“Why not?” Humor glinted in his eyes. “Dog moms are the best.”
“If you haven’t noticed, I’m not exactly mother material.”
Lach felt Gina’s stomach tense up.
“I wouldn’t say that. You care about your team and your assets. You’re actually very protective of them.”
“Protective, yes. Motherly, no.”
That’s when he knew. She didn’t want children. They’d never quite gotten around to the topic of starting a family. She always managed to dodge it. Was he surprised? No, he decided. Would it stop him from spending the rest of his life with Gina?
Absolutely not.
“So. What will you do onyourfirst day of freedom, Sunshine?”
She breathed a sigh of relief. “Get a tattoo.”
Lach’s eyes widened. “Really?”
“Yeah. What’s wrong with that?”
“Oh, nothing’s wrong with it. It’s just unexpected. I never pegged you as the tattoo type.”
She shrugged a shoulder.
“What tattoo would you get?”
“What else? A lemon.”
“Like you used with Sana. Of course.”
“Yeah. Just a little reminder to embrace the suck, right? But also to turn lemons into lemonade. I always thought I would get a tattoo once I left this life. Not before, of course, because, well, it's an identifying mark. But once I'm out, once my body is my own and my life is my own, I can do whatever I want. And I'm gonna get a goddamned lemon tattoo.”
He looked into her eyes for a while, not saying anything. It was a comfortable silence, which they’d gotten used to with each other. Finally, he said, “I like that.” His gaze turned wicked, sending heat straight to her belly and parts south. “Where you gonna get it?”
“Haven’t decided.” She grinned back at him. “Any suggestions?”
“Hmmm. You know, I might have to think about that.”
“Oh, really?” She grinned and bit her lower lip, and he savored how doing that sparked lust in his belly.
“Yeah. Actually, I think it would require some research.”
“Research?”
“Aye,” he whisper-growled as he lifted the sheet and gazed at her body. “Very close, very thorough research. Might take a while.”
“But you’ll let me know when you find the perfect spot, won’t you?”
“Oh, yes, Sunshine.” He nuzzled her throat as his hand moved down her torso and nestled between her legs. “You’ll know.”
FOURTEEN
Gina, age 29
Gina shifted in Lachlan’s arms, feeling like she’d gotten her first solid sleep in years. Memories of the night before returned and she smiled. They were really going to do it. After years of sneaking around, she was going to say goodbye to the CIA. If Lachlan decided to stay with the SEALs, it was his decision and she was fine with that. She’d hate to kiss him goodbye before each mission, but it wouldn’t be anything unique. So many people lived with uncertainty whenever their loved ones deployed. She could do it, too.
Not all the weight was off her shoulders, not yet. She still needed to see her last assignment through. Gina suppressed a shiver. She’d seen evil up close, danced with it to save a princess. But now, the evil she faced seemed so much worse. Maybe it was that she was so naïve back then, thought she could single handedly change the world if someone just gave her the chance, and now she knew better—though it didn’t stop her from trying.
