This is a man who has dedicated his life to his work, who has faced lawsuits and threats because he dared to put the truth before his own safety.The same man who I could barely utter a sentence to for two years, and today, I asked him to abandon his plan to help a room full of hostages because I had a hunch.
And he just … did it.
I fill my lungs, finally able to take a full breath.“I should have let you leave.”
He drops to a crouch beside me.“I’m fucking glad you didn’t.”
Hearing him swear is stirring up all kinds of feelings, and I wish he’d waited until he wasn’t bleeding and I wasn’t sitting on the floor during a bank robbery because I can’t do anything about how much I want to tear his clothes off right now.
“I can’t imagine what would have happened if I’d left.”
He cups my cheek with his good hand.I lift my eyes to his, and it’s electric.
“This is going to be incredibly unprofessional, but I’ve already wasted two fucking years, so here it is.I’m so desperately in love with you that I’m sick with it.I’ve thought about you constantly, but I never wanted to be the reason your success was questioned, didn’t want anyone to think you hadn’t earned it, because you’re brilliant, and not enough people recognize that.But I’m sorry.I?—”
I put my hand over his mouth, grateful for the quiet.My head is pounding, and my heart still hasn’t crawled out of my throat.I love what he’s saying, but I’m going to need him to repeat it when I’m not feeling so lightheaded.
Preferably while he’s naked.
“Can you please just kiss me already?”I whisper.
His lips curl into a smile under my palm, and he places a sweet kiss there before carefully lowering my hand and leaning in.
“Sterling, I …” I stall out, lost.
There aren’t any words to finish that sentence because what I want to say is too big to fit into something as finicky and limited as English.It needs an orchestra, and sweeping hills, and torrential rain.Something elemental and raw.
All I have are my hands and my mouth, and they’re going to have to be good enough because he’s looking at me as if he’d suffer a thousand more cuts.Like there was no other choice for him.No choice at all.Because when it came down to his plan or me, I came first.
Of course I did.
Our teeth click together when I dive in to kiss him, and Sterling briefly sways back with the force of it, but recovers quickly, cupping my cheek and kissing back.
Oh, how I’ve dreamed of these lips.
* * *
Make Your Choice:
not ready to leave yet?*(go to 88)
take me to the epilogue(go to 89)
go back(go to 53)
One blink, and I’m staring at a series of dancing waffles, next to a crude haiku and what I really hope isn’t someone’s actual phone number.
I’m almost afraid to ask.
“Lucky, where are we?”
“Sorry, love, this is the closest place I could think of.”He’s already opening the bathroom door, surprising the young girl about to enter.
Lucky pulls me out the door and through the restaurant, which appears to exclusively sell waffles, and—oh my God, that chocolate stack with ice cream and fudge sauce looks amazing.I’m definitely coming back here.
Then we’re out the door and on the street.
“The bank is on the next corner,” he says, but he needn’t have—the dance of red and blue lights and cacophony of shouts do the job for him.
