Part 1 (1/2)

Devoted.

The Blackwell Lessons.

Sk Quinn.

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1.

My wedding day.

It's truly been the best day of my life so far.

The wedding ceremony is over and now we're hanging out on the sunny lawn.

As Marc and I sit on the gra.s.s watching the setting sun, I feel the love of family and friends all around us.

I lean against Marc's broad shoulder, thinking about the vows we made beneath a canopy of trees.

Sophia Rose, I promise to love you for the rest of my life ...

I loved that our ceremony was in the woodlands behind Ivy College. And that Jen and Tanya were my bridesmaids. And that Tom helped us say our vows.

I look down at my loose, white silk wedding dress and know I couldn't have picked anything better. It's beautiful but kind of natural-looking and comfortable. Not too formal. I would have got annoyed with some big starched netty thing.

Even though the sky has turned pinky-grey, it's still warm.

My hands wander to my stomach. Could I really be pregnant already? I know it's way too soon to tell. But ...

Marc's arms tighten around me.

'We'll visit the doctor tomorrow,' he says.

He's so handsome in his jet-black suit, his jaw hard and clean-shaven, his eyes intense blue.

'Okay.'

'Maybe you should stay away from the lobster later on. Just in case.'

For the evening meal, we're barbequing lobsters and steak.

'Why?' I ask.

'Because pregnant women shouldn't eat sh.e.l.lfish.'

'I think maybe you're getting confused with sus.h.i.+,' I laugh. 'I'm pretty sure sh.e.l.lfish is fine. Anyway. Maybe I'm not pregnant.'

'I'll have someone find out about the sh.e.l.lfish-'

'No!' I grab his hand. 'We don't even know if I'm pregnant yet. I don't want anyone to find out. It could turn out to be nothing.'

Marc frowns. 'Sophia-'

'Please Marc. Look. Let me Google it, okay?' I pull out my phone and type in the question. 'It says here sh.e.l.lfish is fine.'

As we talk, staff light garden candles for the evening party. Fairy lights glow in the white bell tents dotted around the lawn.

'This is truly the best day of my life,' I tell Marc.

'I'm glad to hear it.'

'Everyone we love is here.'

Well almost everyone.

I gaze up at the sky, thinking of my mother. I was a child when she died. But that doesn't mean I don't miss her at times like this. It's funny I actually hadn't thought about her all day. Even when Marc and I said our vows. But as I look at our family and friends on the lawn, I feel a pang in my stomach.

She would have loved to have been here. The gra.s.s and trees ... and Marc ...

'Sophia?' Marc's voice is concerned. 'Is something wrong?'

'Not wrong exactly, but ... are you missing your mother today?'

'I thought about her earlier, as a matter of fact.' Marc stares out at the trees. 'While I was waiting for you in the woods. I was wis.h.i.+ng she could have met you. She would have loved you.'

'My mother would have loved you too.'

'So you're missing your mother?'

'A little bit. Only just now. Not all day or anything.' I look over at Dad, who's laughing at something Denise is saying. 'Dad usually misses her at times like this too, but I think he has a great distraction today. Which is brilliant. When my mother knew she was dying, she said, ”Don't mourn me. Celebrate me.” She didn't want us to be sad. And she wanted my dad to love again.'