A Little Harmless Secret (21 page)

She shook her head.

“Now that I have you with me, I don’t ever want you to go away. It scared the hell out of me just how much you had come to mean to me. And now, there’s Bridget in the mix…I love you both so much. Please, don’t ever do that again.”

“I needed to know she would have someone there for her. She deserved to have someone who loved her more than themselves. I knew you would.”

“And you picked me. You could have picked someone else, like Dee.”

“Well, you’re her father and don’t think I didn’t see how you felt about her. It was so easy to see in your eyes.”

He swallowed and reached into his pocket again. “Then, I am going to hold you to all of this, and use your vulnerability right now to my advantage.”

He held out a small black box, which he opened. Snuggled securely in the red satin sat a ring. It was set on top of a white gold band.

“It was my grandmother’s ring. I’ve had it for a few years now, and somewhere in the back of my mind, I knew it was yours.”

She said nothing. She couldn’t. A lump now clogged her throat, and it seemed all the air had backed up in her lungs.

“Ali?” She looked up at him. “Marry me. Let’s be a family.”

She swallowed as happiness bloomed inside her heart. “Oh, Devon, yes, I’ll marry you.”

Relief softened his eyes. He pulled out the ring and carefully slipped it on her finger.

“But there is one rule.”

“What’s that?” he asked.

“Bridget said we need to go back to Seattle. Oh, and you can stay in the guest room.”

He laughed. “I’ll have a chat with her about that guest room.”

She was laughing when he bent his head to kiss

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

Alicia looked out over the wedding guests milling around the ballroom at the casino hotel. Satisfaction and happiness danced through her. Alana and Bridget were running around, stealing bits of cake and giggling while they did it. Her new sister-in-law laughed at their antics. Dee was standing next to her friend May. The gorgeous Hawaiian held her newborn son.

The entire management of Rough ‘n Ready came over for the wedding. She knew it was expensive for them to do, but Micah and Evan had closed down the club, citing a family gathering. And, looking at the way everyone was interacting, Alicia realized it was true. While not all blood related, this was a family.

Six months ago, Alicia would have never thought this would be her. Not only had she gained a husband, but also a wealth of friends that included two BDSM club owners, a former FBI agent and somewhere along the way, an Australian cowboy. One top of it, she reconnected with Sean. She looked down at her ring. She had her life back. No, she had a better life and all because of one man. As if he read her mind, Strong arms slipped around her waist.

“Well, Mrs. Stryker, we do know how to throw a wedding,” Devon said as he nibbled on her earlobe.

She patted his hand and turned to face him. “We do. A bloody amazing wedding. You don’t think it’s tacky we had it in Las Vegas, do you?”

He shook his head as a sexy smile curved his lips. “No. It’s where I fell in love with you.”

Her heart squeezed tight, but she rolled her eyes. She still wasn’t accustomed to the way Devon expressed himself. It had to be the Italian in him. The man never seemed to have an issue with telling her how he felt. She lived for each and every comment, but Alicia still had to come to terms with it.

“No, it’s true. Couldn’t get you out of my mind,” he said as he slid his hands up to cup her face. “You captured me that night, love. My heart and my soul.”

Alicia lifted her hands and slid her fingers around his wrists. “You don’t have to keep saying things like that.”

“But I want to.”

She smiled and leaned up to give him a kiss. Just a simple brush of her mouth had her body humming. When she pulled back, Devon kept his eyes closed for a few seconds before slowly opening them.

“You kiss me like that and I have to behave? Doesn’t seem fair.”

She opened her mouth to retort his question, but she spotted Sean heading to the door.

“I need to catch him.”

Devon nodded and kissed her nose. She hurried through the crowd and caught Sean right before he reached the door.

“Leaving without dancing with the bride, Sean?”

He turned and smiled. “I walked you down the aisle. I don’t need a dance.”

She took his hand and walked with him out into the corridor. “That’s rude.”

