Graham’s smile deepened as his face came closer to hers. Her eyes closed just before his lips touched hers, sending tingles through her body and down to her toes. Ginny had often dreamed of a kiss like this - the kind that made goosebumps erupt on her flesh, the kind that seared its way into her mind - but this was better even than she could have imagined, and she knew that she would be forever changed by it.
The End!
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If you enjoyed this story, Please leave a review. Just a few words really helps.
And if you’d like to know who the mystery man with Cara was, be sure to read Secrets and Suspense.
10
Author’s Note
When I was first approached to write in the Love under Lockdown series, I wasn’t sure I could do it. I am so tired of being locked down, of not being able to attend my gym, cut my hair, or go to church, but I finally decided I could write it if I could make it suspenseful.
The town of Fire Beach has become dear to me, and when I first introduced Graham in book one, Fire Games, I hoped he would have a story one day. I’m glad I got to put it in this set.
I hope you enjoyed this story. If you did, would you do me a favor? Please leave a review. It really helps. It doesn’t have to be long - just a few words to help other readers know what they’re getting.
I’d love to hear from you, not only about this story, but about the characters or stories you’d like read in the future. I’m always looking for new ideas and if I use one of your characters or stories, I’ll send you a free ebook and paperback of the book with a special dedication. Write to me at [email protected]. And if you’d like to see what’s coming next, be sure to stop by authorloranahoopes.com
I also have a weekly newsletter that contains many wonderful things like pictures of my adorable children, chances to win awesome prizes, new releases and sales I might be holding, great books from other authors, and anything else that strikes my fancy and that I think you would enjoy. I’ll even send you the first chapter of my newest (maybe not even released yet) book if you’d like to sign up.
Even better, I solemnly swear to only send out one newsletter a week (usually on Tuesday unless life gets in the way which with three kids it usually does). I will not spam you, sell your email address to solicitors or anyone else, or any of those other terrible things.
This series will be continued, but for now, would you like to meet some characters for a new series.
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Prayers and blessings,
Lorana
11
Not ready to say Goodbye yet?
Love on the Run is book 3.5 in the Men of Fire Beach series. I’m hard at work on book 4
Secrets and Suspense will be the next book in the series. If you read, Never Forget the Past, you’ll see that Cara was found unconscious on the floor of her bed and breakfast…
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Secrets and Suspense
She’s ex-military or is she?
Cara Hunter owns the local bed and breakfast in Fire Beach, but when she’s found unconscious on the floor, questions begin to surface about her past
He’s a criminal investigator
Cole Davenport showed up in Fire Beach to arrest Cara Hunter, but is she really the victim?
When the truth comes out….
When the world Cara knew begins falling apart, who will she be able to trust?
Read on for a taste of Secrets and Suspense….
12
Secrets and Suspense Preview
“Steve, are you in here?” Cara Hunter knocked softly on Sergeant Steve Steele’s door. A feeling of unease washed over her as it creaked open. Steve never left his door unlocked. Like her, he was paranoid of being caught doing his research. Even though they’d been sanctioned by the military, what they were doing could be dangerous if it fell into the wrong hands. It was something she worried about everyday, and she’d had enough conversations with Steve to know the fear had taken residence in his mind too.
She should turn around right now. Or call Jordan. At least if she had a detective with her, she wouldn’t be blamed for whatever she might find inside, but she had to know. Careful not to touch anything more, she pulled her sleeves down over her hands and nudged the door open a little farther with her elbow.
The unease burgeoned into terror as she took in the room. Or what was left of it. Furniture had been shredded and lay upended across the room. Drawers hung like broken arms from the desk. Books and papers littered the floor, and an eerie silence filled the room. How she wished she had more than the small knife concealed in her boot.
The desire to call Steve’s name again burned in her throat, but she clamped her jaws shut. Though it felt as if whoever had done this was gone, alerting them to her presence felt reckless in case they were still in the house.
Instead, she took ginger steps around the mess, careful not to step on anything and leave bookmarks. The living room opened to a kitchen which was equally messy. All the drawers had been emptied on the floor and the cabinet doors gaped open like hungry mouths. Someone had obviously been looking for something, and Cara knew they had probably found it.
Steve did most of his research in a hidden closet in his bedroom, but if whoever had done this was this thorough, it was unlikely they hadn’t found the room. She just hoped Steve hadn’t been home when they had.
Exiting the kitchen, she walked carefully down the hallway. Steve’s house was small - just a single bedroom after he and his wife had split up. That left only two more doors - the bathroom and the bedroom. Both doors were open, and Cara glanced quickly in the sparse bathroom before continuing to the bedroom.
Fear, rage, and disgust battled for her dominant emotion as she nudged the bedroom door open further and saw Steve lying facedown on the bed. The puddle of brick colored liquid surrounding him left no doubt that he was dead, and the open door to his secret closet at the other end of the room confirmed her suspicion that his research was gone.
