Page 52 of Two Is Better Than One

My body was on fire. There were tears of passion and relief. I had wished for Casey so hard that it felt like this encounter might be a figment of my imagination.

After those precious minutes where we embraced relentlessly, I pulled back and stared intently at his honey-colored eyes.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, whispering to him, needing to make sure it was real. "Are you here for me right now?"

"Well, yes, Summer, I am."

"I mean, in Miami," I said. "I know you're at the hotel for me, but what about Miami? Why aren't you in London?"

He tilted his head and stared at me. "I was talking to Brooks. He said you had a new guy named JP."

"I do." I paused, wanting to know what happened with London. "But I don't like him the same way I like you," I said, shifting gears and flirting. I reached up and tucked his hair behind his ear.

"I really hope not," he said, leaning in and putting his face near my neck. He breathed in, and it made me smile and catch my own breath.

"How long can you stay with me?" I asked. I moved, wrapping my hands around his waist and holding him there to let him know I wanted the answer to be as long as possible.

"I was telling Brooks that I can work all day today. I'm free to go with you guys to the set if you're headed over there. Also, I can work tomorrow, if you need me. (He paused.) And any of the other days after that."

Casey spoke in a casual, almost choppy tone that left me feeling confused. I pulled back.

"Do you mean that you can finish out the next four days while I'm in Miami? Or are you talking about visiting Charleston after that?" I asked.

"Yes to both." He grinned a little, and I had no idea if he was serious or not. His smile was dangerous. I was so relieved and in love that I hardly knew what we were saying, or which way was up.

He was a man who could kill men with his bare hands. His body was an absolute war machine, I could feel it underneath the thin layer of clothing. He and I had some deep conversations about a few things he had gone through with his work, and I knew he carried some heavy things. He was a man's man—one who could get past difficult things and still keep pressing on. He was gloriously pressing against me at that moment.

"Can you actually come to work with me for the rest of the week? Can we tell JP he's done?"

"Yes, we can. I’m not working with the Bureau anymore. We ended on good terms. I had some loose ends to tie up. I was supposed to be there a few more days, in Virginia, helping out before I left. I had plans to try to contact you in Charleston once I was completely done and could focus, but I…" He paused and pulled back staring at me.

"Did you get done early?" I asked hopefully. "Are you finished?"

He grinned at me. "Yes. I was supposed to be off the grid for a few more days, but my father called my superiors and got in touch with me. I talked to him this morning early, and he showed me a certain video."

"The one of me?" I asked.

"Yes, the one of you. AJ saw it and told my dad that he thought it had to do with me."

"AJ said that? Did you watch it?" I asked, leaning into him, ducking out of his gaze, and feeling shy.

"Yes. I watched it." He relaxed his stance, pulling me away from the wall and then into his arms, holding me comfortably in the middle of the entryway. "I watched it more than once," he said.

"I only uploaded it because I hoped you would see it. I think I'm probably in trouble." I spoke with my face on his chest.

"I saw it, and I was hoping it was for me. Do you remember how you looked at me that night when you first sang it?"

"I know, I did that in the video for you."

"I saw that. AJ—he talked to my dad, and they forwarded it to me. I saw it and left Virginia right away. I'm done over there. I'll have some phone calls to take care of in the next few days, but life goes on for them. They'll make it happen without me. I had a temp job as a bodyguard for this woman back in Miami, and I wanted to be able to finish that out."

I had been hugging him, but I pulled back to look him in the eyes when he said that. "What about after the job? Remember how we already mentioned Charleston? How long could you stay there?"

"I was hoping we could spend as much time as possible together, Summer."

My heart had been so broken that it felt impossible for it to be so instantly restored. But looking at him and hearing him say that felt natural. I touched the side of his face. My hand rested on his cheek, and I felt like I was in love up to my ears—past my ears—I was in so much love it was blasting out of the top of my head.

"I missed you, Casey," I said quietly. It was the understatement of the century. I leaned in to hug him again. "I don't know how out of the loop you've been, but my sister is in love with your cousin. I'm not sure what kind of plans they're making, but I think they're not losing touch after Miami, and I was freaking out about it. It's the first time in our lives that she's making plans that don't include me."

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