Secret Identity (19 page)

“No.” He tried to stop her. “Stay still.”

She closed her eyes on the pain. “How bad?” she asked as she reached over and rubbed the bandages over her wound.

He shook his head. “He sliced up your liver pretty bad, nicked your gall bladder in the process. But the doc says it's your ribs that will give you problems.”

He took her hand up to his mouth and kissed it. “I almost lost you again.” He leaned his head down to hers and kissed her forehead. She reached up and ran her hands through his hair.

“You scared me.”

He pulled back and looked down at her and asked, “I scared you?”

She nodded her head, her eyes closed. “Yes, I thought he was going to kill you.” She opened her eyes and he watched tears fall down her face. “I couldn't stand it if you weren't here.” Her voice hitched as she took his hand and placed a soft kiss on his cut knuckles. “I love you. I don't want to live without you. I want to us live in our big house in Maine, take long walks on the beach, and have a family together.”

He smiled. “I'd like that as well.” Then he kissed her lips and knew everything was going to be all right.

Epilogue

Eve walked onto the beach, the light material of her dress blowing in the cool breeze. She could smell the flowers in her hair and hands, as well as the salt water of the ocean spray. There were three dozen chairs spread out along the water's edge. Carter and Mitch stood at the makeshift altar, which was covered in white flowers. She smiled at Carter and walked towards the pair. One of them she thought of as a brother, the other was soon to be her husband.

When she arrived at the altar, she stood off to the side and watched Sandi walk towards Carter and Mitch, and the crowd stood. Eve had outdone herself when she'd created her friend’s wedding dress. The off-white silk clung and flowed in a unique design of Eastern mixed with Western cultures.

Sandi's mother smiled as she stood in the front row. Eve knew that Sandi had insisted on a traditional Western marriage, much to her mother's disapproval. But they had compromised and later next week, Eve would be bridesmaid in their second, Eastern
-style wedding.

Seeing Mitch's face as his bride joined him made her smile and a tear escaped her eyes. Looking over, she smiled at Carter, who was smiling back at her.

After the wedding, when the crowd had gathered on the dance floor and around the food on the large deck overlooking the setting sun, Carter approached her and took her hand.

“How about a walk on the beach?”

“I'd love one.” She smiled as he grabbed two flutes of champagne as they walked by a waiter. She no longer feared that Simon would jump from the shadows; he was rotting in a cell in Arizona. At least for the next few years, and after that…well, she had Carter to protect her from anything that might come up after that.

Carter waited until they were far enough away from the crowd before handing her the glasses. Then, smoothly, he got down on one knee and pulled a small black box from his coat pocket.

“I wanted to make this official.” He smiled at her. “Eve Taylor, would you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”

She smiled down at him. “Yes, of course.” She handed him his glass and took the ring and placed it on her finger. She'd seen his grandmother's ring before, in a memory. But seeing it on her own finger, shining in the dying sunlight, it was more impressive and beautiful then she remembered.

Carter stood and held up his glass. “To new beginnings and to our future.” They clicked their glasses together, then drank. Then Carter pulled her into a hug and kissed her as the sun slipped below the water's edge.

Secret Sauce

Trent owns one of the highest-profile restaurants in New York. His food and secret recipes are highly sought after. His personal life follows his successful career. Beautiful women hang on his every word. But when his restaurant receives a bad review from a well-known food critic, things take a turn for the worse. Now someone is trying to blackmail him into revealing his secrets. When he finally tracks down the food critic and supposed blackmailer, he might just lose more than his secret sauce to her.

Marina's true identity has been hidden for years. She receives her paychecks in secret and hides from the world in one of the largest cities in the world. But when her secrets are threatened, she'd do anything to protect the person she loves the most, even if it means sleeping with the enemy.

About the Author

NY Times bestselling author, Jill Sanders survived 80′s pop music and life as an identical twin in a chaotic family of nine. A feat by any standard! She was born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, relocating to Colorado for college and a successful IT career at IBM in Boulder.

Narrowly escaping before all creativity was squashed, she jumped at the chance to trade the mundane world of computers for the sexy, exciting world of her own imagination. She now lives in charming rural Texas writing wonderful novels such as the Pride series.

Her debut novel, Finding Pride, was shortlisted in the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Awards 2013, and has since climbed to #1 on Amazon Bestsellers – Contemporary Romance & Romantic Suspense. Each Pride Series and Secret Series novel has spent time on bestseller lists for Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Apple.