Broken Promises Read online

  Broken Promises

  By J.K. Coi

  Former ballerina Callie Carlisle is determined to rebuild her life with her new mechanical limbs. She’s just learned to accept the enhancements that saved her from certain death when she experiences uncontrollable twinges and flashes of light that obscure her vision. Terrified of literally falling apart, she resists telling her husband. Jasper’s already vowed to keep her out of harm, and she doesn’t want to worry him further.

  When the War Office’s General Black arrives with an urgent mission—rescue the doctor who created Callie’s enhancements—she has no choice but to accept. A rogue agent and former patient of the scientist believes the biomechanical modifications he received are killing him, and he’s out for revenge.

  Callie must reach the doctor before it’s too late. But with an overprotective Jasper at her side, and her alarming symptoms getting more frequent, will she be able to hold herself together long enough to save the doctor…and herself?

  34,000 words

  Dear Reader,

  I celebrate my wedding anniversary in September, and that’s why I think of it as my month of romance. Even after eight years, the romance is still alive in our relationship, I’m married to my best friend, and I’m living my very own happily ever after.

  That’s why I’m thrilled we’re kicking off Shannon Stacey’s return to the hunky and delicious Kowalski men with the first of three back-to-back Kowalski contemporary romances this September. It feels like my very own celebration of romance! Meet Mitch Kowalski and enjoy the ride as he finds his true love in Paige Sullivan, in All He Ever Needed. Look for Ryan’s and Josh’s stories in October and November 2012.

  September is truly a month of romance at Carina Press, with all but one of our releases falling in this genre. If you find yourself wanting to remain in the here and now, be sure to check out contemporary romance Finally Home by Helen Scott Taylor. Catch up with the Men of Smithfield in L.B. Gregg’s contemporary male/male romance Men of Smithfield: Max and Finn. And take a chance on Rebecca Rogers Maher’s Fault Lines, a moving and emotional contemporary romance that had our team members calling it “amazing” and “gripping” while extolling its virtues at our acquisitions meeting.

  If you’re looking for adventure, intrigue and romance with a fantasy flavor, this month we kick off Sandy James’s fantastic Alliance of the Amazons series. Rebecca Massee discovers that not only does she possess incredible powers, she is one of four lost chosen sisters who must fight to keep humanity safe from rogue gods and demons. Can she sacrifice the man she loves if it means saving the world? Find out more in The Reluctant Amazon by Sandy James. Joining Sandy in the realm of otherworldly releases, Annie Nicholas’s Starved for Love is a delightful and thoroughly erotic tale of a succubus who wants nothing more than to be loved, and an incubus who doesn’t believe in anything but lust.

  Look no further than Fae Sutherland’s male/male space opera romance Sky Riders for a galactic adventure that will leave you longing for the days of Nathan Fillion, Serenity and Firefly. And if Sky Riders isn’t enough of an escape from planet Earth for you, then Blue Nebula by Diane Dooley will surely please science-fiction romance fans.

  Fans of comics, superheroes and The Avengers should check out our two newest superhero releases. In How to Date a Henchman by Mari Fee, our hero proves that it’s not always the superheroes who are the most heroic—sometimes it’s the henchmen who save the day—and get the girl. Yesterday’s Heroes by Heather Long poses the question of what might happen when two superheroes have different goals. Drawn together by passion, and on a collision course with fate, can Rory and Michael work together to change the future? And though not a superhero romance, J.K. Coi’s steampunk romance Broken Promises, a follow-up to Far From Broken, brings back super-spy Jasper and his modified wife, Callie, for a continuation of their romance as Callie joins Jasper in the world of spies, danger and intrigue.

  Also this month we’re rereleasing Christine d’Abo’s three erotic contemporary novellas into one bargain-priced bundle. Get all three novellas in the Long Shots Bundle for $6.99. BDSM, ménage, love and hot, sexy, intense encounters—this bundle has it all. Buy it now and find out what makes sex club owner Josh so appealing before he makes his appearance in his own novel, Calling the Shots, in October.

  Last, though the month of September is filled with romance of all designs, it also brings with it one rich, engrossing and compelling historical mystery in Tainted Innocence by Joss Alexander. Fan of authors such as Deanna Raybourn and C.S. Harris won’t want to miss this engaging debut novel.

  Celebrate my month of romance with me this September and try one or two (or five or six) of our new releases. You’ll find new authors to love and stories you can’t wait to share!

  We love to hear from readers, and you can email us your thoughts, comments and questions to [email protected]. You can also interact with Carina Press staff and authors on our blog, Twitter stream and Facebook fan page.

  Happy reading!

  ~Angela James

  Executive Editor, Carina Press

  www.carinapress.com

  www.twitter.com/carinapress

  www.facebook.com/carinapress

  Dedication

  For Carlo. Always.

  Acknowledgements

  Acknowledgements are always both the easiest and the hardest part of the book to write. Easy because I’m overjoyed to be able to say thank you to the special people I have been blessed to have in my life. From the bottom of my heart. Thank you. Then again, these are hard because I don’t want to miss anyone. But here goes:

  Thank you to my husband and son, who have never doubted me. Ever. I can’t express how much I love you both.

