Past Forgiven Read online

  Rational thinking escaped him hours ago. Now, Dominick couldn’t help but imagine the worst possible scenario as he approached the faded red door that belonged to the Cape Cod she was living in. This tiny older home was supposed to be her fresh start. It was supposed to protect the frightened family inside.

  Knowing that knocking would probably scare her more, Dominick figured his voice would have to do. It boomed out of his chest loud and strong in rhythm to his thunderous heart.

  “Susan, it’s Detective Antonelli. Open the door. I’m here. You’re safe now.”

  Soft pattering from scurrying feet approached rapidly, signaling her frantic relief at his loud announcement. Rickety weak chain locks were pushed aside and the old wooden door thrown open unceremoniously. There she stood, the woman who’d been on his mind every sleepless night since the last time Dominick saw her.

  Dark circles stained the otherwise porcelain skin underneath her weary eyes, evidence of her worry and countless sleepless nights. Besides that, Susan was just as breathtaking as he remembered. Unable to stop his wandering eyes, he glanced over her irresistible figure, appreciating every curve that presented itself for his viewing pleasure.

  Once his eyes made their way back up to meet hers, Dominick caught sight of fresh tears collecting in their corners and trickling down her pale cheeks.

  His heart stopped beating, carving out a hollow agonizing ache in his chest at her relieved expression. Before his lips could form the words his heart longed to express, Susan burst through the door and catapulted herself into his waiting arms.

  “Oh, Dominick. I knew you would come. They told me it wasn’t possible… but I knew you’d come to me.” Susan took in a gulp of air and let it out slowly, finally able to breathe easy and embracing the warmth from his strong arms. Her body trembled against his. She seemed so small in that moment. Precious. Dominick tightened his hold and took in the coconut scent from her skin.

  Unable to secure the filter on his mouth, the affected man sighed into her soft wavy hair. “I’ll always come for you, Susan. If you need me, I’ll be right here by your side.”

  “You’re the only person I trust.” Her arms tightened around the only man she knew could keep her safe and murmured low in his ear, “I need you. Please stay with me, Dominick. I’m scared.”

  “Ssh, it’s all right, sweetheart. I’m not going anywhere.” It was his turn to let out a sigh of relief. The petite girl relaxed into him, and he delighted in the feeling of her nestled against his body for a moment longer before he reluctantly stepped back.

  Cradling her face with both his hands, Dominick forced her to meet his eyes. “Let’s go inside. I want you to tell me everything… from the beginning.” Placing a soft kiss on the tip of her nose, the detective grasped hold of her elbow and led the object of his desire into the house.

  After a sweep of the house, the two FBI agents were temporarily satisfied with leaving her in Dominick’s capable hands. Denarius and George had to scramble and made quick work of acquiring the family a new identity. They were also on route to a possible new residence to prepare for their hasty transfer.

  Dominick couldn’t get them out of the house fast enough. He craved time alone with the intriguing and brave blonde standing before him. No matter how inappropriate or morbid the circumstances that inevitably brought them together again… he was here. And this time, Dominick vowed not to leave her side again.

  Portree Harbor, Isle of Skye

  Grady’s Pub

  Gavin sauntered into the pub and sat heavily on the stool. Surrounded by all his close friends and family, he let out a noisy breath of frustration.

  “I need a stiff drink.”

  Collectively, the bunch stopped what they were doing and slowly pivoted in his direction, taken aback by his odd request.

  “For the love o’ God, man, it’s barely eight-thirty in the morn’,” Grady blurted out the obvious.

  Ellora peered over her magazine, midway through her wedding plans that she’d been going over with Behr. “What’s up, Gav? What did she say?”

  Ellora was Gavin’s loyal ally when it came to winning Adelle’s heart. She always came up with new plans and scenarios to bring them together.

  “Aye, Lor, it worked as you said. Adelle agreed to lunch this afternoon.” Gavin ran his hands through his unruly spikes in frustration.

  “That’s good, ‘ol friend. What’s the problem then?” Behr clapped him on the shoulder with unrealized force, trying his best to cheer him up.

