The Darkest Joy (34 page)

“Bossy,” I say with a giggle and his eyes darken. It almost makes me disobey.

Almost.

I tread softly down the nine or so steps to the bottom and my eyes take in the strange light that floods the low and narrow basement windows. I scan the room, everything as I remember it: the old photos, the small tables with their knickknacks, doilies, and glass paperweights.

My eyes settle on the square grand sitting like a graceful wooden elephant in the center of the room.

Then they stop on a small black box centered perfectly on the ivory keys.

I move toward that tiny velvet cube that sits on the piano keys. I sense Chance’s heated presence behind me.

I pick up the box, the press of the velvet caressing my hand, and open it.

A glittering stone lies in the puckered satin, deep, perfect blue riding the fine line of almost-violet. It’s obscenely big, and perfect. Tanzanite.

So perfect.

I can see through it like it’s a block of ice, cured by violet fire, and suddenly Chance is behind me, pressing his lips to my neck, the hard length of his body behind me like a solid presence of love. His arms slip around my waist, plucking the ring from my hand and slipping it onto my left ring finger.

It shimmers softly in the light that seeps inside this quiet, deep room where my aunt used to play her piano.

Where I got engaged.

I turn in Chance’s arms, staring into his eyes.

“Stay with me . . . not for a season, but for life, Brooke.”

There’s only one response. The only one I’ve ever had.

“Yes,” I say, and he lifts me off my feet, hugging me so tightly I can barely breathe.

Yet I do. I feel like for the first time, I finally can.

I
would like to thank:

Levi
, who revealed the villain to me.

You
, my reader.

My husband
, who is my biggest supporter without reading a word.

My parents, who didn’t know, but believed anyway.

Erica Spellman-Silverman:
smart, savvy, and devoted don’t cover it. Thank you for all you do as my advocate. And the team at Trident Media Group for giving me a chance!

Simon and Schuster

Lauren
, for believing in me.

Alex
, you’ve improved my work; it’s better because of you. Thank you for entreating the tender from the brutal.

Faren
, my copy editor.

Angie

Autumn

Crystal

Dianne

Lori

Scott Haller

Shana

Tabitha

Elizabeth and Karie: you kept things straight.

Scott and Josh: for the morale boost this summer.

ALSO BY MARATA EROS

A Terrible Love

A Brutal Tenderness

Gallery Books

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This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real places are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and events are products of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or places or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

Copyright © 2014 by Marata Eros

All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever. For information address Gallery Books Subsidiary Rights Department, 1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020

First Gallery Books trade paperback edition February 2014

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Cover photographs by Shutterstock

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Eros, Marata

The darkest joy: a novel/Marata Eros

pages cm

I. Title.

PS3602.L647D37 2014

813'.6—dc232013032686

ISBN 978-1-4767-5221-1

ISBN 978-1-4767-5222-8 (ebook)