Page 92 of Pose for Me
Ryell closes his eyes briefly, then opens them, looking down at me with so much love that I almost choke on it. Then he frowns and says, “Lane, I love you, more than words can describe, but I can’t change who I am. If?—”
I place a hand over his mouth to stop him from talking. “It’s okay.” I shake my head as I drop my hand. “Well, not okay, but…if you…don’t…pose them and don’t talk about your victims, I can…I can deal.” It sucks that he murders people, but I’m as much a part of two of his kills as he is. If I hadn’t told him about my parent’s abuse and how I fucking hated their guts, I’m sure he wouldn’t have killed them. I’m not sorry they’re dead either, so I’m no saint.
Ryell smiles. “I only want you to pose for me, baby.”
My heart flutters as he kisses me softly.
Breaking the soft, but earth shattering kiss, I scoop up the brush and hand it to Ryell, who goes back to detangling my damp hair.
After a stretch of silence, I say, “There’s an opening at the training academy here. My new SSA asked if I was interested, since he heard about the seminars I gave in California. Maybe I can do that. No more field work. I solve cold cases now, but I could be pulled into an active investigation at any time. IfI’m an instructor at the academy, I’m no longer considered an active agent.” Ryell looks at me, raises an eyebrow. “What do you think?”
“You want me to move here?”
I shrug, now feeling a little embarrassed. I didn’t even ask, just assumed he’d like to. “Do you want to move here with me, Daddy?”
He kisses a spot behind my ear, making me shiver. “Anywhere you are is where I want to be, sweet boy.”
If my smile was any wider, I think it’d break my cheeks.
Once we finish up in the bathroom, we get dressed—Ryell in the same clothes he wore last night, since he didn’t bring any bags with him. “We’ll have to go shopping after breakfast,” I tell him, threading my fingers through his as we leave my apartment. “We have to walk to the bar a few blocks away to get my car. I was drinking last night and didn’t want to risk driving, even a short distance.”
“I know,” he says as we step out into the chilly morning. “I saw you.”
I glance up at him, my eyebrows scrunched. “You followed me last night?” I think about that feeling I had that someone was watching me. Scoffing a laugh, I shake my head. “You’re so weird.”
“Only for you, Lane.” He raises my hand and kisses the back.
I’m so happy walking down the street with Ryell, our fingers laced together. It feels good to be near him again. My heart is lighter, happier.
Just last night, I was talking myself into moving on and trying to figure out how to live without Ryell. Now here he is, standing beside me, looking as amazing as ever.
“I love you, Daddy.”
He peers down at me, affection shining back at me. So much that it makes me gasp. “I love you too, sweet boy. And I’ll spend the rest of my days showing you.”
Sighing happily, I ask, “Promise?”
Laughing, he lets my hand go and wraps an arm around my shoulders. “I promise, baby.”
Epilogue
Ryell
One year later…
“This steak is amazing,”Alayna says, then closes her eyes and moans as she chews. “What did you add to it?”
Lane chuckles. “It’s a marinade I got from a local soul food restaurant. I love all their stuff, but the marinade has to be the best I’ve ever tasted. I think I’ll start buying it by the bucket.”
“I need the name of that restaurant. Jacob loves when I take him to try new foods.”
Jacob gives her an indulging look. “No, babe, you love dragging me places, and I love making you happy.”
She gives him heart eyes and leans over and kisses her husband.
Lane looks like it’s the sweetest thing he’s ever seen. I roll my eyes.
After I moved to North Carolina—and told Jacob I was back in the country—he and my sister-in-law relocated here as well. With the up-and-coming cities here, Jacob had no issue finding a building to lease for a new firm and hiring a few architects to hop on the rapidly growing city. He gave me shit for not comingback to California before I decided to move in with Lane, but I told him that Lane was my home. Where he was I wanted to be.
