by Black, Regan
The option he could no longer deny how much she mattered to him.
Suddenly he was pulled into a rib-crushing bear hug. Hadn't seen that one coming, he thought with a smile, appreciating the surprise of it as much as the acceptance.
Selena's relatives surged forward and Adam shook hands and exchanged holiday greetings with what felt like the entire population of Little Italy.
When she was called to the dining room, she took his hand and pulled him right along with her. "I have to fold napkins," she said when the door closed behind her.
"Sure." He didn't know what else to say. Was there a special Vaccaro family ritual for this too?
"The aunts are grumbling about Renata not calling today."
"She'll be fine," Adam assured her, though he too wondered what was taking Messenger so long to recover Selena's cousin.
"They have old-fashioned standards. Renata will have a lifetime of explaining to do if she doesn't get to call today."
Selena's gaze locked with his and the hope he saw there tore him apart. If Messenger dropped the ball on Renata's rescue, Adam would personally get the full explanation for the Vaccaro family.
The intensity of his attachment scared him a little, but not nearly as much as the idea of being apart from this woman.
"You could help me with this," she said, peering at him from under her bangs.
He stared at the stacks of fabric squares for a moment, baffled by the request. When he lifted his eyes to hers, he caught the mischief dancing there. "All right. Show me."
She started the pattern, and her smile brightened as they finished at the same time.
"It really doesn't bug you? The things that are weird about me, I mean."
"Maybe you should explain all the details," she teased. "So I can make an informed decision."
"That would be best for when we're alone."
They were both quiet for a moment, listening to the various sounds of her relatives filtering in from the other side of the door.
"You have a big family," he said at last.
"Are you implying that's a deal breaker?"
"I don't think it should be." He smiled, reassuring her, and knew from the grin on her face that his dimple was in fine form. "But I don't come from that same kind of background. One more big difference between us."
"They'll forgive you," she said with a wink. "Regardless, you make up for the weird stuff and lack of family in other ways." Her grin turned into a sexy invitation. "It's part of what makes you the man I want to love."
"Really?" He went around to her side of the table and pulled her close, brushing her lips with a teasing kiss. "Any other parts of me you want to love?"
She trailed a fingertip across his lower lip and he caught it lightly with his teeth. They both trembled with anticipation.
She licked her lips. "A full explanation of that should wait until we're alone."
"Promise?"
She nodded, making an X over her heart with her free hand. "On the family honor."
When his laughter filled the room, she knew this would be the first Christmas of the rest of their lives.
Together.
Epilogue
Amelia set aside her laptop and rolled her shoulders. The tension she'd felt traveling to and from Selena's showroom was fading with every hour that passed without Messenger or his assassin breaking down the hotel room door. "Any word from Ben?"
"Not so far," John replied, giving her a ghost of a smile. "He said something about getting a program, whatever that means. For all I know he's been sneaking into Broadway shows."
She chuckled. It would take them all some time to adjust to working together, but she knew John wanted to make this new team approach work for all of them. And for the Unknown Identities operatives still stuck in Messenger's system.
After saving Adam and Selena by interfering with End Game's usually foolproof, deadly aim in that alley, Ben had slipped away from the conflict unnoticed. He hadn't reappeared since confirming Messenger had dispatched an operative to track down Galloway's hostage.
She wondered how long it would take for leads to turn up. "Do you think you can trust Gabriel to keep his word and actually rescue Selena's cousin?" Amelia chewed on her lower lip.
"Did you take a dose of naïve when I wasn't looking?" John gave her a look of exaggerated concern.
She might have laughed if the consequences for the missing woman weren't so dangerous. The information she was digging up made Amelia nervous. "Her ties to the embassy and the doctor who leaked that medical research on the nano-technology make her a high-value target."
"Listen to you using the jargon," he grinned down at her.
"You know I'm a quick learner." Linking her hand with John's, she gave it a squeeze as she gazed out at the sparkling city lights. "Do you think Adam or Selena will call?"
