Sam said good-bye to John and walked back into the dining room. He stared at Shauna, resting so peacefully, love and relief flowing through him.
She’s safe.
“You’re watching me.”
He leaned over and kissed her lightly on the lips. “I’ll be watching you for a long, long time.”
She opened her eyes. “How long?”
“Trying to get rid of me so soon?” He hoped after the last few days they’d gotten over all the baggage and problems they’d had in the past. Everything wrong that happened between them was because of timing. That was then, and now he could only think about Shauna.
She took his hand and pulled him down on top of her. “Not today.”
“You know, I don’t really have a place to live. I’ve been staying with an old friend from the force. I haven’t had time to look for an apartment.”
“This place is pretty big. If you don’t mind the heat in the summer and drafty winters.” Her voice was light, but her eyes were serious and apprehensive. As if he would reject her. His heart twisted. He would do anything never to hurt her again.
“I don’t mind at all.”
“The place needs a lot of work.”
“I can help with that. Earn my room and board.”
She grinned and tilted her chin up. “I can think of far more fun ways to earn your keep than renovating this old house.” She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled his head close to hers.
“More fun than sanding wood and peeling off wallpaper?”
“Well, when you put it that way,” she teased.
He kissed her lightly, his heart pounding. This was it. There was no turning back. And he was good with that. In fact, he felt great, as if years of uncertainly disappeared when he looked at Shauna. “I’m all yours. Do with me as you wish.”
“You’re giving me an awful lot of leeway, Detective Garcia. You might want to take that back.”
“Never.”
She rolled him onto the floor and straddled him. She pulled his arms above his head and held them there, her face close to his. “Anything I want?”
“Anything.”
Sam looked at Shauna for a long minute. The timing, finally, was perfect.
“I love you, Shauna,” he whispered.
“Love you, too.”
He smiled. “I know you do.”
“Getting cocky, aren’t you?”
“Just a bit.” He kissed her. “But it isn’t every day I get to make love to the woman of my dreams.”
“Well,” Shauna said with a wry grin, “we’ll have to change that now, won’t we?”
# # #
Allison Brennan Booklist
Allison Brennan is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of eighteen books and multiple short stories. She lives in Northern California with her husband and five children. You can read excerpts of all the books below at her website, www.allisonbrennan.com.
Romantic Thrillers
The Predator Trilogy
The Prey
The Hunt
The Kill
The No Evil Trilogy
Speak No Evil
See No Evil
Fear No Evil
The Prison Break Trilogy
Killing Fear
Tempting Evil
Playing Dead
The FBI Trilogy
Sudden Death
Fatal Secrets
Cutting Edge
Thrillers
The Lucy Kincaid Series
“Love is Murder” (digital novella)
Love Me To Death
Kiss Me, Kill Me
If I Should Die (also includes “Love is Murder” novella)
Silenced
Stalked (coming October 30, 2012)
Stolen (coming Spring 2013)
Silenced
Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Silenced-ebook
Barnes and Noble:
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/silenced
Apple:
http://itunes.apple.com/us/book/silenced
Stalked
Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Stalked-ebook
Barnes and Noble:
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/stalked
Apple:
http://itunes.apple.com/us/book/stalked
Supernatural Thrillers
The Seven Deadly Sins Series
“Deliver Us from Evil” in What You Can’t See (novella)
Original Sin
“Ghostly Vengeance” free story at sevendeadlysinsbooks.com
Carnal Sin
“Ghostly Justice” in Entangled (digital only)
Short Stories & Novellas
“Killing Justice” originally published in KILLER YEAR edited by Lee Child
“Deliver Us from Evil” in What You Can’t See (Seven Deadly Sins series)
“A Capitol Obsession” originally published in TWO OF THE DEADLIEST edited by Elizabeth George
“Ghostly Vengeance” free online story (Seven Deadly Sins series)
“Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier” essay in 100 MUST READ THRILLERS edited by David Morrell (non-fiction)
“Her Lucky Day” in BLOODLITE II: OVERBITE edited by Kevin J. Anderson, Horror Writers Association
“Ghostly Justice” in ENTANGLED, digital only charity anthology
“Above Reproach” originally published in GUNS & ROSES digital only anthology
“Love is Murder” digital novella also printed in IF I SHOULD DIE (Lucy Kincaid series)
“Vacation Interrupted” in LOVE IS MURDER edited by Sandra Brown (Lucy Kincaid series)
KILLING JUSTICE anthology of previously published stories “Killing Justice” (2008); “A Capitol Obsession” (2009); “Above Reproach” (2012) (digital only)
MURDER IN THE RIVER CITY novella (digital only)
Starting July 31, 2012 for a limited time:
SILENCED, a Lucy Kincaid Thriller, is on sale for $2.99
Lucy Kincaid is back — with a vengeance
A Washington Sex Scandal
It has been seven years since Lucy was attacked—and almost killed—by an online predator. Today, she is well on her way toward a new life.
While waiting to begin her training at the FBI Academy, Lucy’s is tireless in her fight against cyber sex crime. Her current mission: to find out who killed a high-priced call girl linked to a powerful Congressman.
A Cold-Blooded Killer
A number of known prostitutes—with scores of high profile clients—are turning up dead all over D.C. Is this the work of a depraved killer? Or the result of an inside job? Lucy’s investigation will take her into an underground network of prostitutes, the chambers of the country’s most powerful players, and her own dark past to confront an unknown enemy who’s always one step ahead of her. With the help of her P.I. boyfriend Sean Rogan, Lucy must find and protect the only witness who can identify the killer and end the conspiracy, but can the witness be trusted? Lucy will risk everything to expose the truth and ensure justice is served, even if that means putting herself in the line of fire…
“Engrossing.”
—Publishers Weekly
“Riveting.”
—RT Book Reviews
“A world-class nail-biter.”
—Lee Child
Murder in the River City Page 16