Don't Forget Me Read online

  “Good to see you’re back.”

  “I won’t be going anywhere again.”

  “I’m going to give you some extra dessert tonight for writing that.”

  I laugh out loud, and Tabi looks at me. “What’s so funny?”

  “Nothing.”

  Xander has his bag, and he grabs mine. “Have a great night, Tabi.”

  “You, too.” She smiles at him and smirks at me again.

  We’re walking down the hall, and Xander leans into me. “You’re smoking hot.”

  I shake my head. He tells me that every day. “So, where are we going?”

  “You’ll see.”

  He guides me into the parking garage and opens the car passenger door for me.

  “You’re making me nervous,” I tell him when he gets in the driver’s side.

  “Don’t be nervous. It’s nothing bad. So what do you rate the pus factor from patient number three today?”

  I shrug. “It was kind of disappointing. I give it a five point three but was expecting more like an eight.”

  Xander laughs. “Yeah, I didn’t see that coming, either. Total disappointment.”

  We fall into our banter that anyone else would think is gross and are soon pulling up to a building. Xander parks in the parking garage, and we get out. He leads me into the elevator and hits a code.

  “Where are we?”

  “You’ll see.” He winks at me, grinning.

  When the elevator opens, we step into a massive empty shell, with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the entire city and the lake. It’s spring, and there is no snow, but you can even see the ice skating rink.

  Suddenly, Xander looks nervous. “I bought this for you.”

  I jerk back. “You bought this for me?”

  “Yes.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  He gets down on one knee, pulls out a stack of cards, and places them on the concrete. They are the cards he included when he sent me roses every week. Everyone says, “Don’t forget me” and some form of “I miss you.”

  Blinking back tears, I stare at him.

  Xander pulls out a massive diamond ring. “You never forgot me. And I didn’t have all the pieces, but my heart was empty without you. I don’t ever want to miss you again. I won’t ever forget you again. I want you to have everything you never had...with me. So I bought you this penthouse so you can design it any way you want for our family. I want you to be my wife and forever mine. You’re my sunshine, and I want to be yours. Will you marry me, Charlotte?”

  As I stare into his eyes, our journey together races through my mind. There’s been so much pain, but all I can see is love.

  “Yes,” I whisper to him as tears fall from both our eyes. “Yes, I’ll marry you.”

  He slides the ring on my finger and pulls me into him, kissing me with so much love, I wonder how I ever existed without him.

  “I love you,” I whisper to him.

  “Thank you for loving me through everything.” He kisses me again, and I pull back and look at the ring.

  “It’s beautiful.” I tell him.

  Xander stands up, pulling me into him.

  I lace my hands around his head.

  He smiles. “You did that the first time we kissed.”

  I nod.

  “I’ve been trying to figure that out. We were on the dance floor.”

  “Yes.”

  He traces my lips with his finger. “Do you like the penthouse? If you don’t like it, we can get something else.”

  I laugh. “It’s amazing.”

  “Yeah?”

  “Yeah. Thank you.”

  He shows me around, and we stand in front of the windows. He is behind me, his arms around my waist. After he kisses the top of my head, he says, “Okay, time to go.”

  I glance up at him. “Why?”

  “We have a game to play tonight.”

  “Medical Term Scrabble?”

  He laughs. “Nope.”

  I look at him in question.

  A cocky grin comes on his face. “Dirty Doctor.”

  I laugh. “Dirty Doctor?”

  He nods and with a sly look says, “Yes. And my patient has requested I be extra filthy.”

  Committed to You Blurb

  It’s Complicated - Book Three

  Chase Monroe is my quicksand.

  I need to figure out how to pull myself out of his hold over me.

  Several times I escaped him. Or so I thought. He always comes back, piercing me deeper.

  He’s the cocky, good-looking, no-relationship guy.

  Eight years ago he walked in on his fiancé in bed with his best friend. So now he has a strict policy that he thinks is harmless.

  He doesn’t cheat. His women all agree to the rules.

  His calendar is full of his “friends” and he wants me to be one too.

  But I refuse to be just a number.

