SEALED with a Kiss (Midnight Delta #4) (7 page)

Billy took a step to the side so he was standing directly in front of her, he brushed back a strand of hair the wind had blown into her eyes.

“Really Rebecca?  Because taking you to the dance is really what I want.  Are you sure?”

Her eyes twinkled and she grinned. 

“I am absolutely positive I want to go with you, Billy Anderson!”

“Frannie had something to do with this?”

“She did.”

“Then she’s my fairy godmother too.”

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D
rake Avery

Drake leaned against the counter, a cup of coffee in his hand, and watched as Sophia fluttered around Billy.  He and Mason exchanged glances and headed towards the backdoor.

“God, Billy is a great kid.  I think I would have told her to put a sock in it five minutes ago.”

“You’re so full of shit, Avery.  You could no more have hurt her feelings than Billy would.” 

“She’s worked on that tie of his four times.  She should let you do it.”

“It’s important to both of them that she be the one to do it.”  Drake peeked in the kitchen window and saw them talking.  Mason was right, you could see the connection between the brother and sister and how deep it was.

“I don’t think I realized how much of a mother she’s been to the kid.”

“She’s pretty damn special.”

“You, Clint, and Jack are the lucky ones with the women you have.  And if you fuck it up I’m going to hurt you.”

“We know how good we have it.  If we fuck it up, we’re going to grovel to get back into our women’s good graces.”

“Glad to see the SEAL training has made you smart.”

The door behind them opened.

“I’m ready, Mason.”  Billy was holding the container with the corsage.  “It won’t take long to get to Frannie and Tony’s right?”

“Don’t worry kid, you’ll get there in plenty of time.”

Drake still thought it was great Frannie had insisted on Rebecca coming over to their house to get ready.  Those pieces of shit at the foster home weren’t going to help her with her hair and make-up and all the girlie stuff like Frannie would.

Mason fished his keys from his jeans.

“You look good kid,” Drake said.

Sophia beamed at her brother.

He watched as Mason and Billy got into the truck.  God, the kid even walked like Mase.

****

B
illy Anderson

“When we get there, I’m going to have her sit in the back of the crew cab with me.  Does that sound right, Mase?”  Billy rubbed his hands against his slacks.

“It sounds perfect.” 

Billy hated that he was nervous.  He wanted to concentrate on Rebecca, not worry about how he felt.  They pulled up to the DeLuca’s house.  He looked over at Mason.

“You’ll do great.” Mason gave him one last look of encouragement, and he got out of the truck.

Billy walked up the stepping stones but before he could knock on the door Frannie opened it. 

“Billy Anderson, you look like a movie star.”  She dragged him in to the front hallway.  “Stay right here.  I wanted Rebecca to make an entrance,” she whispered to him.

“Tony!” she yelled up the stairs.  “Billy’s here!”

“We’ll be right down.”  Tony and Rebecca appeared at the top of the stairs.  Time stopped.  She looked totally different.  Her hair.  Her make-up.  Her dress.  But what took his breath away was the look of shy excitement in her eyes.  She came down the steps with Tony at her side.

Tony brought her to a stop in front of him.

“You look beautiful,” Billy said.

She smiled.

“I mean it, you’re really beautiful, Rebecca.” 

Frannie pulled the corsage from his hand. 

“I think this is for her, right?” 

“Oh yeah.  It’s an orchid.  For your wrist.”  Rebecca gave a wide grin and held out her hand.  Frannie handed him the corsage and he slipped it on Rebecca’s wrist.  It was then he noticed the pink of the orchid matched the pink of her dress. 

“Your dress is great, Rebecca.”  The sweetheart neckline and rhinestones at the waist made her look like a princess.  She brushed down the satin pleats and looked at him through her lashes. 

“Thank you.”

“Now we need a picture.”  Frannie turned them towards Tony who had his phone pointed their way.  Billy looked at Rebecca to see if she was okay with the idea.  She looked over at him with a smile and reached out her hand. 

