Page 53 of Kidnapping of a Myth

Eamon selected an email and sent an attachment before closing his laptop. He silently set it on the bedside table, and without a word, he gripped the sheets and ripped them from her body. Bel shrieked as the cool air hit her skin, but he didn’t give her time to adjust. He pulled her beneath him, kissing her how every woman deserved to be kissed first thing in the morning, and he pinned her to the mattress, making her forget her own name as she screamed his.

“I don’t wantto go back to real life,” Bel moaned as Eamon massaged the shampoo into her hair.

“Every morning could be like this if you lived with me,” he said with humor in his tone.

“Are we on that again?” She threw a playful glare over her shoulder.

“What?” Eamon twisted her head back to face the wall so he could finish washing her hair. “You said you wouldn’t live with me since we weren’t together. We’re together now.”

Bel rolled her eyes and leaned against his chest, smearing bubbly suds all over his soaked skin. “Eamon, this was technically our first date,” she said. “Unlike my sisters, I’ve never cared about things like flowers or elaborate displays of romance. Violence haunts my line of work. I’ve witnessed too many people destroy those they’re supposed to love, and then I remember my parents. There was no big romantic moment between them thatstuck in my memory. It was the small things. They waited for the right person, and that changed me. The partner you choose is more important than the bells and whistles, so I want to do this right. We’ve been through horrible things together. It’s bonded us, but I don’t want to skip steps. Let’s enjoy the beginning. Let’s enjoy our dates before we throw ourselves into each other’s lives and start worrying about bills and groceries and who left their socks where.”

Eamon wrapped his arms around her and nudged her into the steaming spray, leaning forward to kiss her scars as the shampoo ran from their hair. “I’ve waited decades for you. I can wait longer, but just so we’re clear, you would never have to worry about bills or groceries. I have more money than I know what to do with, and I enjoy feeding you when you forget to eat proper meals. And the socks lying around would be yours. Don’t try to tell me otherwise. If one of us is leaving laundry on the floor, it would absolutely be you.”

Bel elbowed him playfully in the ribs, and Eamon grunted, wrapping his arms tighter around her to trap her movements. “Now, now, Detective. Don’t get mad. You’re an angel come to earth even if you have terrible eating habits when you’re working a case and you don’t mind living in chaos. I doubt your socks strewn about would bother me. In fact, I might like it. They would remind me of the tornado of a woman disrupting my life.”

“Well, you’ll have to wait to see my clothes on the floor,” she teased. “And I’m not that bad, so stop being dramatic.”

“You’re perfect.” He kissed her neck again, slow and seductive, and Bel leaned her head against his chest.

“Weddings make you sappy,” she said. “We should go to more. It’s nice to live in this imaginary romantic bubble for a few hours. There’s no murder, no death, no kidnappings, or nightmares. It’s just you and me, and regardless of how you came into my life, I’m happy you did.”

Eamon cursed,throwing out an arm to catch her chest as he slammed on the brakes. They’d finally left their hotel room, much to Bel’s disappointment, and they were currently driving through the city to pick up Cerberus from her dad... if one could call this driving. The traffic was so atrocious that they’d barely made any headway.

“You okay?” Eamon asked as their bags tumbled off the back seat, and Bel nodded, determined not to let anything ruin her bliss. Not even the driver who’d just ruthlessly cut them off. She suspected the only reason they hadn’t gotten into an accident was because Eamon’s reflexes were unnaturally fast, and she was thankful he was driving. If she was at the wheel, her anxiety would have ruined her morning, but her safety was in his capable hands, as was her sanity.

“You should call your dad,” Eamon said as she unbuckled her seatbelt and leaned into the backseat to retrieve their fallen bags from the car floor. “We’re going to be late.”

“I’ll give him a heads up, but he won’t care. All of my sisters have kids, but I’m the only one with a dog, so he takes his role as Cerberus’ grandpa seriously.”

“You know what’s frustrating,” Eamon said, grabbing her hip so she wouldn’t fall into the back as the cars started moving. “I have the ability to get us out of this traffic, and we would arrive at your father’s earlier than expected, but for all my skills, I’m still bound by human laws. Plus, I don’t want to make you explain to the NYPD why you’re with a man driving like this is Le Mans.”

“We should go somewhere that allows you to drive like that. I would love to see it.”

“See it?” he chuckled. “Detective, you would be in the car with me.”

“Obviously.” She shoved the bags into place and started to climb back into the front when something white caught her eye.

“I love that you know the truth about me,” Eamon said. “Not having to hide anything. Being able to joke like this. You have no idea how freeing it is to be with someone I don’t need to lie to.”

“I can imagine.” Bel captured the thick card off the floor and collapsed into her seat. “I understand to a certain extent. I’ve been through the wringer this year, but a lot of those moments involved you. You know the truth, so I can talk to you, too. I’m glad you can open up to me. I hope you always feel that way.”

Eamon glanced at her, his dangerous features soft as he smiled, and then his gaze drifted to her hand. “What are you doing with the invitation?”

“It was on the floor, and I couldn’t figure out what it was.” Bel flipped it around, realizing he was right. It was Wendy and Henry’s wedding invite. They had addressed it to both her and Eamon, but they’d mailed it to the Reale Estate, so this was the first time she’d seen the expensive paper.

“It’s such a pretty invitation,” she said. “I feel like we should frame it because how do you throw out something this pricy?”

“You can keep it if you like,” he said.

“Their wedding was fun, but I could never spend that much. When I get married, I want family and friends and my dog in a place that’s simple yet special to me. I don’t want a circus; I just need the right person.”

“You want to get married?” Eamon asked, trying his hardest to maintain a neutral expression, and Bel rolled her eyes at his lack of subtlety.

“Yes, I do.”

“Good” He nodded.

“What about you? You’ve never been married. After this long, do you even want to?”

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