He touched her cheek again, offered her a small smile before kissing her forehead. “I’ll see you soon.”
“Okay.”
Epilogue
Anke sat around with everyone—the entire CIRO team as well as Miracle, and Claudia. Crash had officially gotten his badge as a member of the team to everyone’s excitement. Anya and Eden were busy playing a video game on Crash’s massive television while the adults talked.
It’d been three months since the entire ordeal and it seemed everyone was healing. Her and Pitbull still hadn’t had a real date and at the rate things were going, she wasn’t sure they would. But she had been happy with the after-events. Pitbull has cherished every moment he’d spent with her thus far—she knew he did.
But things hadn’t been silent. CIRO was finally given the go-ahead to begin training in order to being reinstated. The training hadn’t all in some building somewhere. CIRO had been covering for another team from time to time as well. They’d stepped up to fill the void while CIRO had been sidelined.
Though it terrified her, Anke had Miracle and the two of them were increasingly becoming friends. She learned from Miracle’s resilience and strength.
“When Pitbull goes on a call,” Miracle had told her. “Give him a kiss, hug him tightly and remind him he is not allowed to not come home again.”
Anke had chuckled, but each time when Pitbull was called out, she found herself doing precisely as Miracle had suggested.
Laughter erupted through the room before Pitbull took her hand and led her into a private space. It seemed like a playroom for the kids, but she couldn’t focus on. The seriousness in Pitbull’s eyes held her attention.
“What’s wrong?” Anke asked.
“Nothing is wrong—I just—I wanted to ask you out on a date.”
Anke smiled. “Really? Okay, go ahead.”
“Anke Fischer, would you go out on a date with me?”
“I don’t know, Daniel Hunt.” Anke rested her hands akimbo. “You play with grenades for a living. But, I could be persuaded.”
He smirked at her while pulling in close and hauling her into his large frame. “Really?” Pitbull kissed her neck, just beneath her right ear. “Let me see now.”
She giggled and tangled he arms around his back. “I’m waiting.” Anke whispered.
He kissed her deeply, sucking her tongue into his mouth and sending fire through her core. Her knees wobbled. Pitbull held her tighter against his chest and lifted his head.
“What do you say?” Pitbull asked. “You. Me. A quiet dinner at a nice restaurant?”
Anke shifted. “Well, I was thinking a dark movie where, if your hand just happens to go up my skirt…”
“Bad girl.” Pitbull tapped her butt. “How about this? I take you to dinner tomorrow then after I bring you home, you can do whatever you want to my body.”
Anke trembled. The thought of having control in his bed again was amazingly titillating to her. She lifted her eyes to his, hoping he saw the same fire in them as she saw in his. “Deal.”
The next night,Anke got dressed with Claudia’s help. When she looked in the mirror, her hair was pinned up with side swept bangs. Her make-up was minimal with a dusting of eye shadow, a little liner and lip gloss. She wasn’t huge on make up to begin with. The little black dress she wore was new, but it hugged her body beautifully. Claudia threw a red shawl about her shoulders and Anke smiled.
“Are you sure you’re good with this,” Anke asked. “With Pit and I.”
Claudia smiled. “Positive. No matter the relationship between my brother and I, I know he’s a good man. And you deserve a good man, Anke.”
“Thanks, Slim.” Anke giggled before hugging her friend. “It’s so good to have you back.”
Claudia smiled. “Go. Daniel should be waiting.”
“Okay, mother.” Anke teased. After gathering her clutch and sliding her feet into her heels, she hurried out the door. She stopped suddenly at the top of the stairs when Pitbull turned to face her. The suit he wore draped over his large body perfectly. He could pass for one of those suit models in the glossy magazine she and Claudia used to skim through at the supermarket.
“Wow,” Anke whispered. “You look—are you sure I deserve you, Daniel?”
He began moving toward me. “I could ask you the same thing. You, in that dress takes my breath away.”
She blushed. “Tonight, when we come home, I’ll take it off and see if your breath comes back.”
Pitbull laughed out loud before kissing her nose. “Careful, Anke. I could be falling in love with you.”
She tapped his bum, kissed his mouth then extricated herself from his arms. As she descended the stairs, she flung over her shoulders. “Could be? Well, stick around kid. I have an eternity to wear you down.”
Anke smirked.
Pitbull only laughed harder. “Trust me, my sweet. We don’t need that much time for me to love you…”
THE END
