KICK ASS: A Boxed Set (76 page)

“So you let the circumstances choose for you.”

She nodded. “I’m sorry.”

“So am I.”

Macy dropped onto the bed, sighing as emotions swamped her. Nine years had passed, but so little had changed. She wanted Dante, but she wanted her job, too—and there was no way she could have both. She’d just begun to shake her head in disbelief at the cruelty of love and fate when he finally handed her the paper he’d been holding.

She sat up, scanned the page, and then sought his gaze to make sure she could believe what she read. “This is your resignation from the Arm.”

He closed the door behind him, then dropped to his knees in front of her. “Yes, it is.”

She couldn’t catch her breath. Her vision shook, along with her hands.

“I don’t understand. You’re the head of the agency, Dante.”

His grin was crooked and brimmed with a singularly suave charm that would make her insides flutter until the day she died.

“And I’ve had a good, long run,” he said. “Nearly a decade on top. It’s a fine achievement.”

She crunched the letter between her quivering hands. “You can’t give up what you’ve worked so hard for.”

Warmth from his silver eyes nearly melted her into a puddle on the quilt. “I’m not giving up, I’m finally taking the reward I deserve. I love you, Macy. I should have fought harder for you. I should have told you the truth instead of trying to rescue you. I’ve learned my lesson. Besides, I’ve had my glory days. The spy business hasn’t held any appeal for me for a long time now.”

In as few words as he could, Dante told Macy about how he’d nearly died during a covert operation in Syria. She held her breath as he confessed how the one thought that had kept him alive on the operating table and had bolstered his determination during his recovery was the possibility of having her in his life again.

“It took a world crisis to give me the chance to win you back.”

She swallowed the tears burning down the back of her throat. “You never did anything halfway.”

“No, I don’t. I still won’t. I will love you forever with that same determination, Macy. I promise you.”

From his pocket, Dante pulled out a ring. Emerald cut and glimmering with bright white facets, the beauty of it stole her breath.

“I considered hiding this somewhere on my person to see if you could find it,” he said, sliding the gold band over her left ring finger, “but I suspected you were tired of looking for things you should have found a long time ago.”

His mouth quirked into a grin, his gaze expectant and—for the first time that she’d ever witnessed—uncertain. She wanted to speak, but there were so many words jumbling in her brain, she couldn’t pick which ones to say.

“Dante, I—”

“I bought this for you nine years ago. In a way, I’m grateful that I never had the chance to ask you to marry me. Neither one of us was ready. Now, we know how much we mean to each other, how much we can accomplish together. Please, Macy Rush, would you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”

She opened her mouth, certain she could pull one word out of her repertoire, but a knock on the door broke the moment.

“What?” Dante snapped.

“Communiqué from headquarters, sir. “

“Shove it under the door.”

Dante took Macy’s ringed hand in his, kissed her palm, then retrieved the note. He scanned it with a scowl, but by the time he reached the end, he was chuckling.

“What is it?” she asked.

“It’s from your boss, or I should say, your former boss.”

Macy grabbed the paper and read. Her jaw dropped. When her gaze met with Dante’s, the twinkle in his eye made her suspect he’d had something to do with this turn of events. “Did you do this?”

“Make Abercrombie Marshall retire? No, love, even I’m not that powerful. Besides, he’s not really retiring. Read the note on the bottom.”

In his woefully bad handwriting, Abe had jotted a personal note to Macy, informing her that he’d just been appointed as the new head of the Arm. He was finally returning to the outfit that had drummed him out on account of his skin color—and now, he was in charge.

“Bully for him,” Macy said. “He’ll do wonderful things with your legacy, Dante.”

Dante shook his head and shrugged, as if he was pleased, but truly didn’t give a damn. “Now, back to the proposal on the table.”

Macy allowed the paper to drift to the floor and slid her arms around Dante’s neck. “Yes.”

Dante’s eyes widened. “That’s it? Yes? What’s the catch?”

She grinned, remembering how she’d questioned him similarly just a few days ago. “Catch? Well, there is the fact that I love you, too. And I’m not a patient woman, with time for long engagements. But if you want something more…”

He snaked his hands around her waist and tugged her so that their bodies aligned perfectly. “May I make a suggestion?”

She nuzzled his neck with her nose, inhaling that spicy tobacco scent she’d crave forever, even if he was with her every single day. “Feel free.”

“I was thinking that your flat in Paris is much too small for two people.”

The warmth of his skin acted like a magnet to her lips. She hummed her agreement as she bathed his neck in slow, erotic kisses.

“So I thought I could fill my spare time looking for an old house to renovate. You know how I love old houses,” he said.

