Dangerous Secrets: Callaghan Brothers, Book 1 (30 page)

“I’m fine,” she assured him. 

“Are you hungry?  I think there’s some pizza left.”

“No, thanks, I’m good.”  He seemed to take it personally that she’d only had two pieces.  Of course, each of them could easily put away an entire pie by themselves.  She’d seen it.

A few seconds ticked by in silence.  “Thirsty?”

“Jake,” she warned softly.

“Christ, Jake, will you just get it over with already?”  Shane commented from across the room.

“Fuck, yes,” Sean added.  “You’re killing us here.”

Taryn shifted to look into Jake’s face and caught the lethal glare he shot at them.  “Get what over with?”

Kieran coughed uncomfortably.  Kane lowered his head and pinched the bridge of his nose.  Ian looked everywhere but at her.

When Jake finally met her questioning gaze, she saw something she was not accustomed to seeing in his eyes – fear.  But underneath was the steely determination she had come to know very well.  It made her insides go cold.  Anything that made Jake look like that could not bode well for her.

“Can I speak with you privately?” he asked, his voice odd, strained.

Taryn hesitated.  The room had gone eerily silent.  There was no noise, except for the inane banter of some sportscasters on the television.  No movement.  Everyone seemed to have been frozen solidly in place.  Nervously, Taryn glanced around the room.  Not one of them would look at her.

Sure,” she said finally, looking around one last time for some sign, some warning.  There was none.  “Okay.” 

She sighed.  She’d known it was coming, though maybe not quite this quickly.  The threat was over; she no longer needed their protection.

After some thought, Taryn had decided against resurfacing as the missing heiress.  She’d become accustomed to living in the shadows, and had no desire to be in the public eye ever again.  Jack had informed her that under her father’s will, the estate would be split among various charity organizations after ten years if no living relative was found to claim it.  Now valued at nearly twenty million, Taryn didn’t think twice about it.  What would she do with all that money anyway?  If nothing else, life had taught her that money couldn’t get you the things you really need, the things that matter. 

So Taryn Malone was now truly free to start over.  There was no reason to stay any longer.  She had planned on leaving on New Year’s Day.  It seemed as good a time as any, the perfect time for a new beginning. 

As it was, it was only three days after Christmas.  Ah, well.  At least these last few days had been nice, had given her some good memories to hang on to.  She loved these guys, owed them her life.  She hoped she could someday find some way to let them know that. 

Jake took her hand and led her back toward his room, to the bed she had shared with him every night since Michael released her from the hospital.  The bed where they had been taking turns bringing each other to new heights.  It wasn’t seduction that he had on his mind now, though. 

Cold numbness spread throughout her body.  Her legs felt heavy.  Dread pressed against her chest, making it harder to breathe with each step they took.   She hadn’t thought it would be this difficult.

Taryn perched on the edge of his bed, waiting with grim anticipation for the words she knew were coming.  Jake paced back and forth in front of her.  Several minutes had passed, and he had yet to say something.  The occasional mutterings to himself that she couldn’t make out didn’t count. 

Despite her breaking heart, she actually felt kind of bad for him.  Letting someone down easy was never easy.  Why hadn’t she just slipped out quietly when she had the chance?  It would have been so much kinder.

Suddenly, he stopped.  When he looked at her, his eyes were dark – almost midnight, his features set into an expression more serious than she had ever seen.  A chill went through her.  Jake took one, then two purposeful steps toward her.  Taryn held her breath. 
Here it comes...

Jake stopped before her and took a deep breath.  Then he dropped down on one knee and took her hand in his.  His was shaking. 

“Taryn Malone, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”

It was as if all of her senses simply ceased operating.  Her heart stopped for one, two, three beats.  She tried to swallow and couldn’t.  She found herself quite literally frozen by the words she had never expected to hear.  Time stood still as his clear blue eyes held hers in the din of white noise currently buzzing in her head.  Who knew how much time had passed before she heard his voice again.

“Taryn?  Did you hear me?”

Nodding was beyond her current capabilities.  With some effort, she blinked.  Her bottom lip, slightly parted from the upper, quivered.

“Taryn, breathe, sweetheart.”

Oh, yeah
.  Taryn inhaled sharply, grateful for the reminder.  Somehow she managed to lower her gaze to see the incredibly beautiful diamond ring glittering at her from a small, opened box lined with black velvet.

