Two Dauntless Hearts

by Elle James

  He cupped the back of her head and pressed a kiss to her forehead. “I missed you, Marly Simpson. When I thought I’d lost you, I realized just how much you’ve become a part of my life.”

  “In a very short amount of time,” she added, tipping her head up to stare into his eyes. “Do you believe in love at first sight?” she asked.

  He shook his head. “No. But I believe in love at last.” He framed her face in his palms and bent to brush his mouth lightly over her lips. “I don’t want to hurt you.”

  “I trust that you won’t,” she said.

  He knew she was talking about more than the cut on her lip or the bruises on her jaw and cheeks. “Where are you going from here, Marly? Will you get another plane and continue your flying service?”

  She tilted her head to the side. “I don’t think so.”

  “No?” His pulse beat a little faster, hope taking root in his heart.

  “I haven’t been back to where I was born in a very long time. Do you think they have need of pilots in my home state of Virginia?” She smiled up at him. “Not that I’m asking for strings attached or commitment, but it would be nice to try my hand at dating again. I feel as if I haven’t given it enough of a chance.”

  He laughed and kissed the spot on her face that had the least amount of deep purple bruising. “I think you’ll love it, as long as you’re dating the right man.”

  “It all depends on whether he bucks up enough courage to ask me.”

  “Oh, I can guarantee he’ll ask you. But in the meantime, we have a few more days of vacation left here at All Things Wild. Anything special you want to do before we leave?”

  She walked her fingers up his chest and pressed one to his lips. “I can think of a few things I’d like to accomplish.”

  “Accomplish? That sounds like work.”

  “Seriously, I’d like to find out who else was involved in the human trafficking and the animal sales. The man in charge of that little operation was American. He could have had a partner stateside, facilitating the sales to the US or on to other countries.”

  Pitbull tucked a strand of Marly’s hair back behind her ear. “I agree. We need to find out who else was involved in the trafficking ring.” He circled his hands around her waist and then slid them lower to cup her bottom. “Can you think of anything else you’d like to accomplish before we leave?”

  She ran her tongue across her lips and smiled. “I’d like to get better at the art of seduction.” She stared up at him. “Do you know anyone willing to teach me? I’d really like to become an accomplished flirt.”

  “I might know a guy.” He brushed his thumb over her swollen lip. Pitbull moved closer, reached down and released the towel around his waist. “Anything else you’d like to do before we leave?”

  “Oh, yeah. There is something you should know.” She leaned up on her toes and whispered in his ear. “I’m going commando. There’s absolutely nothing but me underneath this dress.”

  Pitbull’s hands tightened around her waist. “Marly, you’re an amazing woman. You don’t need lessons in flirting. You already know exactly what to say and do to capture my interest.” He gathered the fabric of her dress and pulled it up and over her head, then tossed it to a chair in the corner.

  “Don’t you want to eat breakfast?” she asked as she slid into his arms, pressing her naked flesh to his.

  “Later, babe. I have you in my arms. I don’t want to waste a second.”

  “Oh, good. But we can eat later, can’t we? I think we’ll be starved by then.”

  “You’ve got it, but first, I want to hold you like there will be no tomorrow. To feel your body next to mine and to make love to you all day and all night long.”

  “I’ve never heard of anything sweeter. Maybe I’m getting the hang of this seduction thing. It seems to be working on you.”

  He touched a finger to the tip of her nose. “Hold that thought and don’t move.” Then he stepped away from her, gathered the tray of food, set it on the table in the sitting room and returned.

  Marly hadn’t moved. She stood as naked as he’d left her, wearing nothing but a smile.

  She was long, lean and perfect in every way. He couldn’t imagine any other woman he’d rather be with or have in his life.

  “Are you going to stand there staring at me all night long, or make love to me?”

  Pitbull laughed, swept her up into his arms and carried her to the king-size bed, where he laid her down gently.

  He lay on the bed beside her and gathered her in his arms. “I don’t know what will happen when we leave here or how our relationship will progress, but I know one thing.”

  “What’s that?” Marly asked, leaning over to press her lips to his.

  “I want you in my life with all the strings attached and a heaping helping of commitment. You’re an amazing woman, strong, selfless and independent—everything I never knew I wanted in the woman I can see myself spending the rest of my life with.”

  “Wow,” Marly said. “Just days ago, you were dead set against relationships. As a SEAL, you would never be around. Relationships never work, you said.” She tipped her head to the side. “What made you change your mind?”

  “You, baby. The person you are. The unassuming way you go about your life. Your fierce independence. If anyone can put up with the life of a SEAL, baby, it’s you. You gave me hope for a future I never thought I’d have.”

  Marly frowned. “I don’t know. I’m not anything special.”

  “You’re wrong. You’re the best thing to ever happen to me. I don’t need a year of dating to come to that conclusion. I know now, you’re the one for me. But if you want to date and take your time to come to the same conclusion, I’ll do whatever it takes. As long as you end up in my arms, in my life and in my heart.”