  Thank you to Christine d’Abo, a treasured friend and the best writing partner a person could ask for. I love when you read my work and say, “This might be your best book yet…but let’s rip it apart anyway, okay?”

  Thank you to the rest of my core support group. Paula, I love you for your frankness and humor. Kimber, I love the way you turn everything into a positive opportunity for growth and learning. Amy, I love your exuberance and unflagging energy. Thank you also to the Vixens—Maggie, Tiffany and Elyssa—without whom navigating my way in this business would have been impossible.

  Thank you to Carina Press and Angela James for the opportunity to write these stories.

  And most of all, thank you to my editor, Deb Nemeth, who always makes me go deeper, find more conflict and build more tension. I am honored and grateful to be able to continue to work with you.

  Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Epilogue

  About the Author

  Copyright

  Chapter One

  The heavy clunk of her boots as she walked with slow, measured steps had ceased to bother her…except here in this particular room, where she’d once spent so much of her time. The wide-plank flooring and high ceilings magnified the sound and sent it back at her. In here, the battle she fought with her memories was always just a little bit harder.

  Callie opened her eyes, only now realizing that she’d squeezed them closed and clenched her hand into a tight fist at her side. After a deep breath, she took another step into the ballroom. Bright morning sunlight shot through the wall of windows facing the east garden, throwing long rays across the smooth, polished floor and making the dancing dust motes look like tiny glittering snowflakes.

  The room had never been used for parties and elegant dinners with the country set. But she’d s
pent many hours here doing pliés, élevés and ronds de jambe at the barre, or practicing leaps across the long expanse of floor.

  Lifting her head, she heard the tinkling voices of the servants as they tidied up the breakfast dishes next door in the morning room, but in here there was nothing. The special gramophone Jasper had gotten for her two years ago, which played at the push of a button instead of having to be wound up, sat silent and dusty in the corner as if it were a child receiving punishment. Framed posters from her performances in London and Paris hung on the back wall, where a rack of costumes and a shelf of slippers waited for the dancer who’d once worn them to return.

  But that wasn’t going to happen. She was no longer the famous Calliandra, prima ballerina. This was the studio of a woman who didn’t exist anymore…and the person who’d taken her place had been avoiding it too long.

  Which is why she’d come here. To face her past before the servants took everything down. It was time to embrace the future.

  It had always been her plan to one day retire from the ballet and settle down to grow round with Jasper’s child. Her hand flattened over her empty belly. There was no chance of that now. She would never hold her own baby. Jasper would be denied an heir for the title that had been in his family for more generations than they could count. She’d received confirmation yesterday but still hadn’t told him. In fact he didn’t even know about the doctor’s visit. She wasn’t certain what would be worse—the look in his eyes if he learned she’d broken their mutual promise to keep no secrets, or telling him the truth and having all her worst fears come true.

  Although Jasper made no sound as he stopped in the doorway behind her, she knew she wasn’t alone any longer. His presence eased her melancholy. She squared her shoulders and breathed in deeply, letting the familiar combination of lemon-scented soap and the woodsy cologne she’d given him for his birthday wrap her in comfort like a warm blanket.

  “What are you doing here? I thought you were going into town today.” Her husky voice didn’t crack on the words as they usually did. In fact, lately her throat felt less like she’d swallowed a handful of nails and almost…normal, but it was still a good thing she’d never been a singer as well as a dancer.

  “What are you doing here, love?” He moved closer. His hand caressed her arm, upward over the sleeve of her white lawn shirt to her shoulder, knuckles grazing the swell of her breast along the way. “John told me you asked him to find a trunk and pack up your studio to make way for new equipment.”

  “Yes.” She sighed. Since returning home from Manchester, everyone had been treating her very…carefully. Including Jasper. He and their friends and all the servants seemed to think she was delicate and breakable.

  “What kind of equipment do you plan to fill this room with, if you don’t mind my asking?” His hand curved over her shoulder and then slid into her hair, teasing her nape.

  She tilted her head, telling him without words that she wanted more of his touch. “Some mats for the floor, mostly. But I also think it’s past time I put the clockwork automaton the general sent over to good use. While I won’t be dancing anymore, I need to find some way of staying active. I’m not used to sitting around with nothing to do.”

  She didn’t use the word training, or tell him she was getting worried about General Black’s threat to send her into the field as an agent of the War Office. Every time she’d mentioned it, Jasper had thrown up a stone wall. Even now, his body tensed behind her just before she felt his lips purse in the tender spot at the base of her neck.

  They hadn’t heard anything from the general in the three months since leaving Manchester, but as the days went by, the shadows in Jasper’s eyes got darker. Both of them seemed to be waiting for the axe to fall, and neither had been able to admit what would happen when it finally did.

  The light stubble on his cheek and chin abraded her skin. When she shivered, he rubbed his face back and forth with a low chuckle. He’d recently expressed his appreciation of her shorter hairstyle, so she’d decided to flout convention and keep it short.

