“Can I get you some coffee?” Mike asked, pointing to the carafe on the counter.
“Sounds good, thanks.”
Mike prepared Luc’s coffee and handed it to him. “So, I guess you’re here to talk to Tori about the tour, huh?”
“Yeah, and I wanted to talk to you about somethin’, too.”
“What is it?”
“Obviously, Tori’s gonna need a new head of security.”
“You want me to help my old man find someone?” Mike smirked. “Given the job he did the first time around, I hate to say he might be losin’ his touch, but—”
“I’ve already found someone.”
Mike knew it would be difficult for him to allow anyone to get close to Tori again. He intended to run background checks on every last member of the Titan Records team first chance he got. “I want to meet him before you make any final decisions. If he’s gonna be watchin’ Tori’s back, I wanna make sure he’s the right man for the job. ’Cause I swear to God, if anyone ever tries to hurt her again—”
Luc held his hand up. “Won’t be necessary, you’re the man I want.”
“Me?” Mike eased back on one of the stools at the breakfast bar. “What the hell are you talkin’ about? I’ve got a job… I love.”
“As much as you love Tori?”
“Come on, man, that’s not fair. It’s like askin’ you whether you love Marisa more than your work.”
“If my company went bankrupt tomorrow, I’d survive. But if I lost Marisa, it would kill me. It’s as simple as that.”
Mike knew what he said was true. He’d spent years watching them together, and their bond was unbreakable. “Bein’ a cop’s the only thing I’ve ever wanted, the only thing that’s ever mattered to me.”
“But now something matters more, am I right?”
He didn’t even have to think about it. Tori mattered more than his job, his friends, hell, even more than his family. “Yeah, you’re right. So, what’s your point?”
Luc took a sip of his coffee before he said, “Okay, here’s the way I see it. You fell in love with a woman whose job takes her around the world and back. You can choose to be a part of her life, or not.”
“I am a part of her life.” He crossed his arms. “That’s the way it is, the way it’s gonna be, and if you’re gonna try to make her choose between her career and me—”
“I’m tryin’ to give you guys a chance to have it all.” He sighed. “You’re a great cop, no question about it. But are you tellin’ me the job doesn’t get to you after a while? It doesn’t mess with your head?”
“Sure it does.” Mike took a drink of his coffee, staring into the brew a long time before he decided to acknowledge something he’d never admitted to anyone, including himself. “There are a lot of days when I think about packin’ it in. When I’m tired or frustrated or just mad as hell a case isn’t goin’ my way. But then I ask myself, what the hell would I do with my life if I didn’t have my career? It’s more than what I do. It’s who I am. It’s the only thing I’m good at, the only thing that’s ever really made me feel like I’m makin’ a difference, ya know?”
“I’m givin’ you another option, and it’s not just because I like you or because you’re a good cop. You’re the right man for this job.” He sighed. “The truth is, your old man’s been makin’ noise about packin’ it in for a while now. He says he wants to spend more time with Lexi and the kids, hang out at the cottage, travel a bit… Look, I get where he’s comin’ from, I do. He gave almost twenty years to the force, another fifteen to us. He’s paid his dues. He deserves to take a little time for himself, but I can’t let him go until I know I’ve got the right man to fill his shoes.”
Mike rolled his eyes. “That’s real nice, Spencer. Now you’re tryin’ to guilt me into takin’ the job?”
“Hey, I never said I play fair.” He grinned. “I play to win.”
“Oh man,” Mike said, tipping his head back as he scrubbed his hands over his face. “I gotta admit, I never saw this comin’.”
“Yeah, well, that makes two of us, buddy. I never thought Tori’s head of security would be out to get her. Think about what I’m offerin’ you…”
How could he not? “I’m listenin’.”
“The chance to be with Tori all the time, you get to hand select the people who are part of her security team, run background checks on everybody who comes into contact with her, hire temporary security for concerts, bodyguards for special events, you get to travel the world…” He grinned. “Not to mention, you’ll be makin’ five times what you are now.”
