Forever Dante: Lucia (The Dante Dynasty Series: Book #11): The Dante Inferno
Page 19
He didn’t think he’d ever seen anything more beautiful or more moving. He’d never been an emotional man, at least not until he’d met his Inferno bride. She approached, love gleaming in her glorious teal eyes. She’d worn her hair long and it curled and bounced in celebratory abandon around her hips, framing the baby she carried. She paused at his side and he took her hand in his.
The ceremony passed swiftly, solidifying his new identity, as well as Lucia’s. Romero Dante. He was Romero Dante now. And she was Lucia Dante. Now and forever more. Where once they’d both stood alone and outside, they were now and forever joined. To each other. To their family. To the generations that preceded, and those soon to be born.
This time the priest remembered to tell him to kiss the bride, which he did with gusto. All around them Dantes cheered.
But it was Primo who put it best. “Per sempre uno,” came his powerful shout, one echoed on both sides of the aisle. “Per sempre famiglia. Per sempre Dante!”
For that’s what they were and would always be.
Forever one.
Forever family.
Forever Dante.
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Other Titles by Day Leclaire
The Dante Inferno: The Dante Dynasty Series
Some blazes, once ignited, can’t be extinguished.
Just one burning touch connects a Dante with his soul mate.
The Inferno … curse or blessing?
Sev’s Blackmailed Bride, Book #1
One scorching touch connects Sev Dante with lovely jewelry designer, Francesca Sommers. One passionate night together changes their lives forever. One painful secret will tear them apart and destroy both their lives.
As the powerful, take-charge CEO of Dantes jewelry empire, Sev never believed in The Inferno until it sweeps through him like wildfire. According to family legend, to ignore The Inferno guarantees disaster. To succumb, a life of bliss. But what happens when the woman The Inferno chooses works for his competitor and creates a stunning jewelry collection that threatens to destroy his plans to rebuild his family’s empire? The only option available: blackmail her to work for him and become his bride.
Francesca Sommers has her dream job, working for her father, even if he’s unaware of her existence. Her life is almost perfect … until Sev changes her with a single touch. She can’t resist him or his relentless seduction. Has no choice but to surrender to his raw passion. To give him everything and anything he demands. Even to be forced into marriage.
But surrendering to Sev means losing both her budding relationship with her father and her career. And when Sev discovers what she did to even the scales and protect her father’s business from his hostile takeover, she will lose him, too.
Will The Inferno be enough to save them? Or will its relentless fire consume them both?
Click to Purchase Sev’s Blackmailed Bride!
Marco’s Stolen Wife, Book #2
A fierce contest between twins…
One scorching touch between sexy international businessman Marco Dante and gorgeous Dantes CFO, Caitlyn Vaughn and The Inferno explodes. Until Marco’s twin brother, Lazz, parts them, planning to make Caitlyn his own. But he hasn’t counted on The Inferno or Marco’s determination to win his Inferno mate, no matter what.
Posing as his brother, Marco switches identities and sweeps Caitlyn off for a romantic weekend, seducing her first into becoming his wife and then into his bed for a night of passion unlike any other. The weekend is perfect … until a fatal mistake on Marco’s part reveals the truth.
She married the wrong man.
Or did she? Marco claims it’s some bizarre family myth called The Inferno, where soul mates connect with a single touch. But she couldn’t possibly love a man she only met one time, for all of five minutes. How can the lust she feels for a relative stranger far outstrip the chaste relationship she had with his brother? And yet, that’s exactly what’s happened.
Now Caitlyn finds herself married to Marco for better or worse. The better, she finds in his arms and bed. The worse occurs when their marital mix-up is leaked to the press.
Can she find a way to prove both the existence of The Inferno … and that Marco is the only man for her? Or is their relationship doomed if The Inferno is demonstrated to be nothing more than a myth?
Click to Purchase Marco’s Stolen Wife!
Nicolò’s Wedding Deception, Book #3
A liar and a thief … or his Inferno mate?