  Marly moved closer, pressing the length of her body against the length of his. “I don’t need a year to know what’s already in my heart. It’s you. Are we clear now? We care about each other and don’t want it to end after we leave here.”

  He chuckled and kissed the tip of her nose. “We’re clear.”

  “Good, because I’d like to stop talking and start loving.”

  “Bossy much?” he said, pulling her closer. He bent to kiss her lips, ever so softly. “Who knew a vacation could end up being a new beginning?”

  “I like to think I keep an open mind. Now, shut up and make love to me.”

  * * * * *

  Keep reading for an excerpt from Sin and Bone by Debra Webb.

  Sin and Bone

  by Debra Webb

  Chapter One

  The Edge Emergency Department, Chicago

  Monday, June 4, 5:30 p.m.

  Dr. Devon Pierce listened as administrators from more than a dozen hospitals in metropolitan areas across the nation bemoaned the increasing difficulty of maintaining emergency departments. Once the opening discussion concluded, Devon was the featured speaker.

  He rarely agreed to speak to committees and groups, even in a teleconference, which was the case today. His participation required only that he sit in his office and speak to the monitor on his desk. He much preferred to remain focused on his work at the Edge. There were times, however, when his participation in the world of research and development was required in order to push his lagging colleagues toward the most advanced medical technologies. Emergency treatment centers like the Edge were the future of emergency medicine. There was no better state-of-the-art facility.

  Devon had set his career as a practicing physician aside and spent six years developing the concept for the center’s prototype before opening it in his hometown of Chicago. The success of the past year provided significant evidence that his beliefs about the future of emergency rooms were correct. This would be his legacy to the work he loved.

  The subject of cost reared its inevitable a
nd unpleasant head in the ongoing discussion as it always did. How could a person measure the worth of saving a human life? He said as much to those listening eagerly for a comment from him. All involved were aware, perhaps to varying degrees, just how much his dedication to his work had cost him. He’d long ago stopped keeping account. His work required what it required. There were no other factors or concerns to weigh.

  Half an hour later, Devon had scarcely uttered his closing remarks when the door to his office opened. Patricia Ezell, his secretary, silently moved to his desk. She passed him a note, probably not containing the sort of news he wanted if her worried expression was any indicator, and it generally was.

  You’re needed in the OR stat.

  “I’m afraid I won’t be able to take any questions. Duty calls.” Devon severed his connection to the conference and stood. “What’s going on?” he asked as he closed a single button on his suit jacket.

  Patricia shook her head. “Dr. Reagan rushed a patient into surgery in OR 1. He says he needs you there.”

  Ice hardened in Devon’s veins. “Reagan is well aware that I don’t—”

  “He has the surgery under control, Dr. Pierce. It’s...” Patricia took a deep breath. “The patient was unconscious when the paramedics brought her in. Her driver’s license identifies her as Cara Pierce.”

  A spear of pain arrowed through Devon, making him hesitate. He closed his laptop. “Few of us have a name so unique that it’s not shared with others.” There were likely numerous Cara Pierces in the country. Chicago was a large city. Of course there would be other people with the same name as his late wife. This should be no surprise to the highly trained and, frankly, brilliant members of his staff.

  “One of the registration specialists browsed the contacts list in her cell phone and called the number listed as Husband.”

  Devon hesitated once more, this time at the door. His secretary’s reluctance to provide whatever other details she had at her disposal was growing increasingly tedious. “Is her husband en route?”

  Patricia cleared her throat. “Based on the number in her contacts list, her husband is already here. The number is yours.” She held out his cell phone. “I took the call.”

  Devon stared at the thin, sleek device in her hand. He’d left his cell with Patricia for the duration of the teleconference. He hated the distracting vibration of an incoming call when he was trying to run a teleconference. Normally he would have turned it off and that would have been it, but he was expecting an important work call—one that he would pause his teleconference to take if necessary. So he’d assigned Patricia cell phone duty with instructions to interrupt him only if that call came in, or if there was a life-and-death situation.

  He reached for it now.

  “Thank you, Patricia. Ask the paramedic who brought her in to drop by my office when he has a break.”

  The walk from his office in the admin wing to the surgery unit took all of two minutes. One of the finely tuned features of the Edge design was ensuring that each wing of the emergency department was never more than two to three minutes away from anything else. A great deal of planning had gone into the round design of the building with the care initiation front and center and the less urgent care units spanning into different wings around the circle. Straight through the very center, the rear portion of the design contained the more urgent services, imaging and surgery. Every square foot of the facility was designed for optimum efficiency. Each member of staff was carefully chosen and represented the very best in their field.

  As he neared the surgery suite, he considered what his secretary had told him about the patient. The mere idea was absurd. There’d been a mistake. A mix-up of some sort.

  Cara.

  His wife was dead. He’d buried her six years and five months ago.

  Devon moved into the observation area where all three operating rooms could be viewed. He touched the keypad and the black tint of the glass that made up the top half of the wall all the way around the observation area cleared, allowing him to see inside and those in the OR to see him. Two of the rooms were empty. One held Cara Pierce.

