Two Sides to Every Story (Love Spectrum Romance) (26 page)

* * *

For two weeks Angela had walked two worlds, one of fear, one of supreme joy. Whenever she was in public with Rafe her stomach knotted and she waited for the sound of a gun. It was only at night in bed when she was lying in his arms that she could give in to the joy that flooded her heart; it was only then when she felt safe, when she held him to her and knew that he was alive for yet another day. She’d left Pilsen and moved back to Naperville but the fear for Rafe’s safety hadn’t left her.

“You’ve got to stop worrying so much about me, Angel,” Rafe said to her one morning as they lay on the couch together watching some show on television.

“I can’t help it.”

“Are you worrying about your brother?”

“No, I’m worrying about anyone out there that hates cops.”

“Like you?”

“I would have never shot you.”

“But you hated me.”

“I don’t anymore.”

“I’m glad.” He smiled at her. “Very glad.”

His green gaze was as hypnotic as ever. It caught her and she saw the lust competing with the love and she smiled. “I know what’s on your mind.”

“Of course you do, you. You’re always on my mind,” he said, reaching for her, kissing her, caressing her soft skin. “Let’s go back to bed,” he suggested.

But before she had a chance to answer, a knock sounded on the door and they exchanged glances. No one had rung the bell. Rafe’s mood immediately changed as he pushed her behind him. He raced to the bedroom to get his gun before answering the door.

“Angela.”

Angela looked in shock toward the door, then motioned for Rafe to put his gun away. “It’s my mother,” she whispered as she rushed to answer the door. Within seconds Rafe had returned and was facing her parents.

The two couples stood uncomfortably for a few seconds until Angela regained her senses. “This is Raphael Remeris,” she announced and waited. Her father stuck his hand out and the tension eased.

“We just wanted you to know that we’re not selling the house. We’re taking out a loan instead.”

“Why?” Angela asked.

“Your brother, he told us not to.” Her father looked away. “He told us everything.”

“So why are you taking out a loan?”

“We’re going to pay the money that he owes. He’s still our son and we want him safe. If paying money will keep him safe, we don’t care, we’re going to do it. We would have done it two years ago. All he had to do was tell us.”

Rafe came closer to Angela and slid his arms around her. “I love your daughter,” he said, looking at the two of them. “Do you have any objections to our being together?”

“And if we did, would it stop you?” her father asked.

“Not a chance.”

“We didn’t think so,” her father said and slapped him on the back. “We were wrong about so many things, maybe having a cop in the family won’t be the end of the world.”

“One more thing,” her mother said. “Adrian said he has a son. He said you know where he is. We’d like to see him. Will you tell us?”

“I don’t know exactly where he’s at but I’ll try to find out. I want to see him also,” Angela answered her mother.

“I’ll help her find him,” Rafe offered.

For the next several hours Angela and her parents did what they could to repair the rift. Having a new baby was going to go a long way toward that. She wondered if that had been the catalyst for her brother’s change of heart as well. She didn’t know, but she sure hoped so.

When her parents were gone at last, Rafe looked at her, the desire still glowing brightly in his eyes. “Want to pick up where we left off?” he asked.

“What if I say no?”

“I might be forced to convince you,” he said, licking the side of her neck and sliding his hand beneath her short skirt, burning her with his touch.

“We’ve gotten just one set of parents out of the way,” Angela teased. “Are you sure you don’t want to wait for a Hispanic woman to fall in love with? It would make your mother happy.”

“I want the woman that I’ve already fallen in love with, the only one with the power to stop my heart,” he smiled at her, “and to restart it again. What about you, Angel? What is it that you want?”

“I want you, the man who makes my skin burn when he touches me, who risked his own life to save mine. I want the man whose love forced me to remember something that I tried to forget, that there are two sides to every story. I want you,
Poppi. Te amo
, Raphael Remeris.”

She ran her tongue over his lips, feeling his passion, feeling her own. “You never did tell me the meaning of your name. I know Raphael is the name of an archangel—anything else? I remember what your
madrina
said, and the way she looked at you. What does Raphael mean?” she asked as her hand brushed against the bulge in his crotch.

“Yes, there’s more,” Raphael answered as he ran his tongue across her lips. “Raphael is the angel of healing.”

It figured
, Angela thought as Raphael slid the panties from her hips, and inserted his fingers deep inside her while his tongue, inside her mouth, was doing all sorts of magical things to her. Raphael was the perfect name for the man who’d brought so much healing to her heart and her life.

About the Author

Award winning author
Dyanne Davis
lives in a Chicago suburb with her husband Bill, and their son Bill Jr. She retired from nursing several years ago to pursue her lifelong dream of becoming a published author.

An avid reader, Dyanne began reading at the age of four. Her love of the written word turned into a desire to write. Her first novel,
The Color of Trouble
, was released July of 2003. The novel was received with high praise and several awards. Dyanne won an Emma for Favorite New Author of the year.

Her second novel,
The Wedding Gown
was released in February 2004 and has also received much praise. The book was chosen by Blackexpressions, a subsidiary of Doubleday Book Club, as a monthly club pick. The book was an Emma finalist in March 2005 for Steamiest Romance, and for Book Of The Year.
The Wedding Gown
was also a finalist for Affaire de Coeur Reader’s poll.

Dyanne’s
Misty Blue
is a sequel to
The Wedding Gown
. It received a four star rating from Romantic Times. In December of 06
Let’s Get It On
also received a four star rating from Romantic Times. Dyanne has been a presenter of numerous workshops. She has a local cable show in her hometown to give writing tips to aspiring writers. She has guests from all genres to provide information and entertainment to the audience.

When not writing, you can find Dyanne with a book in her hands, her greatest passion next to spending time with her husband Bill and son Bill Jr. Whenever possible she loves getting together with friends and family.

A member of Romance Writers of America, Dyanne now serves as Chapter President for Windy City. Dyanne loves to hear feedback from her readers. You can reach her at her website.
www.dyannedavis.com
She also has an on-line blog where readers can post questions and photos.
Http://dyannedavis.blogspot.com
She’s also started a romance reader and writers on line book club with more than a dozen authors, and would love to have you join them.
http://bookmarked.Target.com
. The group is called, Romancing The Book. Any problems getting in, send Dyanne an email and she will send you a personal invitation.