I didn’t have to ask to know he spoke of Vincent. “We got him, sweetie. We got him.” I’d helped kill the bastard, and was glad of it. Anyone who threatened Rome ’s life deserved a painful death.
“Thank you for taking those bullets for me, you big stupid-head,” I said. Tears suddenly burned my eyes. “You saved my life, but you also pissed me off. I would rather have taken them myself.”
“I’d never let anyone hurt you. Ever.”
I leaned over and kissed him softly on the lips. My chest ached then, and my stomach knotted. “You need to hurry up and get better. It’s time to get you and Sunny to safety.”
With a trembling arm, he reached out and caressed my cheek. “What’s wrong?”
“I guess now is as good a time as any to tell you that John fired you.”
His brow puckered and disbelief flashed over his face. “What? Why would he do that?”
“I’m, uh, sort of taking your place.” I looked away.
“What!”
“You, Sunny and Lexis can leave now. You can be a family. An average, normal family. But you’ll probably have to take Tanner with you, since he and Lexis are seeing each other now.” I forced a happy tone.
“Tanner and Lexis are… dating?” He flicked a glance to the ceiling. Praying for divine intervention? “And you, without consulting me, signed up to work with John. You did this so that I would leave the agency.”
O-kay. He’d sounded incredulous about the dating thing, but he’d sounded pissed as hell about the other. He should be slobbering all over me in thanks.
“Yes. On both counts.”
Silence.
“I’m not going to address my ex-wife’s romance with a teenager right now. The shock might kill me. What I want to know is why you want me gone so badly,” he finally said, his voice quiet.
“I don’t want you gone.” I faced him. “I just, well, this is what you wanted. This is what your daughter needs. And by taking your place at PSI, I’m fulfilling my end of our bargain. You helped me, I helped you.”
He reached up to pinch the bridge of his nose, but grimaced when he moved his arm, and quickly stilled. “I can’t believe you. You’re completely unpredictable and you’re a huge pain in my ass.”
“Gee. Thanks. That’s just the reaction I hoped for.” Tears once again filled my eyes. “Don’t you know this is hard for me? I don’t want to lose you.”
“Then don’t,” he said, his tone now raw. “Come with us.”
My eyes widened. With those words, he’d just offered me everything I’d wanted. Him. A life together. As a family. “I can’t.” It was the most difficult thing I’d ever had to say. “If I go back on my word, John will expect you to work for him. He’ll probably send Cody to hunt us both down.”
“Damn it, Belle. I never planned to fall in love with you.” Rome reached up and wiped away my tears. “But you snuck past my defenses.”
“What?” I demanded. That was the first I’d heard of love.
“I love you, okay? I suspected I was falling for you when you passed out after the fire. I mean, I’d never been so worried about a woman in my entire life, not even Lexis. But I knew it for sure when you saw me transform into a cat-”
“Jaguar,” I corrected.
“Whatever,” he said. “The point is, you didn’t give a shit.”
“That’s the sweetest thing I’ve ever heard,” I said, covering my eyes with my hand. But I didn’t want to hear those words. Not now. Not when I couldn’t take what he was offering. Still. I owed him the truth. “I love you, too.” The admission was hoarse, broken and unstoppable. “I love you so much.”
“I don’t know why you’re upset. It’s not like I’m going to leave you here to fend for yourself.”
My mouth fell open. “What?”
“You’ve got yourself a partner, baby. Get used to it. No way in hell I’m leaving you to your own devices. You need a keeper.”
“But… but… ”
“Vincent’s dead, and he was the biggest threat to Sunny. Besides, you’ll help me keep her safe from the rest of the world,” he said. “And if anyone can ground her in normalcy, it’s you.” His tone was dry, but overflowing with affection.
Ohmygod, ohmygod, ohmygod. He wanted to stay with me, was going to stay with me. All of my dreams were coming true. What if you’re not the woman for him? Lexis wasn’t. The thought drifted through my mind, but I quickly squashed it. I couldn’t predict what the future would bring, but I knew that I loved him. I now knew that he loved me, too.
