A Gentleman's Secret

By AJ Linn

Book 2 in the Gentleman's Series by AJ Linn

Donovan Hart has finally found his unico vero amore' in the beautiful Scarlett Montgomery, but the question remains...will he be able keep her?

Will his secret be too much for her to handle, or...will hers be too much for him to handle?

A Gentleman’s Secret is an unpredictable ride full of twists and turns that will keep you guessing until the very end.

Two people desperate to escape the sins of their past, hoping to find the one thing that has been missing...Love.

But, is love really enough to conquer all?

• Language: English
• Publisher: AJ Linn
• Release date: Dec 20, 2013
• ISBN: 9780989376754

Book preview

Copyright 2013 AJ Linn

All rights reserved. No parts of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without permission of the author.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

ISBN:

978-0-9893767-5-4

Smashwords Edition

Cover art design by Jameson Hand

Dedication

Again, I dedicate this book to my incredible twitter ladies. Your ongoing support through countless tweets and messages over the past six months has meant the world to me while writing this sequel.

Also, I would like to thank all of those who were out there promoting A Gentleman’s Affair, and sharing it with their friends. While I was busy writing this book, I was also busy watching your tweets. I can’t thank you enough for the support and love that you’ve all shown me.

And remember...I see everything.

Chapter One is your chapter. The characters that were submitted by you all were extremely interesting...some were, extremely interesting... and I enjoyed bringing them to life.

This chapter was a collaborative effort, and I thank those of you who participated in the twitter character contest, and for allowing me to bring you this wild ride of a chapter. Thank you for indulging me, and I hope you all enjoy it.

Much love.

Acknowledgements

To Scarlett Hartgrove and Malory Dentmon who have worked tirelessly proofreading, editing, formatting, and correcting a world of shit. I apparently have an issue with listening...as in, I, at times, ignore them and go with my gut. If anything seems off, blame me. They did the best they could at trying to rearrange some of my backwards sentences.

To Sarabeth Pollock for also proofreading. Christ knows that between the four of us, we still managed to miss a few things. Thank you, SD.

To Jameson Hand for creating yet another perfect cover.

Thank you to everyone once again for promoting and sharing A Gentleman’s Affair. From Facebook pages to Tumblrs, to the Store, I have quite a dedicated team backing me.

Scarlett, Mal, Carolyn, Paula, Dawn, and all of my twitter ladies.

Thank you for everything.

To The Smirkettes. Thank you for trying to make me laugh at times when I was close to losing my shit. You all got me through this with your stupid emails...I appreciate that.

This is a list of all of the contest character contributors. They made Chapter One what it is. Thank you all for...playing.

Grand prize winner of a signed copy and her character also won a starring role in the book:

Susan my muse Byrum

The five winners of a signed copy of AGS:

Malory Dentmon

Natalee Grimaldi

Anji Burgan

Sarabeth Pollock

Ash Conway

Scarlett Hartgrove

Carolyn Karian

Kerstin Smeckle Nieklauson

Dawn Love

Paula Annette Radell

Ruth Ann Santiago

Rhiannon Fowler

Kristi Stevenson

Emily Torres

Chris Skowron

Carol Sanchez Mena

Lily May Wilde

Michele Jimenez

Christine Monahan

Jodie Bryant

Kimberly Lamare

Kristy Russell

Teresa Pour Rastegar

Loretta Krejci

Katerina Storey

Carrie Antonissen

Renee C.

Angela T.

Last but not least, Carrie...just Carrie.

Table of Contents

Prologue: Scarlett’s Journal

Chapter One: Fetish Country Safari

Chapter Two: Eyes Wide Open

Chapter Three: Letty Is Dead

Chapter Four: Home Is Where The Hart Is

Chapter Five: And Your Answer Is?

Chapter Six: Building A Dream

Chapter Seven: He’s Back...

Chapter Eight - Part Uno: Real Bridesmaids Wear Taffeta

Chapter Eight - Part Due: Give Me All Your Money

Chapter Nine: Nuptialology

Chapter Ten: Did That Really Happen?

