Page 123 of His Greatest Treasure

I’m here in her life to stay, and it’s way too fucking late to go back now. There never was an opportunity for it in the first place. Not with us.

She’s stuck with me now, and I’m prepared to tell her that. That there isn’t any future for me that doesn’t involve her sass and Nova’s giggles. I’m ready to put it all on the line for her without a single doubt that this is the right choice.

My pulse is strong, excitement buzzing beneath my skin at the thought of holding her in my arms again and kissing her so hard she’ll feel my mouth against hers long after we’ve pulled apart. She’s etched her name in my ribs, but now I want to do the same to hers.

I finish the second hose and shift to start on the third onebefore I realize that Adams is back, watching with an all-too-knowing expression.

Dropping my attention back to the hose line, I grunt, “If you’d prefer to roll, just say so.”

“Not a fucking chance. My back still hurts from the other day.”

“Then stop watching me.”

“But it’s so fun watching you work for a change.”

I shove the growing roll of hose hard and turn my head to blink at him. “For a change?”

“Been a minute since I’ve seen you sweat.”

“There’s already enough of my sweat on this floor.”

“Yet, here you are. Rolling hose is for probies, Lieutenant. Why isn’t Hart doing it?”

I’m growing breathless, and it’s obvious in my weak reply. “Because she doesn’t need to do it today. I’ve got it.”

He bends to grip the second rolled hose and laughs. I ignore the noise and finish the third hose before shifting to the last one. By the time he’s hauled the second one over his shoulder, I’ve double-checked the fourth for any kinks and started rolling.

“You’ve been in a better mood the past couple of days. Fixing up that shop helped, right?” he asks.

“I’m excited to get out of here and see my family, Brent.”

He glances out of the engine bay, and his smirk grows so big it’s goofy-looking. “I don’t think you’ll be waiting much longer.”

The teasing tone is enough to encourage me to follow his line of sight, focusing on the woman on the other side of the windowed wall. My legs move of their own accord, forcing me to abandon my task.

“Don’t worry, I’ll finish up for you!” Adams calls, and I shove my hand behind me in a wave of acknowledgment.

The door to the office is the last boundary between us, and once I’ve torn it open, Avery turns to look at me. The rookie at the desk is quick to hop up out of his chair and leave as I quicken my pace.

With her soft blonde hair curled down her back and tucked behind her ear, she smiles wide. I wrap her in my arms and tug her close. Fully enveloped by my body, she laughs, and the blissful sound of it burrows itself into my soul.

Dragging my hand up her back, I cup her nape and gently guide her head back just enough for our eyes to meet. Electric blue, my favourite colour for as long as I can remember.

“What are you doing here?” I ask, unashamed of how deep my voice has gotten. How desperate I sound.

She presses her palms to my chest and, at a snail’s pace, drifts them up to twine around my neck. On her tiptoes, she kisses my chin just once.

“I missed you.”

“As simple as that? You missed me?”

“Do I need something more than that to want to visit you?”

My laugh is brash, filling the entrance to the station. “No, princess. You don’t.”

“I just couldn’t wait until tomorrow. You’re busy, so I won’t stay long, but . . . I needed to come, even for a couple of minutes.”

“Because youmissedme?” I ask, pushing, digging further.

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