My eyebrows raise in surprise. When he doesn’t continue, I ask, “Can I speak now?”
“Yes, little bird.”
I smile at the nickname and move closer, my hands finding their way around his neck as I look into his mesmerizing green eyes.
“Thank you for saying all of that. I appreciate it.” And I mean it. His words help remove most of the tension and nerves I was feeling.
“Of course.” He gives a tiny nod as his eyes roam my face.
“Are you sleeping in here tonight?” I ask, my fingers playing with the short hair at the back of his head.
“Yes, Pete will be joining us shortly. I asked him to give us a few minutes.”
“Was that so you could tell me everything you just said?” I ask, my heart hammering in my chest as if it thinks it can get closer to him that way. His large hands grip my hips, and he squeezes me possessively.
“Yes, but also, I wanted to tell you something else.”
I move closer, so there’s no room between our bodies now, the tension thick in the air as I whisper, “What is it, Sly?”
“I love you, Wren.” I inhale sharply, my heart practically leaping in my chest in excitement. “I was completely smitten with your letters, and I didn’t think it was possible to like you even more in person. But I do. You're sweet, and kind, and gorgeous, and so out of my league it’s not even funny.”
“I beg to defer,” I whisper as he slides one hand up my back to the back of my neck.
“I feel honored that you want to keep me around, that even after everything I’ve done in my past, you still want me.”
“Sly, I wish you could see yourself the way I do. You kill bad men who do terrible things. You make this world better, andIam the lucky one. I don’t deserve your love, but I’d be damned if I don’t want it. I love you, too, Sly.”
We lean toward each other at the same time, our lips connecting as we come together with a mix of heat, passion, and need. When I part my lips and his tongue swoops in to caress mine, we both moan, our fingers tightening on each other’s neck as I press tightly to him.
I’m tempted to push this further, but I know that after everything that happened today, now isn’t the right time. I pull back just as Pete steps into the room, winking at me as he climbs into the bed.
Silently, Sly and I climb under the blankets, and they sandwich me between them. I’m passed my stuffed whale, Bluey, as I curl against Sly, with Pete curled around my back. My eyes close as I let out a contented sigh.
Tomorrow might be a difficult day, but today… Today was amazing.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
JAGGER
Itake another sip of my coffee, watching Wren do cartwheels around the yard. The weather is growing cooler, and if we stay in this part of the country, she won’t be able to do this much longer. I have a feeling she’ll be just as happy to jump into a pile of leaves as she is rolling around in the grass.
Leaning against a pillar that supports the roof of the back porch, I try to take in as much of her happy energy as I can.
Any minute now, we’re going to be leaving to stake out where Robert is staying, and I have a feeling it’s not going to be as simple as sitting in the car and watching. We’re going to have to get closer, and Wren is going to have to stay back. She won’t like that, but she won’t have a choice, not in this.
She stops twirling when she notices me and waves. I give her a small wave back, then she blows me a kiss. Like a love-struck fool, I actually reach out and catch it, before pretending to shove it in my pocket, to keep for later.
I never would have imagined myself acting this way with a woman, but Wren has a way of breaking down my walls.
The door behind me opens and closes, then Elias is standing beside me with his own cup of coffee in hand, his eyes glued to Wren, who’s now lying in the grass, staring up at the sky.
“She’s something else, isn’t she?”
I give a small nod in answer.
“I don’t know any other woman who would see four convicts and think them… sweet. Anyone else would be terrified.”
He’s right. I’m not sure how she’s so undisturbed by everything we’ve done in the past. Any normal person would run screaming. They’d be smart to. But Wren… she sees beneath our darkness, our burdens, and our pasts. She seems to see right into our souls. It makes me want to be a better man for her.