He chuckled then faced her. She still didn’t like what she saw there. He’d disappeared after her adventure, returning with a few more scrapes and bruises than before he left. Sean would never talk about it, she knew, but something went horribly wrong on the last mission.

“I never said I was nice.”

“But you are, and I know it.”

He studied her for a long moment. “I’m glad you’re happy.”

The simple statement meant more to her than any well wishes from anyone else. “You think Father would approve?”

“Yes. But not because of any reason other than you love Stryker and he is stupid in love with you. It was what your father would have wanted for you.”

She shook her head as her eyes filled.

“Good God, don’t start doing
that
again,” Sean said, his voice filled with enough panic she started to laugh. He’d threatened to leave when she cried before the wedding. She couldn’t help it. She saw Bridget in her little flower girl dress and lost it.

“Sorry. It’s just so sweet. Big bad spy Sean Kaheaku is afraid of women’s tears.”

He jerked a shoulder and looked around as if to make sure no one heard her calling him sweet.

“Don’t worry. Your secret is safe with me, Sean.”

He continued to look around and she knew that he was running out on her reception to go to a job. He’d postponed it for her, but Sean needed the work. Not for the money, but Sean needed to keep busy. She knew he did it to keep from dealing with real life.

Alicia couldn’t judge him on that one.

“Where are you running to this time?”

“I have a job.”

“With Lassiter.”

She didn’t need to ask. She knew from the expression on his face. And she knew he wouldn’t tell her where he was going.

“I have a plane waiting for me.”

Anxiety pushed away some of her happiness. She had a really bad feeling about this. “Please, be careful. I don’t trust him or your companions on this matter.”

“I’m going solo.”

That alarmed her even more. Going on an assignment into hostile area was considered suicidal.

“Don’t look like that. I can handle it.”

“Going in by yourself is not a good idea. You know exactly what they’ll say about you.”

He shoved a hand through his hair. “I don’t really give a fuck what they think.”

“Then why are you doing it?”

“You did it when you went after Stryker.”
      

“I was desperate. And it was the wrong place to go after him. My father would have had my head on a platter if he had known I was doing that. And he would say the same thing about this.”

“So you know better than I do?”

She shook her head. “Answer me this. Would you have tried to talk me out of going to Vegas?”

“Would it have worked?”

Of course it wouldn’t have. “That was different.”

“How?”

“My father was involved. What has you running away to God knows where?”

He looked away for a moment, then back at her. “I just have to do it. I have to do something.”

She wanted to say more—so much more. But she knew better. She would never convince him to stay.

“Promise me you will be safe?”

“Always.” He leaned close to her and gave her a kiss on the cheek. “Be happy, Alicia. You both deserve it.”

Then, he turned and walked away from her. Helplessly, Alicia watched him walk down the hallway. She felt Devon’s approach before he touched her. She leaned her head on his shoulder as he slipped an arm around her waist.

“You’re worried about him.”

“I know where he is, mentally.”

He kissed her temple. “You were never there, were you?”

“Close, for different reasons.”

“When?”

“Twice. When I came looking for you, then after my father was killed and I had to go on the run. I’m not sure what I would have done if I hadn’t been pregnant for Bridget. Knowing I was the only person in the world for her, I had to be careful. Sean doesn’t have that.”

He turned her around to face him. “Well, now you have two of us to take care of.”

She smiled and slipped her arms up over his shoulders. “Is that a fact?”

“Uh-uh.”

He bent his head and kissed her. This time it wasn’t as sweet as before. His tongue slipped between her lips and into her mouth. Her blood heated, her head started to spin.

She pushed him back. “Stop that. We have a room full of guests.”

“Screw them.”

She giggled.

“God, I love that sound,” he said and gave her another hard, quick kiss. “I talked to Dee. They will handle Bridget and we spent over an hour in there. We have permission to disappear.”

“Is that true?”

“Yes,” he said, grabbing her hand and tugging her toward the elevator. As soon as the doors opened, he pulled her into the car and used his card to gain access to the penthouse.

“And, I am very happy you decided to not to wear a bunch of skirts beneath this dress.”

