Hot Silver Nights: Silver Fox Romance Collection

by Ainsley Booth

  And so must she, because the prospect of leaving her settled life swept through her like a tidal wave.

  She threw out an anchor. “My husband is barely dead a year. It would be unseemly.”

  “Who cares?” He pressed his lips together in an attitude of determination. Clearly she was giving him hope. “Do it anyway.”

  “I can’t just…travel around with you everywhere.”

  “Why not? We can go back to Altaleone, or wherever else you like, as often as we want. I play a few nights, then often have weeks off to do whatever I please.”

  “Which is apparently interfering with human trafficking rings.”

  He chuckled. “Yes, but since I’ll have to lay low on that for a while I’ll have some free time.”

  He squeezed her hands. The whole idea was so outlandish. But was following him around the world really all that different to becoming a satellite in one of Europe’s royal families? She’d walked into her husband’s routines, learned his culture and adapted herself to his lifestyle. And been happy. “I do like to travel. And I’ve never been to Japan.”

  Amadou’s eyes widened slightly. Had he not expected her to be receptive? Maybe he’d backpedal now. “You’d like Kyoto. The ancient gardens show that you can create paradise in miniature here on earth and maintain it carefully for centuries.”

  “I like the idea of paradise on earth.”

  “Better than waiting for it in the hereafter.” He unfolded her hands, which were almost clenched, then kissed her ring finger. “Will you marry me, Lina? I love you as much as ever, and I want you to be mine and only mine.”

  A teeny sob escaped her as emotion racked her body. “I love you too, Amadou. I know it sounds terrible, but I’m not sure I ever really stopped loving you. I think I just put it on hold somewhere.” That was why her feelings for him had scared her so much that she didn’t want to see him again.

  “It doesn’t sound terrible. Marrying your husband was part of your journey. Your children are a glorious part of that. And I’m sure they won’t resent you choosing to be happy now.”

  A tear trickled over her cheek, and she lifted a hand to brush it away. “Liesel will resent it.”

  He laughed. “Sounds like another good reason to go for it.”

  She laughed too, so much tension in her wanting release. “For goodness sake, kiss me.”

  He obliged, lowering his lips over hers with such tenderness that she thought her heart might explode. He took her in his arms and held her—gently but firmly—and kissed her until she couldn’t breathe or think anymore.

  When their lips finally parted she’d made up her mind. “I will marry you.”

  “Yes!” His whoop of victory hurt her ears. “I promise I’ll make you happy. I’d take you ring shopping right now, but I think we should wait until we get to Greece.”

  “Do they have jewelry shops in the Greek Islands?”

  “We’ll find one somewhere. I think we should get matching rings.”

  A frightening thought occurred to her. “What about the wedding? Who would we invite? Where would we have it? It seems impossible.”

  He frowned. “I don’t even want one. I just want to be married to you. ”

  Adrenaline surged through her. “Then let’s go find an officiant. We won’t even tell anyone until it’s done.”

  “Let me call a friend who knows how these things work.”

  Less than six hours later they were in the beautiful garden at his mother’s house under heavy private security, with his friends Mustafa and Jean-Paul as witnesses, pledging a lifetime of love before the Altaleone ambassador.

  Lina wore a silver-white evening dress with silver sandals that she’d bought by herself at Printemps. She hadn’t even dared tell Callista about her plans for fear her daughter should throw up some roadblock like insisting on including all her siblings.

  Self-assured and confident, Lina needed no one to give her away, and breaking tradition once again, she and Amadou held hands as they recited their heartfelt vows.

  Her heart swelled almost to bursting as she said them. “I, Carolina Leone take you, Amadou Khadem, as my husband and promise to love you without reservation, comfort you in times of distress, laugh with you and cry with you, grow with you in mind, and spirit, always be open and honest with you, and cherish you for as long as we both shall live.”

  Amadou blinked, eyes shining and face taut with emotion. “In this beautiful garden I dedicate myself to you. Although our lives may change like the seasons, I will love you. As our love grows like a seed to a beautiful flower, I will love you. When the winds of doubt blow through, I will love you. We will stand together, strong, nurtured by each other’s love until the end.”

  Their kiss tasted sweeter than ever as it sealed the seed of love that they’d each carried inside them for so long. Lina blinked back tears. “I won’t ever leave you again.”

  “You’re damn right you won’t.” He grinned and squeezed her tight. “I won’t let you out of my sight from now on.”

  Epilogue

  One month later…

  “What do you think of Altaleone so far?” Lina lay with her head on Amadou’s chest, the sheets draped loosely over both of them.

  “My favorite thing about it is that you’re in bed with me here.”

  She chuckled. He’d strangely dreaded coming here and still seemed somewhat wary walking around the village, despite strangers greeting him with enthusiasm. “It’s odd that you’d never been here before, even for one of our spectacular outdoor festivals. Most of the world’s music stars have played here at least once.”

  “I hadn’t been here because I was deliberately avoiding the place.” She could feel his heart beat, strong and steady, beneath her cheek. “I didn’t like that you were here, sharing your life with someone else.”