****

M
ason Gault

“Hey you two.”  He smiled as he let himself into the backdoor through the kitchen. How come I was pretty sure you’d still be here when I got back?” Mason asked Drake.

“Cause you’re not stupid,” Drake said.

Mason went over to the fridge and pulled out a Pacifico and sat down at the dining room table beside Sophia.

“Frannie sent me a text with a picture of the two of them.  They looked adorable.”  She turned her phone around so he could see.  It was nice, but they’d looked even better in person. 

“So how long is a high school prom?” Sophia scowled at Drake. 

“They’re in ninth grade, you doofus.  This is their Valentine’s Day Dance.  It’ll be over in three hours.”

“Well then I better tell you my news and leave you guys with some alone time.”

“Is this about what Dare found out?” Sophia asked.

“I’m betting this is about his and Jack’s mysterious absence today.”  Mason gave Drake a hard look.

“Like you wouldn’t have gone with us if we’d invited you,” Drake scoffed.

“What are the two of you talking about?” Sophia asked.

“Drake and Jack were AWOL for a few hours today.  I’m suspecting they visited with Rebecca’s foster parents.  Am I right Drake?”

“We had a little meeting of the minds with those cretins.”

“Am I going get a call from the authorities?  Will you need an alibi?” Mason asked only half kidding.

“No.  Mr. and Mrs. Yarbrough know better.  And from now on Rebecca will have a key—not that she’ll need it.  Jack is one scary dude, Mase.  He acts all Texas choirboy, but get him riled and he will make you remember the Alamo.  Anyway, he got Rebecca a phone with all of our numbers on speed dial.  He explained to Yarbrough that if she should ever have a need to call us he and his wife will be wearing prison garb.  I believed him, and more importantly, so did they.”

“I hate that she has to spend one more day with them,” Sophia said. 

“Let me tell you what Dare told me,” Drake said.  “I talked to him this afternoon about the next steps with Rebecca. Unfortunately if they took Rebecca out of the home she’s in today the only place they could put her is a group home.  Same for the other kids with her.  However, he said they are going to be easier to place because they’re younger.  Apparently people are faster to step up for younger foster kids.”

“Sophia and I checked into getting certified and found out it’s a long process.  Then we thought about how awkward it would be with Billy.”

Drake looked from one to the other and gave a slow grin.  “Well I guess you
do
deserve
some
alone time.”

“Fine, we’re nice people.  It still doesn’t do shit for Rebecca.  We’ve got to think of something,” Mason muttered. 

“Do you know who else checked into it? Finn’s mom.”

“Really?” Sophia asked.  “That’s wonderful.”

“Yep.  She’s already applied.  Darius said his friend is going to fast-track her application so she can take custody of Rebecca.”

“Oh my God, for real?”  Sophia got up from the table and hugged Drake.

“Your work here is done, Avery.  Now give us our alone time,” Mason drawled.

****

B
illy Anderson

The girls left twenty minutes ago to go to the bathroom. He and his friends had tried to figure out why it always had to be done as a group activity.  Then the door to the gym opened and he saw her. She floated into the room—there was no other way to explain it.  Billy smiled to himself as Rebecca laughed at something Cammie said, and then she waved as she made her way over to him.

“Are you having fun?” he asked.

“I’m having a great time.” 

“This is for you,” he said as he handed her the glass of punch he had poured for her. 

“Billy, thank you for asking me to the dance tonight.  I can’t believe everything that’s happened.  Frannie and Tony.  The way everybody’s been so nice and has tried to help me.  Your sister.  Drake.  It’s all been so much and it’s all because of you.”

“Rebecca, you’ve got it wrong.  They would have done it no matter what.  They think you’re wonderful and they’re the type of people who help.  They jumped in and helped Sophia and me when we needed it too.”

“Jack gave me a phone with everyone’s number plugged in.  He said I should call if I ever needed help.  I changed your number to the first contact,” she told him shyly. His heart swelled.