There was no reason to stay any longer. She needed to get out of here before anyone saw her and tried to pin this murder on her.
Retracing her steps, Cara exited the house and climbed back in her car. The composure she had worked so hard to contain while in the house crumbled as her door shut. Someone had killed Steve. Was she next?
Her hand shook as she fumbled to get the key in the ignition. She needed to call Jordan and have him send someone to the scene, but first she needed to call Malone. She had to know if he knew and what he was going to do to protect the rest of them.
She punched in his personal number before throwing the car into reverse and backing away from the crime scene. Every nerve in her body wanted her to flee, press the gas and roar out of the area, but that would only draw unwanted attention. Attention she didn’t need.
“Cara? What’s going on?” The concern in Malone’s deep voice resonated through her car, but it did nothing to calm her racing heart.
“Steve’s dead.” Choked with emotion, the strangled words hardly sounded like her voice.
“What?”
“He’s dead. I stopped in for our monthly meetup, but I was too late. Someone beat me there. They trashed the place, killed Steve, and stole the research.” Her hands gripped the steering wheel, the color in her knuckles fading to a dull white.
“Are you sure they got the research?”
Cara glanced down at her phone briefly as if glaring at it could send her ire to Malone. How could he sound so calm when she had just told him a member of their team was dead? And why did he appear more interested in the research than the man’s life?
“Well, I didn’t paw through everything and leave my fingerprints all over the place, but the house was trashed. His secret room was open. I have no doubt they found everything they were looking for. Do you even care about Steve?”
Malone’s sigh echoed through her speakers. “Of course I do, but I don’t have to remind you Cara that our work is important. We’re talking about saving liv
es.”
“Right now we ought to be thinking about endangering lives. Steve had samples of the virus which means someone else now has them, and we have no idea what they plan to do with them. What if they come after the rest of us? What if they come after me? Geez, Malone, how did they even know to come after Steve?” The questions tumbled out of her mouth like drips from a leaky faucet, but for each one she voiced, a dozen more scrambled for space in her brain.
“I don’t know, Cara. I will look into it. For now, stay safe and see if you can get me that vaccine.”
She wanted to ask him how exactly she was supposed to do that, but before she could say anything more, the click of him hanging up the phone reverberated through the car. She was on her own.
Well, not entirely on her own. She had Jordan and the rest of her friends in Fire Beach. They didn’t know about her secret life, but she had no doubt they would help her out when she told them. She just had to make it back home.
Click here to continue reading Secrets and Suspense.
13
A Free Story For You
Enjoyed this story? Not ready to quit reading yet? If you sign up for my newsletter, you will receive The Billionaire’s Impromptu Bet right away as my thank you gift for choosing to hang out with me.
The Billionaire’s Impromptu Bet
A SWAT officer. A bored billionaire heiress. A bet that could change everything….
Read on for a taste of The Billionaire’s Impromptu Bet….
14
The Billionaire’s Impromptu Bet Preview
Brie Carter fell back spread eagle on her queen-sized canopy bed sending her blond hair fanning out behind her. With a large sigh, she uttered, “I’m bored.”
“How can you be bored? You have like millions of dollars.” Her friend, Ariel, plopped down in a seated position on the bed beside her and flicked her raven hair off her shoulder. “You want to go shopping? I hear Tiffany’s is having a special right now.”
Brie rolled her eyes. Shopping? Where was the excitement in that? With her three platinum cards, she could go shopping whenever she wanted. “No, I’m bored with shopping too. I have everything. I want to do something exciting. Something we don’t normally do.”
Brie enjoyed being rich. She loved the unlimited credit cards at her disposal, the constant apparel of new clothes, and of course the penthouse apartment her father paid for, but lately, she longed for something more fulfilling.
Ariel’s hazel eyes widened. “I know. There’s a new bar down on Franklin Street. Why don’t we go play a little game?”
Brie sat up, intrigued at the secrecy and the twinkle in Ariel’s eyes. “What kind of game?”
“A betting game. You let me pick out any man in the place. Then you try to get him to propose to you.”
Brie wrinkled her nose. “But I don’t want to get married.” She loved her freedom and didn’t want to share her penthouse with anyone, especially some man.
“You don’t marry him, silly. You just get him to propose.”
Brie bit her lip as she thought. It had been awhile since her last relationship and having a man dote on her for a month might be interesting, but…. “I don’t know. It doesn’t seem very nice.”
“How about I sweeten the pot? If you win, I’ll set you up on a date with my brother.”
Brie cocked her head. Was she serious? The only thing Brie couldn’t seem to buy in the world was the affection of Ariel’s very handsome, very wealthy, brother. He was a movie star, just the kind of person Brie could consider marrying in the future. She’d had a crush on him as long as she and Ariel had been friends, but he’d always seen her as just that, his little sister’s friend. “I thought you didn’t want me dating your brother.”