  Even now they chose not to stay in the palace. Amadou didn’t want to sleep with her in the home she’d shared with her husband. Instead they shared a suite in the old stone castle that Darias and Emma had renovated.

  She stroked his stubbled cheek. “It would have been strange to run into you back then. Just imagine.”

  “You’d have pretended not to know me.” His voice was a low growl.

  She bit her lip. Would she? Possibly. How mortifying to think about.

  “So it’s lucky I just kept my distance and patiently waited for you to be free again.”

  “The way you’re talking I almost suspect you of killing him.” They both laughed. “And we both know you weren’t actually waiting.” He’d had well-publicized affairs with plenty of women in the meantime.

  “Just biding my time.” He kissed the top of her head. “Trying to keep busy.”

  “While secretly rescuing people from exploitation.”

  “I was in a unique position to do so because I traveled so much.” He’d slowed down a lot, ostensibly because his cover was blown, but also because she didn’t like him putting himself in danger. Which was selfish, really.

  “With all the evidence that has emerged, prosecutors are confident that the crooked police chief will get at least fifteen years in prison, and four of his cronies are coming up for trial, including the mob boss who supposedly ordered a hit on you.”

  “I can close both eyes while I sleep now.”

  “You didn’t lose a wink of sleep over this.” She pushed his chest playfully.

  “I’m not the nervous type.”

  “I can tell.” She put a hand on either side of his chest. “I find that very relaxing. Can we go to Australia a couple of days early? I’ve always wanted to try diving on the Great Barrier Reef.”

  “Don’t you want to be here to watch your roses bloom?”

  She smiled. “It’s sweet of you to remember my roses, but I’ve seen them bloom twenty times or more. I’m ready for new adventures.”

  He leaned forward, and she lifted her head to kiss him gently on the lips.

  “Me, too. And you know where my favorite place to dive is?�
�

  “No, where?” She eased herself up on the bed until she was level with him, one arm draped over his hard stomach.

  “Tahiti.”

  “I’ve never been there, either.”

  “Hey, why don’t we rent a villa there and invite all your kids to join us?”

  “That’s a great idea. And we could invite your mom.”

  “She’d never try to dive, but she does enjoy sitting under a palm tree. She hates to fly though. I have to fly with her.”

  “We can pass through Paris on the way and pick her up. Maybe she and I can do a little shopping first.” Paris was now their second home. It was strange how easily she’d transitioned into her new life. And hard to imagine how she’d been happy with such a quiet and circumscribed existence before.

  “Sounds like a plan. But first I have other plans.” He dragged an elegant yet powerful finger down over her torso, circled her belly button, then trailed it lower.

  “Oh, really?” She lifted a brow as her insides quivered. The sheets shifted where his arousal moved them. “Are you sure we can fit your plans in before dinner with Darias and Emma? The Swiss ambassador and his wife are coming tonight.”

  “I can manage,” he rasped, already closing his mouth over hers. Then he took charge of her body the way he’d taken charge of her life—filling them both with pleasure and joy beyond her wildest imaginings.

  THE END

  This book is part of the Royal House of Leone series:

  Book order:

  1 The King’s Bought Bride (Darias and Emma)

  2 A Prince for Christmas (Free short story)

  3 The Prince’s Secret Baby (Sandro and Serena)

  4 The Princess and the Player (Carolina and Amadou)

  5 The Princess’s Scandalous Affair (Beatriz and Lorenzo)

  6 Taming the Royal Beast (Rigo)

  Learn more and sign up for the new release newsletter at www.jenlewis.com

  Lucky Me - Natasha Moore

  Foreword

  Diane’s heart broke when Ford married her best friend. Years later they’re both single again and the bold firefighter seems determined to seize a second chance with her. Will Diane dare to risk her heart and recapture the love they lost?

  This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales or organizations is entirely coincidental.

  Lucky Me

  Copyright @2017 by Natasha Moore

  All Rights Are Reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews.

  Sign up for Natasha’s mailing list for the latest information releases.

  Chapter 1

  Just get it over with.

  Diane Varney pulled her old Buick into the long driveway leading to the two-story gray house on the outskirts of Best Bay. It had been called the Harper Homestead for as long as she could remember. The driveway was plowed, the walk shoveled. It looked like Jason was doing a good job helping his father while he was down. Ford had to be going crazy not to be able to do it himself.

  The sunlight glittered off the smooth expanse of snow behind the house, and the sky was that brilliant blue that seemed to appear only on crisp winter days like this. The texture of the clouds overhead made her fingers itch with the desire to capture the scene.

  There’d been a time when she carried a sketch pad with her all the time, when every moment was an inspiration. It had been so long since she’d indulged her creativity she worried it was too late to recapture. But her appointment this afternoon wasn’t what was causing the nerves zinging through her body at the moment.

  Stop dragging your feet.

