Naked Vengeance

by Sophia Rae

  “She lost a lot of blood, but she pulled through.”

  Nick sank to the floor, right on a pile of dirty laundry. “Thank you.”

  Max crossed over to Nick, squatted down to his level. “Now, do you want to tell me why you’re picking up her dirty clothes instead of holding a vigil by her bedside?”

  “I couldn’t be there,” Nick choked out.

  “Nick, she’s fine. Don’t you think she’d want you there?”

  “It’s my fault she’s there.”

  “Bullshit.”

  He looked into Max’s angry face. “If she hadn’t been standing in front of me, I would’ve taken that bullet.”

  “You’re lucky the bullet didn’t go on through her, or you would’ve been hit, too,” Max stated.

  “Yeah, lucky.”

  “Get up off your sorry ass and get down there. I don’t know Eve well at all, but I’d say she won’t put up with a whiny man.”

  A corner of Nick’s mouth twitched. “Yes, sir.”

  As Nick came to his feet, Max straightened as well. “One more thing.”

  “What’s that?”

  “Don’t be upset with Eve for not telling you she worked for the feds.”

  Nick swallowed the lump in his throat. “Right now, I don’t care what she does. I’m just glad she’s alive.”

  “Tell her that.”

  Nick didn’t wait for another word, he ran from Eve’s apartment. He had to see her, touch her, smell her. He wanted to see for himself she was alive. He wanted to see her smile up at him again.

  Just as Nick hailed a cab, Max stepped beside him. “I’ll drive you.”

  ***

  Eve stared at the plain white walls, the plain white blanket on her bed, the plain white floor. Anything to keep from thinking about Nick.

  She’d lied to him. Even after she’d berated him for lying to her, she’d still kept the truth from him.

  No wonder he wasn’t here.

  Tears burned in her eyes. Since no one could see, she allowed them to fall.

  Max and a whole slew of federal agents from South Carolina had been to visit.

  But not Nick.

  Eve used one hand to pull the blanket up further. Her shoulder hurt like a bitch and she hated she wouldn’t be able to use it for a long time.

  Months of therapy, the doctor had said. If she didn’t baby it, she would never return to the field again.

  Did it matter anymore? Without Nick, did it matter what she did with her life?

  Eve closed her eyes as the tears continued to fall. She couldn’t control them now if she wanted to. All the memories came flooding back to her.

  The first time she’d seen him in the reflection of her vanity mirror. The first time he’d kissed her with such passion and need.

  The first time they’d made love.

  Would she ever get the feeling of his touch off her? Was she forever dammed?

  No one would ever compare to Nick—she wouldn’t even try. He’d set the bar so high, she knew she would never find someone like that again. Someone who loved her, who showed her with not just words, but actions.

  Her whole body ached and it had nothing to do with getting shot. Nick had touched a part so deep within, she didn’t know if the void would ever be filled.

  Eve’s eyes flew open when someone touched her hand.

  No, not someone. Nick.

  “Are you hurting?” he said, his voice thick.

  Eve nodded, but said nothing.

  “Do you want me to get the nurse?”

  Eve wiped her tears with her other hand. “She can’t do anything for me.”

  Nick stood silent. Eve wanted to know what went through his mind… At one time she would’ve known.

  “I heard about Grady,” she croaked out. “I’m sorry.”

  “Sorry? Why are you sorry?”

  She stared at his strong, solid hand covering her own. “Because he was your friend and you trusted him.”

  “What about you?” Nick countered. “You trusted him as well.”

  “Yeah, I did. I can’t believe he would get involved in such a heinous crime.”

  “He’ll pay for what he did,” Nick promised.

  “Will they ever find the other women?” she asked.

  “Grady confessed what he knew and the rest of the information was confiscated from Roman’s estate. They’re being picked up as we speak.”

  Eve sighed with relief. At least one good thing had come from this.

  “I’m sorry,” he whispered.

