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2024-10-29 19:42:56Frowning, Caitlyn powered her phone off, then tucked it back into her shoulder bag and zipped it closed moodily. “I don’t understand what’s wrong with that thing.”
“We’ll use mine.” Reaching into his breast pocket, Duke pulled out his phone, then unlocked the touchscreen and handed it to her. “Do you have an international plan?”
Without a second thought, Caitlyn accepted it from him, immediately ducking her head and accessing an internet browser. “Of course, I do, but obviously something’s not set up right. I’m not sure how I can fix it either when I can’t get service to call or message them.”
Reaching out, he wrapped a large hand around her upper arm, pulling her out of the press of people traffic and into the protective shelter of his hulking frame. “You can use mine when we get back to the hotel.” Not that it would make any difference. It would be after call hours and Duke had no intention of letting her out of his sight even if she did have phone service,
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Italy With A Duke Relaxing
Caitlyn yielded, her entire body turning to mush as his tongue delved inside her mouth, fluttering over hers. Feeling her concession, Duke deepened the kiss, and was soon plundering the sweetness there aggressively, as if he could never get enough. Maybe he couldn’t. Though she trembled in his tightening arms, she was anything but cold. After so long alone, so long lost, his touch felt like the first of spring’s thaw, breaking the back of a harsh, endless winter. She closed her eyes, arching her neck, silently begging for everything his talented mouth would give. Taking as he wanted, Duke fed hungrily there, and she let him. She savored his answering desire, her fingers knotting into the soft cotton of his t-shirt then releasing in an unconscious come hither, flattening again over the solid wall of muscle beneath them. Leaning harder into him, she tentatively brushed her tongue past his, raking it along the edge of his front teeth. He stiffened as the
Italy With A Duke Exactly As Much of a Gentleman
“We should get gelato,” Duke stated as they emerged from the restaurant. The sun had shifted noticeably, but in the alleyway sandwiched between two multi-storied buildings as they were, that was as much information as he could glean with a quick scan of their environment. He glanced down at his watch. Pivoting, Caitlyn stopped a few steps away from him. “Gelato!? We just finished a three-course meal with appetizers and a bunch of wine! You can’t possibly be hungry!” He flashed her one of his beaming smiles. “Oh, I could,” he assured her, his grin growing broader as the implication of his words and the way his green eyes roved her body drew yet another of her fetching blushes. “Come on, darlin’. We’re in Italy!” He turned around once in place, his arms open. “When in Italy, you eat gelato. Besides, our meal took almost three hours. In my world, that’s time for a snack.” She snorted, shaking her head in astonishment. “I’ve no idea where you put it all.”
Italy With A Duke More than Happenstance
“How the hell am I supposed to know where she is, Rachel?” Dex shouted into his phone, frustrated and frankly scared beyond his capacity to stand any longer. “After what happened on the plane, it’s not like I can follow her! And I sure as hell can’t leave her a message.” “Why not?” “For pity’s sake, he’s weaseled himself into her room now!” At the other end of the line, Rachel froze, rooted to her spot as she paced her bedroom in the wee hours of the morning. “Wait—what happened on the plane?” “He happened.” Wiping a frustrated palm over his countenance, he continued. “That fake Duke? He’s the one who stole my seat next to her. As it happened, my new seat was still close, and since my entire reason for being on that damn flight was otherwise occupied, I had time to observe him. He’s good, Rachel. Damn good. He knows shit about her—personal shit even we didn’t know. I’m telling you, whatever is happening here, it’s bigger than us. It’s not something I
Italy With A Duke Temptation
Duke wasn’t certain what it was that he’d said that afternoon that had upset Caitlyn, but he was smart enough to know that he didn’t want it to happen again. Focusing his attention on her, he pulled out the stops on his best west-Texan charms and concentrated on showing her a good time. In the end, it was nothing that he did that distracted her. Well, aside from making the suggestion to tour the Doge’s Palace on St. Mark’s Square. As their boat pulled away from the dock that evening, carrying them towards the rendezvous point for their tour at their bus, he took a seat next to her and casually but deliberately rested his arm behind her shoulders. “What kind did you get this time?” he asked, nodding towards the meager little cup of gelato in her hand. “Apricot.” Caitlyn dug the tiny plastic spoon into the cold creamy treat and scooped some out, obediently depositing it in his opened mouth like a mother bird. “I was going to get lemon, but that woman in line be
