“For now.” He had plans for later. Many plans.

There was a grumble, then the television cut completely.

Leah remained against him, her fingernail tracing intricate lines over his chest as the others prepared for bed. Toilets flushed, doors slammed, curtains were slung back and forth. Then the lights were off. The hum of the engine the only sound apart from the whisper of her breath.

“Good night.” She lifted her chin and grazed tempting lips against his.

“Night, gorgeous.”

She rolled over, her body spooning into his, chest to back, ass to crotch, thigh to thigh. He could feel her everywhere, against his skin, even under it.

His love for her was pulsing through his chest, affecting every breath. He leaned his forehead against her shoulder trying to deny how destroyed he would be if he ever lost her. There was no way back from here. No peace without her. No hope if she wasn’t in his arms.

There was only her. Only them.

And he was going to make sure it stayed that way.

Chapter Eighteen

Leah wasthe first awake in the morning. Ryan was breathing heavy beside her, his arm wrapped around her back, her face nestled against his chest. He had her cocooned in his embrace, kept safe and warm from the reality on the other side of the curtain.

They hadn’t slept much. Not between the silent lovemaking and whispered conversations as they flittered in and out of consciousness. She was finally done with fighting. This was her life now. With him. All they had to do was make it work.

All in good time.

She inched forward, holding her breath in an effort not to wake him.

“Where are you going?” he mumbled against her shoulder.

She smiled, loving every aspect of waking up beside him—his heat, his security, his graveled tone. “Coffee.”

He clutched tighter, making her chuckle.

“I’ll only be gone for ten minutes. I promise.”

“Not a minute longer.” His voice was rough from sleep, dark and devilish.

She eased his hand from her waist, kissed his knuckles, and slipped under the screen. After a quick trip to the storage cupboard to retrieve her clothes and cell, she changed and freshened up in the bathroom. She’d been in there for five minutes max. but the sweet sound of Ryan’s slumber greeted her when she returned to the aisle.

She inched the curtain across and stared at him. Her man. Her love. There was no looking back now. No need or desire. There was only determination to move forward. To secure her boss’s approval, kick Julie from their lives, and slink away from the Slicker publicity.

The first hurdle was her boss, and without a plan in place, it would come down to good ol’ fashioned pleading. All she could bank on was her feminine wiles and a track history of bringing successful men to heel. She wouldn’t be able to admit they were already together. Those details would only work harshly against her. But if she acted as though she was seeking approval before making a move, maybe her boss would take pity on her.

She released the bunk cover and exited the curtained sleeping area to drink in the sight of a barely waking Kansas City.

An orange glow crept along buildings, turning night into day. Darkness into sunshine. She gave Pat a finger-wave through the rearview mirror as she approached and he flicked out his earphones with a smile.

“Mornin’.”

“Morning.” She sank onto the corner of the booth seat, placed her cell on the table, and hunched toward him to take in the view.

“How long until we’re at the stadium?”

“Twenty minutes if the traffic is good. But we’ll be in the secure parking area if you want to catch a few more hours sleep.”

“I’m good.” The confinement of the bunk wasn’t conducive for slumber. Neither was the erection that had nuzzled against her ass on and off all night. “Want a coffee?”

“Nah. I stopped a few hours ago and bought some gas station sludge. It’ll keep me going for a while.”