“And if I’m not available you call one of the men.  They’re serious, they will come and help you any day, any time, no matter what.  No more sleeping on the porch.”

“I have a key now,” Rebecca assured him.

“You also have us.  We’re not going anyplace.”

“I still don’t understand why.”

“I didn’t either for the longest time.  It’s who they are.  It’s their code.”  She opened her mouth to say something else, then stopped.  Finally she said.

“I like their code, a lot.”  She ducked her head, then looked back up at him. “I like you too...a lot.”

Billy swallowed.

“Have I told you how beautiful you look?”  She did, too.  She outshone every girl at the dance.

“You have, Billy, you’ve made me feel beautiful.”

“Well good.”  He cocked his head as he heard the music change.  “May I have this dance?”

He heard Cammie giggle but it seemed to come from a long way off.  Rebecca gave a shy nod, and he escorted her across the floor. The gym had been transformed into a wonderland filled with twinkling lights and hearts.  A new soft and low song started, and he finally got to hold her in his arms just as he had imagined all those weeks ago when he first thought about asking her to the dance.

Rebecca clasped her hands around his neck and laid her head against his chest.  She was just the right height for him.  He could smell the jasmine and vanilla scent of her hair.  Gently they swayed together, until finally she pulled back a little and looked at him, her brown eyes liquid.

“Thank you so much for asking me to the dance tonight.  It was more than I ever dreamed possible.”

She licked her lips.  Oh God, she’d glossed them.

Her fingers tightened on his shoulders.

Now he got it.  This is what the guys had been talking about.  She was giving him such a sweet signal, and it matched his every instinct. 

He watched her carefully as he bent his head, and her eyes drifted shut, dark lashes dusted against her delicate smooth skin.

As his lips touched hers for the first time his eyes closed too.  He savored the petal softness beneath his mouth and the hint of trembling strawberries.

Ever so slowly he drew back, and she opened her eyes.  They stared, she grinned, and he knew his smile was equally wide.  He wrapped her close into a hug.

“Rebecca, this is the best night of my life.”

THE END

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C
aitlyn O'Leary is an avid reader, and considers herself a fan first and an author second. She reads a wide variety of genres, but finds herself going back to happily-ever-afters. Getting a chance to write, after years in corporate America, is a dream come true. She hopes her stories provide the kind of entertainment and escape she has found from some of her favorite authors.

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The Found Series

Revealed
, Book One

Forsaken
, Book Two

Healed
, Book Three

Beloved
, Book Four (Summer 2016)

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Midnight Delta Series

Her Vigilant SEAL,
Book One

Her Loyal SEAL,
Book Two

Her Adoring SEAL,
Book Three

Sealed with a Kiss
, A Midnight Delta Novella

Her Devoted SEAL,
Book Four (Spring 2016)

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Fate Harbor Series
Published by Siren/Bookstrand

Trusting Chance
, Book One

Protecting Olivia
, Book Two

Claiming Kara
, Book Three

Isabella’s Submission
, Book Four

Cherishing Brianna
, Book Five

Midnight Delta 3

By Caitlyn O’Leary

Look for the release of this thrilling addition to the award winning Midnight Delta series in two weeks!

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Excerpt One

T
hey were going to kill her.  Jack gripped his gun as he looked into the storage room.  Griff was across the square in the bell tower, and Jack had just gotten word he found three of the other doctors and could take down their captors.  Aiden and Dex were on other floors of the hospital looking for hostages and tangos.  Their lieutenant was outside ready to give the command to Aiden to start taking out the targets.  That left him in the basement to find this horror.

The woman was on her knees, her shirt torn, breasts spilling out, and a face covered in blood and bruises.  She had one arm wrapped around a man’s hips like a lover, her cheek pressed against his thigh, and her blonde hair tangled with his pubic hair.  That’s where the farce ended.  The tip of the knife she held was pressed against his balls, and Jack could see a trickle of blood.

“Come closer and I will cut off his cock,” she said in raspy Spanish.