Unforgettable: The Complete Series (A Sexy Cinderella Standalone Love Story) Read online

  Unforgettable

  The Complete Series

  Nelle L’Amour

  Copyright © 2016 by Nelle L’Amour

  Kindle Edition

  All rights reserved

  First Edition: April 2016

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to events, locales, business establishments, or actual persons—living or dead—is purely coincidental.

  No part of this ebook may be reproduced, uploaded to the Internet, or copied without permission from the author. The author respectfully asks that you please support artistic expression and help promote anti-piracy efforts by purchasing a copy of this ebook at the authorized online outlets.

  Nelle L’Amour thanks you for your understanding and support.

  TO JOIN MY MAILING LIST FOR NEW RELEASES AND SALES, PLEASE SIGN UP HERE:

  http://eepurl.com/N3AXb

  Cover by Arijana Karcic, Cover It! Designs

  Proofreading by Mary Jo Toth

  Formatting by BB eBooks

  PS. This special edition of UNFORGETTABLE contains two (yes two!) bonus books—THAT MAN and my latest, TRAINWRECK. Either jump to the end or keep on scrolling and reading, by Belles! ♥

  Books by Nelle L’Amour

  Unforgettable

  Unforgettable Book 1

  Unforgettable Book 2

  Unforgettable Book 3

  Unforgettable: The Complete Series (Box Set)

  THAT MAN Series

  THAT MAN 1

  THAT MAN 2

  THAT MAN 3

  THAT MAN 4

  THAT MAN 5

  THAT MAN TRILOGY (Box Set)

  THAT MAN: THE WEDDING STORY (Box Set)

  Gloria

  Gloria’s Secret

  Gloria’s Revenge

  Gloria’s Forever

  Gloria’s Secret: The Trilogy (Box Set)

  An Erotic Love Story

  Undying Love

  Seduced by the Park Avenue Billionaire

  Strangers on a Train

  Derailed

  Final Destination

  Seduced by the Park Avenue Billionaire Box Set

  Writing under E.L. Sarnoff

  DEWITCHED: The Untold Story of the Evil Queen

  UNHITCHED: The Untold Story of the Evil Queen 2

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  Books by Nelle L’Amour

  UNFORGETTABLE 1

  Praise for UNFORGETTABLE 1

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  Dedication

  Epigraph

  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

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  UNFORGETTABLE 2

  Praise for UNFORGETTABLE 2

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  Dedication

  Epigraph

  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

  UNFORGETTABLE 3

  Praise for UNFORGETTABLE 3

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  Dedication

  Epigraph

  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

  Epilogue

  THAT MAN 1

  Praise for THAT MAN 1

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  Dedication

  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

  About THAT MAN

  TRAINWRECK

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  A Note from Nelle

  Epigraph

  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

  Other Books by Nelle L’Amour

  Acknowledgments

  Note from Nelle

  About the Author

  PRAISE FOR UNFORGETTABLE 1

  “Sexy and fun! What a fabulous story! Nelle writes male POV like nobody’s business!”

  —The Book Bellas

  “5 Golden Globes! I love how this author weaves the story together and the banter between the two characters. Another winner.”

  —Alpha Book Club

  “Oh Brandon! Hot damn, he’s totally unforgettable. And Zoey was so witty, sexy, funny, and feisty too. Ms. L’Amour has done a remarkable job.”

  —Brittany’s Book Blog

  “Laugh! Cry! Swoon! Nelle will make you go through all the emotions as she tells a story you not soon forget!”

  —As You Like It Reviews

  “Never thought in a m
illion years that I would say I totally love Brandon a little more than Blake Burns from THAT MAN. Nelle does it again. Inspiration and passion flows into her characters.”

  —Jeanette Book Reviews

  “There is a lot of humor and Nelle’s characters are more loveable than ever. Nelle’s writing just gets better with every book. You’ll LOVE Brandon and Zoey.”

  —Arianne Richmonde, USA Bestselling Author

  “A great blend of suspense, action, humor, and sexy times that kept me glued from the beginning to the end.”

  —April’s Blog of Awesomeness

  “Smart, witty, sexy! Nelle’s best offering yet.”

  —Adriane Leigh, USA Today Bestselling Author

  “Holy Moly! I was laughing, yelling, and crying. This is a definite must read series.”