When Kiley O’Dell claims to own half the mines that contain Dantes legendary fire diamonds, the family sends the most ruthless and cynical of the brothers, Nicolò Dante, the family troubleshooter, to negotiate with her. Neither expect the legendary Inferno to strike, sending both up in flames.
Nicolò suspects Kiley’s claim is a con. And he’ll do whatever necessary to get to the truth, even chase a panicked and fleeing Kiley. To his horror, she darts into traffic and is hit by a cab before he can save her. After she wakes, she insists she has amnesia. Now he’s certain she’s conning him, and he has a way to prove it.
Turning the tables on Kiley, Nicolò claims she’s his wife. What he doesn’t expect is for The Inferno to tumble them into a fierce love affair. Which is the real Kiley? The sweet, passionate woman in his bed, someone he’d do anything to keep, or the crafty con artist he first met? And what will happen when she discovers they’re not married at all, that far from being her loving husband, Nicolò is out for vengeance?
Lover or liar? Devious or delectable? Only The Inferno can determine which.
Click to Purchase Nicolò’s Wedding Deception!
Lazz’s Contract Marriage, Book #4
A marriage of convenience … or inconvenience?
They met at the altar. In order to satisfy a contract created by his late father and claim a priceless heirloom fire diamond, Lazz Dante must marry a complete stranger: Ariana Romano. He and his beautiful Italian bride intend to make it a temporary marriage, just long enough to satisfy the terms of the contract before parting ways. It’s a dispassionate and logical solution to an ill-conceived situation.
What they don’t count on is The Inferno striking when they share their first kiss as husband and wife. Nor do they count on being sent off on a secluded, romantic honeymoon where desire rules the day and passion the night. Most of all they don’t count on the fact that the heirloom fire diamond is missing or that it’s Ariana’s father who’s responsible.
Will their marriage end in disaster and disillusionment? Or will The Inferno provide them with the ultimate prize: a forever love?
Click to Purchase Lazz’s Contract Marriage!
Luc’s Unwilling Wife, Book #5
Her Inferno Bodyguard… Dantes’ security chief, Luc Dante is coerced into six weeks of protection duty for heiress Téa de Luca—just until she reaches her twenty-fifth birthday and can claim her inheritance. The job should be a snap for the powerful, former Special Forces tough guy, despite a wound that never properly healed. After all, who would want to harm such a brilliant, family-oriented woman? Only two things stand in his way…
First, Téa is the most adorable, gorgeous, sexy—annoyingly oblivious—person he’s ever met, ready and blithely willing to tumble headlong into any and all disasters that appear in front of her. Not that she sees them.
And second, there’s the small matter of The Inferno, which strikes the second they touch. Of course, that one touch leads to another. And then another and another until they find
themselves tumbling into a disaster to end all disasters … the nearest bed. Maybe it wouldn’t have been so bad if they hadn’t been caught in the act. Bound by an unbreakable Dante code of honor, their next disastrous step is to the altar.
What neither realizes is there’s a very good reason Téa needs a bodyguard. And if they don’t see what’s happening right in front of them, even The Inferno won’t be enough to save them.
Click to Purchase Luc’s Unwilling Wife!
Rafe’s Temporary Fiancée, Book #6
His fake fiancée… It’s time for lone wolf Rafe Dante to feel the fiery power of The Inferno. After a disastrous first marriage to his non-Inferno wife, he’s done with happily-ever-after. To satisfy his matrimonial-minded family, he hires a woman to fake an engagement, claiming they’ve experienced the burning itch of The Inferno. His plan is to pay his fiancée to leave him at the altar, and since Dante legend alleges The Inferno only ever strikes once, he’ll finally be free to return to his lone wolf ways, problem solved. Only one slight glitch…
The minute he and his temporary fiancée touch, The Inferno strikes—for real.
