Belle Pearl Read online

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Praise For Pearl

  About This Novel

  Praise For The Pearl Trilogy

  Copyright Page

  About the Author

  Acknowledgements

  Dedication

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Pearl’s Epilogue

  Alexandre’s Epilogue

  Connect with the Author

  Belle Pearl Playlist

  Belle Pearl

  by

  Arianne Richmonde

  Praise For Pearl

  “Five stars because Alexandre is worth every one of them.”

  —Cindy at The Book Enthusiast

  “I LOVE LOVE LOVE Alexandre! I have been looking forward to reading this book and I can say without a doubt…it was worth the wait!”

  —The Literary Nook

  “I went completely crazy over Alexandre in The Pearl Trilogy and I fell even more crazy in love with him in Pearl.”

  —Books, Babes and Cheap Cabernet

  “Don’t miss out on this amazingly hot and smoldering read…you will love it!”

  —Two Crazy Girls With A Passion For Books

  “I devoured this book and loved every second of it.”

  —The Book Blog

  “CALL THE FIRE BRIGADE my house is burning down from Alexandre’s sexpertise!!”

  —Island Lovelies Book Club

  “This is a MUST READ!!!!”

  —Sugar and Spice Book Review

  “Alexandre is one of my original Book Boyfriends right up there with Fifty… this new look at him only solidified that crush.”

  —Mommy’s A Book Whore

  About this novel.

  Belle Pearl, is the fifth book and the conclusion to Arianne Richmonde’s bestselling books in The Pearl Series; Shades of Pearl, Shadows of Pearl, Shimmers of Pearl and Pearl; the tumultuous and heart-rending love story between forty-year-old documentary producer, Pearl Robinson, and French Internet billionaire, Alexandre Chevalier, fifteen years her junior.

  This book continues from where we left off in Pearl, from Alexandre’s point of view, and continues the story beyond Shimmers of Pearl, so has a completely different ending than the trilogy.

  As with Pearl, there are many scenes in this novel that do not feature in The Pearl Trilogy.

  At only twenty-five, Alexandre Chevalier is a billionaire. His social media site, HookedUp, is more popular than Twitter, more global than Facebook. With his devastating looks, alluring charm, and his immense wealth, he has women falling at his feet, desperate for his attention—ex girlfriends and an ex-fiancée who simply cannot let him go. Although his heart is set on only Pearl, she tests him to his limits and proves that she is even more damaged than he first believed.

  Alexandre’s dark and dysfunctional past makes him crave a normal relationship with Pearl but he soon finds out that she is not your average woman. However, he believes that they are both two peas in the same dysfunctional pod, made to ‘dis-function’ together, and is determined to make their union work. But Pearl puts Alexandre in a position where he is made to choose. His loyalties are split, his patience torn.

  After many trials, misunderstandings, and revelations of dark secrets, finally their wedding ensues and it looks as if their happily ever after is sealed.

  Until something unforeseen rips their world apart.

  This is novel #5 in The Pearl Series and is by no means stand-alone.

  Reading order:

  Shades of Pearl

  Shadows of Pearl

  Shimmers of Pearl

  Pearl

  Belle Pearl

  Praise for The Pearl Trilogy:

  ‘A heart wrenching love story you won’t forget.’

  —E McDonough

  ‘There is one regret I have about reading this series—that I waited so long to read it.’

  —Nelle L’Amour, bestselling author of Undying Love

  ‘If you like 50 shades of Grey and the Bared to You series, you are ABSOLUTELY going to LOVE The Pearl Trilogy.’

  —Books, Babes and Cheap Cabernet

  ‘I loved the older woman/younger man dynamic of this book. The love scenes are passionate and raw. The Pearl Trilogy is the complete love story from beginning to sweet end and I enjoyed every single word…’

  —Martini Times

  ‘The best erotic romance series I have read to date.’

  –Megan Cain Loera

  ‘What an amazing series this is. The Pearl Trilogy will knock your socks off. Getting to know Pearl and Alexandre is definitely a must. Arianne Richmonde is a very talented story teller.’

  —Mary Elizabeth’s Crazy Book Obsession

  ‘The Pearl Trilogy is a must read!! OMG! I loved the Fifty Shades and Bared to You series…but this one is a topper!! I laughed and cried – it’s so well written. So many twists and turns and just when you think you know where this story is going….you don’t! Now, if only I could meet a hot Frenchman like Alexandre Chevalier…’

  —A.J Cox.

  ‘If you haven’t read this series yet, put it on your Must Read list!!’

  –Sassy and Sultry Books

  ‘I was completely entrenched in this story. The descriptions. The emotions. Between the mystery, the lies, and the hot sex… my head was literally spinning and going to explode.’

  —Love N. Books

  ‘A FREAKING awesome story filled with so much drama…oh, how I loved the drama. It was a big page turner for me and when things got crazy oh how I got sucked in!’

  —Momma’s Books Blog

  ‘We LOVED the journey these books took us on. The storyline is great and the sex scenes do NOT disappoint. Ms. Richmonde also gives us lush scenery and exotic locales, and there are a LOT of plot twists. Trust us, you will NOT anticipate the twists and turns of this story.’

