Page 90 of Wilde In His Arms

“Nick, honey, you’re squeezing my hand too tightly.”

He eased off and took his eyes from the road for a brief second.“Sorry, baby.I just…” He didn’t know how to finish that sentence.He just couldn’t live without her.He couldn’t believe how incredible she was.He couldn’t love her any more than he did right now.

“It’s okay.”She squeezed his hand.“I know how you feel.If he’d hurt me… If I couldn’t get back to you… I can’t.”A tear slid down her cheek.She hadn’t cried after she’d been attacked, but thinking of not being with him anymore, that brought her to tears.

Nick brought her hand to his mouth and kissed the back of it.“I love you.Nothing is going to happen to you.I won’t let it.”

“You’re not sending me away like Mason did with Lyric tonight.”

“If you went with her, this wouldn’t have happened.”

“It’s not your fault.And who’s to say he wouldn’t have followed us.”

“Hard to follow a helicopter out of here.”

Aria sighed out her frustration.“I’m not leaving you.Not when I just got you back.Not when we are finally doing this.”

So fierce.So resolute about being with him.

“We can’t do anything if you’re dead.”He stared ahead at the dark road, his hand clenched on the wheel, his thoughts as dark as the night.

“I can protect myself.I did tonight.”

She sure did.He was so damn proud of her.“If he’d simply pulled a gun and shot you before running from the bar, he’d have gotten exactly what he wanted and I’d be even more of a wreck than I am right now.”

“I don’t want to fight with you.I don’t want to be away from you.I know the risk.I accept it, because it’s worth being with you.”

He shook his head.“It’s not.”Didn’t she understand?He couldn’t live without her.

“I say it is, but I understand that you can’t concentrate and do what you need to do to stop Lopez with me here.”

“Are you saying you’ll join your sister until he’s caught?”

She kissed the back of his hand.“Yes.I’ll go first thing in the morning.Tonight, I want to be with you.”

Relief washed through him.“I should get you out of here as soon as possible.”

She shook her head.“You should start thinking about how good it’s going to feel when I get you home and into our bed and make you forget everything that happened tonight.Because I need you to do that for me, too.”

Nick brought her hand to his chest, right over his heart.“Whatever you need.”

She smiled and it eased his heart if not his worries.They could talk more in the morning before he sent her away to safety.Tonight, they both needed each other to block out the world and this trouble dogging them.

He pulled into the driveway.The FBI agents following them parked along the side of the house on the left.They’d sweep the property and make sure nothing was out of the ordinary, while he checked the house.

Nick climbed out of the car and met Aria at the front.He took her hand and they walked up to the house together.The motion light on the porch lit the way to the front door.He hadn’t gotten any notifications about anyone coming near the front of the house from the doorbell camera, but that didn’t mean they were in the clear.

He couldn’t wait for the guys to come the day after next to install the security system.Right now, he had two agents covering the house, so he let his guard down a little, even though he still flicked on the lights inside the entry and surveyed the space, looking for anything out of place.

“Relax.”Aria kissed him softly.“We’re home.”She released his hand.“I’m going to get a glass of water before bed.Want anything?”

“No.I’m good.Meet me back there when you’re done.”He’d check out the rest of the house, make sure everything was secure.

She kissed him one more time, this one a little longer, deeper, a prelude to what was to come.

He reluctantly left her after she ended the kiss and gave him a look that said everything about what she wanted.Him.

He checked out each of the empty rooms as he made his way to the primary suite.He was just about to pull off his shirt when he noticed the draft coming from the window that looked out to the backyard.The window Lopez had probably used to spy on him and Aria in bed together.

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