Stowaway (35 page)

Nick gently pried her fists open. She had handfuls of Jenson’s hair tangled in her fingers. Nausea threatened as she wailed in disgust, shaking her hands violently to rid them of the dirty stuff. Nick grabbed her by her elbows and lifted her to her feet, helping her brush away the last of Jenson’s hair. He hugged her fiercely, but then the would-be kidnapper woke and found himself bound. He began to fight again, swearing viciously, but the guard quickly dragged him to his feet.

“Shut your foul mouth, Jenson, or I’ll have Brice gag you too,” Nick warned angrily. Then he looked toward the balcony, but nobody seemed to have heard the ruckus.

“You’re lucky you didn’t disrupt my parents’ party or I’d have to beat you senseless again.”

At a small woof from the dog, now sitting obediently at his side, he reached out to stroke its head. His tone changed to one of proud affection. “Damnedest guard dog in the world.”

To her, he explained in a still-gentle voice. “Luther can smell the bad guys a mile away. His hearing’s almost as keen as his sense of smell, and he’s trained to go for the gun hand.”

Keri knew Nick wanted to distract her. She struggled to regain her composure, embarrassed by her own loss of control.

“He has my undying gratitude,” she managed, still trying to regulate her breathing and collect her wits.

Nick tugged at his disheveled tuxedo and pulled her back into his arms. He held her close.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered near her ear.

Her throat closed again, making speech difficult, but she asked, “Sorry for saving my life again?”

“Sorry for endangering it again.”

“You didn’t,” she said. His job had. Could she bear this paralyzing terror on a regular basis? Could she kiss him goodbye every morning wondering what maniac he’d encounter that day? She loved him so much, but could she bear a long-term relationship? Could she bear to lose him permanently?

“You’d better go with Jenson,” she finally told him, withdrawing from his embrace. “I know there will be reports to file and other police stuff to take care of.”

He stared at her for a long, pregnant minute. “You’re sure?”

“Go,” she said, “All I want is a shower and bed.”

“I’ll be back as soon as possible,” he promised with another brief kiss. He walked her to a private entrance that would help her bypass the party and then he was gone.

He returned several hours later. Keri had showered and gone to bed, but not to sleep. She heard him enter the room and walk quietly to her bedside. Breathing soft and easy, she pretended to be asleep. Nick brushed a lock of her hair from her face and stroked her cheek. When she didn’t respond, he finally left the room.

Coward. Keri remembered her dad’s words. She’d never thought herself a coward, but she felt like one tonight. Nick embodied everything she’d ever wanted in a man—bravery, loyalty, passion. She trusted him with her life, but could she find the courage to trust him with her heart?

A tear slipped from beneath closed eyelids.

On Sunday, they left the villa shortly after breakfast even though Keri’s plane didn’t leave until late in the day. Nick’s plans for a night of loving hadn’t materialized. The bruises on his face and hands had alarmed his family, so he’d given them a watered down version of events. Keri hadn’t contradicted him.

They took the speedboat back to the marina with him at the wheel and her in the passenger seat. The rumble of the engines made up for the lack of conversation. Once there, they docked and dropped anchor. Nick led Keri to a sporty red Mustang convertible and popped the trunk.

“Why am I not surprised you drive a hot, fast car?” she teased in an attempt to lighten the heavy tension between them. Already dreading the inevitable parting, she didn’t want to make it worse by silence and brooding.

Nick responded in kind. “Because I’m a hot, fast guy?” he tossed back at her. After loading her bags in the trunk, he helped her into the passenger seat. With a quick kiss, he closed the door and rounded the front of the car. Once behind the wheel, he revved the engine and left the marina with a squeal of tires.

“In a hurry to be rid of me?” she asked. “Or need to get rid of some pent-up anger?”

Nick took a deep breath and gave her a smile. His left cheek bore a purple bruise. His eye was swollen, his lip cut, but he still looked gorgeous to her. Gorgeous and wounded.