The money was a nice bonus, but he knew it wouldn’t be enough to make the decision for him. “I’m not gonna lie, you make it tough to say no.”
“Then don’t.” Luc’s cell phone buzzed and he spared a glance at the screen. “When you take over Josh’s job, you’d be makin’ ten times what you’re makin’ on the force, Mike. Come on, you can’t tell me it’s not enticing.”
“Of course it is.” He ran his hands through his hair. “But I need some time to think about it, to talk to Tori, my dad, Derek… get their thoughts on it. This doesn’t affect just me, ya know.”
“Fine, but we haven’t got a lot of time. Tori’s goin’ back out on the road tomorrow, and she’s got no head of security. Josh is gonna step up and fill the gap, but I can’t ask him to do it forever.”
“I hear ya. I’ll let you know… soon.”
Tori felt like a new woman by the time she emerged from her bedroom twelve hours after they arrived home. They’d slept for hours, made love, ate, showered, and she finally felt ready to face the world.
“No doubt in my mind you’re the man I need, Mike,” Luc said.
“Too bad, you can’t have him. He’s mine.”
Luc laughed as he picked Tori up and swung her in a low circle. “Damn, it’s good to see you, girl. We were all goin’ out of our minds worryin’ about you.”
She pressed a kiss to his bristly cheek. “I’m sorry I worried you.” She covered her face with her hands when he set her down. “The tour.” She grimaced. “I’m so sorry—”
Luc held his hand up to silence her. “Those dates have already been rescheduled. We’re still gonna do the last night in Louisville tomorrow night, if you’re up for it?”
Mike scowled. “Don’t you think she needs a day or two to recover before you send her out on the road?”
Tori smiled at him. She loved him for wanting to protect her, but getting back out there and resuming her normal life was the best way for her to put this nightmare behind her. The only thing that made it bittersweet was knowing Mike would have no reason to go with her now. They were facing three long months apart, and she didn’t know how she was going to get through it. In a short time, she’d already come to depend on him more than she thought possible.
“It’s okay, I’m ready. I want to go.”
Mike looked surprised by her announcement. “You want to go?”
She knew he was really asking whether she wanted to leave him so soon after they’d finally found each other. “It’s my job. I have to go. Everyone’s countin’ on me.” She reached across the counter to take Mike’s hand. “You understand, don’t you?”
“Yeah, sure.” He cleared his throat before glancing at Luc. “I’m gonna head downstairs, get a workout in. Can we talk later?”
“Sooner rather than later,” Luc said, reaching across the counter to offer Mike his hand. “I can’t thank you enough for everything you did. Seriously, you went above and beyond.”
“I didn’t do it out of some sense of obligation to get the job done, Luc.” He glanced at Tori. “I did it because she means everything to me.”
Tori closed her eyes, a smile playing on her lips. His words seeped in, and she knew he was the only man who would ever mean more to her than money, accolades, or music. He was her everything. “I love you,” she mouthed.
Mike winked and smiled at her before making his way downstairs.
Luc watched him go before turning his attention back to her. “I want the truth. You ready to get back out there so soon?”
“Absolutely. I can’t wait.”
Luc drew her in for another hug and kissed the top of her head. “Everybody wants to see you. What do you want me to tell them?”
“I just need a little more time with my man. I’ll catch up with them at the airport tomorrow.” She tipped her head back to look at him. “Tell ’em I love them.”
Mike turned up the volume on his iPod before increasing the incline on his treadmill. Tori’s raspy voice crept into his head, making him want her all over again. It scared him to think about how much of his mind-space she was already occupying. If he accepted Luc’s offer, Tori would become his entire world, and there was a part of him that feared losing himself in the bargain.
Tori entered the room and smiled at him as she set a pair of pink ear buds in her ears.
He watched her un-zip the hot pink warm-up jacket covering her little black spandex tank top and shorts and toss it on the weight bench. Reaching for his bottle of water, he muttered, “I’m already workin’ in my target heart rate, thanks.”
