Brows furrowing inward, his head tilting to the side, he asks, "I don't understand. I thought that was your dream?"
"It is," I say, but then I correct myself. "Or, at least, it was my dream."
"Doesn't matter," he says dismissively. "I was willing to come to Pittsburgh and still am if you want."
Again, I don't say anything because he's thrown me for such a loop. I still can't believe this amazing man is willing to give up everything for me.
"You've got that look, baby," Wyatt says as he chucks me under the chin so I look at him. "Talk to me."
I sit up on Wyatt's lap, change position, and fling one leg over so I can straddle him. When we're face to face, I place my palms on his cheeks and look right into his eyes.
When I'm sure I have his attention, I say, "You've said a lot. Now I've got some things to say to you, okay?"
He nods, his blue eyes sparkling … his lips curled up in a patient smile.
"I love you," I tell him.
His smile gets bigger.
"And while it was my dream to work at the BRIU, I've recently come to realize that a person's dreams can change."
I take a moment to kiss him lightly and say, "Mine have changed."
"Oh, baby," he breathes softly.
"What I wanted to talk to you about was an idea I had … one that would let us be together. I was thinking about leaving the FBI and taking the North Carolina Bar Exam. Maybe setting up a law practice in Nags Head. I thought I could move there to be with you."
Now Wyatt is the one whose jaw drops and his eyes go dark. I can actually tell that he's going to nix this idea, so I keep on. "It's not something that would happen overnight. I'd need several months to study for it, and the next available exam would be February. I'd have to keep working here until then, but I would think by next spring, I could make the move. So we really wouldn't have that long-"
Wyatt places his fingertips over my lips to shut me up. He gives a slow shake to his head. "You are not giving up the BRIU. You've wanted this since you were a little girl."
Pushing his hand away, I say, "I'm not letting you give up your career and your home. You have family and friends there. I'm the more mobile of the two of us."
"Forget it," he says. "You join the BRIU and I'll move to Quantico. That's only about four hours from Nags Head. We'll keep my house and visit there on the weekends."
"But seriously, Wyatt," I say … maybe with a bit of a whine. "That's not my dream anymore. You're my dream. I want to be with you, and this is the best way."
"Not going to argue with you about it, Andrea," he says gruffly.
"Of course you're not," I snap. "Because there's nothing to argue. I didn't accept the position."
"You didn't turn it down yet either, did you?"
"Well, no," I say in a small voice. "But only because I wanted to make sure that you wanted to be with me."
"I do," he says. "More than anything. So it's Quantico for both of us."
Jumping up from his lap, I plant my feet on the floor, hands to my hips, and stomp my foot. "No, no, no, no. I'm not going to Quantico. I'm going to study for the Bar and then my ass is moving into your cottage with you, and that's final."
Wyatt stares at me … surprise and amusement on his face. His hands reach out and grab me by the hips, pulling me back down on the couch with him. He maneuvers our bodies until I'm under him and he's planted firmly between my legs, supporting his weight on his elbows.
"We at least agree on one thing, right?" he asks with a grin.
"What's that?" I ask petulantly. "That you're a stubborn mule?"
Wyatt laughs, leaning down to nuzzle my neck. When he pulls back, his face is serious … filled with utter devotion. "No … we both at least agree that we love each other. That little tidbit seemed to get lost in the conversation we just had."
My lips purse and then break out into a grin. "Yeah … that is definitely something we both agree on."
His lips touch mine … whisper soft. I open up, and then he kisses me long and slow. My heart swells with so much love that I feel it might burst within my chest.
Wyatt pulls away from me. His eyes pin me in place. "I love you, Andrea. I think we'll be able to figure this out."
I raise my hand, bring my fingers to his temple, and then thread my fingers backward through his hair. He arches into my touch and his eyes close.