The Promise of a Kiss

by Synithia Williams

  They’ve worked together for years. But one weekend away will change everything...

  Dominic Ferrell is the ultimate fixer. If a problem has to disappear, Dominic is the one to call. So when senatorial candidate Byron Robidoux needs help tracking down a woman from his past, Dominic can’t resist taking the job and enlisting the best PI he knows to help. It’s an open-and-shut case...or at least it was supposed to be.

  From the moment Dominic walks into her office, six feet of cool, confident, magnetism Jeanette knows she’s in for some delicious trouble. He may want to approach the woman they’re hired to find on his own, but Jeanette has a hunch about this case—and she’s never ever wrong. They either finish this together…or not at all.

  What begins as a simple work trip soon turns into something far more fun—and more complicated. And as the sparks between them ignite, nothing will ever be the same. But will Dominic and Jeanette get burned?

  THE PROMISE

  OF A KISS

  Synithia Williams

  To Eric

  Dear Reader,

  I can’t remember what triggered my imagination, but something put the idea of a female private investigator in my head. I couldn’t shake the thought, and that’s what led me to the heroine of this story. Jeanette is the owner of Lady Eyes Investigation, and she’s one of the best private investigators out there. The hero, Dominic, is a political fixer. When he’s called to solve a problem for the rich and powerful Robidoux family he knows exactly who can help him get to a quick resolution. Their investigation takes them to one of my favorite places to visit, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, where their partnership goes from business to up close and very personal. I hope you enjoy this quick adventure and a peek into the life of the Robidoux Family, the stars of my upcoming series with HQN.

  When you’re done please reach out and let me know what you think. Visit my website at www.synithiawilliams.com or connect with me on Facebook at Synithia Williams (Author) or on Twitter at @SynithiaW. I always love hearing from readers.

  Happy reading!

  Synithia

  Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Excerpt from Forbidden Promises by Synithia Williams

  CHAPTER ONE

  “I NEED YOU to find out if I have a child.”

  The words were still ringing in Dominic Ferrell’s ears, even though the phone conversation had taken place the day before. Years of hearing shocking requests had desensitized him a little, but this one stuck. The pile of bills on his desk kept him listening. He couldn’t afford to be picky about the cases he took, and that was a reality more frustrating than the bills filling his desk drawer.

  Now, as he paced his office and went over the little bit of information Byron Robidoux, of the rich and influential Robidoux family, had forwarded to him, he tried to mentally prepare for his meeting with the senatorial candidate.

  Dominic wasn’t surprised by the request. If there was a massive hurdle to overcome in a political campaign, Dominic was the person they called. Whether it was a gambling addiction that had gotten out of control, a fetish that didn’t need to see the light of day, or bad decisions that skimmed the line of unethical boundaries, Dominic could make the problem go away.

  Dominic had heard it all, which was why he carefully selected his clients. He simply wasn’t in the business of putting more corrupt politicians in office. If he was asked to cover up something illegal, immoral, or shady, he walked. He’d covered up enough bullshit lies for his parents as a kid that he refused to do it now. His instincts never failed him...in business anyway.

  His gaze slid from the Robidoux file to the manila folder that held the papers he had been served yesterday morning. Another settlement claim from yet another account he’d had no clue existed. More proof his instincts had not only failed him but damn near destroyed him. Every time he thought he’d found and corrected another source of fraud his ex-girlfriend, Jules, had created another one popped up. Filing for bankruptcy could stop things, but it would also ruin his reputation. Dominic needed to keep the depth of his financial problems off his clients’ radars. If anyone found out how “The Fixer” had been played, the business he’d built as a problem solver would be ruined.

  There was a knock on his office door. Dominic grabbed the manila folder and shoved it into the top drawer of his mahogany desk. No need to have that distracting him during this meeting.

  “Come in,” he called.

  Joshua, his administrative assistant, opened the door. “Byron Robidoux is here.”

  “Bring him in.” Dominic pulled the jacket to his dark gray suit from the back of his leather executive chair, slid it over his shoulders and straightened it.

  Byron Robidoux breezed through the doorway looking every bit the confident candidate in a tan blazer, white shirt unbuttoned at the neck and tailored pants. He strode over to Dominic and held out a hand.

  “Thank you for meeting with me so quickly.” Byron’s handshake was firm and strong, his eye contact direct and grateful.

  Dominic gave him credit for that. He loathed a limp handshake and shifty eyes. Reminded him too much of his father.

  “I have to admit I was intrigued by your situation,” Dominic said. He pointed to the table in the corner of his office. “Most people running for public office already know if they have a child hidden away somewhere.”

  Byron lowered into one of the chairs. “My situation is different. I don’t have a love child, but someone could claim that I do.”

  Dominic sat across the table from Byron. “Explain.”

  Byron’s gaze sharpened and assessed Dominic. “Before I do, I need to know I can trust you with this conversation. I got your name from Travis Strickland and I trust him, but I’d like to hear from you why you’re the right person for this job.”

