Dangerous Loves Romantic Suspense Collection (93 page)

Dallas squealed with delight and rushed to hug Faith while Brendan squared off with the man he loved like a brother. After a long silence he grumbled, “I was wondering when you’d remember to visit your friends.”

“I’ve been emailing,” Horace protested.

“It’s not the same.”

“Time moves at a different pace in the other realm, and I’d been an absent king for nearly seven years. Work had piled up in my absence.”

“That’s no excuse.”

Horace looked different, more confident with his place in the world. Instead of bristling at Brendan’s disapproval, Horace simply shrugged and gave a self-depreciating smile. “I was also on my honeymoon.”

Brendan laughed. “Well, that’s an excuse I can understand. Welcome back, Horace.”

While the two men embraced, Frank greeted Faith. “You’re glowing,” he said and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

“Am I?” She frowned and glanced down at her hands. “I haven’t done that in ages.”

“He means because of the baby,” Horace said softly. Her belly had swelled quite beautifully. And a diamond and ruby-studded wedding band adorned her finger.

“Does this mean Horace’s power is no longer unleashed?” Dallas asked.

Faith nodded. Her cheeks were rosy in color. “Once we accepted that we loved each other, his power stopped fighting us.”

“Took the two of you long enough to come to your senses.”

Faith shared a smile with Horace. Neither of them needed to say anything. Their relationship had finally evolved into what it had meant to be all along.

“But what’s with the ring?” Dallas asked, her brows furrowing. She didn’t sound upset, well not too seriously. “Here I was hoping I could be matron of honor or something.”

“The royal sages of the Otherworld are a pushy bunch. They insisted we get married right away with some ceremony they’d devised. But we’re planning a spring ceremony.” Faith patted her round belly and added, “After the baby is born.”

“Your parents must be thrilled,” Dallas said.

“They’re even more thrilled to know that we’re moving back to Chicago, and that I’m resuming my work at the university after the winter break.”

That seemed to surprise everyone. “You can do that?” Brendan asked.

“I’m king,” Horace said proudly. “I can do whatever I want.”

“Does that mean you’ll be—?” Derrick started to ask, his shoulders bunching. He’d been helping Brendan run Club West in Horace’s absence.

“No,” Horace answered without hesitation. “I won’t have the time to be a hands-on owner at the club anymore. And I hear that you’re doing a fine job acting as manager in my absence.”

Derrick’s shoulders relaxed, and the two men started talking business until Faith interrupted. “Don’t forget the other reason we needed to come to the café today.”

“Oh, right.” Horace reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a silver baby’s rattle. “Brendan, the present you gave me for my birthday this summer, I just got around to opening it.” He dropped the rattle into his friend’s hand. “How did you know?”

Brendan turned to Dallas, his mouth gaping. “Dallas had bought it and wrapped it. I never even looked in the gift bag.”

“You’re not the only one who can have a vision or two, husband of mine,” Dallas said with a laugh and patted her own belly. “Perhaps one day we’ll be shopping for a rattle of our own.”

Brendan nearly fell on the floor. Everyone laughed. Even Frank found pleasure in the moment, which had become rare lately. Holding his small group together seemed to be growing all the more difficult. All the more tiring. At least some of his friends had found happiness and love.

Seeing the pleasure in Horace’s expression when he’d touched Faith’s growing belly made the sacrifices he’d been making for them seem worth the effort.

“There’s something else that needs to be said,” Faith said, her tone growing dark.

“You found out what we are?” Dallas asked hopefully.

“I did,” Horace said, and then grabbed his head. His complexion turned pasty. Frank could feel some of the roiling pain that must have sliced through Horace’s temples.

“They won’t let him tell you,” Faith explained as she rubbed her husband’s shoulders. “They won’t even let him think about it without giving him a pounding migraine. Sorry.”

“We’re definitely part of the mystical realm, though,” Horace managed to grind out.

“I suppose that means we can cross aliens off our list of possibilities.” Derrick sounded disappointed.

“Nope, no aliens,” Horace said. Some of his color had returned. “And Faith is right. There is something I need to tell you.”

Frank had suspected as much. He’d felt a dark ripple in the air for a few years now. Lately, it had been growing. “It’s about the future,” he said.

Horace nodded gravely. “All of the turmoil in the mortal realm, the killing and the rampant hatred, is stirring up the mystical world. Long-dormant dark forces are awakening. The sages warn that a war is brewing. Many lives may be lost. Civilizations may fall. And
the Protectors
will be called on to balance the scales of justice. That is one reason why they picked one of us to be king.”

“I don’t like how that sounds,” Frank said.

“You shouldn’t. It’s going to be especially hard on you, Stone.” Horace sucked in a sharp breath. He must have said too much, been too specific. “It won’t be easy for any of us.”

“I suspected as much,” Frank said.

The café fell silent.

“I’ll be around, and I’ll do whatever I can to lend a helping hand,” Horace promised.

Faith hugged her husband’s arm. “We both will.” Her smile lit up the café. “So let’s not waste our time drowning ourselves in worry about what may or may not happen sometime in the foggy future. We have a wedding to plan!”

Thank you for reading

DANGEROUS LOVES ROMANTIC SUSPENSE COLLECTION

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White House Gardener Mystery Series

Catch the White House Gardener Mysteries from Berkley Prime Crime written by Dorothy St. James:

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About the Author

For Regency and mystery author,
Dorothy McFalls
happily-ever-after is more than just a fictional ending, having enjoyed every day of marriage to her sexy sculptor husband. Formerly an environmental urban planner, she now writes full time. For information about Dorothy's upcoming books, visit her website at
http://www.doroth
ymcfalls.com/

Dorothy also writes cozy mysteries as
Dorothy St. James
, including the White House Gardener Mystery series, which critics have called “spunky” and “fast-paced.” Learn more about her mystery releases at
http://www.dorothystjames.com/

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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, places, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

Dangerous Loves Romantic Suspense Collection

Copyright © 2014 by Dorothy McFalls

The Nude

Copyright © 2010 by Dorothy McFalls

The Huntress

Copyright © 2006 by Dorothy McFalls

Mystical Seduction

Copyright © 2010 by Dorothy McFalls

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The Yorck Project:
10.000 Meisterwerke der Malerei.
DVD-ROM, 2002.
ISBN 3936122202
. Distributed by DIRECTMEDIA Publishing GmbH. A photo of the painting:
Venus of Urbino
by Titian 1538
.
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tizian_102.jpg