Page 80 of Elusive Promise

"Fulfilling a very old fantasy. I used to dream about bringing a beautiful woman here, sharing a kiss as the sun went down. Want to be that woman?"

"More than I should," she whispered, sliding her arms around his waist as she lifted her head to his, as his mouth covered hers with delicious heat.

It was the kind of kiss that could have gone on forever. Everything about it was sheer perfection—slow, purposeful, tender but simmering with unexplored passion. In Jared's arms, she felt like she'd found the happiest place in the world. His presence surrounded her, but it didn't overwhelm her, didn't make her feel any less important; it actually made her feel like she was more important than she'd ever thought.

A whinny from Barnabas and a gusty breeze, brought them back to chilly reality. The sun was slipping past the horizon, and it was time to go home.

Which was a really odd thought…because she didn't know where home was…except that maybe it was starting to feel like anywhere Jared was…

That was a disturbing thought.

Nineteen

Parisa sprinted ahead of him on the ride home, and Jared had a feeling her quick pace had more to do with what had just happened between them than a desperate desire to get the horses back to the barn before dark.

He wasn't as excited to return as she was, because he didn't believe they could outrun whatever was brewing between them. He'd felt a connection to her the first time he'd seen her. In his gut, he'd known she was going to be important in some way. It was probably the real reason he hadn't tried to talk to her at the party. It wasn't just his mission that had kept him away; it was his internal alarm system that had rung all kinds of bells when his gaze had landed on her.

Now that he actually knew her, the tie between them had only grown stronger. She was both a perfect match for him and the worst possible person he could fall for. They were alike in so many ways. They shared a passion for justice, a desire to live life on a big stage, a desperate need to make the world better, and a love of the shadows.

But where did two people who were rarely themselves end up?

He'd thought for some time that being a CIA operative and having a personal life was impossible. There were too many secrets.How could he ever lie to someone he really loved?And not just once, but over and over and over again?It wouldn't be fair to the other person.

But would it be different with someone who understood that lies about the job were a necessary evil?

He didn't really think so.

But kissing Parisa after they'd both finally shared who they really were had felt different. There had been an honesty to their intimacy, a deeper desire to connect that went way beyond the physical.

But it didn't have to be that way, he told himself. They could keep things light as long as they both were on the same page.

And, surely, they were on the same page.

Parisa had a job that she loved. She wasn't planning on leaving the FBI any time soon. Her job took her undercover and wherever the bureau wanted her to go. She didn't want a relationship that would make that difficult. And he felt the same way. Maybe it could work.

Or was he just being ridiculous?

He frowned at the crazy direction of his thoughts. He'd never thought so hard about whether or not he wanted to have sex with a beautiful woman as he was right now, another reason why Parisa was different.

They were together for a reason that had nothing to do with their personal feelings or desires. They had a mission to accomplish.Find Jasmine. Stop the terrorists. Anything and everything else would have to wait.

He just wished there was something they could do right now, because it was the waiting part that made him think too much and want too much. And the night loomed long and large in front of them. He was starting to share Parisa's greatest fear of having too much time…

* * *

Parisa wondered what thoughts were keeping Jared so quiet. He usually had a lot to say, but on the ride home, and while putting the horses away with Carl's help, he didn't have a lot of words.

They'd finally made their way back to Jared's house, and after a quick tour of the home, they'd ended up in the kitchen. Carl had insisted on giving them a bag filled with sandwiches, chips, and cookies as well as water and coffee, guessing they hadn't had time to stock up on any provisions.

"Are you hungry?" Jared asked, as he unpacked the goodies.

"I'm still full from the tacos we had earlier, but you go ahead."

"I'm fine. I'm going to make some coffee." He put the sandwiches and bottled waters in the fridge, then moved across the room to the coffeemaker.

She took a seat at the table, pulling out one of the new phones they'd picked up earlier. "I want to check in with Damon."

"Good idea. Would you put the phone on speaker?" he asked. "Then we can both get the update."

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