She's Captured my Love (Captured #4)

  She’s Captured my Love

  Published by Clydeside Publishing

  Copyright ©2016 Karen Frances

  All rights reserved

  All characters, incidents, and events are fictitious, and any resemblance to real persons, living or dead is purely coincidental. This work is based purely from the authors imagination.

  All songs, song titles contained in this book are the property of the respective songwriters and copyright holders.

  Cover design by

  Melissa Gill, MG Bookcovers

  Photographer:

  Lindee Robinson Photography

  Models:

  Daria Rottenberk & Michael Pack

  MUA:

  Kamaria McCullough

  Editing by

  Sally Orchard, Under The Lilac

  www.underthelilac.co.uk

  Proofreading by

  Nichole Strauss, Perfectly Publishable

  www.perfectlypublishable.com

  Interior Design and Formatting by

  Christine Borgford, Perfectly Publishable

  www.perfectlypublishable.com

  Table of Contents

  She's Captured my Love

  Dedication

  Acknowledgements

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Epilogue

  Books by Karen Frances

  About the Author

  This one is for my readers.

  Thank you for believing in my stories.

  xxx

  It doesn’t matter how often I write this part, it always seems the hardest part to do. There is always so many people to thank when I come to writing the end of a book. And this time is no different.

  I want to start with the ladies who have beta read She’s Captured my Love. I have listened to all your comments and I hope I’ve improved the final product with your help. So Fiona, Maxine and Jeanne thank you all for your honesty and hard work. Xxx

  Maxine, I’m so glad Tracy introduced the two of us, and I’m happy to say we hit it off straight away. I love our sometimes daily conversations. I can’t wait until we meet in person later this year. Thank you for all you do xxx

  Melissa Gill at MGBOOKS, I knew the minute I saw my cover it was perfect for She’s Captured my Love. Thank you so much. To Lindee Robinson for capturing such amazing shots, Thank you. To Daria and Michael for being the beautiful models that grace my cover, Thank you. In my eyes Michael is the perfect Ethan. xxx

  To the ladies at Perfectly Publishable, Nichole and Christine, thank you for all you do for me. Your advice I always take on board. I hope that one day in the future I get to meet you both and thank you in person. But for now, Thank you. xxx

  Sally Orchard, Under The Lilac, I love how well we get on. You are honest with me about my work; I love getting your feedback when you are working on the edits. You also believe in me and of getting more out of me. I hope I have a book we are both proud of with She’s Captured my Love. I will try with the next book to not make you cry, but I can’t promise it. Thank you. xxx

  To all the bloggers, I’m sure I will say this time and time again. You do an amazing job and I for one would be lost without you all. You are who readers look to for recommendations, and authors look to for help with everything from promoting to reviewing. So from me, Thank you all so much. xxx

  To all the authors I have the pleasure of speaking to on an almost daily basis, through social media, your help and advice is always taken on board. I have made so many friends within the author community, some I have met and many more I hope to meet over the coming year. It’s been great just having normal conversations about the things we go through. Thank you all for being in my life. xxx

  To the amazing Scottish author group, authors and bloggers alike, your friendship is so precious to me. I hope to see you all again soon. xxx

  To all my friends, Thank you for all the support you have given me since I started my journey. xxx

  To my family, Thank you for all your support and believing in me. I truly appreciate all of you. xxx

  My husband and my children. I would be lost without all of you in my life. I love you all. xxx

  To all the readers who took a chance and read my first book and waited not so patiently on the next instalment, Thank you. I have been overwhelmed with all your messages. I always knew I had to write Ethan’s story, from the very first chapter of He’s Captured my Heart. His story has been an emotional ride from the very first page to the last. I’ve cried a lot with this one, through sadness and also happiness. I really hope you, the readers enjoy reading Ethan’s story as much as I’ve enjoyed writing it. xxx

  “WHAT TIME DID YOU GET home last night?” I ask Lindsay, as I walk into our bedroom. The bedroom I didn’t sleep in last night. “Was work busy?” I can hear the sarcasm with my question in my own voice, so surely she must.

  “Oh, I can’t remember,” she lies. “You were fast asleep on the couch; I didn’t want to wake you. And yeah, work was busy. I was in meetings all day, so when I finally got back to the office I was playing catch up.” Seriously, she’s wanting me to believe she was actually working until after midnight. She must think I’m fucking stupid. I wonder what her reaction would be if I was out all day supposedly working until after midnight? I know it would result in a shouting match, probably with her accusing me of all sorts of things.

  Yeah, that would be about right, an argument. That’s all we seem to do these days, argue.

  I finally gave in about twelve thirty, fell asleep in front of the television and she still wasn’t home. When she left yesterday morning, she had told me she would be working late until about eight pm. So with her working I decided to cook us a nice dinner, which I ended up eating on my own about ten. I did try to phone her more than once, but her phone was switched off. Shall I give her the benefit of the doubt and say it had run out of battery.