  Eve studied his worn face. Red-rimmed eyes, puffy lids, thin lips. He’d been crying.

  “Why?” she asked.

  He looked to her bandaged shoulder. “You were hurt because of my negligence.”

  “I was hurt because Roman shot me,” she corrected.

  “You never would’ve run if I hadn’t lied to you about your father.”

  Eve tried to sit up, but a sharp pain pierced her left shoulder. “Dammit.”

  “Don’t move,” Nick said. “Please. I don’t want you to hurt anymore.”

  The sincerity of his voice brought more tears to her eyes. “I’m fine. It’s going to hurt, but I’ll be fine.”

  “God, Eve.” Tears started running down his cheeks. “I thought you were dead.”

  He practically collapsed onto her. His head rested on her stomach as he broke.

  Eve stroked his thick, dark hair and let him cry. Nobody had ever cried for her before. But then, nobody had ever loved her like Nick.

  “I’m sorry I didn’t protect you,” he muttered. “I let you down, just like I let down your father.”

  “Nick, look at me.”

  He lifted his head and wiped his face.

  “You didn’t let me down and you didn’t let my father down.” Eve cupped his cheek with one hand. “If it weren’t for your help, I might have never gotten this far on my own. I needed you and you were there for me.”

  “You got hurt,” he stated.

  “Yes, I did, but I’ve been hurt before and I’m sure I’ll get hurt again.”

  Nick blinked in confusion. “You’re going back to work in the field?”

  “Is that a problem?” she asked.

  “Will your shoulder be okay for that kind of work?”

  Eve shrugged her one good shoulder. “In time. I have to go through extensive therapy, but I’m determined to get back to my life.”

  Nick lifted his body off hers. He stepped back, shoved his hands in his pockets and nodded. “Back in Virginia.”

  His retreat should have frightened her, but it didn’t. If he didn’t care for her, he wouldn’t have come to her room—wouldn’t have broken down.

  “Yes, back in Virginia.”

  “Well, I’m sure the agency will make sure you get the best care.”

  “What about you?” she asked, heart pounding.

  His brows drew together. “Me?”

  “What will you do?”

  “I guess I’ll go home.”

  “Where’s home?”

  “Not far from here,” he said.

  His vague answer didn’t give her much to go on. She laughed.

  “What’s so funny?” he asked.

  “After all we’ve shared and been through, I have no idea where you live.”

  “I live on the northern coast of North Carolina. It’s a small town. Quiet.”

  “Sounds nice,” Eve said honestly. “The doctor suggested I recuperate in a quiet place with no stress.”

  Nick remained silent—causing Eve’s nerves to go on alert. Maybe she’d mistaken his concern for something more. Maybe the love he’d professed had dissolved when he found out her real identity?

  “I don’t blame you for being angry with me,” she whispered. “I don’t blame you for wanting to get back home, put this mission behind you. Put me behind you.”

  Eve picked at the lint balls on the bleached white cotton blanket. She didn’t want to see the confirmation in his eyes. By this time
tomorrow, he could be gone.

  Forever.

  “You’re right,” he said. “I can’t wait to put this mission behind me.”

  The ache in her heart overrode any pain she had in her shoulder. “Well, I hope you’re able to do that.”

  “I want to put every part of this fucked-up op in the past,” he added.

  Including her, she thought.

  Nick sat on the edge of her bed, looked her in the eyes. “I want to forget the point where I screwed up and put you in the direct line of danger. I want to forget I let you down when you trusted me. But most of all, I want to forget how I felt when I thought you’d died right in front of me.”

  “Nick—”

  He took her hands in his. “Wait, let me finish.”

  With a gentle squeeze to his warm, firm hands, she nodded. “Okay.”

  “I don’t ever want to go through anything like that again. I don’t want you to, either. I can’t live through another scare like that, Eve.”

  “I understand,” she said softly. “It’s okay if you walk away right now. After what happened with my father and with me, I don’t blame you for leaving. But I don’t want you to leave blaming yourself.”

