Under The Bali Moon

Under The Bali Moon
Grace Octavia

Reunion in paradise Exotic Bali is the perfect place to stage a wedding. If ambitious attorney Zena Shaw has her way, it’ll also be the perfect place to prevent one. Zena loves her younger sister too much to watch her rush into a marriage she’ll later regret. But Zena’s mission hits an obstacle in the form of gorgeous Adan Douglass, the groom-to-be’s brother—and the man who once broke Zena’s heart.Adan was just a college kid when he chose career ambition over love, but years later he regrets it. Now he’s hoping to persuade the beautiful workaholic to join him at their siblings’ union…and think about rekindling their own. From stunning beaches to magnificent temples, he’ll show her everything this lush island has to offer—and hope these magical nights are only the beginning of forever…

Reunion in paradise

Exotic Bali is the perfect place to stage a wedding. If ambitious attorney Zena Shaw has her way, it’ll also be the perfect place to prevent one. Zena loves her younger sister too much to watch her rush into a marriage she’ll later regret. But Zena’s mission hits an obstacle in the form of gorgeous Adan Douglass, the groom-to-be’s brother—and the man who once broke Zena’s heart.

Adan was just a college kid when he chose career ambition over love, but years later he regrets it. Now he’s hoping to persuade the beautiful workaholic to join him at their siblings’ union...and think about rekindling their own. From stunning beaches to magnificent temples, he’ll show her everything this lush island has to offer—and hope these magical nights are only the beginning of forever...

She opened her eyes to see him, to confirm that this was him and look at Adan as he kissed her so passionately.

And he was there. Adan was before her with his eyes closed and joy written all over his face.

Twinkling or sparkling behind his right ear caught Zena’s eye. She refocused and saw something that looked like fireworks, but then she knew it couldn’t be, so she broke the lip-lock from Adan and ordered him to turn around.

“Look! Look!” she screamed, pointing at the shining, clear black night.

As soon as Adan turned, in one second there was a flicker and pop, and two shooting stars raced across the sky.

“Did you see that? Did you see that?” Zena rushed out, still in shock at what she’d just seen.

“Yes! I did! I did! I think it was a shooting star—two shooting stars!” Adan said with his voice half-confused or in awe.

“Oh my God! I can’t believe we just saw that!” Zena was ecstatic then and jumping in the sand. She turned to Adan and said with significant cadence, “We just saw that. We just saw that together. Right as we kissed.”

Dear Reader (#ulink_da2b57e2-b179-59dd-bb41-83ea4386fa45),

If we’re lucky, our first love is a mirror to self. He or she comes into our lives when we are at our most honest, vulnerable and open. If we’re really lucky, like Zena and Adan, that love endures and never leaves us.

Enjoy this intimate narrative of the power of first love and the humble prayer of its return. Escape to the wonder of Bali, Indonesia, with Zena and Adan where they must find their way to a kind of emotional intimacy that promises such an amazing gift of love to us all.

In celebration of love,

Grace O.

Under the Bali Moon

Grace Octavia

www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)

GRACE OCTAVIA is a native of Long Island and a graduate of New York University. She also completed her PhD in English at Georgia State University. A proud sister of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated, she is also a member of the Sigma Tau Delta National English Honor Society. The former editor of Rolling Out Urbanstyle Weekly, she lives in Atlanta, GA. She enjoys international travel, hiking, cooking and being with her girlfriends. She currently teaches writing at Spelman College.

To my first love, who helped me discover my first true self and grow boundlessly from there.

Acknowledgments (#ulink_95b4b7bc-8e59-5499-9ab0-6cfb4ec6b18d)

My dedicated editor, Glenda Howard, whose help and guidance through this process was appreciated and invaluable.

Contents

Cover (#u84da38da-7e03-553a-953b-5fe1ae557b4c)

Back Cover Text (#u5d8cdde7-1947-503c-b283-89c981a59c21)

Introduction (#u07c6ce8e-5215-5a2e-8cf5-4674cd9ef1fa)

Dear Reader (#uc341e5b6-b2dd-5c9c-a2de-d6be88203efb)

Title Page (#u76360e9b-88a8-5b0e-a37b-b4766f436a65)

About the Author (#u48402067-64bc-576d-92d0-2527cb32207a)

Dedication (#u4465099d-e91a-599e-af2a-1a4866858acc)

Acknowledgments (#u175cb8a0-e5d7-51fb-9aa4-1feda42c86fc)

Part I (#u6abc41a9-2ae6-5c93-991c-53ddab7cdd77)

Chapter 1 (#u6dad5a54-6c48-575f-89a0-b0304bc101e8)

Chapter 2 (#ua3ee80de-dbe0-5a2b-9caf-e17b67357f8c)

Chapter 3 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 4 (#litres_trial_promo)

Part II (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 5 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 6 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 7 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 8 (#litres_trial_promo)

Copyright (#litres_trial_promo)

Part I (#ulink_b1f7190b-fd38-5987-98a1-6adeab9bb3cd)

Total Eclipse

Chapter 1 (#ulink_c8b05169-7e1b-5b73-8feb-7fa81ae76a79)

Attorney Zena Nefertiti Shaw looked like a million bucks in the courtroom that afternoon. She was wearing burgundy, thin-heeled suede pumps with matching straps and golden buckles at the ankles that made her feet arch downward with unmistakable femininity. A fitted merlot skirt paired with a dramatic black suit jacket that was gathered in pleats in the small of her back showed off her tiny waist and flat stomach. Her long black hair was pressed and hanging down her back with a subtle curl at the bottom. When Zena moved, her hair floated as if an invisible fan was blowing in her direction for dramatic allure.

In the courtroom in downtown Atlanta, Zena knew she looked good while delivering her closing argument.