Mine To Have (Mine - Romantic Suspense Book 5) (26 page)

Luther balled up the test results.

“The sexy agent that you mentioned?  She was going to kill Elizabeth and Zoe…because she wasn’t working for you.”

“She worked with Gary,” Luther bit out. “He trained her—”

Sonofabitch—that was what he’d feared. What he’d feared, but the Brass at the FBI had cleared her despite his protests. “She killed Gary.”

Luther’s eyelids flickered.

Well, well… “You paid her for that, didn’t you?”  The Feds were already searching for off-shore accounts that could be tied back to her.  Accounts they must have missed the first time around.

“Gary disappointed me,” Luther said, his voice eerily calm. “I hired him for a job, and, even after all this time, he didn’t finish it.”

“Yeah, well, be glad, or your
daughter
would be dead.” Did the psychopath even care? Probably not. He wasn’t capable of caring, he wasn’t—

“Assassins always work for the highest bidder…Agent Adams must have gotten a higher offer from Hugh. He would have known that I spoke to her here.”  Luther’s head tilted to the right. “Just as others will know that I spoke to you today.”

But there was one big difference. “I’m not on the take for you.” He didn’t like the shit the guy was implying.

“Aren’t you?” Luther taunted.

The bastard wasn’t going to budge.  If he didn’t cancel that hit, then Elizabeth and Saxon would be looking over their shoulders for the rest of their lives.

I’m wasting my time with him.
“Tracy Adams was screwing you over from the get-go. She was involved—intimately—with Hugh Rowe. I’m betting she’s the one who led him to Zoe. Then, she convinced you to actually
pay
her to kill Elizabeth, even though she knew the woman was your daughter. She played you, through and through, and you never even realized it.” Victor strode toward the door.  “You’re a clueless bastard, and you’re going to die in this prison.”

“We’re not done!” Luther shouted.

Yeah, they were.

“Protect her…” A low whisper.

Victor glanced back.

The man’s eyes were blazing with emotion.  “Protect my Zoe. She’s the…the only good thing I had.”

“And Elizabeth? She’s
good,
too.” She’d fought like a tigress to save his brother. He’d never forget the sight of her, swinging that crowbar like a bat.

Luther’s breath heaved out. “Don’t ever tell anyone about Elizabeth, got it?  Not a single damn word. Because you think you’ve cleaned house at the FBI?” Luther laughed. “Not even close.”

He’s calling off the hit.

“Protect Zoe,” Luther said as he held Victor’s gaze.  “Because my enemies won’t stop—they know about her. And they can’t
ever
know about Elizabeth.”

An image of Zoe flashed in his mind.
I’ll do anything…

“What will you give me if I do?” Victor asked.

And in that moment, he knew that he had Luther Bates. He had the most powerful criminal in the East Coast under his control. Because Luther promised, “
Anything.”

Like father…

Chapter Seventeen

Three weeks later, the winery was full of well-dressed men and women. Men who cut through the room in their tuxes and women who shined in their top-end dresses. A band was playing, their music filling the room.

It was the official opening, and the Laurent Winery was making a splash.

Elizabeth’s gaze drifted around the room. This was their big night.  Everyone was sampling the wine and having a fantastic time.

So where is Saxon?
It was his party, and the man needed to show up soon.

She smiled at a businessman.  There weren’t any reporters at this event—she’d made sure of that. Saxon was going to be the reclusive owner of the winery—a guy who seldom, if ever, gave interviews.

Because
his
past needs to stay buried.

As for her own past, Victor had told her that she was safe, that the hit had been canceled.

I’m free.

Only she hadn’t returned to Miami once she’d gotten the news. She’d stayed at home, with Saxon. Their new home.

Her gaze swept the crowd once more.  When she didn’t see Saxon, she slipped through the crush and made her way to his office. The door was shut, but she knocked lightly, then went inside.

He was there, with his back to her, staring out that big window and looking into the night. His shoulders were so stiff and tense that she hesitated, worried that something had happened.  “Saxon?”

