“Leave me alone, Lucien.” She kept walking, her hands jammed in the pockets of her jeans.
“Caty, Shelly was just being a bitch.”
She stopped in her tracks and turned on her heel. “That may be, but the fact is she’s right. You deserve to be with someone who’s your equal. Not a stripper.” Pain flashed through her eyes as she continued walking.
“What the hell are you talking about?” He hurried beside her, matching her pace.
She stopped again and met his gaze. “Look, this thing between us needs to stop.”
“Why?” His heart froze in his chest. He figured once it started beating again it would fracture into a thousand pieces.
“I can’t keep living in this daydream. That we will somehow be together when next week comes.” She gave him a sad smile. “I live in the real world. And in my world, the best I can hope for is to leave this place and start over where no one knows me or my past.” Her smile faltered and she glanced away.
He grabbed her by the arms and forced her to look at him. “Listen to me. I can’t promise you next week, hell, I can’t promise you tomorrow. In the line of work I’m in, I have no guarantees.”
“It sounds dangerous. What line of work are you in exactly, Lucien?” Her gaze narrowed on him and she lowered her voice.
“Doesn't matter. What does matter is I care for you, Catty. And I’m not ready to walk away from this, from us.” His heart beat rapidly in his chest. He felt open and vulnerable, yet he couldn’t stop the words from spilling out from his mouth. “And I don’t think you’re ready to walk away either.”
“Look at me. Tell me the truth. Do you regret what we did, do you regret what has happened between us?” His chest squeezed as he waited for her answer.
She smiled. Her fingertips trailed down his jaw.
“No. I think what happened between us will keep me going for years to come. You’ve given me more in a few days than I can ever get in a lifetime. For that I’m grateful.”
His heart shattered in his chest for her. He wanted to grab her and take her back to his place and make love to her until she was consumed with him. Like he was for her.
“You don’t give yourself enough credit.” His heart tugged in his chest, and he kept his gaze on hers. “You don’t see what a wonderful person you really are. It goes beyond your beauty, which is pretty damn hot.”
She let out a reluctant laugh.
“I’m serious. You are more woman than I ever thought I would find.” God, he wanted to tell her more, tell her how much he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. But he couldn’t.
If this mission went south and he didn’t live, he didn’t want her to feel like he’d abandoned her in his death.
Suddenly the idea of being done with this mission and going home rushed into his chest. He’d lived his job for years, but now with Catty he longed for something different. He longed for someone to come home to at night.
“What are you saying?” She looked up at him, hope shining in her eyes like stars.
“I’m saying right now, today is all we are guaranteed. I want to live each day like it’s my last.”
“You say that like it’s a possibility.” Her brows furrowed.
He shrugged. “I want to be here, present in this moment with you. And once I’m finished with New Orleans, I …”
“You what?”
He swallowed. “I want you to come home with me. Back to Arkansas.”
There. The words were out. There was no going back now.
“You do?” Her voice waivered, like she didn’t dare to believe what he was saying to her.
“Yes, I do.” He meant it.
The busyness of the morning moved around them. The hum of cars passing slowly on the street, coupled with the scent of breakfast in the nearby diner, seemed dull in the space between them.
“I need to hurry up and be done with this business for the Guardians. It’s important I get this done first. You understand, don’t you, Catty?” Suddenly, finding his brother didn’t seem so important. Not anymore.
“Of course I do.” She stepped closer and rested her palms against his chest.
He wanted to take her in his arms and kiss her senseless, but he knew too many people could be watching them. He wouldn’t jeopardize her safety for his selfishness.
“Good.” He didn’t know what the future held for him, but he sure hoped she was part of it.
“I was worried when I woke up and you were gone. I wanted to tell you goodbye before I left for Yazoo City.” He reached for her hand and intertwined his fingers with hers.
“The reason I left before you woke up was to check on Mrs. Willis. Besides, you’re not going to Yazoo City without me.” She cocked her head.