Desire Me
Elle Boon, C.C. Cartwright, Catherine Coles, Mia Epsilon, Samantha Holt, J.W. Hunter, Allyson Lindt, Kathryn Kelly, Tracey Smith
Dedication
To the best crit partner and truly the greatest lady I’ve met in this industry…Caitly O’leary. You are without a doubt the best partner in crime. Look out world, we are so going to take over. I honestly don’t think I’d be as sane “snort” as I am without your support, friendship, and endless supply of help. I can’t thank you enough for all that you’ve done for me and for all the late night, early morning, phone calls you’ve taken from this erratic gal. You are my “brain” lol. Tell your hubby thanks for sharing you with me (hehehehe). Truly, I LOVE YOU SOOO HARD <3
There are so many people I’d like to thank, beginning with my awesome beta readers Debbie Ramos, Trenda London, and Jenna Underwood. BIG HUGE thank you to Kate Richards of Wizards In Publishing, you are truly fabulous, and went above and beyond on this book for me. Y’all totally rock and without your input, and help, I’d still be at square one with this book.
Many thanks to my hubby for his unwavering support, my oldest, Jaz for being so damn awesome, and to my Goob who is still my baby even though he’s six-foot tall. Without their love and support I’d never be able to do what I love, write.
To the amazingly talented cover artist Valerie Tibbs of Tibbs Design. I love this cover sooo hard, and I know I am now marked down as “that client” with squinty eyes, I Love You.
Miami Inferno
A Wounded Temptress
Angelina Rugiero loved Lorenzo Delgado with a budding woman’s passion, until he broke her heart. Now she has the life she always dreamed of with another man, or so she thought.
A Determined Man
Lorenzo has loved Angel for years. He knew that he had to wait for her to grow up. With one thoughtless act on the night of her eighteenth birthday, he destroyed all hopes of a future, leaving him devastated….and determined to make things right.
A Love That Can’t Be Denied As Angel goes home to Miami one last time, Lorenzo realizes this is his opportunity to prove his love. Can they have the life they’d always wanted together, or will a man bent on revenge destroy their happily ever after before it begins
Chapter One
Angelina Rugiero stood at the top of the grand staircase, waiting patiently to be announced by the emcee. The exclusive country club her parents were members of was the prime location to have your big event. Her name being called through the speakers was her signal. She descended the stairs wearing a red steel-boned corset, with a short, flirty black skirt, and a pair of red stilettos. She’d never felt so sexy and beautiful. Butterflies danced in her stomach as she scanned the crowd for one man.
The ballroom was filled with familiar faces, from close friends and relatives to casual acquaintances. Instead of having a sweet sixteen, she’d opted for a new car and a shopping expedition to Italy with her mom and her best friend Gia Delgado. Tonight was her night. Angelina was ready to show a certain someone that she was all grown up, and have him notice she was a woman, not the little girl who’d played with his baby sister. At eighteen, she was a woman in her own right. She hoped he would finally see that for himself.
“You’re gorgeous.” Gia laughed.
Knowing she wouldn’t come right out and ask who the last gift was from, Angel hugged her. “You are, too.”
After dancing and laughing with many, she was anticipating the opening of gifts. Even knowing what her parents had already gotten her didn’t diminish the excitement as she opened each beautifully wrapped box. The last present on the huge table was a small square box. The distinctive Cartier insignia on the gold foil made her heart pound. Most of the gifts had been receipts for donations made on her behalf to some of her favorite charities. But this one was going to be all hers. She barely restrained herself from grabbing the gift up and ripping into it like a child after she’d spotted the name of the giver. She’d seen the way her best friend had raised her eyebrows as she’d saved it for last.