Aaron cupped her cheeks and gently tilted her tearful gaze to his, feeling his own eyes stinging in response. “I will never leave you again. Do you hear me? Never. Not in one week, not in two weeks. Yes, I want to see Jack Mankel die, but the man who tried to destroy my life isn’t nearly as important as the woman who restored it.”
Her gaze searched his and it was all he could do not to grab her and kiss the truth into her. If anyone should be worried it was him. He’d completely underestimated her. Celine Latimer was the strongest woman he’d ever seen. “It’s time I told you the truth.”
“The truth?”
“The reason I turned from you at the wedding had nothing to do with my commander walking in on us.” His gut tightened. Shit, he’d only told a few guys on the team about his past. “My dad was in the Special Forces. He left all the time, didn’t call for days. The worry drove my mom crazy. She started drinkingand popping pills to deal with the loneliness.”
“Oh Aaron…”
“After twenty years of begging my father not to go, he left again and she couldn’t take it.” A giant boulder seemed to form in his throat and he had to force the words out. “I found her in the bathroom. She’d killed herself.”
Celine lifted a trembling hand to his cheek. Drops spilled on the pillow beside her head and Aaron realized with shock it was his own tears falling.
“You thought that would happen to us?” she asked quietly.
“This job isn’t easy. I’ll be gone a lot. I won’t be able to tell you where I am or what I’m doing. That life destroyed my mother and I vowed I would never do that to anyone.” He dropped his forehead to hers and closed his eyes, the understanding in hers pushing his emotions to new heights. “The thought of doing that to you makes me insane.”
“Look at me,” she demanded in a soft tone. When he complied, she said, “I realize it will be hard, but I accept that. I’ve been alone my whole life. My dad kicked me out when I was fifteen and I had to fend for myself.”
She’d learned to take care of herself. Losing her father had devastated her, but she’d survived. The few boyfriends she’d had lasted a few months here and there, but they always left – and she’d survived. If Aaron had to leave on a mission, as long as she knew he wanted to come home to her, she’d survive.
The realization slammed into her with the force of a freight train.
“Aaron, I know I can handle your job because I’ve been training for it my whole life. You don’t have to worry. I’ll be here, waiting.” With each word, her voice grew stronger as the truth sunk in. “And I’ll be here waiting for you to come homefrom your revenge on Mr. J.”
“You amaze me, Celine. I can’t believe how much I underestimated you.” Aaron took her lips in a fierce kiss. “I’m not going anywhere.”
“I won’t take that from you,” she responded instantly.
“Before I had you, I wouldn't have missed it for the world. But you’re my world now and I’m not going to let that bastard steal another second from us.”
Her heart swelled so much she couldn’t breathe.I love you.The words stalled in her throat. She wanted him so badly, and she believed him, but…
“I know I hurt you, and I’ll spend the rest of my life making it up to you if you let me. I don’t expect you to forgive me yet, but can you love me?”
Had he read her mind? She stared up at him in mute shock. “What?”
“I love you and I swear I will never hurt you again.”
His honesty filled her lungs with air and gave her the courage she needed. “I love you, too.”
Aaron brushed his thumb over her cheek. “Why are you crying?”
She sniffled, completely ignoring her tears. “Because I’m happy.” And she was. Really, and truly happy.
He groaned and closed her in a tight hug. “Me, too sweetheart.”
Celine snuggled closer to him, reveling in the way his chest rumbled against her cheek. “What do you think will happen with Mr. J?”
“I think my team will catch him and I think we’ll find Caroline,” Aaron answered without hesitation.
“You seem so sure.”
“The information you were able to give us on Mr. J, who you knew as Jack Mankel, is going to help a lot. Up until now we didn’t know his current alias.” Aaron stroked her hair, sendingdelicious shivers down her spine.
Jack Mankel had seemed so smooth and charming, but when Celine really thought about it, she’d had a feeling about him in the beginning. Her instinct had been not to trust him. And then his daughter…She kept having dreams about her and Caroline being interchangeable.
“Aaron, has anyone been able to dig up any information on his daughter?”