Chapter Eleven: Post Mortem

Chapter Twelve: Sex, Lies, and Pricks Named Ricardo

The Conclusion: A Mile In My Shoes

Epilogue

A Note From The Author

A man nearly always loves for other reasons than he thinks.

A lover is apt to be as full of secrets from himself as is the object of his love from him…

~Ben Hecht

Prologue

Scarlett’s Journal

July 27, 2013 1:45 am

It’s been two weeks since the accident, and Donovan is still in the medically-induced coma that the doctors had to put him in that night. Doctor Murphy told me this morning that it’s only a matter of days and they will take him out of it...ugh, forget about days, I’m literally counting the minutes.

I don’t remember the last time I slept through the night since it happened. Every single time I begin to drift off, I see him crossing that street, walking towards me with that beautiful smile of his, so bright and wide, plastered across that handsome face of his. Oh that smile. It’s the kind of smile that’s so incredible it always forced me to smile even when I was having a shitty day. Donovan just has a way about him that’s infectious, and he makes everyone around him smile.

I wish I could dream about something else...anything else, but that day is burned into my head and it just won’t stop haunting me. What started out to be a perfect day quickly turned into the worst day of my life. I can’t stop picturing it...he was mere feet away from me, and then...

That’s always right where the bad dream stops, then I wake up crying. What I wouldn't give just to see that smile, to have him hold me in his arms again.

I keep asking myself, what could I have done to prevent this from happening? If only I had told him I was busy that day, or had made him meet me even an hour later, he wouldn't be lying here now. If he doesn’t come back to me, I don’t know what I’ll do. Ugh, don't even think that Scarlett. In the short time that we had, I fell for him. I fell hard. If only I had gotten the chance to tell him before. He needs to know that I’ve fallen in love with him.

I had planned to tell him that day, the day of the accident. As scared as I was to admit my feelings to him, and to myself for that matter, I had to let him know. Even if he didn't feel the same way for me. I was willing to take that chance.

I think I fell for him the second I laid eyes on him. No, I know that I did. When I first went to bid on the job of redecorating his grand beach-front hotel, La Fuga, his charm, not to mention those mesmerizing blue-green eyes, drew me in immediately. I did my best to try and ignore that instant thing that I felt so I could appear professional, but failed miserably and giggled like a schoolgirl every time I was near him. Donovan is the kind of man that would do anything for anyone. His employees adore him...everyone does. He just makes everyone around him laugh. He was such a...oh my god, IS such a special man.

I’m exhausted from crying. I can’t eat. I can’t leave his side.

All of Donovan’s employees and friends have been in to see him everyday. His father, Bruce, has been here the entire time too. I wish I could’ve met him before this happened, and not under these circumstances, but life throws these nasty little curve balls from time to time, and we just have to figure out how to deal, I guess.

Bruce and I have actually become close through all of this. He’s even opened up to me about the loss of his wife, and about what a horrible father he has been to Donovan since losing her. I tried to assure him that Donovan understands and that he loves him, no matter what. I hate to say it, but the accident was a wake-up call for his father. So, at least something good will come out of this nightmare. He will wake up. He will come back to us. His thirty-third birthday is less than one week away, and I just pray that he wakes up in time to celebrate.

July 28, 2013 5:48am

Still can’t sleep...I’ve been lying here thinking about Bruce and how there’s no way that he’ll survive losing Donovan too. That poor man. Aside from the time that he and I go to the cafeteria for a cup of coffee, he just sits in the chair next to Donovan’s bed reading him his favorite childhood book or just talking to him, always with tears in his eyes.

As soon as his dad leaves at night, I climb right into the hospital bed with Donovan and just lie with him, talking to him about what our future will be like together when he comes back to me. The nurses tried a few times to stop me and to get me to leave the hospital and go home for a break, but after numerous failed attempts, they finally realized that there was no winning with me on this one. I will not leave him, ever.

I need coffee. I’m so tired.

July 28, 2013 8:15am

The coffee didn’t work like I wished it would. I managed to eat a bagel, which is more than I’ve had in the last two days. I can’t even think about food right now. I have three nurses bitching at me about how I need to keep up my strength...blah blah blah...but...

