He laughed again, releasing her to rake his fingers through his hair in his signature gesture of discomfiture.
The thought occurred to Lucy that his talk about a honeymoon hadn’t been sincere. He might have just been making up words to reinforce their roles.
With a self-conscious step backward, she pulled away. “I’m sorry,” she said as the elevator touched down. “I thought that was where our relationship was headed. My mistake.” The door slid open, and she dove for the exit, intending to retreat with her dignity intact.
With a groan, Gus caught her elbow and swung her back into his arms. Two quick jabs of his finger, and they were isolated in the soundproof space again, headed to the uppermost floor.
“There’s no mistake, Luce,” he reassured her, stroking her defiantly lifted chin with his fingertips. “It’s just that you took the words out of my mouth before I could say them, and I’ve been practicing,” he admitted ruefully.
Lucy’s stiff posture relaxed. “You’ve been practicing proposing to me?” she asked with incredulity and relief.
“I should have guessed you’d beat me to it,” he added without rancor.
“Well, go ahead,” she urged. “Let’s hear what you’ve got.”
Seriousness vied with humor in his golden-brown eyes. “Nah, I never got it right. I think you should do it,” he decided. “You’re the one who took the initiative.”
He surprised her further by reaching in the lining of his jacket and producing a velvet pouch. “Go ahead,” he urged, placing it in the center of her palm. “Ask me.”
Lucy swallowed hard. With a wide-eyed glance at him, she pulled the ring out of the pouch and gasped in delight. The glittering tier of diamonds on the platinum band reminded her of the stars viewed from the top of La Montaña. “Oh, Gus. It’s beautiful!”
The elevator slowed to a stop and the door slid open. A distracted glance revealed the director of the CIA himself about to join them. Taking in the vignette before him, he hesitated, then, to Lucy’s dismay, stepped right inside and pushed a button. “Don’t let me interrupt,” he told them with an indulgent smile.
Gus cocked an eyebrow at Lucy, who wavered with uncharacteristic cowardice.
“We can do this later,” she assured him, trying to give the ring back.
“No, you started it. You finish,” he insisted, humor edging out seriousness for the time being. “Besides, it should be spontaneous, not practiced.”
The elevator began its agonizing descent. “Okay,” she agreed, drawing a breath to clear her head. Ignoring the director as best she could, Lucy focused exclusively on the man she loved. Her thoughts went back eight years ago to the carefree days of college, then fast-forwarded through their harrowing experience on La Montaña, to the last bittersweet weeks of mixed pleasure and yearning. “I wish I’d never shut you out of my life,” she admitted, pushing her confession through a tightening throat. “Please marry me, Gus. Stay with me forever and never, never leave.”
A slow, tender smile lifted the corners of Gus’s mouth as he pulled her into his arms. “That was beautiful,” he praised. “What do you think, sir?” he added, surprising Lucy, who had almost forgotten the director was still there, playing witness. “Should I accept?”
“Lucy Donovan, is it?” the man asked, running an assessing gaze over her. “Your reputation precedes you. I’d say you’re in good hands with her, young man,” he decided, clapping Gus on the back.
“Then I accept,” said Gus, relieving Lucy’s trace fears. Taking the pouch from her hands, he slipped the ring onto her fourth finger, a perfect fit. “I’ve had this since the end of my senior year,” he surprised her by admitting. “I was planning to give it to you when you got back from Spain.”
“Oh, Gus,” she whispered, regret stitching through her at how terrorism had torn them apart. Ironically, it had also brought them back together.
“I’ve never stopped loving you, Luce. You’re the only woman I’ve ever wanted to share my life with,” he added gruffly.
The elevator gave a bump as they touched down for a second time. With a handshake for Gus and a kiss for Lucy, the director stepped out ahead of them. “Now, that’s a story for the grandkids,” he added, wagging a finger at them before walking away.
“Wait,” said Lucy, drawing Gus back in the elevator. “I want to savor the moment,” she added, pressing the button for the uppermost floor again. “Besides, my mother’s still in my apartment.”
Gus groaned as he encircled her in his arms. “Maybe we should get a hotel room,” he suggested in advance of a blistering kiss.
Desire rose in conjunction with the ascending elevator.
“I don’t suppose you know how to jam the door?” suggested Lucy breathlessly.
