Kiss Me in the Moonlight (Destined for Love: Europe)

by Lindzee Armstrong

  And then, total silence.

  The silence was nice. Comforting. But someone was calling her name, urging her to open her eyes.

  Paige forced one eyelid open. Nick stared down at her, his green eyes filled with concern.

  “Paige?” he asked.

  “Where am I?” she croaked. Her throat was raw, and each word burned.

  “The hospital.”

  He grabbed a water jug and helped her take a sip. The cool water bathed her throat, soothing the fire inside.

  “Everything’s going to be okay,” Nick said. “Mr. West is gone. You’re safe now.”

  Images flickered in her mind, along with a vague sense of fear. The pictures crystallized, and Paige gasped. The tiny movement sent pinpricks of agony licking over her entire body.

  “Shhh,” Nick said, smoothing the hair away from her face.

  “What happened?” Paige asked.

  Nick ran a hand over his chin.

  “Mr. West showed up,” Nick said. “Ryan found out that Evie had stolen the thumb drive and told his dad. At least, that’s the story he’s telling the police. Mr. West is gone. He won’t hurt anyone ever again.”

  Paige blinked back the tears clouding her vision. Nick had killed to protect her. Twice.

  “What happens now?” Paige asked.

  Nick had aged ten years since they’d arrived in Amsterdam. His eyes were bloodshot, and green irises darkened as his pupils contracted. “Don is on the run. The agency is searching for him now. I doubt he’ll be able to say hidden for long. There’s a reason he was never a field agent.”

  “And the thumb drive?” Paige asked.

  “I met with an agent and turned over that and my cell phone—I recorded Devin’s confession. They’ve reopened the investigation, and I’ll probably be taken off suspension very soon.”

  Off suspension. Paige closed her eyes, fighting back the panic. Off suspension meant back to work. And for Nick, that meant constantly risking his life.

  She had to be optimistic. They’d survived Mr. West, which meant Nick could survive anything. If she was going to be an agent’s girlfriend, she’d better get used to the fear.

  “Evie and Ryan?” Paige asked, curling one hand around the hospital blankets covering her. Evie had risked everything to help them escape. If not for her, they wouldn’t be alive.

  “They’ve both agree to testify at the trial, and the agency wants them to go into hiding until after the trial. Ryan is devastated.”

  “I can imagine.” Paige lifted her good arm, resting one hand on Nick’s cheek. Tears filled her eyes, but she blinked them back. “I was so worried that you were going to die.”

  Nick turned his lips into her palm, kissing it. “I love you so much, Paige. If anything ever happened to you, it would be the end of me. I would fall completely apart.”

  She took a deep breath, then finally said it—the four little words she’d thought a hundred times but never had been brave enough to say. “I love you, too.”

  Nick’s head snapped up. His eyes met hers, and she nodded.

  “You’ve never said that before,” he said.

  “I know.”

  “After everything I’ve put you through—after the last twenty-four hours—you honestly still love me?”

  She threaded her hands through his hair, the dark strands coarse and stiff from their adventures. “I do.”

  “That’s the best thing I’ve heard all day.”

  His lips covered hers, warm and compelling. Paige returned the kiss with as much energy as she could muster, feeling the trauma of the past day start to heal.

  Life with Nick would be far from easy. But she loved him, and his job was part of who he was. She was finally ready to accept him—all of him.

  She couldn’t wait to start the rest of their lives.

  One Year Later

  Paige stared up at the Eiffel Tower, awe filling her. Twilight filtered through the trees, and the tower glowed against the night sky, a beacon she yearned to explore. She put a hand to her heart, unable to stop smiling. This had been worth the wait. The only thing that would make it better was if Nick was here.

  “It’s so big!” one of the sophomores squealed.

  “Dude, that’s freaking tall,” a boy said as he stared up at it. “Did people really try and jump from the top?”

