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Private Passions

Page 19

by JoAnn Ross


  “That makes two of us,” she said, secretly relieved by his decision. “We were lucky that O’Malley’s timing was so good. Showing up when he did.”

  “Lucky,” Roman agreed, thinking that if O’Malley hadn’t killed the monster, he would have happily done the deed himself with his bare hands.

  He cupped the unbruised side of her face in his palm and gave her a long kiss wrought with relief and passion and most of all, love.

  “You’d better eat your dinner,” he said, nodding at the tray on the rolling table. “Before it gets cold.”

  “At least I don’t have to have the typical hospital turkey roll.” Desiree took a bite of the roast goose Roman’s mother had sent over to the hospital. “Although I’m really sorry I’m missing your mother’s dinner party.”

  “So was she. But fortunately, her guests have agreed to stay a few more days. We figured it didn’t make much sense for them to drive all the way home to Iberville, then come back in a few days for our wedding.”

  “Iberville?” Her eyes widened as his words sank in. “Are you saying that your mother’s Christmas dinner guests are—”

  “The entire Dupree clan. Who are, by the way, all waiting outside to see you.”

  “Oh, Roman.” It was, Desiree decided, the most perfect gift anyone could ever have given her.

  As Roman drew her into his arms for a deliriously sweet kiss, her eyes filled with tears of wonder. Tears of joy.

  Outside the hospital room, holiday lights glittered gaily along St. Charles Avenue, twinkled amidst the towering oaks of City Park, sparkled from the famed wrought-iron railings, flashed on the sides of the historic streetcars, blazed from the Creole Queen on the river. Christmas carols melded with the melancholy blues and jazz, delighting citizens and visitors alike with promises of sleigh bells, herald angels and miracles.

  Inside the hospital room, Roman and Desiree made their own sweet music as they celebrated the very special miracle of love.

  ISBN: 978-1-4592-8637-5

  Private Passions

  Copyright © 1995 by JoAnn Ross

  All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher, Harlequin Enterprises Limited, 225 Duncan Mill Road, Don Mills, Ontario, Canada M3B 3K9.

  All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of publisher.

  All characters in this book have no existence outside the imagination of the author and have no relation whatsoever to anyone bearing the same name or names. They are not even distantly inspired by any individual known or unknown to the author, and all incidents are pure invention.

  This edition published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.

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  Table of Contents

  Letter to Reader

  Title Page

  Dedication

  Contents

  1

  2

  3

  4

  5

  6

  7

  8

  9

  10

  11

  12

  13

  14

  Epilogue

  Copyright

 

 

 


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