If possible, his shoulders seemed to tense even more. Worried now, she quickly made her way to him. As she approached, he turned toward her, and Elizabeth sucked in a sharp breath. The man was killer hot in that tux.  Like danger wrapped up in a sexy package.

Temptation.

But his tense expression had her heart racing with worry.

“Wh-what’s wrong?” Elizabeth asked him.  

His hands were shoved into his pockets. “It’s a big night.” His voice was the deep, rumbling growl that she loved.      

She flashed him a smile. “It’s your night. You should be out there, enjoying it.”

His gaze slid to the door, then back to her. He shook his head. “Why go out there? Everything I want is right in front of me.” He reached for her hands and pulled her closer. “Right here.”

Sometimes when Saxon looked at her, she could actually see the love in his eyes.  She wondered why she hadn’t seen it sooner. Maybe she’d been afraid to look too deeply into his dark gaze.

He gave her a small smile. One that was oddly hesitant. Then he bent down in front of her. Her heart seemed to jump straight into her throat. “Saxon?”

He pulled his right hand out of his pocket. That hand held a ring. A beautiful diamond that glinted up at her.

“I love you.”

She would never get tired of hearing him say those words. 

“Will you marry me?”

She couldn’t speak.   

Fear flashed across his face. “I-I know I’ve got a shady past, that I’m not always the…the easiest of lovers, but, sweetheart—”

She took the ring from him.  Put it on her finger. It fit her perfectly, just the way that he did.  “Yes.”

“You’ll marry me?”

Elizabeth stared into his eyes. “You’re not the easiest of lovers, you’re the
best
of lovers.” He’d sure ruined her for anyone else.  “And I plan to spend the rest of my life with you.”

Saxon smiled at her. God, she’d never get used to his smile. The way it lit his face. Changed his whole face. Not dangerous then…

Mine.

And Elizabeth knew she was staring at the man who was truly hers. And he’d been there with her, during her darkest moments, keeping her safe, loving her, and she hadn’t even realized that all along…

He’s all I will ever need.

He pulled her into his arms. Put his mouth on hers. He kissed her so carefully, as if she were the most precious thing in his world. And that was how he made her feel—always so important.

So wanted.

She eased away from him.  “Everyone is waiting outside.”

His gaze was on her mouth. “Guess we should go out there.”

“No.” She kissed him again. “We should let them drink all the wine they want, and we should stay right here.”

His brows climbed.   

“Do you like my dress?” She asked him.

He nodded.

“Do you like my underwear?” Elizabeth pushed.

His lips parted.

“Oh, wait,” she murmured as happiness bubbled inside of her. “I forgot…I’m not wearing any underwear.”

The darkness of his gaze grew even more intense. “Sweetheart…”

“I’ve missed your desk.”  Her hand trailed down his chest. “You’re all healed now, right?”

He was already pulling up her dress. When he saw that she was, in fact, not wearing any underwear, Saxon let out a rough curse.

She smiled.

And he lifted her onto the desk.

“To be honest,” she told him as her hands went to his waist. “It wasn’t the desk I missed.” But she’d known that he needed time to recover.

His hand was on her sex. His fingers were
in
her.  Her moan came fast and hard, the same way that she knew her climax would be hitting soon.  She was already wet for him. One touch, and she felt as if she were close to exploding.

His cock was out. Fully erect. She wanted to take time and stroke him, to caress him with her lips and tongue.

He moved between her thighs. Positioned the head of his arousal right at her sex.  His hands caught hers. Their fingers threaded together, and he drove into her in one, long, mind-blowing thrust.

Then a knock sounded at the door.  

Elizabeth froze.
I forgot to lock the door!

“Go the fuck away!” Saxon snarled. His gaze never left her face. His cock filled her completely, stretching her, and she had to arch against him.

Then he groaned.

And she moaned.      

And the footsteps padded away.

“Now where were we?” Saxon withdrew, then plunged back into her. “Ah, yeah, I think…” Another thrust and retreat. “We were right…here.”

He kissed her.

She came a few minutes later, her whole body exploding with pleasure, and he was there, right there with her. Holding her tight.

Loving her.

