Hope Falls: Hidden Love (Kindle Worlds Novella) Read online

  He followed the directions to the row of town homes in Mission Hills and found the right address at the end of the row. Instead of heading up the stairs to the main door, he headed down the stairs to the garden apartment below. When he knocked, he nervously wiped his hands on his jeans, and rocked back on his heels. God, he prayed that she would talk to him.

  Her hair over her shoulder, swinging with the breeze, she opened the door, then stopped short, staring at him.

  Axel swallowed hard. His finger itched to touch her. He was so desperate to reach out and hold her, she looked so different than the first time he’d seen her. For starters, her hair was blonde now. Or was that a wig? She wore a low-cut Henley, snug fitting jeans and tennis shoes. The Henley had some kind of logo or restaurant name on the left breast, his gaze kept dipping to it.

  "Cara."

  Her lips parted on a gasp. "Axel." Her gaze darted behind him, and she rolled onto the balls of her feet.

  He put his hands up, "Car, I'm not here to hurt you. No one is with me. You're totally safe. You do not have to run."

  "The hell I don't. What the hell do you want from me?"

  "I just want to talk." He shook his head. "I fucked up. I didn't realize I fucked up until I talked to Sam." He inhaled deeply when she didn't run. "Okay, yes, when I was in the midst of fucking up, I knew it wasn't what you wanted. I was doing what I normally do. Taking charge. Making the decision. I just knew that it made you unhappy to hide. I knew that you have family you wanted to see. Your mother. Your sister. I just thought I could use my influence to make it better for you."

  "I told you I didn't need you to fix it."

  "And I didn't hear you. I wasn’t listening to that part. All I was listening to was a part about you needing help. And my need to fix it, brought on your need to flee. And I am sorry. I'm sorry that you thought you had to. I'm sorry you thought you weren't safe with me."

  She opened her mouth, then closed it. "I don't understand."

  Oh boy. This is the moment of truth. Why was he so nervous? "I fell in love with you. In that bar in Tahoe a year ago. I know. It’s crazy, and ridiculous. But it's true. You wormed your way under my skin and into my heart, and into my head and I couldn’t get you out. Every relationship I’ve tried to have after that was a comparison. And I've been subconsciously looking for you ever since. And then to find you in Hope Falls was like a dream come true. I didn't know how not to scare you off. All I wanted to do was help. But I went about it the wrong way and I'm sorry." He held up the manila envelope. "I wanted to do something for you. I wanted to help you. For my own selfish reasons because I wanted to be with you. But, I’m here to give you this free and clear. No ulterior motive. I just want you to be safe. Happy."

  Her hands shook as she took the envelope. "What is this?"

  "It's your freedom. The FBI is no longer looking for you. All they are looking for is a deposition. So they can get your version of events in case there are any other charges that could be filed." He licked his lips. "I'm sorry."

  He turned to leave. She reached out her arm. "Are you serious? No one is looking for me?"

  He inclined his head towards her. "It's on there. The agent that came after you, his name was Tom Bradford. He was a special agent at the Bureau. Turns out he was arrested a year ago on completely separate charges. So now he's got additional charges against him for conspiracy and attempted murder for what he did to you."

  She shook her head as she stared at him. "I don't even know what to say."

  "Say you'll do all the things that you put off for the last three years. Say you'll call your parents. Say you'll go see your sister. You deserve to be happy."

  He’d done this for her? The one thing she wanted more than anything for three years, he’d done for her. And now he was just walking away. “Axel, wait.”

  "What am I waiting for?"

  She searched his gaze. Clutching tight onto the envelope. "You did this for me."

  He nodded. "Yep. I know I was a total asshat. I know I push too much. I don't know. I think I go a little crazy. And that cost me you.” He licked his lips before shifting his glance back to the envelope. "My card is in there. You can reach me if you need anything. But otherwise, I will get out of your life."

  "Did you mean it?" She asked quietly. She couldn't even let herself dare to believe. But God did she want to believe. She wanted to believe that someone like him could love her. She wanted to believe that she could have a real life. She could afford to care about someone. She really wanted to believe.

  His voice was low, gravelly when he spoke. "I meant every word. I love you. I fell in love with you a year ago. I knew something was up with you as Corin. I couldn’t place it. And gotta tell you my feelings were confusing for a minute there. I had no idea why the fuck Corin smelled so good to me. I’d been subconsciously or consciously looking for you for a year. And there you were, on my doorstep. So yeah, I went a little nuts. I'm sorry about that. But I love you. I love you so much it hurts." He turned back to leave.

  Cara could only stand there for second before she blurted out, "I love you, too."

  He turned back to face her slowly. "What did you say?"

  Her lips twitched at the corners. She fought a smile. "You heard me."

