“I did go straight to the cops.”
No, you ran straight to me. She hadn’t known he was CIA.
“I called Agnes because I knew she was a Fed.” Whispered.
Technically, Agnes was a former Fed. Currently, his sister was a small town sheriff hiding out with her very dangerous husband. But this did not seem like the moment to reveal all those details. “Next time, you call me.”
Her long lashes flickered. “You hated me. I couldn’t call you.”
Had she thought about calling him? He would have come running in a heartbeat. Would always run to her. “Hate never enters the equation when I think of you.” Never had, never would. “Maybe you hate me, though.” Hadn’t he feared that? The love she’d once felt for him must have turned over the years. Twisted. That was what betrayal would do. Twist and destroy.
She pulled in a quick breath. “I didn’t even have your number. I didn’t know where in the world you were.”
“You’ll always have my number from here on out. You need me, you call, and I’ll come running.”
“Nash…why?”
Because it’s you. Because it’s always been you. “I’m the best agent for this job.” Safer words to say. “I will fit better with you because we have a history. Our bodies know each other. That works for us.” He stared down at her beautiful face. “You won’t react this way to someone else.” Damn well not to my brother. “We need to put on a show, and, together, we can do it.”
He’d said the wrong thing. He could see it in her expression. The minute the words slipped from his mouth, Nash knew he’d made a colossal mistake.
“A show. Right.” She dropped her hands. “Because nothing you feel for me is real.”
Screw that. “Touch my dick and you’ll feel how real my desire is for you.”
“Lust.”
Yeah. He had plenty of that. But when it came to Delaney, there was so much more involved.
“Lust is fleeting. It doesn’t last.” She rolled back her shoulders.
“Really? That’s weird. Pretty sure I’ve been lusting after you for years. Do tell, though, because I’m curious, when will it stop lasting? When will it finally end?” Because he was thinking he’d still want her when he was ninety.
Before Delaney could reply, a fist pounded into the door. “Jez is leaving! She has to get the trap in motion.” Another hard bang of Ryan’s fist. How many times would Ryan interrupt? “Before she goes, Jez has to get Delaney’s consent. That means Delaney has to get her sweet ass out here and say what she’s going to do.”
She’s not going to fake marry you, Ryan. That’s one thing she will not be doing.
Nash realized that he still had a grasp on Delaney’s waist. His fingers flexed against her. “I will keep you safe. I will play the lover who could not let you go.” I am the lover who could not let you go. “I want you to trust me. I am the man you need for this job.”
“I don’t want you to get hurt.”
He laughed at those fun words. “Sweetheart…”
She flinched.
“I’ve been hurt plenty. Hell, a few months back, I took a bullet to the side while I was protecting my sister. Before that, I got a knife to the stomach.” A shrug. “Danger, risk, being hurt? That’s all part of the job. None of that shit scares me.”
A little furrow appeared between her eyebrows. “You were supposed to be a doctor. How did that change? How did you change?”
He looked down at his hands. Once, they had been all about healing. These days, they were far too good at killing. “I will keep you safe. I will help you to trap the man you were going to marry. And then…” His words trailed away.
“Let me guess. Then you’ll walk away once more? Just vanish? Go off on another secret CIA mission and I’ll never see you again?”
Not exactly. More like…Then I’ll keep fighting for you. I’ll keep protecting you until the day I die, and I will do whatever it takes in order to convince you to fall in love with me again.
Because she’d loved him once before. Surely, he could get her to love him again? Maybe?
She still wanted him. There was no missing the response of her body. And he could use that physical desire. He would use anything and everything in order to reclaim her.
