Authors: Melissa Schroeder

Prelude to a Secret (3 page)

BOOK: Prelude to a Secret

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It made him scum, he knew it, but where his sister was concerned, not to mention their father, he had to be careful. He leaned down and kissed Ali’s forehead. He wanted to linger, slip into bed beside her and wake her up to make love with her again. Knowing he had to leave, he forced himself to turn away. After pulling on a shirt and slipping into his shoes, he grabbed the ready bag he always had waiting. With just one last look, he slipped out the door. He waited until he was out of the suite to pull out his cell and call his pilot.

“Sorry, Jay, but I need you tonight. We need to make a quick trip to Hawaii.”

* * * *

The sound of her phone vibrating woke Alicia up. She blinked and looked up at the ceiling.

Not her room.

Then the night came back to her in a vivid swirl of images. The way Devon had smiled at her, the way he had tasted, and the way it had felt each time he had thrust inside of her body.

And he was a job.

Bloody hell. She had screwed up on this one. She was enough of a woman to admit she had fell for him a little. In all the years she had done this, no one had come close to shaking her composure, but this one, he had toppled it over with just a little romance. And she ached for him. For the first time in her career, she craved the touch of her mark.

Speaking of which, where was he?

She ignored the buzzing of her phone as she sat up and looked around. He was nowhere in the room, but that didn’t mean anything. It was a large suite so he could be just in the next room. She rose and went to the bathroom. After she was done, she grabbed a robe and wandered out into the living area.

The absolute silence almost deafened her. There was little sun out this early in the morning and even with the drapes open, and shadows cloaked the room. Something was off.

She wandered around, keeping an eye out for something that would tell her what happened to her host. A cold chill spread over her flesh, then sunk into her soul. Something was definitely wrong.

Alicia walked around, then noticed an envelope with her name written on it sitting on the bar. The strong masculine script told her exactly who wrote it. Of course, he was the one who wrote it. He was the only one in the room with her.

She stared at if for a few seconds, then pulled out a note written on the hotel’s stationary. Swallowing, she opened it.

Sorry, had to leave on a family emergency. Would love to see you when I return, but not sure when that will be.

Ali swallowed past her embarrassment and shame. She had failed. Worse, he had skipped out deciding not to face her. Sadly, she didn’t know which one to be more pissed about. Before she could completely process that, she heard her phone buzzing again.

She reached for it, expecting it to be some inane message from her supervisor. It was her last day of vacation, and she needed to get back to London. When she saw the number, she knew it couldn’t be good news. Her cousin Annabeth always called with the worst news.

By the time she was off the phone, she was grabbing clothes and rushing to the door. The job forgotten and the only thing on her mind was reaching her father before he died.

Want to find out how Devon and Alicia find their
Happily Ever After
? Get
A Little Harmless Secret
, releasing September 23, 2014.

A LITTLE HARMLESS SECRET

HARMLESS, BOOK 10

Just because you love someone doesn’t mean you can trust them.
Devon Stryker is a man with no past—not one anyone can dig up that is. His made up identity has kept him safe from everyone, except one woman. Five years earlier he let his guard down once, one night of unforgettable passion. He has yet to get her out of his mind. When he thinks he sees her in Seattle, he becomes obsessed with finding her.
Alicia Hughes hasn’t forgotten Devon either. She had been on assignment from MI-6 to find him. Since he disappeared, her life has fallen apart. When she comes face to face with the one man she loved—and the one she fears the most—she panics. When he catches up to her, he finds the woman he has always loved—and the child they made together.
As the old lovers form a tentative alliance, the feelings they both had for each other rise to the surface. They have to let those things go to protect everything they hold dear in the world because someone is intent on destroying them…by any means possible.
WARNING: This title includes secrets, guns, a sexy know-it-all hero, spies, a heroine who doesn’t trust the hero, meddling in-laws, even more spies, double crosses, cool computer things, and two people who can’t seem to keep their hands off each other even though they know it isn’t the right thing to do. Remember, it’s a Harmless book, so have ice water and towels nearby.

* * * *

That’s when Devon heard it, that laugh. It was one that he had heard only once or twice years ago. He knew it was her, knew she was there. Everything in the marketplace faded as he turned to look for her. Devon walked away from Dee and her family as he scanned the crowd.

The crush of people seemed to grow as he tried his best to move toward the sound. Then, in a split instant, he saw her. Her hair was longer, darker, but he knew it was her. He saw the curve of her jaw and the way she walked.

“Ali,” he yelled, trying to gain her attention.

The sound of the crowd drowned him out. He continued to yell her name as he drew closer and closer. Then…she turned. Devon was sure she had seen him. Her eyes widened a bit, then she turned. He fought his way against the crowd but after a few minutes, he realized he had lost her.

Micah caught up with him. He was alone.

“Where’s Dee and her
MiniMe?”

“They’re getting us a table. What was that all about?”

Devon sighed. “A woman.”

Micah chuckled and clapped him on the shoulder. “It always is. Can you see her anymore?”

Devon shook his head. But he would.

Now on Preorder at Amazon
!

About Melissa Schroeder

From an early age
, USA Today Bestselling
author Melissa Schroeder loved to read. First, it was the books her mother read to her including her two favorites,
Winnie the Pooh
and the
Beatrix Potter
books. She cut her preteen teeth on
Trixie Belden
and read and reviewed
To Kill a Mockingbird
in middle school. It wasn’t until she was in college that she tried to write her first stories, which were full of angst and pain, and really not that fun to read or write. After trying several different genres, she found romance in a Linda Howard book.

Since the publication of her first book in 2004, Melissa has had close to fifty romances published. She writes in genres from historical suspense to modern day erotic romance to
futuristics and paranormals. Included in those releases is the bestselling
Harmless series
. In 2011, Melissa branched out into self-publishing with

A Little Harmless Submission

and the popular military spinoff,
Infatuation: A Little Harmless Military Romance
. Along the way she has garnered an epic nomination, a multitude of reviewer’s recommended reads, over five
Capa nods from TRS, other twelve nominations for AAD Bookies and regularly tops the best seller lists on
Amazon
and
Barnes & Noble
. She made the USA Today Bestseller list for the first time in September of 2013 with her book The Santinis Collection.

Since she spent her childhood as a military brat, Melissa swore never to marry military. But, as we all know, Fate has her way with mortals. She is married to an AF major and is raising her own brats, both human and canine. She spends her days giving in to her addiction to Netflix and thankful after 20 years, she and her husband, and all those military brats, get to live where they want.

You can connect with Mel all over the web
: 

THE CURSED CLAN SERIES

Or email her at: [email protected]

Other Books by Melissa Schroeder

Harmless

A Little Harmless Sex