“Sweetheart, look at me.”
Sweetheart. I never thought he’d call me that again. Hope blossomed in my chest, and I turned to him.
All the anger and resentment left his eyes. “This time apart has given me some perspective on the whole thing. And I fucked up too. I broke down your door with my toxic masculinity and set the place on fire. If I’d never done that, I’m sure you and Enzo would have finished an unremarkable conversation, he would have left, and that would have been the end of it. But I went in there like a psychopath ... and provoked you.”
I did not expect to hear him take accountability for anything. “I still shouldn’t have said that—”
“Yeah, it still bothers me. But you did say previously that you would be proud if I were your son, so I don’t think you fully meant what you said. Just partially. But partially is still enough to wound me. Now that you’ve had firsthand experience with what I do, I’m sure you can figure out why I felt that way.”
I gave a nod. “Yeah.”
He sat there, arms relaxed on the armrests, knees wide apart. His eyes moved elsewhere for several heartbeats before he spoke again. “I’ve had a rough time since I walked away. When I’m angry like that, it’s usually pretty easy for me to forget the person ever existed. But I spent a lot of time on the couch with Medusa, and she could tell I was hurt. She kept looking at me like I had an injury that she couldn’t find.”
My heart ached in pain but also ballooned in hope. Hope that I would get this man back.
“Something about me that you may have already figured out—I don’t do second chances. If someone betrays you once, they’ll betray you twice. But because I’m also at fault here, I don’t think that applies to us.”
My heart raced like I was at a full sprint rather than seated in a cushioned chair.
“And even if that weren’t the case, my feelings for you haven’t changed.”
It was happening. Really happening.
“But I need some time to get to where we were before. Because I’ve been all in since the day we met, and I’m tired of the constant back-and-forth, tired of you being unsure if you can handle everything my life entails. So take some time to think about it—”
“I don’t need to think about it, Constantine.”
His entire body went still as he stared at me.
“I’m in.”
“You are?”
“Yes. For better or worse. Whatever comes our way.”
He studied me for a while longer. “Just so we’re clear, this is it. I will die in the line of duty, or I’ll be lucky enough to live long enough to retire. I will never step down from this position, regardless of the threat it brings to either of us. If I ever marry, it will be to a woman who understands that this is bigger than both of us. I will never walk away from this, not for her or any children we may have. So if you think that, in time, my priorities will change, they won’t. If you think if we ever have kids I’ll walk away, I won’t. I’ve been delicate and patient with you these last few weeks, because goddamn, I’ve never wanted a woman more. But that leniency is over. You’re either in this with me fully—or you walk away now.”
That speech should have scared me off, but I knew a life without Constantine was far worse. “I’m ready to be tough.”
His stare remained hard, but a hint of a smile moved onto his lips. “Attagirl.”
I couldn’t keep my distance for another moment. I launched out of the chair and into his lap, my arms circling his neck as I broughtmy mouth to his lips and kissed him. Kissed him like I only had in my dreams. I felt his hard chest against mine like a wall of bricks, and I was reminded that this was real. Not wishful thinking. Not a fantasy.
He slid one hand into the back of my hair while his other hand went to my ass. He tugged up the dress, then grabbed one of my cheeks and squeezed it hard before he gave it a hard smack and let the dress fall back into place. He was on his feet a moment later, carrying me with him to the bed.
Oh my god, I couldn’t believe this was real.
He set me down on the edge, then yanked his shirt over his head.
“Oh yes ...” It was like he was already inside me.
He smirked as he worked his jeans. “Missed me, sweetheart?”
“Uh-huh.” I practically drooled at the sight of him.
When he was naked, he slipped off my heels, then yanked my dress to my waist before he grabbed my thong and pulled it free.
I hadn’t shaved in over a week because I hadn’t expected anyone to see me naked. My dark hair was everywhere, an unmanicured mess. The heat left my lungs as the embarrassment filled me like a balloon.
