Now That I Found You: A Tortured Heroine Standalone Romance (Heart's Compass Novella) Read online

  Now That I Found You

  All I've ever wanted was a family...

  For so long, I had been walking through my life alone. Loss and heartbreak taught me not to wish for something because the moment you do, it can all be ripped away from you.

  The day I met Callum, everything began to change. Falling in love with him and becoming his wife, I finally started to picture a future I never thought I would have.

  Life has a way of testing me. My life is about to change in ways I never expected.

  ... now one man threatens to take it all away from me again.

  Thank you for reading NOW THAT I FOUND YOU! I hope you love catching up with Callum and Ellie’s as much as I did.

  You can join my Facebook group, Brooke Rebel Readers Group, to discuss the series and get sneak peeks on future releases. Join my newsletter to find out more about my new releases.

  Enjoy Callum and Ellie’s story…

  Dedication

  This book is dedicated to anyone who’s ever struggled to let go of their past and find the love they deserve. I hope you’ll always remember…

  You are strong.

  You are beautiful.

  You are enough.

  “I hope you find the person who’s trying to find you.”

  – R.H. Sin

  Prologue

  Ellie

  I’ve always believed the people we grow into are a result of the challenges we’ve faced and the lessons we’ve learned throughout our lives. The decisions we make guide us down different paths, leading us to destinations we had never planned or expected for ourselves. While there’s always a little bit of God’s hand and fate at play, it’s ultimately our decisions that lead us to where we end up.

  I still remember the day I met Callum, standing outside the bus station in the pouring rain. The heartbreak I had lived through leading me to make the difficult decision to leave my small town of Garwood. It was one of many choices I had been forced to make at such a young age.

  I fell for him all over again the night at Brodie’s when I saw the sparkle in his eye and the rebellious grin he wore on his face. He made it so hard for me to stay away from him, even though I knew the risks of letting him in.

  I know with all my heart he was brought into my life with the purpose of showing me there are people in this world who will protect me and love me, scars and all. Marrying him was the best decision I’ve ever made in my life. When I stop and allow myself to think about it, I smile knowing my dad had a hand in bringing Callum to me.

  I found a family here in Arbor Creek and a place I can finally call home. For the first time, I’m allowing myself to picture a life I never thought I could have. One that I always thought was out of reach for me.

  All I’ve ever wanted was a family of my own. But like everything in my life, I should’ve known the road ahead wasn’t going to be easy for the two of us. Life has always had its way of testing me. Our future is about to change in ways we never expected, and one man’s decisions threaten to take everything I’ve always wanted away from me again.

  Chapter One

  Callum ~ August

  “You almost ready, baby?” I ask, as I lightly tap my knuckles on the door. Leaning in closer, I listen for signs of movement on the other side.

  The sound of Ellie’s heels clicking on the tile floor of our hotel suite brings a smile to my face. Just the mental image of seeing her in her summer dress, getting ready, knowing how beautiful she looks.

  Running my hand over my button-up shirt, I step back when I hear the footsteps approaching before the door handle is turned and she’s standing before me.

  Her hair has a light wave to it, brighter than it was just a week ago. Her tan skin is bronzer and there’s a light dusting of freckles appearing over the apples of her cheeks. They are rosy from the sun she got when we were lying out on the beach earlier today.

  Glancing down, I take in my wife standing in front of me. She looks like a fucking angel in her white dress. It cuts into a deep V, teasing me with what I know she looks like underneath.

  Following the path down to her legs to the heels wrapped around her feet, I barely hold back the urge to drop to my knees before her. She’s a fucking sight to see. The possessive side of me wants to growl, pull her into my arms, and keep her locked away in our hotel room for the rest of the night.

  I don’t know how I got so lucky with her, but I won’t let her know I question it either. When I see the glistening of the wedding band flashing where it sits on her ring finger, something in me shifts.

  She’s my wife and despite hating the thought of any other man looking at her, I love knowing she’s wearing my ring and showing the world she’s mine. That’s enough to get me to let go of my overprotectiveness and instead, reach out and grab her hand, pulling her closer to me.

  “I’m ready.” She giggles, as she falls against my chest. She rubs her palm over my abs, biting her lip as she peers up at me.

  “Don’t look at me like that, Ellie.”

  There’s a sparkle in her eye at my comment as a light smirk lines her lips. It distracts me, I swear she leaves me constantly hanging on the edge with want. I could so easily close the distance between us and kiss her mouth.

  “Like what?” She feigns innocence, which on any other day I might actually believe, but right now, I know better.

  Her tongue darts out, lightly tracing a line over her lip, teasing me. She knows exactly what she’s doing. It can’t happen right now though. We have a dinner reservation in ten minutes, and I have plans for her, despite how good she looks right now.

  “Don’t think I don’t see through that innocent look, sweetheart. I know you better than that,” I growl, kissing her deeply. She hums softly, as she slides her hands up my chest and around my neck, holding me close to her.

  I love how confident she’s become around me. The once shy and timid girl, held back by her past, doesn’t hold herself back anymore. She takes what she wants, and I love how she doesn’t suppress her urges when it’s me she wants.