  Blowing out another shaky breath, Gavin closed his eyes. Pain was obvious in his expression. “It’s hard to wait on tender hooks for somethin’ that might never happen. But it’s even harder to walk away. Even if I wind up broken hearted, I cannae give up pursuing her because she’s everything I’ve ever wanted in a woman.”

  Ellora dropped her arm around his shoulders, trying her best to comfort him. “She’ll come around, Gav. I know she has strong feelings for you, too. She’s just…”

  Behr interrupted before she could finish, “Aye, lad, she’s just a stubborn, feisty little ass, that’s all. She’s dug her heels in like a mule. Keep your head up, friend. Adelle will come ’round. Have patience and donnae stop pursuin’ ‘er. You’ll win ‘er heart soon enough.”

  Gavin nodded absentmindedly, staring off into space. “Aye. Thanks, lad.”

  Kristy came from out back to give her two cents into the conversation. “That careful lass has her heart locked behind a protective cage. Ya have to be diligent in your quest to unlock it. One day, you’ll come up with the perfect fittin’ key and be rewarded with ‘er full n’ lovin’ heart… Only then will she be ready for a future with you. Don’t you ever stop tryin’. If this is her test to see how bad you want it, you best nae quit.”

  Gavin smiled at the authority in the room and her insightful attempt at good advice. “I’m nae a quitter. She’s as good as mine.”

  Kristy nodded her head in approval. “There’s a good lad! Now, what would she like for lunch?” Gavin glanced at the clock with impatience, relaying her order. Barely quarter of nine. This day promised to drag at a snail’s pace. Lunch with his strawberry-haired princess couldn’t come fast enough.

  They’d nearly spent every single day together during the summer. The long days without Adelle would be a long-suffering agony. He already felt eager to get back to her side and the day had hardly begun.

  Their schedules were busy on opposite seasons. The family run boat terminal’s busy season was during the spring and summer months but very quiet during the school season. The love-struck man was definitely going to have to find something to do with all the extra time on his hands.

  “Behr, we should go out and find ya another boat to fix up. You’re about to be a married man. You’re going to have to help bring home your fair share, my friend. Donnae leave that burden for Ellora to carry alone.” Gavin knew this would light a fire under his ass, and the search would help fill his time away from Adelle.

  “That’s nae a bad idea, Gav. Grab the local news chronicle on your way out to lunch with Ellie. We’ll start our search first thing in the morn’.”

  Relief settled over the on-edge man at their newly formed plan. This project should help ease his anxiety. Unable to stop himself, Gavin’s eyes found their way back to the old clock above the bar. Five after nine… Lunch couldn’t come fast enough.

  After that had been settled, Behr refocused his attention on his breathtaking fiancé when he heard her grumbling at his side.

  “Do I really have to wear a dress?”

  Behr smirked at the pouting girl and wrapped her up in his arms. “You can walk down that aisle naked as the day you came into this world for all I care, so long as you’re walking toward me, love.”

  Ellora laughed against his chest, nuzzling into him closer. “Last thing I want to do is give Grady a heart attack while he walks me down the aisle.”

  She had asked him if he would do her the honor of walking her down the aisle in
place of her father. Grady felt like a surrogate father to her, and she could tell the request meant a lot to the old man. His only reply was in the blubbering that soon followed. Patrick was not happy with his old friend’s vulnerable display, chastising him for such a useless emotion. “Get your arse straight, lad. You’re embarrassing every man within earshot.”

  Behr’s lips brought her out of the fond memory as they pressed firmly to her parted mouth. “I just want to make you mine in every possible way, love. I don’t care how we do it, so long as it makes you happy. But I know deep down that you know it’s what your ma’ and da’ would’ve wanted… to see a proper wedding for their only daughter. So that’s exactly what I plan to do—honor their memory by giving their daughter a traditional ceremony. It’s my gift to them and one I plan on seeing through, despite your stubbornness.”

  The large man placed a gentle kiss on the tip of her nose when Ellora’s eyes welled up with fresh tears.

  “Yes. You’re right. That’s exactly what they’d want for me. Nothing but the best on my special day.” Ellora could hear her father’s voice in her ear as if he’d said the words himself. Her heart ached at the thought of not being able to experience the father-daughter dance at the ceremony.