Sweet, innocent Larkin Thatcher longs for a family of her own. Unfortunately, it isn’t likely to happen, not considering the secrets she hides. When Rafe hires her to be his pretend fiancée and offers a place to stay, it’s a godsend for both Larkin and her “dog,” a lovely Husky who looks suspiciously like a wolf. But falling in love with his family while lying to them isn’t part of the plan. Nor is the overwhelming desire that sparks between the two, one that threatens their plan to go their separate ways.
If she must leave, she will, even if it means she’ll be homeless again, but not without an antique bracelet in Rafe’s possession that will identify her father. It’s all she wants from her soon-to-be-ex fiancé. All Rafe wants from her is, well … her. At least, for now. But The Inferno has a funny way of turning “now” into forever.
What will happen when Rafe learns her true identity? Will “now” turn to never? Or will The Inferno find a way to mate these two lone wolves?
Click to Purchase Rafe’s Temporary Fiancée!
Draco’s Marriage Pact, Book #7
A one night stand…
A secret baby…
When Draco Dante experiences The Inferno with Dante family rival, Shayla Charleston, he isn’t the least opposed. In fact, he sweeps her off her feet and straight into his bed. What he doesn’t expect is for her to disappear after their one night of passion. Unwilling to let her go and with The Inferno burning in his veins, he spends months searching for her … only to discover Shayla is expecting his baby. Like, now!
On the eve of her twenty-fifth birthday, Shayla Charleston has three goals. 1. Make sure her grandmother is taken care of. 2. Take off for Europe with her new boss. 3. Experience a one-night stand. Instead, she ends up in bed with the one man she should avoid at all costs … a Dante, her grandmother’s nemesis.
Now nine months pregnant, Shayla is torn between families—her husband’s and hers. Even though Draco is reluctant to trap Shayla in an unwanted marriage, he’s determined his son will bear the Dante name. So they come to an agreement. She’ll marry him and, unwillingly, he’ll let her go.
Can The Inferno resolve old rivalries? And more important, can it prove that love and family trumps everything, even a marriage pact?
Click to Purchase Draco’s Marriage Pact!
Gianna’s Honor-Bound Husband, Book #8
The Inferno hides a dark secret … and Gianna knows it.
Gianna Dante wasn’t sure she could actually feel The Inferno. But the instant she touches her true love she discovers that not only can she … she does!
Constantine Romano has a will unlike any other and refuses to take Gianna as his until he rebuilds his decimated finances. After all, he might have no choice but to submit to The Inferno’s passion, but he still has his honor. Now, nineteen months, five days, eight hours and a handful of minutes later, he has returned to claim his mate, only to discover she’s moved on. While The Inferno overwhelms him with flames of desire, Gianna has apparently found a cure for its burn.
And she has. It’s a secret she learned as a child and even though it threatens to break her heart, she can’t force Constantine to love her against his will. While family pressure forces them to the altar, Gianna has a heartbreaking decision to make. Tell her family the truth—that The Inferno isn’t real, just a sweet family fairy tale that can easily be broken. Or keep her silence and marry the only man she’ll ever love, even if he doesn’t want to marry her.
Has The Inferno finally burned out? Or will its flame catch fire for Gianna and her honor-bound husband before it’s too late?
Click to Purchase Gianna’s Honor-Bound Husband!
Becoming Dante: Gabe, Book #9
Forced to become a Dante …
Gabe Moretti despises his connection to the Dantes ever since they rejected his mother and sister. He wants nothing to do with them … until he meets Kat Malloy. The instant they touch, a bizarre, passionate reaction overwhelms him. Despite that, he’s determined to keep their relationship a business one. Only, The Inferno has other ideas.
Kat Malloy wants just one thing, a fiancé to help repair her relationship with her dying grandmother. And Gabe Moretti is the perfect man for the job. Not only does her grandmother adore him, but he has the ability to restore her shredded reputation, primarily because he’s the man who shredded it. In exchange, she’ll give him Heart’s Desire, the gorgeous diamond necklace his mother designed and that he’s spent years attempting to purchase.
