Page 44 of Impossible Thrills

She threw herself against his chest and arched up to kiss him. The kiss was needy and full of all the trust and love she felt for him. When they pulled apart, his eyes were wide. “Wow. That was some good morning greeting.”

Biting at her lip, she hoped she hadn’t been too impulsive.

His grip on her tightened. “I’ve been trying to figure out how to make it work to be with you after this week. If kisses like that are on the table, I’ll work even harder.”

“Nick.” She kissed him and then pulled back and admitted, “I love you.”

“Oh, Darcy.” His eyes were now full of wonder and hope. He bent and captured her mouth again, lifting her off the floor and kissing her for a beautifully long time.

“Sorry to interrupt,” Jagger said.

Nick set her on her feet and glared at their friend. “No, you’re not.”

Jagger laughed and pushed at his hair. “I actually am. I really like you two. But we need to load up on the helicopter. The yacht couldn’t make it all the way to Miami in one day. Mercedes’s jet is at the Cancun Airport waiting for us.”

“Sounds good,” Nick said. “Do you need anything from your room?”

“None of it’s mine.” She was sad to leave this yacht where she’d found and fell in love with Nick Jacobs. “Let me grab some sandals.”

He released her. She hurried into the closet and slid into some pretty leather sandals. Glancing around, her gaze fell on the white dress from Cozumel. She wanted to take it with her, but it wasn’t really hers and she didn’t want to be carrying a dress around.

Walking away, she let worry crowd her mind. What if this idyllic time with Nick was all coming to an end and by next week she’d be longing for him and by next month she’d realize he’d schmoozed her just like Johnny had? Nick wouldn’t come for her, and when she stalked him on social media, she’d see photos of him with all the beautiful women he was currently dating.

She exited the suite and Nick was there waiting for her. His deep-brown eyes lit up as she approached. Those eyes were sincere and invested in her. How could she doubt him for a moment?

She couldn’t, and it was silly to waste one second of their time together stressing about their unknown future.

Throwing her arms around his neck, she kissed him.

He kissed her back, infusing warmth and hope into her. He released her and took her hand, guiding her up the steps. “I’m not sure how I’ll survive without you,” he said softly.

Darcy put a hand to her heart. “I feel the exact same.”

Nick stopped at the top of the stairs. “I promise you, Darcy. I will try to resolve this job as quickly as possible and come for you.”

“I believe you.” She studied him, and something in his eyes made her uneasy. “Do you believe yourself?”

“I want to. It’s just … this criminal has been eluding us for years. He’s sneaky, really good at covering up his filth.”

Her stomach dropped. “So it could be years before you could come for me?”

“No.” He shook his head. “I’ll come visit as soon as I can, and I’ll pray hard for a resolution to this job so I can figure out how to be with you even more.”

“I’ll pray too.” Darcy nodded at him, resolve edging out the concerns.

“Thank you.” He squeezed her hand and walked her to the dining area to grab some breakfast before they flew out.

He said he’d figure out how to be with her, but Nick’s security ops were his purpose and his life. Even if he resolved this job, wouldn’t there be others that needed his expertise? Could they ever be together full-time like she dreamed of? She had no clue, and no matter how she tried to push the worries away, she worried.

Darcy sat on a folding chair not far from the sparring ring in a temporary outdoor arena set up on the flat sand of Daytona Beach. A large crowd was assembled around her on bleachers that had been brought in. Hays was to her right, Mercedes and Shawn to her left. Poor Mercedes looked paler and more haggard than she had five days ago.

Jagger and Nick were on a flat stage of sorts with ropes around it to form a sparring ring. They both had on headgear and their hands were wrapped, wearing shorts and no shirts or shoes. Even Nick’s incredible shape couldn’t distract her from how nervous she was. She wanted him to win, but she wanted him to not walk away from her even more desperately.

Mercedes had used a microphone and Shawn held her up as she introduced and bragged about each of the men a few moments ago. Now it was time for the final challenge of the week. Time for Nick to fight a highly trained Navy SEAL with a million bucks for Open Arms on the line. Darcy was glad she didn’t have to swim, fly, or sled today, but watching this fight had her nerves sharpened as finely as any of the events this week.

The referee said something to the men. They grinned at each other, bumped fists, and stepped back. A bell rang, and the fight was on. Darcy leaped to her feet, unable to sit still and watch.

Jagger and Nick traded punches, knees, and kicks. They went hard at each other. She knew they both liked and respected each other, but it was obvious they were holding nothing back and winning was their focus.

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