All I Want Is You (Kimani Romance)

To Venus? Yes. Always to Venus. As Venus she’d been called spectacular, exquisite, dazzling, gorgeous. Men had complimented her on everything from her eyes to her ankles. Adoration was a given, but after months living in this small town as Monica Dulane, not one man had complimented her or given her a second look, which was the way she wanted it to be.

JD had changed all that. Here was a man telling and showing her how wonderful he thought she was. Just the way she was. He wrapped his arms around her, pressing his solid form against her until she felt the evidence of his desire and her own body grew warm and wet with wanting. Yes, she wanted him. She opened her mouth to receive him further inside and his moan of pleasure was all the encouragement she needed. Monica snaked an arm around his neck. “This is probably a mistake.”

“I don’t make mistakes, just calculated risks.”

“I’m a big risk.”

“I can take whatever you give me.”

Dear Reader,

Have you ever wanted to be someone else? Ever wanted to live a different life and start all over again? Monica Dupree does. Once an international icon known as “Venus,” she now hides her captivating eyes behind sunglasses and her famous figure under baggy clothes. After the death of her husband, Monica has many secrets to hide. Secrets JD Rozan wants to uncover.

I found it intriguing delving into Monica’s life and the reasons why she wanted to change. As a writer, change is easy. With a few words I can change a sunny day to one filled with thunderclouds. I can add forty pounds to a character or make them as thin as a reed. But one thing I’ve learned in writing is that change always comes with a consequence.

And that’s what happens when Monica and JD indulge in a sexy fantasy. They learn that every choice has a price….

Enjoy,

Dara Girard

Prologue

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

“S
he’s gone.”

The man behind the ornate desk didn’t move and for a moment Reginald Bower wasn’t sure he’d heard him. But that wasn’t uncommon. Anton Stevens was a hard man to read. The unrelenting African sun had polished his smooth, dark skin to onyx. His striking features were unmarked by any blemishes or wrinkles, making his exact age a mystery. He could range from early thirties to mid-fifties. His slender face sported clear rimless glasses, meticulously shaped eyebrows and a long jaw. He came across like a professor, but he was much more powerful than that. He stared at Reginald with an unsettling gaze, as if he’d heard a dull weather report.

Reginald hesitated then cleared his throat, a river of sweat sliding down his back. The two large standing fans that blew, making a light whirling sound in the otherwise quiet office, didn’t abate the stifling heat.
He was still getting used to the stark climate change from Wisconsin weather to that of Ghana. At times he still couldn’t believe how much his life had changed, but that wasn’t the issue now. As the silence stretched on, Reginald resisted the urge to shift from one foot to the other. He had to stand still and firm and show no fear. He repeated the message just to make sure he had been heard. “She’s gone.”

“I heard you the first time,” Stevens said in a cool, clipped British accent that belied the fury in his gaze. “How did it happen?” He let his gaze fall and pushed a paper aside so that it was aligned with the edge of the desk. It was a casual motion that made Reginald’s anxiety grow. His boss was a man who liked order and didn’t take well to anything out of place.

Reginald racked his mind trying to think of all of the different ways he could have prevented her escape. The compound had interior security and an eight-foot iron gate. Beyond the gate they were still miles away from any city or town. How she’d been able to cross over fifty acres without being attacked by the wild animals that wandered onto the property, or consumed by the imminent threat of dehydration, confounded him. But he knew that if she was clever, she could feast on the lush grove of fruit trees. Reginald groaned. Perhaps he should have done another search before coming to Stevens, but it would have been a waste of time. He doubted she was out there, and he knew his second search wouldn’t have reassured his boss.

Reginald had had the security guards search the nearest village, but no one had seen her. And she would be hard to miss. A six-foot beauty with cascading dark
hair, legendary hazel eyes and light caramel skin would stand out.

He’d been in security for ten years now, and working for Stevens had been the highlight of his career. He had more money than he’d ever seen before, and now one woman had put his job in jeopardy. When he found her again, he would make her pay.

Reginald cleared his throat again, knowing that Stevens was waiting for a response. His boss was patient and wouldn’t repeat himself. He was a dangerous man and Reginald knew it was best not to upset him, but he also knew there was no way to tell him the news without doing exactly that.
How did it happen?
God, he wished he knew. “Um…we’re still figuring that out.”

Stevens clasped his hands together. “I see.”

