Read Online StrangersonaTrain by Erin Aislinn - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Erin Aislinn
Ads: Link
she should care now. After all, she’d come to confess
the truth that being with him had helped her find. All of her life she’d fought
so hard to stay in charge. Last night, he’d shown her what it meant to let go.
It took more courage to surrender than to control, to receive than to give. She
wanted to affirm her sensuality and she thought that fucking a stranger would
do the trick. She got what she’d bargain for all right and now she had to own
up to the consequences.
She took a breath and opened her mouth to speak but he
crossed a finger over her lips and shook his head. “You don’t have to say it
now.”
Taking hold of his hand, she kissed his fingertips. “Tell me
your name first.”
He smiled. “Mark. Mark Brannaman.”
Flush with the energy of her realization, Charlotte was
finally ready to take the plunge. She’d been wrong for so many years.
Fulfillment didn’t come from control. It was easy to win by pushing herself to
be smarter, better and tougher. True fulfillment required the ultimate courage.
Only those who dared to face rejection stood a chance at the final prize. Only
if she was truly ready to hear a “no” could she hope to receive what this man
had to give.
She swallowed.
“Mark…”
He shook her shoulders slightly. “Hey, you really don’t have
to do this.”
She absolutely did. More than she had to do anything else.
“Mark, will you be with me?”
There. She’d said it even though she had no idea what being
together would even mean. The answer could be “no” as easily as it could be
“yes”. And although she’d hoped with all her heart that he would accept her,
allowing herself to hear “no” meant that she accepted him.
His smile reflected in his eyes long before it began the
stretch the corners of his delicious mouth.
“And who might you be?”
She laughed. “Charlotte Jaffey.”
He reached for her hand and lifted it to his lips. He
feathered a kiss on her knuckles. The look she read in his eyes sent a shiver
through her spine.
“Open the box, Charlotte.”
“Oh.” Even though she held it in her hand, she’d forgotten
about it again.
Once more, she seemed to be in suspended animation. The hand
that lifted the box and the other that pulled on the bow didn’t seem to belong
to her. Shouldn’t she be excited, her heart abuzz with anticipation. Or maybe,
she should wonder where he might have gotten such an elegant gift because he
certainly hadn’t bought it on the train.
She met his eyes and they reflected a truth she’d longed to
see. Destiny. Even more powerful than when she’d sensed it before because this
time she knew what it took to fully embrace it.
She opened the lid of the box but before she looked inside,
she met and held Mark’s gaze. Yes. This powerful, confident man really stood
before her, making her envision things she’d never before thought possible.
Possibilities that created warm fuzzies in her belly. Partnership, respect,
care, the kind of intimacy that allowed them to stand face-to-face without
saying a word and have ultimate trust in each other. For the first time in her
life, Charlotte understood what love felt like.
She looked down at the contents of the box. Resting on a bed
of crumpled pink tissue was a cheap souvenir bracelet. The kind you could buy
in most tourist shops during a train’s scheduled stop.
Charlotte couldn’t hold back the ear-to-ear grin when she
lifted the bracelet. It spelled the words “ Be Mine ”.
About Erin Aislinn
Erin Aislinn was raised in Croatia by a single mother who
loved to travel. On her first trip abroad, at the age of 10, Erin visited New
York City. She so fell in love with America that on the last day of the trip,
she locked herself in the hotel’s lobby restroom and refused to get on the
airport bus. During the hour it took Erin’s mother to convince her to come out,
Erin vowed she’d be back some day. Nine years later, she was accepted to a
small college in Iowa, where she
the truth that being with him had helped her find. All of her life she’d fought
so hard to stay in charge. Last night, he’d shown her what it meant to let go.
It took more courage to surrender than to control, to receive than to give. She
wanted to affirm her sensuality and she thought that fucking a stranger would
do the trick. She got what she’d bargain for all right and now she had to own
up to the consequences.
She took a breath and opened her mouth to speak but he
crossed a finger over her lips and shook his head. “You don’t have to say it
now.”
Taking hold of his hand, she kissed his fingertips. “Tell me
your name first.”
He smiled. “Mark. Mark Brannaman.”
Flush with the energy of her realization, Charlotte was
finally ready to take the plunge. She’d been wrong for so many years.
Fulfillment didn’t come from control. It was easy to win by pushing herself to
be smarter, better and tougher. True fulfillment required the ultimate courage.
Only those who dared to face rejection stood a chance at the final prize. Only
if she was truly ready to hear a “no” could she hope to receive what this man
had to give.
She swallowed.
“Mark…”
He shook her shoulders slightly. “Hey, you really don’t have
to do this.”
She absolutely did. More than she had to do anything else.
“Mark, will you be with me?”
There. She’d said it even though she had no idea what being
together would even mean. The answer could be “no” as easily as it could be
“yes”. And although she’d hoped with all her heart that he would accept her,
allowing herself to hear “no” meant that she accepted him.
His smile reflected in his eyes long before it began the
stretch the corners of his delicious mouth.
“And who might you be?”
She laughed. “Charlotte Jaffey.”
He reached for her hand and lifted it to his lips. He
feathered a kiss on her knuckles. The look she read in his eyes sent a shiver
through her spine.
“Open the box, Charlotte.”
“Oh.” Even though she held it in her hand, she’d forgotten
about it again.
Once more, she seemed to be in suspended animation. The hand
that lifted the box and the other that pulled on the bow didn’t seem to belong
to her. Shouldn’t she be excited, her heart abuzz with anticipation. Or maybe,
she should wonder where he might have gotten such an elegant gift because he
certainly hadn’t bought it on the train.
She met his eyes and they reflected a truth she’d longed to
see. Destiny. Even more powerful than when she’d sensed it before because this
time she knew what it took to fully embrace it.
She opened the lid of the box but before she looked inside,
she met and held Mark’s gaze. Yes. This powerful, confident man really stood
before her, making her envision things she’d never before thought possible.
Possibilities that created warm fuzzies in her belly. Partnership, respect,
care, the kind of intimacy that allowed them to stand face-to-face without
saying a word and have ultimate trust in each other. For the first time in her
life, Charlotte understood what love felt like.
She looked down at the contents of the box. Resting on a bed
of crumpled pink tissue was a cheap souvenir bracelet. The kind you could buy
in most tourist shops during a train’s scheduled stop.
Charlotte couldn’t hold back the ear-to-ear grin when she
lifted the bracelet. It spelled the words “ Be Mine ”.
About Erin Aislinn
Erin Aislinn was raised in Croatia by a single mother who
loved to travel. On her first trip abroad, at the age of 10, Erin visited New
York City. She so fell in love with America that on the last day of the trip,
she locked herself in the hotel’s lobby restroom and refused to get on the
airport bus. During the hour it took Erin’s mother to convince her to come out,
Erin vowed she’d be back some day. Nine years later, she was accepted to a
small college in Iowa, where she
Similar Books
