Reckless Night Read Free

looked and acted happy.

    But then she loved him and would never, ever complain. He knew her well enough to know that.

    Right now, she was really looking forward to having guests. She’d enjoyed decorating the dining room. It was clear in the loving care she’d taken. She found pleasure in this evening.

    So whatever it cost him in terms of peace of mind, it was worth it. His wife needed the world, or at least the tiny corner of it he felt safe to give her.

    That was when the plan sprang full blown in his head.

    The perfect gift for Grace. And he could arrange it tonight!

    The mayor and his wife were entering, smiling, looking around in awe. Smiling at Grace. Smiling at him.

    Drake walked forward to greet them, wondering if this was going to become a new style of life.

    Wondering whether he’d pay for it with his life.

    “W ell.” Grace—now Victoria—laid her hand on her husband’s shoulder after their guests had gone. Even now that she’d touched him a million times, it still thrilled her to feel him under her fingers.

    The first time she’d touched him it had been like laying her fingers against a powerful engine, an extraordinary feeling of sheer power under her fingertips, and it was still that way.

    Her husband swung his face to hers, placing his huge hand over hers. “Well.” Grace studied his face. A s usual, it gave little away.

    Her husband had learned to school his expressions in very harsh places. “Your first birthday party. What did you think? It wasn’t so bad, was it?”

    “No.” He gave out a little half puff of surprise, frowning. “No, it wasn’t.”

    “And you actually enjoyed yourself, didn’t you? I saw a couple of smiles break out. Surprised the hell out of me.” Her husband had a bleak and dark view of life and she was making it her life’s work to slowly ease some joy and light into it.

    His eyes widened, “I smiled?” She understood his surprise. Smiles were rare for him.

    “Oh yeah.” She kissed him. “Real, actual smiles. Lips upturned and everything. They made you very handsome. I saw the mayor’s wife do a double take.”

    “Now, that’s not possible, dusch—” He stopped, shook his head, corrected himself. “Darling. I’m as ugly as sin now. You saw to that.”

    She hadn’t seen to it so much as overseen it. A brilliant plastic surgeon had altered the major points on his face to avoid being detected by facial recognition software. He had a flatter nose now, a slightly different chin, his stark features a little more ordinary.

    “Absolutely not. You could never be ugly.” The smile that had been lurking broke free. “I’m so glad you had a good time, though you were so very vigilant, always.

    Were you expecting someone to pull out a gun and start shooting between the sea bream and the lemon sherbet?” It wouldn’t have surprised her husband if someone had. That much she knew. He was ready for anything. A hint of unexpected violence and her husband would react instantly.

    He shrugged. “Actually, the dinner party was delightfully gunshot-free. And everyone had a good time.”

    He still seemed a little surprised at that. Grace knew that there had been almost no social events in his previous life. A ny dinners with other people had been business, mainly with criminals and outlaws, and then only when his business partners insisted. Drake said he hated negotiating at the table.
    He’d had dinner with his lovers, but that was different.

    He’d been extremely open with her about his copious sex life before meeting her, just as he’d made it abundantly clear that that part of his life was forever over.

    “Of course they had a good time. You’re a fascinating man and—”

    “No, darling.” He kissed her forehead, looking much more sure of himself now. “They had a good time because you created such an elegant setting, the food was fabulous, and you are a charming hostess. You put everyone at ease. A wild boar would relax at a dinner