Page 80 of Hostile Extraction

She pulled back, smiling. “Thank you.”

Emily took her hand and tugged. “Come on.”

They ran down the hall and out the door, then dashed down the sidewalk that led to the landing pad.

Asia shaded her eyes, staring into the sky. The helicopter was just making its descent, its rotors buffeting them with its wash.

“Damn. So much for the hairdo I just spent time on!” Emily shouted into her ear.

Asia didn’t care. She only had eyes for the open side of the large helicopter that was filled with men. She spotted Chris, Grady, even Stan, but the other figure was deep inside, hidden in shadow. It had to be Dusty.

She focused on him, waiting as the runners touched down and the whirring motor shut off, the blades slowing.

The men climbed out, and then finally, Dusty emerged.

His teammates stood back, all looking from him to her.

She wanted to run to him, but something held her back. That niggling doubt at the back of her mind, that maybe he no longer would want her, that maybe he’d changed his mind or decided that all his doubts were justified.

Her eyes swept over him. He looked tired, the lines on his face telegraphing what he’d been through even more than the bandage showing under the tank top he wore; his arm in a sling bound to his side. They’d told her he’d been shot, and that he’d had emergency surgery. He looked pale, like he’d lost too much blood. Her eyes returned to his and sank into their brown depths. She’d thought she’d lost him forever, and now, finally, he was here.

But he deserved some sign from her, a declaration of her feelings.

Here, now. In front of all these people.

So, she dug down deep for the courage to say what she felt, and to risk her heart one more time, hoping it wasn’t too late for them. It was scary, but he deserved no less.

She slowly approached, and he stood stock still until she was five feet away.

“Asia. I wasn’t sure you’d be here,” he murmured.

“I love you, Dusty, and I’m not giving you up. I’m not letting you push me away. I’m not wasting this second chance with you.” She closed the distance until they were a foot apart, and she had to crane her neck to hold his eyes. He stared at her, his throat bobbing as she continued. “I don’t care about your ideas that I’m somehow off-limits because of your friendship with my brother. Carter loves me, and he knows what a good man you are. You’re the one he turned to when he needed help finding me. He told me he couldn’t ask for a better man for me, and he’s right. And before you throw up any other objections, I’m just as broken as you, so we’re perfect for each other, and I don’t care about what you think about my age. I’m a grown woman, and I’m old enough to decide what I want. And I want you, Dusty Jones.”

He lifted a brow. “Is that right?”

“Yes, that’s right.” Her hands hit her hips.

The creases along his jaw and the crinkles around his eyes told her everything she needed to know. The grin that split his face was huge, and his eyes lit with love and happiness.

“Then get over here and kiss me, woman.”

She was careful of his injury as she pressed against him. His one good arm locked tight around her, and that was more than enough as she tilted her head, and his mouth swooped down to claim hers.

Cheers rang in her ears from all his teammates. Neither of them, it seemed, were in any hurry to break the kiss until finally Stan leaned close.

“Okay, you two, get a room.”

CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

Dusty bounced the truck up the hill.

“Can I see yet?” Asia sat on the seat next to him with a pink silk scarf tied around her eyes.

“Patience, pretty girl.”

He continued down the road for several more minutes, until the pickup came to a stop, jerking her forward slightly.

“All right, just a couple of minutes longer. No peeking.”

---