“What if I told you Tanner will be working with us, too?” I asked.
Rome said, “I’d still want to stay with you. One big happy family.”
Tears of joy cascaded down my cheeks and I climbed onto the bed and lay beside him. Careful of his injuries, I buried my face in the hollow of his neck. “I love you so much,” I said again.
“I love you, too. God help me.” He sighed. “Did you already agree to a specific mission?”
I traced a figure eight over his chest. “John did mention that there’s a scrim named Desert Gal who needs neutralizing.”
“You’ve learned to talk the talk, I see.”
“Yep. I’ve even learned to neutralize parasters.”
He regarded me as if I were crazy. “Parasters?”
“Haven’t you heard? It’s the new, hip word for paranormal disasters.”
Rome shook his head, but wrapped his arm around my waist and held me tight. “What have I gotten myself into?”
“Heaven,” I said, and he laughed. “We need a name for our partnership,” I added. “Maybe we could call ourselves the Wonder Cats.”
He snorted, a sound that was followed by a grimace of pain. “Don’t make me laugh anymore.”
“Don’t let me go,” I whispered, suddenly serious.
“Never.” He kissed my temple. “One thing’s for sure. Life is going to be interesting. But we’ll have each other.”
Yes, we’d have each other. A girl-even Wonder Girl-couldn’t ask for more than that. I could hardly wait to see what life brought us next.
Résumé of Belle Jamison, aka “Wonder Girl”
(Final Draft)
OBJECTIVE:
To kick major scrim ass; save the world from parasters; mentor my smart-mouthed sidekick, Tanner; track down the elusive Dr. Roberts; and, um, learn to control the flying dirt balls that keep mysteriously hitting any woman who checks out Rome.
EXPERIENCE:
•Many hours of (hot and heavy) practice with Rome, aka “Cat Man”
•Totally successful elimination of the evil scrim Pretty Boy
•Roasting marshmallows with my bare hands (and eyes)
•Watering the flowers at my dad’s assisted living center (without a hose)
•Orchestrating a snowball fight in the middle of summer (Tanner so got his ass kicked!)
EDUCATION:
•The School of Rome
•Awarded straight A’s and aced all “extra credit” assignments
INTERESTS:
Long walks on the beach (with Rome), sunsets (watching them with Rome), romance novels (acting out the love scenes with Rome), cold winter nights (snuggling with Rome), Rome in kilts/uniforms/calendars (or nothing at all), and massages (given by Rome).
REFERENCES:
“If you’re looking for trouble, Belle is the girl for you. P.S.-Hurt her and I’ll kill you.”
– Mr. Rome Masters, aka “Cat Man”
“Need a gal who can fry the bad guys but still give your hair the perfect blowout? Wonder Girl’s the one for you!”
– Miss Sherridan Smith, best friend
“You’ll never find a sweeter, harder-working gal than my baby Belle.”
– David Jamison, father
“Once you get to know her, she’s not a stranger.”
– Sunny Masters, friend and one day, perhaps, stepdaughter
“I predict she’ll do great things. Just don’t leave home without a ra
incoat, a fire extinguisher and moist towelettes.”
– Lexis Masters, aka “Know It All”
“I’ve never met a nicer, more wonderful woman-with such great cleavage!”
– Tanner Bradshaw, aka “Mr. Sensitivity”
About the Author
Gena Showalter is the author of sexy paranormal romances including The Stone Prince, The Pleasure Slave, and Heart of the Dragon, with many more on the way. She also writes a dark alien huntress series: Awaken Me Darkly and Enslave Me Sweetly. In May 2006, she begins her hardcover debut with Animal Instincts, a fun contemporary romance. For more information about Gena and her books, visit her web site.
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Playing With Fire (tales of an extra ordinary girl) Page 31