  Paige stuck her hands in her back pockets, feeling the pull of scar tissue on her bicep from the bullet wound. She’d been lucky—the wound in her leg had torn through some muscle, but with physical therapy, she’d made a full recovery. She’d worried that she wouldn’t be able to handle all the walking required in Europe, but a month into the job, she was doing just fine.

  Evie sidled up beside Paige, a smile on her lips. “Was I like this last year?”

  “Definitely,” Paige said with a wink.

  “Now I feel stupid.”

  “Don’t,” Paige said. “You had a lot going on.”

  Evie’s eyes grew sad, and she looked away. “Yeah, I guess.”

  Don’s trial had been held last month. The information on the thumb drive and Nick’s recording of events had been enough that neither Ryan or Evie had been called up to testify. After Don’s guilty verdict, the teens returned to regular life. Someone else had taken over the diamond smuggling ring, but Nick and his team had caused the organization a lot of trouble, and it was floundering.

  Paige wrapped an arm around Evie’s shoulders, giving her a squeeze. Evie’s relationship with Ryan had been another casualty of the drama surrounding the diamond ring. Evie wasn’t sure where Ryan was now, but she’d gladly accepted a letter of recommendation from Paige when Paige had suggested she join the tour group this summer. With Don gone, the company had been sold. The new owner had rehired Paige as soon as she applied.

  One last summer in Europe—the summer Paige should’ve had last year. She’d had to quit the tour group after her injuries and had spent the rest of the summer convalescing in D.C., Nick rarely leaving her side.

  Paige wouldn’t be able to chaperone the tour group next year. Six weeks ago, she’d successfully defended her doctoral dissertation and earned her PhD. She’d begin teaching at Georgetown in September.

  She wished she knew where Nick was right now. Every time he went on a mission, her heart lived in her throat. But being an agent was part of who he was, and she’d made her peace with it. She loved all of Nick—even the parts that kept her awake at nights, worrying for his life.

  Evie took a step forward and raised her voice so the teens could hear. “Time to go inside. I’ve got the tickets for the elevator right here.”

  The teens followed after Evie, but Paige lingered, staring up at the tower that glimmered against the sky. There was a full moon tonight. It hung low in the clouds, bathing the entire world in its glow.

  “Guess who?” a voice whispered in her ear.

  Paige whirled, her hand automatically going to the weapon concealed in her waistband—the gun that was technically illegal for her to carry in a foreign country.

  Nick. She dropped her hand and threw her arms around his neck, letting out a squeal. His beard was freshly trimmed, and his green eyes sparkled as she wrapped her arms around his neck, urging him closer. Her hands threaded in his hair as her lips eagerly met his.

  Two months was too long to be apart.

  Nick brushed away the tears that rolled down her cheeks.

  “What’s this?” he asked.

  “I just missed you so much.”

  He smiled, kissing her again. “The feeling is mutual.”

  “What are you doing here?”

  “I believe I promised someone I’d take them to the top of the Eiffel Tower. I’m finally following through.”

  Paige laughed, linking her hands behind his neck. “How long are you here?”

  His eyes clouded, the green deepening in what she’d come to know as his agent look. “A week this time.”

  It was never enough time. But she’d learned early on to not waste
their time together worrying about when he’d be gone.

  “Perfect,” Paige said. “This tour ends tomorrow, and then I’ve got five days off. We can finally see London together.”

  “Sounds divine.” A lazy smile turned up the corners of Nick’s mouth.

  “Can you tell me where you’re going next?”

  “Not this time.” He squeezed her hand. “But by the time you return to D.C., I’ll be back—this time, for good.”

  Paige’s hands stilled on his shoulders. “What?”

  “I finally got a transfer approved to a desk job. I’ll be on the intel side of things from now on.”

  Excitement bubbled up in Paige’s chest, and she forced it back. “But you love your job.”

  “I love you more.”

  She pulled away, shaking her head. “We agreed neither of us would change who we were for this relationship. I know sometimes I freak out over your job, but I’m getting better at it. I’m trying.”

