Delgano: The Intro - Page 106

“Hi, Curtis!” Ari greeted, waving.

“Kia ora, Arihi.” He smiled. “By the way, Hunter, who was that you sent me to extract?”

“A girl who needs our help more than she knows,” Julien said. “Plus, she’s been sending me classified information. At this point, she’s priceless. Why?”

“What’s her name?”

“She confirmed it was Sayeda after I found that document about the rumored baby. Why, Curtis?”

“How old is she?”

“Twenty-two. I won’t stop asking. Why?”

“She looks just like Ayesha.”

“When you say ‘looks like,’ what do you mean?”

“If it wasn’t for the two-year age difference, I would swear they were twins.” Curtis ran a hand over his hair. “Maybe they share an ancestor somewhere down the line, but it’s too close, Julien. I even called her Eesh.”

“Didn’t Eesh’s father confess on his deathbed that he had another kid?” Ari asked.

“Yeah, but he never said her name,” Curtis said. “Only that it was a girl, that he loved them both, and that he was sorry he kept it from Ayesha. Can you imagine those being the last words someone leaves you? ‘I love you, and I’m sorry’?”

EPILOGUE

Spring 2017

Lahaina, Maui

Kapalua Bay Resort & Spa

Logically, it should have hurt to know that as she lay there with him, their fingers joined and her cheek on his bare chest, she was thinking about her late husband. However, the only thing he cared about was that she was there with him.

“It’s called Graziella,” Adrían said. “Ever read it?”

Ayesha looked up at him, and nearly every single time he looked into those eyes, he momentarily stopped breathing. They made him want to wrap his arms around her, relishing in the touch of a stolen past.

From day one, he’d known that he would never be able to harm this woman, especially after learning she had two boys, one who was still an infant. Then, he’d taken the time to get to know her, not expecting much.

At least, not expecting this.

And it wasn’t just who she was, although he liked who she was more than enough to want her as badly as he did. Being around her, being with her, felt like a second chance to do something right for the first time.

“No, never,” she replied. “What’s it about?”

“It’s written by Alphonse de Lamartine. It’s about a couple who are very different—their backgrounds, their culture. They fall in love, but they keep their love a secret. Still, even though it’s a secret, it’s real love.”

“Is there a happy ending?”

“Not exactly.”

“What made you think of Graziella?”

He looked from one eye to the next. “No reason.”

Their lips brushed twice, sending a series of jolts through every part of his body. Making love to the target of his latest assignment had been the furthest thing from his mind prior to meeting her. Now, he wasn’t sure a day could go by where he didn’t.

“Is this okay?” She kissed the flag etched in green, blue, and yellow ink just beneath his collarbone. “I know it hasn’t been that long since your last relationship. I don’t want to do anything that’ll make you uncomfortable.”