Italy With A Duke Cravings
Knowing she needed time to think—more time than was feasible in the hotel’s crowded restaurant—Caitlyn excused herself to shower when she and Duke returned to their room. He’d taken his shower before their meal, inviting her to join him with his most devilish smile and one lifted brow. It hadn’t been the only thing sticking up, she’d noticed. Even though she’d tried not to look. Compared to the American hotel rooms she was used to, the room she and Duke were sharing seemed positively Spartan. The only furniture in it was the two twin-sized beds, separated by scarcely a foot of space on any side, and a hanging mirror attached to one wall. Obnoxiously bright recessed ceiling lamps provided the only lighting, and there wasn’t even an option to dim them. They were either on or off as a whole, and once off, plunged the room into pitch-blackness. The bathroom though was quite nice. Spacious enough for both a toilet and bidet, with a large bowl-like sink to one side
Italy With A Duke Irresistible
When Dr. Alexander Maddox was diagnosed with a stage-four, inoperable brain tumor less than six months after a one-hundred percent normal annual physical, he’d wasted no time in contacting the US government. The man hadn’t been stupid, even if he had been secretive. He’d known immediately that the quiet but substantial grant that funded both his public research—the work he did in parallel with his brilliant but oblivious wife—and the private, top secret work he did for the US military was the reason. The pair had been under surveillance for years, of course. In fact, Duke’s bureau had provided the undercover waitstaff for the couple’s intimate and private wedding reception, and a team had kept track of them at a distance from the moment they’d married. Originally, there’d been two agents—one tailing Caitlyn, the other on Alex—but when the couple had wed, the staffing had been increased to four on rotating schedules. One each to guard them during the workday at their
Italy With A Duke Questions
“Here you go, darlin’. Try this one.” Duke set a glass of freshly-squeezed juice from the bar beside her breakfast plate. Like usual, Caitlyn startled, looking up from his phone as he returned to his seat beside her in the hotel’s restaurant. The place was packed—every table full—and noisy, the same for the rest of the hotel. So, the members of their travel tour who’d agreed to share rooms upon their arrival were still sharing rooms on their last day in Venice. After the initial shock of it, she didn’t mind. Duke was neat and tidy to a fault, but infinitely tolerant and even amused by the general shambles that occurred in her wake. They made a good team, wandering the postcard-perfect streets of the floating city, with its crisscrossing canals, museums and galleries and public squares. He followed gamely with her leading using his phone and him constantly looking out for her. No matter what it was that she suggested they do, he always went along without compl
Italy With A Duke Blue-eyed Stranger
Thrilled with his response, Caitlyn beamed. And equally as abruptly, her delight morphed into awkwardness. Suddenly, she didn’t know what she wanted to know about him. All of it—everything—but she couldn’t think of a single specific question to ask. Breaking the ice had been Alex’s forte. It wasn’t something she knew how to do. Her thoughts quickly derailed as, near the center of the room, their tour director stood, clanging a metal spoon against a ringing glass. “Excuse me, please. Excuse the interruption, please.” She lowered her voice as the conversation in the room faded and attention turned to her. “If you are a member of my tour—a member of Caroline’s tour—would you please meet me in the hotel’s lobby in fifteen minutes?” “What’da’ya suppose that’s about?” Duke whispered. Beside him, Caitlyn only shrugged. “There’s been a change of plans since our discussion after dinner last evening and I need to update the entire party,” Caroline conti
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Italy With A Duke Afterwards