  —The Book Bellas

  ‘I love how this author writes, she made me believe I was watching the whole thing like a film in my head, watching them play out and imagining the characters.’

  —Confessions of a Bookaholic

  ‘I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough. This book was HOT and sexy. Ms. Richmonde gave the reader a little of everything.’

  —Wine Relaxation And My Kindle

  ‘The whole Pearl Trilogy has simply captivated me.’

  —Swept Away by Romance

  ‘At times the trilogy had me laughing so much. I absolutely LOVED how the author’s dialogue pegged how the characters spoke. The Pearl Trilogy is so worth the read…don’t miss out!’

  —Sugar and Spice Book Reviews

  ‘The twists and turns left me in pieces. Other times, it was so sweet or incredibly sexy that I didn’t think I’d be able to get enough. I found it very hard to put it down. The Pearl Trilogy is a definite page-turner.’

  —The Book Blog

  ‘I was hooked on this book from the very first page. I had many mouth hanging on the floor moments because I was just so surprised as to what I was reading. I swear you won’t see it coming.’

  –The Book Enthusiast

  All rights reserved. This e-book is copyright material and must not be copied, reproduced, transfe
rred, distributed, leased, licensed or publicly performed or used in any form without prior written permission of the publisher, as allowed under the terms and conditions under which it was purchased or as strictly permitted by applicable copyright law. Any unauthorized distribution, circulation or use of this text may be a direct infringement of the author’s and publisher’s rights, and those responsible maybe liable in law accordingly.

  Arianne Richmonde 2013

  Kindle Edition

  Copyright © Arianne Richmonde, 2013. The right of Arianne Richmonde to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by her under the Copyright Amendment (Moral Rights) 2000

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

  Cover design © by: Arianne Richmonde

  About the Author

  Arianne Richmonde is an American writer and artist who was raised in both the US and Europe. She lives in France with her husband and coterie of animals.

  As well as The Pearl Series she has written an erotic short story, Glass. She is currently working on her next novel, a suspense story.

  If you have not already read The Pearl Trilogy which precedes Pearl and Belle Pearl, click on the links below:

  The Pearl Trilogy bundle (the first three books in one e-box set).

  Shades of Pearl

  Shadows of Pearl

  Shimmers of Pearl

  Pearl

  To be advised of upcoming releases, sign up:

  http://ariannerichmonde.com/email-signup

  For more information on the author visit her website:

  www.ariannerichmonde.com

  Acknowledgements

  To every one of my amazing readers who demanded more of Pearl and Alexandre. Thanks for all your love and feedback. The Pearl Series would not have been possible without you. Thank you to all the bloggers and readers who recommended my books to their friends and followers. Your tireless support and enthusiasm have me in awe. Thank you so much.

  Dedication

  To Nelle, Angie and Sam; you are always there when I need you.

  Thank you, Nelle, for all your brilliant observations.

  Cheryl and Paula, for being my eyes.

  To Lilah and The Pearlettes—thank you for being such a great team.

  1

  It’s true what they say about muscle memory; that your body instinctively does whatever it has been trained to do, seemingly without your brain being involved.

  Because right now, my brain was in a fuzzy haze. My limbs felt like the puppet, Punch, being left in a tangle of strings and broken joints, abandoned by his puppet master—gone for a coffee break. My arms were still above my head, tied tightly together. I lay there, all askew, my body in fragmented pieces, but my cock like a thick, solid, wooden rod. Laura’s breath was heavy in my ear, her skin oiled and sweet as she sniffed me, her hand clamped about my dick, aiming it inside her.

  “Oh yeah, Alex, I’ve been fantasizing about this for years. In my bloody wheelchair, in my bed, dreaming of you instead of James. Oh darling, I’ve been waiting for this moment.”

  My leg kicked up and over her as if it belonged to someone else, not me. I watched it with fascination, curl its way in front of Laura’s chest, not kicking her, but the force of it pushing her off balance, knocking her hand out of its vice-like grip, freeing me from her tight hold and pushing her sideways off the sofa. She tumbled onto the floor.

  “Fuck you, Alex! What the fuck? That bloody hurt!”

  I tipped my head forward and brought my arms in front of me but my neck instantly fell back into the soft, feathery nest of silk cushions. I’d never felt more uncomfortable about being comfortable in my life.

  Laura lurched her skinny body back on top of me. “Not so fast, Alex, I want to get my money’s worth out of this Viagra!”

  So that explained my erection! Again, I tried to shout and scream but only groans emanated from my cotton-wool mouth.

  “I know, baby. I know. You think you have to be all Mr. Faithful to that silly American tart, but we know very well that your lusty relationship won’t last, so why not nip it in the bud now, eh? You’ll thank me later for this, I swear.”

  “Laoor….ra.”

  “I know, darling, I know.” She gripped her knees about my hips, spat on her fingers and smeared them inside herself for lubrication. So much for her being turned on. This wasn’t about love or lust; Laura had other plans, obviously. She spat on her fingers once more, and spread another glob of spittle where she felt she needed it most, thrusting her skinny frame over me, covering me like a blanket. My arms pushed forward, pressing on her collarbone. I didn’t want to hurt her, I just wanted her off me. I saw that it was electric cable tying my wrists together. In an infallible sailor’s knot.

