by Noelle Adams
Dragonfly Dreams, Christmas novella
PARANORMAL ROMANCE TITLES
If Tombstones Could Talk, paranormal novella
Beneath Still Waters, Part One, paranormal novella
Rising Above, Still Waters Part Two, paranormal novella
Teaser from Lost in Italy
Italy Intrigue Series - 1
2012 Write Touch Readers’ Award Winner
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“…starts off right away, and every page that follows is packed full of excitement that will keep you on the edge of your seat.”
Danielle, The Book Whore Blog ~ 5 Hearts—Could not put down amazing
Long and Short of It Reviews BEST BOOK
Night Owl Reviews reviewer TOP PICK
~~~
The best laid plans…
Halli Sanders spent two years planning the trip of a lifetime to Italy. Her itinerary did not include being stranded by her siblings, kidnapped by a sexy American movie star, dodging bullets, or fleeing criminals in a car chase around Lake Como. And that’s just in the first three hours.
…often go awry.
Trent Tomlin put his movie career on hold to investigate his brother’s murder-ruled-suicide at his Italian villa. He’s closing in on the suspects when an American tourist unwittingly films the murder of the retired cop helping him. The killers will stop at nothing to get the evidence—including holding Halli’s family as collateral.
Life’s a little different unscripted.
Thrust into the role of real-life hero, Trent finds himself falling for the Plain Jane whose beauty blossoms with every challenge they face. But how can he keep the evidence from the murderers to get justice for his brother and friend without betraying Halli and her family?
EXCERPT:
Tires squealed and an engine revved loud to her right. Halli jumped about a foot. Ben and Rachel! An uncharacteristic spurt of anger doubled her anxiety as she whirled around.
“I can’t believe you guys left—”
Words disappeared with the heart-stuttering realization that the shiny blue convertible half pulled onto the cobblestone sidewalk was not her brother and sister. And the man in the driver’s seat most certainly was not her brother.
Plain was the first word that came to mind when Trent Tomlin got a good, close-up look at the girl dressed in baggy black pants and an oversized black T-shirt. Except for her eyes. Almost the exact color of his car, they blazed with anger—if the shrill tone of her voice were any indication.
Because he couldn’t afford to waste a second, he slipped into his carefree, celebrity character while pushing up his Ray Bans to flash his trademark, million dollar grin past the two day’s worth of camouflaging scruff on his jaw.
“Hi.” Usually that’s all he needed. One…two…
Astonishment replaced anger.
…three.
“Oh my God. You’re Shain West.”
“Only in the movies, darlin’.”
That always got ‘em, too, the good-ol’-boy, southern drawl. Didn’t matter he’d been born and raised in northern Oregon, he had a natural talent for mimicking any accent. After just a few words, he easily placed her in mid-west United States. American tourist. Perfect. It also explained why she’d been video taping in the wrong place at the wrong damn time. The opposite of his brother, and if he could help it, the opposite outcome.
Her cheeks flushed. “Of course. I know your real name. Sorry. It’s just—I’m…ah…I’m…”
Hell, he’d better speed this up. “Can I give you a lift?”
“W-what?” She craned her head around, as if he might be speaking to someone else.
Resisting the urge to check over his shoulder, he kept his gaze trained on her. “You look lost. Hop in and I’ll give you a ride.”
Her throat convulsed, and though he wouldn’t have thought it possible, her blush deepened to crimson. A fleeting smile revealed even, white teeth.
“Oh, no. I mean, um, thank you, but no.”
She lifted a hand to tuck a strand of straight brown hair behind her ear as she searched back and forth along the road.
Trent cast his own quick glance in the rearview mirror, pressure squeezing his body like a starving boa constrictor as he searched for the men who’d spotted her and her camera across the bay. By his amateur calculations, he figured he had about three more minutes. If they were lucky.
Pushing up to sit on the headrest, he prepared to turn on the superstar charm that had brought him such success at the box office.
