by Donna Fasano
Epilogue
One year later...
Joanne stood next to her grandmother, and clasped her hand tightly.
The matron of honor was nearly as nervous as the bride.
At the appropriate moment, she relinquished Virginia's hand, and stepped over to where Leif was waiting for her. She gave him a radiant, joyous smile. She lifted her eyes to Reverend Sigurdsson, who came to stand in front of the wedding party as a small clutch of fiddlers played the final chords of a traditional Swedish wedding march. A crowd of villagers gathered around them.
The surprise wedding had captured the romantic spirit of the Midsummer holiday, as well as everyone's heart. The village had cheerfully responded by making it an official part of this year’s Midsummer's Eve festivities.
The Reverend gave her a wink, then turned and began the words of the service.
Looking distinguished, Harry Adel stood next to her grandfather’s wheelchair, the pair of them beaming with pride as Virginia stepped up to stand next to Robert.
How different things might have been, had Harry not been away in China, birdwatching, when Joanne first arrived in Karesuomi. He had known everything about Robert Grant and the list, of course. It would merely have been a matter of knocking on Harry’s door and convincing him who she was, and he would have spilled the whole story. She would never have needed Leif's help. She might never have gotten to know him, at all.
Thank goodness for birdwatching!
With a start, she came back to the present, and realized she had missed most of the short ceremony. She stole a glance at Vanja, who was capturing everything on video. She’d just have to catch the wedding in reruns.
She gazed up lovingly at Leif as the Reverend recited the final blessing and said with a big smile, "I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride.”
Robert leaned up in his wheelchair and, oh, so tenderly, kissed Virginia’s trembling lips.
Joyful tears spilled over Joanne's cheeks as she watched the lovers who had waited a lifetime to find happiness in each other's arms. It seemed so right that they were finally and truly united.
She looked up at Leif, her own heart brimming over with love and affection. "I love you," she whispered. "Happy anniversary, darling.”
“The first of many,” he whispered back, and kissed her. “I love you, too.”
Then, together they watched the traditional plaiting of the ribbons around the Maypole and remembered the day a year ago when their own lives were woven together for always.
And as the sun crept down as low to the horizon as it would that Midsummer night, he led her by the hand away from the feast, and murmured in her ear, “Let’s go home and celebrate.”
There was no doubt about it. She was the luckiest woman on earth.
The End
A Note from the Author
THANK YOU!
I hope you enjoyed reading about Joanne and Leif’s crazy journey back to the Cold War.. heating up the tundra while they solve the mystery of her grandfather’s death...or not! This was actually the very first book I ever wrote. It started out as a story based on a real-life adventure my father had as a very young man before WWII...and it just kind of spun out of control! The book has gone through many revisions and updates since that first draft, but the basic story has stayed the same as when I plotted it in a screenwriting class...sometime back before the dinosaurs.
If you have a moment, please help others enjoy this book!
Review it! Help others choose what to read—tell them why you loved this book!
If you do write a review, drop me an email at [email protected] and include a link to it, and if you like, request that I put you on my list of beta readers. You’ll receive an invitation to review my next book ahead of the crowd. J
Want to know when my next book comes out? Visit www.NinaBruhns.com and sign up for my New Releases email list, and I’ll let you know when each new book is published.
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About the Author
New York Times and USA Today Best Selling author Nina Bruhns pens adventurous romantic thrillers that contain a unique blend of interesting characters and settings, twisty suspense, and sizzling romance. To date, she has published over 35 award-winning novels:
Contact Information
Read more about Nina Bruhns and her books at www.NinaBruhns.com Sign up for her New Releases email list, and she’ll let you know when each new book is published.
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Website: www.NinaBruhns.com
Other Books by Nina Bruhns
Writing As NINA BRUHNS...
In His Control (Jean-Marc and Ciara)
Catch Me If You Can (Beau and Kit, New Orleans trilogy book 1)
Sweet Revenge (Creole and Grace, New Orleans trilogy book 2)
Warrior’s Bride (Cole and Rini, The Warriors trilogy book 1)
Dangerous Curves (Darryl and Linnea, STORM Corps TD book 1)
Kiss of a Lifetime (Trey and Lacy)
Must Love Santa (sweet) (Nick and Emily)
Must Love Santa (steamy) (Nick and Emily)
Stop In The Name of Love (Bridger and Mary Alice)
Midsummer Bride (Leif and Joanne)
Barely Dangerous (Blue Wolf and Maggie)
Writing as NIKITA BLACK...
Slave To Love (Mick and Caro)
Cajun Hot (Jacque and Sahara)
The Renegade’s Woman (Standing Bear and Sally)
Available in German...
Unter Seiner Kontrolle (Jean-Marc und Ciara)
Ein Weihnachtsmann zum Verlieben (Nick und Emily)
In der Hitze der Jagd (Beau und Kit, New Orleans trilogie band 1)
Im Rausch der Vergeltung (Creole und Grace, New Orleans trilogy book 2)
For details and excerpts please visit www.NinaBruhns.com
Sign up for Nina’s New Releases email list, and she’ll let you know when each new book is published.