  Nick sighed, looking down at their adjoined hands. “I will blame myself until I die, but I don’t want to leave right now.”

  “You don’t?” Hope sprang back into her heart.

  He shook his head. “I love you, Eve. That may be selfish of me and right now I don’t give a shit. I love you more than I’ve ever loved another human being in my life. If you want me out of your life, then you’re going to have to throw me out.”

  “Kiss me,” she said when he’d stopped long enough to take a breath.

  “What?”

  “You heard me. Shut up and kiss me.”

  Nick leaned forward, careful of her shoulder, and touched his lips ever so lightly to hers. Eve brought up her other hand, wrapped it around his neck and pulled him closer.

  When his mouth opened, Eve took control. She tasted him, savored him. She wanted him to know how she felt.

  “I love you, too, Nick,” she whispered against his mouth. “I don’t want you to leave unless I’m with you.”

  Their foreheads rested on each others’. Their breathing came in soft pants. Their eyes expressed nothing but love.

  “I wasn’t going to go anywhere without you,” he told her.

  “Really? What if I’d thrown you out of here?”

  Nick smiled. “I would have waited out in the lobby. I can’t live without you, Eve. I don’t even want to try.”

  “Where do you want to go from here?”

  Nick kissed the tip of her nose. “I don’t care if we’re at my house in North Carolina or yours in Virginia. I just want to be with you.”

  “I want to stay with the Bureau.”

  Nick sighed. “Eve, I don’t care where you work. If you’re happy and you’re with me, that’s all I ask. But if you’re pregnant, will you consider taking a leave of absence for a while?”

  Eve nodded. “What will you do? Will you still want to be hired out as a bodyguard?”

  “Nah. I don’t have to work a day in my life, if I choose not to—and neither do you.”

  Eve blinked. “Excuse me?”

  “I’m loaded. My grandparents passed about five years ago and left me quite a nice sum of money, since I was the only grandchild.”

  “That explains why you weren’t upset when your forty-thousand-dollar car exploded.”

  Nick laughed. “Actually, I’m still sick about it, but I’m learning there are more important things in life than cars.”

  “Oh, yeah. Like what?”

  Nick leaned down and captured her mouth.

  She had all the answer she needed.

  About the Author

  Sophia Rae has been escaping reality and writing steamy romance for several years. She’s thrilled to have found such a rewarding career and attributes all her success to her fans, who she loves to hear from.

  When she’s not creating yummy heroes and strong heroines, she cares for her children, her husband and her Beagle/St. Bernard mix. Life is never dull in her hectic household.

  To learn more about Sophia Rae, please send an email to her at sophiarae@falcon1.net, or snail mail her at PO Box 396, Minford, OH, 45653. She’s happy to answer any questions or just chat about books!

  He's the one who broke her heart. And the only man who can keep her safe.

  Undying Passions

  © 2007 Amy Mistretta

  Ten years after their teen romance ended in betrayal, Tess Fenmore and Johnny Sawyer are forced to confront their past when a stalker threatens her safety.

  Years ago, Johnny married Tess's best friend and broke her heart. Now a cop—and a widower carrying a load of guilt despite his wife's cheating ways—Johnny realizes he never really stopped loving Tess. He's determined to protect her, whether she wants him around or not.

  The fiercely independent Tess is forced to accept Johnny's protection. Rekindled passion flares every time they are together, but past betrayals, regrets and doubt tear at their emotions. Little by little, they discover the truth about their past, about who really betrayed whom.

  And who is the stalker's real target.

  Enjoy the following excerpt for Undying Passions:

  Tess Fenmore slouched behind the steering wheel of her car, staring out the windshield, the funeral home across the street taunting her with regret. All the pent-up anguish had nothing to do with the building but rather with the man inside.

  Johnny Sawyer.