  —Wicked Babes Blog Reviews

  “I LOVE Brandon. So hot! Loved the concept. It was different with lots of angst. My fave!”

  —Schmexy Girl Book Blog

  “It had me on tenterhooks. There was barely a dull moment. Seriously craving the next installment.”

  —Crazy for Books

  Unforgettable

  BOOK ONE

  Nelle L’Amour

  Copyright © 2015 by Nelle L’Amour

  All rights reserved

  First Edition: November 2015

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to events, locales, business establishments, or actual persons—living or dead—is purely coincidental.

  No part of this ebook may be reproduced, uploaded to the Internet, or copied without permission from the author. The author respectfully asks that you please support artistic expression and help promote anti-piracy efforts by purchasing a copy of this ebook at the authorized online outlets.

  TO JOIN MY MAILING LIST FOR NEW RELEASES AND SALES, PLEASE SIGN UP HERE:

  http://eepurl.com/N3AXb

  Cover by Arijana Karcic, Cover It! Designs

  Proofreading by Mary Jo Toth

  Formatting by BB eBooks

  Dedication

  In memory of my Daddy. You’ll always be unforgettable.

  “A remembrance of things past is not necessarily one of things as they were.”

  —Marcel Proust, In Search of Lost Time

  Prologue

  Zoey

  Twenty years earlier

  Mama. She’s beautiful. As beautiful as a princess. She has long, wavy red hair that dances in the wind. And whenever she waltzes around our house, singing so pretty, her hair prances too. She reminds me of Ariel, The Little Mermaid. Except my mama never ever swims.

  After I saw that movie with Mama, I asked her why she won’t swim. She told me she once almost drowned in the ocean when she was a little girl. Like my mama, I’m afraid of the water. Even Papa, when he was alive, couldn’t get me to go in. I miss Papa and so does Mama.

  Especially on days like today. I’m five! I’m a big girl now, says Mama. For my special birthday, she’s taken me to the Santa Monica Pier. I may be afraid of the big bad ocean, but I love the pier. And so does Mama. So many fun rides! And games to play too! And guess what! Now that I’m a big girl, I can finally go on the ginormous rollercoaster. Yippee! Mama and I sit together, and holding on to her floppy straw hat, she screams as much as me. Whoosh! It’s so fast! So much fun!

  “Pretty please. One more time,” I beg when it’s over. One smoochie and she lets me do it again. I wish my cousin Jeffrey was here too, but Mama told me he came down with the flu and had to stay home with Auntie Jo.

  “Mama, I’m hungry,” I say after we hop off the ride.

  “Me too, baby girl. Let’s get some corn dogs.”

  “YAY!” I love corn dogs.

  Mama buys two corn dogs from a food stand, one for me and one for her. “C’mon, let’s look for dolphins while we eat them.” She takes my hand and we walk over to the edge of the pier. The blue-gray ocean is below us. I know that color from my Crayola box. We watch the high as the sky-high waves roll in. Mama tells me the water’s very rough today.

  I take a big bite of my corn dog and then ask Mama, “Do you think we’ll see a dolphin?”

  She smiles. “Of course, my precious girl. They’ll dance for your birthday. But I want you to hold my hand and not lean in too close to the railing.”

  I giggle. “Mama, I won’t fall in!”

  She squeezes my hand. Mama’s beautiful hands are soft like velvet. And they’re magical too. They make me feel safe and fix all my boo-boos.

  I keep my eyes out for some dolphins. The sun is so bright it hurts them. Squinting, all I see are lots of squawking sea gulls.

  In the background, I hear music. There’s a concert going on. They always do concerts on the pier in the Spring. I know that song! It’s Mama’s favorite. “Unforgettable.” She sang it all the time after Papa died. It reminds her of him. Mama smiles and sings along. I love the way she sings. She sounds like an angel.

  In the middle of the song, a creepy man walks up next to me. He’s got an eyepatch like a pirate and a cigarette in his mouth. I thought people weren’t allowed to smoke on the pier. He blows out a puff and I cough. I want to tell him to put it out, but he scares me. I move closer to Mama and hope the man will get in trouble. If Uncle Pete were here, he’d arrest him and put him in jail.

  I frown. “Mama, the dolphins are hiding today. Let’s do one more ride.”

  “Patience, sweet girl.” Mama always says patience has its virtues, but I don’t know what she means by that.

