Common ground…uncommon attraction
Maybe Gabe Cassidy couldn’t save his brother, but he can save others like him. Which is why Gabe has dedicated himself to a program that keeps kids off the streets.
So it doesn’t make sense that he’s at odds with Felicity Spencer—the hot principal who’s as committed to these kids as he is. It’s true that her adolescent connection to his late brother adds a layer of tension to their interactions. And it’s also true that the attraction between them adds a completely different kind of tension. One that’s getting harder to ignore.
When they do manage to work together, they’re phenomenal. And when they finally give in to the chemistry, Gabe recognizes that this relationship could be bigger than both of them.
Gabe caught her before she hit the ground
He had a clear view to her bra, Felicity realized, glad she’d worn the black one.
She looked up at him, close enough for a kiss. She was vividly aware of his strength, the muscles beneath his brown skin, his intense eyes. He was all man and he had her in his power. He could crush her, snap her bones, but she knew he would never let her come to harm.
Her dress had ridden up on her thigh, but she had no urge to pull it down. She wanted him to see, wanted him to hike it higher.
He was staring at her mouth now. He leaned down and kissed her.
A charge shot through her, waking up every cell. She felt Gabe fighting to be gentle, holding back. He shifted his mouth, sliding his tongue to graze hers, the contact so thrilling she made a needy sound that should have embarrassed her, but didn’t.
He groaned, sounding as desperate as she felt. Felicity couldn’t believe this was happening to her. This amazing man was as hot for her as she was for him.
Dear Reader,
This is a story about redemption and forgiveness, about seeing beyond differences to the deeper connections between two people falling in love. Gabe Cassidy and Felicity Spencer seem the unlikeliest of couples. He’s a half Chicano martial arts coach with a gang-leader father and she’s white, wealthy and, worse, the new principal who wants to kick his gym out of her school.
On top of that, they have a painful history. Gabe’s brother Robert was Felicity’s boyfriend when she was fourteen. Gabe blames Felicity for the arrest that put Robert in jail and later led to his death at age sixteen.
Forced to work together to save her school and his program, Gabe and Felicity peel away the layers of blame, guilt and the differences between them to find their deeper connections and a love more intense than either has experienced.
The story is built around an inner-city school—familiar ground for me as a former teacher in a low-income school. Felicity is the best kind of principal—clear-headed, compassionate, dedicated and savvy as hell. Our schools need thousands more like her.
I hope you are warmed by the emotional journey Felicity and Gabe take to their happy ending. As I wrote, I found myself wishing I could give them both a hug and my best wishes for their future together. I hope you feel the same.
All my best,
Dawn Atkins
P.S. I love to hear from readers! Please contact me through my website at www.dawnatkins.com.
Dawn Atkins
His Brother’s Keeper
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Award-winning author Dawn Atkins has written twenty-five novels for Harlequin Books. Known for her funny, poignant romance stories, she’s won a Golden Quill Award and has been a several-times RT Book Reviews Reviewers’ Choice Award finalist. Dawn lives in Arizona with her husband and son.
To Calle 16, the real Phoenix mural project that inspired elements of this story…
¡Muy bien hecho!
Acknowledgments
Total thanks to Detective Tim Lantz from the Gang Enforcement Unit, who gave me vital background. Thanks also to juvenile public defender Mara Siegel, who steered me straight on juvenile justice issues. Any errors are strictly my own. Eternal gratitude to Carolyn Greene, Lynn Greener and Laurie Schnebly Campbell, who pulled me from deep weeds at crucial points in the writing of this book. Thanks always to my intrepid critique partner, Amy Dominy.
Contents
CHAPTER ONE
“YOU©FIGHT©IN©THE©GYM, not the street, Alex,” Gabe Cassidy said, easily blocking the fourteen-year-old’s jabs. “You know the rules.” The kid was so much like Gabe’s little brother it almost hurt to look at him.
“Li’l B disrespected Carmen,” Alex said, extending his leg in a side kick that Gabe blocked. “I couldn’t let that pass.” The boy’s eyes were on fire and he practically trembled with fury. Just like Robert, he had a lot of anger packed into his small body.
“You let him rile you.” Gabe led with his right fist in order to work Alex’s weaker left. “Stance,” he reminded quietly. “Elbows.” Alex forgot the basics when he got upset, so this was good practice for the upcoming meet. “Li’l B figures if you get kicked out of STRIKE, you’ll join the gang.”
Gabe’s fighters stayed in school and out of trouble or they didn’t train.
“Carmen’s my girl. I had no choice.”
“You always have a choice. You want STRIKE shut down? It’s bad enough the window out front got broken.” He worked Alex into the center of the ring, waiting for him to control his footwork.
“Li’l B’s crew threw Carmen’s bike at