The utter fear I felt when I found my parents was nothing compared to watching Paula wave a gun toward the woman I love. I wanted Delanie safe and Paula gone. Unfortunately, it took Paula shooting me to accomplish that.
“I had no idea she even knew Carter, let alone the fact that they were working together.”
My brows pull together in anger directed at myself. “I had my suspicions. That was the main reason I made sure you were hired in her department. I wanted a front-row view if she started squirming, which she did.”
She rolls her eyes. “Why am I not surprised?”
“I didn’t share that information with you because I was waiting for her to screw up with enough proof to hopefully put her behind bars. You used to work for her. The whole situation was a mess.”
“Oh,” she replies in a lackluster tone.
“It wasn’t a matter of trust, babe, believe me. I made you the center of attention, attention I no longer wanted you to have. By the time I had proof of what Paula was doing, I’d already fallen in love with you and I was willing to do whatever it took to keep you out of the shit storm I created.”
She places her hand on my arm. “I understand but… You can’t continue to keep things from me. Relationships don’t work like that.”
“I know that. And other than a few small companies and a house in Barbados that hasn’t come up in conversation, I’m an open book.”
“Oh,” she repeats before adding, “You own a house in Barbados?”
My lips quirk up with a smile. “Yes, as soon as I’m out of here, I’ll be happy to take you there.”
Her eyes darken. “You were just shot. Let’s wait for you to heal then we’ll discuss a vacation.”
I slide my hand into hers. “I don’t know what I would have done if something happened to you.”
“Ditto.”
Both of our heads turn when the door to my room opens and in walks Roan. “I told those assholes waiting outside that you were too fucking stubborn to die.”
I start laughing only to immediately stop when it feels like someone is ripping my insides with a pair of dull hedge clippers. “Good to see you too.”
Roan’s gaze moves to Delanie’s. “There are two police officers outside that want to talk to you.”
“Oh, thanks.”
“They can talk to you in here,” I shout, hoping they heard me.
“No, it’s okay. I’ll step out for a second and give you two a minute.”
She places a soft kiss on my forehead then darts out the door.
“Fuck, man. Paula pulled a gun on you? I can’t say I saw that coming.”
“That makes two of us.”
“Hopefully when they catch her, she’ll rat out Bosa part in things, and they’ll both go down.”
With my eyes glued to the door, I nod my head.
“Relax, man. They’re just getting her statement before they get yours.”
“I’ve been doing a bang-up job of taking care of her.”
He runs a hand through his hair and groans. “We knew when this started there were going to a few casualties. All things considered, the end result looks pretty fucking awesome.”
Delanie steps back into the room wearing a smile. “They caught her. She ran a light, swerved to miss a car, and end up slamming into a guardrail. She still had the gun on her.”
My gaze glides with Roan’s before returning to Delanie. “That’s the best news I’ve heard all day.” I pat the bed next to me. “Now, get your butt over here, because I plan on spending the next fifty or so years with you glued to my side.”
She fights a smile. “Glued, huh? What are your thoughts on Velcro?”
I bust out laughing, grabbing my stomach. “Fuck, it hurts to laugh.”
Her face falls as she rushes toward the bed. “God, I’m sorry.”
Moving my hand to hers I say, “Don’t ever be sorry, because until the day I die, I’ll never be sorry for ensuring you found your way into my life. You, Delanie Charles, are my forever.”
Epilogue
Delanie
Six Months Later
My dad walks up to me with tears in his eyes. “You look…breathtaking.”
“Thank you.”
“Are you sure you want to do this? It’s not too late to back out.”
“I thought you approved of Kase?”
“I do, but that doesn’t mean I’m ready for my little girl to get married.”
I look from my dad to the door where my mother walks in. “Everyone is waiting on you.”
“They can wait a second longer,” Dad grumbles.
Mom rolls her eyes before looking at me. “This dress looks amazing on you.”
“Thank you.”
The door opens again, only this time it’s Regan and Brenna who walk in. “Kase is an official nut case. We’re taking bets on how much longer he’s going to last before he burst in here to see you with his own two eyes,” Regan says with a smirk.
“He better not come in here. It’s bad luck to see the bride before the wedding,” Mom snaps.
“They’ve already had all the bad luck they’re going to have,” Brenna adds.
In a perfect world, I’d tell you that Paula and Carter were behind bars, but that’s not the case… At least not yet. Paula is facing second degree attempted murder charges. Her court date continues to be pushed back to the point I wonder if she’s ever going to stand trial. Carter, on the other hand, walked away scot-free, at least in the state of California. The state of New York recently charged him with embezzlement after learning he’d been transferring money from the few clients that stuck with him into his personal bank account. The amount was just a little over a million dollars. Sadly, if he’s convicted, he could spend more time in jail than Paula.
