Cross My Heart: A S.W.A.L.K. story

By Aliyah Burke

FROM USA TODAY BESTSELLING AUTHOR ALIYAH BURKE

A S.W.A.L.K story

One night together can lead to forever...

Rash decisions had not really ever been her thing, until one night in a bar with her brothers had Cynzia Cassano irritated enough to kiss the next guy walking through the door. Little does she know that he is going change her life.

Lucas Hoch is out with his best friends when a woman that knocks his world on its axis kisses him. Unable to forget her, he follows and takes the night with her she offers. It will never be enough. She is gone when he wakes and he will scour the earth to find her again.

When their paths do cross once more, as much as he wants to keep her, she is a woman with her own strong mind and life to live. Will there be room in their lives for each other?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Totally Bound Publishing
• Release date: Feb 1, 2022
• ISBN: 9781839435713

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

Totally Bound Publishing books by Aliyah Burke

Single Books

Through The Fire

Seducing Damian

Code of Honour

A Marriage of Convenience

The Lieutenant’s Ex-Wife

A Man Like No Other

When Stars Collide

In Aeternum

Casanova in Training

Harbour of Refuge

Protected by Shadows

Polar Opposites

Theta Corps

Restitution

Contrition

Vindication

Interludes

Temporary Home

Alone With You

Till We Ain’t Strangers Anymore

The Edge

Called Home to The Edge

Straying to The Edge

Returning to The Edge

Cuffed at The Edge

The Monroe Sisters

Need You Now

Let Me Go

I Won’t Say Goodbye

Heart’s Compass

The Princess and the Marquess

Keeper of the Stars

Part One

Part Two

Part Three

Part Four

Part Five

Astral Guardians

Chasing the Storm

Highlands at Dawn

Fields of Thunder

Branded by Frost

Driven by Night

Moon of Fire

Family Forever

Don’t You Wanna Stay?

Love and Moonshine

First You Dream

What’s her Secret?

Preconception

A Little Bit Cupid

This Ain’t No Love Story

My Bloody Valentine

Perfect Duet

With Taige Crenshaw

Single Title

Unbreakable Bonds

Kemet Uncovered

Talios

Devi

Linc

Saffron

Taber

Ashia

S.W.A.L.K.

CROSS MY HEART

ALIYAH BURKE

Cross My Heart

ISBN # 978-1-83943-571-3

©Copyright Aliyah Burke 2022

Cover Art by Claire Siemaszkiewicz ©Copyright February 2022

Interior text design by Claire Siemaszkiewicz

Totally Bound Publishing

This 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 purely coincidental.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any material form, whether by printing, photocopying, scanning or otherwise without the written permission of the publisher, Totally Bound Publishing.

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The author and illustrator have asserted their respective rights under the Copyright Designs and Patents Acts 1988 (as amended) to be identified as the author of this book and illustrator of the artwork.

Published in 2022 by Totally Bound Publishing, United Kingdom.

No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the authors’ rights. Purchase only authorised copies.

Totally Bound Publishing is an imprint of Totally Entwined Group Limited.

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S.W.A.L.K

One night together can lead to forever…

Rash decisions had never really been her thing, until one night in a bar with her brothers has Cynzia Cassano irritated enough to kiss the next guy walking through the door. Little does she know that he is going to change her life.

Lucas Hoch is out with his best friends when a woman who knocks his world on its axis kisses him. Unable to forget her, he follows and takes the night with her she offers. It will never be enough. She is gone when he wakes, and he will scour the earth to find her again.

When their paths do cross once more, as much as he wants to keep her, she is a woman with her own strong mind and life to live. Will there be room in their hearts for each other?

Trademark Acknowledgements

The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of the following wordmarks mentioned in this work of fiction:

National Museum of African American History and Culture: Smithsonian Institute

Uber: Uber Technologies, Inc.

Scrunchie: Conair Corporation

LSU: Board of Supervisors of Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College

LSU Tigers: Board of Supervisors of Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College

Kachka: Kachka LLC

Ninja: Kawasaki Heavy Industries

FaceTime: Apple Inc.

Magnum, P.I.: Belisarius Productions, Inc, Glen A. Larson Productions, T.W.S. Productions, Inc., Universal Television, NBCUniversal Television Distribution

Glock: Glock Inc

John Deere: Deere & Company

Tiffany: Tiffany & Co.

Chapter One

True love stories never have endings.

– Richard Bach

Washington, D.C.

"Come on, sweetcheeks. Don’t be like that. This is your lucky night."

