"I'm fine. She-she confirmed what we'd already guessed. Somehow, she found out about what Darryl did. She was making plans to leave." Her voice faded. Emotion tightened her throat and burned behind her eyes.

Riley's arms came around her, dragging her against him. Burying her face in his shirt, she cried big quiet tears.

"I-I thought I'd cried myself out, but look at me, sobbing all over you again."

His arm tightened around her. "You can cry on my shirt any day. Or night," he added.

A tiny smile tugged at her lips. She was grateful for his attempt at levity. The contents of her mother's letter clarified what they already knew, but to see it written in plain black and white made it somehow more real and more final.

She could only imagine what her mother had gone through after making the horrendous discovery. The shock, the anger, the pain, the self-reproach.

Kate didn't blame her in the slightest for what had happened. Her mother had lived downstairs. She'd never been off the ground floor the entire time she'd lived there. She couldn't possibly have known what had gone on above her head under the cover of darkness.

Kate shuddered. Riley bent his head and kissed her hair and she breathed a sigh of grat.i.tude. She'd left that dark place behind her over a decade ago and would never let it define her again. With Riley by her side, she would continue to keep the blackness at bay.

Lifting her head, she offered him a shaky smile and swiped at the tears that lingered in her eyes. He pulled out a clean handkerchief and offered it to her.

"Thank you." She dabbed at her eyes and swiped at her nose. "I'm all right."

"I know you are. I've told you this before and I'll tell you whenever I think you've stopped believing it. You're the bravest, strongest woman I know. You've walked away from the h.e.l.l you were dealt and turned your life into something anyone would be proud of." He stared into her eyes, his gaze bright with emotion. "I'm proud of you and you should be, too."

She tilted her head and waited with antic.i.p.ation for his mouth to descend upon hers.

EPILOGUE.

Six weeks later Kate spied her husband across the other side of her crowded art gallery and her heart leaped with joy. Looking deliciously gorgeous in his black-on-black Armani suit, he moved with confidence and ease among the rich and famous clients who had come to pay homage to her exhibition. She'd delayed the opening by nearly two months, but the wait seemed to have only whetted the appet.i.te of her buyers. Even the English weather had favored her.

She'd sold all but one piece-an exquisite sculpture in bronze and alloy. The figure of a woman cradling a baby in her arms. The curve of her body was both strong and feminine as she protected the child from the world. Kate had fallen in love with it the moment she'd seen it.

Making her way through the throng of people, she smiled when Riley looked up and saw her coming toward him. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Mary glide over to the sculpture. Her a.s.sistant placed a "sold" sticker on its base. A pang of regret went through her and she brushed it away. She was an art dealer-she bought art and sold it. It was as simple as that.

She reached Riley and threaded her arm through his, her heart taking flight at the look of love and devotion that glistened in his eyes.

"Have I told you how beautiful you look tonight?" he murmured, his lips close to her ear.

She shivered from the contact and laid her hand on his chest. She stroked the fabric of his expensive shirt, basking in the warmth and strength of him.

"I'm sure you have, but I never get tired of hearing it," she smiled.

He bent his head and kissed her. It was soft and lingering and sent fire through her veins.

"How long before we can get out of here?" he murmured against her lips.

"Um...I've finished with all the formalities and I think we just sold the last piece, so...anytime you like. The show's over."

His eyes flared with emotion. His arm drew her close. His erection pressed through the thin silk of her evening gown, hard and insistent, fueling the heat inside her. Desire surged low in her belly and centered in her core.

She gently disentangled herself and clapped her hands to draw the crowd's attention.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I'd like to thank you all for coming and supporting this event. I am truly grateful. The bad news is this is the last gallery show; I'm relocating with my husband back to Australia."

A murmur of disappointment went around the room. Kate smiled. "The good news is, I'll be leaving the gallery in the very capable hands of my senior a.s.sistant, Mary Costas and within the next few months, I hope to have opened a sister gallery in Australia."

A polite applause followed her announcement. "Before you get too carried away," she continued, "I have another announcement: Thanks to all of you, we've sold every last item on exhibition this evening. I'm delighted to say we've raised over one million dollars for Rosemary's Foundation for Women and Children."

The crowd erupted into loud, spontaneous applause. Riley grinned and kissed her again.

"Congratulations, sweetheart. That's truly wonderful."

"Thank you. I couldn't have done it without your support and encouragement." Her voice hitched. "I-I hope Mom's proud."

