Heart of the Falcon
Page 25
Madelyn blushed, then laughed. “Did Victoria help you?”
He kissed her on the nose. “Nope, I did this all by myself.”
Still smiling, Madelyn went into the bathroom. The smile slowly faded. Tears pricked her eyes as her hand touched the white bathrobe. Somehow she knew it was the same one from his hotel room in San Antonio. The entire day had been reminiscent of their first meeting. He couldn’t have expressed his love more eloquently.
Dashing away tears, she quickly undressed and put on the robe. As before, Daniel was waiting for her.
“Daniel.” It was the only word she could get past the constriction in her throat.
His large hands tenderly cupped her face. “I envisioned sliding this off you, envisioned making you mine. Even knowing it wasn’t possible, I wasn’t able to leave the robe behind.”
“I’m glad you didn’t.”
“I love and need you so much.”
Her hands palmed his cheeks. “I’m yours, now and forever. Make me yours again.”
He needed no further urging. “Now and forever,” he murmured just before his lips closed over hers.
A falcon had lost his heart and found his soul mate. He might soar in the clouds, but his mate would always be by his side. Love didn’t bind, it freed.
The heart of Daniel Falcon was at peace.
His sister Dominique’s was another story.
ST. MARTIN’S PAPERBACKS TITLES
BY FRANCIS RAY
The Taggart Brothers
Forever Yours
Only Hers
The Graysons of New Mexico Series
Until There Was You
You and No Other
Dreaming of You
Irresistible You
Only You
The Grayson Friends Series
The Way You Love Me
Nobody But You
One Night with You
It Had to Be You
~
Someone to Love Me
I Know Who Holds Tomorrow
Rockin’ Around That Christmas Tree (with Donna Hill)
Anthologies
Rosie’s Curl and Weave
Della’s House of Style
Welcome to Leo’s
Going to the Chapel
Gettin’ Merry
“Francis Ray creates characters and stories
that we all love to read about.”
—Eric Jerome Dickey
Praise for Francis Ray’s novels
ONLY HERS
“Ms. Ray continues to cut a swath across the lustrous fabric of romance history with Only Hers. Her inimitable style, irresistible humor, and extraordinary talent grace the pages of her books with the delicious tenacity of chocolate fudge swirls on French vanilla ice cream! She is one of the few authors who never disappoint their readers.”
—Romantic Times BOOKreviews
ONE NIGHT WITH YOU
“Master craftswoman that she is, Francis Ray is gifted at creating heart-warming love scenes that never leave you hanging.”
—Romance in Color
“Ruth Grayson is a force to be reckoned with as she sets her matchmaking sights on Faith’s brother, since there is no such thing as happily single in Ruth’s world. The steam the lovers create is a pleasure to behold. Ray never disappoints!”
—Romantic Times BOOKreviews
NOBODY BUT YOU
“A story that tugs at the heartstrings.”
—Romantic Times BOOKreviews
“Not only does Francis Ray rock in this book, but you also see a whole different side of racing that will keep you on the edge of your seat.”
—Night Owl Romance
“A wonderful read.”
—Fresh Fiction
“Fast and fun and full of emotional thrills and sexy chills. Everything a racing romance should be!”
—Roxanne St. Claire
UNTIL THERE WAS YOU
“Ms. Ray has given us a great novel again. Did we expect anything less than the best?”
—Romantic Times BOOKreviews (4 stars)
“Crisp style, realistic dialogue, likable characters, and [a] fast pace.”
—Library Journal
THE WAY YOU LOVE ME
“A romance that will have readers speed-reading to the next tension-filled scene, if not the climax.”
—Fresh Fiction
“Fans of Ray’s Grayson and Falcon families will be thrilled with the first installment in the new Grayson Friends series. And this is done very well … told with such grace and affection that this novel is a treat to read.”
—Romantic Times BOOKreviews (4 stars)
“Francis Ray is, without a doubt, one of the Queens of Romance.”
—A Romance Review
ONLY YOU
“Francis Ray’s graceful writing style and realistically complex characters give her latest contemporary romance its extraordinary emotional richness and depth.”
—Chicago Tribune
“It’s a joy to read this always fresh and exciting saga.”
—Romantic Times BOOKreviews (4 stars)
“The powerful descriptive powers of Francis Ray allow the reader to step into the story and become an active part of the surrender … If you love a great love story, Only You should be on your list.”
