I want this to last, but my body has other ideas. “Kiss me. Now.”
As she claims my mouth, the release I’ve been dreaming of for a solid week barrels through me. Her inner walls clench, and she tumbles over the edge after me.
With Emi’s hair fanning across my shoulder and her leg draped over mine, I might be the happiest I’ve ever been. Under the blankets, I trail my fingers up and down her spine. Her eyes are closed, and she hasn’t moved since I turned off the light a few minutes ago.
Sleep is about to steal me away, but I press a kiss to the top of her head. Before I can stop myself, I whisper, “I’m falling in love with you, Emmylou Marsh.”
Did I imagine her breath hitching? Or did she hear me? Fuck. Why didn’t I keep my damn mouth shut? It’s too soon for promises of forever. But somewhere between my first taste and her last sigh, my heart decided it didn’t care that our lives were headed in two different directions.
I’m damn close to loving Emi, and when the sun comes up, I’m gonna tell her.
Chapter Nineteen
Emi
Something’s beeping. Jasper groans, and his arm tightens around my waist. But a second later, he tears the sheets from my naked body and grabs my hands.
“That’s the perimeter alarm,” he hisses. “Get dressed. Right now.”
He throws my leggings at me, rolls out of bed, and tugs on his jeans. By the time I’ve found my shoes in the darkened room, he’s staring at a screen on the back wall of the closet. Two red dots flash in one corner of the display.
“Fuckers cut the power, but the generator kicked in. They’re comin’ from the northwest.” Jasper clips a holster to his waistband, then grabs his gun and two spare magazines from the nightstand.
“Give me the Glock.” I hold out my hand. In the dim light coming from the closet, his expression hardens. “I know you’re fixin’ to tell me to stay here. But I’m safer if I have a gun.”
The two red dots are getting closer. With a low rumble that’s practically a growl, Jasper presses the Glock into my hand. “I only have one extra mag for this. You’re goin’ straight to the basement. It’s practically a safe room. One way in, one way out. Anyone comes for you there, you’ll see ‘em long before they see you. Start shooting and don’t stop until they’re dead.”
Jasper leads me through the darkened house to the mudroom. Behind a coat rack there’s a door I hadn’t noticed earlier that leads to a set of stairs. A single light glows brightly halfway down. “Lock the deadbolt. Don’t open it for anyone but me, you hear?”
“Jasper…” Pleading roughens my tone. I don’t want him to go. “Wouldn’t it be safer to stay together? I won’t hide while you risk your life?—”
He wraps his arm around my shoulders and pulls me in for a swift, hard kiss. “Yes, you will. These fuckers are pros, Emi. I can’t be worryin’ about you and have any hope of stoppin’ them.”
The desperation in his voice is too much for me. “Okay. Just…be careful.”
“Shoot anyone coming down the stairs, Emi. Anyone. I…” He shakes his head, and the fear in his eyes almost sends me over the edge. “I’ll keep you safe. Until my last breath.”
He steps back and shuts the door with a quiet click.
Shit. My fingers slip off the deadbolt twice before I manage to lock it. I’m alone. Terrified. With a loaded gun and a spare magazine tucked in my waistband.
Yet, I’m practically untouchable compared to Jasper. He’s going after those two men alone. In the dark. He was a Ranger. A State Trooper before that.
“I’m falling in love with you, Emmylou Marsh.”
God, why did I pretend to be asleep when he said those sweet words to me? I wanted to say them back. I should have said them back. What if I don’t get another chance?
Stop. Jasper won’t die tonight. He knows the property, he’s armed, and he has a plan. At least…I hope he has a plan.
At the bottom of the stairs, I gape at the cellar. It’s at least half the size of the cabin. Shelves line the walls, full of canned goods, bottled water, half a dozen first aid kits, and blankets. There’s even a ham radio down here. I wish I had any idea how to work it. Maybe I could get help. But…who would I call?
AJ is the only person Jasper trusts, and I have no idea how to get in touch with him. Even if there’s a burner phone on one of these shelves, I don’t have AJ’s number.
Finding a spot in the corner with a clear view of the stairs, I crouch down, chamber a round in the pistol, and pray.
Jasper
The frigid night air stings my cheeks. Keeping low, I creep away from the only place I want to be—at Emi’s side. The moon is close to full, giving me enough light to see a couple hundred yards, and I pick my way toward the fence line.
