Free Bellissimo Rilascio (Beautiful Release): The Family Series #3 by Leigh Ann Lunsford Page A

already know I’m a DEA agent.” I notice her smile dim a bit, “How much longer do you have in school?”
     
    “I technically graduate in a month if I get all my certifications and intern hours. An informal one. Thank God. It’s been hell, but I’m excited about the new opportunities.”
     
    “Sounds tough. Why’d you want to go into that field?”
     
    “It sounds corny, but when I was seven, I broke my arm and had to have surgery. The woman delivering the anesthesia had no bedside manner, and I was terrified. I want to be able to help make a scary situation less traumatic, put people at ease, maybe make a small difference in someone’s day. Why’d you go into law enforcement?”
     
    “Mine’s cornier. Justice. Right the wrongs. My sister was murdered in our driveway when I was fifteen, and it left an impression on me. Actually, she wasn’t my sister but my birth mother, although I only found that out a few years ago.”
     
    “Wow. That’s a lot. How’d you deal with it all?”
     
    “Not well. That’s kind of how I ended up here. A lot of misfortunes and bad decisions. I had to get away.”
     
    “So you fucked up on the job, and this is your punishment.”
     
    “No, I fucked up in life. I chose this.”
     
    Silence. I’ve probably said too much and scared her away.
     
    “Favorite color?”
     
    “You’re just going to let all that go?”
     
    “For right now. I’m hoping we have more time to get deep, but we’ve covered enough now.”
     
    “I hope so, too.”
     
    “One more heavy question?”
     
    “Shoot. I told you earlier, I’m an open book.”
     
    “This self imposed exile . . . what’s her name?”
     
    “Am I that obvious?”
     
    “Honestly, I wasn’t sure until just now.”
     
    “Bianca.”
     
    “And if Bianca called you this second, would we be sitting here?” I don’t answer her, mulling her question around. “Honesty, you promised me that.”
     
    “I’m not sure.”
     
    “I can live with that, I think. So let me guess, you’re a guy who embraces pink?”
     
    “Hell no, I like black.”
     
    “Of course you do.”
     
    “What’s that mean?”
     
    “Black is universal. Goes with everything. No muss. No fuss. What you see is what you get.”
     
    “You’re observant.”
     
    “Very.” So the evening continues with silly questions and debating the validity of our choices. I find myself wanting the night to continue when we get back to the complex, but I know I’m not fully available. Just touching on the heavy shit tonight made me remember.
     
    Feel.
     
    Miss her.
     
    I think Lisa is great, but she isn’t Bianca. Nobody ever will be. Isn’t your first love supposed to be your strongest? In my case, she’s become my weakness, and in turn I made her fragile. Remembering her in the hospital bed puts me in a somber mood. I try to hide it from Lisa, but she’s perceptive and keeps up the idle chitchat until we reach her door. “I would tell you to call me when you get home, but I’ll just listen for the door to slam.”
     
    “Shit, we haven’t even switched numbers.”
     
    “True. But we can just tap out Morse code on the walls for emergencies.”
     
    I laugh at her. She’s one of a kind. I hand her my cell, and she does the same. The awkward moment seems to last forever as we both stare at one another then my mind shuts off, and I just feel. Gripping her hand, I tug her closer to me and kiss her. I intend for it to be sweet and chaste, but feeling her lips under mine has something inside me doing the opposite. I pull away breathless and watch her eyes open; she stares at me dazed.
     
    “Goodnight, Lisa.”
     
    “Goodnight, Dakota.” I step away to my door. I see her back up to enter her apartment. I wait to hear the click of the lock. It doesn’t come, but instead she sticks her head back out. “After that kiss I’m kind of disappointed I didn’t get my end of the night present. I probably could put them to good use