Secret Pleasure (Secret Series) (Volume 2)

by Jill Sanders

  “Mother?” Dante caught up with her. “Where are you going?”

  “Well, isn’t it obvious? I’m going to go bail her out. Someone obviously set her up. There is no way that sweet young girl had anything do to with stealing drugs.”

  “Mom!” Dante pulled her to a stop. “We’ll go together.”

  Airlea tried not to cry. Everything was ruined. She didn’t know how those drugs got into her apartment, but she knew this time was different. They weren’t found in her backpack and it wasn’t just a few bottles. This time there were cases of high-dose drugs, the kind she’d only read about in school. Her mind had shut down when the police had shown up at her work. When they had slapped the handcuffs on her in front of the children and her co-workers, she had wanted to die.

  When they had reached the police station, there had been reporters there and they had flashed pictures of her being led into the station. Someone had tipped them off, maybe the hospital. Why they cared about her was a mystery, but they had snapped the pictures like she was a movie star. Light bulbs flashed quickly and she was almost blinded by the light. Then the police had finally told her what they had arrested her for, and her heart had sunk.

  She had been fingerprinted, photographed, and searched, all of which had been beyond embarrassing. She didn’t say a word except to answer simple questions. When they allowed her to make a phone call, she’d called her mother and told her what was happening. Her mother assured her she would be there as quickly as possible to post bail and they would work everything out.

  She sat in the small room, her head resting against the cold brick wall, and cried.

  Finally, Dante’s aunt had made a mistake. Ethan watched the man leave Airlea’s apartment and smiled while snapping the shutter on his camera. They had waited three months for this opportunity and he was almost done with this job. He quickly put his car in gear and followed the young man, knowing he would get the answers he needed from him easy enough.

  He already had a few more jobs lined up, ones that he would charge for. This was family, and you didn’t charge family. He watched the man get into the car and drive away.

  Now he just needed to sit back and let things unfold so he could make everything right.

  Dante smiled when he saw Airlea walk out of the double doors with her head hanging. His mother and father stood beside him. He watched as she looked up and realized it was them standing there. Her eyes found his first and he thought he saw fear and shame. He walked to her without the use of a crutch or cane and saw her smile slightly at his progress.

  “Why are you here?” she asked, trying not to look at him.

  “Airlea, we know you’re innocent. We’ve come to bail you out. Beside, our mothers have talked and since your mom is still a good hour away, we told her we’d take you back to the house and meet her there.”

  “Dante, I can’t drag your family into this.”

  “Nonsense.” His mother stepped forward and put a protective arm around her. “What kind of person would I be if I let an innocent girl rot in a cell for something she obviously didn’t do?”

  “Thank you, Mrs. Cardone.”

  “Kathleen.” His mother insisted.

  Airlea smiled a little and nodded her head, “Kathleen.”

  The car trip back to the house was a quiet one. Airlea sat with her back straight and looked out the side window. His mother chatted away about her recent trip to Portland to see Ric and Roberta. He was grateful his mother was someone who could hold a conversation with herself and fill the silence in the car.

  When they arrived, he noticed several police cars and watched Airlea tense.

  “Don’t worry. They aren’t for you,” he whispered. He’d received a text from Ethan and knew the final scene was about to unfold.

  “What’s this all about?” His father pulled into the driveway.

  “Have we been robbed? Oh, I do hope nothing has happened to Florentina or Rosa.” His mother and father rushed from the car.

  “I’m sorry.” Airlea sat in the car, not making a move to get out. “I’m not sure how he did it, but I think Angelo framed me again. I don’t know how he got into my apartment.”

  “Airlea,” he waited until she looked up at him. “It wasn’t Angelo. It was my aunt. That’s why they’re here.” They both watched as two female officers led his aunt from the house in handcuffs. His father stood there looking shocked, and his mother frantically tried to calm Rosa down as she cried into her apron.

  They both watched as his aunt’s eyes zeroed in on their car and when she saw Airlea sitting next to Dante, her eyes narrowed.

  “Why does she hate me?”

  “Because she knows that I love you and I want to be with you.”

  Airlea’s eyes flew to his. “What?”

  He smiled and got out of the car, then he walked around and her car door and pulled her gently towards a large olive tree near the side yard where there was a large stone bench. Sitting down next to her in the cool breeze he continued.

  “It’s been obvious to her even before it was to me. The night I gave you Nonna’s watch.” He pulled the watch case out of his pocket. He’d brought it along today, just in case she didn’t agree to come back to the house with them.

  “Open it and read the inscription.”

  Airlea hesitated then took the watch from his fingers. When she opened it, she read out loud.

  Hai il mio cuore per sempre

  “You have my heart, forever.” He translated. “That night I tried to give this to you, I just wanted to give something to you that was special. To show you how I felt. I didn’t even remember the inscription. It wasn’t until I put it back in the safe that I noticed it. I remembered Nonna telling me that one day, I would give this to the woman who had taken my heart. And on that day, I would know true happiness.”

