“You don’t have to say—”
“The truth? Yeah, Doc, I do.” He brushed back a lock of hair that had escaped from her bun. “I wanted to tell you in New Orleans. I wanted to tell you in Dallas. Hell, I even wanted to tell you in Lightning.”
What? No, he could not have just said that.
“I haven’t loved another woman, haven’t gotten close to anyone, the way I have with you.” His fingers curled under her jaw. “You slipped right past my walls. Made me want things...things I never thought I could have.”
If this was a dream, she had better not ever wake up. “You can have anything.”
He smiled at her. “You’re what I want.”
Her tall, dark and deadly agent was staring straight at her—and looking at Tina as if she was his world.
“I know you don’t love me,” he said, and he spoke those words with a determined pride that made her heart ache, “but give me a chance. That’s all I’m asking for. A chance to show you that we can be good together. No bombs. No danger. No threats. Just you and me. Give me the time to—”
“No.” That one word sent silence through the room.
His hand slid away from her. He swallowed. The soft sound was almost painful to hear. “Then I won’t push you anymore. I’m sorry. I—I guess I should have let you go.”
Never.
She grabbed his arm when he tried to ease away. The new stitches that she had on her neck—courtesy of that jerk Carl—pulled a bit. Tina ignored the little flash of pain. Some things were more important than pain. “I don’t need to take any kind of chance on you. I know that I love you.”
He blinked at her.
Ah, so she’d finally caught her agent by surprise. Only fair. He’d sure broken into her world and turned everything upside down.
“I loved you in New Orleans,” she told him softly. His pupils widened. The darkness fought the gold of his eyes. “I loved you in Dallas.” She smiled at him and hoped that he could see the emotion in her eyes. “And I loved you in Lightning.” She’d tried to tell him, to show him, in a million small ways.
Tina leaned forward and brushed her lips over his. She reached around him, her hands sliding over his coat.
She frowned when she felt the small bulge in his pocket.
Her brows lifted as her fingers slid inside that pocket. She touched the familiar form of an inhaler.
“I want you to always be safe,” he whispered. “I want you close to me, and I want to make sure I can help you.”
“You’ve been carrying this—”
“Since I found out what you needed. I want to be the man you need. The man who makes you smile in the morning.” A wicked glint lit his eyes. “The man who makes you moan at night.”
“You are.” Her heart was beating faster—because she was happy. The happiest she’d been in years.
It wasn’t about taking a chance on him. Wasn’t about the unknown risk of falling for a dangerous agent.
It was about what the heart wanted.
About trust.
About love.
“My sisters want to meet you,” he said as his lips lowered toward hers. “They want to meet the woman who saved them.”
“But I didn’t—”
“Yes, you did. Doc, you’re the bravest, strongest woman I’ve ever met. And I don’t know how I got so lucky as to find you, but I don’t ever want to let you go.”
She tilted her head back. “You don’t have to let me go.” Fair warning time. “Because I’m not going to let you go.”
“Forever?” Hope was there, in his eyes. Hope and love and happiness.
In his eyes. In his voice. On his face.
“Forever,” Tina promised. She kissed him and knew that she’d found the right man. The only man for her.