by Ray, Francis
“It won’t be any trouble,” Skylar finally said. “I don’t mind the drive.”
“We won’t take no for an answer,” Blade told her.
“You’re staying and that’s final,” Sierra said firmly as if the matter was settled.
“Please.” Ruth leaned forward in her seat. “What you’re doing is to help my music department. We’ll benefit from your hard work. I’ll always be thankful. You could have passed when I asked if you had any ideas of how to raise funds. You didn’t. You even offered to take vacation time to help.”
“I appreciated the professionalism, but as I said then when you mentioned what you would be doing, using your vacation time won’t be necessary,” Blade said, his gaze direct.
Sierra patted his knee. “He’s even gotten over being a little miffed that you thought you had to ask. He forgot all men are not as wonderful as he is.”
Blade smiled at his wife, then Skylar, and she breathed a bit easier. She well remembered the harsh look on his face that day in his office. She hoped never again to see it directed at her and remained silent.
“Stay,” Blade said. “It would make up for my poor behavior.”
Blade wasn’t above apologizing. He just seldom had to. Shane had a grin on his face as he held Paige’s hand. No one had to tell Skylar that Blade’s love for Sierra and hers for her mother were the reason behind the apology.
Skylar recalled Ruth’s words: “No man should walk alone.” Her gaze went to Ruth again, as she wondered if she was trying to give Skylar a gentle push in Rio’s direction.
But as Blade’s bodyguard, Rio went with him everywhere or was at least nearby. Was he staying this time? She had her answer seconds later.
“To ensure the auction pieces remain safe, Rio is staying,” Blade told her.
“I should be going with you.” Rio unfolded his arms, his attention on Blade and Sierra.
Sierra lifted both hands in a fighter’s stance. “Don’t worry, Rio. I promise to take down anyone who looks suspicious.”
Shane was the only one who laughed. He ignored his wife’s nudge.
“You checked out the island; the men there were trained by you or Shane. You and Shane made sure my name is buried so no one outside the company knows we own the property,” Blade reminded him. “From the vantage point on the island you can see a boat for miles. We’ll be safe.”
“That’s why I should be there—to make sure.”
“I want you here.” Blade rose to his feet and went to Rio. “This is important to Mrs. Grayson. There’s some valuable merchandise coming. I trust you to ensure it’s kept safe.”
Rio remained silent. Skylar’s eyes and everyone else’s were on Rio and Blade. No one, absolutely no one—outside of Sierra—went against Blade’s orders. She sensed Rio might be the second. Protecting Blade and Sierra was more than a job to him.
Shane went to the two men. “I’ll fly down with them and check it out.”
Rio’s gaze slowly tracked to Shane’s and stayed there for a long moment before returning to Blade. “If you’ll excuse me, I’ll begin checking on the list.”
Skylar blew out a breath as Rio’s long strides took him from the room and up the stairs to the command center on the second floor of the front wing of the castle.
“You shouldn’t tease him,” Ruth said to Sierra.
“Who said I was teasing?” Sierra lifted innocent eyes to her mother.
Ruth shook her head once, then stood and pulled a set of keys from the pocket of her denim skirt. “Come on, Skylar. I’ll drive you to your hotel to get your things.”
Sierra stood, her arm going around her mother’s waist. “Since I’ve seen how Skylar packs, I’ll send a driver with the SUV.”
Ruth smiled at Sierra, then Skylar. “She likes clothes as much as you do.”
“You never know what you might need.” Sierra spoke to Skylar, “We’ll wait dinner for you.”
Skylar smiled. Sierra and her mother weren’t taking no for an answer. “I graciously accept. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
In less than fifteen minutes Skylar had checked out of the Casa de Serenidad hotel. Thank goodness she had been so anxious to get to the castle that she hadn’t begun to unpack. Outside, she climbed into the SUV, and they headed back to Navarone Castle.
Skylar wasn’t the impatient type, but she was anxious to get back. She wondered if Rio ate with his men or Blade and Sierra. Everyone had someone, except him. But he didn’t seem to need anyone. He certainly wasn’t afraid to speak his mind—to anyone.
“Back again,” the driver said, startling Skylar out of her deep thoughts.
“Thank you.” She got out of the vehicle and walked to the back. She almost winced at the amount of luggage being unloaded. Besides the large trunk, she’d brought five large suitcases. It had taken her weeks to decide what to wear in hopes that Rio would stop looking through her and be just a little bit interested. With him staying and checking in the merchandise with her daily, it might just happen.
“Mrs. Navarone instructed me where to place your luggage. Please, go on in.”
“Thank you again, Jefferson.” Skylar picked up her overnight kit.
“I can take that as well.” The driver closed the back. “Don’t worry, Eli is sending someone to help. Besides, we’re both used to helping Mrs. Navarone load and unload for trips.”
Skylar placed the case on the stone driveway and laughed. “That’s very kind of you. Thank you.”
The driver tipped his hat. “No problem.”
Skylar went up the steps and rang the doorbell. There was a keypad for a code, but she didn’t know it.
The door opened. Eli Patterson, the house manager, stood there in his black suit, freshly starched white shirt, and shiny leather shoes. Of medium height, he had a lined, fatherly face and a balding head.
“Hello, Mr. Patterson,” Skylar greeted.
