Free Heaven Inside You by Mina Snowe Page A

it,” she rasped, certain that Fiona wouldn’t catch the sarcasm in her voice.
    “Don’t I know it, dear.”
    Fiona looked up at the mirror and gave a small startled sound at seeing Lee’s latest creation.
    “Well now, that’s more like it.”
    Olivia gave silent thanks.
    “You look beautiful, Fi. Nobody will be able to take their eyes off you.”
    Fiona nodded in agreement but made no comment. She was used to the constant attention and took it for granted. She’d be the star of the show—that was how it always was and how it always would be. Her wedding was no different. She’d sparkle even more, naturally.
    “So…your bridesmaid’s dress seems to be all done, too, Liv. That shade of green’s quite flattering on you. I’m happy that the cut makes you look a little slimmer. It wouldn’t do if it didn’t, you know. Not at my wedding. I’ll let you go and pack now. And lay off the chocolate cake, will you? What time is your flight to New York?”
    “In four hours,” Olivia replied with a resigned tone, summoning the gods of eternal patience.
    “Okay then. I shall see you right before the wedding in four weeks. Don’t be late. You must help me with the dress and dealing with those fools at the catering company. I pray they won’t misplace the foie gras this time. I’ll never forget Margerie Heimann’s expression when she found out. And at her daughter’s coming out dinner party, no less! How embarrassing!”
    Fiona was too engrossed in her own reflection in the mirror to notice her sister rolling her eyes.
    “Sure, sis. I’ll be seeing you soon.”
    Olivia hugged her briefly, threw a bright smile at Lee, drew an inner sigh of relief and went on her merry way.
     
     

Chapter One
     
    Four weeks later …
     
    The moment she saw him walking towards her, eating up the floor in languid but confident strides, would be etched in her memory forever. A raw, powerful body, pure sexuality barely contained in a civilized veneer. He was tall. Very, very tall. Huge. A hunk of a man standing give or take six feet five inches tall, graced with long, muscular limbs, broad shoulders and wide chest, not so much as an ounce of fat. She’d imagined that guy in her daydreams but to date hadn’t laid eyes on the real prototype. Gorgeous. She felt like a dwarf standing next to him, and, at five foot nine, she was no midget.
    She was hopelessly entranced. The ruggedly handsome face was set with a swarthy complexion and deep, dark as night, mesmeric eyes that settled on her with focused interest. His gaze never wavered, as if she were the only woman standing in the middle of JFK with eyes as round as saucers and an odd expression of near disbelief. His lips curled in a half-smile. Perhaps he was a mind reader too, as well as a sorcerer.
    She loved that smile. That smile was for her alone. Her insides were tied in a knot so tight , a seasoned sailor would be proud.
    Her lips and throat went completely dry, and she lost the ability to blink. As he came closer, she noticed that his windswept hair was the color of a starless night, cut quite close to his head and curling slightly at the ends. Those expressive eyes, she could now see, were really pools of a dark stormy blue with flecks of gray.
    She found it hard to tear her gaze away from his face, but she finally did. The rest of him was a sight to behold. Strong, muscular thighs and lean hips were snugly encased in a pair of well-worn jeans. A simple black t-shirt and tan suede jacket covered his massive chest and biceps, and his forearms and hands were so beautifully formed and veined that she had no difficulty imagining him on a fantasy battlefield, playing the role of a Viking warrior from days of old.
    He turned around, slightly distracted, after hearing someone call out behind him. That tight muscular butt…sweet heaven!!! In total disbelief, she pinched herself. Ouch!
    Is this man flying with me?
    Her throat went suddenly dry.
    “So we finally meet, Olivia,” he