Page 110 of Lethal Game

Her mother smiled, looking so much like her old self that Alisa had to send up another silent prayer of thanks for her mom's recovery.

"I really want him home, Alisa. I know some of his decisions might have been wrong, but he didn't know what he was dealingwith. By the way, I don't know if I told you this, but your father thinks the toxins that made me sick were probably in a fruit basket that I thought the library sent me for my ten-year anniversary. He didn't eat any of it because he's allergic to kiwi and mango, but I nibbled on it for several days straight."

"So if he'd eaten the fruit, he would have been sick, too."

"Yes, but he said that Novikov might have known he wouldn't touch those fruits."

"I guess we'll never know for sure since the house burned to the ground, but it does make sense that the poison was in the food and not in the air, at least not at your house. We know they used a different tactic at the hospital. Anyway, I want Dad home, too, and his lawyer says it looks good."

"What does Jason say?"

"He says it looks good, too," she said with a smile.

"I thought we might see more of Jason. You two seemed to have made a really strong connection."

"We went through a lot together, but he's busy, and I'm busy. And our lives are our own now. I'm not in danger. He doesn't have to protect me. We don't need to see each other every day." She shook her head at the gleam in her mother's eyes. "Mom, don't start matchmaking."

"I don't think I have to start. The two of you are already falling for each other. You like him, and he likes you. I saw that with my own eyes, not just when you were in danger, but the other night when we had pizza. The air was electric."

She laughed. "I wouldn't go that far." Although she and Jason had exchanged a very steamy goodbye kiss that night. But that had been four days ago, and they hadn't seen each other in person since then.

"Well, I like him, so I'm rooting for you two."

"Jason has been very up-front with me about how much he loves to work. He devotes himself to his job. He doesn't do relationships, and I don't think I could settle for anything less, notwith him." She shook her head. "I thought maybe I could, but I can't. I'm too…"

"In love with him?" her mom finished.

"Well, I wasn't going to use that L word. It's too soon for me to be in love with him. Love takes time."

"Love doesn't take time. It's there, or it's not. Relationships—those take time, but if you don't have the feelings from the beginning, I don't think it ever works."

"You might be right," she admitted, glancing down at her phone as it buzzed with a text from Jason.

"Is that him?"

She looked up with a smile. "He wants to get together if I'm free."

"You're free. Go."

"We have so much to do here."

"You have more to do with him. I appreciate everything you've done for me, Alisa. You have helped in so many ways, and I am forever grateful you are my daughter. But it's time for you to get back to your life. And maybe it's time for you to also start a new chapter. You've had a tendency to bury yourself in work, too."

"I love you, Mom," she said, then hugged her mother and headed out the door.

It seemed to take forever to get to her apartment, even though it was only ten minutes away. Her mother had wanted to stay close to her, and tonight, she was very happy about that.

Jason was waiting for her in front of the building, looking as handsome as ever in a pair of jeans and a button-down shirt. His blue eyes sparkled in the moonlight, and his smile was so invitingly sexy that a shiver ran through her.

"You look good," he told her.

"Are you kidding? I've been moving and unpacking all day," she said, wishing she was wearing something sexier than jeans and a T-shirt.

"You look beautiful to me." He pulled her in for a quick kiss, then said, "Let's go upstairs."

She nodded, then unlocked the door, happy that the elevator was already waiting. A few moments later, they entered her apartment, and the door had barely closed before they were in each other's arms again, kissing each other with a hunger that couldn't be denied.

The desire that had been simmering in the background built into a hot, demanding flame, and she wanted to rip off her clothes and his, too.

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