  “It was my mother’s dream to see me done up like a princess. I will honor her wish… I’ll be girly for one whole day.” She gave a weak laugh, thinking about her beautiful mother.

  Behr’s heart constricted at the sight of Ellora as her heart visibly broke in front of him. Leaning over the owner of his beating heart, Behr placed comforting kisses over her tear-stained cheeks. “This will be a day to remember, love. I promise you. This might be the very last time you’ll be able to fit that tight arse of yours into a dress such as this, anyhow, because I plan to give you my babies soon after.”

  Ellora gasped and nearly choked on the invading air as it rushed down her tightening throat at his very matter-of-fact admission.

  “Geez, Mr. Buchanan, you don’t waste any time, do you?”

  Behr closed the small gap that was left between them, running his large calloused hand up the front of her shirt, back and forth along the soft skin of her belly. “I cannae wait for the day your belly is filled with the life of our baby… pregnant with my baby. Nothin’ in this world is sexier to me, love, than seein’ you like that.”

  Ellora’s temperature rose as she watched Behr’s eyes rove over her in such an intimate and suggestive way. She knew Behr would be a perfect, doting father. The title of family man suited him.

  “All right, all right. Let me get this straight… You want me to marry you in a church?”

  “Aye.”

  “In a white dress,” Ellora continued.

  “Aye.”

  “And become barefoot and pregnant with a Behr baby.”

  Behr cast a devilish grin and winked. “Check n’ check.”

  “One thing at a time, lover boy! Let’s get back to these plans.”

  Behr laughed along with Ellora, running his hands through her raven-black hair and attempting to get back to the task at hand.

  “As you wish, love.”

  Finally, at long last, the noon hour arrived. Gavin strolled down the wide halls with an enthusiastic skip in his step, eager to be with his favorite teacher. Rounding the corner, the anxious man peered inside her classroom.

  Adelle was straining on tiptoes, erasing what was left of her morning lesson, her ringlets bouncing side to side as she swished the eraser. The smitten man kept silent as he appreciated the view from behind. Her curves were intimately contained in the soft fabric of the dress that hugged her.

  Heat flooded his system as his eyes roved over her irresistible body and focused on her perfectly round arse, undressing her with the power of the former playboy’s vivid imagination. Gavin had seen his fair share of the magnificence of the female body, but none came close to arousing him the way Adelle’s could.

  Deciding to make his presence known, Gavin cleared his throat as he made his way inside. Adelle whirled her head around, glancing over her shoulder. The movement caused her hair to flip behind her in the most tantalizing fashion, stealing away Gavin’s breath.

  “Ah, perfect! I’m starved.” Adelle bounced her way over to the love-struck man who was inconveniently tongue-tied. “What’d ya’ bring me, Gav?”

  Momentarily struck dumb, Gavin could think of nothing else but ravishing the owner of his beating heart, right where she stood. His eyes alone spoke of the hunger he felt deep inside, which had been locked away after years of imprisonment. Realizing that Adelle waited for a response, Gavin attempted to answer her, but his stammering voice betrayed his not so cool composure.

  “I brought all that you asked, lass. Your wish is my command.”

  Adelle flashed a brilliant smile at him. “You’re just too good to me, pretty boy.”

  Gavin did his best, despite his racing heart, to lighten up the mood and change the subject. “So, how was your day, Miss Faulkner? Do ya’ ‘ave a favorite student yet?”

  Adelle squealed in delight. “Oh, I don’t know what I did to earn such an adoring group of kids, but I’m eternally grateful all the same. I love my kids already. They are all so bright and eager to learn.”

  “Aye, lass, I’d wager they love their teacher just as much.” Gavin pulled up a tiny child-sized chair next to the new over-sized desk to sit alongside Adelle.

  “So… are ya’ goin’ to be a mean ‘ol teacher an’ assign the little ones homework this weekend?”

  Gavin sat back and enjoyed the infectious melody of her laugh as he sank his teeth into his cod sandwich.

  “Gav, what kind o’ witch do you take me for? I’d do no such thing. It’s only the first week of classes after all.” She playfully slapped him on the thigh without thinking.

