Now he'd said it.
Her eyes rounded in surprise, then she took a breath. "And I—"
He quickly stopped her, the fingers of his left hand on her lips, and shook his head. "No. No commitment on your part, Janey. Not until you're sure. It's not an easy life."
She seemed to consider that for a moment, then kissed his fingers, still on her lips. Gently, she took that hand in hers. "I'm sure of this. I love you."
"I said no commitment from you."
"I can't help loving you." She took a breath. "So there."
She smiled at him and her words echoed in his heart. He was the luckiest man alive.
"We've done something else today. Now what do we do?"
"What? The wild librarian is going to wear me out?"
"That's my plan." She kissed him quickly, then nibbled at his lower lip. "Two weeks from now," she whispered, "you'll be a shadow of your former self. Your co-workers will wonder what happened to turn you into this dried-out husk of a man."
"Nah, they'll wonder why I'm smiling all the time."
***
Two months later
Matt opened the front door of his D.C. apartment a day later than scheduled. He'd tried to call Janey, but had only gotten her voice mail, so he'd left her a text. Arrival plans have changed, he'd said. As always, his plans didn't count for much. He'd wanted to get away sooner, but the debriefing went on and on.
And there was the business with her brother. He'd hoped to have good news, but everything he heard at Langley was bad. He'd have to tell her something. What, he had no clue.
Even though he wasn't as tired as he thought he'd be, he intended to get a good night's sleep, then head to Walton Springs in the morning. He'd be there in time to greet Janey as she came home from work. He liked her apartment. He hated his. Spartan, the way his life had been before Janey.
He threw his keys down on the single table in the living room as he always did, and heard—no—felt her. He looked up. "You're here."
She stood awkwardly in the middle of the nearly empty room, a shy little smile on her face, before rushing toward him.
He caught her and swung around in a circle as he kissed her. She tasted like everything he'd ever wanted. Like everything he was going to have. He broke the kiss, put her down, and rested his forehead against hers.
He had to tell her, this woman he loved, this woman whose brother was still missing, that nothing had changed.
"I see it on your face, Matt. What have you heard?"
He took a deep breath. "He's not dead," he said, and felt her exhale. Of that, everyone was pretty sure. Damn, but her brother was in a hell of a mess. It didn't make any sense. "He's not communicating."
"That means what?"
"That's all I can say."
She nodded. "Is there anything you can do?"
"I've—reached out." He'd contacted someone who could be an intermediary. He could only hope JP would do the same thing.
She held on to him. "Are you supposed to do that?" she asked against his shoulder. "Are you supposed to tell me you did that?"
"You're my life, Janey." He pulled away in order to see her face. "I won't lie to you, but I also won't break my oath. I can't tell you anything more."
She nodded, her eyes solemn.
God, how he loved her. So brave, so strong. He kissed her again, letting himself slip a little, letting tenderness slide into passion, before stopping.
"How long have you been here?" he asked.
"Since yesterday." She brushed his too-long hair from his forehead. "I got your text. I thought you might be delayed, but I gambled."
He smiled and kissed her lightly, his arms around her waist, hips tight against hers. "You're a gambler, all right, Janey."
"No, I'm not. I am a sure thing kind of person." She placed the lightest of kisses on his mouth, ran her fingers down his cheek, with its three days' growth of beard, and met his gaze. "You told me to be sure. I'm sure I love you and I want the life we can build together."
"It's not an easy life."
"You told me that before. I didn't say I wanted an easy life, I said I want the life we can build together."
"It doesn't have to be this way for us," he said, watching her closely.
"I don't understand." She looked wary.
"Would you settle for the life we can actually share?"
"What do you mean?" she asked.
"Would you be willing to move?"
Her perfectly arched brows rose. "Move where?"
"I talked to Clay Field."
"Didn't he graduate high school with you?"
"Yeah. He's living in central Florida now. He's the chief of police in a little town down there. He suggested I do police academy. Couple of years with the larger sheriff's department there, some more training, and I can qualify for SWAT. The risks are lower. It would be an easier life for us."
"For me, maybe. I know I could find a job, but what about you? Is that what you want?"
"Yeah, babe, it is. I want to be home when we have our babies."
"You're sure?"
"I told you I want marriage, the whole thing."
"That's not what I meant. Are you sure you want to quit what you've been doing?"
"You're not?"
"I don't want you to make a decision like this because of me."
"Why else would I make a decision like this? I have you, I want time with you." Not sporadic trips home, not the possibility of whatever the hell had happened to her brother. "I want to take you dancing. I want us to have babies. I want us to have a life. This is a good plan. It'll work." He hugged her close and gave her quick kiss.
She smiled. "You just want to make the babies."
"Well, there is that." He pulled her blouse aside and kissed her shoulder. "We could start right now."
She laughed. "I'd rather do things in their proper order," she said as he unbuttoned the top button and pushed aside her bra. "We can practice a lot until you get it right."
His head shot up. "I haven't done it right?"
"I've been reading."
THE END
Author's Note
I hope you enjoyed Dancing in the Dark. I'd love to hear from you. Drop me a note at [email protected]
Curious out what happens to Janey's brother? His story, tentatively entitled In the Arms of a Stranger, is scheduled for release in August 2013, by Entangled Suspense. Check my website for details. If you're interested in receiving news updates, sign up for my mailing list.
Book List
The sequel to Dancing in the Dark, tentatively entitled In the Arms of a Stranger (JP's story), is scheduled for release in August 2013, by Entangled Suspense. Check my website for details.
Against the Wind (2012). Excerpt. Available at Amazon
To the Limit (2004). Excerpt. Available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo
About the Author
Virginia Kelly lives in Florida with her husband and children. Virginia's first novel, To the Limit, was a finalist in the 2003 Romance Writers of America® Golden Heart Contest. Published in print format in 2004 by Silhouette Intimate Moments, To the Limit was nominated for several awards including the Holt Medallion (Virginia Romance Writers) and The Golden Quill (Phoenix Desert Rose Contest). It is now available as an ebook.
Website: http://virginiakelly.net
Facebook: http://facebook.com/virginiakellyauthor
Twitter: http://twitter.com/virginiagkelly
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Dancing in the Dark: A Novella Page 6
