Lost in Italy (53 page)

Colton forced any thoughts of pretty or sexy from his mind and managed to sound relatively normal when he asked, “Ready?”

She took her time setting the cup down before standing. He pushed his hands into his front  pockets when she picked up the two dusty leather duffle bags near the entry between the kitchen and the foyer. He’d be damned if he’d offer to carry them, but then found himself holding the back door open.

“You’ll like it here,” he said, hoping to lull her into a false sense of security. She cast him a quick glance as they walked toward a house set back near the trees, halfway between the main house and three barns.

“Colorado is very pretty,” she finally replied.

He flashed a brief smile. “I meant the ranch. Joel and Britt are great, and they’ve got some of the best horses in the state.”

She nodded, shifting the bags in her arms. A glance at his empty hands told him she was annoyed that he didn’t offer assistance. Hah. As if he owed her any courtesy at all.

“Where’re you from?”

After a distinct hesitation, she supplied, “New York.”

“The city or just the state?” he pressed.

“City.”

“Hmmm. This is a far cry from New York.”

A small smile curved her lips. “You can say that again.”

“This is a far cry from—”

“I didn’t mean it literally.” Her smile widened.

The situation demanded he laugh with her, but he forced his attention off her smile. Once on the porch, he opened the door and stepped inside ahead of her. Then he waited. For the sound of her footsteps. For the thump of her bags hitting the floor. For the click of the door to assure privacy.

“I wanted to—”

When he turned, she halted mid-sentence. Her apologetic expression gave way to an alarmed squeak when he grasped her upper arms and pushed her up against the wall. The bulk of his body gave her no room to move.

“Who the hell are you?” he demanded.

Stark fear dilated her pupils until her brown eyes were nearly black. Her breathing grew shallow, and she gulped twice before stuttering, “Y-you know w-who I am.”

He tightened his grip on her shoulders, then became aware of how delicate they seemed under his large hands and forced himself to ease up. “I don’t believe it. You’re up to something, and you’ve got about five seconds to tell me what it is.”

“H-honestly, I’m n-not.”

Colton scoffed. “So, it’s merely coincidence that you robbed me this morning and then show up here claiming to be some long lost relative?”

“It’s nothing more than cruel coincidence—I swear to God.”

“Don’t you dare do that. I don’t buy one word of it.” He leaned closer, ignoring her trembling beneath his hands. “Who are you? What do you want with Joel?”

“He told you, I’m his sister. Please…all I want is a place to stay until my…until we get back on our feet. We have nowhere else to go.”

He caught her hesitation, saw a brief flash of panic, and wondered what she’d been about to say.

He searched her expression for any kernel of truth to her words.

In the space of a heartbeat, he became aware of the heat of her vibrating body. If he leaned down a few inches, their lips would meet. His pulse thrummed. The urge to do just that was so great it left him shaken as he stared into her eyes. She was an untrustworthy, lying, thieving, scheming con artist.

And he’d never felt an immediate attraction like this in his life.

~*~

***What reviewers are saying:

You Gotta Read Reviews ~ “Trust in the Lawe was truly one of the best books I have read this year. It's fun, suspenseful, filled with misunderstanding and characters that you will fall in love with. The plot line was tight, very well crafted and every question I may have had throughout the book was answered. I have a great respect for Stacey Joy Netzel and the way she can write a romantic story with sizzle and spice that kept me absolutely addicted. From the moment I started reading, it was as though my real life just floated away and I was drawn into Trust in the Lawe. Honestly, you won't be able to put this book down. If you are not a Stacey Joy Netzel fan yet, just pick up this book and you will find you want to read all of her books. To sum it all up, Outstanding book, not to be missed. I HIGHLY recommend this book.”

Night Owl Reviews Reviewer Top Pick:  “This book is fantastic on so many levels. Ms. Netzel crafted characters that were easy to fall in love with and were so well-rounded that they felt like friends of mine as I was turning the pages. If you're looking for a read that has intrigue, love and deception all wrapped together in a pretty package, than look no further because Ms. Netzel's story will instantly win you over. This is another keeper I'm adding to my library that's written by a wonderfully talented author who knows what readers want to read.” ~ Diana Coyle

Shattered Trust
  (Book 2)

Colorado Trust series available at :
Amazon

Sweet twenty-seven and never been kissed. Well…no one’s ever accused Marley Wade of being sweet. Raised in the world of construction by her rough-and-tumble father, Marley knows what it takes to succeed as a general contractor in a man’s world. The last thing she needs is an employee who makes her feel soft and feminine.

New co-owner of Hunter Construction Justin Blake goes undercover on Marley’s crew to discover the truth behind his grandfather’s death. But he didn't count on an instant attraction to his boss—or for it to develop into deeper emotions. When a blackmailer threatens to expose the twenty-five-year-old secrets that link his family and Marley’s, Justin realizes the truth could not only shatter a future with Marley, but his entire family as well.

EXCERPT:

“Are you sure your field measure is correct?”

Her brow creased as she tucked the hair back. “I double checked the measurements myself.”

His irritation spiked at her doubt. “I suggest you triple check them.”

She drew herself up straight as a board. “I suggest you go back to what you’re supposed to be doing and quit doing my job.”

Her quiet order jolted him. Shit. He’d forgotten himself. Lips pressed together in a tight seam, he turned and strode across the plywood floor of the house. Over the next ten minutes, Justin did
his
job, careful to avoid watching her re-measure.

Would he have to reveal his identity and fire her? Given the circumstances of the company right now, and the way he’d been distracted by her presence over the past couple days, not to mention Granddad, it might be for the best.

