Absentee Love Returns

By Bekki Lynn

[Revised]Ready to fight, she found Rico on the front porch and walked up to him, poking his chest. “You had us brought here!” she said with her voice raised a hair below yelling. “Do you know how frightened I was? How I feared we were a pawn in a war between your father and one of his adversaries?” She backed him up against the wall of the building. “How is what you’ve done different than him?”

“Kitten, if you’d—”

“No! Men came here with guns last night. They could have killed my son.”

He grabbed her shoulders. “Gail,—”

“No! Too late. Answers should have come months ago.”

“I couldn’t.”

“That’s crap!” She poked him harder.

Rico grabbed her head and planted his mouth on hers, ignoring her struggle to get away. She didn’t want to taste him, to let him melt her anger and bring back the heat. But he made her succumb all too easily. She slipped her hands up his chest and wound her arms around his neck, letting him bring their bodies closer.

He lifted her into his arms, mumbling, “Harriet, keep an ear for my son. We have talkin’ to do.” He took her down to the beach and planted her on a rock amongst bamboo and palm trees.

“Don’t think you can waltz in here and the last twelve months disappears.”

“I don’t.” He hung his head for several seconds, and then looked up at her, fatigue lacing his eyes. “Had I known, I could have done something.”

“Would it have really mattered? Or would it have been the fact that your father staked claim over something of yours?”

He raked his fingers through his hair as he turned toward the ocean, but not before she saw the flash of pain. Once, she thought she understood him and as much of the rift between him and his father as he’d told her, but she didn’t know him as well as she thought. And no longer wanted to, she had a life to return to and a son to raise.

“Rico, I’m returning home and to my job; and give Enrico a normal life.”

• Language: English
• Publisher: Bekki Lynn
• Release date: Mar 31, 2011
• ISBN: 9781458043382

Bekki Lynn

I, Rebecca Lynn Davis, am the CEO behind authors Bekki Lynn and Rena Kalb. I live in Illinois around my growing family and friends. By growing, I mean grandchildren and many second and third cousins. I have three beautiful granddaughters and two handsome grandson. I have so much fun with them! My backyard is split into multiple sections: a play area for them, a garden and greenhouse area, two ponds and waterfall split with a bridge my husband and youngest son built for me. The west pond is my frog habitat. And to the south of ponds is small patio. Back behind the waterfall is a Toad habitat. Beyond that is our back patio and fire pit. We had to or make changes every Spring. It's our sanctuary.I began writing in high school and the need to continue never waned. Starting with poetry and what I guess would be considered fan fiction today, I moved onto romance and women's lit. In 2007 seven, I learned, due to the nature of the sexual content in my books, I was writing erotic romance. The things you learn as you grow.My first published book was A Psychic Hitch, the first in the Servin' It Up series. It was contracted thirteen months after I wrote it in December of 2006 after a grueling NANO month. Book two, Last Glass of Wine, was written in 2007 and followed book one into the published world in 2008 a couple months after book one. Book three is written and book four is in progress. In 2009, my third book 'Jewel of the Sun's BLOOD DESTINY' and a few novellas were published.Obviously, Bekki Lynn, comes from my name, but Rena came from researching my great grandmother who was Blackfoot. I was reading about a Blackfoot family and they had a daughter named Rena, very pretty. Kalb is my paternal grandmother's maiden name. I'm heavy into genealogy.Now, for a downer.There are things I would like you to know since it does affect my daily life and my writing life - mostly the blogging, Facebook time, and joining in group conversations. I worry about offending anyone or going off the wrong side of what's normal for me as I did in 2008, before I was diagnosed in 2012. I have GAD (generalized anxiety disorder - I've been told I was probably born with it), Dysthmic Disorder, ADD, Panic Disorder, Chronic Fatigue, Chronic Insomnia, Sleep Apnea, Chronic Headaches & Migraines, and PTSD along with physical ailments as a result of the treatment for Triple Negative Breast Cancer and other issues in 2011/2012. I go through periods where I shut myself off from the world and it can last a week or a month. Along with medication, I've learned to recognize the warning signs. I don't want anyone to think I'm not serious with my writing. Or worse, think I'm not interested in socializing.What am I working on right now, besides my new website? Check out my blog (which is attached to my website) for updates. I have some goodies coming your way from both Bekki and Rena.See you soon!Rebecca

Book preview

ABSENTEE LOVE RETURNS

by

BEKKI LYNN

WARNING: This book is for single owner purposes only. You may not sell or share in any manner for it would violate International Copyright laws. This law overrides any other laws or permissions individuals or companies say you have such as Adobe Reader and The Nook Proprietors. Violators will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. The only exception is the use of brief excerpts for the use of reviews and promotional use which is hereby given permission from the publisher or author.

This book contains sexually explicit content and for ADULT AUDIENCES ONLY. Please store your files away from the eyes of those under the age of eighteen.

This is a work of fiction. All characters participating in sexual acts are over the age of eighteen. Names, characters, places and incidents are solely the product of the author’s imagination and/or are used fictitiously, though reference may be made to actual historical events or existing locations. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

Published by Bekki Lynn at Smashwords

First Independent Publication Revised Edition

Original version published April 2011 with eXcessica Publishing Happy Endings Anthology

Cover Design by R L Davis

All rights reserved

Copyright 2010 Bekki Lynn

Chapter One

What the hell is he doing here? Vincenzo growled.

Gail followed his icy stare and froze. Oh my god! She felt the quivers begin from the inside of her cheeks down to her knees. Vincenzo grabbed her arm when she faltered and stepped backward to right herself.

You’re not going anywhere, he hissed next to her ear.

She watched Rico Galletti stare at the floor as he waited in line to view his mother beautifully laid out in the extravagant casket. Her heart pounded with sadness, with fear, and most of all, with anger.

When his turn came, he caressed Angelica Galletti’s salt and pepper hair and kissed both of her cheeks, tears running down his face. His grief tore at her heart and she tried to look elsewhere, but couldn’t. She knew one day he’d return, but she’d hoped for more time to forget.

Rico turned. His eyes bore down on his brother, narrowing at the corners before finding her. Shock registered in his watery eyes. Vincenzo’s fingers bit into her arm, warning her. It wasn’t necessary. Rico had made his feelings clear months earlier.

Gail averted her eyes until he passed them by. He stopped at the wheelchair parked near the first row of chairs and kneeled before Grandmother Galletti. She reached for his face, her love for him obvious in her expression. She spoke,