  “Paige.” He gently took her face between his hands. “I’m not doing this for you. I’m doing it for me. I don’t want to start a family until I’m sure I’ll be around to raise my children.”

  Paige’s breath caught in her throat, and butterflies leapt to life in her stomach. “A … a family?”

  Slowly, Nick sank to one knee. He withdrew a box and flipped it open. A single solitaire diamond on a band of gold was nestled inside the velvet case. Moonlight glinted off the stone, making it sparkle.

  “It’s conflict free,” Nick said, grinning. “Promise.”

  “Oh my gosh.” Paige put a hand to her mouth, tears pooling in her eyes.

  “Paige Eldredge, I love you more than I can express. There is nothing I want more than to grow old with you. Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”

  Paige laughed, throwing her arms around his neck. “Yes!”

  He slipped the ring onto her finger and rose, wrapping her in a tight embrace. His lips covered hers, and she clung to him as he kissed her breathless.

  Paige pulled back, and the clapping finally registered. She blushed, hugging Nick as she looked around to see dozens of people taking pictures and smiling, including quite a few of her students.

  A whistle filled the air, and Paige smiled when she saw Evie cheering.

  “I love you,” Nick whispered in her ear.

  She turned in his arms, kissing him once more. “I love you, too.”

  She couldn’t wait to get started on their forever.

  Desperately Seeking Mr. Right by Sally Johnson

  Phoebe wasn’t looking for love. In fact, she had just gotten off a Reality Love TV show that didn’t end well. A baggage mix up introduces Phoebe to Bryan, and suddenly love seems like a possibility. But when the TV show catches up to her, Phoebe wonders if she will ever meet Mr. Right.

  12 Days to Love by Lisa Swinton

  Lily is free from everything and she’s scared to death. To kick off her fresh start, she embarks on an Italian cruise with her best friend, Maddie. On board is Zander, the man who refused her kiss. She tries to keep her distance, but fate keeps throwing them together.

  Kiss Me in the Moonlight by Lindzee Armstrong

  When Paige’s secret agent boyfriend dumps her in an email, chaperoning hormonal teenagers through Europe seems like the perfect way to cope. She doesn’t bargain on working with her ex, who’s investigating his partner’s suspicious death. As sparks fly and the investigation heats up, one kiss in the moonlight changes everything.

  Never Trust the Rain by Laura D. Bastian

  Ami comes to Scotland to help her sister with a new baby, but manages to fall in love with Duncan who volunteers to be her tour guide while in Edinburgh. As their feelings grow, can either of them agree to give up the life they know for the chance of a life together?

  Meet Me at Sunrise by Lucinda Whitney

  When Vanessa boards her grandfather’s ship for a river cruise in northern Portugal, she doesn’t expect him to ask the handsome captain to take her ashore on day trips. But as she and the captain spend more time together, they find their assumptions of each other are wrong, and maybe eight days are not enough after all.

  As Ami stepped off the plane, cold wet air hit her in the face, and she wondered if she’d made a huge mistake. Hot Arizona summers were nothing like this dampness. Edinburgh, Scotland was as far from normal as she had been since junior high. She felt awkward being here and it had only been a few minutes.

  She worked her way down the steps leading to the ground and followed the other passengers into the airport. She knew Jessie needed help with the new baby coming and Ami was happy to offer her time since she didn’t have to teach during the summers. She was here for most of the break, so at least she’d be able to avoid the unbearable desert heat.

  I’ll have to get a couple more jackets or sweaters if this is as warm as it gets here.

  Once she entered the terminal and had shown the agents her passport, she checked the signs for the baggage claim and worked her way there. Her brother-in-law should be waiting for her. Jessie wouldn’t want to be walking through a busy airport so close to delivery.

  She scanned the crowd, but couldn’t see Chris yet. She checked her phone for a text response from him, but nothing. The flight had arrived on time. Maybe he was still on his way. If she didn’t see him after she got her bags, she’d call him.

