She shot a nervous smile to the woman, and said, “Thanks, but I don’t need a ticket anymore.” For now, anyway. The woman gave her an impatient sigh and motioned for the line to move behind her. Grace stepped out of the line so the next passenger could check in. She was within inches of him now. “What are you doing here? I thought you traveled on a private jet.”
He quirked up his lips. “I do.”
She sucked in her breath. “Did you come for work meetings?”
He stepped toward her, and she stalled. The egg and sausage sandwich from that morning was about to part with her stomach. The nauseating sensation traveled all the way to her throat. Shit. She should have rehearsed in the car. With Luna.
“No.” He shook his head.
She licked her dry lips. “Leisure?”
He dipped his head, and she locked her gaze with his. “No.”
“Did you leave anything behind?”
He snatched her into his arms and, within a breath, his lips covered and claimed hers. She linked her arms around his neck, and pulled him closer, matching his demanding tongue, stroke for stroke. Her pulse raced, and warm strands fluttered in her. She caught a whiff of his scent, and nothing ever felt so right to her. Not even before, when they were married.
A couple passengers whistled and chuckled behind them, and she let go of him. The last thing they needed was for security to come over and kick them out of the airport. “How did you know I was here?” she asked, catching her breath.
“Luna called me last night to thank me for the referrals. When I asked about you, she said I had to talk to you myself. It dawned on me that I couldn’t be one more day without knowing how you are. Without seeing you.” His voice was smooth and rich, like homemade whipped cream on Apple pie. “I returned to Miami and went straight to your office, but she told me you were here.”
A devastating smile spread across his face, and her knees wobbled.
He stroked her cheeks, and she leaned into his caress with a sigh.
Straightening her shoulders, she looked him straight in the eye. “Sebastian, I was supposed to have hours of lurking in the airport then flight time before discussing this with you. The idea of moving to L.A. is fresh for me, but damn it, I can’t be without you anymore. When I left you the first time, I didn’t know you like I do now… I didn’t love you as much as I do now. And that’s a lot.” She snickered, and her cheeks reddened.
A teenager girl bumped into her and mumbled an apology. He pulled her away from the hustle and bustle, and intertwined his hands in hers. “I love you too.”
“I know we’ll be two coasts apart, but I’d rather have a little bit of you than nothing at all.”
He pulled her hands to his lips and kissed them. “Grace, I came here because I don’t want to be away from you. I’ll move back to Miami, and my wingman will jump at the promotion. He’s wanted to run the L.A. office since we talked about opening it. It’s already set up, I don’t really need to watch it’s every move now that I have a team in place. I was being over cautious. And I can be there in a couple hours for big meetings. I’m needed here.”
“Really? You would do that for me?”
“I’m doing that for us. I always said you have to watch an investment like a hawk. I was thinking over and over the past few days. I moved to L.A. to babysit my new baby but it’s already started walking on its own.
“When we were married, I thought I was watching out for you when in fact I was watching out for myself. I didn’t want anything to happen to you so I wouldn’t hurt the way I did when my mother died.”
She nodded.
His eyes flickered with excitement. “Today I want us to work, and you have to have your own life, your career, in the place you love. It’s not my right to take any of it away from you. We are still married. I never filed the papers.”
Her heart jolted, and she ran her finger over his square jaw. “Sebastian. I love you so much.” She was about to ask him if he was sure, but one look at him and she had her answer. The man loved her.
He caught her finger and winked at her. “Then take me home and show me.”
Home. During her youth, that word had been a dream. As strands of happiness swirled around her, around them, she embraced her new reality. “That won’t be a problem.”
The End
About the Author
Carmen Falcone learned at an early age that fantasizing about fictional characters beats doing math homework any day. Brazilian by birth and traveler by nature, she moved to Central Texas after college and met her broody Swiss husband—living proof that opposites attract. She found in writing her passion and the best excuse to avoid the healthy lifestyle everyone keeps bragging about. When she’s not lost in the word of romance, she enjoys spending time with her two kids, being walked by her three crazy pugs, reading, catching up with friends, and chatting with random people in the checkout line.
She loves to procrastinate, so please indulge her and drop her a line @ [email protected]. For more info, visit her website: http://www.carmenfalcone.com
Acknowledgements
Where would I be without Melinda Fulton & Deadra Krieger, my amazing editors? Probably crying in a dark corner somewhere.
Desere Steenberg, thank you so much for helping to craft a South African hero. You rock J
Thanks to my street team, Carmen’s Crew, for always being there for me! OMG. All the people who mention me on Facebook pages and all that fun. I treasure each one of you, and always will. It’s impossible to name everyone now, so my idea is to write enough books so that everyone gets mentioned at least once! So, here we go, in no particular order… I love you Jennifer Schulteis, Denise Bourret, Brooke Hall, Dina Bushrod, Brittany Shivers, Nicola Brooks, Lizzy Spiritu, Monique Fischer, Monique Daoust, Bette Hansen, Nicole Smith, Kelley Schmidt, Carolyn Brown, Liz Evans… I will continue my list on next book!
My fabulous friends… you’re amazing. I’m thankful for my family and my wonderful friends who are so understanding when I take forever to text back! Thanks for the support Kristina, Marci, Jodi, Yvette, Nicki, Dina, Tiffany, E.J., all the ladies from the Digital Darlings.
Thank you to Michele de Winton, for being a kick-ass critique partner and truly the best one a girl can ask for. The Red Hot family… Christine, Talia, and all the members!
Jaycee DeLorenzo, thanks for another gorgeous cover!
Big thanks to all my readers, who keep taking a chance on me.
Dear Reader, I hope you enjoyed Grace and Sebastian’s story. If so, please check out ACCIDENTALLY HOOKED, the first of the Naked Truth series. Available now!
More from the series:
Coming in July – ACCIDENTALLY SEDUCED (Elena’s story)
Coming in 2016 – ACCIDENTALLY EXPOSED (Luna’s story)
Other Books by Carmen Falcone
Red Hot Christmas
Kidnapping the Brazilian Tycoon
A Night of Misbehaving
Heating Up Hawaii
A Vengeful Affair
Accidentally Hooked
Accidentally Still Married (The Naked Truth Series Book 2) Page 7