It was stunning.  A carat, at least.  Antique silver, embellished with tiny emeralds.  On one side, intricately carved, looking as if it had been made of fine silver lace, the Callaghan family crest.

Taryn had never allowed herself to even dream of anything like this.  Yes, she had fantasized about Jake, but not in her wildest imagination could she ever have conceived of
this
.  Yes, he had told her that he loved her when she had first awoken – well, he sort of told her – but he hadn’t brought up the “L” word since. 

Of course, neither had she.  She had made up her mind that if he did say it again, she would tell him how she felt, too – that she was hopelessly, madly in love with him.  But he hadn’t, so she hadn’t.  And with each passing day, she had managed to convince herself that he wasn’t going to. 

“You want to marry me?” she finally managed to choke out.  “Why?”

He laughed on a nervous exhale.  “Because I love you, Taryn.  Because ever since you came into my life, nothing has been the same.  Because I never, ever want to think about you walking out that door and not coming back again.  I won’t survive it.”

The past few days had been wonderful.  Wonderful, because her nightmare was finally over, and Jake hadn’t left her side for more than a minute or two.  He had been kind and attentive, anticipating her every want and need before she even knew herself sometimes.  It had been the best few days of her life, even if in the back of her mind she believed it wouldn’t last.

“You love me?”

“Yes, Taryn, I love you.  You’re it for me, baby.”

Tiny bubbles of absolute joy formed in her bloodstream.  Jake had actually proposed!  It was incredible!  It was fantastic!  It was what she wanted more than anything else in the world... 

And it was impossible.

Reality came crashing down with crushing force.  Taryn didn’t get the shields up in time, and the unfairness of it all washed over her like a tidal wave.

“There is nothing I want more,” she admitted, her voice a thick whisper, “but I can’t.”

“Why not?”

She took a shaky breath.  “Because Taryn Malone doesn’t exist.  And Kiara Fitzpatrick is dead.”

She thought he would argue with her, or at the very least exhibit some sign of disappointment.  Instead, he smiled. 

“Yeah, Ian thought you might say that.”  Jake placed the ring box beside her and went to his nightstand drawer, pulling out a legal-sized manila envelope and handing it to her.  She looked up at him, bemused.

“Go on,” he urged.  “Open it.”

Taryn undid the small silver clasp, noticing that now her hands were shaking, too.  Lifting the flap, she reached in and pulled out a stack of official-looking documents.

A birth certificate for Taryn Kiara Malone.  It listed her actual birthday, but everything else was different.  A social security card.  Driver’s license.  Credit history.  School transcripts.  Everything.

It was more than she could handle.  “I exist?”

Jake nodded.  “Of course, I would like to see that name changed.”  She looked at him blankly.  “You know,” he explained patiently, “from Malone to Callaghan.”

Taryn exploded off the bed and literally jumped into Jake’s arms, wrapping her arms fiercely around his neck, her legs around his waist.  “God, I love you!” she blurted out.

Jake laughed and held her tightly against him.  “So does this mean yes?”

Taryn pulled back enough to look into his face.  “Yes,” she answered.  Jake brought his mouth down to hers and took immediate – and permanent possession.  Within seconds a loud cheer erupted from the living room.  Fists pounded on the walls, accompanied by various hoots and hollers.

Jake muttered a few choice curses under his breath.  “They bugged the room?” Taryn guessed, a substantial amount of amusement in her voice. 

“They bugged the room,” Jake agreed.

“Then let’s give them something worth listening to,” she said, a devilish smile on her face. 

Jake’s scowl turned into a hungry grin.  “Funny, I never figured you were into voyeurism,” he whispered slyly, reminding her of the words she had spoken to him on the night they first met.

Her soft laughter against his throat had him aching with need.  “Technically, it’s not voyeurism since we’re not letting them watch...”

Y
ou didn’t have to pick this book, but you did.  Thank you!

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A
bbie Zanders loves to read and write romance in all forms; she is quite obsessive, really.  Her ultimate fantasy is to spend all of her free time doing both, preferably in a secluded mountain cabin overlooking a pristine lake, though a private beach on a lush tropical island works, too.  Sharing her work with others of similar mind is a dream come true.  She promises her readers two things:  no cliffhangers, and there will always be a happy ending.  Beyond that, you never know...

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Lost in Time I: 
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Lost in Time II: 
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