  Since she wasn’t in a hurry, she allowed the other passengers to circle the baggage carousel until she found a gap large enough that she could easily see her luggage. She’d learned the trick of attaching a fluffy pompom onto the handle to distinguish hers from the other bags of the same brand. Quickly, she grabbed hers and moved over to an empty bench to call Chris.

  The phone didn’t even ring ― just went directly to voice mail. She sighed. Maybe she should try calling Jessie’s phone. Her sister would be able to tell her when Chris had left for the airport. He’d said he’d meet her at the airport when her plane arrived at 6:45 local time.

  It was now 7:00 and no sign of him. She hadn’t slept well on the flight over. She was looking forward to getting to Jessie’s house and crashing for a few hours, but that didn’t look likely.

  Ami pressed send on the phone again and waited for Jessie’s phone to pick up. “Hey, Jess. I’m here, but haven’t seen Chris yet. He’s not answering his phone either. Give me a call as soon as you get this. Hope you didn’t decide to go and have the baby already.”

  As soon as she said those words, Ami knew that was what had happened. Jessie had a couple more weeks to go, but it was totally possible for the baby to show up early. And exactly the kind of luck Ami had.

  Ami sighed and searched for a place to make herself comfortable. It might be a while before they came to get her, and there was no way Ami was going to find a taxi to get her to Jessie’s house. She texted Chris’s number telling him what baggage area she was in and found an empty chair near the windows. She pulled out the spare jacket she had packed with Jessie’s suggestion and rolled it up for a makeshift pillow.

  Duncan looked at his phone, checking the picture Chris had texted him with the image of the girl he was supposed to pick up. Ami Shelton looked cute, but not someone who would stand out in a crowd. In fact, he was having a hard time spotting her and he’d been in the airport for thirty minutes already with no sign of her. He’d debated on getting a paper and writing her name on it then holding it up toward all the blonde women he met, but he didn’t want to be that guy.

  Instead I’ll be the creep that’s checking out all the women.

  He didn’t have access to any papers and doubted any of the airline workers would give him one. No, he’d have to just wander the terminal looking for the errant girl. After another fruitless thirty minutes, he decided to text Chris and ask for her number. Hopefully it wouldn’t be too much of an intrusion during the birth of his child.

  Chris responded after a few minutes with just the number for Ami, and Duncan debated between calling and texting. She probably wou
ldn’t answer a strange number so he decided to text. With a short explanation of who he was, he asked for her location and waited. Minutes passed with no response.

  It was a good thing it was Saturday and he didn’t have to work, but he had other plans. He was getting a little irritated at the rude American he’d been sent to fetch.

  Duncan pulled up the number again and dialed it, hoping she’d answer it better than the text, or at least get her to look at her phone and see his text.

  As the phone began to ring through his ear piece, he heard a classical song ring tone playing somewhere in the crowd. He slowly worked his way down the hallways, keeping his eye out for the blonde. He didn’t see her. The ring tone ended just as his call was picked up. Instead of an actual person, he heard Ami’s voice mail.

  Duncan hung up, called the number again, and perked up listening for the same ring tone. When Mozart began playing once more, he followed the sound, hurrying before either she picked up or it went to voice mail again. And there she was. Her feet were propped up on the burgundy suitcase and her head rested against the back of the chair with a wadded up bunch of fabric for a pillow. Her mouth was slightly ajar, and rather than looking silly, she looked cute. Bright pink, foamy earplugs poked out of her ears and he knew why she hadn’t answered the phone.

  He sat next to her before texting Chris. Found her.

  Thanks. I owe you. We might still be awhile. Can you take care of Ami for us? Maybe show her the sights.

  Sure, no problem. Loves to Jessie. Good luck.

  Duncan took the opportunity to check the girl out and decided she looked a lot like her sister. He wondered if she’d be as spirited, or if she was more of a quiet girl. It was hard to tell with Americans sometimes. They had a completely different opinion of themselves than the girls he knew. Not that he knew a lot of Americans, but Edinburgh was well known for the tourists, and he’d done a lot of waiting tables and tending bar in the busy season.