Startled by louder-than-normal voices just outside of Donovan's room, I look up from my journal, curious as to what is going on out there. Did I just hear one of them say that her name is Danielle?

Oh, hell no! Not on my watch!

I bolt out of the chair, setting my journal down at the foot of Donovan’s bed, before walking out into the hall, my eyes shifting between the nurse and, yep, that psycho-bitch Danielle.

Walking up to them and abruptly interrupting, Danielle, you need to leave. You're not welcome here, I say through gritted teeth.

I try to remain calm, but it’s taking everything that I have to do that at the moment.

I’d like to see him, she snaps with a furrowed brow.

You have some nerve showing up here. Nobody wants you here, most of all Donovan, I quickly snap back.

Scarlett, is it?

She laughs, rolling her eyes at me. This bitch has some nerve! Why is she talking? Before I can respond, i.e., punch her in the face, she continues.

I’ve known him a lot longer than you, so step aside, she says as she tries to push past me, but the nurse quickly grabs her arm and pulls her back as I move to stand in front of the door.

You know exactly who I am, Danielle, now leave or we will be calling the police! I say, glaring at her. Oh, and just so you know, the nurses have been warned about you, and you will never see him. Do you read me?

I take a step closer, my eyes burning a hole through hers, and all I can hear is Donovan in my head telling me to get rid of the cheating whore.

Call the fucking police, I don’t give a shit, she replies as she whips her arm back and breaks free from the nurse’s hold.

Fine. Have it your way, Danielle. Continuing to block the entrance to Donovan’s room, I give the nurse a nod, and she hurries over to the nurses’ station to call in reinforcements.

Just let me see him and I'll go, she says, taking a step forward with intent.

If you want me to let everyone here know exactly what you did in Vegas, then by all means, stay, I say, confident that she, in fact, doesn't want everyone knowing about that.

I don’t know what you’re talking about, she replies, her eyes never leaving mine.

Seriously Danielle? I want to laugh at that one, but I’m too pissed off at the moment to do that. You're fucking insane, I add, shaking my head. You do know that, right?

He will never feel about you the way he felt about me, she replies with an evil snort. He was going to marry me, you know, and you are just a distraction for him. You do know that, right?

He never had any intention of marrying you, Danielle! YOU were the distraction, I snap back with 100% confidence in my statement. Fuck, can I just punch this bitch?

He was crazy in love with me...and...

He was never in love with you, I quickly interrupt, then take a deep, cleansing breath before going on, You mean nothing to him, you never did and you never will!

I can feel my face become flushed, but I try my best, hard as it is at the moment, to stay calm. She isn't worth it.

I just need to tell him something, and then I'm gone, she says, almost conceding, but I don't buy it.

He’s in a coma, you idiot. And even if he wasn’t, you aren't getting anywhere near him ever again! Now, get the hell out of here!

Oh, she replies in a now softer voice as her face drops, and she stares down at the floor. I didn't know.

That’s because he isn't any of your business Danielle, I respond, just wanting this to be over for once and for all, just wanting to get back to my man.

I just want to see him, and… she begins, but I cut her off, yet again, before she can say another word.

What is it that you don’t get? I ask, shaking my head, my frustration through the roof at this point. Leave. Now. Danielle!

And just as I am about to drag her out of the hospital by her fake bleach-blond hair, hospital security arrives. They inform her that she needs to leave, and two police officers follow right behind them to reinforce.

Defeated, she shoots me a look of disdain as she is escorted down the hall and out of the hospital.

Please let this be the last of her.

And now...back to my man.

Chapter One

Fetish Country Safari

Scarlett, I know that we haven't been an official couple for very long, but there are things about me that you need to know before we go any further.

Exhaling a breath that I’ve been holding in for a few weeks now, I cut into my steak as I wait for her response. She deserves to know the whole truth about me, but I have to admit...I am nervous about how she will react.

What things, Donovan? she asks, unaware of the can of worms that I’m about to unleash on her.

After dinner, baby girl. I have something I need to show you.

That’s not fair! Just tell me now, she replies, her tone becoming slightly irritated.

That may be, but I would much rather show you than attempt to explain it all. I push my plate to the edge of the table, finishing the last sip of