Stars, Love and Pirouettes
Alicia Street
Copyright © 2012 by:
Alicia Street
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the prior written consent of the Publisher, excepting brief quotes used in reviews.
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Praise and Awards
USA TODAY Bestselling Author
Amazon Top 100 Bestselling Author
Daphne du Maurier Award-winning Author
“A completely satisfying read with just the right touch of stardust.”
~Romance Reader
“I devoured the book in no time at all. It had everything you would want in a romance novel.”
~Amazon reader review
"Adored this book. I have read most of the Dance 'n' Luv series and enjoyed them all but this is definitely my favorite."
~Loves Reading
Chapter 1
Jenna Richardson wouldn’t deny she had obsessive tendencies that made her a perfectionist right down to the most minute details of any endeavor.
Like flipping the bird at Chang Mulligan.
Which was why she kept him in her sites as she wandered through the glitzy post-performance reception, waiting for the moment when he glanced at her across the room. Better yet, when both he and his latest female conquest turned her way.
Aha. Her chance. A quick flex of the elbow. The traditional inverted fist minus the middle finger, an angry digit pointing skyward. Defiant and reeking with attitude. Delivered, of course, with the proper “up yours” glare.
As soon as she executed her move, Jenna did a nifty one-eighty and disappeared into a sea of Valentino, Fendi, and Ralph Lauren gowns. She kept a smile plastered on her face while struggling to banish images of Chang, Mr. Bigtim
e Broadway-to-Ballet Choreographer, with his arm around Kimberly.
How could I be so stupid to fall for him?
Duh. Maybe because he’d singled her out for a major solo in his latest dance and then lured her into believing he really cared for her.
They’d spent every minute together for the last three months. She’d even left her favorite New York Jets sleep jersey in his apartment. But no way was she going there to retrieve it. Not after the last visit, when the doorman let her in the lobby entrance and she saw Chang and Kimberly coming out of the elevator, arm-in-arm, wearing those just-had-sex grins.
Allyson, Jenna’s roommate and fellow dancer, waved to her from one of the round, burgundy-clothed tables scattered throughout the hotel ballroom. Jenna pretended not to notice and kept on walking, grateful for the soft rose lighting that shadowed her face. It was humiliating enough that everyone in the ballet company knew Chang had dumped her. The last thing she needed was a pity party.
Unless it was from her big brother, Parker. He’d been the shoulder she’d cried on since she was a kid. She wished she could see him now. He was the only one who knew she wasn’t the big, sophisticated New Yorker that everybody else back home thought she was. Even her sister, Casey, teased her about the hotshots she dated. Okay, so maybe Jenna was attracted to larger-than-life, shine-like-a-star guys. But the truth was, at twenty-four, she still had no idea how to navigate the romance waters and always seemed to get in over her head.
Heck, when the ballet company took her on at nineteen, she’d been a total noob. Never even had a boyfriend. Who had time for boys when she’d been spending every moment she could in dance studios since she was thirteen years old? Practicing pliés, tendues, pirouettes, petit allegro. Striving for perfect form, striving for a dream.
And while she was grateful to have made it into the dance company of her dreams, she’d latched onto that goal at such an early age that she couldn’t help but wonder what she was missing out in the real world. At this point Jenna desperately wanted to experience life outside of the dance studio.
Or to at least start figuring out if she’d made the right choice.
“Jenna Richardson?”
OMG. It was Sean Risk. Tonight’s fundraiser performance had been for a select audience of high-end patrons, which usually included a certain number of celebrities, business moguls, and New York City luminaries. After five years with the company, Jenna had learned to temper her star-struck reaction to them. Not so easy to do for Sean Risk, one of TV’s sexiest hunks. She tuned in weekly just to see his eight-pack abs and those dark almond eyes set in a face that would make any woman sigh.
He put out his hand, his corded forearms visible beneath the rolled-up sleeves of a pinstriped shirt that fit snugly, showing off his manly, tapered torso. “I’m Sean.”
“Oh, please,” she said with a laugh and shook his warm, strong hand. “I know who you are. I never miss an episode of Sunrise Lane. You’re amazing as Justin Grant.”
With a quick nod of appreciation, he said, “You’re pretty amazing yourself. I was blown away when I watched you dance that solo.”
Chang’s piece, naturally. “Thank you.”
“Talk about physically demanding. Bet you worked your buns off for that.”
A corner of her mouth tweaked. “In more ways than you know.”
His eyebrows lifted in question, but Jenna was not about to elaborate.
A waiter breezed by, floating a tray of glasses filled with champagne. Sean snatched two and held one out to her. Jenna’s strict lean-and-mean diet usually kept her from indulging in any kind of liquor, but tonight she was sick to death of her rigid rules to stay ballerina-slim. She’d already had three glasses of champagne, but she accepted the fourth.
“You looked great in that revealing costume,” Sean said, one finger brushing her bare shoulder.