—Fallen Angel Reviews
“Riveting emotion and charismatic scenes that made this book captivating … a beautiful story of love and romance.”
—Night Owl Romance
“A beautiful love story as only Francis Ray can tell it.”
—Singletitles.com
“Readers will find a warm and wonderful contemporary romance with plenty of humor and drama. Adding a fun warmth and reality to these characters and a plot that moves quickly add all the needed incentive to read this fun book.”
—Multicultural Romance Writers
IRRESISTIBLE YOU
“A pleasurable story … a well-developed story and continuous plot.”
—Romantic Times BOOKreviews
“Like the previous titles in this series, Irresistible You is another winner … Witty and charming … Author Francis Ray has a true gift for drawing the reader in and never letting them go.”
—Multicultural Romance Writers
DREAMING OF YOU
“A great read from beginning to end, it’s even excellent for an immediate re-read.”
—Romantic Times BOOKreviews
“An immensely likable heroine, a sexy man with a heart of gold, and touches of glitz and color, [this] is as unapologetically escapist as Cinderella. Lots of fun.”
—BookPage
YOU AND NO OTHER
“The warmth and sincerity of the Graysons bring another book to life … delightfully realistic.”
—Romantic Times
“Astonishing sequel … the best romance of the new year … the Graysons are sure to leave a smile on your face and a longing in your heart for their next story.”
—ARomanceReview.com
SOMEONE TO LOVE ME
“The plot moves quickly, and the characters are interesting.”
—Romantic Times
“The characters give as good as they get, and their romance is very believable.”
—All About Romance
BREAK EVERY RULE
“Francis Ray is a literary chanteuse, crooning the most sensual romantic fiction melodies in a compelling performance of skill and talent that culminates in another solid gold hit!”
—Romantic Times
This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
HEART OF THE FALCON
Copyright © 1998 by Francis Ray.
Cover photograph © Shirley Green
All rights reserved.
For information address St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010.
ISBN: 978-0-312-365
10-3
ARABESQUE BOOKS edition / August 2004
St. Martin’s Paperbacks edition / December 2010
St. Martin’s Paperbacks are published by St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010.
eISBN 978-1-4299-2661-4
First St. Martin's Press eBook Edition: November 2010
FAMILY, FRIENDS, AND LOVERS
Discover the acclaimed Grayson series
from New York Times bestselling author
FRANCIS RAY
For the Graysons and their circle of friends, it’s always a family affair—with the emphasis on family. Read the entire series of Grayson novels from the always enticing Francis Ray, and experience the ups and downs of life and love, now and forever …
THE GRAYSON NOVELS
UNTIL THERE WAS YOU
ISBN: 978-0-312-94418-6
ONLY YOU
ISBN: 978-0-312-94874-0
DREAMING OF YOU
ISBN: 978-0-312-93973-1
YOU AND NO OTHER
ISBN: 978-0-312-98678-0
IRRESISTIBLE YOU
ISBN: 978-0-312-93974-8
THE GRAYSON FRIENDS NOVELS
NOBODY BUT YOU
ISBN: 978-0-312-94685-2
THE WAY YOU LOVE ME
ISBN: 978-0-312-94684-5
ONE NIGHT WITH YOU
ISBN: 978-0-312-36506-6
Available from St. Martin’s Paperbacks
MORE TO LOVE
From the New York Times bestselling author
FRANCIS RAY
When it comes to contemporary romance, no one delivers the goods like Francis Ray. Look for these trade-sized editions of this acclaimed author’s sophisticated, sensual, and sizzling novels of modern love …
AND MISTRESS
MAKES THREE
ISBN: 978-0-312-57368-3
NOT EVEN IF YOU BEGGED
ISBN: 978-0-312-94817-7
IN ANOTHER MAN’S BED
ISBN: 978-0-312-35613-2
ANY RICH MAN WILL DO
ISBN: 978-0-312-32431-5
LIKE THE FIRST TIME
ISBN: 978-0-312-32429-2
TROUBLE DON’T
LAST ALWAYS
ISBN: 978-0-312-32163-5
SOMEBODY’S KNOCKING AT MY DOOR
ISBN: 978-0-312-30734-9
I KNOW WHO HOLDS
TOMORROW
ISBN: 978-0-312-30050-0
Available in trade paperback from
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WHOEVER SAID LOVE ISN’T FREE?
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ISBN: 978-0-312-61430-0
Coming in June 2011, in trade paperback,
from St. Martin’s Griffin