“I’m waiting for my brother and sister,” she said before he could speak.
So that’s who’d driven off as he watched the scene unfold from one street above and behind her. He lifted a tense shoulder in a careless gesture. “Quick spin around town, and I’ll bring you right back. They’ll never know you were gone, sugar.”
Her eyebrows drew together above those deep blue eyes. Damn. He fought his own frown. Based on previous experience with star-struck women, she should’ve jumped in at the first invitation. Wasn’t it just his luck, this one had common sense.
Leaving the car running, he swung his legs over the door and rounded the front of the convertible. His heart thumped with each step as he tried to figure out the best way to get her out of this mess. It was one thing when he was following a script, but how the hell did one orchestrate a rescue in real life when the rescuee wouldn’t cooperate and he had no time to explain the danger? It’s not like he could play her the recording tucked in his pocket.
The girl backed away from his approach. He fought back rising apprehension and forced an easy smile.
“Look, I appreciate the offer, Shain, but—”
“Trent.”
“Right.” Her blush deepened. “I know. Trent. But I—”
“I need you to get in the car.” As an afterthought, he added, “Please.”
“Um…”
He used her glance down the road as cover for his own. Still time, yet his control slipped. “Seriously. Get in.”
The sharp command widened her eyes. Suspicion darkened them to navy, and she took another step backward. Then her shoulders squared while her gaze narrowed with determination. “No.”
The right taillight on his Alfa Romeo exploded. Trent ducked reflexively as bits of plastic flew in all directions. Adrenaline spiked through him, but other than a sharp reactive jerk, the girl just stood there holding her camera. Trent lunged forward, grabbed her arm and hauled her toward the car.
“Hey—let me go!” She pulled back with surprising strength.
He picked her up and shoved her head first into the passenger seat, then vaulted over her to slip behind the wheel. Heartbeat thundering in his ears, he gunned the gas with a sickening grinding of gears before the convertible shot out into traffic amidst screeching tires and blaring horns.
~~~
Check out the rest of Lost In Italy, and book 2 in the series,
Run To Rome
Love him and leave him.
Nine months ago, undercover detective, Ispettore Evalina Gallo, protected her heart the only way she knew how, never expecting to see her savior-turned-one-night-stand again. When he returns to Italia—now a person of interest in an investigation of a local organized crime family—her personal connection to the rugged American gets her assigned to the case.
A second chance to make things right.
With his mother’s pleas ringing in his ears, Ben Sanders plans to retrieve a stolen bible his father shipped to Italy thirteen years ago, and then get out as fast as he can. But with the arrival of the beautiful detective, he suspects his mother’s desire to right past wrongs might not be the whole truth.
Destiny will not be denied.
Now, less than twenty-four hours after entering the country, he’s getting shot at—again. In a race from Milan to Rome to find the precious book before anyone else, time is ticking for the one-time lovers. Attraction burns hotter than molten lava, but amid secrets and half-truths, they must learn to tr
ust each other if they have any hope of a future together.
The Mogul’s Reluctant Bride
Billionaire Brides of Granite Falls: Book Two
Ana E Ross
DEDICATION
I dedicate this book to my fabulous team of Beta Readers whose honest opinions, insights, and suggestions helped to craft this story. Kudos to:
Dinah Johnson Gilliard
Shirlyn Marshall
Renita Metcalf
Monica Sias-Mitchell
Lena P Neely
Sharon Porch
Shunta Smith
Angie Washburn
You’re the best, Ladies!
Contents
Prologue
One
Two
Three
Four
Five
Six
Seven
Eight
Nine
Ten
Eleven
Twelve
Thirteen
Fourteen
Fifteen
Sixteen
Seventeen
Eighteen
Excerpt from The Playboy’s Fugitive Bride
Prologue
Kaya cupped her little hands over her ears and hummed the tune to her favorite song, “You Are My Sunshine”. But as hard as she tried to drown out the noise, she could still hear her mother’s angry screams and her father’s booming voice coming from inside.