"She's as proud as I am. I know she is."

Relief and happiness and overwhelming love surged through her. Mindless of the people around them, Kate threw her arms around him and kissed him thoroughly. They were both short of breath when she finally pulled away.

"Let's get out of here," Riley muttered, his voice husky with need.

"Mm... You read my mind."

Less than an hour later, with the clock just shy of midnight, Kate kicked off her four-inch heels in the bedroom of her tenth-floor apartment and sighed. Riley came up behind her and ma.s.saged the tired muscles in her shoulders.

"You worked hard tonight. And to think you raised a million dollars? You're amazing."

He bent his head and nuzzled her neck. She groaned and tilted her head to the side, to give him better access.

"Mm, that feels so good," she murmured. "It's been a hectic couple of weeks. I'm so grateful for Mary and Genevieve," she added, referring to her a.s.sistants. "They were the ones who were amazing. What with Mom and everything else that happened in Australia, I'd have never have managed to pull something like this together without their help."

Riley nibbled at the soft skin behind her ear. "You're right," he said. "Mary especially deserves the healthy pay packet you offered her."

Kate frowned a little, wondering why he'd singled the girl out. Mary was a G.o.dsend, but Genevieve had worked equally hard to make the night happen.

Without a word, he set Kate away from him and strode to his side of her super king bed. Bending low, he collected a package off the floor. "I had Mary wrap a little gift for you and arranged to have it delivered."

Kate stared curiously at the parcel in Riley's hands. The embossed forest-green and gold paper carried the logo of her gallery. He closed the distance between them and offered it to her.

"For you," he said simply. "With all my love."

Kate's heart thumped. Her fingers were less than steady when she untied the green ribbon that secured the wrapping paper. Smoothing it back, she revealed the bronze and alloy statue she'd admired earlier.

She gasped in surprise. Her gaze flew to his. "Oh, Riley, it's-it's beautiful. I-I don't know what to say." She swallowed the lump in her throat.

Riley smiled softly, his eyes full of love. "You've already said everything I need to hear. I love you, Mrs Munro, with all that I am."

Kate carefully set the package aside and threw her arms around him. With renewed hunger, she pressed her lips to his. Riley kissed her back, cradling her head and angling his lips to consume her with a pa.s.sion that matched hers. His shirt and pants and Kate's Valentino dress were discarded in quick succession. Their underwear quickly followed.

Riley bent and picked her up and deposited her gently on the bed. Moments later, he joined her and Kate relished the feel of his hard, muscular body sliding against hers.

She threaded her arms around his neck and opened her mouth under his. His tongue glided across her lips, tasting, probing and finally thrusting inside. She groaned and moved against him, desire burning low in her belly.

He broke away and kissed his way down her neck, teasing the sensitive flesh beneath her ear until she shivered from the contact. He continued lower, his lips moving over the soft peaks of her b.r.e.a.s.t.s. She gasped when his mouth closed over her nipple, his tongue sweeping over the little nub until it stood hard.

Just when she thought she couldn't stand that another minute, he turned his attention to her other breast and she suffered the beautiful torment all over again.

Wanting to give as much pleasure as she was receiving, Kate slid out from underneath him and pushed him back against the mattress. Surprise and delight glittered in his eyes and a slow, s.e.xy smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.

She sat back on her haunches and looked at him. Really looked at him. His skin was golden, smooth and exotic. She ran her fingers lightly over the strong planes of his chest, loving the feel of him.

She moved her hand lower and his stomach muscles contracted under her touch. She smiled, once again luxuriating in her power over him. His erection lay thick and hard against the cushion of his groin, beckoning her.

Giving into the temptation, she fitted her hand around his c.o.c.k and stroked him. He groaned and the sound only fueled the flames of her desire.

"What you're doing..." he rasped. "It feels so good. Please, don't stop."

She flushed from pleasure, still getting used to the idea of being able to please him. With her hand around his shaft, she bent low and opened her mouth. He groaned again, his eyes closed, his head thrown back against the pillows. She used her tongue to lick the side of his shaft and swipe at the moisture beading the tip, all the while stroking him with her hand.

"You're driving me crazy," he muttered, clenching his hands at his side.

"I'm glad," she murmured, knowing it was true. She wanted to drive him crazy, to have him forget every woman he'd ever been with, to want no one but her. She sucked him into her mouth, harder and faster, in time with the rhythm of her hand.

