by Kaylea Cross
“You can if he’s the right one. Trust me.” She reached down to pluck a long blade of grass in mid-stride, chewed on it while they walked. “Have you talked to him about this? About what you both want, and where you think things might go?”
“Not yet.” Well, he’d made his position pretty clear. She just hadn’t given him an answer on what more she was willing to give. Today’s op had crystalized things for her. “I don’t want him to go.”
“So tell him.”
“This has all happened so fast.” Too fast. She didn’t trust it, even if she trusted him.
“And?”
“And I…”
“You’re not sure if you can trust your feelings or not. Hey, I was right there with you a few months back, and here I am still with Tyler. It’s the best decision I’ve made.” Megan nudged her with an elbow, giving her a secret grin. “Besides breaking you out of your cell in London.”
Amber returned the smile, heartened and reassured. “You’re never gonna let me forget that, are you?”
“Nope.”
Megan had figured out how to make it work with Ty. Trinity was engaged. Georgia was married. Surely that meant she had a shot too. But until she knew where her legal situation stood, everything else was on hold.
They walked for over an hour before returning to the manor. Kiyomi was in the parlor, watching the news on one of Amber’s computer screens when they entered.
Amber sank onto the couch beside her, Megan to her left. The newscaster reported a glitch in the security system in a particular area of London near the docks. Several dead bodies had been found. Authorities had taken charge of the investigation, and were quick to reassure the public that this was a targeted attack. Criminal organizations were suspected due to the brutal methods of execution.
“Well, that’s one way to spin it,” Kiyomi murmured, and looked over at Amber. “Did you kill him?”
She meant, had Amber killed Stanislav personally. “Yes.”
“Good. I hope it hurt.”
“It did.” Right up until that bullet had slammed into his brain.
Voices sounded from down the hall. The tap of Marcus’s cane came toward the parlor. He paused in the doorway, his gaze moving from her to Kiyomi and back. “You’ve a visitor.”
Frowning, Amber got up. “Who is it?”
His smile was kind, pulling at the scars on the left side of his face and neck. He’d grown a short beard to cover them, but they didn’t completely hide the way they pulled at the skin around his eye and nose. “A friend.”
Jesse?
Her heart leapt and she followed him to his most favorite room in the manor—his study, permeated with the smells of leather-bound books and furniture. Megan was right behind her and Amber was glad to have her close.
She stopped in surprise when she entered the room and found Alex Rycroft leaning against Marcus’s huge, antique desk. Hiding her disappointment and trepidation, she put on a polite smile. “I thought you were still in London.”
“I decided to take a little drive after all the paperwork and red tape was dealt with.” He looked behind her at Megan, then to Amber. “You sure you want her here for this?”
“I’m sure.” She wouldn’t keep anything from her sister, so Megan would find out anyway.
He gestured for them to come in. “Have a seat, then. This won’t take long.”
Amber sat in one wing chair near the desk while Megan shut the door and took the other across from her. Her heart rate picked up when Rycroft reached behind him for a folder and started flipping through the contents.
This was it. She was about to learn what would become of her. Was she being handed over to the Brits? Or the Syrians?
Her whole body chilled at the thought of going to a Syrian prison. Everyone knew how corrupt the judicial system there was.
“After careful consideration and many, many meetings with our legal teams, this is the best I can do for you.” He held the folder out to her, his silver gaze steady, giving nothing away.
Keeping her expression neutral, refusing to let her nerves show, Amber reached for it. Megan was on her feet in an instant, rushing over to read over Amber’s shoulder.
Her pulse pounded in her ears as she skimmed the document. At first the words didn’t make sense. She read through to the last page, stopped, and realized she was holding her breath.
What the…
She quickly flipped back two pages and read them again, slower this time, making sure she hadn’t misunderstood. Then she read the whole thing through again to make sure she hadn’t missed anything and lowered it to her lap, her mouth dry, heart pounding.
Megan made a distressed sound and snatched it from her. “I wasn’t done yet!”
Rycroft was still leaning against the desk, his arms folded over his broad chest in a casual pose, the hint of a smile tugging at his mouth. He was a good-looking man, and in damn good shape for nearly being a senior citizen.
Amber stared at him. “You’re offering me immunity.” She couldn’t help it if she sounded stunned. She was.
This was the last thing she’d expected. Technically they had enough evidence to at least connect her with her former teammates’ deaths. Enough to charge her and bring her to trial. They might even have more than that, she wasn’t sure. Maybe evidence about former black ops that hadn’t been quite as off the books as she’d thought.
“If you agree to remain on the taskforce we’ve assembled and carry out the remainder of the mission as an official member.”
They wanted her to stay. Wanted her to be part of this—or maybe they needed her, she didn’t care which—and were willing to clear her record of any past crimes or potential charges to make it happen. “There’s no trick?” She’d read it thoroughly, but had she missed something? Some weird little addendum that might trip her up later?
“No. Unless you count the part where it says this agreement is subject to alteration if you break the terms listed.”
Meaning, if she walked away from the taskforce and mission before the other Valkyries were identified and brought in safely. She hadn’t missed it. “I won’t.”