Tucking the thin parcel under his arm to hold it, Duke pressed his thumb against the biometric security lock at the lab door, then entered his security code. When the door released, he pulled it open, then closed behind him. He stopped in the entry room, juggling Caitlyn’s package between hands to don his long, white lab coat and a pair of safety glasses. “Hey Paula.” He gave his wife’s lab worker a polite smile and nod as he passed through the wet lab between the aquarium racks teeming with zebra fish. “Hi Duke. She’s in at the microscope.” “Thanks.” On the opposite side of the room, he passed through another door into the main laboratory space, a generous work area with water-resistant flooring, provisions for tissue cultures, microscopy, cell cultures and chemical prep rooms outfitted with biological safety cabinets. Immediately, he spotted his wife. As he’d been advised, Caitlyn was seated at one of the sturdy laboratory tables before a microscope
Italy With A Duke Rock and a Hard Place
Turning the knob slowly, Duke eased the latch free and peered around the door into the bedroom of his suite with Caitlyn. Piercing green eyes landed instinctively on the bed, where she lay with her back to him. Her knees were curled up towards her chest, her shoulders rolled forward almost protectively. Closing the door as silently as he’d opened it, he covered the few paces to the bedside without a sound. She’d slept a lot in the last few days—healing, she’d told him. It was a sentiment reiterated by the medic with Jay’s team. But even though something about that sat wrong with him, he wasn’t going to wake her. If she was able to sleep, then her body needed the rest. All he needed was to be close to her, even if that didn’t involve touching or holding her. He’d have preferred if it involved touching and holding her. He wanted to saturate himself in her beauty, in the yielding sweetness of her warm body, to let his own stress and fear dissipate. Even if only for a little while. Al
Italy With A Duke Debriefing
“Mr. Ellis,” the low voice droned, filling the small sitting. It belonged to a man clearly used to issuing orders that were obeyed. For a call of this magnitude, Allie had gathered their ragtag band— Jay, Duke, Caitlyn and herself—in her suite on the Italian Riviera. When it was all said and done, it had been easier getting to the awaiting boat than Caitlyn had anticipated. Of course, gravity tended to work that way. As soon as Dex had placed a portion of his weight upon it, as Duke had anticipated, the damaged and rusted grate over the collapsing drainage shaft had groaned loudly then given way, unceremoniously dumping the three of them into the open air. Immediately, Duke had deployed the parachute to slow their fall. The fire-heated sea drafts had carried them in a descending spiral, out over the frigid water of the Adriatic where they’d landed safely. Dex slipped the makeshift harness before they’d resurfaced and struck hard for the boat, bringing it along
Italy With A Duke Risky
Caitlyn heaved forcefully as the choking fumes were piped down her throat and into her lungs, singing the sensitive passageways. She collapsed into the muck in a spasming heap. “Duke!” Squeezing onto his side, Dex dragged himself alongside the hacking, weakly thrashing woman as she clawed at her throat. Glancing back, Duke cursed. “Can you pull her?” Another rumbling explosion rocked the tunnel. This time, bits of dust and pebbles tumbled from between the stones above them. “Oh hell.” “Uh-huh. Got it.” Dex wrapped an arm around the floundering woman’s hips and braced his feet on opposite sides of the tunnel. With one arm and using the slime on the bottom to reduce the friction from their weight, he inched them both toward the exit. In the lead, Duke watched the struggling pair, debating whether he should go ahead and prepare for the jump to their escape or wait until they caught up so he could take Caitlyn from the other man. Both thoughts were immedi
Italy With A Duke Cut and Run
“Alex!” she breathed, starting forward when he raised a violently shaking hand towards her. His thin mouth opened in silent accusation and supplication. Then both Dex and Duke were turning her, one on each upper arm with a firm grip. They propelled her swiftly through the hidden door. “Duke, the latch,” Dex ordered as they rushed into the narrow passageway. He pointed at the door, then reached for the switch to reconnect his communication equipment. “Knight 2 and 3. Asset acquired. Allie, we could use an exit plan.” As Duke released her, Caitlyn jerked herself free of Dex’s grasp. She flung herself at the door. “No! He needs my help!” Ramming the bolt home, he pivoted and grasped her by the upper arms. “Caitlyn!” he snapped harshly, shaking her once to get her attention as the light dimmed to nothingness. “No matter what he did to stay alive before, you can’t save him now.” “You don’t know that!” she cried to the darkness.
