“You already know the answer to that.”
“You’d kill for me?”
“There’s no limit to what I would do to keep you safe andhappy. This stalker fucked with the wrong person, and he’ll regret it.”
A shiver runs down my spine, but for once in my life, a sense of safety washes over me, leaving me slightly breathless.
“So I made the right choice calling you for help?”
“Best decision of your life, beautiful.”
Studying his face, I drag my fingers through the hair at the base of his neck. “Mon tueur,” I whisper. “Mon rêve devenu réalité. Mon espoir.”
“I don’t know what you said, but I feel it. Can I call youmonpetit hérissonor does it make you sad?”
“It doesn’t make me sad, Specter.”
He smiles, tucking my hair behind my ear. “I don’t think I knew what happy felt like until right now.”
“Same.” I run my hands down his arms.“Tu es chaud comme la braise.”I laugh softly, wondering where that phrase bubbled up from and remembering a movie I saw years ago.
“What does that mean?”
“Basically, you’re hot at hell.”
“I’ll take that.” He kisses my hand.
Blowing out a breath, I shake off the emotions running wild to focus on the problem. “When are we doing this?”
“The sooner the better. I’ll drop you off at your place and act like I’m leaving, but I’ll have plenty of eyes on the place. I’ll have three of the guys with me, so we’ll have you covered.”
“I should take a car service home so it looks like you’re not around at all.”
His jaw clenches but he nods. “Good idea. Wraith will go ahead and scope the complex out to make sure it’s safe before you return.”
“Okay.”
“And we’ll always be at Segreto. You won’t be alone. Not for one fucking second.”
“I know.” I brush my fingers along his stubble covered cheek. “Do you really love me?”
He nods, his intense eyes searching mine. “I’ve never felt like this before, and it’s pretty fucking badass. I knew you were special the moment I laid eyes on you, but I didn’t know you’d change my whole life. Until you, I was on autopilot, my emotions on lockdown. I don’t want to be that anymore. I like how you make me feel. I want to make you feel like I do. Happy and safe. Loved. Whether you say the words or not, I feel your heart.”
My eyes sting again, but I blink back the impending tears, swallowing around the lump in my throat. The emotion is there, the words bouncing around my head, but I can’t find my voice to say them. It feels too raw, too scary.
“I told you I’m patient,” Specter says, clearly reading my distress. “Just keep being you. That’s all I want.”
“You’re amazing,” I whisper.
“I’m glad you think so.” He blows out a breath before kissing my cheek. “Want to do some cardio then sit in the sauna?”
“If you mean mess around in the sauna, then yes.”
Specter smiles. “That’s exactly what I mean.”
CHAPTER 23
Specter