He picked a pen up off the desk and held it out to her. “Just sign it, Amber.”
Fighting a smile, she took it, then slid the papers from Megan’s hand and signed her name at the bottom of the last page. “Here, you witness it.”
Megan signed in the appropriate spot. Amber handed the file back to Rycroft, then turned to her sister. But her voice got stuck in her throat.
I’m free. I’m free.
Megan let out a whoop and engulfed her in a hug. Amber returned it, still grappling with this new shift in reality. Now she had the possibility of a real life. A future.
A future she didn’t want to spend alone.
“Where’s Jesse, do you know?” she asked Rycroft.
“Right here,” a deep voice said from the doorway.
Amber let go of Megan and jumped to her feet, her heart rolling over at the sight of Jesse standing there.
“And my work here is done.” Rycroft shot her a wink and walked out, followed closely by Megan, who shot her a grin on the way past.
Amber ran her gaze over Jesse. He had bruises forming on his face and arms, a bandage covering his knife wound. “Hi,” she said breathlessly.
One side of his mouth lifted. “Hey.”
A lump filled her throat as she crossed to him. She squeezed her eyes shut as his strong arms came around her, holding her to him, embracing him in return. “Full immunity,” she whispered against the top of his shoulder.
“I heard.” He nuzzled the side of her face, his scent filling her nose. “How about that, huh?”
She nodded, not wanting to ever let him go. A hard pressure filled her chest, closing up her lungs, compressing her ribs. Her shoulders shook once.
“Hey.” Setting a hand beneath her chin, he tipped her face up. “What’s wrong?”
Amber blinked up at him, fighting tears. “I just… I nev
er expected to be free.” She’d lived most of her life as a ghost, moving around constantly and living alone, never getting close to anyone.
She didn’t want that anymore. She wanted more. More than she’d ever dared dream of. It scared her a little, because it made her vulnerable in a way she’d never been before.
His expression softened. “I know.”
“And I’ve…never felt like this before.”
He caressed the side of her face. “Felt like what?”
She exhaled, getting a grip on herself. After all she’d been through, and all this man had done for her, she refused to chicken out now. “Like maybe I’ve fallen in love.” Her pulse drummed in her ears.
His smile turned her inside out. “Right there with you, belleza.”
Amber took his face in her hands and kissed him, her whole body lighting up when he growled low in his throat and backed her up against the closest bookshelf. She lost herself in the kiss, matching him stroke for stroke, nip for nip.
They were both breathing hard, her core aching and his erection hard against her abdomen when he finally lifted his head a few minutes later. “What do you want?”
He didn’t mean what she wanted him to do to her body. “I want you to stay and be part of this team. Help us find and bring in the others.”
“You got time for a road trip first? I hear the Scottish highlands are gorgeous this time of year. You ever been?”
“No, but I’ve always wanted to.” Oh, wow. A trip just for her and Jesse. An actual romantic holiday, just the two of them. “Love to see them with you.”
“Good.” He cupped the side of her face, his brown eyes warm, sincere. “I’ll go wherever you go.” A distinct gleam entered his eyes, part humor, part hunger. “And right now I’m hoping that means upstairs to a bedroom with a door that locks.”
Epilogue
Eleven days spent touring the highlands.
It was still hard to believe it had happened. In her whole life Amber had never had that much time to enjoy herself, and here she’d had nearly two weeks alone with Jesse.
They’d started in the Lake District up in the northwest corner of England, then across the border to Glasgow before heading up the east coast. They’d visited Skye before driving over to Inverness, then down to Edinburgh.
They’d been the best eleven days of her life. She’d felt completely safe, knowing he was watching out for her even while she did the same for him.
“I’m still hungry,” Jesse murmured, drawing her attention back to him.
She was sprawled over top of him, both of them completely naked as he lay back against the blanket they’d spread beneath this towering old oak. The remnants of their picnic lay scattered around them on various plates, a mixture of nibbles they’d bought in Stow and prepared together at Laidlaw Hall an hour ago.
“That’s because you’re insatiable,” she told him, reaching over to pluck a sweet, cream-cheese filled strawberry from a plate. She’d had her reservations about the trip at first, unsure how it would go and worried that they would discover they had nothing in common beyond their line of work and the heat between them.
What she’d discovered instead had been a pleasant surprise.
They got along well. He didn’t try to control her, letting her share the driving duties without a word. He didn’t feel the need to talk all the time either, seeming comfortable to sit beside her in silence as they drove, or when they curled up together at night.
They’d stopped at various historic and tourist sites on the trip, taking in the history and local culture. They both enjoyed trying new food and sampling local drink. He’d even bought a kilt in Edinburgh to wear for her—not that it had been a hardship for him, because one look at him in that and they’d missed their dinner reservation, staying in bed the whole night.
Jesse was also more thoughtful than she’d imagined he would be. Always watching out for her. Interested in finding out what she liked to do, what foods she liked. After learning she preferred whisky over wine, he’d taken her on three different distillery tours. And he was extremely interested in finding out what turned her on and pleased her.
