“Coffee now?”he suggested, wrapping her in a towel.
“If you promise to make this a daily ritual.”
“Coffee or sex?”
“I’m sure we can reach a suitable arrangement.”
“Deal, sweetheart.”Elijah’s slow, sexy smile heated her up from the inside out.
* * *
Mission complete, they left theSeraphimand returned to a safe house in Mdina, the Silent City, named for its deep, almost eerie quiet, especially after dark.A tiny population and traffic restrictions, coupled with loyal friends who would warn them of danger, made it the perfect sanctuary for two agents craving peace and privacy.
Sable had made the safe house comfortable and functional.Deep baths, relaxing sofas, cutting-edge tech, and every conceivable mod con made it the closest thing to home he’d ever known.“Making love with you is like coming home,” she said, falling back on the pillows as if reading his mind.
“Making love with you is like running ten back-to-back marathons.”
“Only ten?”she protested.
He waited until her breathing steadied, then slipped out of bed.A deep calm washed over him as he freshened up and dressed.Craving balmy air, he jogged down the stairs and stepped outside onto the narrow, cobbled street.
The night was warm, the area still.Everyone was asleep.After the violence of the mission, these rare moments of tranquility were almost unbearably precious.He pictured Sable deep in sleep, breathing softly.That in itself was a miracle, because she never relaxed.But tonight everything had reached the right conclusion for both of them, making the ending also a beginning.
Staring up at their open window, he smiled.The mission might be over, but for the first time in seven years, the future wasn’t an empty horizon.They were together again, with a world of possibilities ahead.
* * *
She woke in a panic.Where was he?
Leaping out of bed, she stood at the arched window, staring down at the empty street.The Silent City lived up to its name.No sound to be heard, just the low hush of night sliding like a phantom between the ancient walls.
It was beautiful, peaceful, terrifying.Silence was when her doubts screamed the loudest.Elijah had what he wanted, the vicious little voice inside her head insisted.Now he could sail away.You were just another loose end to tie off?—
Then the heavy door opened.
His T-shirt clung to hard-muscled abs as he met her worried gaze.“I thought you’d weighed anchor without me,” she admitted.
“I know what you thought.But I’m here to stay.”
“You had plenty of time to learn to live without me.”
“Enough to know I don’t want to be without you.”
Crossing the room, he stopped just short of touching her, close enough to feel his heat.“I’m done with half measures.Let’s get married and create a dynasty.”
She laughed at the crazy look of love on his face.“Can we start with a family?”
“I’ll go with that.”His lips slanted in the most attractive way.“Oh, and I’ve got something else for you.I couldn’t resist…”
Her eyes widened as he flipped open the lid of a small velvet box.
“What the fuck is that?”she gasped.
“Apparently, it’s a diamond engagement ring.”
“So big it would light up the sky in a raid.”
“So, I got you this too…” Reaching into his top pocket, he pulled out a simple platinum band.