  Diane picked the take-out box off the seat beside her and got out of the car. After the damned fool had his accident, she’d heard that nearly every single woman of a certain age in the area had high-tailed it over here, offering home-cooked meals, baked goods, and who knows what else to the injured widower.

  Diane had made sure she wasn’t part of that crowd.

  But here she was, stopping by with food after all. Diane pushed the doorbell and heard it echo through the house. Ford had to have expected Jason to come back with his lunch, but he didn’t answer the door. Of course, his son probably would have walked right in.

  Couldn’t Ford get around well enough to come to the door? Had all those other women simply walked into the house with their cakes and chicken casseroles? Diane rang the doorbell again. When there was still no answer, she began to worry. What if he’d fallen again? What if he was lying unconscious or bleeding?

  She tested the doorknob and it turned in her hand. Her heart began to race as she pushed it open slightly. “Ford?” she called out hesitantly.

  “Well, get in here.” His deep, gravelly voice rumbled through her system.

  The front door opened into a large foyer. The last time she’d been in this house was after the funeral of her old friend, Irene, who died suddenly of a brain aneurysm. How many years ago was that now? Diane kicked off her boots, hung her coat on a hook by the door and then headed into the hall that ran down the middle of the house. Pictures of members of the Harper family going back several generations covered the walls of the narrow space. “Ford?”

  “In here.”

  Following the sound of his voice, she turned right into the living room. He sat in an old recliner, wearing a gray T-shirt and black gym shorts. His legs were raised, one encased in a cast from toe to thigh. Her gaze finally made it past his broad shoulders and she caught a glimpse of the face that she’d thought was amazing when he was younger and had simply improved over the years.

  She swallowed. Butterflies in the stomach was a cliché for a reason.

  His thick hair was now a shiny silver and the wavy strands were tousled as if he’d run his fingers through them. He obviously hadn’t shaved in a few days and if she’d been close enough she might have reached out to brush her fingers along his light scruff before she realized what she was doing. His blue eyes didn’t sparkle this morning as much as they used to. Dark circles gave away his lack of sleep.

  His lips lifted in a small smile. “Hey, Di. What are you doing here?”

  She was going to ignore the butterflies. “You look like shit.”

  He barked out a small laugh. “I could always trust you to cut out the bull.”

  She set the take-out box on the arm of the long, upholstered sofa. The small table beside his chair had a stack of dirty plates. Three remotes were lined up on one of the arms of the chair. She didn’t see his crutches.

  Diane fought the instinct to pick up and straighten. “Jason asked me to stop by with your burger. He had to leave in a hurry.”

  “I heard the rescue call go out, thought it might be something like that.” He shifted in his chair and looked around. For the missing crutches, perhaps?

  “Need some help?” She couldn’t resist making the offer. She should turn around and get out of there but she couldn’t leave him like this.

  He grimaced, his hands gripping the arms of the chair. “I don’t want any help.”

  She folded her arms. “I know you don’t want any help, but that doesn’t mean you don’t need some.”

  “I’m sick of needing help.” Ford dropped his head back. “Hell, I’m too old for this shit.”

  “Don’t tell me you walked under that ladder before you climbed up it.”

  “I would never do that.” He grinned then and her heart did a flip. “Just like I’d never open an umbrella inside a building and I always pick up a penny when I find one. You taught me well, Di.”

  He was too damn cute but he wasn’t going to distract her. “What were you doing up on a ladder in the first place?”

  “The gutters needed cleaning out.”

  “You can hire someone to do tha
t, you know.”

  His eyes narrowed. “I’m perfectly capable of cleaning out my own damn gutters. I’ve climbed ladders my whole life.”

  Thinking about him crumpled at the foot of that ladder made her heart race again. “You could have broken your stupid neck.”

  “Well, I didn’t. I just broke my stupid leg.”

  She locked her gaze with his. “And now you need help.”

  He shook his head. “All the other women who bring me food are nice to me. They don’t call me stupid.”

  “Guess they don’t know you very well.” She used to know him. Back before he married her best friend. But the banter somehow flowed between them now as if they were twenty again. The excitement that had buzzed through her system in the past was there again. Butterflies and more.

  Ford sighed. “The crutches were propped up on the back of the chair but they fell over. I was working up the energy to try to retrieve them. Picking shit off the floor is tough.”

  Her hands itched to push his hair back from his forehead and soothe those lines from his face. But she wasn’t going to do that. Instead she found the crutches and brought them to him.

  “Thanks.” He heaved himself out of the chair and headed for the bathroom. “Be out in a few. Don’t leave.”

  “I can’t stay. I have an appointment.”

  He stopped and looked over his shoulder. “Don’t leave yet. Please. I’ll be right back.”

  She still had a few more minutes before she had to leave, but the closer it got to the meeting time with the college advisor, the more Diane began to second-guess herself. Did she know what she’d be getting into? Maybe she should leave things the way they were. How could she even consider studying art at her age?

  But Diane hadn’t been able to go to college when she was younger and she owed it to herself to at least look into it now. She’d never know what was involved unless she kept that appointment.

  “You still there?” Ford called out from behind the closed door.