  She tumbled backwards and cried out. “Alex! Ouch!”

  “Fuck ow, Laoara,” my tongue managed. Fuck off, off of me! I pinned her down with my torso so she was locked beneath me.

  She grinned as if she had won a prize. “Ooh, sexy, I like a bit of rough. Come on then, Mr. Stud, give it to me, ram it in me, baby!”

  My breath was uneven. My heart pounding out of sequence. Jesus! What the hell had she put in that Bloody Mary, apart from Viagra? Qualudes? Some sort of date-rape drug? Enough to bring a horse to its knees, anyway.

  We lay there panting, her arms draped about my neck, holding me close to her, her legs hooked about my calf muscles and she thrashed her groin up at me, her hands grappling, trying to find their way back to my dick. But I pressed myself even closer so there was no space between us. I almost wanted to laugh the situation was so absurd. There was something comical about Laura, and in that moment, I remembered the fights we used to have which would always end up with make-up sex and then us laughing about it afterwards. She would goad and provoke me, knowing that the only way we’d even end up speaking to each other again was after we’d fucked.

  “Oh Alex, oh Alex, how I’ve missed this,” she breathed into my ear. “You and I are destined to be together. Destined. I love you, darling.”

  No you don’t, you nutter! “Laaoura.”

  If I moved from my position, she could get leverage again and I couldn’t risk it. I wanted to call for help but then realized how mad it would seem. A big grown man like me being ‘raped’ by a beautiful ex-model? Yeah, people would really believe that one. My hands fumbled in front of me, trying to cup my dick to protect its ‘virtue.’ No, ‘cup’ is the wrong word, as it could not be cupped—it was like a fucking missile.

  My tongue tried to wrap its way around a simple sentence: “Laaoora, pleathe.”

  She started inhaling me again, writhing beneath me, edging her way higher so my missile was in the perfect spot to be fired into her. “Oh yeah, Alex. Oh yeah, just a couple of centimeters lower…come on baby, give it to me.”

  And my dick was tempted. How do you undo centuries of male instinct? I wasn’t made of stone. Except…I was—my cock, anyway. The drugs were now making me horny too. I half wanted just to fuck her and get it over with, but even in my woozy state, I knew that it was just the beginning of something more ominous. If she got away with this, who knew what was next on the cards? Besides, I was engaged to another woman. Being a cheater wasn’t my style, even if I was being coerced into it.

  No. Laura isn’t fucking getting her insane way with me!

  Except she was. Almost. I could feel her pussy poised at the crown of my cock, now soaked with her spit.

  Using the arm of the sofa to maneuver myself, I pushed myself down the sofa so my head was now on her chest. My cock was free. For the moment, anyway.

  “Oh yeah, baby, suck my tits, that’s good.”

  I thrashed my head from side to side, fumbling with my butter-fingers to untie the electric cable which was digging into my wrists. But it was useless. So I dipped my head over
the edge of the sofa and performed a very ungracious somersault, crashing into the coffee table—glasses and Bloody Marys tumbling to the floor—but I managed to roll myself forward with enough force that I landed on my feet in a crouch. Laura’s arms slapped into my thighs as she tried to bring me down again, her hooky nails clawing at my jeans, which were half way down my thighs. But I leapt to my feet. At last, I was upright.

  Stars flooded my brain as dizziness threatened to topple me over again. My head rushed with a mélange of bright colors, swirling about in dashes and flashes. I could hear Laura cackling hysterically.

  You think this is funny, eh? I tried to say without words forming, just moans. But to my horror, I too, was laughing—my belly contracting in painful howls. The drugs were coursing through me. I was now doubled-up. In that second, it was as if every hilarious movie, book, play and memory was crashing into me, making me roar with uncontrollable mirth.

  “You see how we’re made for each other, darling? That American just doesn’t have your sense of humor! No American does. They’re so bloody earnest, so goody-goody. You and I are a real team, Alex. We’re naughty, irreverent, wild! We break the law, we will stop at nothing.”

  I howled with hilarity at every word spoken. It was true: Pearl is a good person. Too good for me. Too wholesome. Too honest. I’m bad. Rotten inside. Killed people. Done illegal deals with Sophie, smuggling gems and all sorts of other moneymaking schemes to get rich and powerful. Pearl deserves better. I deserve Laura. Laura knows how fucked-up I am and she still doesn’t care. I tried to button up the fly of my jeans, my wrists tied, my fingers hopelessly numb. I screamed with laughter at my ineptitude.

  “Let’s have another drink,” suggested Laura.

  I burst out laughing again. The idea that she was about to mix another Bloody Mary, lacing it with another round of drugs, was the funniest thing I’d ever heard in my life. I held out my wrists. “Undooo,” I howled.

  “You want me to undo that sailor’s knot, darling?”

  I nodded.

  “Where would the fun be in that? You know very well that if I undooooo you, I will be undone. I think we should get back on the sofa, don’t you? One more try and if it doesn’t work, I’ll mix another cocktail.”