Out of Control: A Novella -Stolen Hearts Series, Revised Edition

By Kate Kelly

It was supposed to be one night of passion - that turned into a crazy, unforgettable month. Until Serena McGregor finally walked away from undercover FBI agent Nick Demarco. Six months later, her elusive scent still haunting him, Nick is ready to risk his career to prove Serena is innocent of a five million dollar heist.

As an archivist, Serena likes tidy things, filed away in an orderly fashion. Too bad the only category Nick falls under is a heartache waiting to happen. He’s too much. Too passionate, too beautiful, and he definitely won’t stick around after he discovers all her secrets. But as a suspect in the robbery of the century, Serena can’t refuse his help. That’s not all she can’t refuse. Will this mismatched couple discover they have more in common than they imagine?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Kate Kelly
• Release date: Jul 15, 2012
• ISBN: 9780987803139

Kate Kelly

Kate Kelly (1950-2012) was the coauthor of two bestselling books, You Mean I’m Not Lazy, Stupid, or Crazy?! and The ADDed Dimension. An advanced practice mental health nurse with over thirty years’ experience as a family, group, and individual therapist, she was a legendary pioneer in the world of Adult ADHD and founded the ADDed Dimension Coaching Group.

Book preview

OUT OF CONTROL

Kate Kelly

Out of Control- Copyright 2012 by Kathryn J Kelly

Smashwords Edition

Revised 231012

It was supposed to be one night of passion - that turned into a crazy, unforgettable month. Until Serena McGregor finally walked away from undercover FBI agent Nick DeMarco. Six months later, her elusive scent still haunting him, Nick is ready to risk his career to prove Serena is innocent of a five million dollar heist.

As an archivist, Serena likes tidy things, filed away in an orderly fashion. Too bad the only category Nick falls under is a heartache waiting to happen. He’s too much. Too passionate, too beautiful, and he definitely won’t stick around after he discovers all her secrets. But as a suspect in the robbery of the century, Serena can’t refuse his help. That’s not all she can’t refuse. Will this mismatched couple discover they have more in common than they imagine?

License Notes

All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously.

This book is a work of fiction. With the exception of recognized historical figures, the characters in this novel are fictional. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

Chapter One

Nick DeMarco chugged half his beer and scowled at the noisy Saturday night crowd. Could he get more bored?

What’s wrong with you tonight, Nick? A leggy red-head leaned over his table, giving him an eyeful of her considerable assets.

He gulped more beer. Nothing.

Everything. Thirty-five years old, and his life had pretty much crapped out. The beer tasted bitter. His friends, who had dragged him out to their favorite watering hole, were pissing him off. And the way the gorgeous creature waiting for his attention shoved her bottom lip into a pout annoyed the shit out of him.

Think I’ll call it a night.

You have an early call?

Like most people in the bar, Marianne thought he was a male nurse, thanks to his supposed best friend, Vince Gage. They were both FBI, but Nick worked exclusively undercover. Gage had gotten creative one night after one too many drinks and informed the bar Nick was a nurse. He’d laughed large and loud about that one. Nick downed the rest of his beer. If Gage didn’t quit dragging him out for these damned skirt-chasing nights, he was going to strike him off the buddy list.

I could arrange to have it injected straight into your veins if you like. Gage’s six foot, four inch frame towered over him.

I’ll pass. Think I’ll pass on the whole scene tonight. He got to his feet. He stood a couple inches shorter than Gage, but where his friend looked every inch a cop, Nick had the bad boy look nailed. Women loved him, and up until six months ago, he’d loved them right back.

How are you, Marianne? Gage asked.

Bored. See you around guys. She wiggled her fingers in their direction and sashayed to the bar.

Gage gave him his cop look. I’m seriously worried about you.

Nick pushed his empty beer bottle away. The bar scene isn’t doing it for me anymore. I need a new hobby.

Gage laughed, but stopped when Nick didn’t join in. Jesus, you’re serious.

