Once youâve kissed him...
The sexy, fast-living heir to a multimillion-dollar news-and-entertainment dynasty, Dion Donovan is the man every woman wants. Despite his playboy rep, Dionâs heart belongs to Lyra Anderson. Heâs never forgotten the kiss they shared... right before she left Miami for a new life in L.A. Now sheâs back, a successful photographerâand more desirable than ever. And this time, Dionâs not letting her get away.
Youâll never forget him.
Lyra will always be grateful to the family who took her in and raised her like one of their own. But itâs her childhood friend Dion whoâs haunted her for the past ten years. Working together at the Donovan magazine empire makes Lyra crave Dionâs embrace even more. She knows the pitfalls of falling for the seductive bad boy. She also knows that loving this special Donovan may be worth every risk.
âWho do you want to kiss?â he asked.
Lyra closed her eyes.
She wanted his kiss, Dionâsâthe one person who had vowed to protect her like a big brother all her life. She wanted his familiar lips on hersâthe same lips that had shared numerous fudge pops with her because they were their favorites.
âIââ She couldnât speak, couldnât tell him in words. Then again, she didnât need to. Dion and Lyra had always had a close relationship, from the moment sheâd first set foot in the Donovan house. Sheâd related to him even more so than to his mother, who had brought her home. They were always in tune with each other. Now was no different.
Dionâs hand snaked around her neck and tilted her head while he dipped his head closerâso close his breath grazed her lips.
âDo you want me to kiss you, Lyra?â
Her mind screamed no! But her body melded against his in defiance, her hands going to his biceps where her fingers dug in and held on tight. âYes,â she whispered, and then one of her many dreams about Dion came true.
As her eyes fluttered shut and fireworks exploded inside her head, Dionâs lips touched hers with a soft sweep. Then both his hands were cupping her face, pulling her closer. She stood on tiptoe to reach him as his lips slanted over hers again.
ARTIST C. ARTHUR
was born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland, where she currently resides with her husband and three children. An active imagination and a love for reading encouraged her to begin writing in high school, and she hasnât stopped since.
Determined to bring a new edge to romance, she continues to develop intriguing plots, racy characters and fresh dialogueâthus keeping readers on their toes! Visit her website at www.acarthur.net.
To the readers who continue to share how much they love the Donovans.
Dear Reader,
Itâs time to introduce a new lineup of Donovans! Yes, there are more of those dark, dangerous and delicious men, and this time weâre going to Miami to meet them.
Dion Donovan is definitely a ladyâs man, more out of habit than by choice. But thereâs one woman whoâs always had his heart. And now is the perfect time to tell herâexcept Lyra Anderson is engaged to someone else. Of course, a Donovan isnât about to let a minor glitch like that stop him. If ever youâve believed in true love, Dion and Lyra are the couple to read about. Their love has spanned years of growing pains, relationships, heartbreaks and disappointments and is now struggling to be reborn.
I so enjoyed writing about this new branch of the Donovans and introducing you to another part of the family tree. This is such a strong and loyal family with scrumptious men and the strong women who love them. I hope youâll enjoy them as much as I do.
Happy reading,
A.C.
Prologue
Miami: ten years agoâ¦
âGive me a reason why I should stay, Dion.â She looked into his eyes, which reflected a serious, intense gaze that furrowed his brow slightly.
Lyra knew that look well, had stared into those eyes more times then she could count. But today was different. She was different, and their circumstances were undeniably different. What had transpired between them after the prom a month ago had changed everything. It had been an ordinary Saturday nightâindigo sky, no stars and a warm summer-night breeze. She was talking to her best friend in the entire world after one of the worst nights of her life.
But just like the shifting tides along the stretch of beach behind what locals called the Donovan Big House, Lyraâs and Dionâs lives would forever be changed from that moment on. If Lyra were inclined toward clichés, she would say that now was her moment of truth. Since she prided herself on being a realist, she decided it was her day of reckoning instead. Dion Donovan did not love her. At least not in the way she desperately wanted him to. And that, for Lyra, was a huge problem.