Page 222 of To Catch a Sub

Instead his hand once more found her bare thigh. “You’re going to walk out here with me because you. Are. Mine.”

Her breath caught at the raw, almost dangerous possessiveness in his words. But she wasn’t afraid.

“The same as I am yours,” he said in the same dangerous tone.

And that was why she wasn’t afraid. Because his possessiveness was rooted in a need to protect her, his dominance a facet of his desire to take care of her and give her the safety she needed.

“But I don’t do stupid fucking shit like running away to Amsterdam.”

“That was a lovely romantic moment. Until you added that.” She hid her smile against his shirt.

“Just wanted to remind you of my feelings on the subject.”

“I got that. From your emails. Especially the one in all caps.”

“Don’t ever run from me again, Colette.”

She’d been teasing, but he was serious. She nodded against his chest, but he gripped her chin, forcing her face up.

In that moment she saw the true depth of his fear and worry. Saw the hell she’d put him through.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered.

His lips brushed hers. “So am I. Because I should have made you believe we’d find a way.”

“I should have trusted you.”

His lips closed on hers, the kiss a promise.

When Landon pulled back, she laid her head on his chest once more, feeling safe and utterly at peace.

This was home.

He held her for a long time, until a boisterous group wandered into the alcove, one of them loudly announcing who’d painted each canvas while pointing. He was wrong about every single one.

“Ready, love?”

She was. She was ready to stop running, to stop being afraid.

“Yes.”

He led her out of the museum, draping the black opera cape they’d picked up from coat check over her shoulders, as the cool night air whipped over them. She hadn’t brought a phone—just in case—so once they got to wherever they were going to spend the night, she’d have to call Sofie.

She hoped Landon had a hotel room, because she’d given up hers several days ago, and had been staying with Sofie the past few nights as they finished prepping for tonight.

Fingers laced with his, Colette looked over at the man she loved.

“Where are we going?”

He turned to her, and the slow, possessive way he raked his gaze down her made Colette’s body heat with both arousal and mild alarm.

“We’re going to Club Alibi.”

EPILOGUE

Sofie hesitated, not sure what to do. She didn’t want to just abandon Colette, no matter that her friend had told her to run. Twice.

Tonight was the first exciting thing she’d done in…years. Instead of spending months working on a piece, only to anti-climatically hand it over on a Tuesday morning, tonight she got to be part of the heist. If she saved the day, maybe Colette would bring her on more jobs.