I’ve got to do something. Drinking myself stupid isn’t working. He pulled his vibrating phone out of his pocket as he spoke and checked the number. Dispatch from the local cop shop. His heart skipped a beat. He could think of only one reason why they’d call. Hang on a sec. I gotta take this.

He flipped his phone open as he headed out to the parking lot. DeMarco, he barked into the phone.

Nick. Ryan Crest here. A woman called in a B&E at 549 Adelaide Street. You said to contact you if that address ever came up.

Beer surged up his throat. Anyone hurt?

Don’t know. I sent a car over a half an hour ago. They’ll call in soon. You want I should call back when they do?

Nah. I’m on my way. Thanks, Ryan. I owe you a case of beer.

Any time, man.

Halfway across the parking lot he remembered he’d left Gage inside the bar. He blew out an exasperated breath and trotted back. Sometimes friends were a pain in the ass. Lately, all of the time. Wait ‘til Gage heard where he was headed. He’d blow a gasket.

Break and enter. If anyone so much as touched a hair on Serena’s head, he’d personally take care of them. He burst into the bar, located Gage slow dancing with a blond in the darkest corner and pushed his way through the crowd.

He tapped his buddy on the shoulder.

What? Gage snapped as he whirled the lady around to face Nick.

Someone called in a B&E at Serena McGregor’s. I’m going over there to check it out. Thought I’d tell you I’m leaving.

He made it as far as the door before Gage caught up to him. Did you ask Serena if she wants you there?

Nick’s shoulders twitched, and he pushed out the door into the cool night. He’d come on way too strong with Serena. Scared her. Scared him. But damn, that one month with her. At first he’d thought it was just about the sex like it always was, but six months later, and he still couldn’t get her out of his head.

I need to know she’s okay.

Gage cursed as he followed Nick to his Jeep. He glared at him through the open side window after Nick climbed in and shut the door. I haven’t had a night off in forever. I’m not going with you. If she doesn’t want you there, leave. Promise me you won’t ditch your career over this woman.

Of course I’ll leave. He adjusted the rear view mirror. I had a perfectly fine life before Serena McGregor walked into it.

Not perfectly fine. Looking back, which he’d done ad nauseam trying to figure out how his life had derailed so fast, he’d realized the parties and drinking and skirt-chasing had left him feeling empty. Then he’d met Serena. Nick glanced at his friend’s silhouette, wondering if Gage ever felt the same emptiness after a night of carousing.

In the last year, he’d started to feel as if he gave parts of himself away each time he slept with a woman. Hell, with Serena he’d given it all away, his heart, soul and sanity. He’d wanted to talk to her about what had happened, how he’d felt…displaced, but he hadn’t known how to put his feelings into words. Except to say she was different from the other women he dated. He suspected there were depths to her he may never discover.

The sex had been straight-to-the-stars-fantastic, but something else had happened. The barriers he normally kept up had evaporated. It had been just him and Serena, heart to heart, soul to soul. He didn’t understand exactly what those words meant, except he wanted do it all over again. Be with her. Inside her. Man, he had a hard-on just thinking about it.

You used to be fun. Now-- Gage shook his head and looked at the half-empty parking lot. I don’t get it. No offense, she’s a nice enough looking woman, but she’s no Marianne.

No, she wasn’t. She didn’t hang out at Big Al’s for one thing. She wasn’t anything like the ladies he usually dated, women who tended to hang on too hard for too long. Serena wouldn’t even take his calls or answer his texts. Never mind saying thank you for the flowers and gift baskets he’d sent.

It had not been a happy six months, and after all the shit his friend had put up with from him, Gage deserved an explanation-- if Nick could come up with one that made sense.

You know those bright orange lilies growing all over my mom’s front yard?

Gage grinned. Who could miss them?

"Right. That’s our party girl, Marianne. But out back of the house, in the woods, there’re these flowers that come up every spring. They’re an orchid, and you can be walking right through a batch of them and not see them. But once you do, you’re like, whoa. And then every time you go for a hike, you’re always looking for them, even though you know there’s little chance of seeing them again."

Nick cursed under his breath when Gage remained quiet. If his friend thought he was on the downslide before, he’d think he was