He kissed her forehead.One cheek, and then the other.“Move in with me.Let’s build a life and a family here.”
“We need to work on our communication and how you find it so easy to lie to me.”Her orgasm buzz was seriously fading.
“I thought it best that I stayed away from you.More than likely Lopez doesn’t know you’re mine.If he finds out, he’ll go after you.I don’t want him near you.Ever.”
She gripped his sides and stared up at him.“Am I ever going to be your partner?”
A pained look came over him.“You are.You’re mine.And I’m yours.”
“It doesn’t feel like it when you make these decisions without me.You could have told me you wanted me to stay away because of him.I wouldn’t have liked it, but I would have done it because you asked.Either you trust me or you don’t.”
“I do.A thousand percent.”He brushed his thumb across her cheek.“I’m sorry.I just need to protect you.If something happened because of me…I couldn’t live with that.”
“I get that, but all you’re doing is driving a bigger wedge between us.I know your work is dangerous.I know this guy is out to get you.But maybe if we stick together, we can protect each other and not ruin what we are trying to build here.”
Nick put one big hand on her chest, over her heart.“I want you to be safe.”
“And I want to be with you,” she snapped.“What if he never comes?What if he’s in hiding and all this time apart is just time wasted?”
“He’s not going to let this go.”
She took his wrists and pulled his big hands away from her body.“Yeah, well, neither am I.Either you’re here to take our relationship to the next level, or your job is more important than us.Which is it?”
“That’s not fair.”
She knew she was making more out of this unique circumstance than she should.But damnit, he needed to let her in.
Nick brushed his hands up and down her arms.“You know I want to be with you more than anything.And yes, my job is important and takes me away from you, but it is not more important than you.I love you.”
“Then love me by trusting that I can take care of myself.I am capable of following directions and not going anywhere without my trusty babysitters.”
He held up both of his fisted hands.“You’re here without them.”
She pressed her lips into a tight frown.“I snuck out to follow your brother.The FBI agent.If anything happened, he would have helped me.”
“I can’t believe he led you here.”
“Doesn’t it tell you something that even he thinks we’re better off together than waiting this out alone and separately?Doesn’t it tell you something that I’m willing to take the risk of being with you now, despite the danger we face?”
“I just… It’s…” He raked his fingers through his hair.“If something happened to you, I’d never forgive myself.”He ran his hand over his head again, fisting it in the back of his hair.“Fuck.Why do you have to be so smart and stubborn?”
She grinned.“I’m a Wilde.We’re made that way.”
He chuckled and shook his head.“And I love you that way because you love me, even though I’ve given you a million reasons to walk away, including a murdering, child-peddling asshole bent on revenge, who is after me, and probably you because you mean so much to me.”He palmed her cheek and kissed her softly.
She pressed her nearly naked body to his, feeling how much he wanted her in the hard press of his cock to her soft belly.“Take me to bed, Nick.Show me how much you missed me and love me.”
He hooked his hand around her hips and nudged her to walk past him.“Wait for me in our bedroom at the end of the hall.I’ll text the agents who are supposed to be watching you that you’re with me, then lock up and be right there.”
She gathered up her discarded clothes and headed for the bedroom, looking into the spare rooms as she went.She’d seen the pictures online and done a quick walkthrough when Nick brought her here to see it.The house was open and spacious and perfect for them.
The primary bedroom had windows on two walls.The bathroom off the third wall.Another bedroom on the other side of the fourth.It was big.The king-size bed dominated the room.Nick had made it up this morning.She pulled the charcoal-gray comforter, white blanket, and light gray top sheet down the bed.Nick had good taste in the color scheme and the softness of the blankets.He didn’t skimp on cheap sheets.She loved that he splurged on something.He deserved a nice, soft, comfortable bed after working the long hours he did more often than not.
She hoped that changed now that he’d moved here to take on a new role.
And she’d make it worth his while to be home.To prove that, she dropped her clothes at the end of the bed, peeled off her skirt and bra, then crawled up the middle of the bed and lay down on the pillow.She pulled her knees up and slid her hand between her legs.He wouldn’t miss what she was doing as he walked down the hall.
A moment later, he came into view and there was a distinct hitch in his step when he spotted her with her fingers dipping in and out of her slick folds.