Shroud of Fog: (A Cape Trouble Romantic Suspense Novel) (28 page)

“You haven’t checked, have you?”

“No.”  The thought had crossed his mind, but he didn’t tell
her that.  “I’m pretending I haven’t noticed she’s afraid.”

Sophie had dropped her evening bag and now kicked off the
four-inch heels that had raised her a lot closer to his height.  “Ooh, that
feels good,” she moaned.

“You ready to crash?” he asked, hoping she wasn’t too tired
to make love.  Because – damn, tomorrow was Sunday, and he had to head back to
the coast.

“Soon.”  She flung out her arms and twirled.  “First I need
to dance.”

“Ah.”  He bowed.  “Miss, may I have this one?”

Laughing, she curtsied.  “Certainly, sir.”

He swept her into his arms and into an abbreviated form of
the waltz, managing to miss hall table and stair bannister.  Then his steps
slowed and he brought her to a stop, their bodies in contact from thigh to
chest.

“Sophie,” he said slowly, feeling more trepidation than he’d
expected.  “I thought this might be a good time…”

She was bright-eyed with anticipation.  God knows what she
thought he was going to say.  Probably not this.  Was he nuts, given how short
a time they’d known each other?  Maybe he should hold off.  But, damn it, he’d
geared himself up. 

He cleared his throat.  “Sophie.”

Her expression changed, becoming solemn as if she saw
something on his face.

“You know I love you.”

Her mouth curved into a tremulous smile.  “And you know I
love you.”

“This seeing you for two days every once in a while thing
sucks,” he said bluntly.  “Maybe I’m being pushy, but I don’t want to do this.”

She stiffened.  “You don’t want to do this?”

“Not what you’re thinking,” he said roughly.  “What I mean
is…I’m going to break my contract.  Move over here.  I’d…like to move in with
you, but if you’re not ready, I’ll get myself a place.  Start job-hunting.” 

She stared for a moment that stretched longer than he liked,
given his serious case of nerves.  “You…you mean that?” she finally whispered.

“Yeah, I mean it.”  His voice came out hoarse.  “I want to be
with you, Sophie.”

Her eyes flooded with tears, which would have scared him if
he hadn’t seen at the same time that she was smiling.  “Oh, Daniel.  I’ve been
thinking the same, except I don’t have a contract to break.”

“What?”

“I want to see the Save Misty Beach campaign through to the
end.  Tonight was amazing, but we still need to raise some more money.  And,
you know, I’ve got to clean Aunt Doreen’s house out and put it on the market.”

A task she could do in a couple of weeks, if she put her
mind to it.

“You don’t mind taking a year off?” he had to ask.

Sophie dried her tears on his shirt-front.  “No.  I was
thinking I could probably get some small jobs putting on events or spearheading
fundraising drives for groups up and down the coast.  And if I can’t…”  She
shrugged.  “I can still afford to pay my half of expenses.”

“Like I give a damn about that.”

“So, um, what do you think of my plan?” she asked, sounding
a little unsure of herself.

His sinuses burned to the point of pain, but, man, he wanted
this.  His throat was almost too clogged for words.  “If you mean it, I can’t
think of anything better.”

“The city council won’t…well, disapprove of you having a
woman living with you, will they?  Because I could hold onto Doreen’s house and
you could stay in yours until—”

“Don’t be ridiculous.  If they want to fire me, well, what
the hell, we’ll just move a little sooner than we’d intended.”  He wondered if
she’d mind if he told people Sophie was his fiancee.  It was a little soon to
suggest marriage, but he was thinking it.  No, more than thinking – he was
counting on it.

And, considering he’d spent a lifetime running from love, he
was blown away to realize how completely confident he felt that Sophie was
thinking the same – and that, by the end of the year in Cape Trouble, they’d
have that wedding.

Stunned, he thought,
This is what happiness feels like
.

“I love you, Daniel Colburn,” she said with startling
ferocity before she threw her arms around his neck and pressed her lips to his.

The best he could manage, between kisses, was her name.

Who - or what - is Naomi hiding from?

Find out in the next Cape Trouble novel.

Coming August 2014

Janice Kay Johnson is the author of more than ninety books
for children and adults.  Her first four published romance novels were
coauthored with her mother Norma Tadlock Johnson, also a writer who has since
published mysteries and children's books on her own.  These were
"sweet" romance novels, the author hastens to add; she isn't sure they'd
have felt comfortable coauthoring passionate love scenes!

Janice graduated from Whitman College with a B.A. in history
and then received a master's degree in library science from the University of
Washington.  She was a branch librarian for a public library system until she
began selling her own writing.

She has written six novels for young adults and one picture
book for the read-aloud crowd.  ROSAMUND was the outgrowth of all those hours
spent reading to her own daughters, and of her passion for growing old roses. 
Two more of her favorite books were the historical novels: WINTER OF THE RAVEN
and THE ISLAND SNATCHERS, written for Tor/Forge and now available in ebook
format for the first time.  The research was pure indulgence for someone who
set out intending to be a historian.

Janice raised her two daughters in a small, rural town north
of Seattle, Washington.  She spent many years as an active volunteer and board
member for Purrfect Pals, a no-kill cat shelter, and foster kittens often
enlivened a household that typically includes a few more cats than she wants to
admit to.

Janice loves writing books about both love and family —
about the way generations connect and the power our earliest experiences have
on us throughout life.  Her Superromance novels are frequent finalists for
Romance Writers of America RITA awards, and she won the 2008 RITA for Best
Contemporary Series Romance for SNOWBOUND.

Visit her website at www.JaniceKayJohnson.com.

A Note from the Author:

Thank you so much for purchasing my book.  I hope you
enjoyed it.  This is my first venture into the world of independently
publishing.  Previously (and currently), I have worked with major publishing
houses, currently Harlequin Romance, so this is the first time all the
promotional and marketing efforts have fallen on my shoulders alone.  If you
enjoyed the book, I hope you will take a moment to help me get the word out to
others by posting a review on Amazon or Goodreads - or “like” my Author Page on
Facebook to get future updates.

The links are:

Amazon - http://amzn.to/1bU9Wib

Goodreads - http://bit.ly/1jnvGb2

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/pages/Janice-Kay-Johnson/365182203513646

I also love to hear from readers, so please feel free to
contact me on Facebook or via my website at www.JaniceKayJohnson.com.