Much to Kase’s regret, Dalton still works at Thornton. Kase was ultimately the one who sent orders for Dalton to keep me busy outside of work. He wanted to ensure I had enough reasons not to go running back to Carter. What he didn’t know was Dalton and Paula were in a fairly serious relationship. Dalton was clueless to how unstable Paula was until she shot Kase. He swore he had no idea what she was doing, and Kase was never able to prove otherwise. I believe Dalton was just another person caught in a web of deception. Either way, all three of them are out of our lives.
My mom is still…well, my mom, just a slightly calmer version of the woman who once ruled my every decision. Instead of demanding things, she occasionally asks for my opinion and when it came time to plan my wedding, she actually took a backseat on the planning.
My relationship with my dad is the one I always dreamed of. We text or talk almost daily, and he purchased a condo in California because he’s here almost every weekend. He approves of Kase, and I think he’s almost to the point where he might like him, but after Carter, his guard is rightfully up.
Regan is still in Colorado, still happily married to Spencer. Now that she’s rekindled her own relationship with Brenna, she’s making even more trips out here to see the two of us. And Brenna, well…she’s still Brenna. She’s never completely opened-up about what happened between her and Roan, she only claims they weren’t on the same page.
Roan is a quiet, reserved man. The only person I’ve seen him joke around with is Kase. I know he was having issues with his now ex-wife, issues that ultimately played a part in why Brenna claims they’re over, but every time I see him, he asks about her.
Does she still work at that crappy bar?
Is she happy?
Is she seeing anyone?
Brenna quit the bar when she landed a rather large role in a new major motion film that should release early next year. She’s not seeing anyone that I’m aware of and last I knew, she had canceled her membership to Stella. I don’t know Roan all that well, but there’s always a level of regret lingering in his eyes anytime he asks about her. Today, my wedding day is the first time the two of them—to my knowledge—have seen each in close to six months.
My job at the bakery�
��unfortunately didn’t last. Thankfully, the contract I signed only had to do with being filmed and nothing to do with the amount of time I was expected to work because when Kase was released from the hospital, our lives blew up in front of a camera. Discovering Kase Cole is in fact the same person as the long-lost Edward James Thornton the third, the guy who inherited millions after finding his parents dead in their family home, was more interesting than learning why he was in the hospital in the first place.
Kase hired several bodyguards, and I didn’t leave the house by myself for close to three months, only after the media finally lost interest. Finding my current job was our next huge struggle—or better yet—fight. Kase wanted me to work for him. Not at Thornton. Instead, he offered me a job at Solar Core. And not just a job, but he wanted me to take on the role as President. I didn’t want a job that was handed to me and I dug my heels in for weeks. I went days without speaking to him until he finally convinced me to hear him out.
Solar Core needed help, and I needed a job so while the media was still scouting us out, I agreed to help, only I ended up loving the job even more than I loved the idea of working from home-something I never thought I’d enjoy.
“If everyone is ready, then we should get this party started,” Regan says on her way to the door.
Everyone walks toward the door except my dad, who pulls on my hand. “I’m serious. If you’re not ready for this, just say the word.”
“Dad.” I pull my hand from his, bringing it to the side of his face. “I spent years with a man I wanted to run from, but with Kase, all I want to do is run toward him. I love him with every piece of my heart.”
He places a kiss on my forehead. “That’s all I needed to hear, baby girl.”
Kase
Five Years Later
“No, no way.”
“Kase, you can’t be serious.” Staring at my wife, my gaze slowly moves to our daughter, who’s a spitting image of her mother.
“Daddy, peeeease.”
Kameron is four going on fourteen. Her blonde hair and blue eyes paired with the same spunky attitude her mother owns will most likely be the death of me.
“She’ll only be gone for a few days. A week tops.”
“A week? No, tell him she’s sick or something.”
Every summer since Kameron was born, Brock has asked to take her to New York on one of his many business trips. Every summer, we’ve—mostly me—have told him no. My daughter won the grandparent lottery with Brock. It’s like he’s making up for every moment he missed with Delanie, and in turn, Kameron adores him. I trust the man impeccably, but that doesn’t mean I’m ready to turn my child over to him for a solid week.
“What if something happens?”
“Daddy, I be okay.” Kameron climbs into my lap and starts stroking my hair. “I be with Papa.”
My heart melts in a puddle, pooling in my daughter’s hands. Delanie found out she was pregnant less than six months into our marriage. Even head over heels in love with my wife, I was worried if I was ready to be a parent. I didn’t exactly have the best role models growing up, but like it or not, we had a baby on the way. Kameron ended up being the second miracle in my life. From the moment she was born, I’ve been more than hands on. Delanie even went back to work before I did, because unlike my wife, I knew our company wasn’t going to go under without us.
“I think Daddy is worried he’s going to miss you.” Delanie softly rubs her hand down Kameron’s back. My daughter’s eyes light up with excitement. “I talk to you in the phone, then you won’t miss me.”