  “You don’t need that machine for exercise—” he tasted her, sliding his tongue up the column of her neck, “—when you have me here. Ready…”

  He traced her ear and then blew gently on the sensitive wet skin. She shivered yet again.

  “…willing…” His hand closed into a fist and tugged gently on her hair until she let her head fall back with a low groan.

  “…and able…” His other hand settled possessively on her hip as he pushed the hard evidence of his desire for her against the soft curve of her buttocks, felt keenly through the specially designed loose-fitting trousers she wore now, instead of the proper gowns that filled her closet. She’d tried to wear them occasionally, but the skirts tripped her up because she couldn’t feel them on her legs when they got in the way. Since she didn’t go out much in public in any event, there was really no one to care what she wore.

  “…to attend to your every whim.”

  She turned her head to the side for a kiss. His lips were soft over hers, tasting of his morning coffee and apricot jam.

  He urged her to lean back against him, letting go of her hair to make quick work of the top three snaps of her shirt before slipping inside to cup her breast. He rolled her nipple between his fingers until it peaked.

  “Jasper,” she gasped. His focused attention quickly had her desperate for more, for all of him. She whimpered and squirmed, wanting to touch him. He let her go, but only so she could turn around and meet his lips again.

  She threw her arms around his neck and gave herself up to the riot of feelings coursing through her. There had been so much strain and tension between them. She worried that Jasper still felt guilt for what he saw as his failure to protect her. He hid it well, but she knew him.

  A year ago, he would have watched her practice in here before pulling her to the floor and making vigorous love to her, as the sunshine from the tall windows glistened off their sweaty bodies. But now they weren’t so easy with each other.

  He’d been gentle, so gentle. Giving her space, allowing her to reestablish a rhythm in the day-to-day bustle of the household. He came to her in the shadows of night and worshiped her body with his hands and mouth until release washed over them both in shuddering waves, but even in that he was gentle.

  Like now, kissing her softly as if she might break when, with her iron fist and the enhanced strength from the mechanical organisms in her blood, she was far more likely to break him if things got out of hand, instead of the other way around.

  “Jasper, when are you going to let go of your fear?”

  “My…” He swallowed. “I’m not the one who was brutalized.”

  “No, but I think you’re having more trouble with it because it wasn’t you. It was me. And you weren’t there, you couldn’t stop it.”

  He winced with her every word. “Callie, don’t.” It was obvious he didn’t want to do this.

  “As much as we promised ourselves a new beginning, you’ve been walking on eggshells with me, and it’s becoming tiresome.”

  At first, she’d been grateful for his consideration. Her confidence in this new body had been shaky and she’d needed time to get used to it. She’d also wanted time to rebuild the trust they’d once shared and to reconcile with the fact that her life had irrevocably changed and so had both of them.

  But more and more often, she found herself wanting to take a few chances. She wanted to break free of what felt like suspended animation and embark on this new life of hers. She also wanted her daring, confident husband back.

  “The servants are in the next room,” he murmured against her lips. “And they could walk by at any moment.”

  A small concession to her. She smiled, feeling the heavy beating of his heart as her chest pressed to his.

  She pushed him back until his shoulders hit the wall. “Then shut the door. I’m certain they’ll be more than happy to know that the lord and lady of the house are…back to
their old tricks.”

  His eyes flickered a deep azure. She knew she had him even before he shot an arm out to pull the door closed. He swooped her off her feet and held her against his chest.

  “Wait!” she squealed as he started carrying her across the room. “Put me down. I’m too—”

  “If you tell me I’m going to pull something just carrying my wife in my arms, I’ll drop you right here.” His eyebrow shot up in a smooth arc as he gave a look that dared her to contradict him.

  She shrugged. “All right, but where do you think you’re going to take me?”

  “I would take you anywhere,” he murmured into her ear, suddenly serious. He stopped in front of the window and let her slide down his body until her feet touched the floor once again. “That’s an idea. Perhaps we should go somewhere. I could take you to Italy. Remember how beautiful Italy is in the spring?”

  The garden stretched out before them on the other side of the glass. Soon, the vista would be filled with color. Greens, pinks and whites as the magnolia and fruit trees blossomed. But for now, even though the sun was bright and warm, it was still very early in the year and all the tree limbs were naked. The ground was dark and brown, with small patches of dirty snow dotting the hills.

  This was her home. It held bad memories, but also many good ones that she’d been trying to reclaim. “As much as being here is difficult at times, you know we can’t just up and leave.” Turning back around, she caught a look as stark as the barren landscape crossing his face. “What’s the matter?” she asked. Would he finally open up and confide in her?

  He only reached for her shirt, pulling apart the rest of the ingenious metal snaps in one smooth motion until the garment was spread open and fell off her shoulders and down her arms, leaving her in nothing but a thin chemise tucked into her trousers.

  A sliver of disappointment slipped into her heart. No, it seemed he wasn’t ready to admit his fears aloud, but she understood what it was like to feel as if nothing was under your control. Perhaps she had to give him more time, the same as he’d done for her when she needed it.