t he that orchestrated the events which had transpired. Earlier that morning, they had breakfast together on their outdoor deck which overlooked Caswell Bay. The sun was already up and a cool breeze stirred the leaves of the orange trees they had planted in the backyard bringing with it a cool citrusy scent. That morning, Courtney decided to wake up a little earlier to make his favourite banana nut muffin and a steaming cup of latte before he left home. She was always the thoughtful type of person who tried to go out of her way to let him know how much she appreciated him. Sometimes she would slip in a simple I love you note into his briefcase or sometimes she would call him during the day just to hear his voice. But this time, in addition to making sure he had his favourite breakfast she had also served him a fruit salad of grapes, sliced peaches and pineapple in a bowl of light syrup. He could not remember who first came up with the idea to feed each other the fruit, but considering what happened next that point really was insignificant. At one point she got up from the table and moved over to the patio doors and placing a juicy piece of pineapple between her lips beckoned him to come closer with her index finger and a seductive come-and-get- me expression in her eyes. The smile and the promise in her eyes were enough to ignite the fires of desire in him within half a second. So, in two strides and without a moment of hesitation he had eliminated the distance between them, carefully bit off the pineapple that she offered him, chewed it and swallowed it to get it out of the way. What he was really after was a maddening desire to taste every drop of the remaining syrup coating her lips. Slowly, he traced her lips with his tongue, enjoying the sweet taste and as he sucked every drop of that intoxicating juice from her soft lips like a man who had not drunk water in a decade. As he did he felt her body press closer against his rubbing against him rhythmically as if in response to some inaudible but provocative music. Responding to the warm softness of her body, he remembered cupping her lush breasts through the thin material of her sundress until her nipples hardened in response. Her simple invitation had spiralled out of control and as he inhaled her fragrance he knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that he would be late for work that day. The truth was that at that moment he just did not care! After all, being the boss had its perks! All he could think about were the now soft moaning sounds escaping from her lips and the feel of his wife’s now pliant body moulded closely against him, and imagining what it would like to press slowly into her hot moist centre until they became one. Half stumbling through the sliding doors that led from the outer deck to their living area, they had only made it as far as the sofa before they began peeling off their clothes with frenzied and jerky movements, just wanting to be free of those bothersome barriers. At the back of his mind Ramon could not stop asking himself, who was this new, bold, wild woman in his arms? Hardly in the last three years had Courtney ever wanted to make love during the day, much less outside of the bedroom.

True Love Story
This was a really good book. Trust is so important and this story tells how important trust is. I thoroughly enjoyed it and read it twice.

Amazing Story of Love
This book made me cry. When I saw how passionate Ramon was about making his wife his, it floored me. I highly recommend this book.

Your Heart Will Sing
I am a huge advocate of marriage, so when I discovered the Marriage Spice Collection I was intrigued. This author completely surpassed my expectations with this book and she is now on my auto buy list. This novella was so passionately written and it's also a quick read. Overall an excellent introduction to the Derrien Island Trilogy.