“I hate that I wasted all this time,” he whispered, kissing her forehead. “I should have made a move, should have told you that first time that I thought you were the most gorgeous thing I’d ever seen, but you seemed so cold.”
“About that.” She could tell him anything now. She rubbed her cheek against his chest seeking his warmth and affection. “I’m glad you didn’t because it would have been awkward.”
“I tried to kiss you in Croatia, but Mr. Lemon showed up. Do you remember? I still hold a grudge. It was like he was your dad or something.”
She smiled against his chest. “I remember. You danced with me. I wish we’d danced more.”
“You were wearing that ridiculous dress that had every man in theroom panting after you.”
She’d dressed for him. “Including you?”
His hand smoothed over her hair. “Oh, so including me. I was jealous of the target. That was when I knew I wanted you. You were distant before and then we clicked.”
She suddenly needed him to know. She rolled to her side so she could look at him. “I should explain that. Why I seemed like two different people at times. Ben, I want to be honest with you.”
The clock caught her gaze.
1:10
No time. No time at all. Seventy seconds of life left. She laid back down and wrapped her arms around him. “It doesn’t matter. Just know that I always wanted you. I knew it from the moment I saw you. I knew you were the one for me and even though it was complicated, I was always going to end up right here. With you. This is how we end, Ben Parker. We end together.”
He held on to her and found her lips with his. He kissed her again and again, but there was no expectations of anything this time. This was love and affection with no other reason than they loved each other. With no other goal but to die in his arms.
It was almost time. She wrapped her arms around him and held on.
For way longer than a minute.
Like she could lose track of time, but this was a bit much.
Kenzie sat up and looked at the clock.
“What’s happening?” Ben sat up beside her.
What the hell was going on? She glanced over and the clock read0:00.
It held for one second and then another.
“It didn’t go off.” Ben started to get out of bed. “What the hell? Fuck. Manny did this.”
“Uh, I don’t think we should be upset that the bomb didn’t kill us.” He was having an odd reaction.
Ben stood in front of the bomb. “This was a trick. He did something. I don’t know what, but I’ll find out. He’s obviously not fucking dead. He planned this.”
He changed so fast. One minute he was her sweet lover and the next… He hated Manny Huisman, and that felt like all that mattered.
She was about to ask him to come back to bed when she wasstartled by a clanging on the outer door.
“I’m coming in. Dear god, please cover up and don’t be doing something that will make me vomit,” a familiar voice said.
“Oh, shit.” Well, she wasn’t going to have to tell Ben. He was about to meet her sister. For real this time.
Ben went for his gun.
“Don’t. She’s friendly,” Kenzie explained. “I mean that in the secondary usage of the word. She’s actually mostly rude, and she’s going to be very familiar to you. Ben, I’m so sorry.”
The door came open and Ben was left facing… Well, he was facing a second her.
Kala winced as she looked at Ben. “Dude, way more than I wanted to see.” She turned back to Kenzie. “Okay, sis, there’s good news and bad news.”