“A little leftover tension, I guess, combined with a whole bunch of new tension.”

Keri assumed he meant the tension of parting ways again. As the time for her to leave grew closer, he’d grown more distant.

“Mind if I put the top down?”

“Not at all,” she said, knowing she should soak up as much sunshine and warmth as possible.

Just the thought of returning to Thornsbury gave her a chill. And that made her frown. She’d never really liked the fall of the year. For some, it meant crisp air, clear skies and brilliant color. For her, it had just meant the end of summer and she’d never welcomed that time of year.

“Do we have a destination or are we just sightseeing until I have to get to the airport?” He’d gone all secretive when she’d prodded him for details earlier.

“We have a destination. Just relax and enjoy the scenery while I blow some cobwebs from my brain. I’ll do the tour guide thing if you want to know anything specific.”

Once on the open road, the wind roaring around the car prevented small talk, but Keri found it exhilarating. The warmth and wonderful mixture of scents soothed her frayed nerves. She enjoyed the wind tangling her hair and the sun on her face. Neither of them had gotten much sleep, so it did help clear her head.

Nick slowed the car when they reached more densely populated residential areas. They passed by expensive-looking gated communities and moved farther into the suburbs before he finally turned into a small community of older houses and tree-lined streets. The homes had mature landscapes with flowering shrubs and well-tended gardens.

He drove past a small park where families strolled and skateboarders zipped along a special path. A pool glistened in the sunlight, empty now because of the early hour. Keri heard the chime of nearby church bells as Nick pulled to a stop in front of a lovely, cream-colored split-level house.

“Are we visiting someone?” she asked when he switched off the ignition.

“No, there’s something I want to show you.”

He climbed from the car and moved around to open her door.

Keri unfastened her seat belt. “Here?” she asked, looking toward the house. It sat about twenty yards from the street with a flower-lined sidewalk.

“You don’t like the looks of it?” he asked as he took her arm and ushered her up the walk.

“It’s a lovely house.”

“It has a front porch.”

She noticed that. The wide porch had an old-fashioned wood swing on one side and an assortment of wicker furniture on the opposite side. It looked a lot like their front porch back home.

“I want to sit on the swing and talk awhile.”

“Do you know the owners? They might not appreciate us perching on their porch.”

“Nobody lives here right now,” he explained as they crossed the wood floor and took a seat on the swing.

“Then do you mind explaining why we’re here?”

Nick didn’t look at her but slipped an arm around her shoulders, pulled her close and put the swing in motion. “I hired a realtor and asked her to visit Thornsbury. I wanted her to check out the homes and then find something as close as possible in Miami. She found this community and this house.”

“Oh, Nick!” Keri was lost for words, looking around them with new eyes.

“There are hospitals and a couple of urgent care facilities in driving distance. The neighbors are decent, family-oriented people and the crime rate is really low. It’s like a small town in the concrete jungle.”

“Nick!” she squeezed his hand and tried to interrupt, but he continued.

“Nonna Lamanto used to say, ‘Don’t just wish for it, make it happen.’ With the insurance money from my boat, I could put a sizeable down payment on this place. I just need someone to share expenses.”

Keri wondered what he wanted from her. Did he want a wife, a live-in lover, a roommate? How did he envision their future? They hadn’t discussed the issue for weeks.

“Share expenses?” she repeated cautiously.

“Share expenses, share my bed, share my life,” he expanded. Then he reached into his pocket and withdrew a small square box. Her eyes widened when he opened it to show her a beautiful solitaire diamond. The sunlight caught the stone and sparkled with brilliance.

“Oh, Nick!”

“Will you marry me?” he asked, his voice low and gruff with emotion.

Heart nearly pounding out of her chest, she reached toward the ring and touched the gemstone.

“If you don’t like it, you can pick out something else.”

“It’s gorgeous. I love it.”

“And I love you,” he whispered softly. “I have since I stowed away in your car and my angel shoved a gun in my face.”