“Hello, Ms. Dupree. I’ll assist with your luggage,” he told her. “Mr. Navarone asked that you see him immediately in his office as soon as you returned. This way.”
Unsure of what was going on, she followed the house manager past the wide foyer, then left to an arched door at least fifteen feet tall. Opening the door, he stepped aside.
Thanking him, she entered the office, an immense room lined with bookshelves, a fireplace, and tall windows with silk burgundy draperies. On the slate floor were hand-woven area rugs. Blade sat behind an antique mahogany desk with ball-and-claw feet. Her eyes narrowed on seeing Shane and Rio standing on either side of him.
“Thank you for coming, Skylar. Please have a seat.” Blade indicated the chair in front of his desk.
Skylar took a seat in the straight-backed upholstered chair in a deeper shade of burgundy than the curtains, demurely crossed her legs, and placed her clutch in her lap. She’d learned not to jump to conclusions just because she was summoned by Blade, and not to ask questions.
“One of the men on the list you gave Rio is Sherman Tennyson, a venture capitalist. Several months ago, Tennyson used my name to entice backers into buying property. The deal folded.” Blade’s black eyes hardened. “A lot of good men lost money. Tennyson put the word out that it was my fault.”
“No.” Skylar’s voice was barely above a whisper as she placed her hand on her galloping heart. People who made huge mistakes at Navarone were out the door.
Shane picked up the story. “Blade has been able to overcome the lies, but Tennyson lost a lot of his credibility, along with money he could ill afford to lose.”
Blade’s fist clenched on top of his desk. “Tennyson hates my guts and the feeling is mutual.”
Skylar came to her feet. “Mr. Navarone, I just checked to ensure he had the funds to purchase if he chose. I apologize.”
Blade waved her apology aside. “There’s no need to apologize. You foiled Tennyson’s plan.” He leaned back in his chair, the sides of his mouth kicking up. “You didn’t just okay the names as he probably expected because the auction is
in two weeks and he has money. Instead you had the foresight to give Rio the list of names before committing. You did well.”
“I agree,” Shane said. “Good thinking.”
From Rio there was nothing. Trying to keep from looking at him, she retook her seat. “Should I call Mr. Hampton, the man who had asked if Tennyson could attend?”
Blade’s smile was like the sharp edge of a knife. “I’ll take care of it. That’s all.”
Eternally thankful she wasn’t the unfortunate man, Skylar came to her feet. “I’ll go change for dinner. Good-bye.”
“Good-bye,” Blade and Shane said.
She told herself not to turn, but a force stronger than her will had her glancing over her shoulder at Rio to see if there might be a spark of admiration. She saw nothing but eyes devoid of warmth. Unconsciously she narrowed hers before turning to leave the room.
Stubborn man! He might not know it, but he’d only made her more determined!
ST. MARTIN’S PAPERBACKS TITLES BY FRANCIS RAY
The Falcon Novels
Heart of the Falcon
Break Every Rule
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
A Seductive Kiss
With Just One Kiss
A Dangerous Kiss
All I Ever Wanted
All That I Need
~
Trouble Don’t Last Always
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
RAVE REVIEWS FOR FRANCIS RAY
THE WAY YOU LOVE ME
“As always, Ray leads her readers on a mesmerizing journey of drama and love … The Way You Love Me confirms the fact that Francis Ray is, without a doubt, one of the Queens of Romance.”
—A Romance Review
“Fans of Ray’s Grayson and Falcon families will be thrilled with the first installment in the new Grayson Friends series … Told with such grace and affection that this novel is a treat to read.”
—RT Book Reviews (4 stars)
“A romance that will have readers speed-reading to the next tension-filled scene, if not the climax.”
—Fresh Fiction
ONE NIGHT WITH YOU
“The steam the lovers create is a pleasure to behold. Ray never disappoints!”
—RT Book Reviews (4½ stars)
WITH JUST ONE KISS
“Heartwarming and fun.”
—RT Book Reviews (4 stars)
NOBODY BUT YOU
“A story that tugs at the heartstrings.”
—RT Book Reviews
“Fast and fun and full of emotional thrills and sexy chills. Everything a racing romance should be!”
—Roxanne St. Claire
“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
UNTIL THERE WAS YOU
“Ms. Ray has given us a great novel again. Did we expect anything less than the best?”
—RT Book Reviews (4 stars)
“Crisp style, realistic dialogue, likable characters, and [a] fast pace.”
—Library Journal
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.”
—RT Book Reviews (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.”
—RT Book Reviews
“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 readers 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.”
—RT Book Reviews
“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.”
—RT Book Reviews
“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
“There are three more [Grayson] children with great love stories in the future.”
—Booklist
SOMEONE TO LOVE ME
“Another great romance novel.”
—Booklist
“The plot moves quickly, and the characters are interesting.”
—RT Book Reviews
About the Author
Bestselling author FRANCIS RAY is a native Texan who lives in Dallas with her husband and daughter. Currently she has more than forty books in print. Please visit her on the Web at www.francisray.com.
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.
ALL THAT I NEED
Copyright © 2013 by Francis Ray.
Excerpt from All That I Desire copyright © 2013 by Francis Ray.
All rights reserved.
For information address St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010.
www.stmartins.com
eISBN: 9781466815339
St. Martin’s Paperbacks edition / July 2013
St. Martin’s Paperbacks are published by St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010.
