And Then Came you

THE LOVE BEYOND Prologue — A Taste of Trouble Katie's POV "Kiss me, William." He didn't hesitate. The moment the words left my mouth, he closed the distance between us and kissed me as though he'd been dreaming of this moment for far longer than he cared to admit. And, good Lord, the man could kiss. He kissed like a demigod, like he knew exactly what he was doing and had every intention of making me forget why I should have known better. I was in trouble. The truth was, I'd been in trouble from the moment I first laid eyes on him. I'd tried to ignore the attraction, tried to remind myself that I hadn't come here to complicate my life. I had come to start over, to rediscover the woman I'd lost somewhere along the way. Instead, here I was, willingly walking toward what might turn out to be the biggest mistake of my life. A beautiful, dangerously tempting mistake named William. And the worst part? Somewhere deep inside, I already knew I wouldn't be able to forget him. But that's a story for another day. For now, let's go back to where it all began. Chapter One — Starting Over Katie's POV It was happening. My worst fear had finally become my reality. After everything we'd been through, after all the years I'd spent holding our home together, putting our family first, and giving everything I had to make our marriage work, my husband had decided I was no longer enough. He looked me in the eyes and told me he was sorry. Then he told me he couldn't continue. I was too old for him, apparently. He'd chosen a younger woman. Someone he considered more beautiful, more exciting, someone who could give him what he believed I'd grown too old to offer. I listened to him speak, and somewhere between his excuses and his carefully rehearsed apologies, something inside me went quiet. Not because it didn't hurt. God, it hurt. It hurt to realise that the man I'd built a life with could look at everything we'd shared and decide it was no longer worth keeping. It hurt to think of all the times I'd put my own needs aside, believing I was doing it for the good of our family, only to discover that I couldn't sacrifice enough to make someone stay. But I was done begging to be chosen. I'd given that marriage everything I knew how to give. I had loved him, stood by him, and tried to hold our family together. I could leave knowing I'd done my part. So I made my decision. I was leaving. My children would miss me, and I would miss them more than words could ever explain. That was the hardest part of all. Every instinct in me wanted to stay close, to make sure they were all right, to keep being the mother they needed. But I needed to be all right, too. I needed to find my footing again, to remember who I was outside that marriage, outside the disappointment, outside the version of myself that had spent years trying to be enough for someone who no longer wanted me. My children deserved a mother who was healing, not one who was slowly disappearing beneath the weight of her unhappiness. And I deserved the chance to become that woman. I wasn't leaving because it didn't hurt. I was leaving because it did, and I could no longer pretend that staying would make it hurt less. It was time to choose myself. For once, that would have to be enough. Seth's POV The moment I saw Katie, I wanted to pull her into my arms and refuse to let go until every last bit of hurt had somewhere else to go. Instead, I smiled and waved. Because that was what we did, wasn't it? We smiled for each other, made jokes, and pretended everything was fine until we found a safe moment to fall apart. But my sister wasn't fooling me. Katie had always been vibrant. She was the girl who could turn an ordinary afternoon into an adventure, who laughed loudly, loved fiercely, and somehow made everyone around her feel as though life wasn't quite so complicated. Then she married that i***t. Little by little, I watched her change. The laughter became less frequent. The light in her eyes dimmed. She started putting everyone else's happiness before her own, until I could barely recognise the woman she'd become. I missed my sister. Not the woman standing in front of me, because I loved her in every version of herself. I missed the carefree girl she'd been before she started believing she had to make herself smaller to keep someone else happy. And now she was here, carrying the pieces of a marriage that had broken her heart. I wanted to tell her exactly what I thought of her ex-husband. I wanted to remind her that she'd always deserved better. But she didn't need another lecture. She needed somewhere to rest. So I took her luggage, pulled her into a tight hug, and held her for a little longer than usual. "Welcome home, sis," I murmured. She hugged me back. For a moment, neither of us said anything. When we finally pulled apart, I gave her another smile and carried her things inside. She settled in, but I could tell her mind was somewhere else. She sat quietly, staring into space, and I wondered how much pain she was keeping to herself. I knew she would heal. I believed that with everything in me. But healing took time, and she didn't have to rush it just because the rest of the world expected her to move on. "Hey, sis," she said eventually, looking at me. "Let's go and get something to eat. I thought you'd cook for me." I burst out laughing. There she was. My sister, arriving at my house after everything she'd been through, and already expecting me to feed her. Some things never changed. "I will cook for you," I promised. "Just not today. We're eating out." She raised an eyebrow. "You're taking me out?" "Don't sound so surprised. I have standards." "Since when?" "Since I started hanging out with people who appreciate good food." She laughed, and for the first time since she'd arrived, the sound didn't feel forced. That was enough for me. I grabbed my keys, and we headed to one of my favourite spots. I chose it because the atmosphere was relaxed, the food was good, and I knew getting her out of