by Leslie North
He stepped forward, closing some of the distance between them. “Then you’ll come back to Thorn Tattoo, too? My life is falling apart without you. I’m a wreck without you around.”
Melanie chuckled. She closed the rest of the distance and slipped her hand into his. Their fingers laced together, and she squeezed gently. “Of course I will. No more running away… not for either of us.”
Luciano leaned forward. The tip of his nose brushed down hers, and Melanie closed her eyes and relaxed into the kiss that followed. It was gentle and sweet—a promise of the years to come.
Nothing between them was going to be easy. Life was hard. Melanie had learned that long ago. She was ready to face her next challenge alongside the only man who kept her on her toes and knew how to shut her down all at once.
The future really was limitless, but at last, it felt like she’d found a place she could call home.
Epilogue
Melanie
Melanie made her way down the path past the shade of weeping willows to where Luciano knelt. Beneath her arm were two bottles of ice cold water from the cooler she’d plugged in and left in the back seat of her car. In her hand was an unopened package of plant food spikes. Sometimes, the communes splurged and purchased them particularly when there was a dry spell or when the soil was bad that year. Melanie knew they’d do a fine job.
As she approached, Luciano looked up. He smiled at her and dusted his hands on the sides of his ratty jeans. Melanie wrinkled her nose and made a note to bring hand sanitizer and wipes next time they stopped by. She figured Luciano would want to do some weeding the next chance they had to visit.
“Hey,” he said. “Thanks again for making the trip back to the car.”
“No big deal,” Melanie said truthfully. She sank to her knees beside him and offered him one of the bottles. He twisted the cap off and drank deeply. “I’m glad to help out.”
“You’re already helping out with all the flower selection and care,” Luciano said. “If it were up to me, I would have chosen all the wrong things. I didn’t even know I had to worry about shade exposure, or soil pH, or any of those things you concern yourself with.”
Melanie lifted a brow. She set the package of plant food down and twisted the cap off her own bottle. The sun beat down upon them, but she enjoyed the dry desert heat. It felt a lot like home. “If you looked it up online, you would have known.”
“When have I ever researched anything?” Luciano capped the bottle and set it down again. “Not my style.”
“Right. Which is why you’ve got me around.” Melanie stuck out her tongue. “Girlfriend and secretary. What more could a guy ask for?”
“Oh, I don’t know.” Luciano shrugged. “How about a vacation? I was thinking it might be fun to head out to Atlantic City after all. It occurred to me that you’ve never seen me in action.”
Excitement welled in her chest, but Melanie didn’t give in to it right away. There was a delicate balance between sarcasm and realism when it came to Luciano, and she didn’t want to jump to conclusions in case he wasn’t being sincere. “You mean that?”
“Yeah.” He grinned. “I thought I could take along a bunch of money, turn that money into more money, and then we could go do something with it. I’ve already bought you a house, so… what else? A trip to Montreal?” he winked.
“God, no.” Melanie stuck her tongue out. “Why don’t we make plans after that to go see my parents for a little while? I’ve had the chance to see different parts of your past, and now I want to show you mine.”
“I think that’s a great idea.” Luciano leaned over and kissed her chastely, but even though his affection was muted, Melanie felt her heart swell with joy. The small, tender moments between them were just as precious to her as the wild chemistry they shared, even a year later. “You think your parents are going to like me?”
“They like everyone.” Melanie laughed. “They’re not bad people; I just couldn’t live like them. I’m a modern girl. We live in different worlds. But for a few weeks? Yeah. I can do that. Especially if it’s with you.”
He reached out and squeezed her hand, and she leaned against him so their arms brushed.
“Now, let’s get some of these plant food spikes into the soil. They’re going to give you really big, beautiful blooms. We should probably think about weeding once a week. I’m pretty bad at weeding, but I think you’ll be okay with it, with your eye for detail.” She winked at him.
“Thank you for doing this,” Luciano said softly. He tore the package of plant food open along the perforated line on the back of the cardboard packaging and removed the first two spines. He wedged them into the soil in front of them, spacing them out just like Melanie instructed him. “You have no idea how much it means to me.”
