To take her mind off what had happened, he said, “Come on then. Let’s get you packed up, and we can get going.” He stood and offered her his hand. She didn’t move. He went to his haunches in front of her, cupping her cheeks. “Lia, you with me, sweetheart?”
Finally, Tahlia lifted her eyes to his, and she gave a small nod.
“Come on, baby. Up you come.”
He offered his assistance again. This time, she took it and swung her legs over the side of the bed and allowed him to aid her to stand. Once he was sure she was steady on her feet, he wrapped her in a tight embrace.
His heart warmed when she leaned into the hug, returning it with a small squeeze of her own. He placed his lips against her forehead, simply breathing her in. He relished the feel of her warm and pliant in his arms for a little while longer before putting her from him.
“What do you need me to do to help you so we can get out of here?”
Together, they worked in tandem to get her things packed up. It didn’t take long since Tahlia hadn’t accumulated much in the short time she’d been back. Once they had all her things packed, Larry left the room.
There were a lot more people in the small room beyond. The coroner and some of his staff had arrived, as had a couple more agents. He called one of them over to ask for assistance getting Tahlia’s suitcase into his vehicle. They collected her stuff, and Larry shielded her as they left the little suite she’d called home since she’d arrived back in DC.
At the foot of the stairs, she put a hand on his arm. “I need to speak to Mrs. Wilson before we go.”
He nodded. “I’ll put your things in the car and then I’ll join you. You should find her in her living room. I imagine Finn will be finished taking her statement by now.”
“Thank you.”
Tahlia watched as Laurence and the agent walked away. She felt shaken to the core. She’d been so stupid to believe the man when he’d told her Laurence had sent him to collect her, that he wanted her to meet him at the office. Now two men were dead because she had ignored that inner voice that had told her not to open the door. The man had just been so convincing.
Taking a deep breath to calm herself, she walked to Mrs. Wilson’s living room door. Stopping on the threshold, she saw Finn on the sofa with the older woman, a comforting arm around her shoulders. The poor woman was pale as a ghost. Tahlia could sympathize. It had been a horrible experience. She saw him encourage Mrs. Wilson to have a mouthful of what she was assuming was the other lady’s favorite herbal tea.
She tapped gently on the door as she stepped into the room.
“Mrs. Wilson?”
The woman looked up at the sound of Tahlia’s voice.
“Oh, my dear. Are you all right?” Her voice sounded frail.
Tahlia rushed to the sofa and took Mrs. Wilson’s hands in hers. “I’m so, so sorry this happened. I’m fine. Are you?”
“Yes, dear. I’ll be fine. They didn’t hurt me. I was terribly worried about you though. They wouldn’t let me up to see you.”
“It’s okay, Mrs. Wilson. I’m fine, thank you. I just need to talk to you a moment, if that’s all right?” Tahlia looked at Finn for confirmation. He nodded. “I feel terrible for bringing all this trouble to your door. Laurence feels it would be better for all concerned if I stay with him so he’s better situated to protect me.”
Mrs. Wilson gently squeezed one of her hands. “I think that’s a wonderful idea. That lovely young man will look after you well. Of that I have no doubt. You’ll be safe with him.”
Tears gathered in Tahlia’s eyes. “I’ll miss you. Thank you, for everything.”
She gathered the older woman into a hug, fighting against the tears.
“My darling girl. I should be the one thanking you. It’s been wonderful having you here. I will miss our time together. I wish you happiness with that young man of yours. All I ask is that you don’t forget this old lady. Come see me once in a while.”
“I promise I will.”
There was a noise at the door. Tahlia turned to see Laurence standing there. Despite all she’d been through that day, she couldn’t help that he took her breath away.
“You ready, sweetheart?”
“Yes, I’m ready.”
She leaned over and gave the other woman one last hug. While she intended keeping her promise to Mrs. Wilson, she had no idea when that would be. “Take care of yourself, Mrs. Wilson.”
“You too, dear. Be safe.”
With one last look around the living room that had been a haven for a short while, Tahlia walked to where Laurence waited for her. Taking his hand, she left without looking back. It simply hurt too much.
17
From his vantage point of the sofa, Larry watched as Tahlia moved around his living room. She studied the few photos he had scattered around. Paid close attention to the few medals and commendation plaques he had on display in a cabinet. It felt incredible seeing her in his personal space. He’d never believed it would happen.
Now that she was here, suddenly everything felt right. More settled. Like she had been the missing piece all along. As she made her way over to the window, he shifted uncomfortably. He didn’t know if the threat had followed him home, and he didn’t want her to unwittingly offer them an easy target.
“Lia, come sit here,” he said, patting the spot beside him on the sofa.
She changed direction, coming to sit beside him. He was glad to see her color had returned, and she didn’t sport the haunted look she had earlier. She even offered him one of her soft smiles.
“You have a lovely home, Laurence. It’s easy to picture you here; it reflects you.”
