Page 82 of Covert Vengeance

“I heard.” He nuzzled the side of her face, his scent filling her nose. “How about that, huh?”

She nodded, not wanting to ever let him go. A hard pressure filled her chest, closing up her lungs, compressing her ribs. Her shoulders shook once.

“Hey.” Setting a hand beneath her chin, he tipped her face up. “What’s wrong?”

Amber blinked up at him, fighting tears. “I just… I never expected to be free.” She’d lived most of her life as a ghost, moving around constantly and living alone, never getting close to anyone.

She didn’t want that anymore. She wantedmore. More than she’d ever dared dream of. It scared her a little, because it made her vulnerable in a way she’d never been before.

His expression softened. “I know.”

“And I’ve…never felt like this before.”

He caressed the side of her face. “Felt like what?”

She exhaled, getting a grip on herself. After all she’d been through, and all this man had done for her, she refused to chicken out now. “Like maybe I’ve fallen in love.” Her pulse drummed in her ears.

His smile turned her inside out. “Right there with you,belleza.”

Amber took his face in her hands and kissed him, her whole body lighting up when he growled low in his throat and backed her up against the closest bookshelf. She lost herself in the kiss, matching him stroke for stroke, nip for nip.

They were both breathing hard, her core aching and his erection hard against her abdomen when he finally lifted his head a few minutes later. “What do you want?”

He didn’t mean what she wanted him to do to her body. “I want you to stay and be part of this team. Help us find and bring in the others.”

“You got time for a road trip first? I hear the Scottish highlands are gorgeous this time of year. You ever been?”

“No, but I’ve always wanted to.” Oh, wow. A trip just for her and Jesse. An actual romantic holiday, just the two of them. “Love to see them with you.”

“Good.” He cupped the side of her face, his brown eyes warm, sincere. “I’ll go wherever you go.” A distinct gleam entered his eyes, part humor, part hunger. “And right now I’m hoping that means upstairs to a bedroom with a door that locks.”

Epilogue

Eleven days spent touring the highlands.

It was still hard to believe it had happened. In her whole life Amber had never had that much time to enjoy herself, and here she’d had nearly two weeks alone with Jesse.

They’d started in the Lake District up in the northwest corner of England, then across the border to Glasgow before heading up the east coast. They’d visited Skye before driving over to Inverness, then down to Edinburgh.

They’d been the best eleven days of her life. She’d felt completely safe, knowing he was watching out for her even while she did the same for him.

“I’m still hungry,” Jesse murmured, drawing her attention back to him.

She was sprawled over top of him, both of them completely naked as he lay back against the blanket they’d spread beneath this towering old oak. The remnants of their picnic lay scattered around them on various plates, a mixture of nibbles they’d bought in Stow and prepared together at Laidlaw Hall an hour ago.

“That’s because you’re insatiable,” she told him, reaching over to pluck a sweet, cream-cheese filled strawberry from a plate. She’d had her reservations about the trip at first, unsure how it would go and worried that they would discover they had nothing in common beyond their line of work and the heat between them.

What she’d discovered instead had been a pleasant surprise.

They got along well. He didn’t try to control her, letting her share the driving duties without a word. He didn’t feel the need to talk all the time either, seeming comfortable to sit beside her in silence as they drove, or when they curled up together at night.

They’d stopped at various historic and tourist sites on the trip, taking in the history and local culture. They both enjoyed trying new food and sampling local drink. He’d even bought a kilt in Edinburgh to wear for her—not that it had been a hardship for him, because one look at him in that and they’d missed their dinner reservation, staying in bed the whole night.

Jesse was also more thoughtful than she’d imagined he would be. Always watching out for her. Interested in finding out what she liked to do, what foods she liked. After learning she preferred whisky over wine, he’d taken her on three different distillery tours. And he was extremely interested in finding out what turned her on and pleased her.

He’d put a lot of effort into that area on the trip, adding little seductive touches throughout the day. A certain look or caress while they were driving. Wrapping his arms around her from behind and giving the side of her neck the sort of kisses that made her knees weak as they left a restaurant. Things like that, until she broke and attacked him. Once in their rental car, once in the woods during a roadside stop, and often when they’d reached their hotel for the night.

The sly, smug grin he was giving her now told her he was using his insider knowledge of her to his advantage. But she didn’t mind, because he always made sure she enjoyed herself, and in turn she loved driving this strong, sexy man to his knees.

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