the house might help take her mind off everything waiting for her back home. I couldn't fix what had happened to her. But I could remind her that there was still a world outside her pain. And I intended to do exactly that. Katie's POV Seth had practically dragged me out to eat. Typical. I'd barely unpacked, and she was already determined to get me out of the house as though fresh air and a good meal could magically erase the last few months of my life. I went along with it because I loved her, and because sitting alone with my thoughts was becoming exhausting. What I hadn't expected was to walk into a restaurant and forget, for one ridiculous moment, that I was supposed to be recovering from a failed marriage. Because then I saw him. And, Lord have mercy. Who was that man? He was beautiful. Not merely handsome in the ordinary, easy-to-ignore way. No. This man had the kind of face that made you look twice, then a third time just to confirm that your eyes weren't playing tricks on you. He seemed to carry his own light, and I was fairly certain it was personally offensive. I stared. Then I stared some more. "Seth," I blurted. She turned toward me. "What?" "Who's that?" Her eyes followed mine, and the moment she realised who I meant, a knowing smile spread across her face. "Oh. That's William." William. Even his name sounded unfairly attractive. "William," I repeated, as though saying it aloud might help me understand why my brain had suddenly stopped functioning. Seth laughed. "Girl, he's hot, isn't he? Imagine getting to see that face regularly. The universe really does play favourites." I turned to look at her. "You know him?" "Of course I know him. He's a friend." A friend. Interesting. Very interesting. I looked back in his direction, only to realise that I was in danger of embarrassing myself. I had barely arrived in town, my marriage had just fallen apart, and I was already sitting in a restaurant trying to memorise a stranger's face. Get a grip, Katie. I looked away before he could catch me staring. Unfortunately, looking away did absolutely nothing to stop me from thinking about him. We finished our meal and headed back, but my mind had apparently decided to stay behind. I kept remembering his face, wondering what his voice sounded like up close, and imagining what it might be like to have his attention fixed entirely on me. "Katie," I muttered to myself. "Get a grip." I was thirty-five years old, newly divorced, and supposed to be focusing on rebuilding my life. Not obsessing over a man I'd known for approximately five minutes without even speaking to him. Besides, what was I thinking? I didn't know anything about him. I didn't know whether he was kind, arrogant, single, or even remotely interested in women like me. And I certainly wasn't looking for another relationship. I was looking for a fresh start. A little peace. A chance to breathe without having to answer to anyone. But then another thought slipped into my head. Who said I needed a relationship? Perhaps I wasn't looking for love at all. Perhaps I just wanted to feel something other than heartbreak. Perhaps I wanted to remember what it was like to be a woman who could look at a handsome man and enjoy the view without feeling guilty for it. That was all. Just looking. Just appreciating. Nothing more. I nodded to myself, satisfied with this very sensible conclusion. Then William's face appeared in my mind again. I groaned. "Oh, I'm in trouble." William's POV I noticed her before I knew her name. She was sitting with Seth, and there was something about her that made it difficult to look away. She was stunning. Tall, elegant, and effortlessly beautiful. The kind of woman who didn't need to demand attention because she already had it. But it wasn't just her appearance that caught my interest. It was her expression. She looked beautiful, yes, but there was sadness in her eyes. Something quiet and heavy, as though she'd been carrying more than she wanted anyone to see. I knew that look. Not because I knew her story, but because I'd seen people become skilled at smiling while hiding the things that hurt them. And I found myself wondering what had happened to her. When her gaze met mine, I felt a strange jolt of awareness. I wasn't used to being distracted by a woman I'd never met, especially not in the middle of an ordinary evening. Yet there I was, noticing every little thing about her and wondering whether she'd look at me that way again. She turned away, but the moment had already lodged itself in my mind. Who was she? What was her story? And why did I suddenly want to know? I'd been around beautiful women for years. Some were charming, some were ambitious, and some made no secret of their interest in me. Being the heir to a wealthy family and working in technology meant I was hardly unfamiliar with attention. But attention wasn't the same as connection. I'd never felt compelled to know someone simply because I'd caught a glimpse of her across a room. Until now. I looked toward Seth, who was still talking, and an idea occurred to me. I knew her. Or, at least, I knew someone who did. Seth was a friend of mine. If I wanted an introduction, there was no reason I couldn't ask. And yet, something told me this wasn't going to be as simple as walking over and introducing myself. The woman had a sadness about her that made me want to approach carefully. I wanted to know her, certainly. I wanted to discover what made her smile, what made her laugh, and whether the beautiful woman who looked so lost in her thoughts had a mischievous side hiding beneath all that composure. But I also wanted to understand why she looked as though life had recently dealt her a terrible hand. I couldn't explain the feeling. I barely knew her. I didn't even know her name. Still, as I watched her leave with Seth, I found myself hoping our paths would cross again. Something told me they would. And for the first time in a long while, I found myself genuinely looking forward to finding out what came next.