  “Travis is your brother-in-law, right?” Dominic had worked with Travis on a few cases. The defense attorney was quickly becoming one of the best in the state.

  “Former brother-in-law, but he’ll always be my closest friend. I’ve known him since we were kids.”

  Dominic nodded. “I can only give you vague details about the cases I’ve worked, the people I’ve helped, and the problems I’ve solved. People trust me with their secrets and roadblocks, and I find a way to clear a path for them. The only way you’ll know if you want my help or not is if you decide to trust what you’ve already heard about me. You know I can deliver, otherwise you wouldn’t have called me.”

  Dominic didn’t advertise his services. People came to him. Word of mouth sold faster than any sales pitch he could come up with. Dominic knew how to do his job and he did it well. He didn’t have to beg for work.

  His mind drifted to the credit settlement in his desk. But if he wasn’t careful, he would be close to that.

  Byron watched him carefully. Dominic held his gaze and waited. Sweat ran down his back and his stomach was a jumble of nerves, but he didn’t look away. He needed this case. Whatever Byron’s problem was, he could solve it. He would redeem himself and finally put the financial problems hovering over his head behind him.

  Byron took a long breath and seemed to decide. “I need to make sure there isn’t someone out there claiming I have a child.”

  Dominic wanted to let out a relieved breath. Instead, he waited a beat to
let his relief settle. “Do you have a child?” he asked carefully.

  Byron recoiled and shook his head. “Of course not! I handle my responsibilities. I would never deny my own child.”

  Dominic was familiar enough with liars to tell Byron was straight up with his answer. That still didn’t explain why he would need Dominic. Other than the three-to-one odds he had of winning the senate seat he coveted. “Then why worry about someone saying you have a child?”

  Byron’s thick dark brows drew together. He looked like a man who’d rather be anywhere but here. “I just need to get things cleared up.” Byron’s voice was tired, frustrated.

  Dominic rested his elbows on the table. His interest piqued. “Why don’t you start at the beginning and tell me what exactly is going on.” He kept his voice calm.

  Byron pinched the bridge of his nose and took a long breath. “Back in college. I had this friend. Her name was Zoe Hammond. We met freshman year and clicked. Everything was cool.”

  Damien raised a brow. “But?” There was always a but in these situations.

  “But she had a boyfriend.” Bryon scowled and curled his lip. “A bad dude. He played football for the school, but he also had ties to some shady people. I didn’t realize how bad he was until Zoe came to me our senior year scared. Her boyfriend had beaten her up.” Byron’s hands clenched into fists. His brows knotted together in a frown. “I wanted to kill him. She begged me to stay with her, to protect her after she called the police. When I asked why he’d...hurt her that way...” Byron sucked in a harsh breath. When he spoke again his voice was even harder. “She said it’s because she told him she was pregnant.” Byron met Dominic’s eyes. “And that the baby was mine.”

  Dominic let out a low whistle. He could fix things, but he wasn’t a miracle worker. “So, you do have a kid.”

  Byron scoffed. “Didn’t you hear me before? Do you really think I’d let my child be out there in the world unprotected?”

  He said the words as if people had never ignored unwanted children. Dominic guessed that wasn’t the case for the Robidoux family. The wealthy family had major pull and influence not only in the state of North Carolina, but up and down the East Coast. They’d made their money with tobacco and expanded their wealth with other investments in manufacturing and real estate. Their money, combined with their political influence and the fact that Byron had already served as a state representative, made it clear the family was a force to be reckoned with.

  “Then you’re not the father?” Dominic raised a brow.

  Byron shook his head. “I’m not. She told him I was because she was afraid. If she had his child, she’d never be able to get away from him. I agreed to the lie. I offered to claim her child and marry her. We applied for a marriage license and everything, but the day we were to elope, she didn’t show up.” Decades-old regret crept into Byron’s voice. The ghost of an old heartbreak haunted his eyes.

  Though he empathized with the guy’s pain, Dominic couldn’t take any chances. “Are you sure you aren’t the father? Did you and Zoe ever sleep together?”

  Byron’s gaze didn’t waver. “No, we didn’t. Zoe was my friend, and she had a boyfriend. I don’t pine after another man’s woman.”

  From what Dominic had dug up, Byron Robidoux didn’t need to pine after another man’s woman. The bachelor dated everyone from socialites, to models, to an Olympic gymnast the previous year. “Okay, you didn’t. But if she disappeared, then why worry now?”

  “It’s because of the conversation we had before she disappeared. She told me she was going to put my name on the birth certificate. For all I know she did. She never contacted me again, and once I found out her ex-boyfriend was sentenced to fifteen years in prison for gun smuggling, I figured she was safe and left well enough alone.”

  Now Dominic understood the potential problem. “You want me to find her. Find out if you’re listed as the father of her child?”

  “Exactly. I can’t have this pop up during the campaign. I can’t have the media portray me as some deadbeat dad or spin a story about how I ignored my responsibilities.”