“I never got to meet her, but I respect her, and I love her, too,” Melanie said. She placed a reassuring hand on Luciano’s thigh. “If she loved you the way you led me to believe she did, she was a good woman. I like to think we would have been friends.”
“I like to think that, too.” Luciano drove in the last of the spikes, then took Melanie’s hand and guided her to her feet. They collected their belongings, cuddled up to one another, then slowly headed back down the path toward the car. In their wake, they left Cassandra’s tombstone, now livened by the flowers they’d planted in front of it. “I love you, you know that, right, Melanie? There’s not another woman in the world like you, and I feel blessed that I unwedged my head far enough from my ass to realize that.”
She scoffed. “No, it’s still in there pretty tight.”
“Hey!” Luciano elbowed her, and Melanie laughed and danced away from his jab. “You sure learned from the best, didn’t you?”
“Totally the best.” Melanie fell back into line beside him, holding his hand once more. “The best, most handsome, totally artistic and did I mention talented guy there is. And I love him with everything I am.”
They made their way back to the car, and then back to their new house, talking and laughing and taking jabs at each other along the way.
The future was bright, their present was dazzling, and most importantly, they were in love.
Melanie wouldn’t trade their journey for the world.
End of Thorn
Thorn Tattoo Studio Book Two
PLUS: Some attractions are too difficult to resist! Do you love billionaire bosses and mixing work with pleasure? Then keep reading for an exclusive excerpt from Leslie North’s bestselling novel The Billionaire’s Tenacious Boss (The Maxfield Brothers Book One).
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BLURB
Stephen Maxfield has the chance to save the business his father built, and only one woman stands in his way.
With Duncan Enterprises crumbling, Stephen Maxfield knows that a lucrative building contract could be the ticket to saving the family company. He’s always been regarded as the unpredictable brother, and this time is no different. He’s prepared to do what he thinks is right—even if it means ousting his own father. Stephen faces another obstacle, however, in the form of Angelia Lopez, the gorgeous Duncan VP with her own plans to save the company.
Angie Lopez has been groomed as Duncan’s successor, and she’s convinced that selling off pieces of the company is the way to save it. She’s busy making deals to break apart the business, while hoping that it brings together the Maxfield family. But when she comes up against Stephen
Maxfield—all six feet eight inches of him—she’ll have to work harder than ever to keep her focus. Angie’s been burned by men in the past, and Stephen sets her aflame.
Stephen has no time for romance, and Angie is on a dating time-out. But if the two can see beyond their business plans, they just may find they’re the perfect match.
Grab your copy of The Billionaire’s Tenacious Boss from www.LeslieNorthBooks.com
EXCERPT
She was attractive. There was no doubt about that. Her dark hair was pulled tightly up in a bun, and Stephen wondered what she would do if he reached out and raked his hands through it, pulling out all the pins. He wanted to know how long her hair was. Would it sweep past her shoulders? Swing down to the small of her back? Brush all the way down to that luscious…
“Is there a problem?”
His eyes snapped back up, and he realized that her dark eyes were staring intently at him. There was a hint of temper in her voice, but it was controlled.
“No ma’am,” he said politely with a smile. “Just lost in thought.” He wasn’t at all ashamed of the fact that she’d caught him staring at her.
Her eyes narrowed, but she turned back around again. He knew that she could see him reflected in the gleam of the elevator doors, so he kept his eyes from straying again. She was simply a small distraction from what was really weighing on his mind. Part of him couldn’t believe he was in San Francisco again. Duncan had called, and he’d come running. It was pathetic.
There was something nostalgic about riding in the elevator again. He’d enjoyed more than one woman in this elevator when he was younger. His eyes flickered up at the camera and he smiled to himself. He’d given the security officers quite the show. What would the lone woman riding with him do if he pushed her up against the wall and pressed his lips to hers?
She was dressed in a gray blazer and a skirt that showed off her tanned legs. Conservative. Business-appropriate. She was more than likely a secretary or a receptionist. Good old Duncan did like them young and pretty.
