by Maya James
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See the next page to read the opening excerpt from Charity’s Passion, the last novel in the Charity series by Maya James.
Charity’s Passion
By Maya James
PROLOGUE
I could never properly explain to her why I do this, just as much as I don't think I'll ever be able to stop doing it. My words would not do it justice. She thinks it's adorable, something I do to be cute. I'll let her believe that. Truth is, there's much more to it than that. This is when I find the peace that keeps the rest of my life in order. Something as small as this can be so important that my life almost depends on it.
When it happens, I go right back to the beginning, back to the Manhattan Grill when my heart stopped and the air was trapped in my lungs. At that moment I had thought my life was over, and I was right. The miserable existence that I thought was a life up until then was most certainly over. Thank God for that.
Thank God for Charity.
From that moment on I've had something new and better, something worth living for--something worth killing for. All I want to do for the rest of my new existence is love her and make her love me.
My eyes trace the beautiful contours of her face; those perfect, sexy lips, her full cheeks, her eyes closed so lightly I always expect them to open at any second and catch me staring at her, which they eventually always do. When I wake up next to her, my first need is always to see her face, before I breathe or move, I have to see her. It brings me back to that first time in the Grill. Every morning, I get to relive my first time seeing her. That makes me the luckiest man alive. I get to fall in love with her over and over, and all I have to do is wake up beside her.
I fucking hate business trips without her.
When I'm away, I still wake up early. I grab my phone and immediately log into the webcam I had installed in the fan above our bed. It's not the same, not really, but it's so much better than nothing. I'm off balance when I don't wake up to her.
So, I'll keep letting Charity think it's cute that I wake up and watch her sleep every day. She doesn't have to know how much I need and depend on it.
She takes a deep, peaceful breath and I know she'll wake up soon.
I'm worried about her. She's brave to the point that it's hard to keep her safe the way I like to. Months have passed since she took care of the John Fillmore problem, and we're not any closer to locating Brian Marker. Now is the time to get worried. If it was me, if I were him, I'd wait, crawl into a safe hole someplace and wait for everyone to become complacent. And now everyone is--even Charity.
The safer we all think we are, the more danger we're in.
Killing John had been hard on her, more than she had expected, more than she had admitted it to anyone other than me. Charity was an angry woman, a dangerous thing as John found out, but she's no killer. She didn't shed a single tear, he didn't deserve one. Her body trembled for days, though. It was heartbreaking for me not to be able to help her by taking away her pain.
That was the last time I will ever allow her to do that. Had I been stronger, not laying in a hospital with a security guard and a fake name, I would not have let it happen.
I'm out of this. I'm done. I live now only to keep Charity safe, nothing else. I'm making sure Garrett is trained and I'm taking over the functions left open by John's absence. Nearly the same for Lena, her role at Panther, Inc. has expanded. Trisha is assisting her now.
We're both out--except for finding Brian Marker.
Something will happen soon, I can feel it. Getting rid of John was not the end. Time hasn't healed that wound, not yet. He was with me for so long; I still can't believe he tried to have me killed--twice!
Charity rolls gently to one side, her beautiful face slides closer to me.
John's wife is absolutely devastated by his disappearance. She still believes he will show up at some point, but I can see the painful doubt beginning to seep into her eyes. We comfort her the best that we can, it's not her fault what he did. That's more than he deserves.
I'm just grateful he didn't go after Charity to get to me. That may have been the last, tiny little piece of human decency that John had. I know Marker won't be so decent, especially if he knows that Charity pulled the trigger on John. That makes her as dangerous as the rest of us, and fair game for him.
We have to wait for him to make a move, poking his head out of whatever hole he's hiding in. Arthur Shae helped us the best he could, part of the conditions of the truce between the groups, which do not even feel like separate groups at this point. Both sides are seeing benefits to treating this more like a merger for now. John Roberts has most of the control. Shae told us everything he knew, how he made contact with Marker, how he paid him, none of it led anywhere. Marker knew better and cut all his services. So we wait.
Charity takes another long breath. She's almost awake now. I see the rest of my life with her clearly, and I want it.
How can I not adore her? She's given me my mother back, and a brother I never knew. Even though we have different fathers, and we didn't grow up together, we are so much alike it's scary. Garrett is learning fast. He's a fucking natural, and someone both Lena and I finally trust to take this over soon. We see the light at the end of the tunnel--if we can live long enough to reach it.
It's been easier getting to know Garrett than it has been to connect with my mother, not for any reason other than that it's hard to forget the hate, even when she doesn't deserve it at all. My mother is nervous, and so am I, each afraid to go too fast. Charity and Garrett both have told us that slow is fine, we have a lifetime now. Garrett, I trust with my life and Charity's, which it's huge. I know him; I might as well have known him for years. I don't need a lifetime getting to know him. He's my brother and he's put himself on hold right now to help us with the group and with Marker. I know he wants to get closer to Trisha, but he isn't doing it. Garrett insists Charity and I have to be safe before he will focus on anything else.
My eyes will be on Charity until this is done and she is safe. I don't want to know a day when I can't lay next to her, full of anticipation, just to watch her eyes open and be the first thing she sees. These moments reliving the first time I saw her can never end; I'll make sure of that.
I don't deserve her; she's much too beautiful. I'm smiling at her even though she can't see me. That's how she makes me feel. She makes me happy when she doesn't even know it or mean to.
My hands gently grab the sheet that covers us and I slowly pull it down, exposing her sensual neckline and soft rise toward her breasts. As usual, she has on a white, sleeveless tank top with no bra on under it. I feel myself stir at the sight of her nipples jutting through the fabric. It's more than a sexual response, I feel her in my soul.
Charity's breathing changes, and her eyes slowly blink open. She sees me and returns my smile. I touch her lips with my finger and she puckers against it. "Good morning, Beautiful," I whisper.
"Morning handsome," she replies, her voice sleepy and cracked. Her angelic smile spreads across her tired face. "You're watching me again?"
"Always," I reply in a heartfelt whisper.
"You're so fucking cute," she says as she rolls even closer to me and places her soft hand on my face. "I love you."
Holy Christ! I just don't deserve her. She's too beautiful, too kind, and too amazing for someone like me.
"I love and adore you, Warrior."
Table of Contents
PROLOGUE
CHAPTER I
CHAPTER II
CHAPTER III
CHAPTER IV
CHAPTER V
CHAPTER VI
CHAPTER VII
CHAPTER VIII
CHAPTER IX
CHAPTER X
CHAPTER XI
CHAPTER XII
CHAPTER XIII
CHAPTER XIV
CHAPTER XV
EPILOGUE