Seductive Secrecy (Shadows series) (42 page)

Cameron’s face had been lit with amazement when I finally
finished the piece, and he asked what it meant to me. I had pointed to the girl on the left. “That’s Cee. She knows her place now.” Then I pointed to
the girl on the right. “That’s Charlie. She knows her place now,
too…and
she’s not afraid to look up anymore.” They were both me, an
integrated whole of who I was then and who I had become.

He had been standing behind me, and he kissed my ear and told me he loved it. Then he had asked me why I included stars. I had shuddered and sank into his embrace. “Because light is defined by the darkness it illuminates.” I knew it wasn’t the only reason. I thought back to one of the letters I had written my father.

Maybe I should stare at the sky more often. Maybe I should enjoy the night air instead of shielding myself from it. Rather than letting the never-ending blackness overwhelm me, maybe I should appreciate it for what it is: a background for the brilliance of stars. After all, without darkness, there can’t be light.

I didn’t need to tell Cameron that part. It was just for me, and for my dad.

Dallas helped Cameron hang the piece in our living room.

The tattoo gun buzzed as the artist filled in the letters that ran
down the inside of my forearm:
Where There Is Love There Is No
Darkness.
“Maybe we should add my quote right underneath the one on your chest?” I teased.

He shook his head. “That space is reserved, just for my dawn.”

“Your dawn?” I repeated. “Have you found it?”

There was so much more darkness in Cameron that I still hadn’t learned. He continued to struggle with the demons of his past. Doors remained open in our apartment, my hands and lips staying off his
back. He was slowly allowing his father in, but the weekly phone
calls hadn’t quite graduated to visits yet. I had a feeling they would soon. Ryder was monitoring their father’s improvement from afar, making sure the meetings he had with his parole officer actually happened. I believed the brothers would eventually spend time with him in person, but they were moving at a pace that they were comfortable with. I understood that process, when it came to a parent, and how it applied to Ryder. Our friendship was building at a similar speed. It was the right one, though.

“Not only have I found my dawn,” he said, “but she’s agreed to be mine forever.”

I stretched out my left wrist and wiggled my fingers while the artist continued to work on my right. The fluorescent light that shone down in the tattoo parlor would have been horrible for painting. But it turned out to be perfect for casting shine. It really made a diamond sparkle beautifully.

That’s exactly what it was doing to mine.

I had a star of my own now, a piece of brilliance that had been placed on my finger that would always remind me that the darkness was where it belonged.

Behind me.

And in its place was love.

As always, Katherine Sears and Kenneth Shear, thank you for believing in my work and for allowing me to be a member of your family.

To my team, Heather Ludviksson, Steven Luna, Susan Fye,
Andy Roberts, and Greg Simanson, you all have such an incredible talent and have contributed so much to this project. I’m forever grateful for each and every one of you.

Jesse Freeman, Tracey Frazier, and Tess Thompson, I have so
much love for you three, for every ledge you’ve talked me down from, and for giving me the words when I just can’t find them.

Mom and Dad, thanks for always holding me whenever I
needed your strong, loving arms.

Brian, my everything, especially my best friend, your smile and support inspires me every day. I love you. So much.

Michele Esterkes, I’m so lucky to have you in my life and for
reading whatever I hand to you. You’re such a great friend to me. Special hugs and major thanks to Katie Dacke, Kelly Adkins, Jamie White, Chris Minnick, and Jo Hall.

To all the bloggers who have given me such a tremendous amount of support, I appreciate everything you all have done for me, each tweet, post, update, review, reveal, thank you: Tiffany Choez from The Novel Tease, Ann Cleire from Please Another Book, Cindy Meyer from The Book Enthusiast, Gillian Pemberton from Tattooed Book Review, Sarah Rostar from Books She Reads, Jodie Bradford
from Falling in Fall Book Blog, Donna from The Romance Cover, Rolopolo Book Blog, TotallyBooked, Martini Times, The Book Bar, Novel Words By Jessica, The Reading Café, SchmexyGirl Book Blog,
Amber's Reading Room, Busy Mom Book Reviews, Book Crush,
Hook Me Up Book Blog, Living Fictitiously, Rose’s Book Blog,
Alphas
Authors Books Oh My, Books Books Books, My Sticky Pages,
Swoonworthy Books,
Book Nerd Ash, Jersey Girl Sizzling Book Reviews, Viviana
Enchantress of Books, and Blushing Reader.

And finally, my amazing readers, I listened to every single one of your lovely compliments and I went straight to work on this sequel. You all are the reason
Seductive Secrecy
was born. Thank you for being so spectacular, so loyal, and so kind.

ALSO BY

Seductive Shadows
(Erotica) A sensually-inspired art student with an abusive past is seduced into the life of high-end prostitution, but the thrill of the mansion fades when she meets a man who stimulates not only her art, but also her intellect and emotions.

Memoirs Aren’t Fairytales
(Contemporary Fiction) Leaving her old life behind, Nicole finds herself falling deeper and deeper into heroin
addiction. Can she ever find her way back to a life free of track
marks? Does she even want to?

Scars from a Memoir
(Contemporary Fiction) Sometimes our choices
leave scars. For heroin addict Nicole, staying sober will be the fight of her life. But having lost so much, can she afford to lose anything
else?

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