The earth drops out from under my feet. “Okay… You can go.” Kameron jumps from my lap clapping her hands. “I go with Papa!”
Delanie slides onto my lap, laughing at our daughter who’s now dancing through the living room. “You’ve made her day.”
I groan to myself but not softly enough because Delanie hears me. “A week to ourselves. Whatever will we do?” her voice turns into a sexy purr, one that makes me instantly hard. “Now’s the perfect time to start working on kid number two.” She bites her lower lip, wiggling in my lap.
“Damn,” I hiss between my teeth. “Sounds like you plan to keep me busy while she’s gone.”
“You better believe it.”
With my hands behind my head, I watch with enthusiasm as my wife’s breasts bounce up and down while she rides my cock. “Oh, God, I’m going to come,” she screams loud enough the neighbors a mile down the road could have heard her.
Her pussy grips me like a vise while she comes harder than she has in a long time, tipping me over the edge with her. “Shit, that was hot.”
“You won’t let Kameron out of your sight. That, in turn, makes it hard for us to find time to let loose.”
Delanie and I have a very regular and very healthy sex life; however, she’s right. In four years, Kameron has only stayed with Brock twice and Kameron likes to wake up at night and slip into our bed. “You’re right, I’m sorry.”
Her brows pull together. “Don’t be sorry for loving your daughter, but…” She leans forward sliding her hands up my chest then around my neck. “I wouldn’t object to her staying the night once a month with my dad.”
“What about your mom?” I smirk.
“Ugh, no. She still won’t allow Kameron to call her grandma. I can only imagine what she’d fill her head with if she spent more than a few hours at a time with her.”
Delanie’s relationship with her mother has improved over the years but it’s far from perfect.
“Okay, Kameron gets to spend the night with your dad once a month because I forgot how fucking hot you are in bed when you’re not worried our daughter will hear you.”
“A regular date night?” she purrs making my dick which is still inside her twitch. “Round two already?”
“You better believe it.”
I flip her over onto her back while she giggles, a sound that’s like music to my ears.
Be careful what you wish for; it just might come true.
That saying has never been more perfectly wrong. I set out to destroy Delanie’s life, only she managed to save mine. I never wanted a wife or kids, only to discover there’s nothing more important in life than my family. I didn’t wish for this life, but I’ll go to the end of the earth to keep it.
The End
Acknowledgments
This book felt like forever in the making. Thank you to everyone who stood by my side while I figured out how to juggle a career and writing.
A huge thank you to my husband and kids for putting up with me and allowing me time to write.
Thank you to My Girls who always offer a safe place to land. I can’t wait to spend my forties with you.
Amber Goodwin, thank you for keeping my name alive while I figured out how to juggle a new job and writing.
To Summer, thank you for holding my hand and walking through this journey with me. I can’t wait to work on future projects with you.
Thank you to my beta readers: Katie, Colette, Jennifer, Amber, Mandy, and Aaron. You ladies ROCK!
Thank you to both Claudia Bost and Eric Jacob for ensuring Eric’s picture made it into my hands. And thanks, Jules for once again designing a breathtaking cover, especially when I left you to read my mind.
Lainey and Gina, thank you, as always for the continuing support.
To every single readers and blogger, thank you! There are literally millions of books to choose from and I feel privileged you chose mine.
Also by Riann C Miller
Meeting The Unpredictable
Living With Regret
Living With Doubt
Beneath The Lies
Locked Away
Unlikely Love
Damaged Love
Returning Home
Note From The Author
Thank you for taking the time to read Kase and Delanie’s story. If you enjoyed Kase Of Deception please consider leaving a spoiler-free review on the site you purchased it from, Goodreads, and Book B
ub.
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About the Author
Riann C. Miller lives in south-east Kansas with her husband and two teenaged children. When she’s not reading, writing, or working, you’ll usually find her enjoying a baseball game with a beer in her hand.
Meeting The Unpredictable
After spending the last six days in my car, I’m at the last place I should be. I should walk away, but instead, I lift my hand and knock. Instantly, dread sets in. I shouldn’t be here. I know people. I have other places I could crash. Suddenly, I’m hoping like hell that she’s not home. I pick up my bag, ready to get the hell out of here, when the door opens.
“Lennie?”
I plaster on a smile. “Hey, sis.”
“You’re early.” My face falls with the knowledge that she’s been counting down the weeks until I would be forced to return.
“I’m in between jobs. I figured I could crash here for a while if that’s okay.”
“In between jobs or boyfriends?”
I laugh. “Both.” Jodi cracks a smile and opens her door.
“Thanks.” I dart past my sister, and instantly my eyes start taking in her picture perfect apartment. Nothing has changed since the last time I was here. “Fancy.”
Her tone changes. “Don’t start with me, Lennie.”
My sister is three years older than I am. She’s the stable one. She’s the daughter my parents brag about to their stuffy friends. We couldn’t be more opposite if we tried. Then again . . . I try.
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