  Keeping my forehead pressed against hers, I break our kiss and struggle to breathe again.

  “We have dinner reservations at eight o’clock. We should get going. If I don’t stop us now, we will end up like last night where I’m ordering you room service and feeding you dinner in bed naked again.”

  She smiles deviously before she nods her head. “We are on our honeymoon after all.”

  For a minute I think she’s ready for me to cancel our plans before she pulls back, lacing her fingers in mine. “We might as well enjoy it while we can. We’re married now, which means we’ll have many days of naked dinners when we’re back home.”

  I almost consider saying to hell with it, when she turns and pulls me down the hallway of our hotel suite. I get a glimpse of her in this dress from behind, her hair pulled over to the side, showing off the column of her neck, making my cock twitch in my pants.

  “Fuck,” I mutter to myself, as she squeezes my hand tighter as she looks back at me, biting her lip.

  “Let’s make this quick then.”

  Once we’re out of the hotel and heading down toward the beach, I’m glad we decided to keep our plans for the evening. The sun has started to set, lighting up the sky in a beautiful array of pink and orange, as the waves crash in the distance. We make it to the end of the dock, leading us to the secluded area I had arranged for us for tonight.

  Ellie stops, leaning down to undo the strap around her foot before I bend down in front of her. Un
hooking the clasp, I ease her foot out of her heels as she steps down into the sand.

  I probably should’ve asked you if my shoes were appropriate for tonight,” she whispers down to me.

  Running my hand over her calf down to her ankle, I peer up at her and smile. “Oh, they’re always appropriate. I’ll show you why later.”

  She grins, shaking her head at me. “Lord, what am I going to do with you?”

  “I can think of a few things.” I chuckle.

  “Mhmm.” She laughs, as I lead her over to the blanket laid out in the sand overlooking the water. When she sees the setup I had arranged for her, she lets out a subtle gasp before she wraps her arms around my waist.

  “Callum,” she sighs. “I can’t believe…” Her voice drifts off, as she looks down at the flowers, along with the picnic basket.

  “You did all of this?”

  I nod. “Of course, I did.”

  She rises up onto her toes, and I lean forward, pressing a kiss against her lips. “Thank you.”

  I’ve always loved how easy it is to surprise Ellie. She is grateful for every ounce of love you show her, eager to soak it up. It only makes me want to find new ways to express how I feel for her, wanting to put the same look of love and appreciation on her face every day.

  She steps back as I lower myself to the ground, helping her down between my legs. Wrapping my arms around her, pulling her close, she reclines against my chest.

  “It’s so beautiful here, so peaceful,” she sighs blissfully, and I’d give anything to grant her this sense of calmness everyday of our lives. She deserves all the happiness in the world.

  I nod. “It’s everything I hoped it would be for you.”

  Leaning over, I pull the basket closer to us. Reaching in, I grab the sandwiches I had packed away earlier when Ellie was taking a nap. We sit here, our bodies entwined, eating as we reminisce over our week. Most of our time was spent tangled up together in our room or somewhere near the water.

  “I’m not sure I’m ready to leave yet. Can’t we just stay here forever?” Ellie murmurs. She shifts her eyes downcast, tossing her napkin back into the basket. I help her clean up everything before she moves to situate herself back in my arms again.

  “We still have the rest of the night here. We might as well enjoy what time we have left.”

  Tilting my head forward, I press a kiss against her shoulder. She’s soft and warm from her sunburn, heat radiating from her skin. The moment my lips brush against her, I feel her body tremble beneath my touch.

  I’ve always loved the way she reacts to me. Tracing my tongue over her shoulder, I kiss her again from the base of her neck up toward her jaw.

  “Callum,” she breathes. Her hands grip my arms tightly, holding me to her.

  “Yes, sweetheart?”

  She doesn’t say anything, the words falling the moment they touch her lips coming out more like a small hiss, just as I press another kiss beneath her ear.

  She tilts her head to the side, giving me better access to her, and I dive right in. Her chest rises and falls heavily with each forced breath.

  Reaching my hand up beneath the curve of her breast, she rests her head back against my shoulder as my finger brushes over her nipple beading through the chiffon of her dress.

  “Oh, God,” she whispers. She quickly checks around us, making sure we’re still alone.

  “No one’s here, Ellie, but us. Just you and me. I’d never share you with anyone.”

  She lets out an audible breath, relaxing again in my arms. She’s telling me without words she wants me to continue, and I do.

  “Does that feel good?” I exhale against her cheek.

  She nods, her tongue darting out, wetting her lips. She uncrosses her legs, leaving them stretched out in front of us. I brush my other hand over her stomach, down to the apex of her thigh, pulling the hem of her dress up enough for me to slip my hand beneath the material.

  Her body shutters beneath me as I skim the tip of my finger over the seam of her panties, feeling her wetness seep through.

  “Damn, sweetheart,” I groan, pressing my mouth against her shoulder once again.