  He thinks he just has to show me how good we can be together.

  And when I draw the line in the sand, he makes his choice.

  We were on our way there, too. Our chance at happiness is in sight, but then his “harmless” past comes back to haunt us with deadly intent.

  (Committed to You is the third installment of the It’s Complicated series. It’s a friends to lovers, billionaire romance with a HEA.)

  Click here to read Committed to You!

  Committed to You - Prologue & Part of Chapter One

  Book Three of It’s Complicated

  Chase Monroe

  Eight years ago

  The catalyst of our choices is often people or situations we wish we could forget. These become moments in life that shape and guide our decisions going forward. Good or bad, the new beliefs we hold because of the past allow us to stay stuck or move forward. And if we’re stuck, we lie to ourselves that we’re in control of our lives because the rules we now follow are on our side.

  But what happens when we create walls so thick no one can get through? When our new truths become toxic, but we don’t realize it? And the protection we create for our hearts is just a mirage?

  For three years, I save my money, work doubles, and invest in companies Noah insists I need to. I’m on a tight budget, but I’m putting money aside in a different account—a bucket meant for her.

  Finally, I’ve saved enough. I visit the jeweler and help design a ring. I choose a flawless one-carat, princess-cut diamond. That’s what she is to me—my princess.

  Several weeks later, the ring is finished, and I return to the jeweler’s.

  “She must be a special woman,” he says.

  “She is the most special woman.”

  The jeweler chuckles. “Well, she will be crazy not to love this.” He opens the box that is on the glass counter and shows me the finished ring.

  I grab the ring out of the box. “It’s perfect.”

  “I wish you many happy years,” the jeweler says.

  “Thank you. I have no doubt we will have them.” I pay the remaining balance and head back to my house. Jennifer is working today. We live together, and I need to hide the ring until Saturday. That’s when I will propose, and I have everything all planned out.

  As I’m approaching my house, I see Matt and Jennifer’s cars in the driveway. Why is Matt here at two in the afternoon? Why is Jennifer not at work?

  Matt’s been my friend since grade school. I’ve had two friends who have been through everything with me—Matt and Jamison. I trust them with my life and would die for them.

  I pull into the driveway behind Matt’s car. Putting the ring box in my coat pocket, I go to open the door, but it’s locked. That’s strange.

  Fishing my keys out of my pocket, I quickly unlock the door and expect to see Jennifer and Matt in the living area or the kitchen that opens up to that room, but they aren’t there.

  Where are they? The only other room in our house is the bedroom or bathroom. I’m about to call out their names, but something in my gut tells me not to.


  Maybe they’re in the backyard? It’s cold out, but anything is possible.

  I’m heading toward the back door when I hear it.

  “Oh God.” Jennifer’s voice comes through the door.

  “Yeah, baby,” Matt’s voice follows.

  The hair on my neck stands up, and, for a brief moment, I stare at the door to the bedroom, paralyzed. Surely I heard that wrong?

  “Faster,” Jennifer calls out.

  Anger fills every cell of my body as I open the door and see Matt, naked on top of Jennifer. Her legs are around him, and she’s digging her nails into his back and moaning.

  I don’t say anything. As quickly as I can move, I’m ripping Matt off her.

  “Chase!” Jennifer cries out.

  Surprise fills Matt’s face before I land several punches on him.

  “Chase, stop!” Jennifer screams as I continue to pummel him.

  He recovers and defends himself by punching me back and lands one on my cheek.

  I step back. “Get out of my house.”

  Jennifer stands up, naked, and tries to find her clothes. “Chase—”

  “Don’t.” I cut her off. “You both have ten seconds to get out of my house.”

  “I live here. You can’t just kick me out. Let’s talk about this,” Jennifer pleads with me.

  I sneer. “There is nothing for us to talk about. Get out.”

  “Chase—” Matt tries as he grabs his clothes off the floor.

  “Don’t you ever talk to me again. Get out.”

  Sadness passes through his eyes, but he walks past me with his clothes in his hands.

  “Please, let’s talk,” she pleads.