Italy With A Duke Verdict of the Fates
“Caitlyn!” The lump of stone that had become his heart leapt into Duke’s throat with ringing alarm. “Shut your mouth, you worthless whore!” Alex jerked the pistol at her furiously. “How dare you even speak to me like that!?” A soft gasp escaped her and she took a step backwards, closer to Duke and the meager amount of safety he presented as Alex advanced on her. She'd intended to provoke him. This was a much bigger reaction than she'd anticipated. “You have no idea! No fucking idea how I felt having to squat just to stand in your shadow!” His vicious words spat at her through clenched teeth. His bourgeoning rage scorched over her, filling the tiny antechamber with its malevolent presence. “You don’t know what it’s like to have your life’s work—the epitome of your creativity and intelligence— shown up and disproven by some pathetic little girl who refuses to see potential! To watch as you dusted your hands of it, like everything I did wa
Italy With A Duke Senza Umanità
Except in photographs, Duke had only ever seen Alex Maddox once—the day the man’s body had been moved from the hospital morgue to the funeral home where Caitlyn had made final arrangements. Frankly, he didn’t look much better now than he had in the body bag, even if he did technically have a pulse. But he had no doubt in Caitlyn’s recognition. Whatever Alex had put himself through to create the illusion that he was dying, it clearly hadn’t been without lasting effect. Not that he’d ever been particularly robust anyway. True, he hadn’t been the stereotypical scrawny, bespectacled and pocket-protected scientist obsessing over his collection of tribble plushies. Like his med school performance, Alex Maddox had been average. Average height and weight, average build, average looks. Though Duke never would have guessed it studying the skeletal creature leveling a pistol at his weeping wife. He had been fastidious about his appearance—getting a haircut every 28 days without fail and only w
Italy With A Duke Vengeance Denied
Frozen in place and unable to turn away, Caitlyn watched the violence of the wild seizures as Tommaso thrashed on the hard stone floor. Each second that ticked away was a new horror as her potent chemical cocktail took effect. Within seconds, the man’s uncontrolled muscle spasms had pulled bones from joints or outright snapped them. His respirations turned into hiccupping gasps, shallow and forced and his skin flushed dark red from the fierce pounding of his heart.And then it was over.As a physician, she knew what the man’s final second had involved and she gagged, stumbling backwards a few steps knowing that she’d caused it. Catching herself with one slim hand on the edge of a lab table, she crashed to her knees and vomited. Like pulling the trigger of the gun aimed at Agent Richards, it had been too easy—far too easy to kill.She gave a weak sob, then wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. Even with Duke’s words in her head, she knew that until she reached her foul captor’s ch
Italy With A Duke Best Laid Plans
“Knight 1. In position,” Jay drawled lazily through the comms, and Duke couldn’t suppress his grin. Both he and Jay were uncomfortable, but there hadn’t been time to develop a full-scale assault plan. At most, they might get twenty-four hours before Caitlyn was either killed or sold to another terrorist group. They’d already lost seven and half hours just getting to her location. They couldn’t afford to wait. A few seconds after, Dex’s acknowledgement hissed through his earpiece. “Knight 2. In position.” Ignoring the brief bursts of chatter through his comms, Duke reached for another handhold, and pulled himself up the sheer face of the cliff on the ocean-facing side of the stone fortress. A hot twinge of pain shot along his nerves from his shoulder, as the numbing medication wore off. He gritted his teeth against it, continuing his climb. Of course, they had the benefit of some of the most advanced surveillance equipment in the world, and arguably the most brilliant mind to opera
