A Necessary Deception

by Lucy Farago

  “You should have had a little more faith in me. I’m not like your mom, Monty.”

  “Is that why you didn’t tell me the real reason you married Gage?” He’d embarrassed her, but Ryan was still his boss, and if things went according to plan, there’d come a time when she and Ryan would see each other again.

  “He told you?”

  “I wish you had.” It hurt to think she’d left out so much.

  “I was embarrassed. It wasn’t until after Gage had his baby that he told me his version of what had happened. I should’ve known Ryan wouldn’t cheat. I think part of me used it as an excuse. What if he stopped loving me? To be abandoned again… But you’re right, I didn’t want you to compare me to your mother.”

  “You’re not her.” He played with the corners of his napkin, unsure…or afraid to ask. “Do you regret not marrying Ryan?” He had to know.

  “No. I did love him, but that was a long time ago and, as you know, I’m not that girl anymore.” She reached across the table and covered his hand with hers. “I’m sorry the treatment has taken longer than I thought, but my dad is the only thing keeping me here.”

  “I knew what it meant to you, having your dad back in your life. After talking with Ryan, I realized my mistake. I wanted to come first in someone’s life, but if I have to take second best to your father, then I will. And it’s okay. I’ve fallen in love with you, Taylor. I didn’t want to, but how could I not?”

  “You are not second best and you never will be. I should have told you that, but I guess I was afraid Alaska was, well, just Alaska.”

  “Alaska will never be just Alaska. We talked about being friends, but it evolved into more. I was willing to risk it all for you, but the longer you stayed away, the less I believed you were coming back. I should have just come out and asked you. But I didn’t think I could bear listening to you reject me, so I said nothing. I was a real coward.”

  “No. I knew about your mom. I should have told you every day how much I love you. I was the coward, not you.”

  “You love me?” he said, standing and taking her with him.

  “You said it first.”

  “No, I didn’t.” He circled his arms tightly around her, loving the feel of her against him.

  “Yes, you did.”

  “No, I said, I’d fallen in love with you. I never actually said, ‘Taylor, I love you.’”

  “Semantics.” She snuggled closer and groped his ass. “You look really fine in this suit.”

  “Yeah? Does it turn you on?” he asked, unzipping the back of her dress.

  “Everything is clear. Someone might see.”

  “We’re miles from anywhere.” He’d made sure of it. “But if it makes you happy, the bedroom has a curtain wall. Only the roof remains open to the stars.”

  “There’s a bed? You brought a bed?”

  “I was hoping if I professed my undying love for you, you know…I’d get some.”

  She dug her fingers into his cheeks. “Except you haven’t professed a damn thing.”

  He let out a long woeful sigh, loving how the evening was turning out. “I love you,” he said as grudgingly as he could without breaking out into a smile. “I promise to keep loving you,” he added, all teasing gone.

  “I love you too. And even though I had to be here for my father, you’ll always be first in my heart.” She met his lips with hers and showed him with her mouth.

  Damn, the woman could kiss.

  “Hey.” She pulled away. “What are the snowshoes for?”

  “Oh, yeah, I forgot. Come on.” He zipped her dress, and snagging her hand, tugged her back outside.

  “Monty, it’s cold.”

  “We won’t be out here long. Suck it up.”

  “Gee, you’re such a romantic.”

  If she only knew. He yanked one of the snowshoes from the snow. “Here,” he said, handing it to her.

  “Thanks, but it doesn’t go with my dress.”

  “No, behind the cross bar.” He flipped the shoe and showed her the etching on the wood.

  She read it out loud. “11-18-18-4-22. What’s this?”

  “It’s the exact time I laid eyes on you.”

  “You’re kidding.”

  “No. When you kept falling, I checked my watch to see how much time we had before the sun set. That’s it.” He pointed to the inscription. “Some of those guys on that show get out of the limo with gifts, and the girl always seems to gush over them. So, I thought I’d bring one for you. Is it too corny?”

  She nodded but said, “No.” Then threw her arms around him, dropping the snowshoe. “I can’t believe you did that. See, there’s hope for you yet.”

  He picked her up and spun her around. Never in his wildest dreams had he ever thought he could be this happy.

  “Hey, I’m freezing my sequins off. Want to show me that bed now?”

  He put her down and taking off his jacket, draped it over her shoulders and together they headed back inside. “There’s one more thing I have to do.” He reached across the table and picked up the red rose. They’d done this on YouTube too and he hoped he’d got it right.

  “Yes.” Taylor snatched the rose from his fingers and laughed. “With all my heart, yes.”

  And under a diamond-encrusted sky, they made love. They promised all the things lovers did when they knew they’d found the one. And they made love some more. The chili wasn’t the only thing Monty had brought, and afterward they dined on smoked salmon and the world’s finest cheeses. He fed her cantaloupe slices from the fig and olive salad and they drank the champagne Ryan had insisted he pay for. For breakfast, he served her chocolate-covered strawberries and rose-shaped cinnamon buns drizzled with caramel sauce. And when she complained about the calories, they worked if off, tangled in each other’s arms.