“I don’t.” Ariel shrugged. “But he’s between girlfriends right now, and I know you’ve wanted it for ages. If you win this bet, I’ll set you up. I can’t guarantee any more than one date though. The rest will be up to you.”
Brie wasn’t worried about that. Charm she possessed in abundance. She simply needed some alone time with him, and she was certain she’d be able to convince him they were meant to be together. “All right. You’ve got a deal.”
Ariel smiled. “Perfect. Let’s get you changed then and see who the lucky man will be.
A tiny tug pulled on Brie’s heart that this still wasn’t right, but she dismissed it. This was simply a means to an end, and he’d never have to know.
Jesse Calhoun relaxed as the rhythmic thudding of the speed bag reached his ears. Though he loved his job, it was stressful being the SWAT sniper. He hated having to take human lives and today had been especially rough. The team had been called out to a drug bust, and Jesse was forced to return fire at three hostiles. He didn’t care that they fired at his team and himself first. Taking a life was always hard, and every one of them haunted his dreams.
“You gonna bust that one too?” His co-worker Brendan appeared by his side. Brendan was the opposite of Jesse in nearly every way. Where Jesse’s hair was a dark copper, Brendan’s was nearly black. Jesse sported paler skin and a dusting of freckles across his nose, but Brendan’s skin was naturally dark and freckle free.
Jesse flashed a crooked grin, but kept his eyes on the small, swinging black bag. The speed bag was his way to release, but a few times he had started hitting while still too keyed up and he had ruptured the bag. Okay, five times, but who was counting really? Besides, it was a better way to calm his nerves than other things he could choose. Drinking, fights, gambling, women.
“Nah, I think this one will last a little longer.” His shoulders began to burn, and he gave the bag another few punches for good measure before dropping his arms and letting it swing to a stop. “See? It lives to be hit at least another day.” Every once in a while, Jesse missed training the way he used to. Before he joined the force, he had been an amateur boxer, on his way to being a pro, but a shoulder injury had delayed his training and forced him to consider something else. It had eventually healed, but by then he had lost his edge.
“Hey, why don’t you come drink with us?” Brendan clapped a hand on Jesse’s shoulder as they headed into the locker room.
“You know I don’t drink.” Jesse often felt like the outsider of the team. While half of the six-man team was married, the other half found solace in empty bottles and meaningless relationships. Jesse understood that - their job was such that they never knew if they would come home night after night - but he still couldn’t partake.
Brendan opened his locker and pulled out a clean shirt. He peeled off his current one and added deodorant before tugging on the new one. “You don’t have to drink. Look, I won’t drink either. Just come and hang out with us. You have no one waiting for you at home.”
That wasn’t entirely true. Jesse had Bugsy, his Boston Terrier, but he understood Brendan’s point. Most days, Jesse went home, fed Bugsy, made dinner, and fell asleep watching TV on the couch. It wasn’t much of a life. “All right, I’ll go, but I’m not drinking.”
Brendan’s lips pulled back to reveal his perfectly white teeth. He bragged about them, but Jesse knew they were veneers. “That’s the spirit. Hurry up and change. We don’t want to leave the rest of the team waiting.”
“Is everyone coming?” Jesse pulled out his shower necessities. Brendan might feel comfortable going out with just a new application of deodorant, but Jesse needed to wash more than just dirt and sweat off. He needed to wash the sound of the bullets and the sight of lifeless bodies from his mind.
“Yeah, Pat’s wife is pregnant again and demanding some crazy food concoctions. Pat agreed to pick them up if she let him have an hour. Cam and Jared’s wives are having a girls’ night, so the whole gang can be together. It will be nice to hang out when we aren’t worried about being shot at.”
“Fine. Give me ten minutes. Unlike you, I like to clean up before I go out.”
Brendan smirked. “I’ve never had any complaints. Besides, do you know how long it takes me to get my ha
ir like this?”
Jesse shook his head as he walked into the shower, but he knew it was true. Brendan had rugged good looks and muscles to match. He rarely had a hard time finding a woman. Jesse on the other hand hadn’t dated anyone in the last few months. It wasn’t that he hadn’t been looking, but he was quieter than his teammates. And he wasn’t looking for right now. He was looking for forever. He just hadn’t found it yet.
Click here to continue reading The Billionaire’s Impromptu Bet.
Discussion Questions
1. What was your favorite scene in the book? What made it your favorite?
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2. Did you have a favorite line in the book? What do you think made it so memorable?
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3. Who was your favorite character in the book and why?
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4. What do you think would be the hardest part about escaping abuse?
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5. What did you learn about God from reading this book?
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6. How can you use that knowledge in your life from now on?
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7. What do you think would make the story even better?
The Story Doesn’t End!
You’ve met a few people and fallen in love….
Love on the Run Page 4