  “Even if the responsibility wasn’t yours to begin with?” From where Dominic viewed things, Byron could get ahead of this story by telling the truth about Zoe. Put it out there about how he’d tried to protect her and win public opinion with the hero angle.

  “I told her I would help her out. I’m not going to back out of that promise now,” Byron replied without flinching.

  Dominic gave the guy more credit for being honorable, a trait Dominic would typically admire. But after spending the past year cleaning up the mess he’d gotten into trying to play the honorable hero, Dominic wasn’t so sure if Byron’s attempt to protect Zoe was worth it.

  “You’d be better off telling the truth now. You don’t know what Zoe may do when you formally announce your candidacy. She could pop up with a birth certificate and a half-filled-out application for a marriage license claiming you did her wrong.”

  “She won’t do that,” Bryon said through clenched teeth.

  “You don’t know that,” Dominic replied with cool confidence.

  “She won’t cause problems,” Byron argued. “I know Zoe. She isn’t like that.”

  Dominic raised a brow but kept his thoughts to himself. Skepticism ran deep in Dominic’s veins. He’d seen a lot in his years as a political consultant. People always surprised him. Never in a good way. The Zoe who Byron knew from college may not have been capable of blackmail, but the Zoe from today might be a mom struggling to make ends meet. Perhaps she realized Byron’s name on a birth certificate was a golden ticket to the easy life.

  Even if a simple DNA test could prove Byron wasn’t the dad, the implications would be enough to call his character into question and ruin his campaign. Though he said they never slept together, Dominic sensed Byron still cared about her. He wanted to believe Byron wasn’t the father, but he’d learned to be careful about relying on his gut too much. And to not let love and the yearning for the family he never had blind him to the obvious.

  Come on, Dominic, get over that. Jules is out of your life. Fix this case for Byron Robidoux and the fuckup Jules caused can be erased.

  Dominic’s shoulders straightened. “I can find her,” Dominic said, ending his internal struggle, pushing his past out of his mind. “I’ll track her down and do a little digging to find out what, if anything, she wants in order to keep her connection to you silent. I can put out this fire before it even gets wind to the spark.”

  Tracking down Byron’s college friend wouldn’t be hard. While he searched for her, he’d also try to get access to the birth certificate. The harder part would be watching her and getting a read on her life. Was she struggling for money? Was she still involved with corrupt people? She’d dated a guy who had gun-smuggling ties once, so she may be attracted to danger and drama.

  Byron didn’t look convinced. “Are you sure?”

  Dominic placed a hand on his chest. “Travis wouldn’t have recommended me if I couldn’t.” Or if he hadn’t seen Dominic help other people. “I’ve solved a lot of problems for a lot of people. This one isn’t that difficult. How much do you want to offer her?”

  Things always came down to the money.

  “She won’t want money,” Byron said.

  Dominic kept his doubt out of his voice. “Good to know. Give me two weeks.”

  Byron’s face flittered between hopeful and skeptical. “Two weeks? No offense, but I searched for her the other week and I can’t find a trace of her after college.”

  “That’s why you have me,” Dominic said. He tended to underpromise and overdeliver, but not this time. He would do everything he could to solve this case quickly. The money would take care of the last pending settlement against his finances. He’d solve this problem in two weeks if he had to hunt Zoe Hammond down to the ends of the earth.

  D
ominic met Byron’s gaze and nodded. “Don’t worry. In two weeks, you won’t have to worry at all about Zoe Hammond popping up and causing unnecessary drama in your political campaign.”

  CHAPTER TWO

  JEANETTE STOPPED SCROLLING through the online dating profile of the married man she’d followed last night. The level of conversation outside of her open office door rose from low background noise to excited whispers, dragging her attention from the cheater to the buzzing in the office. Only a few people caused this much of a stir when they came into Lady Eyes Investigation. She had a good idea who was out there. She got up from her desk and went to the door to confirm her suspicions.

  Sure enough, the man talking to the receptionist at the front door of her private investigation firm was worth the stir. Dominic Ferrell. Six feet of cool, confident, masculine magnetism. Clear terra-cotta skin, strong build, piercing dark eyes and lips full enough to make a mind wander into restricted territory, Dominic was a walking thirst trap.

  She leaned against the door frame, watching him progress down the hallway. She hadn’t expected him so soon. He’d called three days ago and asked for her assistance with finding Zoe Hammond. Jeanette had located the woman in Greenville, South Carolina, today. Her plan was to drive down there for a few days of surveillance to be sure she had the right person before handing over what she’d found to Dominic. She’d left a voice message with her plans this morning and expected him to come by later this week. Not noon the same day.

  He acknowledged the other private investigators with formal head nods before making eye contact with Jeanette. A pesky electric sizzle ran across her skin. She hated the sizzle. Hated it even more when Dominic caused the sizzle. It wasn’t as if she were the only person affected by the understated sexiness of the man. Of the seven other private investigators in the office, three watched him with open lust, two with wistful if-only-I-were-single-the-things-I’d-do-to-him gazes and the last two with a general appreciation of a handsome guy.