She looked at Jake through her tears and shrugged. “All I’ve done tonight is cry.”
And the man she loved wrapped his arms around her and held her while she cried because there was so much joy in her heart it couldn’t be contained.
“Can you take the rest of the day off?”
Maria glanced up from the Excel spreadsheet to see Jake leaning in the doorway, looking just as hot in his K2 uniform of cargo pants and an olive-green T-shirt as he’d been in a suit and tie Saturday night. Maybe even hotter. It was hard to decide.
She might as well take the day off as she’d been pretty useless, unable to concentrate on anything for more than a few minutes. It had been such an emotional weekend and she was still riding on the high of all that had happened.
Tapping her pen on her lips, she sat back in her chair. “What’s the boss going to do if I leave? Fire me?”
A grin spread across his face. “I could kidnap you. Carry you out against your will.”
“You wouldn’t dare.” As soon as she said the words, she realized her mistake. His face went blank—warrior mode, she called it—but the little crinkles of amusement at the corners of his eyes gave him away.
“I’m on a mission and you’re my objective.”
“Jake, no!” she cried when he scooped her up.
“Maria, yes.”
When he walked past the K2 staff with her in his arms, they clapped and cheered. Just as she started to bury her face against Jake’s neck, she caught sight of Logan. When their gazes met, he mouthed three words, winked at her, and slipped back into his office.
Love you, brat.
Tears burned her eyes. Her brother had just given his approval, was letting her go. He’d been her friend, her protector, her mother, and father from the day she was born. She chided herself for being silly. It wasn’t like she would never see him again, yet she understood he’d just turned her care over to Jake. Not that she couldn’t take care of herself, but these K2 men liked protecting their women, considered it their duty.
“Why are you crying, Chiquita?”
“I’m not.” She pressed her face harder against his skin, willing the tears to stop. It seemed like all she’d done the past three days was cry.
“Are too. My neck’s wet.”
He walked out of the building, stopped at his car, and set her down on the hood. Leaning back, he studied her. “Tell me.”
“I’m happy.”
“So they’re happy tears?”
“I’m sad.”
“I see.” He pinched the bridge of his nose with his fingers. “No, I don’t see.”
Not that he could ever understand, but she tried to explain. “Logan just gave me to you. It made me happy and sad.”
“He did? How did I miss that?”
“You were too busy playing caveman and abducting me. It was just something I knew by the way he winked at me when you were carrying me out.”
“To say that pleases me is an understatement considering his previous threat to kill me if I came near you.” Tilting his head, he studied her. “He’s always been there for you, protecting you, and now he’s passing the mantle so to speak.”
“Yeah, I guess he is. Is it possible to feel sad and happy at the same time?”
He chuckled. “So it appears. Bet I can help with the sad part.”
Maria spread her legs and tugged on the belt loops at his sides. “You think so, Tiger?” she said when he stepped against her.
“I’m pretty certain of it.” Cradling her face with his hands, he lowered his head and kissed her.
God yes, he could make her forget her own name. His tongue found hers and she laughed into his mouth when their duel for dominance began, a game she loved playing with him.
He leaned back and raised an arrogant eyebrow. “Mmm? You find kissing me funny?”
That set her off, and she really didn’t know why she was laughing so hard except that she was just so damn happy. His mouth went from mock insulted, to a smile, then a wide grin, and then he was laughing with her.
“Time to go,” he said when they finally caught their breath.
She hopped down from the hood. “Where to?”
“Not telling you. It’s a surprise.”
A few minutes after making love to his future wife, Jake sprawled on the sofa, Maria between his legs, her head on his chest, neither of them paying attention to the ball game on TV. Instead, they admired the new diamond engagement ring on the finger she held up in front of them.