A drop of sweat slid down Reginald’s forehead, but he knew better than to wipe it away. “But we’re looking—”

Stevens held up his hand. “I only gave you one job, and that was to look after one of my favorite possessions.”

“Yes, sir.”

“And you failed me.”

“Sir—”

“Since you have carelessly lost what was mine, how do you plan to get it back for me?”

“We’re on it right now, sir. We recently discovered that she’s no longer in the country, and we are certain she’ll hide with her family.”

Stevens shook his head. “Don’t be an idiot.” He held up his hand. “Forget I said that. Evidently you already are, since you’ve let a woman escape a hundred-room
compound, twenty acres inside the gates, fifty acres of surrounding property and at least a hundred miles to the nearest village, where she can easily slip into Togo or the Ivory Coast. She has connections all over the world and speaks three languages. So the fact that you know she’s ‘out of the country’ means nothing to me. After her husband’s death, she only has a sister living, and she wouldn’t be careless enough to go to her.”

“She’s not in Africa.”

“Really?”

“At least she won’t be for long. She’s going to the United States.”

Stevens raised his eyebrows with surprise and interest. “How do you know that?”

“One of the girls mentioned that she felt safe there.”

Stevens released a weary sigh and took out a small, red cloth. “You’ve put me in a very unfortunate position.” He took off his glasses and cleaned a lens. “If she talks or says anything about me, that would cause trouble.”

“I’m sure she won’t. If she talks about you, that would lead us to her. Don’t worry. We will find her.”

“I’m sure you’ll try.” Stevens sighed with disappointment. “Are you married?”

“Yes.”

“Children?”

“No, not yet.”

Stevens nodded and replaced his glasses. “Good. Family is important.” He gestured to the door. “You may go.”

“Thank you, sir.” Reginald turned, relieved that he’d
gotten off easy. He began walking to the door but never made it. He was dead before he hit the ground.

Anton put his revolver aside, pleased that he’d hit his target with minimal mess. It was too bad. He’d liked Reginald.

Anton hit the intercom on his desk phone. “Send a bouquet of flowers to Reginald Bower’s widow. Then find Hicks. I have a job for him.”

Anton disconnected then clasped his hands together and counted to ten. He had to remain calm. He swirled his chair around to stare out at the lush landscape. Years ago he had purchased nearly one hundred acres and had spent most of his life transforming it into an oasis, or at least that was what it was to him. The wide assortment of tropical flowers and several types of palm trees provided a brilliant burst of colors and a wide assortment of intoxicating smells. From childhood he had always shown an interest in botany and had cultivated a love for gardening. Not that he did the gardening directly. He never dirtied himself. He preferred to leave that task to the gardeners and biologists he had hired over the years.

Unfortunately, all was not paradise. He had failed in getting the extra twenty-five acres he wanted from an eccentric elderly Norwegian woman, who refused to sell her portion of land to him. He wasn’t used to not getting what he wanted, but he was patient and knew that the frail woman wouldn’t last very long.

Twice he’d had his prized possessions take refuge on her property, all without her knowledge, but they’d been captured and punished. None had tried again—until Venus.

Anton watched a bright green-and-yellow lizard dart past and sighed. How could she do this to him? He’d given her everything—shelter, clothes, jewels, the finest wines in the world—and she’d treated him like this? Anton balled his hands into fists.

“You’re a little nobody and nothing!” his mother used to tell him, leaving him to the various nannies she hired while she and his father went to parties and traveled without him. But he’d shown her. Now he was a powerful man with women who adored him. No one would treat him like a nobody again. He wouldn’t let them. He deserved better treatment, and he’d get it. He wouldn’t let Venus upset him. She was just afraid. He hadn’t handled her right, but once he found her, he would do better next time. She belonged to him. Such beauty couldn’t be hidden for long. Someone would see her. His Venus would not escape him.

Anton stood then stopped when he spotted Reginald’s body on the floor. He’d completely forgotten about it. It was Venus’s fault for his actions. He knelt next to Reginald and pulled out his wallet. He flipped through it, stopping briefly at the picture of the man’s wife. The image surprised him. He didn’t know people still carried around photographs of loved ones anymore. Pity. He must have really loved her, but he doubted it would have lasted. Women were deceivers and heartbreakers; he’d done him a favor. He sighed then patted Reginald on the back. “So Venus is heading to the States. It seems you’re going to help me find my Venus after all.”