  The patient’s hair was covered with the usual generic cap, preventing him from distinguishing the color. Most of her face was obscured by the oxygen mask. He turned on the audio in OR 1.

  “Evening, Dr. Pierce,” Reagan said without glancing up, his hands moving in swift, perfectly orchestrated movements that were all too familiar to Devon.

  “Dr. Reagan.” Devon’s fingers twitched as he watched the finely choreographed dance around the patient. His life had revolved around saving lives for so long that his entire body was finely tuned into that instinctive rhythm.

  “Splenic rupture. Concussion but no bleeding that we’ve found.” Reagan remained focused on the video screen as he manipulated the laparoscopic instruments to resect and suture the damaged organ. “She’ll be a little bruised and unhappy about the small surgical scars we’ll leave behind but, otherwise, she should be as good as new before you know it.”

  Five or ten seconds elapsed before Devon could respond or move to go. “Watch for intracranial hemorrhaging.” He switched off the audio, darkened the glass once more and walked away.

  A weight, one that he had not felt in years, settled on his chest. His wife had died of intracranial hemorrhaging. There had been no one to save her and his efforts had been too little too late. The old ache twisted inside him.

  But this woman—who shared Cara’s name—was not his wife.

  Devon drew in a deep breath and returned to his office. Patricia glanced up at him as he passed her desk but he said nothing. With his office door closed, he moved to the window overlooking the meticulously manicured grounds surrounding the facility. Trees and shrubs were precisely placed amid the expanse of asphalt, lending a welcoming, pleasing appearance. He’d insisted on extensive research for design purposes. What aspects would make the family members of patients feel more at home? What could be done to set a soothing tone for patients? A patient’s outlook and sense of well-being and safety were immensely important to healing.

  Devon stared at nothing in particular for a long while. When his mind and pulse rate had calmed sufficiently, he settled behind his desk. A couple of clicks of the keyboard opened the patient portal. He pulled up the chart for the Caucasian female he’d observed in surgery. He surveyed the injuries listed as well as the paramedic’s comments. The kinds of injuries she had suffered were alarmingly similar to those his late wife had suffered in the car accident that had taken her life.

  Pierce, Cara Reese, thirty-seven. Her address was listed as the Lake Bluff residence Devon had built for his late wife more than a decade ago...the house he had inhabited alone for the past six-plus years.

  He scrolled down the file to a copy of her driver’s license.

  His breath trapped in his lungs.

  Blond hair, blue eyes. Height five-six, weight one-ten. Date of birth, November 10—all the statistics matched the ones that would have been found on Cara’s license. But it was the photo that proved the most shocking of all. Silky blond hair brushed her shoulders. Mischief sparkled in her eyes.

  The woman in the photo was Cara. His Cara.

  Devon was on his feet before his brain registered that he had pushed up from his chair. The DMV photo was the same one from the last time his wife renewed her license eight years ago. As if that September morning had happened only yesterday, he recalled vividly when she realized her driver’s license had expired. She’d been so busy planning another trip before the holidays were upon them she’d completely forgotten. He’d teased her relentlessly.

  His chest screamed for oxygen, forcing him to draw in a tight breath. The name could certainly be chalked up to pure coincidence. Even the physical characteristics and the shared birthday. The photo...that was an entirely different story.

  A rap on his door pulled him back to the p
resent. Devon reluctantly shifted his attention there. Why wasn’t Patricia handling visitors? He needed time to untangle this startling mystery. At the sound of another knock, he called, “Come in.”

  The door opened and a young man stuck his head inside. “You wanted to see me, Dr. Pierce?”

  Devon didn’t recognize the face but the uniform was as familiar as his own reflection, maybe more so since he hadn’t scrutinized himself in a mirror in years. More than six, to be exact. The contrasting navy trousers and light blue shirt marked his visitor as a member of the Elite Ambulance service. The identifying badge above the breast pocket confirmed Devon’s assessment. The paramedic.

  “You brought in the female patient from the automobile accident?”

  He nodded. “My partner and I. Yes, sir. It appeared to be a one-car accident on the Kennedy Expressway near Division. It was the strangest thing.”

  Devon gestured to the pair of chairs in front of his desk and the young man took a seat. The badge clipped onto his pocket sported the name Warren Eckert. “Strange in what way, Mr. Eckert?”

  Devon lowered into his own chair as Eckert spoke. “Nobody witnessed the accident. There was a sizable dent on the front driver’s-side fender, but nothing to suggest an accident capable of causing the kind of injuries the patient sustained.”

  “What kind of vehicle was she driving?”

  “A brand-new Lexus. Black. Fully loaded.” Eckert whistled, long and low. “Sharp car for sure.”

  Cara had driven a Lexus. Devon had bought it for her on her last birthday before she died.

  “Do you recall seeing anything in the vehicle besides your patient? Luggage perhaps, or a briefcase?”

  Eckert shook his head. “I don’t remember. Sorry.”

  “What about the officers investigating the scene?” Obviously the police had been there, probably before Eckert arrived.

  “Joe Telly was the only cop on the scene. He called us before he called backup.”

  “The woman was not conscious when you arrived?”