  Slipping my finger inside her panties, she lets her leg fall open for me. My cock aches in my pants by how bad she wants this right now. My finger grazes over her swollen clit and she doesn’t hold back, unleashing a breathy moan.

  I alternate between rubbing her clit, to grazing the edge of her pussy lips, before she begs me to stop teasing her. She shifts her head back, her eyes meeting mine, and I see the hunger in the depths. My girl needs me to give her this and, God, I want to give her everything she wants and so much more.

  “C’mere,” I mutter, urging her to turn to face me. Her movements are slow, her eyes in a daze, as I quickly unzip my pants. My cock rejoices when I wrap my hand around it, pumping it once, twice.

  Her eyes laser into me and what I’m doing. I reach for her, needing to feel her body against mine, when she hesitates for a minute.

  “I want to watch you do that,” she breathes, sliding her hand between her legs to touch herself. Good lord, she is fucking perfect.

  I give her what she wants, rubbing my thumb over the tip of my dick, catching the cum dripping before reaching out and pressing it against her lips. She opens her mouth for me, tasting me, as her eyes light up with fire in the depths.

  She ditches her earlier idea and closes the distance between us, rubbing her wetness over me, coating my cock. She pulls her panties to the side as she moves to slide down over me, keeping me pressed to the hilt.

  Her eyes find mine again, and the love I find shining back at me is nearly my undoing. The way she fits so perfectly around me makes my heart beat out of my chest. Having her body pressed against me, it’s as if everything makes sense. I’m whole.

  Her fingers run through my hair, pulling on the strands as she tilts my head back and captures my lips in a soul-crushing kiss. Her body rocks against mine as my hands wrap tightly around her waist, holding her to me.

  She throws her head back. Leaning my head forward, I kiss her neck, feeling her heart beat beneath my lips through every struggled breath she takes.

  “Callum,” she moans, her grip on my hair tightens, and I know she’s close. Her body is wound so tight as her pussy clenches around me.

  “Ellie, baby. I want you to come with me. Come, baby,” I mutter, just as I lightly bite down on her collarbone.

  Her body trembles, as she wraps her arms around my neck collapsing against me. I wrap my arms around her. She doesn’t move to break our connection, only moves to circle her legs around my lower back, holding herself closer to me.

  When our heart rates both go back to normal, I reach my hand up and brush my thumb over the apple of her cheek as I whisper, “I swear you were made to be loved by me.”

  Chapter Two

  Ellie

  I ended up sleeping most of the flight home. When Callum woke me, he told me he had been trying to wake me up since the flight attendants announced we were preparing for landing.

  We arrive at the Des Moines airport, about forty minutes away from Arbor Creek. Callum left his truck parked at the airport so once we collect our luggage, we’re back on the road and heading home. I turn my phone back on, and I’m surprised when the pinging starts, signaling several messages from our friends and family. Callum’s mom, Connie, has been eagerly waiting for us to tell her all about our trip, along with my best friends, Kinsley, Halle, and Brea.

  The entire drive, I sit in the middle of the seat with my head on Callum’s shoulder. His hand alternates between holding my thigh and steering. We sit in silence as every mile passes by bringing us closer to home.

  “You doin’ okay?” Callum questions, peering over to check my face before turning his attention back on the road. He presses a small kiss against my forehead as I curl my body into his side, wrapping my hand around his arm.

  He reaches his hand down between us, wrapping his fingers in mine, pressing another kiss to
the top and once more near the ring that sits on my finger.

  My heart warms at how sweet he is, always finding little ways to remind me how much he loves me and wants to take care of me.

  Tilting my head back, I glance up at him. “I think so, I just haven’t been feeling well. I’m not sure if it’s nerves from flying or if I’m coming down with something.”

  My stomach rolls, feeling the sudden nausea wash over me. The flight to Maui had been the first time I’d ever been on a plane, and I’m still suffering from jitters. Or it’s jet lag. Either way, with the flight behind us, I’ll be glad when we’re finally home.

  “I’m hurrying.” He squeezes my hand reassuringly, as I nod my head getting comfortable again.

  Callum wraps his hand around my knee, rubbing his thumb back and forth over the tan skin. I force all thoughts of not feeling well out of my head and think back on our honeymoon.

  The entire week was like a dream. Callum, being the sweet man he is, planned everything. I think that’s what made it even more special. All of the thought he put into every day we spent together. My favorite part, by far, was the day we went snorkeling, followed by a night under the stars as we had dinner on the beach.

  “I know I’ve said this a hundred times over the past week but thank you. I can’t get over how amazing everything from our wedding to the honeymoon was.”

  “Of course, baby.” He leans forward, pressing a soft kiss against my lips.

  When Callum asked me to marry him, I knew without a doubt there was no one else I’d ever want to spend forever with. He was it for me–the person I’ve been searching for all my life. When you’ve grown up like I have, you begin to think that love and marriage are not in the cards for you.

  With the trial going on during the wedding planning process, it brought up a lot of emotions I had been working to bury after the assault. I was ready to move forward with my life but talking about the past resurfaced the grief of losing my dad and grandma, along with the sadness of what I thought my life would look like with my family.