The Right to Love: Red Willows, #6

By Aliyah Burke

Reunited with the woman he's never stopped loving, he longs to convince her to move beyond their past and seek out a future, a future with him.

Carmine "Jesse" Mason loved being a cop and that love cost him the woman of his dreams. Tiffie wouldn't marry a man wearing a badge. Eight years after she'd left him, he still misses her, still loves her. When he spies her at the precinct all the old emotions rush to the forefront. This time, he's not willing to let her go.

Tiffany "Tiffie" Carver has returned to the city she'd left after the man who owns her heart asked her to be his wife. Despite her feelings for him she'd been unable to marry the man behind the badge, and with her refusal she vanished. A twist of fate brings her home and subsequently back to Jesse. He is there making her face past decisions and tempting her with a future beyond her wildest dreams, a future together.

This is part of the Red Willows series.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Sensual Romance Publishing
• Release date: Mar 9, 2020
• ISBN: 9781393068129

Aliyah Burke

USA Today bestselling author Aliyah Burke is an avid reader and is never far from pen and paper (or the computer). She is happily married to a career military man. They are owned by six Borzoi. She spends her days at the day job, writing, and working with her dogs.

Book preview

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The Right to Love

Copyright © 2011 Aliyah Burke 1st Edition

Copyright © 2020 Aliyah Burke 2nd Edition

Cover Art Copyright © Cover by K

Publishing logo copyright © MMJ Designs

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by an information storage and retrieval system-except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review to be printed in a magazine, newspaper, or on the Web-without permission in writing from the publisher or author. The unauthorized replication or allocation of any copyrighted work is illegal. File sharing is an international crime, prosecuted by the United States Department of Justice and the United States Border Patrol, Division of Cyber Crimes, in partnership with Interpol. Copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is punishable by up to five years in federal prison, a fine of $250,000 per reported instance, and seizure of computers.

This book is a work of fiction. All characters, places and events are from the author’s imagination and should not be confused with fact. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, events or places is coincidental. All trademarks, service marks, registered trademarks, and registered service marks are the property of their respective owners and are used herein for identification purposes only. 

Published by: Sensual Romance Publishing

The Right to Love

By

Aliyah Burke

Blurb for The Right to Love

Reunited with the woman he’s never stopped loving, he longs to convince her to move beyond their past and seek out a future, a future with him.

Carmine Jesse Mason loved being a cop and that love cost him the woman of his dreams. Tiffie wouldn’t marry a man wearing a badge. Eight years after she’d left him, he still misses her, still loves her. When he spies her at the precinct all the old emotions rush to the forefront. This time, he’s not willing to let her go.

Tiffany Tiffie Carver has returned to the city she’d left after the man who owns her heart asked her to be his wife. Despite her feelings for him she’d been unable to marry the man behind the badge, and with her refusal she vanished. A twist of fate brings her home and subsequently back to Jesse. He is there making her face past decisions and tempting her with a future beyond her wildest dreams, a future together.

Dedication

Thank you to everyone who has supported me. I cannot begin to say it enough but thank you.

To DH, as always, you are my rock. Love you.

To the men and women of the Armed Forces, for your sacrifices are enormous and those who haven’t lived the life cannot begin to fathom what you go through. I thank you and will never forget what you have given me.

Table of Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

About the Author

Additional Books by Aliyah Burke

Chapter One

Officer Carmine ‘Jesse’ Mason Jr. hurried through his Taos precinct, a trail of water following behind in his wake. He had about forty-five minutes before the end of his shift and had returned to handle the paperwork. Shrugging out of his wet jacket, he plunked down at his battered gray metal desk. His cover sat upside-down, balanced over the trash can he used to catch the water pooling in it rather than creating a puddle on the floor.  Outside the building, thunder rolled, and lightning cracked.

What a crappy night, he muttered, all the while wishing he’d grabbed a cup of java before sitting down.

Could be worse, Shelia Fanning, a fellow officer, said as she drifted by. You could be the captain.

He lifted a brow. What’s going on with the captain?

Some civilian came into the precinct and has been in his office lighting into him.

About what? he asked.

They had, on occasion, gotten a disgruntled family member, but for the most part, not many of those. He thought over the past cases and couldn’t put his finger on any victims or family members that were pissed enough to take on the captain. Except for one woman.

Is it Mrs. Gutierrez? No matter what they did, this woman wasn’t happy and had no qualms about informing their captain of that.

Shelia shook her head. No. I thought so at first, too, but it’s not. A woman I’ve never seen before. All I know is whoever she is, she is not a happy woman.

Intrigued, he looked toward the closed door of his captain’s office. The shades were lowered, too, so he couldn’t see who it was. Just then the door jerked open, and a woman stepped into view. He frowned and ran his gaze over her. A bell of familiarity rang within him, opening doors long past closed and sealed.

Turn around, he thought. Let me see your face. Look at me.

She didn’t. The dark blue jeans she wore showcased a nice bubble butt and long legs. A gray sweatshirt hid her upper body. He wanted to see her face.

I don’t like your tone, Ms. Carver. The captain’s voice reverberated through the squad room. Bit by bit the area fell silent, all eyes honing in the two.

"Heed my words, Captain Kipfer, if I ever see one of your officer’s in my hospital withholding meds from a patient, I won’t only have their badges but your stars as well. Don’t fuck with me on this. I don’t cotton to that kind of intimidation with people."

Carmine froze to his seat. Her voice, while pitched high with anger, rang familiar. When his captain had said Ms. Carver, his heart had faltered a bit, but he shook it off. There had to be many Carvers in the world. Then she spoke, and his gut felt like it did his first stint as a rookie. All knots and unease, rolling and heaving.

It can’t be.

She spun around, and his heart leapt up to his throat. It didn’t matter that eight years had passed. He knew her like the back of his own hand. Yes, she’d changed a bit, but she was still the same. Tiffany Carver.

He skimmed her and swallowed hard. She looked so beautiful it hurt him deep inside. He’d never dreamed it could be so painful to see her again. Tiffie had amazing curves, and his hands itched to touch hers again.

Not even the sweatshirt could hide her full breasts. Her smooth milk cocoa skin always smelled like