***
THREE DAYS LATER Nicole stood in the courtroom. She was ecstatic as she heard the jury’s guilty verdict for every charge against Alvarez. Deliberation had taken a mere four hours. This was a victory Nicole felt on so many levels that she wanted to dance with joy. Next up would be Flores, but her boss was handling that one.
The minute she broke free of the chaos that followed the court’s adjournment, her eyes found Constantine’s, sharing a silent look of happiness with him. They’d done it. Alvarez would never hurt anyone again.
As for Carlos, the Bureau had tracked him down through an informant and executed the arrest perfectly.
Reporters and flashing cameras awaited them outside on the courtroom steps, and Nicole gave a short statement. Not soon enough, it was over, and she slid into the passenger seat of a car, Constantine by her side.
Nicole and her family would be safe. Everything about Constantine’s plan had fallen into place.
Nicole couldn’t wait to get to Greece—the pictures in the ads had been gorgeous. For once, she was living for the pure thrill of it, taking chances, and loving it.
Constantine held her hand as he drove the car away. Nicole smiled at him. Smiled because she was embarking on a new adventure, and she couldn’t wait to see what came next.
She was happy.
Epilogue
NICOLE LAY TIED to a massive bed with fluffy white linens, ensconced within the massive walls of the Greek villa that Constantine had rented for an extended stay. A month, maybe two. Then they would be off to a new destination.
A breeze blew in through the open patio doors, the sheer white drapes of the bedposts billowing with its cool touch. They were celebrating their future with champagne, chocolate and a game of sensual play.
Even further cause for celebration, Nicole’s sister had seen the light in the midst of all the darkness. She was going to travel for a while, with some hot man she had met in Hawaii, and then decide what was next. Nicole even thought they might open a law firm together. They’d both return from exploring the world and get back to work.
Right now though, there was only one thing Nicole wanted to explore. Constantine stood at the foot of the bed, gloriously naked and erect—a temptation she couldn’t touch. Her body ached with a burn only he could soothe. He devoured her with his eyes, and the result was remarkably arousing.
“Please come here,” she whispered hoarsely.
“Impatient?” he asked, teasing her with his voice.
“Yes. And please remember whatever you do to me, I intend to return tenfold.”
He laughed, the sound deep and sultry. His knees came down on the mattress, his hands spreading her thighs, until he lowered his shoulders between them. A warm trickle of breath touched her core, and she gasped.
She would have cried out for more, but his hands possessively moved over her hips and then, out of nowhere, a velvet box appeared on her stomach.
Her breath lodged in her throat. Was that what she thought it was? He kissed her stomach and peered up at her. “Say you’ll marry me, and I’ll let you see what’s inside.”
“You want to marry me?”
“More than anything in this world.”
“Yes,” she murmured, tears forming in her eyes. “I love you. Of course, I’ll marry you.”
He smiled and flipped open the top of the box. She blinked. She struggled to find her voice. “It’s…the most amazing diamond I’ve ever seen in my life. Take it back. It’s too much money.” He was FBI, and investments or not, he couldn’t have that kind of money. Was he trying to impress her? “I don’t need a fancy ring. I just need you.”
Her head was spinning. She couldn’t believe this. It was like a fairy tale.
“Now,” Constantine murmured. “Where was I? Ah, yes.” His hands caressed their way down the sides of her body then rested on her breasts. “I believe I was in the process of making you beg.”
And as he slid back to that hotspot he’d warmed with his breath only minutes before, she was pretty darn sure, he would succeed. Only, for once, giving away the control didn’t mean giving away a part of herself. It simply meant sharing.
And pleasure. Lots of pleasure.
***
THE END
***