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  “I have missed you more,” he murmured against her lips, tickling them with his breath. “Can I come back to your life? Will you let me?”

  She gave him her most loving smile. “Na-am, Garenth bin Al-Emin. Yes, I want you back in my life.”

  Kelling suddenly appeared beside them, dragging Brielle’s suitcase and carry-on with him. “Sorry to break this up, but it’s getting dark, the Jeep’s racking up parking fees, and we need to be going. You two can take the back seat and resume your, uhh, conversation on the way to the dig.”

  Garenth kept an arm around her shoulder as they followed Kelling outside. For the moment she wasn’t interested in marveling at the sights and sounds of this country. She couldn’t take her eyes off of the man who’d laid claim to her emotions. As they hurried toward short-term parking, Brielle brought up a subject she’d had a long time to think about.

  “Before we go any further, let’s get something right out in the open. Garenth, how do you say ‘I love you’ in your language? Because I want to make it clear that’s how I feel about you.”

  He smiled warmly at her. “‘Ahbak.”

  “‘Ahbak, Garenth. I’ve been wanting to tell you ‘ahbak for a long time.”

  He responded by stopping in the middle of the parking lot and pulling her tightly against him again. The kiss that followed left her weak-kneed.

  “Guys. Please?” Kelling chuckled, urging them to continue.

  “You planned this surprise, didn’t you, Uncle Chet?” she accused.

  “Guilty as charged, but don’t judge me too harshly. Garenth wouldn’t stop grilling me about you. What you were like as a child. What your favorite foods were. Anything he could think of. I got tired of answering questions, so that’s when I decided to offer you the job. I figured if you came here, he’d stop pestering me and divert his questions and attention to you.”

  She laughed. “I’m glad you did.”

  They reached their vehicle. Kelling threw her two pieces of luggage into the passenger seat as she and Garenth climbed into the back. She snuggled next to him as he planted another kiss on her temple and placed a hand to her hip to press her thigh tightly against his. A warm thread of expectation gathered between her legs. Why did she get the feeling neither of them would get much sleep that night?

  “Just wait until tomorrow,” Kelling said as they left the airport. “You’re going to be blown away by what we’ve uncovered so far at the site. And a lot of the credit goes to Garenth. He’s been invaluable with translating all the writings we’ve been discovering.”

  Brielle didn’t respond. She was too busy nuzzling Garenth’s baby-fine facial hair and sneaking little kisses in between. But she noticed her uncle glancing at them through the rearview mirror. He must have suspected that she and Garenth were…involved. She was sure when he cleared his throat and tried again.

  “Brie, there’s something very important I need to tell you. It’s about Garenth’s request for a work visa to allow him to return to the US.”

  His tone and comment sunk in. She disengaged herself for a moment to look at her uncle. Before she could ask, he continued.

  “We’re still not having any success. It could take years before the government grants him one. However, there is one way you can bypass a lot of that red tape. I don’t know if either of you would be willing to take such a drastic step, but I wanted to throw the possibility out there for you to consider.”

  “What’s that?”

  She noticed how he tried to hide his smile. “If you two got married, it would automatically give Garenth legal citizenship. Now, like I said, that’s a pretty drastic step, but it’s something for you two to think about. What do you think?”

  It would automatically give him legal citizenship. She knew about that technicality. Why hadn’t she thought of it herself?

  “Brielle?”

  He glanced at the rearview mirror again to find her lovingly caressing Garenth’s face. When she finally replied, her answer was directed to the man embracing her.

  “My uncle’s right, you know. It’s a pretty drastic step. Tell me, my love. How do you say, ‘Will you marry me?’ in Arabic?”

  “Hal satatazawjani.”

  She chuckled. “Na-am, Garenth. My answer is yes.”

  About the Author:

  Linda loves to write sweet and sensuous romance with a fantasy, paranormal, or science fiction flair. Her technique is often described as being as visual as a motion picture or graphic novel.

  A wife, mother, grandmother, and retired Kindergarten and music teacher, she lives in a small south Texas town near the Gulf coast where she delves into other worlds filled with daring exploits, adventure, and intense love.

  She has numerous best sellers, including 10 consecutive #1s. In 2009, she was named Whiskey Creek Press Torrid’s Author of the Year, and her book My Strength, My Power, My Love was named the 2009 WCPT Book of the Year. In 2011, her book Lord of Thunder was named the Epic Ebook “Eppie” Award Winner for Best Erotic Sci-Fi Romance.

  She also writes naughty humorous romances under the name of Carolyn Gregg, horror under the pseudonym of Gail Smith, and elementary teacher workbooks as L. G. Mooney.

  For more information about Linda Mooney books and titles, up-coming releases, contests and giveaways, and to sign up for her newsletter, please visit her website.

  http://www.LindaMooney.com

  Urban/Fantasy Romances by Linda Mooney

  36 Exposures

  AEquana Series

  AEquana

  AEquana’s Quest

  Bequeathed

  Castle’s Keep

  Deities Series

  Sky Titans

  A Faerie’s Tale

  Fly Me to the Moon

  From Out of the Shadows

  Healer of the Heart

  Jones & Jones

  Lionmeade

  I’m Not Ehrynn Rose

  Sandeflay

  Secret Identity

  Stone

  Tall, Tall Trees

  Your Heart, My Home

  Paranormal Romances by Linda Mooney

  Breachers

  Holt and McKenna

  Hawthorne and Marya

  Viento and Bycote

  Cut Glass: Jewels

  Diamond

  Ruby

  Every Memory of You

  Firelight

  Miracle

  Above All

  Orrora

  Peter and His Wolf

  Possession

  Qitirin

  Stone

  Subwoofers

  Beast of the Bayou

  Ghost of the Swamp

  Monster of the Glades

  Predator of the Pines

  Sweet Romances by Linda Mooney

  The Charm (science fiction)

  The Dream Merchant (fantasy)

  Every Memory of You (paranormal)

  Sand Castle (contemporary)

  Science Fiction Romances by Linda Mooney

  The Battle Lord Saga

  The Battle Lord’s Lady

  Her Battle Lord’s Desire

  A Battle Lord’s Heart

  One Battle Lord’s Fate

  This Battle Lord’s Quest

  Every Battle Lord’s Nightmare

  Their Battle Lord’s Sacrifice

  Captive Surrender (aka Beauty’s Alien Beast)

  The Charm

  Deep

  A Different Yesterday

  The Final Pleasure

  Star Girl Series

  The Gifted

  The Gifting

  HeartFast Series

  HeartFast

  HeartCrystal

  HeartStorm

  His by Right

  His Last Request

  Knight of Darkness

  The Thunder Trilogy

  Lord of Thunder

  Passion of Thunder

  Wings of Thunder

  Mine Until Midnight

  My Strength, My Power, My Love

  Neverwyl
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  Rhea 41070

  Runner’s Moon

  Jebaral

  Tiron

  Simolif

  Challa

  Yarrolam

  UnderSilver