Uh-oh. No matter how gorgeous Sean was, the last thing Jenna needed was another fast-moving womanizer like Chang. Why did she have to go and wear her body-hugging purple strapless dress that was way too short?
The answer appeared out of the corner of her eye. Chang and Kimberly. There they were yocking it up with Alec Baldwin. Jenna let out a louder than necessary laugh, leaned in toward Sean with a teasing grin, and said at full volume, “I’d like to see you naked, too.”
Heads turned. Including the pair of her intended targets.
Sean didn’t miss a beat but instead grinned at her in a way that gave her a case of jelly knee. He put his arm around Jenna and said, “So what are we waiting for?”
She let him walk her out, giggling all the way. But inside, her mind raced. How was she going to get out of this? No way did she intend to end up easy pickings for this big name actor, who, like most celebrities, was no doubt used to having whatever women he chose at will. Not this girl.
Unfortunately, her little game just sent him the opposite message.
When they reached the sidewalk, she decided to come clean and explain herself. “Hope you’ll forgive me, but—”
“Did it work?” he asked.
“Did what work?”
“Our performance.”
Jenna looked at him, puzzled. “You mean…”
“Come on, Jenna. Did you forget who you’re talking to? Never play a player. I know all the tricks. I saw you trying to get the attention of that couple talking to Alec.”
An embarrassed flush filled her cheeks. “It was that obvious, huh?”
“Only to a trained eye.”
“Oh. Like that of a seasoned, womanizing, out-for-blood actor from Hollywood?”
He blinked. She bit her lip, realizing that her sarcasm might have pushed him too far. Then he shrugged and the silence erupted into shared laughter.
“Thanks for your help,” she said.
“Have you eaten?”
“Eat? What’s that? I’m a ballerina.” She almost cringed at the bitter sarcasm that laced her words. But Sean didn’t seem to notice.
“Well, you’re going off your diet tonight. I know a great place for a late night dinner.”
Jenna hesitated. She couldn’t deny being slightly blown away that he’d asked her to go to dinner with him. He was Sean Risk, for God’s sake. How many times had she stared at the TV drooling over him?
But that was the problem. It wasn’t just that she found him outrageously sexy. Certain types of men could spin her head around way too easily. Guys who were shining stars in their field, who’d mastered their profession, beaten the odds, and made it to the top. She always fell hard for them.
And ended up landing on her butt.
She cleared her throat. “Depends on what’s for dessert. If you’re thinking it’ll be me, then no, thanks.”
“Chocolate mousse. I promise. Besides, there’s something serious I’ve been planning to talk over with you.”
“Since when? We’ve just met.”
“Since I saw that solo you did in the blue costume I’ve been planning my proposal.”
“Your what?” She looked at him, incredulous.
“Not that kind. This is business and strictly legitimate.”
Jenna’s eyebrows lifted. “Business, huh? Now you’ve got me curious.”
He placed a hand on the small of her back, setting her hormones reeling, and walked her down the sidewalk to a waiting limousine.
A burly driver in a dark suit held the door. Sean ushered her into a cushy back seat.
As the car rolled east on Fifty-Seventh Street, Jenna gazed out tinted glass windows at swarms of late-nighters milling beneath a cascade of streetlights and neon. She’d drunk enough champagne to put herself in a mood to push the envelope, but she couldn’t help wondering about this outrageously handsome stranger sitting next to her with his muscular shoulder pressed into hers. Was his “strictly legitimate” proposal a ploy he used on all women? But why would someone like Sean Risk need to play games when women probably threw themselves at him? What could he possibly want to talk to her about? Private dance lesso
ns? Advice on his posture? Hardly.
The limo stopped for a red light. Some curious onlookers stepped closer and tried peering into their tinted windows.
Sean tossed her a wink. “Everybody’s hoping to catch a star.”
Had she just done that? Caught a star? Jenna tried to keep her growing excitement at bay, telling herself to be sensible for once. But Sean’s velvet smooth voice and his arm now resting on the back of the seat behind her sent a tingling thrill right through her limbs.
“Ever been to Ajacito’s? Best Puerto Rican food in the city,” he said as they stepped out onto the sidewalk.
“No,” Jenna replied. “I’ve heard great things about it, but lately dining out for me has been a salad pack and yogurt from Whole Foods.”
He shook his head in mock dismay. “Dancers. Living on leaves and water. What you need are some camarones to start, along with a serving of pollo and scrumptious, spicy beef. Oh, I forgot to ask. Do you eat meat?”
“Not unless I’m feeling protein deficient.”
“Fine. So you’ll love the Vegetariana. Trust me.”
Although Jenna had met a lot of celebrities at company galas and had experienced the heady feeling of going out with men who were well known and even revered in certain circles, nothing could have prepared her for the way heads turned in the restaurant when she and Sean were seated.
Coupled with the soft salsa music playing in the background, she found herself swept into a giddy mood. She even got off on the woman who came over to ask for a photo of herself with Sean on her mobile phone. What did Jenna expect? His face was on the TV every week.