The Inheritance (The Donatelli Series) by SUE FINEMAN

off, I packed a bag, emptied her purse, and walked away. I haven’t had a drink since then. End of story.” Maria’s kids didn’t know how lucky they were to have a parent who loved them. He’d never had that kind of love.
    The end of the story with Sunny led to a better life, but he had to struggle to get there. He’d worked in a bunch of menial, low-paying jobs and fought his way out of some sticky situations, but he’d done it. He’d proven to himself that his life was worth something. Sunny may think she’d earned some of his inheritance, but what she’d earned was a prison sentence for child abuse.
    Blade’s cell phone rang. He answered, and Colin Jacobs said, “Mr. Banner, I’ve been trying to reach you, but your house phone doesn’t seem to be working.”
    “I had it disconnected. Is something wrong?”
    “No, sir, it’s good news. I received a full-price contract on the house today, contingent on probate, of course, and the buyers are asking if you’d be interested in selling some of the furnishings.”
    “Well, yes, I suppose, but I’ll have to know what the items are worth before I can give them a fair price.”
    “Would you like me to have an appraiser come in?”
    “Good idea. When is the closing?”
    “It’s scheduled for the last week of June, assuming we can get through probate that quickly. The buyers would like to be in before September at the latest, so we have a little flexibility. The man has been in the diplomatic service and they’ve been living in Europe. They’ll be staying with relatives until they can get into the house.”
    “Okay,” said Blade. “Three months sounds good to me. Thanks for calling.”
    Maria cocked her head. “Good news?”
    “My grandfather’s attorney found a buyer for the house in New York. I thought it would take forever to sell.”
    “I hope you got a good price.”
    “Twelve million. Do you know anything about furniture? I need someone to help me figure out what to keep and what to sell.”
    Maria stared at him. “Are you asking me to go to New York with you?”
    “Can your family take care of the kids for a week?”
    “They could, but I’m not going to ask them. And I’m not going to New York or anywhere else with you. I have a job and a family, and I can’t leave either one.”
    He should run the other direction from a woman who could crawl inside his mind, but he didn’t want to run anywhere. He wanted her so much he could almost taste her.
    She looked away, and he knew she’d heard his thoughts. He took her shoulders and turned her to face him. Kiss me, Maria. Come on, honey, I need a kiss.
    Her gaze moved from his eyes to his lips, and an instant later she was in his arms, and the kiss turned into a full-blown melt-down. God, she tasted good.
    “Blade,” she whispered, and he took that as an invitation to kiss her again, this time with his hand under her shirt. If he thought he could get away with it, he’d take her in the bedroom and rip her clothes off, but she’d probably slap him silly if he did.
    Maria backed away and straightened her clothes. Her hands were shaking. Her entire body trembled not with fear, but with longing. She wanted to take what he had to offer, to lose herself in his arms, but she couldn’t get involved with another man, especially one as needy as this one. He needed love the way other people needed air to breathe, but at this point in her life, Maria wasn’t so sure she could love another man. Her marriage had squeezed every drop out of her. It would be foolish to open herself up to that kind of pain again.
    Pulling her coat on, she walked toward the front door. “Don’t I get a goodnight kiss?” Blade asked, and she shook her head. One more kiss and she’d lose what little control she had left. She felt as vulnerable now as when she slept with Roberto, only she had real feelings for Blade, feelings she didn’t have for Fred or for Professor Roberto Galterio.
    Unlocking the front door, she said,