“Thank you.” His gazed roamed over her face. “How are you feeling?”
“Much better, thank you. That nap did me the world of good.” She gave a little laugh. “That bed of yours is very comfortable.”
With a laugh of his own, he replied, “I’m glad to hear that, since I’m hoping you’ll be spending more time in it.”
She smacked him on the shoulder with an “Oh you” before she continued – with a blush – “Me too.”
Her answer caught him off guard, and he had no snappy comeback. With an infectious laugh, Tahlia asked, “Cat got your tongue?”
It warmed his heart to see her in this playful mood, considering what she’d been through earlier. He launched himself at her, taking her to her back on the sofa where they sat. He leaned over her, his weight supported on his arms, and looked down at her. Love for this strong, courageous woman welled up.
“You look good in my home. Like you belong.” He lowered himself, his forearms bracketing her body as she lay beneath him. “Stay here with me? Stay and build a life here with me?”
She lay gazing back up at him. Despite not being prone to flights of fancy, Larry could swear he saw all the love he felt for her reflected in her eyes. His heart squeezed. He’d never imagined a “them”. Even after Marcus had been convicted and she’d divorced him. She’d disappeared without a trace, and he’d finally come to terms with the belief they weren’t meant to be.
Yet here she was, in his home, in his arms.
“Yes, I’ll stay here with you.” She lifted her hands to cup his cheeks, now stubbled with five o’clock shadow. “I’ll stay here with you, for as long as you want me.”
“Be careful what you promise, baby. Forever is a very long time.”
“Forever wouldn’t be nearly long enough with you.”
“Jesus, Lia. You break me.” He laid his lips on hers, nibbling on her bottom lip.
With a tiny moan, she opened to him. Without hesitation, he accepted the invitation. He angled his head as he deepened the kiss. Felt the slow burn of desire begin deep inside. Before it could burn out of control, he drew back. He peppered her face with butterfly kisses, kissing her eyes one at a time.
Pulling back so he could look down at her again, he tenderly brushed a lock of hair off her face.
“I love you, Lia.” He paused to gath
er himself. “From that very first day I laid eyes on you, I knew you were my one. Your beautiful heart shines through in all you do. It draws others to you. Makes them love you. You’re all that I ever wanted, and I can’t tell you what it means to finally have you here with me.”
Before she even said a word, he saw it all in her gorgeous, expressive eyes. He saw it and still craved the words. Needed to hear her say she loved him.
She craned her neck to place the sweetest little kiss on his lips before she spoke. “I love you too, Laurence. I always have. The way you showed me love, in all the little ways you took care of me, even though you couldn’t say the words. It made my life with Marcus almost bearable. You and Maddie, you were my world. You gave me reason to get up each morning and keep going.”
“Circumstances being what they are at the moment, we need to be careful. I promised to keep you safe, and I will. Always.”
“I know you will.”
“Now’s not the right time, but one day soon, I’m going to ask you to do me the honor of becoming my wife. It feels like we’ve waited a lifetime to be together, and I won’t want to wait a second longer. But I want the time and the setting to be perfect.”
Tahlia’s eyes filled with tears, and she quietly replied, “Any day, any setting is perfect, and I’ll always tell you yes, Laurence, a million times yes, because I won’t want to wait a second longer for you either.”
Pushing himself into a sitting position on the sofa, he hauled Tahlia into his arms. Kissed her with all the pent-up love and emotion he felt for her. He poured all of himself into the kiss, telling her without words how he felt – would always feel.
Life was complicated and dangerous at the moment. Until he could get this case solved, she would never be one hundred percent safe. But as long as they were together, they could weather anything life threw at them. More than ever, he was determined to bring those responsible for these heinous crimes down.
Right here, in this moment though, all was right in his world. He felt at peace like he hadn’t since the day he had walked away from her, and he would do everything in his power to make her life as wonderful as she deserved. Every damn day. For the rest of their lives.
With Tahlia in his arms, Laurence walked down the hall to his bedroom. He couldn’t wait another minute to have her. To show her how much she meant to him.
Tomorrow could take care of itself.
Excerpt from Liberating Mia
Coming July 21, 2020
Silence fell as Larry Keon stepped up to the podium.
He surveyed the group of people from around the world seated in the conference room. A dedicated group of individuals willing to do whatever was necessary to keep peace and restore order. He knew a number of them personally and was pleased to have them on the team.
“Good morning, everyone. Thank you for being here. This joint taskforce has been formed in a bid to bring down the Velasco Syndicate. We have new intel that puts us in a unique position to effectively go after them for the first time. I’ll hand over to Special Agent Kaden Finn to brief you.”
Finn took his place at the podium. A collage of photos appeared on a screen behind him.
“Ladies and gentlemen, what you see here is the scourge of the earth. Beings so foul and evil that they don’t deserve to be called human. And it’s our job to remove them from society to prevent them from causing further harm.”