It had been a calculated risk going into the showroom to return Selena's purse, but she'd wanted to be out there taking the risks like John and Ben. She wanted to be a valuable part of the field team in addition to her role gathering intel. With John's expert coaching in all things covert, she managed to prove once again John's adage about people seeing what they expect to see. Still, she would be happy to leave New York behind.
"Maybe." His shoulders hitched up and down. "If Gabriel fails to deliver Renata. Are you worried about them?"
"Let's assume I'm overwhelmed with Christmas spirit and I want everyone to be happy."
"Happy is important." He pulled her close to his warm, solid body for a long kiss that was a gift in itself. "Tis the season," he murmured against her lips.
"So what next?" She swayed a little in the strong circle of his embrace.
"I don't want to leave town without Ben, although I'm sure he'd find us anywhere. But tonight," he turned them away from the window, "I can only think of one thing that matters. Merry Christmas, Amelia."
"Oh." She slipped away from his embrace. "I have something for you." She handed him the tie from Selena's showroom. "Merry Christmas, my love."
"You bought me a present?"
"Tis the season," she teased. She knew it had been far too long since he'd enjoyed anything as frivolous as a gift. The wonder on his face was the best reaction she could have wished for.
He admired the tie, then looped it over her neck and brought her close once more. "Thank you." He kissed her slowly, thoroughly, until she was hot and melting.
Amelia sighed happily. They might be officially dead and on the run, but she'd never felt more alive than she did here and now with John Noble.
Dear Reader,
Thank you so much for reading
Double Vision, the second adventure in the Unknown Identities series of romantic suspense adventures.
Again, Debra Webb’s wonderful editorial guidance helped me craft this tale and I appreciate her expertise and inspiration more than words can say. Playing Adam's special vision and solitary perspective of the world off of Selena's family values and her eye for color and artistry offered loads of possibilities as their story unfolded on the page.
If you enjoyed this story, please be sure to let other readers know by leaving a review where you purchased the book, or at Goodreads, on a blog, Facebook, twitter, or wherever you like to share books with friends and fellow readers.
Have you signed up to receive notices of my future book releases and exclusive giveaways? If not, please visit my website at http://www.reganblack.com to enter your name and email address on the form. I won’t pester you with emails, and I won’t share, barter, sell, or otherwise compromise your email address. Of course, you can always unsubscribe at any time.
When you write a review, please go ahead and send me the link by email to [email protected]. I’d like to thank you for your time with a free copy of one of my other titles.
Thanks again for your support!
~Regan
About the Author
Regan Black, a USA Today bestselling author, writes award-winning, action-packed
romantic suspense, paranormal and urban fantasy novels featuring kick-butt heroines and the sexy heroes who fall in love with them.
Raised in the Midwest and California, she currently makes her home with her family, two retired greyhounds, two arrogant cats, and two quirky finches in the South Carolina Lowcountry where the rich blend of legend, romance, and history fuels her imagination.
You can visit her online anytime at www.ReganBlack.com
Discover more great adventures by Regan Black
Unknown Identities (dark, edgy romantic suspense):
(Coming October 2013)
Bulletproof #1
Double Vision #2
Sandman #3
The Shadows of Justice Series (dark, urban fantasy romance):
Justice Incarnate, Book 1
Invasion of Justice, Book 2
Veil of Justice, Book 3
Tracking Shadows, Book 4
Shadows to Light, Book 5
In the Interest of Security, novella
The Matchmaker Series (the lighter side of Regan Black):
The Matchmaker’s Mark
The Matchmaker’s Curse
The Bodyguard’s Vow
The Hobbitville Saga (a fantasy series of short stories for younger readers):
The Pixie Chicks
Hot Spots
Breaking New Ground
The Shadow Stone
Snow Covered Resolutions
Non-fiction:
Adopt A Greyhound Guide
Goal Setting For Writers: Making Revisions Work in Life and Art
Connect with me online:
Visit http://www.ReganBlack.com for excerpts, news, giveaways and more!
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ReganBlack.fans
Twitter: http://twitter.com/reganblack