  Meet the Author

  Lucy Farago knows there’s nothing like a happy sigh at the end of a good book. With the encouragement of her loving husband, she wrote her first manuscript. An unpublished historical novel, it sits in a file on her computer, there to remind her how much fun she had learning the craft and becoming part of an industry whose books make you believe anything is possible. A big fan of Agatha Christie, she set out to write her first romantic suspense novel. Thrilled to be a published author, Lucy also teaches yoga, enjoys cooking, and saying what other people are thinking. In her fantasy world, her beautiful Siberian husky, Loki, doesn’t shed and her three kids clean up after themselves. Alas, that fantasy will never see fruition.

  Visit her at lucyfarago.com.

  A Necessary Lie

  Keep an eye out for more hot adventures from the Search and Recover crew.

  Coming soon from Lucy Farago and Lyrical Press!

  The Investigative Collection Unit is one of the world’s most renowned agencies, solving cases with—or without—the law on its side. And the Unit’s men are special agents in more ways than one, with secrets that can make or break them—and the hearts of those who fall for them . . .

  He’s known only as Cowboy. A successful rodeo star with a string of women behind him, the ICU has given him a chance to stay put instead of constantly running away—from the past, from love, from the blood on his hands. And he’s not going to screw that up, even if it means going back home to Texas to investigate the disappearance of the woman who made him start running in the first place . . .

  The political exposé of a popular senator should have been Grace Irvine’s story, but she thought it would be good for her best friend Jessie’s career. Now, Jessie is missing and Grace will do anything to find her. But her path keeps crossing with a mysterious and charismatic cowboy who has his own reasons for finding Jessie. And as intrigue draws Grace and Cowboy deeper into danger, passion starts to play by its own rules—making promises it might not be able to keep . . .

  Sin on the Strip
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br />   What happens in Las Vegas always burns bright, especially after hours. In this sizzling new series, the city’s 24/7 glitz hides one woman’s darkest nightmares—and one investigator’s seductive secrets . . .

  Control is everything to gorgeous Maggie Anderson. Her exclusive club gives abused and troubled women a refuge from Vegas’s merciless streets—and helps her reclaim her shattered sense of freedom. But now someone is brutally murdering those she fights so hard to save. And baring her deepest fears to the one man who insists on protecting her could be the one move she won’t survive . . .

  Elite private investigator Christian Beck knows this particular serial killer’s MO—and his own wrenching failure to find him—all too well. But staying two steps ahead of Maggie’s determination to uncover the truth pushes his well-honed skills past the limit—and ignites his most naked instincts. Now every clue is a lie, each irresistible desire a lethal trap. And the closer he and Maggie get, their shattering secrets will either save them—or torch their lives to glittering ash . . .

  Sin and the Millionaire

  What happens in Vegas might stay in Vegas, but when an innocent woman is pinned with someone else’s lethal mistake, the bright lights of Sin City threaten to dim for good . . .

  At seventeen, Lizzy’s first love swindled her out of a small fortune in lottery winnings, and her own small business—forcing her to strip to keep loan sharks at bay. That’s what led her to Vegas. Now she’s agreed to cater a Valentine’s Day party for her friend and soon-to-be business partner, Duncan. What she doesn’t know is that the shy, wealthy tech wiz is secretly in love with her. Lizzy also doesn’t expect to be hauled in by the cops when the two of them are accused of murdering Duncan’s gold-digging (almost) ex-wife . . .

  Lizzie should have learned the first time that mixing business with pleasure isn’t a good idea. For the record, she doesn’t sleep with friends. But as she and Duncan race to clear their names and find a killer, might they also discover they’re more than friends—just in time for the most romantic day of the year? . . .

  Sin on the Run

  There are some secrets even Las Vegas’s 24/7 glitter can’t hide. Lucy Farago’s dazzling new series ups the ante as a fiery stripper fights to protect an elite detective from danger—and both their killer pasts . . .

  Living in the red-hot now is how Rhonda Deagan survives. Onstage, this sexy Goth stripper always stays on top, no matter how much her real-life dreams shatter. So why not risk a scorching fling with a gorgeous groomsman after her best friend’s wedding? Too bad Blake Cameron is in someone’s lethal sights. And saving this cool-headed investigator’s life just put Rhonda on the run with him—and on his personal, oh-so-seductive hit list . . .

  For Blake, figuring out who doesn’t want him dead is easier than keeping his new raven-haired friend safe. The only way he can buy time to out-think their pursuers is to hide them both in the aristocratic world he thought he’d escaped. But there’s no escaping the incendiary attraction between him and Rhonda. Walking the knife-edge between desire, lies, and naked truth may be their best chance to live—if it doesn’t cut too deep to survive . . .

  Sins That Haunt

  The glitz and glamour of Las Vegas hide a multitude of sins. And in Lucy Farago’s show-stopping series, a lawyer and an FBI agent take a walk on the seedy side, where greed breeds a deadly desperation . . .

  Civil attorney Shannon Joyce walks the line of law and order, but she learned from day one how to put up a good front—thanks to her con man father. Thirteen years ago, she left the east coast and her life of crime behind. Her high school sweetheart, Noah, was collateral damage, but some things can’t be helped. But now there’s no escape when her past comes roaring down the Strip—in the oh-so-tempting form of the man she left behind . . .

  Special Agent Noah Monroe has Shannon exactly where he wants her—in the back of his car in handcuffs. Her grifter father has been murdered, and the FBI needs Shannon to keep one of his scams in play to bag the big bad guy who was financing him. Once again a pawn in someone’s else game, Shannon will have to trust her instincts to survive both the peril threatening her—and the passion Noah reignites . . .