She’s utterly shocked when he insists that in addition to giving him the necklace, she share his bed, or that she finds herself not just willing, but eager. What she doesn’t anticipate is their passion flaming out of control and the unexpected results which lead them to a marriage neither expect or want. Or do they…?
Will The Inferno help the two learn to overcome their past and find love? And will Gabe finally be able to accept that with Kat’s help he’s finally Becoming Dante.
Click to Purchase Becoming Dante: Gabe!
Dante’s Dilemma: Romero, Book #10
Romero Dante: The town bad boy. The man all good girls should avoid.
Julietta Bianchi: Sweet and virginal. The woman who’d do anything to save her family. And engaged to Rom’s best friend.
Rom Dante had always been warned about the danger of The Inferno. After all, it creates an all-consuming, love-at-first-touch lust, which led to his mother’s ruin … and Rom’s birth. Now it strikes again with the one woman Rom can’t have—Julietta Bianchi, the fiancée of his best friend.
Julietta will do whatever necessary to save her family from financial disaster, even marry a man she doesn’t love. But days before her wedding is to take place, her heart is stolen—with a single touch. Now the two lovers must choose between honor … and each other.
But Romero’s grandfather warns that to ignore The Inferno will turn love from a blessing to a curse. And Rom can’t allow that, even if it means stealing his bride and forcing her to the altar.
Click to Purchase Dante’s Dilemma: Romero!
Forever Dante: Lucia, Book #11
One scorching touch connects love child Lucia Moretti with protective bodyguard, Ty Masterson. One passionate night together changes their lives forever. One painful secret will tear them apart and threaten to destroy both their lives.
All love child Lucia Moretti has ever wanted is to share her father’s name. To be a Dante, like her dad. To belong. To feel the burn of The Inferno when she first joins hands with her soul mate. Unfortunately, she no longer believes in fairy tales. Or so she thinks until a protective stranger touches her and The Inferno blazes through her. Too bad he doesn’t feel it, too.
Ty Masterson is hired to protect Lucia when the Dantes are attacked at their spectacular gala. Then tragedy strikes and he must protect Lucia with his life, all the while fighting the passion that explodes between them.
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sp; But who is Ty, really? And why does a strange mark appear on his hand . . . and an identical one on Lucia’s? When dire circumstances force them to marry, they face a choice.
Click to Purchase Forever Dante: Lucia!
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The Cinderella Ball Series:
Married by Midnight!
You’re invited to a wedding . . . your own!
Come to the Cinderella Ball single . . . leave happily wed.
Fairy Tale Husband
(The Cinderella Ball Series, Book #1)
Lone wolf, Jake Hondo has lived his life on the outside. An outcast. A bastard. Now he has a shot to change all that. In order to secure his inheritance, all he needs is to wed and bed a woman. Any woman. After that, he and his bride can go their separate ways, which is exactly how he wants it.
Kind-hearted waif, Wynne Sommers, longs for happily-ever-after, love at first sight, and knights in shining armor. The Cinderella Ball offers her all of that . . . and more. All she needs is the right man to accept that her love comes as part of a “package deal,” a package that includes her young niece and nephew.
But as much as Wynne longs for love, Jake wants nothing to do with the unwelcome emotion. Or so he thinks until his new life is threatened. Will he be able to save his family from the forces marshaling against them? Or will he lose everything—his home, the children he’s sworn to protect, and the woman who’s become the most important person in his life?
Fairy Tale Wife
The Cinderella Ball Series, Book #2
Brilliant businesswoman, Nikki Ashton is in a desperate situation. In order to hold her young, smitten boss at a safe distance, she invented a husband. Now she needs to produce her absentee soul mate or risk being outed as a liar, something that could bring a fast end to her stellar career. The Cinderella Ball offers the perfect solution. All she has to do is find a strong, alpha male willing to marry her … temporarily.