Red Sole Clues (26 page)
She glares at me, her jaw working. “I never asked you to bow and scrape.”
“You sure as hell never stopped me either.” I mime bowing to her father. “Yes, Sir Coxenberg. Shall I kiss your arse next?”
Philippa grabs a pillow and throws it at me, hitting me dead center in the chest. “Stop it.”
“Or what?”
All the fight goes out of her. “Or nothing,” she says softly. “We merely go back to the way things were before. Living our lives separately.”
“I don’t want a divorce,” I say flatly. “I risked my life to save you because I love you. I’ve never stopped loving you.”
“Our differences are too great.” She smiles at me sadly, touching my rough jaw with the tips of her fingers. “My father wanted a son and he got me, so he tried to groom you to follow in his footsteps. I’m sorry that I didn’t stand up to him.”
I grab her hand and kiss it, holding it to my mouth as I speak. “I’m sorry, too. For being so damned stubborn. Please don’t go. Give us another chance, Pippa.”
I can see her resistance fading, but it’s too soon to celebrate a victory. Besides, I’m not at war with my wife.
“I need time, Maxim. Time to go back to the place where we first fell in love.”
“We’ll go together. I’ll pack my bags. The Maldives are perfect this time of year.” Letting go of her, I dash to my bedroom, but when I return, Philippa’s gone.
Yanking the door open, I run down five flights of stairs and burst onto the street like a madman. I’m just in time to watch her get into one of her father’s cars.
Rain begins to fall, but I don’t go back inside until I can no longer see the tail lights of the car that’s taking her away from me.
Again.
T
wo weeks later,
I’m standing before the board again, but this time everyone is smiling.
“We are reinstating you, Agent Romanov,” Madam Beake says.
“You’re bloody mental.”
She ignores my insult. “While your actions were highly irregular, there is no denying that you saved this city from another terrorist attack. And you did it on your own. We are in your debt.”
“Actually, I phoned a friend—specifically my cousin, Benjamin Romanov. He used London’s security system to find my wife. Then there’s the matter of my cousin, Dmitry Romanov. I’m sure you’ve seen the video footage—ah, well, perhaps not.” More likely than not, Benjamin scrubbed all traces of the transporter’s visage.
Her lips thin. “Are you purposefully trying to cock this up?”
“Not at all.” I shake my head slowly. “In fact, why don’t I make it easier on all of us? I quit.”
With that, I pivot and shove through the double doors, but this time my head is held high.
“Time to go get my wife.”
* * *
Three days later
Cotton House, Maldives, Indian Ocean
“Took you long
enough,” she says, her wide-brimmed hat shielding her face from the sun…and me.
“You said you needed time.”
“I didn’t need that long.”
I fight back a smile. “Had to turn down a job.”
Her head jerks up, her mouth a perfect O. “You didn’t.”
“Afraid I did. I am a bloke without a future at SIS who is madly in love with his wife.”
She scrambles to her feet, her bright yellow bikini a glorious contrast to her tanned skin. “Did you do that for me?”
“For us.” I take her hand in mine, slipping on the ring that she’d left at my flat so long ago. “Let’s renew our vows, Philippa. Let’s start anew.”
“Yes,” she cries, peppering my face with kisses. “Absolutely.”
The End
Marquita Valentine is the New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author of contemporary romance, new adult, and romantic suspense.
Since first taking the plunge in July of 2012 to self-publish, Marquita has appeared on the Top 100 Bestselling Ebooks Lists on iBooks, Amazon Kindle, and Barnes&Noble. She’s been called “one of the best new voices in romance” (Guilty Pleasures Book Reviews) and her books have been accused of being “a sexy, fun, and slightly addicting contemporary read” (The Book Queen).
When she’s not writing sexy heroes who adore their sassy heroines, she enjoys shopping, reading, and spending time with her family and friends. Married to her high school sweetheart, Marquita lives in a seriously small town in the south with her husband, two kids, and a dog.
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SilverHart Publishing would like to thank the authors for sharing stories from each of their respective series. Also, a giant thank you goes out to the SilverHart Team who makes bringing these stories to you a possibility.
Lindsey Lewellen – Cover Design
Jean Jenkins – Editing
Heather Osborne – Editing
Paul Salvette – Formatting
Scott Silverii – The Glue