Finally, her father’s heavy footsteps thumped across the floor. As he opened the door, she jumped up from the front step of the apartment where they’d made her sit while they yelled at each other.
He smiled at her. He always smiled at her, even when he was mad with everybody else.
“Are we going to the zoo now, Daddy?” She’d waited all week to go to the zoo with him. She’d waited all week to see him.
He crouched down beside her. “No, baby. We’re not going to the zoo today.”
Tears filled her eyes and her lips trembled. “But you promised. You promised you’d take me to the zoo. Please, Daddy.” She placed her hands on his broad shoulders.
“I’m sorry, Kaya, baby. But your—”
“Kay! Kay! Get in here before I whip your behind.”
Kaya’s heart beat hard and fast inside her chest when her mother appeared at the door with a cigarette between her fingers.
Her father stood up. “Go on,” he said. “You heard your momma.”
Kaya balled her fists and glared at her mother. “No!” Her long braids slapped across her face as she shook her head in defiance. “I won’t go inside. I want to go with my daddy.”
“Get out of here!” her mother screamed at her father. “Don’t talk to her. Don’t you ever talk to her again or I’ll have your—”
“Okay, Nadine. I’m going.” William Brehna smiled at his little girl again. “Bye Kaya, baby. Daddy loves you.”
“Daddy!” Kaya screamed as he walked down the steps.
“You stay away from that man.” Her mother grabbed her arm, hauled her inside, and kicked the door shut. “He’s a no good—”
“He’s good. He’s my daddy. He’s my daddy.” Tears spilled down her cheeks as she glared at the puffy-eyed dragon with a curly stream of smoke oozing out of her mouth.
Nadine Brehna glared at her daughter then marched into the only bedroom in the apartment and slammed the door.
Kaya ran to the window in the living room and watched her father get into his car. But instead of driving off, he just sat there.
It could have been seconds, minutes, hours—a five-year-old had no concept of time, only the reality of abuse and loneliness.
She jumped up with joy when he got out of the car and came back up the walkway. She ran to the door, threw it open, and leaped into his arms. “Oh, Daddy, we’re going to the zoo.” She didn’t really care if they went to the zoo, or the park, or if they only went for a walk around the block. She needed so much to be with her daddy.
He was the only happiness she had.
He pried her arms from around his neck and pressed a cold metal object into her hand. “This is for you, Kaya.” He set her on the step and knelt in front of her, his big white teeth sparkling in the morning sun. “It belonged to your great-great-grandfather.”
A big lump settled in Kaya’s chest when she saw tears in her father’s eyes. She’d never seen her daddy cry before. “You can keep it, Daddy. I don’t need it.” She wiped at his tears with trembling fingers.
Her father held her hands and dropped wet kisses into her palms. “Don’t you ever lose this locket, Kaya. It contains a code to a box in a bank, but don’t go to the bank until you’re eighteen.”
He made her say the name and location of the bank several times until she remembered it.
“And don’t let your momma know you have this locket. You hear me, baby girl?”
“Yes, Daddy.” Kaya gazed at the object then slid it into the pocket of her shorts.
“Daddy has a fistful of love for you. Always and forever,” he said with a tear-soaked smile, pressing his fist to his chest. He pulled her close and hugged her tightly.
She wound her arms around his neck, his black beard grazing her soft cheeks, his spicy odor seeping under her tender skin. She never wanted to let him go.
But he tore away, tears gushing down his dark cheeks. “Goodbye, Kaya. I love you, baby. I’ll always love you, my little princess.”
“Daddy!” Kaya called as he staggered down the walkway. Somehow, in her five-year-old heart, she knew she would never see him again. “Daddy, don’t leave me. Please don’t leave me here. Daddy! Daddy—”
“Kay! Kay! I told you to come inside!”
