I knew I shouldn’t give Skylar or his ideas the time of day, but what he’d mentioned wasn’t new. It was something I’d already wondered about. It was also the subject that Mrs. Mayhand had commented about, saying that some questions were better not asked.

Van handed me a glass of wine and lifted his own. “To our guests leaving.”

A smile curled my lips as I stared at him, deep into his emerald eyes, and brought my glass to his. “To us being alone.”

Our glasses clinked before we both took a sip.

A few minutes later before we had the opportunity to sit, our food plated and wine glasses refilled and on the table, Van reached for my hand. “I want to tell you every day that you amaze me because you do.”

“I didn’t make this meal.”

“No,” he said, the gold flecks in his orbs shimmering under the kitchen lights. “You did so much more. You stood up for yourself, and I couldn’t be prouder.”

He wrapped his arms around me, pulling me against his solid strength and to the place I wanted to be. Van had become that to me. He’d become my place of restoration, whether here in this big house, in the cabin, or in the wilderness. Within his presence, I felt at peace.

And yet there was a lingering question.

I looked up. “Van, who is Madison?”

The muscles of his torso tightened as his head tilted to the side. “Why are you asking?”

“Skylar said something. I don’t want to believe him.” I shook my head, still keeping my arms wrapped around Van. “After all, I have all the reason in the world not to believe him. I believe you. Why is your company called Sherman and Madison?”

He inhaled. “Once you go through all the information, you’ll learn that Madison was a friend and I chose to honor that friendship.”

“Just a friend?”

Inhaling, he shook his head.

“I’m not asking as the writer,” I said. “I’m asking as your fiancée. Who is Madison?” I said a silent prayer that Skylar had lied. After all, it couldn’t be true. The pieces didn’t fit.

Van’s voice was deadpan as he answered, shattering our snow globe, “My wife.”

Thank you for beginning the journey on the “White Ribbon” and plunging into RED SIN.

You won’t want to miss a moment of Van and Julia’s story as more twists and turns and sexy times come along with book two of the Sin Series, GREEN ENVY.

If you enjoyed RED SIN, you can also check out the recently completed DEVIL’S Series Duet, beginning with the free prequel “FATES DEMAND” and book one DEVIL’S DEAL.

Do you enjoy dangerous, mafia romance? If you do, you don’t want to miss KINGDOM COME, an all new stand-alone romance.