Epilogue

Victor hurried away from Saxon’s door. He knew the sound of a man who was busy…and a huge part of Victor envied his brother.

Saxon was a lucky bastard.  Elizabeth knew all of Saxon’s secrets, and she didn’t care about his past. The darkness he carried didn’t bother her at all. In fact, she seemed drawn to him because of it.

Maybe one day he’d find a woman like that.

Instead of the women who just tried to kill him.

A waiter walked by and Victor snagged a glass of wine.  He hadn’t told Elizabeth or Saxon about Luther, well not about the fact that the psycho was Elizabeth’s father.  He figured they’d both been through enough hell without dropping that particular bombshell into their lives.

And finding out that her father had been the one to cause her mother’s death? No, that was shit that Elizabeth didn’t need to know.

Elizabeth was family now.  Soon to be his sister-in-law.  It was Victor’s job to protect her.

She doesn’t need to know. The truth will only hurt her.

So he’d add that secret to the dozen others that he kept, and he’d hope that those secrets never, ever made it to the light of day.

Because if they ever did, he knew there would be hell to pay.

###

Author’s Note

Thank you so much for taking the time to read MINE TO HAVE. I hope that you enjoyed the story.   I’ve had so much fun writing the “Mine” books—and, I really want to thank my readers for all of the support that they have given to these stories.

If you’d like to be notified about my new releases, please sign up for my newsletter
www.cynthiaeden.com/newsletter/
. I also post lots of updates (and giveaways) over on my Facebook page
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Best wishes,

Cynthia Eden

If you enjoyed MINE TO HAVE, check out the other MINE books…

Mine To Take (Book 1)

Sometimes you want someone so much…

Sometimes you need someone so much…

Lust can become love.

And love can turn into a deadly obsession.

***

Skye Sullivan knows that someone is watching her. Not just watching—stalking her. Months ago, Skye was involved in a dangerous car accident. The accident ended her dancing career and sent her fleeing back to Chicago. Skye is convinced that her stalker caused the crash, and she fears that he won’t stop pursuing her, not until she’s dead.

When someone breaks into her apartment in Chicago, Skye turns to the one man she believes can protect her—Trace Weston. Once, Trace was her lover. Two lost souls, they’d come together in a firestorm of need and desire. But then Trace had pushed her away. He’d joined the military, vanishing from her life. She’d put all of her emotion into dancing, and she’d tried to forget him.

Now Trace is one of the most successful men in the United States. Rich, driven, and carrying dark secrets, he agrees to help Skye. He’ll protect her from the danger that lurks in the darkness, but Trace wants more than to just be a guard for Skye.

He wants her. And he’ll take her. The years have changed him, hardened him. He’s not just a poor kid from the streets any longer. Now, he can have anything—or anyone—that he wants. And the one woman he has always wanted has just come back into his life. He won’t let her go again.

But with the threats mounting against Skye, she suspects that her stalker may be intimately close. He’s a man who knows her too well. As his attacks grow ever more dangerous, she realizes that if she trusts the wrong man, she could be making a fatal mistake.

Lust. Love. Obsession.

Just how far would you go in order to possess the one person you want the most?

Mine To Keep (Book 2)

Love is the most dangerous obsession…

Skye Sullivan is trying to put the pieces of her life back together. She survived a brutal stalker and escaped his abduction, and now she is looking to the future—a future that includes Skye’s lover, billionaire Trace Weston. Skye thinks the danger is finally over for her.

She’s dead wrong.

When Trace’s past comes back to haunt him, Skye discovers that the man she loves isn’t quite who he seems to be. Trace has been leading a double-life. An ex-special forces agent, his military training turned him into the perfect killing machine. He made more than his share of enemies during his time in the military—and as he built his security empire—and one of those enemies is striking back.

He won’t lose her.

Skye is the one weapon that can be used against Trace—his only vulnerability. But he won’t let her go—he can’t. Trace will do anything necessary to protect Skye. Anything. Yet when she discovers the secrets that he’s tried to keep hidden, Skye’s pain and rage may send her running directly into the cross-hairs of a killer…