Silbie Luna just wanted to pass her classes and become the first undergrad co-captain for her derby team. She never thought shooting a promo for the athletic department would lead to a coveted role in a highly anticipated movie series. But not only...
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Dante slid behind the wheel of the Lexus and stared into space.
"What's wrong?" Bea asked. "You should be happy. If all goes well, your brother will be home soon."
"I'm relieved, but did you see how awful he looks? He's thin, pallid, and looks like he's aged ten years." Dante shook his head. He couldn't imagine what Owen had been through. His eyes held so much sadness—defeat, yet he'd had the presence of mind to send a clue which meant his captors hadn't broken him. At least not completely. Seeing him like that confirmed Dante had made the right decision to marry Bea.
At least Owen had a thriving business waiting. One less worry. Putting this behind him would prove hard enough.
Dante took Bea's hand and kissed it. "I'll never be able to repay you for this."
"From what the Colonel said, the Army would've been on top of it without my help."
"Not just talking about the rescue. Your generosity with the real estate firm will make a world of difference for Owen. I would've driven the business in the ground if you hadn't saved it."
"You may think this is silly, but doing things for you gives me more joy than you can imagine." She squeezed his fingers. "Now, let's get to your place. I need to rest awhile."
"Sure you want to go to my house instead of the hotel?"
"Yes." She rested her head against the seat. "It's closer, and I'm ready to lay down."
Dante didn't like the sound of that. Maybe he was paranoid, but each day when she napped, he wondered how long she'd really last. Not that he was in a hurry for her to die. Quite the contrary. He liked being with her. And, witnessing her finesse in the business world fascinated him. Rubbing elbows with such influence made him feel powerful. He'd never known a woman like her. He'd wasted years on women his own age who didn't have a clue about what they wanted.
No fault of the women—his. Bad choices. Wrong reasons. Bea's observation hit the nail on the head. He'd been more interested in getting a woman into bed than getting to know her. Time to grow up. And he was. Every day with her opened doors and presented challenges. Her faith in his ability to meet them gave him a new perspective.
His house came into view, and a flash of red caught his eye. Someone was parked in his drive. He gave Bea a gentle nudge. "You expecting someone?"
She opened her eyes and shook her head. "No. That's your car. I bought it for you."
"Holy shit!" Wheeling in behind the Corvette convertible, he slammed on the brakes and vaulted from the Lexus. He inspected the beauty from bumper to bumper. Ran his fingers over the smooth body. Opened the door and slipped inside.
Bea stood next to him, waved to a car across the street, and it pulled away.
"Who's that?"
"Delivery guy. Keys are in the glove box if you want to take it for a spin."