She pulled back and eyed him with naughty suspicion. “I don’t suppose you’ll want a similar deal to the one we had here, do you? Something like I can’t spend time in a room until we’ve made love there?”

With a chuckle, he buried his nose in her hair and dropped gentle kisses on her face. “Works for me. We could try out multiple rooms in multiple houses, until we find just the right spot. You game?”

Macy laughed, secure in Dante’s embrace and certain for the first time that they had a real shot at a future together. “With you, Dante, I’m game for anything.”

************

Afterword

Thank you so much for reading
KICK ASS: A COLLECTION
. I enjoy writing about tough, no-nonsense heroines who can take care of themselves… and the men who love them. I hope you’ll try out my other books from either my Sexy Suspense or Paranormal Romance series. Or both!

Also, if you have a moment, I would be very appreciative if you’d take a moment to return to Amazon and post a book review. It doesn’t have to be long or detailed. A short, honest assessment of what you’ve read is worth its weight in gold! You can leave a review by clicking
this link
.

Also, though I have gone over these books with a fine-toothed comb and they were edited and proofread extensively in both their original publication and in the re-release, if you caught an error or typo that you believe I should address, please send me a note via my email,
[email protected]
. I would truly appreciate it!

Happy reading!

Other Works by Julie Leto

Dirty Little Lies

(Sexy Suspense)

Book Two

Staying alive isn’t easy when people with guns tell Dirty Little Lies…

PRAISE FOR
DIRTY LITTLE LIES
…

“A must read for anyone enjoying a little female butt-kicking with a little flare.”

~C.J. Yasay, Bookstove

“Leto’s style is fast, breezy and loaded with tension. She’s created a complex plot that’s executed with precision. Her characters have no middle ground and are worth a second look.”

~Donna M. Brown, RT Bookreviews

“Compelling drama, engaging and vibrant characters, along with a spicy Latin flavor all combine together to make Julie Leto’s latest story a must-have for fans of truly well written romantic suspense.”

~Sonya, Fallen Angel Reviews

OVERVIEW:

— A disgraced bounty hunter faces down a deadly assassin.

— A brush with death changes the rules for friends with benefits

— Should she stop the seasoned killer’s quest for vengeance… or join her on the hunt?

Buy
Dirty Little Lies
with your e-ink Kindle

Buy
Dirty Little Lies
with your Kindle Fire or Kindle App

* * * *

Want to spend more time with Marisela and Frankie, but your reading time limited? How about a sexy novella… perfect for reading before bed!

Dirty Little Christmas

(Sexy Suspense Novella)

Book Three

Sex, lies and mistletoe—who knew they’d be such a deadly combination…

PRAISE FOR
DIRTY LITTLE CHRISTMAS
…

“A mystery, action, book with some hot sex scenes, what more can you ask for?”

~ Julie Ramsey, Julie’s Book Reviews

“Leto underpins it all with provocative emotional twists that kept me thinking about the characters and their story long after I read the last page.”

~ Phyllis Towzey, Amazon Reader

“Sexy Suspense is an understatement. Caliente!”

~ Anne-Marie Carroll, Amazon Reader

OVERVIEW

— A street-wise sister schemes a holiday surprise

— The unexpected kidnapping of a pregnant woman waylays her plans

— Can her super-sexy ex-lover help her pull of a thrilling Christmas miracle?

Buy
Dirty Little Christmas
with your e-ink Kindle

Buy
Dirty Little Christmas
with your Kindle Fire or Kindle App

* * * *

Some women kick-ass in back-alleys, but Alexa Chandler does her ball-busting in the boardroom… check out book ONE in the “Phantom” series…

Phantom Pleasures

Book One

PRAISE FOR
PHANTOM PLEASURES
…

“Ms Leto is in top form here as she strikes the perfect balance between moving the story along and filling the reader in on details.”

~ Mrs.Giggles

“Phantom Pleasures will appeal to readers with a strong appreciation for the fairy tale.”

~ The Romance Reader

“This was quite a smart read.”

~ Chills, GoodReads

OVERVIEW

— A powerful nobleman, trapped in time, falls victim to a Gypsy curse

— A shrewd modern woman inherits a cursed castle and the phantom within

— Will she submit to his dark magic or free him from his prison—and her heart—forever?

Buy
Phantom Pleasures
with your e-ink Kindle

Buy
Phantom Pleasures
with your Kindle Fire or Kindle App

* * * *

Meet the woman who kicks ass on the silver screen… and the warrior who knows better than to try and tame her…

Book TWO in the “Phantom” series…

Phantom’s Touch

(Sexy Paranormal)