She laughed as she mounted the elliptical. “Don’t mind me, Lieutenant. I need to burn off some of this excess energy.”
He pulled his ear buds out and licked his lips as he watched her bounce up and down. “I can think of better ways.”
“Is that all you ever think about?”
“With you lookin’ like that? What the hell else would I be thinkin’ about?” In reality, he’d much rather think about making love to Tori than trying to decide his fate, but he knew he couldn’t put Luc off forever. “So, Luc came here to make me an offer.”
Tori twisted the cap off her bottle. “What kind of offer?”
“He wants me to quit the force to become your head of security.”
“No, you can’t!”
Mike was surprised and a little hurt by her reaction. He expected her to be elated at the prospect of them spending every day and night together. “You don’t want me to take the job?”
“No, it’s just… I know how much you love bein’ a cop. I know you’d never ask me to give up my music ’cause you know how much it means to me. How can I ask you to give up the force for me? It wouldn’t be fair.”
Mike wiped the sweat from his forehead with the terry towel wrapped around his neck. “You’re not the one askin’, Luc is. You can’t deny it would solve a lot of our problems.”
“Yeah, but what if you ended up hatin’ me because I encouraged you to leave your job? I can’t do it.” She shook her head, her blond ponytail swinging furiously. “I won’t let you accept the offer.”
Mike smirked. “You won’t let me?”
She had the grace to blush. “I’ll just tell Luc to find someone else.”
“You think I’m gonna be able to trust someone else after what happened?” He pressed the button to slow down the treadmill. “I keep thinkin’ about you out there without me for months on end, trustin’ someone else to take care of you, and I can’t do it.” He stepped off and linked an arm over her machine. “I need to do this.”
A tear slipped down her cheek, melding with the perspiration. “Please don’t; I don’t want to lose you.”
“What the hell are you talkin’ about? You’re not gonna lose me.” He reached over to shut her machine down. “I’m doin’ this because I love you… because I don’t even want to think about losin’ you.”
She stroked his cheek and smiled. “I know you feel that way now, but how’re you gonna feel five or ten years from now when you’re hirin’ security guards instead of chasin’ down murderers and rapists?”
“That’s not all it’s cracked up to be.” They shared a smile. “I know what I’m doin’. You’re gonna have to trust me on this, sweetheart.” He reached over to kiss her. “I love you, and I’ll be damned if I’m gonna trust some hired gun to take care of you.” If there was any doubt in his mind before, it was gone. He knew what he needed to do. It was time to say good-bye to his old life so he could start a new life with Tori.
Mike rang his mother and stepfather’s doorbell and stood back, rehearsing in his mind what he wanted to say. He never imagined having this conversation with Derek, but now that he’d made the decision, it felt right.
Ashley answered the door and gasped when she saw him. “Get in here,” she said, reaching for his hand to pull him inside. “I’m so glad you’re home safe.” She framed his face with her hands as she looked him in the eye. “And Tori, how is she?”
He instinctively pulled his mother into his arms. “I love you, Mom.” It had been a long time since he’d told her… too long. His mother was the one woman in his life, up until now, he’d always been able to count on. She was the one who taught him that it was possible to love a woman with your whole heart.
“I love you too, sweetheart,” she whispered, choking back a sob. “I was so worried, we all were. I love her so much, like she was my own daughter.”
“I know you do.” His mother had never made a secret of her feelings for Tori, and when he talked her down in inane attempts to guard his heart, Ashley was the first one to tell him he wouldn’t be able to spot a good woman if she tripped him. “So do I.”
She pulled back to look at him. “I’m so happy you two finally got your act together. Tori’s been in love with you since the first time she laid eyes on you, Michael. I saw it then, and I’ve seen it every time she’s looked at you since then. I think that’s why I thought so much of her. I could see she was the one woman who loved you as much as I do.”