He slanted the door in question a considering glance. “I bet I can figure something out.”
Lucy’s blood thrummed with anticipation as he forced open a panel under the buttons and eyed the display. “We could lose our jobs over this,” she added with a nervous laugh.
“I won’t do anything that can’t be undone,” he promised, flicking a switch. Immediately, the lights in the cubicle dimmed as the elevator slowed to a halt.
They met in a clash of silk and wool, lips and tongues. Within seconds, Lucy’s back was against the wall, Gus’s hands bunching the slippery material of her skirt. Encountering bare skin beneath, he growled with appreciation. “I’m so glad you hate pantyhose,” he muttered thickly.
Lucy hummed her agreement. This was one story the grandkids probably shouldn’t overhear.
Dear Readers,
As you probably already know, SHOW NO FEAR is the most recent addition to my Navy SEAL series, all centered around the absolutely irresistible heroes of Navy SEAL Team Twelve. My joy in writing this series came from bringing seven very distinct but equally captivating men to life. I hope you’ll indulge me as I tell you a little about each one of them.
From FORGET ME NOT,
the decisive Lieutenant Gabe Renault.
Gabe had ample time in a North Korean prison to consider what really matters to him—winning back the love of his estranged wife, Helen, and stepdaughter. A daring escape makes his dreams a reality. But hampered with PTSD and a spotty memory, Gabe struggles to make good on his intentions. Can he convince his women that he’s a changed man before a mysterious traitor seeks to betray him yet again?
From IN THE DARK,
the contemplative Lieutenant Luther Lindstrom.
Without a doubt, Luther is six feet and six inches of all-American integrity. Squared away and humble, this former professional football player turned down millions to serve his country. All he wants is a sweet, uncomplicated woman to keep the home fires burning. Too bad he can’t get the sassy redheaded DIA agent Hannah Geary out of his head!
From TIME TO RUN,
the tough guy, Chief “Westy” McCaffrey.
Sniper Westy McCaffrey thinks he turned off his heart when he buried his family twenty years ago. While helping Sara Garret flee from her abusive husband, Westy returns to his childhood ranch to face his demons. Sara’s loving touch brings his shattered heart back to life. Only how can he continue to be a ruthless sniper with his feelings getting in the way?
From NEXT TO DIE,
the hunky Lieutenant Commander Joe Montgomery.
Newly appointed commander of Team Twelve, the once charmed golden boy is back from Afghanistan, scarred and wounded. While Joe nurses survivor’s guilt in secret, his neighbor and physical therapist, Penny Price, vows to return him to his former glory. Even as Penny slowly heals Joe’s brokenness, she is haunted by a killer who threatens their unexpected bond.
From DON’T LET GO,
the powerful Master Chief Solomon McGuire.
Solomon has distrusted women ever since his first wife ran off with his infant son. On a mission to pluck an American woman from war-torn Venezuela, he forcibly separates Jordan Bliss from the orphan she is trying to adopt. Jordan’s devastation strikes a
chord of remorse that is compounded by Solomon’s sudden, powerful desire for her. Now he will do anything to reunite Jordan with the orphan Miguel, earning the right to her love and the chance to find a new family.
From TOO FAR GONE,
the irresistible Chief Sean Harlan.
Sean can get any woman he wants. It’s too bad the only woman he thinks of is Ellie Stuart, the single mother of three boys who’s off limits to him. But when Ellie’s boys are violently kidnapped, Sean is the first to come to her aid and lose his heart. When the police begin to suspect Ellie, Sean will stop at nothing to reunite Ellie with her boys.
And last but not least, you’ve already met
Lieutenant Gus Atwater.
He may have been a geek in college, but dedication and determination have made him one of the deadliest men on the planet. No wonder Lucy can’t resist him.
If you haven’t fallen in love at least seven times with this series, you probably missed a book!
Enjoy,
THE DISH
Where authors give you the inside scoop!
From the desk of Susan Kearney
Dear Reader,
I came up with my idea for LUCAN (on sale now), the first book in the Pendragon Legacy Trilogy, in the usual way. A time machine landed in my backyard early one morning, and I forgot all about sleeping in—especially after a hunky alien sauntered right up to my back porch and knocked.
Scrambling from bed, I yanked on a cami and jeans, stashed a tape recorder in my back pocket and ran my fingers through my hair. Like any working writer worth her publisher’s advance, I was willing to forego sleep for the sake of research.