  "Oh no you don't. You will have to say that again. Just to make sure there is no confusion."

  Cara tipped her chin up to meet his gaze. "I love you, too."

  His grin was predatory as he took another step towards her. "Okay, so you love me, so just what are you going to do about it?"

  Cara grinned up at him. Then wrapped her arms around his neck. "I suppose, I could show you how much."

  Epilogue

  "I swear to God, you do not need to throw me a party, Sam."

  Sam hugged her tight. "Of course I do. You, and your sexy FBI boyfriend, are so wrapped up in each other, you haven't come home in three months."

  It was funny how Sam always referred to Hope Falls as home. What was funnier was to Cara, it felt like that. Especially now that her mother and sister had come to visit as well.

  She, Axel and Bo and Sam had opted not to let the cat out of the bag in terms of her past identity. It was probably easier that way. And there would be a whole lot less questions. Although, as soon as she and Axel had arrived, a few people said she looked awfully familiar.

  Axel, of course, couldn't seem to keep his hands off of her. If she so much as walked across the room on her own, she could feel his eyes tracking her. She knew what he was thinking. Mostly, he was looking at her ass.

  Sam giggled. "Man, you and Axel are that in love couple everybody groans at when they come over. You guys are so busy eye fucking each other all the time, you don’t notice how disgusting you are."

  "He is not eye fucking me."

  Sam laughed. "Oh, yes, he is. I’m just jealous.”

  “What happened with Toby?”

  Sam shook her head. “Nothing that bears repeating.” She turned her attention back to Axel. “Those Nicholson boys are hands-down, some of the sexiest men to walk through Hope Falls. And there have been some sexy ones. Hell, all kinds of sexy guys live here. But those two whew."

  Cara laughed. "Well, Bo is available."

  Sam shook her head. "No way. As sexy as he is. I know exactly the kind of man Bo Nicholson is. I'm not touching him with a ten-foot pole. I'm just going to admire the goods from afar. I’m looking for a nice normal guy that I don't have to compete with in the looks department."

  "You're selling yourself short." But she didn't get to berate her friend any longer before Axel slid up behind her and whispered in her ear.

  “Come with me."

  She giggled as she was tugged through the back doors of his parent’s house and into the backyard and toward the gazebo. "What are we doing out here?"

  "You know, you ask a lot of questions."

  "Hey, that's my line."

  "Yeah it is." He kissed the tip of her nose. "I just wanted a free moment, to tell you how much I l
ove you."

  "Aww," she kissed him. "I love you, too. Thank you for bringing me back home."

  "Well, you were missing Sam. And, I needed her help."

  Cara frowned. "You needed her help with what?"

  Suddenly, all the lights in the back yard went on. Not the floodlights, but hundreds of tea lights. Cara gasped.

  "With that." Axel sank to his knee. "Cara Jensen. I have been in love with you from the moment you beat me at pool. I knew that I was never going to meet another woman like you. All I have ever wanted is for you to let me in your life. And now, all I want is for you to let me love you for the rest of our lives. Will you marry me?"

  Holy shit. Holy fucking shit. Holy fucking shitballs. Cara glanced up at the house, and several faces appeared in the windows. They all watched from inside.

  Cara turned her attention back to Axel, and his slate gray eyes, thick lashes, full lips. How did she get so lucky? "Of course I’ll marry you." He grinned at her before sliding the ring on her finger. It was an elegant emerald cut white gold ring. Not fussy, but still gorgeous in that simplicity. He stood, and when he slid his lips over hers, pulling her tight against his body, he whispered, "Let's celebrate."

  Cara laughed. "Let me guess, you have a really good idea of how we can do that?"

  He shrugged. "What can I say, I'm a fiend. You see, my fiancée, she's gorgeous. I'm so lucky to have her."

  She met his gaze. "No, I'm the lucky one."

  She drew back and smiled. “So now isn’t a good time to tell you that I’ve been thinking about you all afternoon and I’m very, very wet?”

  He laughed. “You know what? For future reference, it is always a good time to tell me that.”

  Want to read about more danger and deception? Check out my latest FREEBIE: #SHAME!

  Thank You

  Thank you for reading HIDDEN LOVE! I hope you this book from the Hope Falls Kindle World.

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  Nana Malone Reading List

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  About Nana Malone

  USA Today Bestselling Author, Nana Malone’s love of all things romance and adventure started with a tattered romantic suspense she borrowed from her cousin on a sultry summer afternoon in Ghana at a precocious thirteen. She’s been in love with kick butt heroines ever since.

  Nana is the author of multiple series. And the books in her series have been on multiple Amazon Kindle and Barnes & Noble bestseller lists as well as the iTunes Breakout Books list and most notably the USA Today Bestseller list.

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