“You were right.”

Justin spun around. Loud enough for everyone in the general vicinity to hear it over the noise of the boom truck, Marley’s husky admission came as a complete surprise. She met his gaze without flinching, even though he read in her eyes how much she hated being wrong.

“The rafters were ordered off previous blueprints, before we adjusted for the extra insulation the owner insisted we put on the outside wall.”

A rookie mistake, even if it was an honest one. Unfortunately, because of the size of the house, it would now cost Hunter Construction thousands of dollars in new lumber.

Marley turned away as the boom began to lower a rafter for a different section of the roof. Justin glanced  up the ladder where Nate used a rope to guide it into place, then his gaze returned to her retreating back.

“You realize you’ll need to reorder the entire set of rafters for that section,” he called.

She spun around. “I’m not a complete idiot. I’ll have you know—”

A snap reverberated in the air and Justin saw the boom arm jerk. The ominous sound of the steel cable slipping unrestrained through the iron hook reached his ears as the rafter fell straight toward Marley.

He lunged forward. Hooked an arm around her waist and dove to the side. The crack of splintering wood accompanied their bone-jarring impact with the ground. Justin lay dazed for a moment, until Marley’s soft curves registered beneath him. No blinding pain—and he was still breathing. So was she.

Or at least she tried to. His weight on the landing had knocked the wind out of her. Voices surrounded them and hands grabbed his arms. He shook them off, concentrating on shifting his weight from Marley. She stared up at him with wide eyes as she sucked oxygen into her lungs.

“You okay?” His gruff voice barely rose above a whisper.

She nodded, but her lashes drifted shut.

“Are you hurt anywhere?”

Her arms and legs moved. “I’m okay.” The unsteady words preceded another deep breath. She blinked a few times and looked at the men surrounding them. Dismay flooded her expression. “I need to get up.”

A slight tremor shook her body. Knowing she’d need a moment to compose herself, he cautioned, “Easy. Take your time.”

Furious fire sparked in her green eyes. “Let me up,” she demanded.

Okay, then, screw composure. He took hold of her hand and elbow and hauled her to her feet. She swayed a bit with his release, and her hand reached to steady herself, making contact with his bare arm. A second later, she snatched it away and stiffened her spine.

Nate pushed through the others and grabbed her close. “Thank God, Mar.”

“I’m fine, Nate.”

“You didn’t see what I saw.” He held her at arm’s length. “If he’d been a split second slower…”

The care and concern in Nate’s expression amazed Justin. So far he’d seen the guy give his sister nothing but grief.

Chuck clapped Justin on the shoulder. “You okay, man? I can’t believe how fast you moved.”

That drew some of the attention off Marley, but Justin didn’t want the recognition of what he’d done.

Either one of them could’ve been killed. Just the thought of it turned his stomach. Memory of another accident threatened to surface, but he forced it away and focused on the present.

“Someone want to tell me what the hell happened?”

~*~

***What reviewers are saying:

Miraculous Blog Review ~ “Stacey Joy Netzel’s way of composing honest, amiable characters, but not consummating their love for each other until the final pages, keeps my heart, as a reader, skipping beats. The electrifying action is a whole nother story in its entirety. Packed with climactic anticipation, and heartfelt, head-over-heels emotions, Shattered Trust is my kind of story. One that I think too much about, even after finishing, and one I look forward to reading all over again.” ~ Stephanie

Single Title Reviews ~ 5 Stars ~ “Book two in the Colorado Series. Shattered Trust has everything a fantastic book should have, romance, suspense, betrayal, and humor in all the right places. I absolutely adored this book, I sat down planning to read a couple of chapters and did not move until I finished, Stacey Joy Netzel continues to work written magic in this new book. A must read.” ~ Emily

Shadowed Trust
(Book 3)

Colorado Trust series available at :
Amazon

Ad-Man Jordan Blake believed image was everything—until his parents were convicted of murder, the family company went bankrupt, and his excessive drinking and arrest fueled the tabloids. When lawyer David Barnes offers representation in exchange for assistance in reopening his Colorado mountain resort, Jordan has no choice.
It’s
help or jail.

Hollywood wild child Lexie Sinclair disappeared by changing her name, joining the army, and
marrying a soldier
. One night, her husband wrapped their car around a tree, killed himself, and left her permanently injured.
 
For the past few years she’s been content to live in peaceful obscurity as caretaker of David’s defunct resort.

Jordan’s arrival exposes Lexie’s true identity and brings her dead husband’s ‘friends’ calling.  Jordan offers to help, but the shadow of his drinking leaves Lexie reluctant to trust. Can they conquer their fears and find the courage to face the criminals—and the world—together?

EXCERPT (end of Chapter 6):

“There’s a heated pool in the rec hall, if you want to use it, and a hot tub.”

“Really?” Jordan pictured her slim body slicing through the water and had to work to swallow his food.

“I’ve been too busy to look around much, I figured it was for reunions or something.”

“I can show it to you after dinner, if you’d like.”

He’d definitely like. “Sure, that’d be great.”

After dinner, half-past six, she fit a key into the lock and opened the rec hall door. Jordan stepped through after her, and reached back to shut the door as his gaze swept over a number of dining tables near the large windows that faced the lake.

To the left he noticed a kitchen, and to the right, beyond the tables, couches and chairs were arranged around a large screen TV. One wall held three plastic-covered computer stations, a couple phones and a copy machine. Further to the right of all that, in front of a glass wall that revealed workout equipment in the next room, various game tables were set up.