  I point to the door. “We are done. Out.”

  Sadly, she throws on her clothes. “This is your fault. If you hadn’t been working so much, I wouldn’t have felt so lonely.”

  Enraged, I yell, “Working so much? I was working to pay for a ring. One that I picked up today.”

  Shock registers on her face then she steps closer to me and puts her hand on my arm. “We can get past this.”

  I pull my arm free. “It’s over. Get out.”

  “Let’s try. We can’t throw away five years.”

  I snarl, “You threw it away when you slept with my best friend. Now get out.”

  “We can still get married,” she says quickly.

  I shake my head in disgust then walk out to the main room. “Both of you better be gone by the time I get back.” I pass Matt, whose face is bloody and swelling, and I’m tempted to beat him again, but I’m afraid I’ll kill him.

  I get into my car and drive off. As the shock and anger wane, grief replaces them. About a mile away, I pull over and park at the back of the grocery store lot. Tears flow out of my eyes so fast, I sob.

  At this moment, the wall forms. I create a lie. My new truth seems honest. I tell myself it’s to protect my heart.

  Unfortunately, my new reality is an invisible toxic web, but I can’t see the poison that I weave.

  Chapter One

  Vivian

  Present Day

  Quicksand sucks you in, trying to submerge you entirely so you can’t breathe or move away from it. Its victims are powerless. They struggle to free themselves, but that only immerses them deeper into the deadly grasp.

  Chase Monroe is my quicksand. I need to figure out how to pull myself out of his hold.

  Several times I escaped him. Or so I thought. He always comes back, piercing me deeper.

  “Chase and Jamison are in town this weekend. Come out to Club D with us Friday night, so I’m not by myself,” the text from Piper says.

  My heart is a mix of flutters and dread. I should not see Chase anymore. We cannot be, and every time I am near him, I only want him more.

  “You’ll have Noah,” I text Piper, stalling while I debate in my head if I should go or not.

  Rationally, I know I shouldn’t.

  Emotionally, I’m dying to see him again.

  As I’m conversing with myself in my head, I get another message. This time, it’s not from Piper.

  “Am I going to see you this weekend?” The text from Chase pops up on the screen, and butterflies erupt in my stomach.

  He wants to see me.

  Of course, he does. He wants you to be another one of his girls.

  Tell him no.

  Against my better judgment, I play dumb. “Are you in Chicago?”

  “Yep. You didn’t hear?”

  “Sorry. I have a life besides keeping up on your schedule.”

  “Fair enough. Friday night. Club D. I think we should dance.”

  “How do I know you won’t step on my toes all night.”

  “Come out, and you’ll find out.”

  I’m grappling with myself about whether to go or not when I get another text from him.

  “I miss you. Please tell me you’ll come.”

  And those words make me once again lose the battle.

  “Okay. I’ll see you on Friday.”

  …

  Click here to continue reading Committed to You!

  More by Maggie Cole

  It’s Complicated Series

  Crossing the Line - Book One

  Don’t Forget Me - Book Two

  Committed to You - Book Three

  More Than Paper - Book Four

  All In Series

  The Rule - Book One

  The Secret - Book Two

  The Crime - Book Three

  The Lie - Book Four

  The Trap - Book Five

  The Gamble - Book Six

  About the Author

  Maggie Cole is the pen name of a multi-faceted woman. She’s an entrepreneur at heart and loves writing contemporary steamy romance novels that help her readers feel lots of different emotions. Sometimes you’ll laugh, sometimes you’ll cry, sometimes you’ll have little flutters racing through your veins...and that’s Maggie’s biggest wish for you when you read her novels.

  She’s a wife, mother, and lives in the sunshine, where she can often be found staring off into space while creating new scenes in her mind.

  Acknowledgments

  To my friends who read several drafts and kept pushing me to make this novel better, I thank you!

  To my editors, cover artists, launch team and author friends who shared so much wisdom with me, I thank you!

  To my readers; from the bottom of my heart, I thank you! I sincerely hope you loved this novel. I can’t wait to share all the new stories and characters I’ve been creating for you!