  I beg again for another ride and even say the magic word, “please.” Then, just after I take the last bite of my corn dog, I see one, leaping out of the water. And then, another and another! “Look, Mama! Dolphins!” Jumping up and down, I point at them.

  But Mama doesn’t hear me. She’s slumped over the railing. She’s got an ouchie! And she’s bleeding! A whole big bunch!

  She whispers my name. The blood is spreading all over the back of her pretty sundress. Why won’t it stop? I must help her!

  “Mama! Mama!” I tug on her. But I can’t get her to budge.

  I turn to the yucky man for help.

  “Mister—”

  A loud grunt and then he falls to the ground. Face up. There’s blood all around him. Everywhere! His shirt is all red. His eyes are still open, but I think he’s dead. I scream so loud my throat hurts. And then I see him. A scary man with a gun! He fires it one more time—at me—and then he runs away. He disappears into the crowd, but I’ll never forget his ugly face.

  I turn back around. Oh no! Mama she’s gone! Spinning, I search everywhere for her and then I look down. I scream again. Louder.

  “Mama!” She’s fallen into the angry ocean. It tosses her. Around and around and around. She’s drowning!

  “Mama!” I cry out again, tears falling.

  An arm reaches out to me. Her lips mouth three words: “I love you.” Then, her eyes close and she goes under.

  “Mama! Mama!” I sob. “Someone help my mama! PLEASE!”

  The pier is so noisy nobody hears me. She’s floating now. On her back, her hat by her side. Her coral hair is spread out like a sea fan. And there’s a little smile on her face. Maybe she’s all better.

  “Mama! Can you hear me?” I shout out, hope in my voice. “Wake up! Pl—”

  Before I can say the magic word, a gigantic wave crashes over her peaceful body. With a roar, it carries her away.

  “Mama, come back!” I no longer see her. Or will I ever.

  My tears salt the sea.

  The words of Mama’s favorite song drift into my ears.

  I’m crying so loud I can hardly hear them.

  But I know this moment will always be unforgettable.

  Brandon

  Two weeks earlier

  FUCK.

  CLUNK.

  SMACK.

  BLACK.

  Chapter 1

  B
randon

  Beeping sounds clog my ears.

  A chorus of muddled whispers surrounds me.

  My eyelids flutter.

  A woman’s urgent voice: “Quick. Get this! He’s waking up.”

  I peel my eyes open, one by one. Slowly. Painfully. As if they’ve been super glued shut. The bright light burns my retinas. Everything’s a blur. A haze of bodies scuttles about me. I blink several times. My vision becomes clearer, and then I’m blinded by the flash of a camera. Click. Click. Click. I blink again until I stop seeing spots. A new lens assaults me. What’s a hand-held camera doing in my face?

  “Get in tighter,” orders the woman, her voice growing shrill. “I want a close-up.”

  A pair of lips comes crashing down on mine before I can get my mouth to move. They hold me prisoner while camera flashes bombard me and the hand-held camera captures the unexpected kiss. The fierce lips pull away, but the camera in my face stays put.

  “Get that away from me!” I croak, barely able to free my tongue from my desert-dry palate. My voice is a rasp and my throat sore as hell.

  I swat at the cameraman with my hand that’s not hooked up to all kinds of freaky, beeping machines. Reality hits me hard. I’m in a hospital. And the pain hits harder. I’ve got a headache the size of Texas. Unable to deter my harasser, I throw the bedcovers over my head.

  “We’ve got enough.” That woman’s authoritative voice again. “We’ll edit in post.”

  Hesitantly, I lower the covers from my face. A stunning, willowy blonde with cat-green eyes hovers over me. Her billowy scarlet lips are parted in a pout and then they break into a wide toothy smile. The cameraman follows her.

  She brushes her manicured hand along my forehead. “Darling, you’re awake. Finally. Smile for the cameras.” She mugs for the cameras while I rub the back of my scalp. A large scab brushes against the pads of my fingertips along with a bump as big as a walnut. I wince.

  “That’s a wrap,” calls out a craggy man with a ponytail. “We’ll pick it up when he blows out of this joint.” My eyes fix on the small crew as they pack up their equipment and file out of the room. The attractive woman stays behind and lowers herself onto the edge of my bed. She cranks her body so she’s facing me.

  “Who are you?” My voice is still strangled.

  She flashes a ring with a diamond the size of a bullet in my eyes. The bling blinds me. I blink again.