Devious Little Lies (26 page)

Chapter Forty-Three

3 Months Later

The bright sun shone on her face. As a cool wind blew she stared out at the clear blue water. This was paradise, her own private Eden. A gust of wind threatened to blow her hat away so she held onto it for dear life. Hmm. Dear life. Now she truly understood the meaning of the phrase. Reaching beside her, she grabbed her drink and took a cool sip. As she set the glass back down, a shadow appeared in front of her, blocking the sun. Her stomach tightened.

“I could really get used to this.”

“So could I.”

No more words were spoken and then he was covering her body with his. She was already naked and waiting for him. He slid inside her with no preamble and her legs wrapped around him, welcoming him into her most secret place that belonged only to him. He thrust into her franticly as if this was the last taste of her he would ever have. But it wasn’t. They had an eternity to make love on beaches and play in the waves. They were free.

His hands reached between them to tickle her clit and she came apart, gasping her pleasure into his ear. Her body convulsed around him and she marveled at how it was always like this with him. An explosion of pleasure. His lips covered hers as he moaned his relief into her mouth. She held him, stroking his back as his body calmed atop her.

“I love you,” she whispered.

“I love you more,” he said back.

He raised his head to look down at her and the hazel eyes she’d grown to love so much sparkled.

“I don’t think that’s possible, Shane.”

“I think you’re wrong, Rena.”

Carefully he moved from atop her and pulled her to his side. She touched the telltale scar on his chest before she pressed her lips to it. They’d gotten so damned lucky. As Shane lay dying on the sidewalk, Cesare had appeared like a guardian angel. To this day she still had no idea how he’d figured out where she was and shown up with a doctor in tow. Because of him Shane lived and she finally had a chance at a new life with a man she loved.

“Why would you say that?” she asked.

“What other man would give up a promising career with the federal government to fall in love with a mafia queen and risk his life for her?”

She stroked his chest and smiled. “Hmm. Maybe you have a point, but what woman do you know would save the life of a man bent on taking her down and spirit him out of the country to live out the rest of his days in paradise?”

His brows furrowed. “Hmm. I think you might just be the winner of this debate.”

“Get used to it,” she told him.

“Don’t worry. I’m already learning. But I still can’t figure out how you had everything lined up so perfectly,” he said.

“It wasn’t me. Cesare had everything ready to go when he came to get me. I literally just sat in the back seat while the doctor worked on you as Cesare drove us to the airport. My passport, all the numbers to my accounts off the Caymans and Swiss banks were already there. He just put us on a one-way trip where there is no extradition agreement with the U.S. and here we are.”

“I’m happy, but part of me wonders if we’ll have to look over our shoulders now. I keep waiting for the shoe to drop.”

She grabbed Shane’s face in her hands. “There is no shoe to drop. Even if someone saw us here, there’s nothing they can do to us. Besides, everyone thinks you’re dead. We’re safe”

“And what about Tricia?”

“Well she’s finally speaking to me again. We’re taking baby steps. She’s agreed to come and visit when she finishes school, so that’s a start.”

“And she’s alright with us being together?” Shane probed.

“I’m not sure if she’ll ever be completely alright with it, but she understands that we are in love and she thinks you’re a definite upgrade over the last few men in my life.”

“That’s good. I never wanted to come between you and Tricia.”

“I know, but life happens in the craziest of ways sometimes. You just have to roll with the punches.”

“Speaking of rolling with the punches, I wonder what happened to everyone else.”

Rena shrugged. “I don’t know about all of them. I do know Carmine, Anton, and Cesare haven’t been arrested. I hope their luck doesn’t run out.”

“Well, you’ll be happy to know that luck was never with Giorgio Borgia.”

“What do you mean?” Rena asked stiffening.

“How do you think we knew to bust you at Manzelli’s? Giorgio sold you out to save his own skin. Apparently he had some grand delusions about taking over once you were out of the way. Too bad for him, we never intended on honoring the deal we made with him. He should be getting ready to start his life sentence now.”

“I knew I couldn’t trust him. He had a major problem with a woman being in charge.”

Shane tugged at one of her nipples. “I have no problems with a woman in charge. I kind of get off on it.”

“All men are not as amenable as you, my love.”

Two could play at this game. Slowly Rena moved her hand down the length of him. His cock pulsed in her hand. He was growing hard, ready to make love again as she stroked him.

“Oh, baby. Wait until you see how amenable I can be.”

They kissed languidly. Her nipples pebbled beneath his ministrations as she continued to move her hand up and down his solid length. His lips trailed down her neck leaving soft kisses. With reverence he kissed both her breasts before he promised to come back to them in a minute. Her legs fell open as he moved between them. The first lap of his tongue against her made her purr with renewed desire.

She was in paradise. She had more money than she could ever spend and accounts scattered across the world. She was finally free from a life of crime and deceit around every corner, but most importantly she finally had the love of a man who worshipped the ground she walked on. Who would have thought that from so many devious little lies she would finally have a happy ending? As Shane’s tongue stroked deep inside her she wanted to tell him that more happiness was on the way for them. Soon he would have the chance at a real family again, but that was a surprise for another day.

About the Author

A proud alumna of the University of Central Florida and Florida State University, Erin Ashley Tanner specializes in steamy tales with romantic suspense elements.

Prior to journeying into the world of contemporary romance, Erin wrote paranormal romance for Evernight Publishing. Her debut novel,
Goddess of Legend
, released in October, 2013, was an Amazon bestseller, and was the first in her Demi-God Daughters paranormal romance series. The follow up,
Goddess by Chance
, was released in November, 2014.

Devious Little Lies
is Erin’s second book with Samhain Publishing. Her first novel with Samhain,
Dirty Little Secrets
, was released in July, 2015.

Look for these titles by Erin Ashley Tanner

Now Available:

Dirty Little Secrets

Don’t miss this other title by Erin Ashley Tanner

Danger ignites a passion neither of them can refuse.

Ava Hill learned early in life that to survive, she has to be twice as smart, twice as ruthless as those who seek to undermine her. And as the widow of a mob boss with a daughter to raise, nothing is more important than protecting what’s hers.

Her determination to shield her child from the ugliness of her past takes a hit when a man claiming to be her late husband’s son barges through her front door.

Dominic Sambarino demands half of her daughter’s inheritance. Ava wastes no time showing him she’ll come out swinging with everything she has. But no amount of fight in the world can prepare her for the instant, smoldering chemistry between the two of them.

A friend’s invitation for a weekend getaway is a welcome chance to regroup, or so Ava thinks. But she soon finds herself caught in a circle of her dead husband’s secrets and lies that threaten to cost her everything. And her only safe haven is the one place she vowed she’d never go—Dominic’s arms.

Warning: Strong language, graphic sex scenes between a woman whose well-ordered life is turned upside down by the only man with arms strong enough to catch her when she falls.

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This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locale or organizations is entirely coincidental.

Samhain Publishing, Ltd.

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Devious Little Lies

Copyright © 2016 by Erin Ashley Tanner

ISBN: 978-1-61923-266-2

Edited by Latoya Smith

Cover by Angela Waters

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First
Samhain Publishing, Ltd.
electronic publication: June 2016

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