by Julie Leto
“I considered hiding this somewhere on my person to see if you could find it,” he said, sliding the gold band over her left ring finger, “but I suspected you were tired of looking for things you should have found a long time ago.”
His mouth quirked into a grin, his gaze expectant and—for the first time that she’d ever witnessed—uncertain. She wanted to speak, but there were so many words jumbling in her brain, she couldn’t pick which ones to say.
“Dante, I—”
“I bought this for you nine years ago. In a way, I’m grateful that I never had the chance to ask you to marry me. Neither one of us was ready. Now, we know how much we mean to each other, how much we can accomplish together. Please, Macy Rush, would you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”
She opened her mouth, certain she could pull one word out of her repertoire, but a knock on the door broke the moment.
“What?” Dante snapped.
“Communiqué from headquarters, sir. “
“Shove it under the door.”
Dante took Macy’s ringed hand in his, kissed her palm, then retrieved the note. He scanned it with a scowl, but by the time he reached the end, he was chuckling.
“What is it?” she asked.
“It’s from your boss, or I should say, your former boss.”
Macy grabbed the paper and read. Her jaw dropped. When her gaze met with Dante’s, the twinkle in his eye made her suspect he’d had something to do with this turn of events. “Did you do this?”
“Make Abercrombie Marshall retire? No, love, even I’m not that powerful. Besides, he’s not really retiring. Read the note on the bottom.”
In his woefully bad handwriting, Abe had jotted a personal note to Macy, informing her that he’d just been appointed as the new head of the Arm. He was finally returning to the outfit that had drummed him out on account of his skin color—and now, he was in charge.
“Bully for him,” Macy said. “He’ll do wonderful things with your legacy, Dante.”
Dante shook his head and shrugged, as if he was pleased, but truly didn’t give a damn. “Now, back to the proposal on the table.”
Macy allowed the paper to drift to the floor and slid her arms around Dante’s neck. “Yes.”
Dante’s eyes widened. “That’s it? Yes? What’s the catch?”
She grinned, remembering how she’d questioned him similarly just a few days ago. “Catch? Well, there is the fact that I love you, too. And I’m not a patient woman, with time for long engagements. But if you want something more…”
He snaked his hands around her waist and tugged her so that their bodies aligned perfectly. “May I make a suggestion?”
She nuzzled his neck with her nose, inhaling that spicy tobacco scent she’d crave forever, even if he was with her every single day. “Feel free.”
“I was thinking that your flat in Paris is much too small for two people.”
The warmth of his skin acted like a magnet to her lips. She hummed her agreement as she bathed his neck in slow, erotic kisses.
“So I thought I could fill my spare time looking for an old house to renovate. You know how I love old houses,” he said.
She pulled back and eyed him with naughty suspicion. “I don’t suppose you’ll want a similar deal to the one we had here, do you? Something like I can’t spend time in a room until we’ve made love there?”
With a chuckle, he buried his nose in her hair and dropped gentle kisses on her face. “Works for me. We could try out multiple rooms in multiple houses, until we find just the right spot. You game?”
Macy laughed, secure in Dante’s embrace and certain for the first time that they had a real shot at a future together. “With you, Dante, I’m game for anything.”
* * * * * * * * *
Afterword
Thank you so much for purchasing, Dare Me, a novella of sexy suspense. I wrote this story originally for NAL/Penguin and it was fun to get to know Macy and Dante and see just how far they’d go to save the world…and their true love. Though this story skewed toward the “sexy” side of the equation, I also have some shoot-‘em-up, car-chase, double-crossing stories available in my Dirty series and spooky, exotic, sensual adventures with my Phantoms. I hope you will check them out!
Since word of mouth is so critical to readers and authors alike, I would really appreciate it if you’d pop back to Amazon and leave an honest review of this story. It just takes a minute or two, but your opinion is priceless!
REVIEW DARE ME
Other Works by Julie Leto
Dirty Little Secrets
(Sexy Suspense)
Sex, lies and lethal weapons…
Praise for Dirty Little Secrets…
“Stephanie Who? Readers looking for a genuine and credible bad-ass kick-butt heroine may want to check this book out.”
Mrs. Giggles
“Readers who love a great kickass heroine, propulsive action and plenty of steam shouldn't miss Dirty Little Secrets.”
Leigh Thomas
All About Romance
“Get out the ice and set your fans on high! Julie Leto's Dirty Little Secrets will set you on fire the minute you pick up this steamy, high-speed book of love, action, and adventure.”
Anne Lum
Writer's Unlimited
OVERVIEW:
— A disgraced bounty hunter pursues her sexy ex
— The secret agent on the run catapults her into his treacherous underworld
— Is her super-sexy lover her ticket out of a mundane world—or is he setting her up to crash and burn?