Cyn tucked a curl behind her ear, opening her mouth to inform this man—and that was a term she used loosely—just how wrong he was just as two men, both taller than her, appeared at her side.

The man, Jack, she recalled his name being, eyed them both up and down with challenge. She fought to hide her snort.

You know, she remarked as if his life weren’t in danger, you should probably just walk away now.

Jack puffed up and sent another scathing look at the two males beside her. These your men? You one of those broads who enjoys more than one dick at a time?

Oh, she said with a smile, these aren’t my dates. But you’ll wish they were.

He snorted. Who are they then?

My brothers.

The words barely had time to leave her mouth before her two brothers each took one of the obnoxious man’s arms and backed him away from her. Not the slightest bit polite about doing it either. Rolling her eyes, she turned back to the pool game she’d been keeping an eye on and sucked on the straw while watching the woman there set up the man she was playing against.

How do you do it, Cynzia?

One shoulder up in a shrug, she waited until the woman sank her latest shot before glancing back to her brothers. They were triplets, the three of them—she was not only the youngest but the only girl—and it tended to make her brothers a bit overprotective.

Michael, the eldest, wrapped his arm around her, and she sank into him. She was also the shortest, not having gotten the height the boys had from their father, Giovanni Cassano. She was closer to their mother’s height.

What are you doing here, Cyn? This time the question was posed by the middle brother, Dante. Why aren’t you home with Mom?

Pushing her now empty drink at her brother, she turned to be able to see them both. I’m not in diapers. I’m twenty-three, same as the two of you. I am allowed to go out to bars.

Michael growled low in his throat. And get picked up by assholes like the one we just had to chase off? You should be smarter than that.

That dig hurt and pricked her normally laid-back temper.

"One, I wasn’t getting picked up. He was hitting on me, and I was about to tell him to fuck off when you two walked over."

You didn’t tell us where you were going, Dante snapped.

"Of course I didn’t. I needed to get away from the smothering. You two are far worse than Mom and Dad, and let’s face it, between Dad and our uncles, I didn’t think anyone would be able to be worse. But you two have surpassed them with flying colors. They both grinned. She scowled. Not something to be proud of. I came here to get away from everyone."

We followed you. Michael pointed out the obvious.

He had always been so literal. A lot like their mom, Jaydee. Very blunt and took statements as they were given. He didn’t have the time or the care to try to see if there were hidden meanings in the words coming out of someone’s mouth.

Cyn flattened her lips and took several deep breaths. It wasn’t like she didn’t love her brothers. She did, and she would die for them in a heartbeat. However, she also wanted to do things without them. Like find a man and have sex. Lots and lots of it.

Why did you follow me, Michael?

You’re our sister.

His tone told her everything. He found nothing wrong with his behavior.

"I am, yes. And I love you both. But you have to stop following me everywhere. I’m capable of taking care of myself. I want to go out and not see you boys there behind me, scaring away a guy I may want to talk with."

Dante crossed his arms. Michael ran his gaze over her.

You want us away because you are looking for sex.

May the good Lord just let the floor open up and swallow her because she was mortified. Her siblings weren’t quiet, and Michael’s statement had gotten more than a few males’ attention.

She ignored the flush scampering over her face and held up her hands. Stop it. Right now, both of you. You’re trying to get me to leave, well, fine. I’m leaving. They both stepped forward, but she shook her head. "No. I’m leaving by myself. I’m going to a different bar and I don’t want to see you until morning. We’ll meet at the hotel for breakfast. We’ll talk, laugh, and I will go with you to the airport to get you on a plane to head back home and let me enjoy my trip."

You’ll be without protection, Dante protested.

I don’t need it. I grew up in the same house as you did. We have the same parents. The same uncles. All of whom taught us self-defense. Not to mention Aunt Bailey. She took a deep breath. She wasn’t a schoolgirl who was in danger. She knew how to take care of herself. "I’m leaving now. And I’ll show you I can survive by myself. I’ll even kiss a guy on my way out, and you’ll see, it will be okay."

Pushing up on her toes, she kissed Michael’s cheek then Dante’s. She walked to the door after putting her empty, which she had taken back from her brother, down on the bar. As she neared the exit, three men walked in that took her breath away. All of them were fit, and she would bet her life they were military. Having grown up in her household, it was easy to pick them out.

It was the man in the middle, though, who made her heart beat all the faster. Darkly tanned skin, short black hair and a body she would love to touch. He turned toward her as he looked around the establishment and his lips quirked up in the left corner of his mouth. Those blue eyes mesmerized her, and she nearly tripped over her own feet.

Standing before him, before she could talk her