Enigma, Maine, Bundle 2 Read online

  ENIGMA BUNDLE 2

  Enigma, Maine Series

  Books 5-8

  Iris Abbott

  Table of Contents

  LITTLE RED VALENTINE

  ONE

  TWO

  THREE

  FOUR

  FIVE

  SIX

  OCEAN'S LOVING EMBRACE

  ONE

  TWO

  Three

  FOUR

  FIVE

  SIX

  SEVEN

  EPILOGUE

  A GUARDIAN’S LOVING CARESS

  ONE

  TWO

  THREE

  FOUR

  FIVE

  SIX

  A WOLF’S LOVING VALENTINE

  ONE

  TWO

  THREE

  FOUR

  FIVE

  SIX

  SEVEN

  EIGHT

  LITTLE RED VALENTINE

  Enigma, Maine Series

  Book 5

  Iris Abbott

  WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal.

  LITTLE RED VALENTINE

  Copyright © 2012 by Iris Abbott

  First E-book publication: February 2012

  Cover design by Iris Abbott

  Photos and illustration obtained from bigstockphoto.com

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission. All characters in this book are fictitious and exist only in the imagination of the author. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.

  ONE

  Mitch Gannon jumped when the church doors flew open. He was alpha of the Enigma wolf pack and the owner of the most successful security company in the state of Maine. That meant Mitch was always on high alert, even when he was the best man at a triple wedding. He locked eyes with the stranger. She wore a red cape that did nothing to hide her dark blond curls.

  A jolt of current raced straight to his heart. He turned to shoot Cupid a dirty look, but typical of that particular nuisance, he was already gone. Mitch decided it was about to get interesting. He had a thing for the color red, and he definitely loved blondes.

  ****

  Scarlet Valentine glanced around the filled room. Her heart just about lurched in her throat the second she realized she interrupted a wedding. Heat rushed to her cheeks and flooded her face.

  Could the day get any worse? Her car, which was reliable until now died in the middle of the road! She didn’t even have time to pull onto the shoulder. At least it didn’t appear to be a heavily traveled route.

  Thank goodness, no one hit her when the car stalled. She turned on the hazard lights and went to find help. At first, she thought it was a bit of good luck that her vehicle stranded her next to a castle full of people. Now as several heads turned her way, she wasn’t so sure. What an awful start to her new life!

  A pair of black eyes caught her attention. She couldn’t look away even though the dark and brooding eyes reminded her of a predator. Scarlet suppressed a shiver. Eventually, she noticed that the eyes were part of a gorgeous, rugged face.

  The owner of the mesmerizing eyes and face made his way to her. He advanced at a rather fast clip and grabbed her arm. Before she could take a breath, he dragged her out of the church. The intense look the stranger gave her sent a shiver down her spine.

  “Hey!” she shook her arm loose. “What do you think you’re doing?” she demanded as soon as they were away from the curious eyes of the wedding guests.

  “I think that’s my line.” He arched a dark brow, and his black eyes glared into her light brown ones. “You crashed a very private wedding ceremony. I’m head of security, so you’ll be answering my questions not the other way around.”

  The dark, mysterious stranger crowded her. His forward motion forced her to take several steps back. Eventually, she was caught between the man and the rough stone wall of the historic building behind her. There was nowhere left for her to go.

  He slapped both palms down on the stone right next to her head. She involuntarily jumped. Her eyes widened, and her lips trembled.

  “Good! You should be scared. You’re playing in my woods now, little girl,” he sneered.

  Scarlet guessed the man was well over six feet tall. She only came up to his shoulders. She was not going to be bullied. So what if he was a good five inches taller than she was. Scarlet narrowed her eyes, sucked in her trembling lips, and shoved. Hard!

  “Get out of my way, you big oaf!”

  The man actually took a couple of steps back. Bolstered by his small retreat, Scarlet pressed home the advantage. Her fear quickly subsided to be replaced by righteous indignation. She poked a deep red fingernail into his chest.

  “I’m sorry I crashed your party, but it couldn’t be helped.” She let out a puff of air. “And just think, my grandmother always said Enigma was such a friendly place.” She rolled her eyes. “No wonder I was never allowed to come here again after one last fateful spring visit.”

  The man stopped his retreat He furrowed his brows. “You’ve been to Enigma before?” His voice sounded doubtful.

  Scarlet dropped the hand she poked him with and stared at the man with narrow eyes. “Of course, I’ve been here before.” She shrugged her delicate shoulders. “What about it? This is Enigma, Maine not some hidden village near the Amazon.”

  “A remote village halfway across the world sounds really good about now,” the man muttered under his breath. “I’ve lived here my entire life, and I don’t remember you.”

  He continued to stare at her hard enough to alarm her. “Though, there is something faintly familiar about you.” He moved closer. She could have sworn the man sniffed her.

  Scarlet laughed. “There’s no way any one person can know everything that goes on, especially in a mid-sized town like Enigma.”