  I know which one it was! She has a bloody charger in her car.

  I sit on the bed and watch as she gets ready; so much effort for a day in the office. She pulls on a tight black dress, not something she would usually wear to work. No, her preferred option for work is fitted shirts with either a trouser suit or a skirt suit. She also has heavier make-up on, not just her every day mascara and lip gloss.

  Lindsay is a good looking girl, but doesn’t usually wear much make-up. If I’m truthful she doesn’t need it.

  “You look nice.” Nice, is that all you can say to your wife? At the moment, Lindsay looks as though she is getting ready for a night out on the town. Something we’ve not done in weeks. If I didn’t know any better, I would say she looks as though she’s getting ready for a date.

  A date with who? Her boss or someone else?

  She says ‘work’ has been really busy lately. But she seems to forget, I’m doing a bit of work for her company. I know they aren’t busy enough for the hours she has been supposedly working these last few weeks. So my question to her should be; what the hell are you playing at? Or do I just ask her straight out who she is fucking?
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  “Thanks,” she says. “I have a few meetings today.” Meetings my backside!

  “I will be at the office this afternoon,” I tell her, giving her a gentle reminder. She turns to me slightly puzzled or maybe she’s concerned I might just find out what the hell she’s up to.

  “I didn’t know you were in today.” Really! Does she not listen to a thing I say?

  “Yes, I have all the designs and my proposal ready, so my meeting is scheduled for three thirty with your boss.”

  “Really, Kevin didn’t mention anything to me.” No, Kevin didn’t, but I did. I’ve been working on this deal for the last few weeks.

  “Yeah, I should be finished about five, so how would you like your husband...” I stress my last word and watch her reaction, but nothing; she carries on putting finishing touches to her make-up. “To take you out for dinner tonight?” She looks everywhere in the room but at me. Her cheeks flush and give her away. I know she is going to stand and lie to me; it’s written all over her face. I think she forgets just how well I know her. I’ve known her almost my entire life.

  “I can’t, Kevin has me working late; we are working on a big contract.” Kevin, bloody Kevin. When she does speak to me, it’s always about him and work.

  “Well, hopefully I will see you when I’m in the office, if only for five minutes. I’ve not seen much of you lately.”

  “Hopefully,” she says, as she finishes putting her hair up. “Ethan, I need to go or I will end up being late.”

  “What, you don’t even have time for breakfast with me after you worked so late last night? Surely they won’t expect you there so early again today.”

  “No sorry, my first meeting is an eight am breakfast meeting with Kevin.” I wonder if MY wife is messing about with her boss. It’s starting to look and sound that way, or maybe it’s that she would like to. She leaves the room without even so much as a kiss on the cheek. Maybe I’m reading too much into this; she might just be genuinely busy at work.

  I don’t think so, somehow.

  When I leave to go to work, I decide to call Stephen from the car; I need his opinion. Stephen my best friend, he’s going to be shocked with what I have to tell him.

  “Hey, is it not too early for social calls?” he asks with his usual cheery voice.

  “Who said anything about social calls? I think . . . no, I know I have a bit of a problem with my marriage. I just need to talk to someone.”

  “Okay, I’m all ears. I can listen, you know that,” he tells me, suddenly sounding concerned.

  “I think Lindsay is seeing someone else.” He laughs. “No mate, I’m being serious. And I think it’s Kevin.”

  “What, her boss? No, he’s too old for her. Have you been drinking? What has she done that has you thinking like this?”

  “No, of course I’ve not been drinking although maybe I should. She has been really distant with me for the last few weeks. And for the past two nights been working, supposedly until after midnight. Then she left the house at seven this morning to go back to work.”

  “Have you not thought she could just be really busy at work? You know how it can get.”

  “Yes I do, but do you want to hear the best bit?”

  “Well, you’re going to tell me, so just spit it out.”

  “She has left for work, looking like she’s ready for a night out. She left looking like someone you would pick up in a bar, but wouldn’t want to wake up to in the morning.” He will understand about this, he’s known her just as long as I have.

  “Okay, I get why you feel concerned. Why don’t you just ask her?”

  “If I could be in the same room with her for long enough, I would.”

  “Look I have a client just come in. Give me a call tonight. I’m sure everything will be fine.”

  We end our call and maybe he’s right, but I’ll never know unless I come right out and ask her. I decide tonight I need to do just that. Things haven’t been right for a few weeks. I could put it down to a number of things; her job, time of the month or maybe it’s just me.

  My day at work passes smoothly and before I know it I’m seated in the waiting room for my meeting with Kevin, the man I suspect my wife might be having an affair with. I haven’t seen Lindsay since I arrived and the receptionist isn’t sure where she is. How bloody convenient. She’s been very vague, maybe she’s covering for her.

  I need to get my act together. I’m thinking like a crazy man.

