In Bed with Beauty
“Why Did You Come Here Tonight, Harris?” Sarah Asked Warily
“For this….” he answered, lowering his head and taking her mouth with his.
Damn.
Sarah knew she’d been dancing around the fire since the moment she met this man. If the flames were only coming from her, she could have resisted. But she’d seen something in Harris that called to her soul. Something that said he’d been wounded as often as she had. Something that said she could heal him.
And yet, even as the kiss deepened, he revealed no emotion at all. That made her want to force a reaction from him. She sensed the passion seething beneath the surface, and she wanted to unleash it.
But now she wondered if she’d be releasing more than she could handle….
Dear Reader,
Welcome to another stellar month of stories from Silhouette Desire. We kick things off with our DYNASTIES: THE BARONES series as Kristi Gold brings us
Expecting the Sheikh’s Baby
in which—yes, you guessed it!—a certain long-lost Barone cousin finds herself expecting a very special delivery.
Also this month: The fabulous Peggy Moreland launches a brand-new series with THE TANNERS OF TEXAS, about
Five Brothers and a Baby,
which will give you the giddy-up you’ve been craving. The wonderful Brenda Jackson is back with another story about her Westmoreland family.
A Little Dare
is full of many big surprises…including a wonderful secret-child story line. And
Sleeping with the Boss
by Maureen Child will have you on the edge of your seat—or boardroom table, whatever the case may be.
KING OF HEARTS, a new miniseries by Katherine Garbera, launches with
In Bed with Beauty
. The series focuses on an angel with some crooked wings who must do a lot of matchmaking in order to secure his entrance through the pearly gates. And Laura Wright is back with
Ruling Passions,
a very sensual royal-themed tale.
So, get ready for some scintillating storytelling as you settle in for six wonderful novels. And next month, watch for Diana Palmer’s
Man in Control
.
More passion to you!
Melissa Jeglinski
Senior Editor, Silhouette Desire
In Bed with Beauty
KATHERINE GARBERA
For those who went before me and left behind the wonderful stories
of another time. My great-uncle Tony Festa,
great-aunt Dorothy Festa, great-uncle Gennaro “Sonny” Tedesco
and my grandmother Rose Tedesco Wilkinson.
Acknowledgments:
Thanks to Mary Louise Wells who knows everything and always has an answer when I call her with one of my questions. Thanks as always to Matt, Courtney and Lucas for all the love and support.
Books by Katherine Garbera
Silhouette Desire
The Bachelor Next Door
#1104
Miranda’s Outlaw
#1169
Her Baby’s Father
#1289
Overnight Cinderella
#1348
Baby at His Door
#1367
Some Kind of Incredible
#1395
The Tycoon’s Temptation
#1414
The Tycoon’s Lady
#1464
Cinderella’s Convenient Husband
#1466
Tycoon for Auction
#1504
Cinderella’s Millionaire
#1520
*
In Bed with Beauty
#1535
KATHERINE GARBERA
spends her days writing and creating stories in which there are always happy endings. She believes in these troubled times that we need more focus on all that is good and right in our world. She is happily married to the man she met in Fantasyland and lives in Florida with him and their two children. You can visit her on the Web at katherinegarbera.com.
AUTHOR’S NOTE
Il Re is a stylized mob
Capo.
Many Italian-Americans aren’t fond of the Mafia depictions used in the media and that isn’t the focus of this character. Il Re is an unfortunate fellow who got lucky. He wasn’t a good guy in his time on earth, but he is finding salvation in his new role of matchmaker.
Because of the nature of series romance, the kind of realistic language used by mobsters isn’t acceptable. I had to find something to substitute for all those creative uses of the F-word. I decided to used some Italian terms.
Italian terms Il Re uses and their meanings:
Madon’: | (sometimes spelled |
babbeo | a dope, idiot, useless underling |
Capo: | the Family member who leads a crew |
compare: | crony, close pal, buddy |
agita: | anxiety, edginess, an upset stomach |
Contents
Prologue
“P
asquale Mandetti, an opportunity stands before you.” The female voice was soft and sultry, taking me by surprise. No one called me by my given name.
“That’s Il Re to you, babe.” I stared up into the blinding light. Holy Cow, could I still be alive? Nah, no one lives through being shot five times in the chest with a Glock.