  Now would be a good time to offer an introduction. “By the way, I’m Scarlet Valentine. My grandmother Susan Valentine lived on the outskirts of Enigma for several decades.” Her voice hitched a little at the end after the mention of her grandmother. She bit her bottom lip to keep her emotions under control. She missed her grandmother. Even though she hadn’t been back to Enigma in years, she and her grandmother talked almost every day on the phone until the woman’s death.

  ****

  Scarlet Valentine, Mitch turned the name over in his mind. The name fit the gloriously vibrant woman who stood in front of him. He picked up one of her delicate hands and brought it to his lips.

  “I’m Mitch Gannon, and it’s a real pleasure to meet you.” He kissed her hand and then slowly released it. Her skin was soft and sweet. Mitch knew he wasn’t going to be able to rest until he tasted all she had to offer.

  Scarlet as if mesmerized by his touch slowly brought her hand back to her side.

  The church door opened and several people streamed out. She stepped out of their path right before Mitch would have swept her to safety. “Umm, sorry I interrupted such an important occasion, but my car died.” She pointed to the bright red sports car sitting in the middle of the road.

  Mitch knew enough about autos to cover the basics. “Let’s have a look at it. I’ll see if I can fix the problem.”

  “Thanks,” she quickly accepted his offer. She looked toward the setting sun. “I wanted to be settled in my grandmother’s cottage before dark.” She got a faraway look on her face, and her body trembled.

  “Looks like I’m gonna be cutting it close. I should have gotten an earlier start from Boston. Traffic was a nightmare. My stubborn car sure hasn’t help
ed matters much either.” She let out a breathy little sigh as she started to walk toward her car.

  Mitch felt that sigh all the way down to his toes. The woman was gorgeous, and she was going to be living right in his backyard. The location provided the perfect opportunity for him to get to know her.

  A nagging thought in the back of his mind persisted. He sifted through time and memories. He finally remembered the frightened seventeen-year-old who visited her grandmother during a long weekend in the spring. She managed to wander off the path and got lost in the forest.

  Mitch stumbled upon her by pure chance when he was out on a run. Even in early spring, temperatures could dip below freezing. It was a bitterly cold night. He remained in his wolf form and stayed with the teenager to keep her warm and safe until the sun rose. Then he led her to the edge of the woods and safety.

  He looked for glimpses of her around town afterward, but he never saw her again. That is until now. During the ten years since he last saw her, the pale blonde hair darkened to a burnished mass of dark blonde curls with honey highlights. The gangly teen grew into a gorgeous woman with luscious curves, but he was sure they were one and the same.

  They reached her car and Mitch gave it a hard look. It probably wasn’t even five years old, and it looked well cared for. There was no reason for it to stall. “Get in and try starting it one more time,” he suggested.

  Scarlet gave him a doubtful look but did as he asked. She inserted the key into the ignition and twisted. The car fired right up. She shot Mitch a mortified look. “Oh, my goodness! I can’t believe it. I tried to start this darn thing several times before I went inside.”

  Mitch narrowed his eyes. He wasn’t sure if he believed her or not.

  “Really! I swear it wouldn’t start. I would never endanger anyone’s life or my car for that matter by leaving it in the middle of the road.”

  Mitch crossed his arms in front of his chest and flashed her a suspicious look. Some strange things happened in Enigma lately. He didn’t know what to believe about the delectable stranger.

  She stopped babbling. Her lips thinned, and she gave him a piercing look. “Whatever! Thanks for the help,” she muttered. “And I’ll be sure to stay out of your way from now on.” She pressed her foot down on the accelerator. The bright red sports car shot forward forcing the tires to squeal in protest.

  Gravel sprayed all around him. The tiny pebbles pinged off his legs. Mitch didn’t move or take his eyes off the retreating red vehicle.

  He guessed Scarlet was telling the truth. He could thank the powers and magic that be in Enigma for his surprise encounter with the divine Ms. Valentine. Everything had to do with fate. There was no such thing as a coincidence, at least not in Enigma, Maine. There anything that could happen usually did, as he knew all too well.

  TWO

  Scarlet listened to the howling wind. She couldn’t stop the shiver that moved up and down her body. She’d been in Enigma for several weeks, and winter settled in bringing a fierce storm in its wake. The noisy wind brought back memories of being lost in the woods ten years ago. She was picking wildflowers and wandered into the forest even though she knew better. Her grandmother always warned her never to venture into the woods. Of course, she got lost. It was a bitterly cold night, just like this one, even though it was early spring.

  As funny as it sounds, a wolf was her saving grace. It found her huddled on the forest floor, trying to stay warm. The furry animal stayed with her during the night, sharing its body heat. It even guided her out of the dense forest at first light. Several people were searching for her, and a police officer found her not long after she emerged from beyond the trees. The wolf was nowhere to be seen.

  Nobody seemed to believe her when she mentioned the wolf. Though she could have sworn a strange look passed between her grandmother and a couple of the officers. Everyone, including her grandmother, tried to convince her that she imagined the whole thing. The next morning she was sent back to her parents’ house in Boston. That was the last time she set foot in Enigma, Maine until two months ago.

