She looked shell-shocked. Tears crowded her beautiful eyes as she stared at Isaac in stunned confusion.
"Do you mean that?" she barely managed to choke out, asking him the same words she'd voiced earlier.
"I've never been more serious about anything in my life. But this can't be one-sided, Jenna. I have to know that you feel at least something for me. I need you to give me hope that I'm not operating solo here and that you feel even a fraction of what I feel when I look into your eyes, when I touch you and when I kiss you."
She flushed, dropping her gaze, but not before he saw such longing in her eyes that it made him want to cry for all she'd never had and all she'd ever dreamed of.
"Trust in me, Jenna," he said, huskily, nearly begging when he'd never begged for anything in his life. "Give me the chance to prove myself to you. It's all I'll ever ask of you. Just a chance. And for you to place your trust and your heart in my hand. I'll treat them like the most precious things I've ever been given."
"I'm broken, Isaac. How can you want that-me?" she asked tearfully. "How can I be worthy of a man like you?"
He scowled despite his best efforts not to. "That's the biggest line of bullshit I've ever heard in my life and I will not hear it come out of your pretty mouth again. Are we clear?"
She was shaking but she nodded her head, color tinging her cheeks as she stared at his lips, the lips that had just kissed her.
"I never knew," she said in wonder.
He cocked his head to the side, cupping her cheek in his hand. "What are you talking about, honey?"
"That kissing was so beautiful," she admitted hesitantly. "So intimate. It's like nothing I've ever felt before and I don't understand what it's doing to me."
He smiled tenderly at her and then kissed her softly once more. "You'll understand this and a whole lot more very soon, baby. I promise you that."
Then he sighed and drew away. "I want you to lie down and try to get some sleep. You're exhausted and I need you rested for what comes next. I need to make some calls and plot our next move. I'll wake you in a few hours and I swear to you that I'll keep nothing from you. Deal?"
Slowly she nodded, glancing back at the bed longingly. Not waiting for her to move, he swept her into his arms and placed her on the bed with her head resting on the soft pillows. Then he pulled the covers up to her chin and kissed her one last time.
"Good night, sweet Jenna. Sleep well for me, okay? I need you strong for what comes next, so promise me you'll rest and let me worry about the details."
"I promise," she said in a somber voice.
"That's my girl," he said affectionately. "Lamp on or off?"
"On," she said anxiously. "I don't like the dark."
Unable to resist, he leaned over to give her one last, deep kiss, lingering for several long moments.
"Good night, love," he whispered. "Dream of me."
THIRTEEN
ISAAC punched in a series of encrypted codes that would signal every single DSS member that bad shit was going down and that everyone needed to get to one of the few safe houses that hadn't been breached over the years. As much as Isaac didn't want to involve DSS, he knew he didn't have a choice after all that Jenna had confided in him.
This was much bigger than a one-man operation or even for a small crew of teammates. Isaac needed every single person available in on this mission. It could mean the difference between life and death, and between Jenna being saved and her being kidnapped and subjected to a life in hell for as long as the men pursuing her had use of her.
Isaac knew that Caleb and Beau's younger sister, Tori, along with their wives and Zack's wife would accompany their husbands for two reasons. One, their husbands would never let them out of their sight when there was potential danger to any of them. And two, and Isaac nearly grinned, they would have insisted on coming no matter how fiercely their husbands argued differently, particularly Ari, because that woman could kick some serious ass without even having a weapon other than her devious, vengeful mind when it came to people she loved being hurt or threatened.
It was obvious that Dane, Beau and Caleb weren't happy with the fact that Isaac and the four newest recruits were holed up in a safe house provided by Eliza's husband, Sterling.
"I appreciate you all coming," Isaac said solemnly.
"What's going on, Isaac? Cut the crap. Does this happen to have anything to do with Jenna?" Dane demanded.
Isaac held up his hands as Dex, Zeke, Knight and Shadow stood from the couch, their arms folded over their chests, their expressions inscrutable.