"Christ, if you don't stop now, I'm going to come."

Satisfaction surged through her and she smiled. "Come, then."

"No." The word was wrenched from him on another groan. Before she realized what was happening, he sat up and reached for her, flipping her over onto her back in one smooth movement.

"Riley!" she gasped as his lips found hers again.

"We're coming together."

Working his mouth over her nipples, he raised them once again into tight, little nubs. Satisfied, he moved lower, kissing his way down her stomach until his face was buried between her legs. Breathing in deeply, he flicked his tongue over her throbbing c.l.i.t. When she gasped and grabbed for his hair he made a wholly masculine sound of satisfaction.

"Two can play at this game," he murmured, lifting his head to offer her a smile full of wickedness.

Not giving her time to respond, he licked his way into the core of her, moistening the way with his tongue. Heat burned between her legs and she gasped again when he slid a finger inside her. Moving it in and out in perfect imitation of her earlier rhythm, she clung to the bedclothes and prayed she could withstand the sensual onslaught.

He rose above her and pressed his c.o.c.k against her. She welcomed the feel of it in silent relief. Lifting her hips, she met his thrust and groaned as he entered her, filling her, stretching her, fanning the flames of her need to a fever pitch.

"Christ, you feel so good." He moved inside her, his face taut with desire.

She matched his rhythm, her legs wrapped around his hips, urging him closer. Her climax was building, increasing with every urgent thrust of his hips. She clung to him, making mindless murmurs of need as she reached the pinnacle and toppled over the other side.

"Ohhh!" she gasped, her muscles clenching around him. At the same time, Riley's body tensed and he spent himself inside her. With a groan, he collapsed on top of her.

Long moments later, he propped himself up on his elbows and looked down at her. "I love you."

Her heart swelled. "I love you, too."

Their lips met in a kiss that was both sweet and poignant and tender and offered a lifetime of promise.

Kate clung to the feeling and swallowed the lump that had lodged itself in her throat. Reaching up, she pulled his head down to hers and kissed him again. Digging deep for her courage, she asked him the question she'd been dreading.

"Does it matter? What Darryl did to me?" She held her breath, waiting for his answer.

"Of course it matters."

Her stomach dropped and she tried to pull out of his arms. He refused to let her go.

"But not in the way you think." His eyes burned into hers, dark and somber. "I don't think I'll ever get over the sheer anger that consumes me every time I think about what he did to you, but then I look at you and it doesn't matter, because you've won. You didn't let what he did defeat you. With your help, the police laid enough charges on him and Hannaford to keep them battling the court system for years to come. If they're found guilty, and with the evidence we have against them, there's no reason they won't, both of them will be spending many years at Her Majesty's pleasure."

His eyes filled with emotion and his voice cracked as he added, "I love you so much."

Tears p.r.i.c.ked her eyes. Riley took her chin in his fingers and tilted her head upwards. "Don't cry, sweetheart. Please, don't cry. Just tell me you love me, too."

She hiccupped somewhere between a sob and a laugh and threw her arms around his neck. "Yes, oh, yes. I love you, too. I'll never get tired of saying it."

A grin turned up the corner of his lips. "Does that mean you're adjusting to the idea of leaving London and starting our life together as the wife of Watervale's newest Local Area Commander?"

Her eyes opened wide in surprise. "Y-you mean you got it? You got the job?"

Riley's grin widened. He nodded. "Yep, someone off the interview panel called this afternoon."

"Why didn't you tell me?" she exclaimed, joy and happiness spreading through her that her husband, the love her life, had found recognition at last.

"Tonight was all about you and your mom, sweetheart. I didn't want to spoil it."

His lips found hers, warm, loving, insistent. She opened her mouth to him, reveling in the sensations he stirred up deep inside her. There was no longer fear or disgust or panic or pain. There was no Darryl, no Hannaford, no past.

There was only Riley.

And their future.

NOTE TO READERS.

I do hope you have enjoyed reading Riley and Kate's story. The issue of racial prejudice affects all of us and I loved how Riley dealt with it, I also loved how Riley's mixed heritage didn't matter to Kate-that she loved him for who he was. It would be nice to think we could all embrace her att.i.tude and make the world a nicer place to live.

In Book Three of the Munro Family Series, you will meet another Munro brother. The Predator is Brandon Munro's story and yes, he's every bit as gorgeous as his brothers. Here's a sneak peek: Everything comes at a price...