Page 121 of A Phoenix Is Forever

“She’s struggling, but I know I can help her. Former prostitute and a single mom to the cutest boy. She’s determined to change her karma. She wants to go back to school and study nursing. I’m so lucky to have Lynda helping me. She spends more time here than back in Boston.”

“Lynda adores you and wants you to do well.”

“I got an email from Jack and Mandy this afternoon. They’re doing great in Rhode Island, and Mandy has a wonderful therapist who’s helping her get over her mom’s death.”

“That’s good…” Luca paused.

“What’s wrong?” She leaned back and looked up at his pensive face.

“I’m so lucky. So lucky I met you, Dawn.”

Dawn’s eyes filled with tears, but she didn’t care. She’d spent too many years keeping her emotions inside, and now she cried easily but laughed just as easily—and far more often.

Luca tightened his arms around her and kissed the top of her head. “You made me realize what I could do. If I hadn’t met you that day in front of the Christian Science Center, who knows what would have happened?”

“You’d still be pining over Lisa and getting tased by Sergeant Asshole?”

Luca let out a mock groan. “Oh god, that would have been torture.”

“Do you think your dad knows what Karma did with Butts?”

“If he knows, he didn’t mention it to me. Whatever she had planned for Butts was well deserved. I hear she can be very creative with her punishments.”

From the open glass doors, they could hear a cell phone buzzing.

“Is that mine or yours?”

“Who knows? Who cares?” He grinned.

“I think we might have about half an hour before we have to get to your mom’s.”

“Hmm… What do you have percolating in that smart, sexy brain of yours?”

“Oh, just that I still have to punish you for eating the last of the sausage and pepper tapas.”

“Oh yeah? What have you decided to do to me?”

“I’ll race you to the shower and you’ll find out.”

“Deal.”

They got up at the same time and ran, laughing, flinging off their clothes as they went. They ended up being late for dinner and had to listen to a lecture from Antonio, but they didn’t mind. It was worth it.

For more Ashlyn Chase check out

the Boston Dragons series

I Dream of Dragons

On sale now!