  At one time, Tess had loved him so much and for years, memories of Johnny had driven her crazy. She hadn’t been able to get him out of her mind.

  Even though he had made one hell of a mess out of her life.

  Through months of heavy tears, she had tried moving on, but to this day the pain was still there. Deeply. It only proved she had never gotten over him.

  Feeling the pain of her past as the sun beat down through the windshield, still staring at the gloomy funeral home, Tess wiped back a stray tear. The old memories didn’t seem old any more.

  She wished she could banish them from her mind altogether, do away with every person in her life who had wronged her. Every time she found herself reminiscing, Tess felt the twinge in her gut from what she had walked in on that day long ago.

  She placed her head on the steering wheel, closing her eyes, willing the images from her past to go away.

  But they never did.

  The hardest thing was, year after year, Johnny and Tess had continued living in the same town. It always struck her as funny to see how two people who were once close could live far apart with nothing more than a stolen glance shared between them. Yet the ache remained, seeing him move on with his life.

  One more person who had thrown her away.

  The hurt was as fresh as if it happened yesterday. However, it happened eleven years ago, and Tess couldn’t understand why the feeling of betrayal still lingered deep within her heart, persisting to haunt her.

  It took all the emotional strength Tess had to put the car in gear and drive to the parking lot across the street. Feeling as though she were bordering on the edge of a cliff, her emotions threatening to come crashing around her, tears stinging her eyes, blurring her vision, she parked the car.

  When Tess walked into the funeral home, feeling uncomfortable, alone, as though she had no right being there, people stared, their whispers unmistakable, probably wondering why after all these years she would show up at the wake.

  Despite their intentness, Tess pushed forward. She had to do this, had to face the past, pay her final respects, more so for herself than for any other reason.

  Suddenly, she stopped, her feet frozen to the dark-colored carpet beneath her. There he was. The time that had passed between them had been so long. To see him like this…

  It was devastating.

  No matter what was going on inside her head, Tess had to be stro
ng, had to go to him, to Johnny Sawyer, who stood alone next to his wife’s coffin.

  Tess approached the casket.

  Other than a slight sideward glance, she tried keeping her gaze off Johnny as he stared, startled by her sudden presence. Kneeling down on the small wooden step, Tess said a prayer. Not a prayer filled with her forgiveness, just the simplest goodbye to someone who had once been an important part of her life.

  Lindsey Moran…Tess’s one-time best friend, now Lindsey Sawyer, a woman who had deceived her in the worst possible way.

  If it hadn’t been for the destructive thunderstorm, or the sharpness of the bend in the road, Tess wouldn’t have had a reason to be there.

  She’d heard about the tragedy on the local radio station the morning after. A car had been traveling at high speed along a country road, when it veered off the shoulder. Why had Lindsey been driving so fast? Was her car the only one involved? The police would never know.

  It was irrelevant now.

  Lindsey Sawyer had been pronounced dead at the scene of the accident, the impact of the crash too much for her body to handle and the internal bleeding irreversible. The broadcast reported that the rescue team had been forced to call in the Jaws of Life to get her out of the mangled car.

  The only thing that brought Tess out of shock that morning, after hearing Lindsey’s name come through the speakers of her radio, had been the sound of her coffee mug shattering on the kitchen floor.

  Although it was true that Tess had never forgiven Lindsey for crossing the line, destroying their friendship forever, she wouldn’t wish such pain or eternal heartache on anyone.

  Not even Johnny Sawyer.

  Her mind was free of all thoughts of betrayal, rather filled with warm memories of Lindsey. From the times they had played together on the school playground, their prom, graduation… But no matter how hard she tried, the pain came back in full with the vision of seeing Lindsey in bed with Johnny.

  Even in death, the thoughts, the images, couldn’t be banished.

  After privately saying her peace, Tess started to turn, to head back down the aisle and out the door. Except she couldn’t. She faced Johnny with sadness in her eyes, a kind of sadness she couldn’t explain.