He’d put a lot of effort into that area on the trip, adding little seductive touches throughout the day. A certain look or caress while they were driving. Wrapping his arms around her from behind and giving the side of her neck the sort of kisses that made her knees weak as they left a restaurant. Things like that, until she broke and attacked him. Once in their rental car, once in the woods during a roadside stop, and often when they’d reached their hotel for the night.
The sly, smug grin he was giving her now told her he was using his insider knowledge of her to his advantage. But she didn’t mind, because he always made sure she enjoyed herself, and in turn she loved driving this strong, sexy man to his knees.
She brought the berry to his lips, her gaze on his. Jesse watched her through heavy-lidded eyes, slowly parting his lips to allow her to slide the berry between them. Her body, already satisfied, flared to life, arousal pumping through her as his hands stroked over the backs of her bare thighs to her rear, his caressing fingers sending shivers through her.
Amber kissed her way down his body, reaching between them to curl her hand around his rigid erection. He wasn’t the only one who’d paid special attention on the trip. She had a few seductive weapons of her own at her disposal, and enjoyed making him helpless with need and pleasure.
Jesse slid his fingers into her hair as she rubbed her cheek against the hot length of him, enjoying the way his muscles bunched. The low, ragged groan he gave when she parted her lips around the crown of his cock made the arousal flare hotter.
She teased him, moving slowly, so slowly. Drawing it out, making him work for it. He whispered her name like a prayer, his hand bunching in her hair, that dominant edge to him making her even wetter.
At first she thought it was the thud of her heartbeat in her ears, but soon she realized it was something else.
Raising her head, she met Jesse’s gaze. His face was taut, eyes blazing with need.
The rhythmic drumbeat grew louder in the distance.
Amber’s eyes widened as she realized what it was. Hoofbeats. Someone was riding this way.
She gasped and scrambled up the length of his body, curling into him as she whipped the edge of the blanket over her. The cool breeze over her skin told her she was still pretty much bare-ass naked for all the world to see. Two hundred acres. Two hundred acres to spread out on, and someone else had to pick this exact same spot.
Thud.
She wrenched her head upward, stared in horror at the shaft of the arrow, still quivering as it sat embedded in the tree trunk ten feet over their heads.
Shit—
The hoof beats grew louder still, almost on top of them now.
She closed her eyes. Nooo…
“Get a room,” Megan yelled as she thundered past. “Jeez!”
Mortified, Amber buried her face in Jesse’s neck, trying to hide. She wasn’t too embarrassed by her sister seeing her stark naked, but Megan catching her going down on Jesse was another story. His chest shook as a silent laugh rolled through him.
She pinched his side and stayed still, her face burning. When the drumbeat faded in the distance, Amber dared to lift her head. Megan and Rollo were long gone. “Do you think she actually saw us?” she said to Jesse.
“Naw.”
She snapped her gaze to his. His eyes were full of mirth, his face spasming as he tried not to laugh. “You’re lying.”
He busted out laughing. “Of course I’m lying. How could she not see us?”
“Oh, God,” she groaned, and sat up to shove at his shoulder, then reached for her clothes. “Help me pack up and get out of here.”
“But we’re not done.”
“Oh, we’re done. We are so done.” She was scarred. Would never be able to look her sister in the face again after this.
“Wait.” Jesse sat up and caught her shoulders, causi
ng her to look at him. And the intent, serious look on his face made her pause.
“What?”
He held her stare for a long moment, the intensity of emotion in his eyes taking her aback. “How do you feel about marriage?”
She blinked, thrown by the shocking change in topic. Or that he’d asked the question at all. “Huh?”
He shrugged, his expression determined. “In general. You ever think about it?”
Obviously he had. “Well I… I mean, I’ve thought about it.” But only recently, while on the trip with him. God, now her heart was pounding.
He shrugged. “I was just curious.”
Yeah, curious enough to about give her a heart attack. “But you’ve thought about it?”
He smiled, cupped her cheek in one hand. “I have.”
“Already?” Her voice was almost a squeak.
Now he chuckled. “Mmhmm. Because we’re never going to find someone who understands us the way we do. We’re meant for each other.”
Her heart rolled over in her chest. “Well, that’s…true.”
He grinned, the glint in his eye eroding the seriousness of the moment and her apprehension began to fade. “Think about it, belleza.”
Well, now it was all she could think about.
Elope with Jesse? It was insane. Way too fast, considering how short a time they’d been together. Or known each other.
Unthinkable.
And yet…it felt right. Deep down inside her, she knew it was right.
She loved him. He was hers, she was his, period. They were meant for each other. Meant to be together. And if there was anyone courageous and nuts enough to take her on for a lifetime, it was Jesse. So if getting married seemed insane… She’d done crazier things in her life than pledge herself to such a wonderful, caring man.
The smile started off in her heart and spread upward, joy streaking through her as the corners of her lips turned upward. “Yeah, Cordova. I’ll think about it.”
He grinned and dragged her to him for a deep, intimate kiss that made her thoughts scatter and her body pulse with need.
A minute later, a distinct chime from nearby snapped her out of the euphoric haze.
