“Dead serious. I won’t kill him though”—he dipped his head to nuzzle her neck, then found his way to her lips—“unless you order me to.”
“I most certainly will not,” she said with mock scorn, but she melted against him.
He let his tongue sweep inside her mouth, tasting her one more time. He stopped before he got out of hand.
“So,” he said, pulling away and swooping her hair into his fist, giving it a gentle tug toward him. “Whaddya say about my place?”
Her expression turned dreamy and her smile shone so bright, she rivaled the sunlight outside their window. “I say yes.”
Gratitude exploded inside him. He picked her up with her legs wrapped around his waist, and they kissed in the brilliant rays.
They still had some things to figure out, but one thing was for sure—he’d fallen for Molly. And every time he looked at her, he fell for her all over again.
Life was fucking good.
Epilogue
Molly removed a bright-pink petunia from the plastic container they’d bought at the nursery that morning. She placed it in the hole she’d dug then sat back on her haunches and exhaled, wiping her forehead.
The warm sun beat down on her, but she wouldn’t have it any other way. It was a beautiful late May afternoon. Time to start getting things ready for their cookout.
Atlas stepped through the screen door that opened onto the wooden deck he’d built over the weekend. He’d stained it yesterday, and the rich wood blended perfectly with the green space of his backyard.
It was hard to believe all that’d happened only a few weeks ago. Time really did heal all wounds, including her shredded feet and black-and-blue bruises. She was still working on her fear of water. Showering with Atlas helped immensely.
Much of what had happened felt surreal. Rex was in custody, and Atlas had heard through one of his contacts that the big bad drug dealer had sung like a canary, trying to minimize his sentence. According to their contact, Rex’s statement included naming customs officials in Panama as well as U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the Port of Houston.
For more than fifteen years, he and Willy Dunne had dominated the drug trade in that part of the world. Apparently, Willy had specialized in opioids and Rex in cocaine. However, recently, Willy had begun crossing into Rex’s territory and putting him out of business.
Their truce had disintegrated and their relationship became vicious—hijacked shipments, tainted products, and other methods of sabotage. Rex had hoped that by kidnapping her, he’d gain valuable information to put Willy out of business forever.
He’d been wrong.
Now he’d rot in jail and Willy . . . well, Atlas had given him what he’d deserved.
Atlas carried a glass of lemonade in each hand and passed her one before sitting on the bottom deck stair. “Lookin’ good,” he said with a grin, as if he were talking about the flowers. His eyes never left her face.
Butterflies paraded in her tummy. They’d been back in the US for two weeks now. Thankfully, Rogue had extended the team’s time off, so they had another four weeks before Atlas had to leave for his next job. Knowing he’d be gone for weeks or months brought forth a familiar sense of dread, but she refused to let anything rain on this day.
She accepted the glass and sat beside him. “Thank you. You kind of have the perfect backyard. I think this spot could be piled with mud and it’d still be gorgeous.”
She took a sip of the cool drink and bursts of lemon and mint exploded on her tastebuds. He really did have a picturesque spot. Tall trees and a large cedar fence enclosed the space.
A giant willow tree took center stage, and she could almost imagine a tree house in its low, thick branches. She sighed, stretching out her legs.
“It’s much prettier with you here.”
She beamed and leaned against his shoulder. They’d had a glorious time in Panama. Atlas had rented them a serene condo near the ocean. For three days, they’d dined at restaurants, gone for walks on the beach, and spent countless hours in bed. And they’d spent a lot more hours in bed since returning to the US.
Her cheeks grew warm at the memory.
“Think your parents will come at the end of summer, like they suggested?” he asked.
“Oh, yes. My mom will probably have to drag my dad away from the law firm, but they’ll be here.”
Introducing Atlas to her parents probably should’ve made her nervous, but nothing had felt more right. Her mom had taken to him immediately, and even her dad had seemed thrilled about their new relationship. Now, her parents would meet his parents in a few months.
Sometimes it seemed as if things were moving fast. Then she’d stop to look in Atlas’s eyes and realize the speed was perfect.