  He laughed, “She was, after all, part gypsy.”

  “Dante?”

  “Airlea, I’ve been miserable for the last three months. First off, I need to get out of my parents’ house. It’s driving me crazy seeing them kissing everywhere. I can’t even walk into the kitchen without seeing them together.” She laughed, something he had hoped to hear. “I’ve bought a house just down the street from your apartment. Did I tell you that the children’s hospital called and you have your job back if you want it? They apologized for jumping to conclusions after they saw the proof that Ethan provided them. The photos clearly showed the man my aunt had hired and paid for out of her personal account plant those drugs in your apartment.” He pulled her hand into his. “I’ve missed seeing you. I miss watching you eat across from me, seeing you every day, holding you at night. I know we both said we didn’t want a relationship, and that this happened faster than we expected. But if you give this a chance, I think we can make this about more than just our pleasures. How about making it forever?”

  “Dante, I’ve enjoyed the last three months, living in Rome.”

  Part of him broke off and floated to the floor.

  “But there has been one thing I’ve been missing. You.” She took his face into her hands and kissed him, just as the police car carrying his aunt drove by them.

  Epilogue

  Airlea watched as Dante walked towards her. It had been almost a year since she’d first walked in on him lying naked on his floor. He did walk with a slight limp, but so slight only his physical therapist would be able to see it.

  It had been a few months since his aunt had finally confessed to killing his grandparents. Damiano had stood by his sisters side up to that point. After her confession, however, he had cut all ties and she was now sitting in a psych ward just outside of Rome, serving a life sentence for the death of her own parents. It had taken his family a while to adjust to all the news which had accounted for the delay in the wedding. Not to mention Dante had really wanting his brother to be there for the occasion. She smiled at the couple across the room who were busy smiling down at their new baby girl.

  She stood next to Kathleen an
d Katie and smiled as he approached her with his hand out.

  “May I have this dance?” He waited for her reply.

  She looked at his mother first and when she just said, “Well, what are you waiting for?” Airlea laughed. Then she turned and looked at Katie.

  “Don’t look at me. I don’t know if he can even dance.” She chuckled. Reaching up, she put her hand into his and allowed him to pull her onto the dance floor.

  The lights were dim and the music was soft as he pulled her closer to him. Several other couples had joined them on the dance floor and started dancing near them. Katie and Jason, Kathleen and Damiano, and even Rick and Roberta, holding their small daughter between them as they swayed to the music.

  It felt so good to have his hands on her and to feel him close. He smiled and she watched as his dimples flashed, then she looked into his eyes, and her steps faltered.

  “Careful there, Mrs. Cardone. I’d hate to have to walk into my physical therapist’s office on Monday and explain why I was walking with a new limp.”

  She smiled. “You could always tell her your new wife broke your other leg when you made fun of her dancing skills.”

  He laughed and then leaned down to place a soft kiss on her lips.

  “Mmm, I think I can smooth talk her into forgiving me. Have I told you that I love you today?”

  Airlea smiled. “We could get out of here and you could show your new wife just how much you love her.”

  He grabbed her hand and whisked her away towards the door while everyone in the room cheered.

  If you’ve enjoyed this book, please consider leaving a review where you purchased it. Thanks! --Jill

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  Secret Guardian

  Ethan was a top government weapon. But after a long career of working secret jobs, he decided he wanted to work for himself. Taking odd high profile security jobs here and there helps pay the bills and keeps his need for excitement at bay. That is until he takes another job from a senator, who he once saved the man’s son from kidnappers. Babysitting the senators daughter should be an easy enough job. That is, until he goes undercover and gets a look at the blond bombshell and bullets start to fly.

  Ann can’t stand the new man assigned to video her crew. She’s been in the journalist business long enough to know when someone is full of themselves. And Ethan is so full of himself he can’t see straight enough to point the camera in the right direction. But, now she’s gotten in over her head in Brazil with her latest assignment, the only way that she could possibly escape is to trust the one man she thinks help put her in the line of danger.

  About the Author

  Jill Sanders survived 80′s pop music, and life as an identical twin in a chaotic family of nine. A feat by any standard! She was born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, relocating to Colorado for college and a successful IT career at IBM in Boulder.

  Narrowly escaping before all creativity was squashed, she jumped at the chance to trade the mundane world of computers for the sexy, exciting world of her own imagination. She now lives in charming rural Texas writing wonderful novels such as the Pride series.

  Her debut novel, Finding Pride, was shortlisted in the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Awards 2013, and has since climbed to #1 on Amazon Bestsellers – Contemporary Romance & Romantic Suspense. Each Pride Series novel has spent time on bestseller lists for Amazon, Barns & Noble, and Apple. Watch out New York Times, here she comes!