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Lottery in Paradise (Florida Keys Mystery Series Book 11)

Page 27

by Deborah Brown


  “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

  Preview and purchase Deborah’s books at Amazon

  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.

  Sign up for my newsletter and get the latest on new book releases. Contests and special promotion information. And special offers that are only available to subscribers.

  Visit her website at deborahbrownbooks.com

  You can contact her at Wildcurls@hotmail.com

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  facebook.com/deborahbrownbooks

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  Twitter: @debbrownbooks

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  Preview and purchase Deborah’s books at Amazon

  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

 

 

 


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