  A gust of wind fiercely attacked the back of the cottage. One of the shutters flew open and banged against the side of the house. Scarlet visibly jumped from the loud noise. Usually, she wasn’t scared of storms, and she didn’t mind a little wind.

  These weren’t normal circumstances. Scarlet was a woman in hiding. She felt it was only a matter of time before the stalker she left in Boston found her. She had to be cautious. Her life depended on it.

  She took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. Work should be enough to keep her mind off the storm. She turned back to the computer. She was a graphic artist and web designer. It was a great career to have when you needed to flee a dangerous situation.

  She missed her almost daily conversations with her grandmother, but inheriting the cottage could not have come at a better time. She owned her own business and worked from home, so the move didn’t affect her career at all. It, however, might save her life, but it still paid to be cautious. She wasn’t out of the woods yet, as the old saying went.

  She was in the process of updating and revamping the website for Gannon Security. Of course, Gannon Security made her think of its primary owner Mitch Gannon. She’d tried to avoid him after their run in on her first day in Enigma. That turned out to be impossible.

  She wasn’t in town three days before Mitch’s brother Justin contacted her about overhauling their company’s website. She jumped at the chance to prove herself with such an established and well-known business. She accepted the job even though it meant having occasional contact with Mitch.

  The two of them had been dancing around each other ever since. Occasional contact somehow managed to blossom into almost daily contact. She ran into Mitch everywhere she went. It was a little worrisome, considering what she was running from. She did her best to stay out of his way and work with Justin, but Mitch seemed to thwart her at every turn.

  Today was a prime example. She was supposed to meet Justin for a business lunch in the town square earlier today. Of course, Mitch showed up in his brother’s place. Scarlet gritted her teeth and bit back the acid comment threatening to trip off her tongue.

  She offered him an awkward smile and turned on her laptop to show him the latest progress on their website. The design was in the last stage. She just needed Mitch or Justin to sign off on her work, and she was done.

  Mitch took his time and thoroughly perused the finished product. He made comments and asked a few questions as he looked over the home page and navigation menu. Then he fell silent as he continued to look over the website word for word.

  After about ten minutes of silence, Scarlet’s nerves were stretched to the breaking point. She added a pack of no calorie sweetener to her cup of hot tea and stirred. Her hand shook and the spoon clanked against the side of the china cup.

  Mitch stared at her with his mysterious black eyes and grinned. The tension that snaked around her spine and tightened every muscle in her body finally broke. She relaxed into the wooden chair. Mitch might annoy her, but his smile and those eyes soothed her.

  Scarlet cleared her throat. “What do you think?” Her voice quavered slightly. She hoped Mitch didn’t notice how nervous he made her.

  He rubbed his chin and turned the laptop toward Scarlet. He cleared his throat. “I like it. It’s simple and much cleaner than the website we’re using now. It clearly shows that we have three separate divisions: home security, commercial security, and personal security. If potential customers contact the correct division right away, it saves a lot of time and sorting at the office.”

  Scarlet slowly released the breath she was holding. “Justin explained to me that you guys spent a lot of time passing messages and phone numbers back and forth to each other. I knew that was something an organized website could correct. Made that my main focus when I put the mockup together. Your company is already well-established. You don’t really need the website to drive business to you.”

 
“I love what I see,” he gave her a big teeth-baring smile. “How soon can we go live?”

  His wolfish grin told her he was talking about more than the website. Heat unfurled in the bottom of her core and spread to the rest of her body. “Umm, I’ll check everything over one more time after I leave here. I can have it ready to go by tomorrow morning,” she promised.

  Scarlet packed up her laptop without looking at Mitch. She hastily made her getaway, using work as an excuse. She looked over her shoulder at him twice before she exited the diner.

  ****

  A loud bang near the back door made Scarlet jump, bringing her back to the present. She shivered even though the heater ran at full blast. Bang! She flinched and surged out of her office chair. Her heart raced, and Scarlet’s skin and nerves were raw.

  She grabbed the phone. She muscles tensed, ready for fight or flight when she discovered the landline was dead. She gulped in deep breaths of air.

  “It’s the storm,” she repeated several times. The loud noises at the back of the house and the dead phone line could be explained by the storm. Scarlet, however, wasn’t taking any chances. She did that once in Boston and almost died. She came to Enigma to be safe, and right now she was feeling anything but safe.

  She scrambled into her bedroom and locked the door behind her. Scarlet dumped the contents of her purse onto the bed until she spotted her mobile phone. She frantically grabbed for it. She scrolled through recent calls until she found the primary number for Gannon Security.

  Scarlet tapped her fingers against the phone. “Pick up!” she begged. The ringing continued on the other end. She held her breath, knowing someone there would be able to help her if they would only answer!

  “Hello,” the deep voice resonated through the phone. “Gannon Security. Justin Gannon speaking.”

  Scarlet nervously nipped at her bottom lip. She considered hanging up the phone. Surely, she was overreacting. Another crash sounded from outside. An anguished sob escaped before she could stop it. She was terrified and needed help.