Veronica had wanted to display the painting in Ciao Bella’s new lobby, but the restaurant wouldn’t be finished for another month. Grimacing, she heaved the twenty by twenty-four inch canvas into the air and rested it against the wall. Her arms ached. This was why she hired people to do this for her.
“Stephano. This is heavy.”
Two tanned arms surrounded her. The heat of Stephano’s body washed over her back as he helped her hoist the painting and together, they draped the edge over the hook. Once the artwork was hung, he brushed his lips against her shoulder. Veronica leaned back against his solid frame.
Life in New York was amazing. Veronica loved coming home to Stephano, and a home cooked meal.
After two months of living together, they flew to West Virginia to meet her family. It was during the return flight that Stephano asked her to marry him. He’d wanted to ask her father’s permission before proposing. She said yes. The wedding was a small, intimate affair at her friend, Scarlett’s, art space in Rhodes.
Veronica handed over the reins of Chamberlain Designs to Tammi. She still acted as a consultant to the business. Mikeli asked her to help him redesign his bar once she was finished with designing Ciao Bella. Once other hotels and restaurants on the island learned that she was now living in Rhodes, they also contacted her for her services.
Returning to the present, Veronica sniffed back tears. She was amazed at how her life had turned out. And pleased that finally both her personal and professional lives were booming. Since they were both fish out of waters, she and Grace became fast friends. Grace had given birth to a boy, Draydean Evander Vicenti.
“Thank you,” she said.
“No, Tesoro. Thank you for making me the happiest man in Rhodes.”
She turned. Crushing her mouth against his, she wrapped her arms around his neck. Her erect nipples grazed his chest. The kiss weakened her knees. When moisture dripped down her pussy walls, the rest of the room was going to wait. Stephano lifted her into the air. Veronica wrapped her legs around his hips and sheathed his hard cock with her pussy.
Without breaking the kiss, he carried her up the two flights of stairs to the large master suite. He laid her back against the queen-sized mattress. The rhythm of her heartbeat and the arch of her hips matched his. She inhaled. The room smelled like lemons from the reed dispenser she placed on the dresser earlier that afternoon.
White curtains billowed away from the open windows. Veronica moaned. Stephano tore his mouth away from her to plant tiny kisses on her throat. She closed her eyes. This was her happy place.
RWS
To read more about the characters connected to this book, check out the following stories:
Midnight Muse by R.W. Shannon (Grace and Evander)
RW SHANNON
R.W. Shannon is a native of the East Coast but spent six years in the desert before returning to her place of birth. She became a librarian so that she can walk around with her nose in a book without ridicule and also for the free books. When she’s not belly dancing or getting another tattoo, she can be found in the kitchen of her mother’s house until she gets her own.
A member of Romance Writers’ Association and Passionate Ink, she is always at work on another project. In addition to Beautiful Trouble Publishing, her books can be found at Cobblestone Press and Phaze Books.
Please check out her website
rwshannonbooks.net
for more information or email her at
[email protected].
Table of Contents
Title page
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
RW SHANNON
Designing Hearts Page 6