I yanked open the back door.
Did I mention the guy was hot? No way would I have guessed he was an archeologist back from a mission to a planet named Pendragon. But I’m getting ahead of myself. From his squared jaw to the intelligent gleam in his eyes to his ripped chest, Lucan was all macho male.
And for the next few hours he was all mine.
“I understand you’re interested in love stories written in the future,” Lucan said, his lips widening into a charming grin.
“I am.” Heart pounding with excitement, I joined him on the porch. We each took a chair.
Lucan steepled his hands under his chin. “In the future, global pollution will cause worldwide sterility.”
Uh-oh. “Humanity is going to die?” I asked.
“Our best hope will be a star map I found in King Arthur’s castle.”
“A star map…” Oh, that sounded exciting. “You followed the map to the stars?”
“To find the Holy Grail.”
“Because the Holy Grail will cure Earth’s infertility problem?”
He nodded and I was pleased. I was a writer for a reason. I could put clues together. But I wanted more. “You mentioned a love story?”
Lucan’s face softened. “Lady Cael, High Priestess of Avalon.”
“She helped you?”
His full lips twisted into a handsome grin. “First, she almost killed me.”
“But you’re still alive,” I prodded, settling back in my chair. There was nothing I liked better than a good adventure story about saving the world, especially when it involved romance and love.
If you’d like to read the story Lucan told me, the book is in stores now. And if you’d like to contact me, you can do so at www.susankearney.com.
Enjoy!
From the desk of Marliss Melton
Dear Readers,
“What inspires your stories?” my readers ask. I tell them everything—news stories, movies, dreams, but most especially personal experience. “Write what you know” is wise advice, especially when it comes to painting a vivid setting. Though I’ve never visited the jungles of Colombia the way my characters do in my latest book SHOW NO FEAR (on sale now), I did get to experience the jungle as a child living in Thailand. During my family’s three-year tour there, we often vacationed at a game reserve called Kao Yai.
Children are wonderfully impressionable. I will never forget the moist coolness of the jungle air or the ruckus of the gibbons, swinging in the canopy at dawn and again at sunset. And the birds! There was a great white hornbill named Sam, hand-raised by the park rangers, that liked to frighten unsuspecting tourists by dive-bombing them! One morning, I fed her Fruit Loops off my bungalow deck. By day, my parents would drag all five of us kids on mile-long hikes, an experience stamped indelibly into my mind, providing inspiration for Gus and Lucy’s perilous hikes. Our labors were always rewarded by a swim in the basin of a thirty-foot waterfall. Behind the waterfall, I discovered a secret cave, just like Gus and Lucy’s. On one hike in particular, we stumbled into a set of huge tiger tracks. Who knew how close a tiger was lurking? Luckily, it left us alone.
Without a doubt, my childhood adventures have provided me with tons of material for my writing. I hope you enjoyed Gus and Lucy’s adventures in SHOW NO FEAR. To read more about my adventurous childhood and what inspires my writing, visit my Web site at www.marlissmelton.com.
Sincerely,
From the desk of Michelle Rowen
Dear Reader,
In my Immortality Bites series, I’ve put fledgling vampire Sarah Dearly through a great many trials and tribulations, and she’s weathered them all with her trademark sarcasm (her greatest weapon against nasty vampire hunters), grace, and charm (although this is usually mixed with a whole lot of anxiety and paranoia).
In TALL, DARK & FANGSOME (on sale now), the fifth and final book in the series, Sarah finds all of her vampire-related issues coming to a head. Her nightwalker curse seems likely to turn her permanently into an evil, bloodsucking vamp; she’s being blackmailed into helping Gideon Chase, the leader of the vampire hunters, become the strongest vamp ever created; and her romance with master vamp Thierry seems destined to break both of their hearts.
Life sure ain’t easy for a vamp.
How will it all work out? Will Sarah get the happily ever after she’s been hoping for?
I wish I knew!
(Ha. I do know. I wrote it! But I can’t just give away the ending so easily, can I?)
What I know for sure is that writing these crazy characters for the past five-plus years has been a pleasure and I’m going to miss them very much! I hope you’ve enjoyed the journey and that you’re as pleased as I am with the ending to Sarah’s story…
Happy Reading!
www.michellerowen.com
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