Beloved Enemy


 
 
 
 
 
 Synopsis
 When Ellie Birdsong, an ambitious young real estate developer, is sent from Atlantic City to Puerto Rico to “charm the panties off” landowner Carla Valdez, the last thing she expects is to be seduced by the lush island, Carla’s two troubled adopted young sons, and Carla herself.
 
 But in her quest to buy Carla’s sprawling beachfront property on the Caribbean and turn it into a gambling resort, Ellie learns to love the land and its people. As she tours bustling marketplaces, rugged mountains, and historic sites she experiences the culture clash between rich and poor, and tradition and progress.
 
 As Ellie’s love and respect for Carla grows, their relationship is threatened by a ruthless gangster who also wants Carla’s land, by jealousy and romantic rivalry, and by the disappearance of Carla’s younger son. Torn between her professional ambition and her feelings for Carla, Ellie may risk losing Carla’s trust and becoming her “beloved enemy.”
 
 
 
 
 Table of Contents
 
 
 Cover
 
 
 Synopsis
 
 
 Bella Books Social Media
 
 
 About the Author
 
 
 Title Page
 
 
 Copyright
 
 
 Acknowledgment
 
 
 Chapter One
 
 
 Chapter Two
 
 
 Chapter Three
 
 
 Chapter Four
 
 
 Chapter Five
 
 
 Chapter Six
 
 
 Chapter Seven
 
 
 Chapter Eight
 
 
 Chapter Nine
 
 
 Chapter Ten
 
 
 Chapter Eleven
 
 
 Chapter Twelve
 
 
 Chapter Thirteen
 
 
 Chapter Fourteen
 
 
 Chapter Fifteen
 
 
 Chapter Sixteen
 
 
 Chapter Seventeen
 
 
 Chapter Eighteen
 
 
 Chapter Nineteen
 
 
 Chapter Twenty
 
 
 Chapter Twenty-one
 
 
 Chapter Twenty-two
 
 
 Chapter Twenty-three
 
 
 Chapter Twenty-four
 
 
 Chapter Twenty-five
 
 
 Chapter Twenty-six
 
 
 Chapter Twenty-seven
 
 
 Chapter Twenty-eight
 
 
 Chapter Twenty-nine
 
 
 Chapter Thirty
 
 
 Chapter Thirty-one
 
 
 Chapter Thirty-two
 
 
 Chapter Thirty-three
 
 
 Chapter Thirty-four
 
 
 Chapter Thirty-five
 
 
 Chapter Thirty-six
 
 
 Chapter Thirty-seven
 
 
 Chapter Thirty-eight
 
 
 Chapter Thirty-nine
 
 
 Chapter Forty
 
 
 Chapter Forty-one
 
 
 Chapter Forty-two
 
 
 Chapter Forty-three
 
 
 Chapter Forty-four
 
 
 Chapter Forty-five
 
 
 Chapter Forty-six
 
 
 Chapter Forty-seven
 
 
 Chapter Forty-eight
 
 
 Chapter Forty-nine
 
 
 Chapter Fifty
 
 
 Chapter Fifty-one
 
 
 Chapter Fifty-two
 
 
 Chapter Fifty-three
 
 
 Chapter Fifty-four
 
 
 Chapter Fifty-five
 
 
 Chapter Fifty-six
 
 
 Chapter Fifty-seven
 
 
 Chapter Fifty-eight
 
 
 Chapter Fifty-nine
 
 
 Chapter Sixty
 
 
 Chapter Sixty-one
 
 
 Chapter Sixty-two
 
 
 Chapter Sixty-three
 
 
 Chapter Sixty-four
 
 
 Chapter Sixty-five
 
 
 Other books by Kate Merrill
 
 
 Bella Books
 
 
 
 
 Landmarks
 
 
 Cover
 
 
 Table of Contents
 
 
 
 
 www.BellaBooks.com
 
 
 
 
 
 
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 About the Author
 Elizabeth Whitaker is a pen name for Kate Merrill. 
 Kate is a longtime art gallery owner who lives with her wife, two cats, and a dog on a lake in North Carolina. When she’s not writing, she enjoys swimming, kayaking, and allowing her strong-willed golden retriever to take her for a walk.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Copyright © 2023 by Elizabeth Whitaker
 
 Bella Books, Inc.
 P.O. Box 10543
 Tallahassee, FL 32302
 
 All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, without permission in writing from the publisher.
 
 This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental. The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party websites or their content.
 
 First Edition - 2023
 
 Editor: Kay Grey
 Cover Designer: Heather Honeywell
 
 ISBN: 978-1-64247-377-3
 
 PUBLISHER’S NOTE
 
 The scanning, uploading, and distribution of this book via the Internet or via any other means without the permission of the publisher is illegal and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized print or electronic editions, and do not participate in or encourage electronic piracy of copyrighted materials.Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated.
 
 
 
 
 In loving memory
 of
 
 Mary and Enid
 
 who introduced me 
 to
 their beloved Puerto Rico
 
 
 
 Acknowledgment
 Muchas gracias
 to the crew at Bella Books and to my superb editor, Kay Grey. Without her, my Spanish would have been garbled and unrecognizable. Her sensitivity to the plot, the characters, and the culture of Puerto Rico was vital to the final product.
 
 
 
 Chapter One
 A little turbulence…
 Ellie leaned against the jet window and gazed out at the lightning bolts. They fluttered like the butterflies romping in her stomach and flashed through a fabric of dirty gray clouds. With a little luck, when the pilot curved in over the harbor, leaving the ocean behind, San Juan would emerge as clear and sunny as advertised in those brochures she’d been studying for the past few months.
 “If the storm scares you, ma’am, why not pull down the shade?” The deep, honey-smooth voice startled her.
 An exceedingly tall guy hovered in the aisle, his elbow braced against the headrest of the empty seat beside her.
 “Rocky ride.” He stated the obvious, almost losing his balance. “Mind if I sit down till I get my sea