Page 149 of A Stop in Time

Her lips dust against mine when she whispers with a hint of teasing. “And I fuckin’ love you back. Till the end of time.”

She rolls her hips, ripping a hoarse groan from deep in my chest, before adding softly, “And then some.”

71

JONAH

She finds me outside, sitting in my usual spot along the St. Johns River. My eyes are closed, but I already knew she was coming.

It’s a curse as much as it is a gift, being able to tune in to people’s thoughts. When Hannah slides onto my lap and settles her head against my shoulder, a peace unlike any other washes over me.

“Please tell me you’re not leaving.” Her whispered words are so faint, they nearly get carried off with the night breeze. She absently traces a pattern over the center of my chest.

“I’m not. Unless you want me to?”

She gives her head a little shake. “No.” A long pause settles between us before she breaks the silence. “I think we did well, working together.”

The edges of my mouth tick upward. “You think I did well at sidestepping the rules, you mean.”

But she’s correct. I succeeded at bending the no-interference rule with Eleanor Mackenzie. I haven’t been tempted to do that in years. It certainly didn’t escape my notice that I had to deal with a member of The Scorpions once again.

A flickering over the calm water catches my attention. My enhanced vision has my gaze colliding with the woman’s light green eyes, her long, dark hair falling to her shoulders.

With her image hovering above the water, she offers me a smile filled with gratitude. Emilia Madrano’s happiness reaches me, as do her thoughts, and it falls into place.

She’s at peace now, because not only does Daniel have closure, but he’s with the woman he was destined to be with.

Her lips form the words, “Thank you,” before her image fades into nothingness.

Hannah lifts her head to peer at me in the moonlight. “Jonah, I—” Her lips part, only to hesitate and close.

I attempt to resist the urge, but when it comes to this woman, I’m prone to giving in. When I focus on reading her mind, what I hear has my entire body lighting up with a hopefulness I haven’t felt in years.

“I don’t want you to leave me. I love you, Jonah.”

Quiet hangs between us before she murmurs, “Have you ever…thought about leaving this place behind and heading somewhere else? Maybe just the two of us?”

“I have.”

Hope lines her voice as her eyes trace over my features. “Really?”

“Yes.” Regret sits heavy in my chest, but I have to admit the truth. She needs to know. “I’d planned to ask you to go away with me.”

Her brow furrows. “I hear a but in there…”

“But first”—I tuck her dark hair behind her ear and briefly press my lips to hers—“there’s someone else out there who needs us.”

---