She still had doubts. Still worried about his work and still didn’t know if she could survive city life, but she also knew she couldn’t live in Thornsbury when her heart lived in Miami. She didn’t want to be a coward, didn’t want to miss a chance to know true love.

“I’m old-fashioned,” she whispered.

“You want me on my knees?” he asked lightly.

“No. Never,” she quickly replied. “But I would like you to put the ring on my finger.”

Nick’s sigh of relief echoed around the porch. He pulled her close for a hug and kiss and then lifted the ring from its velvet bed.

As he slipped it on her finger, he added, “I already talked to your dad and brother. Jack is okay with us getting married. Your dad’s not totally sold on the idea, but he’s not against it, either. He wants you to be happy.”

Tears filled her eyes at the thought of her dad, her friends, and the only home she’d ever known. Since meeting Nick and falling head over heels in love, the rest paled in comparison.

She watched as he slid the ring onto her finger. He lifted her hand to kiss it and she clutched his hand in return. Then they were wrapped in each other’s arms, holding tight and kissing deeply. Keri knew this is where she belonged now. With this man, whatever the future might hold.

“Forever?” she asked softly.

“You bet. I don’t make commitments lightly,” he added, stroking a curl off her cheek. “I’ve given our future a lot of thought, and I’ve decided to leave the police force.”

“What?” She leaned back a little and stared into his eyes. “I thought you loved your job, and you’re a great detective.”

“The department shrink says I had some deep-seeded need to prove I was one of the good guys.”

“But not anymore?”

He smiled. “Maybe not so much. I’m taking a job with the family security team. I may do some consulting work for the department, but no more undercover or street work.”

“You’re sure? I don’t want you to regret the decision or grow to resent me because of it.”

“I’m one hundred percent certain,” he assured her, brushing his lips back and forth over hers. “With you in my life, I don’t need the challenge or the risks. I want to be sharing this swing with you for the next fifty or so years.”

Keri’s eyes filled with tears as a rush of emotion blasted her. Her chest tightened along with her throat.

“You didn’t think to tell me that before proposing?” she challenged.

He studied her intently. “I had to know if you wanted me for better or worse, richer or poorer, ’til death.”

She looked into his beautiful, battered eyes. “That’s how I want you.” Cupping her hand on his un-bruised cheek, she drew him closer for a long, deep, commitment-rich kiss. When they finally drew apart, Nick wiped the tears from her cheeks.

“I have a key. Want to see the inside?”

She gave him a watery laugh. “Of course I do. Is it furnished?”

They moved to the door and he unlocked it. “Just appliances right now.” Once he had it opened, he swung her into his arms. Holding her close to his heart, he carried her over the threshold.

Laughing, she chided, “You’re not supposed to do that until we’re married.”

He kicked the door shut and slowly lowered her to her feet. Rubbing his body sensuously against hers, he said, “In my heart, we’ve been married since the first time I woke up in bed with
la mia infermiera d’angelo.”

Keri’s smile deepened as happy tears rolled down her face. She grasped his face in both her hands and gave him a hard kiss. “I love you, Nicholas Lamanto.”

“’Bout damned time you said so, Merritt.”

About the Author

Becky Barker is an award-winning romance author whose novels have been translated into more than a dozen languages, published in electronic format, and re-issued in trade paperback as well as large print library editions.

Her personal hero is a former Marine who helped her create three wonderful children. Rachel and her husband, Jerramy; Amanda and her husband, Jay; Thad and his wife, Dara, all live within a few miles of Mom & Dad in rural Ohio.

Besides spending time with her family, Becky enjoys music, gardening, fishing and reading. She loves to hear from readers and can be reached through her website at BeckyBarker.com. Or find her on Facebook and Twitter with the name Becky.Barker

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It wasn’t the phone call itself that rocked Trey’s equilibrium, but the familiar voice on the other end. Why now? Just when he was coming to terms over the bitter break-up with the only woman he’d ever loved? Still, he couldn’t turn Jillian away, not with the desperation he sensed in her cryptic utterings.