“In the afterworld there is only one King.”
I shrugged. I wasn’t going to argue with God or God’s emissary. “Then call me Ray.”
“There is a chance for you to redeem yourself, Ray.”
I laughed. This broad was too much! “Me? Yeah, right. A guy like me doesn’t just play nice once he’s dead and still manage to get to heaven.”
“With your dying breath you asked for forgiveness. He likes to do what he can.”
All right.
“Great, so I’m going Up?”
“Not so fast. There are conditions.”
Of course there were.
Madon’
I was acting like a
babbeo.
There was no such thing as a free ride. “I’m listening.”
“We want you to unite in love as many couples as enemies you murdered in hate on earth.”
“Hell—”
“We don’t use that term here.”
“Excuse me,” I said sarcastically. “I was a
capo
for twenty-five years, I ordered a lot of men killed. And that doesn’t count the scuffles I had making it to the top.”
“We know you were a crime boss. We don’t have all day. Will you be accepting this offer?”
“Babe, I thought we had eternity.”
“You don’t have a prayer if you call me babe again.”
I bit back a chuckle. This broad was feisty. “Okay, I’ll do it.”
“There are a few rules.”
I spread my hands. Hey, I could do a few jobs. It wouldn’t be the first time. “I’m not exactly a rule-abiding kinda guy.”
“You’re about to experience a modification,” she said. “First, you will select a couple for the assignment. You will take on human form and a new persona each time. Once the couple is together I will appear to you again.”
“That’s all?”
Piece of cake.
Heaven here I come.
“Not quite. If they don’t fall in love on their own, you have to help them.”
What did I know about love? I knew what it took to destroy a relationship, but I’d never been able to hold onto a woman. Even the ones who weren’t looking for forever had deserted me long before I was ready to let them go.
Merda,
this wasn’t going to be easy. “What, do I look like a marriage counselor?”
“You better hope you do to them.”
An image of Tess, the only woman who’d ever tried to make my life better, who’d loved me through things that would have destroyed a lesser woman, swam in front of my face. It wasn’t a happy image, I’d done what I could to destroy the feelings she’d brought to life in me. Did what I could to survive in a world where a soft man—a man in love couldn’t survive.
But this world was different. I’d do it for Tess. In repayment of the love she’d given me. The love I’d never taken the time to realize I wanted until it had been too late. “So, who’s up first?”
A stack of manila file folders appeared on her desk. “Pick a number.”
“Cute. Just give me one.” I definitely didn’t like this broad.
“Number one. Good place to start,” she said.
She held the file folder toward me. I flipped it open and scanned the file. Sarah Malcolm, a struggling restaurant owner and Harris Davidson, a wealthy CEO.
They had nothing in common. Skimming farther down the didn’t page help. These two weren’t meant for each other.
“You’ve got to be kidding me. No way in he—heck, these two are going to fall in love. Give me another one.”
The pile disappeared. “The system doesn’t work that way. It’s your job to see that they fall in love. And the Boss likes them married,” she said, standing up and walking to the front of the desk.
“If I fail?” She had nice legs. It didn’t change the fact that she pissed me off, but I filed that tidbit away for later consideration.
“You asked Him for forgiveness,” she reminded me.
“Yeah, but I never thought I’d get it.”
“Well, you did. Do you have any other questions?” she asked.
A million questions. This was the strangest thing I’d ever experienced. But I couldn’t screw up. Matchmaker, damn if my
compares
saw me now they’d be laughing their asses off. “Yeah, how do I contact you?”
“I’ll be around.”
She disappeared in a puff of smoke. What a come-down, I thought, as my body began to fade. Once a
capo
in the mob and now freakin’ matchmaker to the lovelorn. Holy Mary, what a mess.
One
S
arah Malcolm was late. This was nothing new. She’d tried all the techniques for timeliness out there. Setting the clock ahead fifteen minutes, mapping out alternate timesaving routes, wearing two watches. Still, she was never on time.
Today she’d enlisted the twins’ help to be out of the house in a timely fashion and they’d made sure she was. Unfortunately she hadn’t planned on her car breaking down. It seemed a little juvenile to kick the tire of her late-model sedan so she waited until the oncoming cars passed her before she did it. Just once she wanted everything to go her way.