“When I thought I’d lost her, I wanted to die,” he whispered, looking down at the ground between them. “I’ve never felt that way before. I mean, I don’t think I could’ve gone on without her. I’ve tried to tell her, to show her…” He felt the heat rise up his neck when he realized who he was talking to. “Sorry, too much information.”
Ashley laughed. “It’s okay, I realize my sons have been sexually active for a long time.” She pointed a finger at him. “Probably too long.”
“I’m not havin’ this conversation with you.”
“You want Tori to be your last?” Ashley asked quietly. “I mean, does it scare you, knowin’ she’s the last woman you’ll ever make love to if you decide to take this relationship to the next level?”
“Hell no, the thought of sleepin’ with someone else does nothin’ for me.” He grimaced when he realized he was actually having a conversation with his mother about his sex life. This was wrong on so many levels, but he’d come this far, may as well stay the course. “I’ve just been goin’ through the motions for the last two years, tryin’ to find a woman who made me feel the way she did, but nothin’. I mean, there were times when I couldn’t even bring myself to go through with it.”
Ashley grinned. “That’s sayin’ a lot.”
“Seriously, she’s the one. There’s not a doubt in my mind.” He looked at his mother a long time before he said, “I’m sorry.”
“For what?”
“For givin’ you and Derek such a hard time when you two were tryin’ to figure things out. I didn’t have a clue how you were feelin’ at the time, but I get it now.” He shook his head. “How the hell did you do it?”
“Do what?”
“Live your life without him?”
A look of sadness clouded her eyes. “You make sacrifices when you’re a parent, Mike. You’ll understand one day.”
“I hate that we cost you guys so many years together.” He sighed. “Derek’s one of the best guys I’ve ever known, and we’re damn lucky to have him in our lives.”
“Stop, you’re gonna get me started,” Derek said, smiling. He pushed off the doorframe he’d been leaning on and walked into the foyer. He looked Mike in the eye before extending his hand. “I was so proud of the way you handled yourself. Honestly, I don’t think I could’ve done a better job.”
“Thanks, man,” Mike said, taking his ha
nd as he pulled him into a half-hug. “You don’t know how much that means to me.”
“So, why’re you here instead of home with your woman?” Derek asked, lifting an eyebrow.
“I needed to talk to you about somethin’.”
“I’m not gonna like this, am I?”
“Probably not.” Mike sighed. He knew there was no way to soften the blow for either of them, so he opted for the direct approach. “I’m leavin’ the force.”
Ashley took a step back. “Why? What’re you talkin’ about? You’ve wanted to be a police officer ever since you were a little boy. It’s the only thing you’ve ever wanted to do with your life.”
Derek held his hand up. “This has somethin’ to do with Tori, doesn’t it?”
“It has everything to do with her, but I’m makin’ this decision for me. It’s time for me to start buildin’ my life around somethin’ other than my career.”
Ashley covered her mouth with her hands as tears sprang to her eyes. “Would it be selfish of me to admit I’ve always prayed you’d come to your senses eventually?”
Mike couldn’t contain his smile. He knew how his mother felt about his chosen profession, but she’d always supported his decision. “No, I think you’re allowed.”
Derek looked at his wife. “You may be happy about this, but I sure as hell ain’t. I’m losin’ the best damn cop I’ve got.”
Ashley threaded her arm through Derek’s and laid her head on his shoulder. “You’ll get over it, sweetheart.”
“So what…” Derek asked, throwing his hands up in the air. “You’re hookin’ up with a gazillionaire and you’re gonna be a kept man now?”
“Don’t be a smart-ass,” Mike said, glaring at him. “Luc’s offered me a job as Tori’s head of security, and I’ve decided to take it.”
“Damn him,” Derek muttered. “Hirin’ you right out from under me. I should’ve known he’d pull somethin’ like this.”
“You could tell me you’re happy for me,” Mike said quietly. Derek’s opinion had always been important to Mike, not just because he was his stepfather, but because for years he’d been his idol, his mentor, and his friend.
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