Page 102 of Fiona and the Fixer

She’d heard me.

Hope filled my chest.

I undid my seatbelt and climbed from the car, stood bracketed by the open door, set my forearms on the roof and spoke to her, but kept my voice low. No one was around, but this… bearing of my fucking soul, was for her bionic ears only.

I waited until her eyes met mine. Held.

“I’m in love with you, Fiona. I fell for you the second I saw you in that convenience store frowning at the coffee. I’m a fixer. I’m a good guy who fixes bad shit for bad people.” I swallowed hard. “Can a good girl find it in her heart to be with a bad guy?”

49

FIONA

I didn’t remember leavingDottie’s porch and running down her stone walk and into Dax’s arms. He met me, scooped me up and kissed me, my feet dangling off the ground. One flip flop fell off.

He was warm and strong and I felt everything he’d said in the kiss.

I’d heard him talking while Dottie was telling me about all the reasons I should move to Coal Springs. I held up my hand to silence her and stared at the lazy Susan on her kitchen table with her salt and pepper shaker collection.

Listened to Dax tell me everything I wanted to hear.

No doubt Dottie thought I was a little crazy when she thought I was spacing out, but it seemed she liked me nomatter how quirky I was. And I thought the people of Coal Springs were odd. Maybe I fit in better than I thought.

He pulled back, only enough for his forehead to touch mine. He smelled good. Felt good. Felt… right.

“I’m sorry,” he murmured, breathing in my scent.

“Say it again.”

“I’m sorry.”

I shook her head, having all the feels from him sharing his truths. He hadn’t said them to my face which was probably the number one rule of Power Groveling, but he’d done it even better.

He talked to me so only I could hear. Doing it so I knew he believed me. Accepted me as I was. I had a feeling he hadn’t done much apologizing in his life, so I was happy with his effort.

I shook my head. “No, not that.”

He frowned and his hold tightened for a moment. “What?”

“The other.”

“I love you?”

50

DAX

Her blue eyesheld hope and shyness, and I longed for the first and hated the second.

She smiled. Like a beauty pageant queen. Practically glowed. Those three words did that.

I did that.

“I think I love you, too,” she admitted.

I opened my mouth to talk but she gave me a peck on the lips to shut me up. She smelled like alcohol and tasted like citrus. “I don’t know what love is either,” she admitted. “I didn’t know there could be a person for me. A person who would have my back instead of stabbing me in it.”

“That’s a low bar for love, sweetheart,” I said. I didn’t want to be theguy who didn’t stab her in the back.

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