Secret Sins (44 page)
Authors: Lora Leigh
“Acceptance. Gentleness, and most of all, Anna, love. You taught me to love. And if
you love me at all, then you won’t leave me. You won’t be able to leave me. Because
God knows, I can’t let you walk out that door.”
Her lips were trembling.
Tears spilled from her eyes now, but it wasn’t pain that filled the emerald orbs.
For the first time in all the years he had known her, Archer watched her eyes fill
with joy.
“You really love me?” Her voice quivered, a hint of a sob in her voice as she reached
up, her fingers shaking as she touched his face.
“Anna, baby, I don’t just love you,” he swore. “I’d die for you. I’d kill for you.
You own my heart, and you’re my soul. If I lose you, then I’ve lost everything important
in my life.”
And only then, only in that second did Archer realize he’d shed his own tear or two.
All for Anna.
For the heart he was terrified he’d broken, for the gentle spirit and loving heart
he hadn’t known he would die for, until he had almost destroyed it.
“Archer—”
He saw it then. Slowly at first, almost hesitant. So hesitant, that at first he was
terrified it would happen.
Then it bloomed.
The sweetest smile on the face of the earth. That soft, gentle smile only his Anna
had, because only his Anna could infuse it with all the love she felt for him.
“I love you,” she said, and with the smile came her tears.
Tears born of happiness, joy, and love rather than the dark fears and betrayals that
had marked her life for so many years. A smile so bright, so filled with every part
of Anna’s heart that Archer swore it made his knees weak.
“Oh God, Archer. I love you so much.”
She was in his arms, her arms wrapped around his neck, her lips pressed to his, but
before he could hold them, her lips were touching the dampness of the tears he’d shed,
his eyes, then his lips once again.
Pulling back, staring up at him, that smile still in place, filling her eyes, her
beautiful face and he could see, filling her heart.
“I’ve loved you since the first moment I saw you.” God, her voice. It was like the
soft warmth of summer and the golden rays of the sun.
It just made him warm inside.
“Just always love me.” He would have gone to his knees to beg if that was what he
needed to do. “Just that, Anna.”
“I’ll always love you,” she swore.
EPILOGUE
Wayne stared at the small town from his vantage point above it.
How peaceful it looked.
How calm.
He wasn’t finished here yet. The Barons owed him, and by God he would have his due
one way or the other. He would have it. And every fucking Callahan living would pay
for all he’d lost.
Especially Crowe Callahan.
Crowe and the traitorous slut no doubt sleeping in his bed. Wayne breathed out heavily.
His own traitorous daughter …
St. Martin’s Paperbacks Titles by
Lora Leigh
THE CALLAHANS
MIDNIGHT SINS
DEADLY SINS
ELITE OPS series
LIVE WIRE
RENEGADE
BLACK JACK
HEAT SEEKER
MAVERICK
WILD CARD
SEALs trilogy
KILLER SECRETS
HIDDEN AGENDAS
DANGEROUS GAMES
WICKED PLEASURE
FORBIDDEN PLEASURE
Anthologies
LEGALLY HOT
MEN OF DANGER
RESCUE ME
Praise for bestselling author Lora Leigh
MIDNIGHT SINS
“Has everything a good book should have: suspense, murder, betrayal, mystery, and
lots of sensuality. So rarely do you come across a book that you can lose yourself
in and
Midnight Sins
is definitely one of them. Lora Leigh is a talented author with the ability to create
magnificent characters and captivating plots.”
—Romance Junkies
T
HE
E
LITE
O
PS
S
ERIES
RENEGADE
“Leigh delivers … erotic passion. This is a hot one for the bookshelf!”
—Romantic Times BOOKreviews
“Smoldering romance, suspense, and mystery. Add to that the cast of interesting characters—and
their pasts—and you have the perfect recipe for one amazing novel.”
—Night Owl Romance
(4½ stars)
“Will have you breathless … gets your blood running hot with the physical attraction.”
—Romance Reviews Today
BLACK JACK
“Overflowing with escalating danger, while pent-up sexual cravings practically burst
into flames.”
—Sensual Reads
HEAT SEEKER
“Leigh’s pages explode with a hot mixture of erotic pleasures.”
—Romantic Times BOOKreviews
MAVERICK
“A phenomenal read.”
—Romance Junkies
“Scorching-hot sex, deadly secrets, and a determined assassin add up to another addicting
Leigh thriller. Leigh’s ability to credibly build damaged characters who are both
intriguing and intense gives her stories that extra punch.”
—Romantic Times BOOKreviews
“Sex and violence power the satisfying second installment of Leigh’s Elite Ops series.”
—Publishers Weekly
“Full of wrenching emotion and self-flagellation by the hero, the new series of Elite
Ops promises to be even better than the sexy SEALs at this rate.”
—Night Owl Romance
“With her customary panache for emotionally intense, sensual characters, the author
attracts readers into every world she creates. This fabulous follow-up to
Wild Card
is no exception to the rule.”
—A Romance Review
WILD CARD
“Highly emotional and addicting … an intoxicating first installment of a brand-new
series.”
—Romance Junkies
“Ferocious passion!”
—Romantic Times BOOKreviews
A
ND
L
EIGH
’s
SEXY
SEAL
S SERIES …
KILLER SECRETS
“A smoldering-hot, new espionage tale. This chapter of Leigh’s SEALs saga reverberates
with deadly danger.”
—Romantic Times BOOKreviews
HIDDEN AGENDAS
“Treachery and intrigue combine with blistering-hot sensuality in this chapter of
Leigh’s SEALs saga. The title of this book is particularly apt, since many of the
characters are not what they seem, and betrayal can have deadly consequences. Leigh’s
books can scorch the ink off the page.”
—Romantic Times BOOKreviews
“An evocative and captivating read.”
—Romance Junkies
DANGEROUS GAMES
“A marvelous novel of suspense and raw passion.”
—Romance Junkies
“Lora Leigh ignites the fire … with steamy heat added to a story that makes you cheer
and even tear up.”
—Fallen Angel Reviews
“Leigh writes … tempting, enchanting romance[s] that readers are certain to devour.”
—Romance Reviews Today
LORA LEIGH can often be found daydreaming and plotting and planning with the varied
characters that fill her imagination when she isn’t planting her flower gardens, watching
the horses romp outside her home, or spending time with the family and pets she fills
her life with. Writing is her passion, her peace, and her lifeline. She hopes you
enjoy the stories, and that you visit her website,
www.loraleigh.com
, often for updates and news on characters and upcoming books.
This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed
in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
SECRET SINS
Copyright © 2012 by Lora Leigh.
All rights reserved.
For information address St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010.
eISBN: 9781466807372
St. Martin’s Paperbacks edition / December 2012
St. Martin’s Paperbacks are published by St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New
York, NY 10010.