Her mother grabbed her by the arm. Kaya fought her with every bit of strength in her lithe body. But it was no use. Through her tears, amidst her screams, she watched the taillights of her father’s car disappear around the corner. When she collapsed on the step, too weak to fight anymore, her mother dragged her inside as if she were a rag doll.
“What did I tell you, Kay?”
“It’s Kaya. Kaya! My name is Kaya. It means ‘Stay and don’t go back.’ My daddy told me.”
“Well, I don’t see that man who gave it to you around here, do I? You want me to tell you where he is, Kay?”
“You made my daddy go away. You made him leave. I hate you. I hate you! I—”
Her skinny frame rocked from the force of the slap across her face, and a million bright stars shot across her vision, momentarily blinding her.
“You can think about how much you hate me while you’re in there.” Nadine opened the closet door and threw her daughter atop a heap of smelly coats, old shoes, and dilapidated cardboard boxes filled with junk. “You’re not coming out ’til you apologize for your sassy mouth.”
“I don’t care! I don’t ever want to come out! I don’t ever want to see your ugly face ever again!”
“Suits me fine. You can stay in there for the rest of your miserable life, you ungrateful little brat.” Nadine slammed the door.
Kaya pulled the object her father had given her from her pocket, and closing her fingers around it, she stuffed her fist into her mouth as a fresh batch of tears rolled down her cheeks, stinging the tender spot where her mother had slapped her.
“Why, Daddy? Why did you leave me here?”
Kaya wept her little broken heart out, and when she had no more tears, when there was no energy left in her small body, she curled up in the musky darkness and went to sleep.
One
Eighteen years later…
“There must be some mistake, Steven.” Kaya Brehna’s hands tightened around the arm of the chair.
“I really wish there was, Kaya.”
“They— they left nothing?”
“Nothing,” the man behind the mahogany desk reiterated with a shake of his head.
Kaya pressed an unsteady hand to her chest. Her heart raced with fear and her mind swam in a pool of confusion and uncertainty. Even though she’
d never had a close relationship with Lauren, when Steven had called with the news of her sister and brother-in-law’s deaths, and that they had named her guardian of their children, Kaya had dropped everything to be with her nephew and two nieces.
Up until a minute ago, she had every reason to believe that nine-year-old Jason, four-year-old Alyssa, and two-month-old Anastasia were financially secure. She hadn’t met the children until yesterday, but the minute she saw them, Kaya knew she could never abandon them. She was all set to put her life on hold to nurse them through this most grievous time of their lives, but how on earth could she do that after what the executor of Michael and Lauren’s will just told her?
They died bankrupt.
Nothing made any sense.
Forcing back the hysteria in her throat, Kaya struggled to her feet and braced her hands against the edge of the desk. “Steven, I’ve worked in the homes of some of the wealthiest people in Florida. I know money when I see it. That three-story, eight-bedroom mansion my sister lived in is worth millions, yet, you’re telling me she died penniless?”
“I’m sorry to give you more bad news, Kaya, but, yes, those are the facts I’m afraid.” His tone was apologetic as if he was the one who had caused her dilemma.
“Well, in light of that, Steven, I can’t stay in Granite Falls now. I have no choice but to return to Palm Beach and take the children with me.”
Steven rose and strolled around the desk. “I’m aware that you and your sister weren’t very close, Kaya, and that there are events about her life you may not be aware of. But I was Michael and Lauren’s friend as well as their attorney, and if there’s one thing I do know, it’s that they would not want you to take their children to Florida. Granite Falls is their home.”
“Was, Steven. Was.” Kaya threw her hands up in frustration. “Everything is changed now. I was willing to settle down in Granite Falls, put my life on hold for a while until they got used to me as their caregiver, but that option is off the table. My career in Palm Beach is the only fighting chance I have to provide a decent living for all of us.”
“I understand the financial dilemma you’re facing, but it wouldn’t be wise to uproot the children so soon after the loss of their parents. They have ties in Granite Falls. Ties that shouldn’t be severed at this precarious time of their lives.”