  His freckle-faced cutie was playing right into his hands. Capitalizing on this intended outcome, Gavin swallowed the knot growing in his throat and surrendered to the question he’d been dying to ask all along.

  “Well then, since we’re both free, what’d ya say I take ya out n’ show ya a good time… see the sights? Whatever your heart’s desire, Ellie. I’ll bring the world to your feet so long as ya’ make me a happy man n’ say aye. What say you, lass? Be mine for the weekend?”

  Being caught off-guard, Adelle sat back and stared blankly at the too beautiful man who gazed back at her. Was Gavin asking her out… on an actual date? No. That couldn't be. But the unmistakable look of longing poured out behind his hopeful eyes, giving her pause. He was being genuine. Butterflies invaded her empty stomach at the thought of starting something with a man like him.

  The wary girl tried hard to school her excited emotions and mask her racing pulse and the pounding heart she was sure he’d be able to hear. Adelle took her time answering the growing impatience of the beautiful man staring expectantly at her. She took careful bites of her salad and chewed each piece with delayed purpose.

  “I can’t this weekend, Gav. I ‘ave a date.” Adelle was just teasing him but was compelled to explain quickly as his hopeful expression dropped and hurt passed through his eyes.

  “Oh, ya do? I wasnae aware you’d met another.”

  Adelle smirked, jabbing him in the chest with her perfectly manicured finger. “Yes. I ‘ave a date with four rowdy lads and an adorably aging ‘ol man.” She hardly got the sentence out before surrendering to a fit of laughter when Gavin choked on his lunch, imagining the worst, no doubt.

  “Really, Gav! What’re ya thinkin’? I’m going to my father’s this weekend. He’s asked to see me n’ m’ brothers. It’s been far too long since we’ve all been together.”

  Relief washed over the man as he recovered from his choking coughs. “Well, that’s good news. I thought for a minute ‘ere that you had a whole ‘nother life I wasnae aware of.”

  The deep baritone in his laughter was infectious and irresistible to Adelle’s ears. Once his eyes zeroed in on her in that way, the way that could melt the hearts of any w
oman in town… and probably had, Adelle couldn’t help but smile back.

  Gavin was gifted with effortless charm and irresistible charisma, which is why his former playboy title was cast onto his otherwise flawless reputation. Try as she might, Adelle was helplessly pulled to him. The longer he cast those enigmatic eyes and sexy crooked smirk her way, the harder it was to deny him.

  After an extremely difficult childhood and the relentless teasing of her peers, Adelle had suffered from low self-esteem for much of her high school years. Even after a breathtaking makeover and a stellar new outlook on life, she still had insecurities lingering deep down in her heart. Which is why she found it difficult to accept Gavin’s affections for her.

  Adelle was confused by his tireless pursuit to win her. Why would a man who could have any woman in the world want a boring book nerd like her? She feared it was nothing more than a cruel joke, or some kind of conquest to conquer the only woman who didn’t fall all over him. Just another notch in his extremely marked up belt.

  So she took great care in guarding her fragile heart while around him, fearing the inevitable ache of him breaking it. With one look, she was a goner. Her body wouldn’t listen to the reasoning of her over-protective mind. One look. One flash of that smile is all it took to betray her own rules.

  “Why don’t you come with me, Gav? ‘Ave some barbecue with my family and just hang out.” Adelle half-expected him to sputter his excuses and politely bow out, refusing. I mean, who in their right mind wanted to hang out with someone else’s family… on a weekend? Especially a man like Gavin. He probably had a girl sitting by the phone anxiously waiting for his call.

  Whipping his head up in surprise, Gavin lit up at her invitation. “Aye, lass. I would love nothing better than spendin’ the day with you and your family, Elle. I’m honored you want me ‘round for that. It’s a date then.”

  Adelle’s heart plummeted into the pit of her stomach at him calling it a date. She hoped the invitation didn’t make her sound desperate. “It’s no big deal, just a barbecue.” She hated to admit that she enjoyed the look on Gavin’s face whenever she brushed him off. He seemed to enjoy the challenge, looking forward to every opportunity to give chase after her.