“Is that a fact?” she asked. Before she finished asking, though, he had squatted in front of her. Without saying a word, he shoved her dress up. He leaned in and the moment before he touched her, she felt his breath. She knew she should stop him. They were in public and there were probably cameras, but the moment she felt his mouth on her bare flesh, she stopped thinking.

He slipped his tongue inside of her, lapping at her, teasing her clit to the point that she was ready to come. But, the door dinged and opened to the penthouse.

Devon pulled back and dragged her into the suite.

“I should take my time with you,” he said, as he unzipped his pants.

“You can do that. Later,” she said, kissing his throat as he lifted her up and stumbled over to the wall. He positioned her there and thrust into her. She almost came right there and then. She was dripping wet, her need building to new heights each time he plunged into her pussy.

He kissed her throat, her mouth. She sucked on his tongue and moaned as her orgasm washed over her. He shouted her name as he drove himself into her once more before giving over to the pleasure.

Moments later, he stumbled backwards, falling onto the couch in the living area. He grunted as he took the brunt of her weight.

“Sorry, that wasn’t that romantic of a beginning to a wedding night,” he mumbled.

She lifted her head. “I can’t think of a more brilliant way to start a wedding night.”

He opened his eyes. “Is that a fact?”

She nodded. “My husband stole me away from the reception because he couldn’t keep his hands off of me. I find that to be the most romantic way to start a wedding night.”

He brushed her hair away from her face. “I can promise you that I will never be able to keep my hands off you, love.”

She smiled then settled against him, her head on his shoulder and her hand over his heart. Definitely the best way to start a wedding night…and the rest of their lives.

If you enjoyed
A Little Harmless Secret
, please leave a review at your favorite review site!

Coming in 2015,
A Little Harmless Rescue
!

Captured on a mission gone bad, Sean Kaheaku is at the mercy of his captors until two of his former lovers come together to rescue him. But getting him out safely doesn’t mean that Sean will recover…or that any of them will be safe again.

Coming this November, the sixth book in the
USA TODAY
Bestselling series!

A SANTINI IN LOVE

She was the last woman standing.
Madison Baker was born and bred to be a Marine. When a roadside bomb ends her first deployment—not to mention her career—she is left to pick up the pieces of what is left of her life. She’s returned to Oceanside to regroup and move on. It doesn’t mean she’s ready for a relationship, even if a particular Santini has different plans.
Love happens when you least expect it.
When he first met Madison back at the Academy, Dante Santini is sure the woman was put on the earth to irritate him. She’s prickly and mouthy. She always thinks she’s right. Worse—she almost always is. She hasn’t really changed over the years. One disagreement ends up with them lip locked and very nearly falling into bed, Dante discovers he might need to rethink his first impression.

When Madison is convinced she witnesses a murder, the only person who believes her is Dante. Together, they sift through the meager evidence, trying to unearth the secrets someone is trying to hide. Neither one of them expecting it would draw them closer—or that a killer is hell bent on making sure those secrets stay buried.

Now, enjoy this unedited excerpt!

Madison Baker didn’t know what day it was or where she was, but she knew one thing.

She fucking hurt.

Pain radiated through her entire body. It was if someone had beaten every centimeter of her flesh. She tried to open her eyes—nothing. Hell, she wasn’t sure she was even breathing.

Am I dead
?

That thought had her struggling, pushing her hand through something heavy. Dirt? She was buried? Panic surged as she tried to gulp in air and found nothing. Weight settled on her chest. It was getting so dark, so cold…she felt a bit of her drift away.

Gonna give up, Madison?

Her father’s voice echoed mind. How many times did she hear him say that in her lifetime? Thousands.

If you weren’t being a coward right now, I wouldn’t have to scream at you.

Coward?

No. Fucking. Way.

She used what was left of her energy to move her hand. It might have been only inches, but it felt like miles. A renewed sense of survival had her pushing harder, up through the debris. Up, up, then she felt it. Cool air washed over her fingers.