“After the abuse you heaped on him?”
“Dr. A pretty much told me to do impossible acts with myself. I told him I’d tell you and it would probably make you cry. He pretty much wanted to slug me— instead called me a bastard.” He smiled, amused with himself.
“You know he’s a great doctor. Well respected.”
“I know, and he knows I know.”
I leaned in and kissed him.
“Walk with me,” Creole’s husky voice demanded.
He lifted me off his lap. Sitting me next to him, he stood, his outstretched hand waiting for me to grab it.
Live in the moment.
Looking into his troubled eyes, I knew he wanted to go for a walk because he knew it was my favorite thing to do. Larry and Barry were dead. Ruby was in jail. The threat was over. The two of us could go walk down to the beach without a worry for ourselves.
I thought only with my heart and took his hand.
It didn’t take long to change into our bathing suits. I grabbed a sheer wrap, tying it around my waist.
We walked out on the deck and hand in hand down the stairs that led to the beach. Our toes sank into the white sand. Creole tugged on my hand, and we went running into the waves, kicking water, the waves lapping our feet.
“Sandcastle time.” Creole dragged me down on the sand.
I wrinkled my nose. “I don’t know how.”
“You’re with the master.”
“Another hidden talent.” I looked at him skeptically, watching as he dug furiously in the sand.
I copied his movements, helping him to build what he assured me was a sandcastle. Not having made very many, I thought it resembled a pile of sand, nothing remarkable, but I loved it. I wanted to laugh but didn’t want to hurt his feelings. I stared, not sure what it looked like – a large square with a shell for a door.
“You dissing my artwork?” When I didn’t answer, he tackled me and tickled me.
“Stop, stop,” I screamed, laughing, panting, almost out of breath. “I swear it’s beautiful.”
“I love your laugh.” He kissed me gently, drawing out my response. Some of his caresses were meant to brand, and some were just strokes of his lips against mine, as though trying to reassure himself that I was beside him.
He lifted me in his arms, setting me on my feet, and we ran back to the house, wet and caked with sand. We stood outside the sliding door, shedding our bathing suits to keep from getting sand all over the house.
He grabbed my hand, leading me into the bathroom to shower.
* * *
Lying next to him on the bed, I rolled onto my side. The soothing sounds of the ocean echoed throughout the house.
I knew how short life could be. I’d already had more than a couple brushes with death and knew that anything that had to be said should be said, and in the moment, not saved for another time that might not come.
I looked into warm blue eyes filled with promise. “I love you,” I whispered, happy to tell him to his face.
I had everything I wanted right in front of me, and I’d be damned if I was going to die early. Intellectually, I knew that this hadn’t happened because of some stupid job Fab and I had signed up for, but still, I had to stop taking unnecessary risks. The next neighbor that got offed, I’d mind my own business.
Love could be easy and uncomplicated, and I wanted a normal life, walks on the beach, friends over for dinner, and a house full of laughter. I wanted to stop feeling like I needed a firearm everywhere I went, including my own patio.
My eyes roamed over the handsome face that I loved so much.
“We should talk about babies.” He winked.
“We should?”
“Absolutely.”
I touched my fingertip to his lips.
“There will never be another woman for me but you.”
PARADISE SERIES NOVELS
Crazy in Paradise
Deception in Paradise
Trouble in Paradise
Murder in Paradise
Greed in Paradise
Revenge in Paradise
Kidnapped in Paradise
Swindled in Paradise
Executed in Paradise
Hurricane in Paradise
Lottery in Paradise
Starfish Island – A standalone romance
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About the Author
Deborah Brown is an Amazon bestselling author of the Paradise series. She lives in South Florida, with her ungrateful animals, where Mother Nature takes out her bad attitude in the form of hurricanes.
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Table of Contents
PARADISE SERIES NOVELS
LOTTERY IN PARADISE
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-One
Chapter Thirty-Two
Chapter Thirty-Three
Chapter Thirty-Four
Chapter Thirty-Five
Chapter Thirty-Six
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Chapter Forty
Chapter Forty-One
Chapter Forty-Two
Chapter Forty-Three
Chapter Forty-Four
Chapter Forty-Five
Chapter Forty-Six
Chapter Forty-Seven
Chapter Forty-Eight
About the Author
Lottery in Paradise (Florida Keys Mystery Series Book 11) Page 27