Ring of Truth (Devlin Security Force Book 2) (31 page)

“Exactly.”

She frowned. “But finding the rings wouldn’t have led either the FBI or Dad to the crown jewels.”

“Right again. Either he just wanted revenge or he figured they’d come to me with the verse once they had the rings.”

“And you would find the jewels. Which you did.” She beamed through happy tears.

“Fox is calling Global Insurance about your dad’s pension going to your mom. He said he’d see she got back payments. The whole law firm will be on it. They’re worried you’ll sue them. The wheels are turning.” He lifted his green tea for a toast.

But again Mara jumped him. The liquid spilled across the countertop.

He didn’t care. Her kisses were the only sustenance he needed. He locked her in place with his legs, reveled in the hot sweep of her tongue, the shift of her body against him, the silken feel of her hair brushing his fingers. Blood whooshed in his ears and the heavy pull of desire hardened his body. But he had one more bit of good news to impart. Maybe two.

He set her away from him with a last taste of her delectable lower lip. “Hold that thought, sweetheart.”

“There’s more?” She looked so sexy with her lips shining from his kisses and her eyes twin pools of black that he nearly forgot what he still had to say.

“About that, no. About us, definitely. This farmhouse doesn’t look like much, I know.”

“It has more potential than that cabin you lived in.” Her smile morphed into concern. “But leave Maine? What about the woodworking school?”

“Seems the boss didn’t tell people he fired me. He said I took a leave of absence.”

“I’m biting my tongue not to say I told you so. And?”

“He asked me to come back. Offered a raise and a co-teaching position in the nine-month class. But I’m done with living in the woods. Light and open spaces are for me. And a certain woman who brightens everything.”

“And this house?”

“It’s solid so the repairs are mostly cosmetic. The heirs have released it for sale, at a reasonable price. Four bedrooms, room for a family. Someday, I mean, if you want. If you don’t like the house, if you’d rather stay in D.C., we can look for something el—”

“Cort, stop. Shut up.” When he stopped babbling, she smiled. “I love you. I love the house. I’ve had enough of living in a cramped city apartment. I’ve always wanted a big old house I could fix up. We can work on it together for when that family comes along.”

“I love you so much. Damn, now that I’ve let those words out, I’m going to drive you nuts saying them all the time.”

She laughed, music he wanted to hear for the rest of his life. “I’ll hold you to it.”

His heart thudded so hard his chest hurt. His body flamed with summer heat. He wanted her so much he could barely focus. “I, um, did buy one piece of furniture. It’s upstairs in the master suite. Would you like to try it out?”

Her smile bloomed, slow and sultry. “Show me.”

So he did.

*****

Thank you for reading RING OF TRUTH. When I introduced Mara Marton in ON DEADLY GROUND, I knew she needed her own book. A beautiful geek researcher, how could she not need her own happily ever after? I had to do my own heavy research for this book—prison culture and tattoos, museum security, crown jewels, and all the locations in the story. My clock-building husband had to answer many questions about woodworking. I hope you enjoyed this book. If you did, please help others find the book by leaving a review at the retailer where you purchased it.

--Susan

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SUSAN VAUGHAN is the multi-published author of romantic suspense novels. Her books have won the Golden Leaf, More Than Magic, and Write Touch Readers’ awards and have been an
RT Book Reviews Magazine
Reviewer’s Choice Nominee and a finalist for the Booksellers’ Best and Daphne du Maurier awards. Her books have been translated into German, French, Spanish, and Icelandic and published in more than eleven countries. She’s a West Virginia native, but she and her husband have lived in Maine for many years.

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ON DEADLY GROUND
(Devlin Security Force #1)

NEVER SURRENDER (Task Force Eagle #1)

ONCE BURNED (Task Force Eagle #2)

TWICE A TARGET (Task Force Eagle #3)

PRIMAL OBSESSION

Read first chapters at
www.susanvaughan.com

ON DEADLY GROUND (Devlin Security Force #1)

Desperate to save her brother, a timid museum director must work with the cynical ex-military guide she doesn’t trust to return a precious Mayan artifact to its temple, but when desire flares between them, outrunning international black-market smugglers and an earthquake seems simple compared to risking their hearts.

RING OF TRUTH (Devlin Security Force #2)

A former jewel thief’s only chance for redemption is to convince a dead insurance investigator’s daughter to aid him in retrieving a cache of legendary jewels ahead of an international smuggling syndicate.

CLEOPATRA’S NECKLACE (Devlin Security Force #3)

Take-charge security CEO Thomas Devlin, a former Delta Force officer, and his old flame, Cleo Chandler, an unconventional artist, must race a ruthless crime syndicate to recover a priceless treasure, but it means risking everything—their lives, their hearts.

About TASK FORCE EAGLE

“
NEVER SURRENDER
is filled with action, suspense, romance .... I very much enjoy when an author lets you play along with solving the mystery by feeding you little bits and pieces.” – Fresh Fiction

“
NEVER SURRENDER
bristles with both suspense and romance.” –Reader Grady H –5 Stars on Amazon

“
ONCE BURNED
is action packed, with a number of twists and turns that will keep the reader guessing and reading. This...is an excellent action romance series.” – Fresh Fiction

“A good and fast-paced story with a similar cocktail of romance and mystery... and I just love it!” –Amazon reader John P about
ONCE BURNED
5 Stars

“
TWICE A TARGET
gives you heart-pounding excitement from beginning to end.” –Fresh Fiction

“Plenty of mystery and intrigue... The characters are fantastic.” –Crystal Lanham about
TWICE A TARGET
, on Goodreads

About
PRIMAL OBSESSION

“Susan Vaughan writes an intensely romantic thriller.... The depth of the characters in the story is probably the part that makes this such a great read. They’re all exceptionally well crafted.” - The Romance Studio - 5 Hearts

“
PRIMAL OBSESSION
is a first-class thriller with the author successfully throwing suspicion on all characters.” WRDF Review