Page 32 of Forbidden Heat

“Exactly. I got them new burner phones, and they were supposed to call you and give you the new numbers, with a cover story about why they’d changed. But they didn’t. Your dad thought you’d be safer if you didn’t know where they were or how to reach them.”

“Still gonna kill him,” I mutter. “Making me worry like that for nothing.” Then I remember. “You said you wouldn’t let him talk to me.”

“He changed his mind about avoiding contact with you after I told him you were mine. That didn’t sit too well with him. He accused me of betraying his trust and taking advantage of you, among other things.”

It’s my turn to sigh. “He didn’t treat you very well, for someone who was trying to save his life.”

“And if he’d come to me in the first place, none of this had to happen.” He comes a step closer. “The thing I was really angry about, Haley — the thing I couldn’t forgive — is that he put you in danger.”

The ice in my soul is rapidly thawing. Still, I can’t help pointing out, “If he hadn’t, you never would have met me.”

“That’s the hell of it. So I guess I have to forgive him for that too.” Another step, and he’s right next to me. “Haley. I love you.”

My heart stops, then does the jitterbug in my chest. “You do?”

“I do. It’s one of the things I was waiting to tell you. But after tonight, fuck waiting.”

“Cam.”

He holds out his arms, and I go into them, where I’m safe and warm, and breathe in his Cameron scent. “No one else smells right,” I murmur.

“Pardon?”

“When they carried me out of there tonight, I was still blindfolded. I knew you weren’t there because none of them smelled like you. Pine woods and crackling fires.”

“I smell like fire?”

“It’s what your scent makes me think of.” I lift my head to see he’s looking at me like I’m a little bit crazy. “It’s poetic license. Go with it.”

He gives me a half-grin. “Okay. Can we go now?”

As if on cue, Carlo and his men rematerialize in the living room. “We’ll give you an escort,” Carlo says. “Just to be on the safe side.”

“Appreciate it.” Cam holds out a hand, and they shake. “Anything I can do for you, Mr. Adamo, anytime. You have a marker for life.”

Carlo nods. “You ever get tired of hedge funds, I could use a man with your tech skills.” He looks at me, then back at Cameron. “Take care of her.”

“I intend to.”

For the first time, I notice Carlo’s wearing a wedding ring. As we go toward the door, I say, “Your wife’s a lucky woman.”

He smiles. “I’m a lucky man. But I’ll tell her you said so.”

The sky is lightening toward dawn when we emerge into the yard. Cam’s holding my hand, and everyone I love is alive and well. I’m feeling pretty fortunate myself.

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