Bird of Paradise Read online

  His lips brushed hers in the sweetest kiss imaginable. “Oh, I don't know…global destruction? No, not even that could change my mind. You're the best thing that's ever happened to me, Hero. I love you now, I'll love you tomorrow, I'll love you always. You're my bright, beautiful goddess in my very own Eden.”

  “Maybe I'll change my name to Eve,” she murmured, sucking on his lower lip, releasing it to add, “But what about you? What will you do if you can't follow Sally? And what about Jesus?”

  They both looked down to where Jesus had plopped himself in the shade Hero provided, sitting with his one good front leg tucked under him, the other stretched out straight.

  “We can't let those quarantine people take him and put him down. We can't!”

  Adam's eyes, heated with passion the moment before, turned to ice. “We won't. The only thing Jesus will have to sacrifice is his balls, and I already told him those were on hold when I decided to give up the job on Sally so I could court you. He'll be OK; his balls'll just have to wait until later, once I can scrape together enough to pay for the surgery.”

  She touched his cheek. “Once we can scrape together enough for his surgery. It seems a shame he should lose his testicles a second time.”

  He grinned at her, the grin fading a moment later. “Hero, I hate to do this to you, hate to start out our life together with something illegal hanging over our heads, but—”

  “I have three hundred pounds in traveler's checks, and a Visa card. Will that be enough to bribe someone into taking us off the island?”

  He laughed, pulling her against him, kissing her soundly. “With what I have, yes, it will be enough. You know that Dominica is just a short hop away?”

  “Dominica?”

  Adam smiled and brushed a curl out of her eye. “It's a small island, one that doesn't have animal quarantine laws. I'll call Gar from there—if his past is anything to go by, he's probably already engaged to someone else—and apologize and send him back his money.”

  Her smile answered his, love alight in her eyes. “Sounds marvelous,” she said under her breath, giving him one more kiss. “This has the makings of a great story! My editor will love it!”

  Adam laughed as he scooped her up in his arms. “Come along my little fugitive from justice. Jesus, heel. We have a daring escape to plan.”

  “Escape to paradise,” Hero sighed, snuggling against Adam, filled with love and hope and happiness, but most of all, filled with the knowledge that all her feelings were returned. “What a lovely headline that will make.”

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  For as long as she can remember, Katie MacAlister has loved reading. Growing up in a family where a weekly visit to the library was a given, Katie spent much of her time with her nose buried in a book. Despite her love for novels, she didn’t think of writing them until she was contracted to write a non-fiction book about software. Since her editor refused to allow her to include either witty dialogue or love scenes in the software book, Katie swiftly resolved to switch to fiction, where she could indulge in world building, tormenting characters, and falling madly in love with all her heroes.

  Two years after she started writing novels, Katie sold her first romance, Noble Intentions. More than thirty books later, her novels have been translated into numerous languages, been recorded as audiobooks, received several awards, and are regulars on the New York Times, USA Today, and Publishers Weekly bestseller lists. She also writes for the young adult audience as Katie Maxwell.

  Katie lives in the Pacific Northwest, and can often be found lurking around online. You can visit her at http://www.katiemacalister.com