Shades of Passion - By Virna DePaul Page 0,119

him no longer bothered him the way it once had. He wasn’t trained as Nina had been trained. And, frankly, he wasn’t as naturally nurturing or compassionate as she was, either. Their professional beliefs didn’t mean they couldn’t sustain a fulfilling personal relationship. But would she agree with him?

“No, I’m not,” she said quietly, surprising him. “I don’t think Archer is like Davenport. Not given what I know right now.”

“What do you mean?”

“Something you just said. If we can believe McGrogen, Archer told him that Lana was his. I haven’t heard anything about Archer crying with grief or saying how much he loved and missed his daughter. Instead, he seems to have taken the police’s alleged failure to save Lana as a personal affront to him. If that’s what he believes and what’s motivating him, he, like McGrogen and unlike Davenport, is most likely a sociopath. I suspect it’s true given how well he’s been able to hide his darker side, and given how complicated and symbolic the nature of his crimes were.”

“You going to follow-up on that theory? On whether he’s a sociopath or not?”

“Not unless there’s an important reason to. Honestly, I want nothing more to do with the man. But I assume his defense attorneys will hire a reputable mental health expert to advocate for him should he go to trial.”

“I’m sure you’re right,” he said. Was he right about their ability to sustain a long-term relationship, he thought? God, he hoped so, but he was unsure how to present his thoughts to Nina.

“What is it? You’re not buying into what he told McGrogen, are you? That you were to blame for Lana’s death?”

He shook his head. “No. I mean, that’s where my mind goes sometimes. Because like you with your sister, I wish I had been able to save Lana. But I suspect you’d say that just proves I’m human.”

“I’m glad you see that. So, what’s next? You going to start on another case right away?”

* * *

SIMON PURSED HIS LIPS as if contemplating his next move, then shook his head. “Actually, Commander Stevens has been after me to take some time off for a while and I think I’m finally going to take him up on it. Maybe go to the beach again, but this time for an extended stay.”

“That’s wonderful. Are you planning on doing anything special?”

“Well, I’m hoping to do something special...and do someone special...if she’ll have me.” He watched her closely, sensing that she’d caught his meaning when she blushed and fought to hide a smile.

“I can’t imagine any sane woman turning you down. I know—I know I wouldn’t,” she whispered.

“No? Because it won’t be all fun in the sack. I still have to decide if I even want a management role anymore. But I have a very personal mission to complete, too.”

“What’s that?”

“Ask a lot of questions. Get a lot of answers. About what makes this woman tick. What she dreams about. What makes her happy and sad. But mostly what makes her happy.”

“You make me happy,” she said, and he knew she’d just taken a huge risk. That they were both taking one. At least, it felt that way.

“Then we’re going to make a great pair,” he said. “Because I find there’s very little I like more than to make you happy. Still...”

“What is it?”

“I can’t help but be worried,” Simon confessed. “Our entire relationship so far has been based on working together, debating your job or at least certain aspects of it, or helping you forget what’s going on through sex. That’s no foundation for a long-term commitment.”

“You don’t think so?” Nina challenged. “Because whatever the foundation of our relationship consists of, it feels like a pretty strong one to me. A good one. Good enough that I’m feeling strong enough to conquer some of my fears. Good enough that I’m thinking I can work with my geriatric patients, and do other things, too—like help Karen with the MHIT training and maybe do some crisis counseling on the side.”

“It does, huh?” He grinned, elated that she was finding the courage to again explore the career options she’d once loved. Elated that maybe part of the reason she felt stronger was because of him. “Maybe you just need to remind me exactly how good it feels? And keep reminding me every...well, let’s see...every decade or so?”

“That would be my absolute pleasure.”

He cupped her face and grinned. “Mine, too. I love you, Doc.”

“And I love you, Simon.”

“That’s not just your desire for me talking, is it? Because while that would be perfectly understandable, I find I want you to speak with your heart, too.”

“It was never just the sex talking. Being with you was never just about distraction, either. Even so, saying I love you during sex? That felt pretty fabulous the one time I let myself do it. Wanna give it a shot?”

“Just try to stop me.” He kissed her, then murmured against her lips, “On second thought...”

She laughed, pulled him closer, and together they basked in the words they each repeated again and again that night.

Words of healing. Words of respect.

Words of love.

* * * * *

We hope you enjoyed this Harlequin ebook. Connect with us for info on our new releases, access to exclusive offers, free online reads and much more!

Subscribe to our newsletter: Harlequin.com/newsletters

Visit Harlequin.com

We like you—why not like us on Facebook: Facebook.com/HarlequinBooks

Read our blog for all the latest news on our authors and books: HarlequinBlog.com

ISBN: 9781460309803

All rights reserved. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of publisher, Harlequin Enterprises Limited, 225 Duncan Mill Road, Don Mills, Ontario, Canada M3B 3K9.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental. This edition published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.

® and ™ are trademarks of the publisher. Trademarks indicated with ® are registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office, the Canadian Trade Marks Office and in other countries.

www.Harlequin.com

Table of Contents

Prologue

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-Two

Chapter Twenty-Three

Chapter Twenty-Four

Chapter Twenty-Five

Chapter Twenty-Six

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Chapter Thirty

Chapter Thirty-One

Chapter Thirty-Two

Chapter Thirty-Three

Chapter Thirty-Four

Chapter Thirty-Five