“You do realize that I can see you, right?” she demanded. Stephen smiled as his eyes snapped up again. She hadn’t even bothered to turn around, and he met her look in the distorted reflection.
“I’m sorry,” he said easily. “You’re a nice distraction.”
She turned around and leaned against the wall, deliberately easing her gaze up and down his body. He grinned unabashedly. “There’s nothing wrong with a little distraction every now and then,” she said softly. “I’ve always wanted to know what kind of tools you construction workers carried in your tool belt. Are you all talk?”
She thought he was a construction worker? Well, he was dressed in jeans and a work shirt. “That depends on what kind of tools you’re looking for,” he said in a husky voice as he stepped closer towards her.
Lifting her chin, she smiled coyly at him. “I’ve always had a thing for a man in a hard hat.”
“Come by my room later tonight, and I’ll show you every hard thing I have.”
When he was inches from her, she tossed back her head and laughed. “God. You men are so easy.” The doors opened, and she nimbly stepped outside. “Have a nice day. I hope you looked your fill.”
He stood in the elevator for a moment, stunned. Quickly, he realized this was his floor too, and he hopped out before the door closed.
Her heels clacked on the tile floor as he followed her. Out of curiosity, he stayed a few steps behind her. If she was on this floor, she was, no doubt, closer to being Duncan’s personal assistant than a simple secretary. But this meeting was only for the Board. So what was she doing here?
“What are you doing? That wasn’t anything serious,” she hissed as she whirled around.
“It wasn’t?” he asked innocently.
“No. And you shouldn’t be up here. Are you lost?”
Was he lost? Well wasn’t that an interesting turn. “Maybe,” he said casually. “Is there a reason I shouldn’t be up here?”
Her features relaxed. “I’m sorry. I’m a little high-strung today. This floor is for VP members only. We have an important business meeting in the works. If you let me know who you’re waiting for, I can help direct you to the right place.”
“I have a meeting with Gabe Maxfield,” he said with a straight face.
“Ah. Well Mr. Maxfield will be preoccupied in the meeting for a while. You’re welcome to wait by his office, or I can let him know that you’d like to reschedule, Mr.…?”
“Maxfield,” he said with a smile.
Frustration flashed across her face. “Yes, I know you’re waiting on Mr. Maxfield. You know what, I’m sure Gabe will realize his mistake, and he’ll be in touch with you as soon as the meeting is over. On behalf of Duncan Enterprises, I apologize for the inconvenience.”
She had the power to apologize for the inconvenience? This was getting more and more interesting by the moment. She flashed him a small smile before spinning on her heels and moving faster. She must have realized that she was late.
At the end of the corridor, she pushed aside the glass doors. Through the panes, Gabe caught his eye and raised an eyebrow. Stephen hadn’t actually called to announce he would be attending. The truth was, Gabe wasn’t sure if Stephen was coming or not.
The woman rounded on him. “I thought I made it clear. This is a private meeting,” she said as she slapped her hands on his chest.
“Is it now? And you’re invited to this private meeting?” he asked as he cocked his head.
“Of course I’m invited,” she snapped. “I’m Angela Lopez, the Senior VP of the company. Do I need to call security?”
Surprised, his eyes looked back up to Gabe. Everyone was staring at them. “Of course, you are,” he agreed with obvious reluctance. “Well, you should probably take a seat, Ms. Angela Lopez, Senior VP. It looks like everyone is waiting for you.”
“And I will sit down as soon as you leave!”
He gave her a wide smile. Part of him was about to enjoy this moment. “Why would I leave? I’m invited as well.” Clearing his throat, he turned to the board members. “I’m sorry I’m late. As many of you know, I’m Stephen Maxfield. I got held up in the elevator.”
The expression on her face said it all. A few members nodded to him as he took his seat, and he watched with some amusement as she tried to compose herself. Her face was flushed, either with anger or embarrassment, but one thing was sure, she wouldn’t be threatening to call security on him again. Like it or not, he owned part of this company. And she worked for him.
Grab your copy of The Billionaire’s Tenacious Boss from www.LeslieNorthBooks.com