  Kevin is in his late thirties, and as far as I’m aware, he has never married.

  My meeting with him goes okay. I’m polite and professional at all times, but something doesn’t sit right with me. He tells me he gave Lindsay the afternoon off, but instantly he regrets saying it. I see it written all over his face. I leave our meeting knowing my company will be doing some work for him, the contracts have been signed, but I hope I can pass it over to someone else at the office. Because if my suspicions are correct, there is no way I can work alongside him. Fuck, if my suspicions are correct, where does that leave my marriage?

  Driving into our street, I see Lindsay’s car in the driveway with the boot open. Maybe she’s been shopping. I look in the boot and don’t find any bags, she must’ve already taken them inside, so I close it. “Lindsay, is everything alright?” I call through the house. “Kevin said he gave you the afternoon off. Are you sick?” I ask as she walks down the stairs.

  “No, I’m not sick.” It’s only now I notice the suitcase in her hand. “I’m leaving.”

  “Leaving?”

  “Yes, that’s what I said.”

  “Are you leaving me for him?” I’m trying to stay calm but I can feel my anger building.

  “I’m leaving yes, but not for anyone else.” She can’t even look me in the eyes as she speaks. The fucking liar!

  “So would you care to explain what the hell the problem is?” I ask, my voice a little higher than I would like.

  “I don’t love you,” she says calmly, brushing past me.

  I grab her arm. “Is that all you’re going to say as an explanation?”

  She looks between me and her arm where I am holding her. I let it go. “What else do you want, Ethan? If you need me for anything I will be at my parents’ until I decide what I’m going to do. I don’t love you and if you think about it and be honest with yourself, you don’t love me.”

  With that she leaves, closing the door behind her. I sit on the stairs in shock, struggling to take in what has just happened.

  Fuck! Not how I expected my day to turn out.

  My wife has just left me. Fucking left and all she could say was she doesn’t love me. I head into the kitchen and grab a beer from the fridge. I need a drink.

  I call Stephen; he’s the only person I can talk to. I don’t want my family knowing this. Not yet anyway.

  “Stephen, she’s fucking gone. She’s left me.”

  “Shit. I can come over.”

  “Nah, it’s fine I’m just going to sit and have a few beers and decide what to bloody do with my life now.”

  “Were you right? Is there someone else?” he asks.

  “She says no, but I don’t believe her,” I tell him.

  “Are you going to tell Libby?” God, how the hell will I keep this from my sister; she lives next door. She’ll notice her car missing.

  “Nah, she has enough going on with her studies,” I say, before taking a drink from the beer. “I’m going to go. I have a few things to do for work then I will probably just have an early night.”

  “Are you sure?” he asks. “You sound really calm.”

  “I am calm. What’s the point in me having some sort of hissy fit? It’s not going to bring her back. And right now, I’m not even sure if I want her back.”

  I end our call and I’m not sure what to make of everything. Should I cry? Phone and beg her to come home to me? Nah, that’s not really my style.

  The last few days have passed in a blur. I work all day putting extra effort in, it helps me for
get that when I get home there’s no one there waiting for me. Hell, I don’t think Lindsay has ever been home waiting on me. When I get home at night, the beers get opened and I drink until I pass out on the couch. Eating, I’ve not done that, so the alcohol runs straight through my veins, taking away the numbness that has been with me since she left. Numb, I still don’t know what I should be doing.

  I’ve avoided phone calls from my mother and Libby, who are both wanting to know what our plans are for dinner on Sunday. I completely forgot it’s meant to be our turn this week, Lindsay and I cooking for everyone.

  I’m going to have to speak to them sooner rather than later. I should keep an eye out for my sister coming home tonight and speak to her. She is going to take this bad; they have been friends for years. I do know they haven’t seen much of each other in recent weeks. Lindsay had told Libby she was busy at work, but I now know the real reason she was keeping her distance from my sister. She’s been planning this. Planning to leave me.

  The front door opens and footsteps come up the hall.

  “Ethan, where are you?” Lindsay’s voice shouts loudly through the house. What the hell is she doing here? Hasn’t she caused enough damage this week?

  “Kitchen,” I call out. I take another beer from the fridge, I’m going to need this just to be in the same room as her. All I feel for my wife is anger.

  “Are you busy?” she asks.

  “Does it look like it?”

  “Can we talk?”

  “Suppose,” I say, pointing to the table. We both sit down. She looks uncomfortable. I’m glad, and whatever it is she wants; I’m not going to make this easy for her.

  “I have something to tell you.” Her eyes fall to the floor and she shifts in her chair.

  “Well, just spit it out. Say what you have to say then leave,” I hiss. I don’t want her here any longer than she needs to be. I don’t owe her anything.

  “I’m pregnant. We are going to be parents.” She still can’t bring herself to look at me.

  Holy Fuck. Never in a million years did I expect that. I’m shocked. Christ, I’m going to be a dad.