A murmur rippled through the crowd.
“As Deputy Director Keon said, according to the new intel, this group make up the Velasco Syndicate, responsible for a sex trafficking ring that spans continents and has been going for at least the past six years that we know of. Women and girls are snatched from all around the world, and, through the network, shipped to a compound in Mexico where they are auctioned off to the highest bidder.”
He ran them through the presentation, sharing the information that former senator Marcus Forrester had given them in exchange for clemency and witness protection. Finn had worked exhaustively, with a hand-selected team, to verify as much of the intel received as they were able without alerting anyone in the syndicate to what they were doing.
After the presentation, he and Larry Keon fielded questions from the agents.
Eventually, Finn held up his hands. “Time is getting on, and we have a number of final items to get through between the joint heads. I suggest you take the opportunity during some down time this afternoon and enjoy the beautiful sights around Cape Town. It will, most likely, be the last chance you’ll get for a good long while. Tomorrow we’ll reconvene at oh-eight-hundred for a full day. Dismissed.”
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To follow Finn’s journey to winning his South African beauty’s heart and the conclusion of this duet, don’t miss Liberating Mia due out on July 21, 2020.
The author and I hope you’ve enjoyed this addition to the Suspenseful Seduction World. Please consider leaving a review on your favorite book sites. Thank you!
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Love, Samantha
To keep up to date on everything going on in the Suspenseful Seduction World, please join the reader group on Facebook and sign up for the SSW newsletter:
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Acknowledgments
As always, I could not have told Larry and Tahlia’s story without the love and support of my amazing tribe! I will be forever in their debt - my thanks to:
To my family, my loved ones, the ones that mean the most to me – Mama, Ryan and Grant. Thank you for your unconditional love and support, always. I could do this without you. I love you.
To Ilene Gerber, for time so freely given and being willing to answer a myriad of questions. A million thank you’s for helping me to “see” Larry and Tahlia’s world. Your research assistance has been invaluable, and all errors are my own.
To Arno Etsherhuizen. Thank you for your contribution to the story. For patiently answering all my questions so openly and honestly. Your input has been invaluable, and all errors are my own.
To Dani René, for my beautiful cover. As always, you make my book look a million bucks.
To Candy Royer for always doing such a fabulous job, and Marilize Roos for the wonderful job you do proofreading my work. It was, as always, a pleasure working with you. As always, I look forward to our next project together. Thank you!
Thank you to all my beta readers. Your feedback was vital in making the story shine just that little bit brighter and so appreciated. I look forward to working with you again soon.
To Samantha A. Cole. Thank you for letting me into your world and allowing me to tell Larry’s story. I look forward to this exciting journey.
And finally, to you the reader, a deep and heartfelt thank you. Without you, I wouldn’t get to do what I love, each and every day. Your support means more than I can ever fully express in words. I hope you love Larry and Tahlia as much as I do.
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Much love,
Dorothy xx
Also by Dorothy Ewels
One Night Only – a shorty-short story
Love At Last
Burn For Me
Destined
About Dorothy Ewels
A proud member of the Romance Writer’s Organization of South Africa (ROSA), Dorothy Ewels developed a love of reading from early on. Her passion for the written word has spanned across decades until she finally put pen to paper and began her path as an indie author where reading and writing remain her first love.
Married, with one son and two fur babies, she lives in Cape Town, and while she loves travelling, she cannot see herself living anywhere else. When she’s not weaving stories in her writing cave, she spends her time with family, friends, as well as enjoying crafting.
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Facebook Readers’ Group : D’s Jewels
This book includes one or more characters from Samantha A. Cole’s Trident Security serie
s and Doms of The Covenant series. Check them out and some of her other books listed below.
The Trident Security Series
Leather & Lace: Book 1
His Angel: Book 2
Waiting For Him: Book 3
Not Negotiable: A Novella Book 3.5
Topping The Alpha: Book 4
Watching From the Shadows: Book 5
Whiskey Tribute: A Novella Book 5.5
Tickle His Fancy: Book 6
No Way in Hell: A Steel Corp/Trident Security Crossover: Books 1 & 2
Absolving His Sins: Book 7
Option Number Three: A Novella Book 7.5
Salvaging His Soul: Book 8
Trident Security Field Manual
Torn In Half
* * *
The Trident Security Omega Team Series
Mountain of Evil: TS Omega Team Prequel
A Dead Man’s Pulse: TS Omega Team Book 1
Forty Days & One Knight: Book 2
* * *
The Doms of The Covenant Series
Double Down & Dirty Book 1
Entertaining Distraction: Book 2
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The Deimos Series
Handling Haven: Special Forces: Operation Alpha:
Deimos Book 1
Cheating the Devil: Special Forces: Operation Alpha: Deimos Book 2
* * *
The Blackhawk Security Series
Tuff Enough: Book 1
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Trusting Laurence Page 14