Buy Dirty Little Secrets with your e-ink Kindle
Buy Dirty Little Secrets with your Kindle Fire or Kindle App
Dirty Little Lies
(Sexy Suspense)
Staying alive isn't easy when people with guns tell Dirty Little Lies…
Praise for Dirty Little Lies…
“A must read for anyone enjoying a little female butt-kicking with a little flare.”
C.J. Yasay
Bookstove
“Leto's style is fast, breezy and loaded with tension. She's created a complex plot that's executed with precision. Her characters have no middle ground and are worth a second look.”
Donna M. Brown
RT Bookreviews
“Compelling drama, engaging and vibrant characters, along with a spicy Latin flavor all combine together to make Julie Leto's latest story a must-have for fans of truly well written romantic suspense.”
Sonya
Fallen Angel Reviews
OVERVIEW
— A disgraced bounty hunter faces down a deadly assassin.
— A brush with death changes the rules for friends with benefits
— Should she stop the seasoned killer's quest for vengeance… or join her on the hunt?
Buy Dirty Little Lies with your e-ink Kindle
Buy Dirty Little Lies with your Kindle Fire or Kindle App
Phantom Pleasures
(Sexy Paranormal Romance)
A late-night ghost story… your goose bumps won’t be from fear!
Praise for Phantom Pleasures…
"Ms Leto is in top form here as she strikes the perfect balance between moving the story along and filling the reader in on details."
Mrs.Giggles
“The actual storyline itself is fanciful and well told. Julie Leto created a tale about Gypsies and magic, curses and love, lost brothers and missing civilizations.”
Cherise Everhard
Amazon Top 1000 Reviewer
OVERVIEW
— a powerful nobleman, trapped in time
— a modern woman inherits a haunted castle
— will she submit to the phantom’s dark magic or free him from his prison—and her heart—forever?
Buy Phantom Pleasures with your e-ink Kindle
Buy Phantom Pleasures with your Kindle Fire or Kindle App
About the Author
By all reports, New York Times bestselling auth
or Julie Leto was a sweet child once…somewhat shy, preferring to play quietly in her room making up stories rather than running around outside with her three brothers. However, being raised in a loud, Italian/Cuban-American household did have its influences and Julie discovered her inner tough girl. That’s probably why most of her heroines kick serious butt. She’s sold over forty books to four publishers—all featuring strong, confident women and the super-sexy men they drive to their knees.
Like Marisela, Julie was born and raised in West Tampa and still lives close enough to the old neighborhood to visit her old haunts from time to time. Most often, though, her life is busy with writing, homeschooling her daughter and catering to the needs of her spoiled dachshund and haughty lynx-point Siamese. Like the intrepid heroine of the Dirty books, Julie also has a wide range of relatives all within driving distance—but that's about where the similarities end.
Readers can find excerpts of her current and backlist books at http://www.julieleto.com/ or visit her both on Facebook and as @JulieLeto on Twitter
Contact Information
Website: www.julieleto.com
Email: [email protected]
Facebook: www.facebook.com/readjulieleto
Twitter: www.twitter.com/julieleto
Blog: www.plotmonkeys.com
Copyright Information
Originally Published by New American Library,
a Division of Penguin Group (USA)
Copyright Julie Leto Klapka, 2005
eBook Published by Bookgoddess, LLC, 2011
eBook Copyright Bookgoddess, LLC, 2011
eBook Cover Art Patricia Ryan Graphics, 2011
All rights reserved. No part of this may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. All rights reserved. No part of this publication can be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without permission in writing from Julie Leto.
Back Cover Copy
When faced with a choice between saving the world and reclaiming your one true love…why not take both?
Secret agent Macy Rush is on a mission: find the counter-code that will thwart an impending terrorist attack. But her operation goes from bad to worse when she discovers the New Orleans mansion she must search is now owned by rival spy Dante Burke—the man who betrayed her in the most intimate and destructive way.
As lead agent for The Arm, an elite, black-ops division of the CIA, Dante has already searched the house from top to bottom. Though he’s come up empty, Macy insists on checking for herself. Dante agrees—for a price. During the day, he’ll help her try to save the world. But at night, she will be his.
Table of Contents
Main Menu
Dedication
Copyright
Other Works
Dirty Little Secrets ( Sexy Suspense)
Dirty Little Lies (Sexy Suspense)
Phantom Pleasures (Sexy Paranormal Romance)
About the Author
Contact Information
Copyright
Back Cover Copy
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Afterword
Main Menu
Table of Contents
Main Menu
Dedication
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Afterword
Other Works by Julie Leto Dirty Little Secrets
Dirty Little Lies
Phantom Pleasures
About the Author
Contact Information
Copyright Information
Back Cover Copy
Table of Contents