She pulled her hand from his.
But…
Then she was cupping his chin. Simone leaned in close to him. “It’s actually quite a novel and invigorating experience, if you want the truth. I wasn’t even sure I could fall in love with someone, not until you.” Her thumb brushed across his jaw. “I know I can love, sure. I love Logan. I’ve loved him since we were kids.” An easy, unhesitating statement. “But loving someone like family and falling in love are two different things, aren’t they? Thank you for letting me experience that difference.”
Shock held him immobile. Her hand slowly slid away from him. She rose, standing beside his chair.
“I appreciate you coming to check on me,” she said to Logan.
Uh, how had Logan even known where to come? He would ask that question. Once he stopped being deliriously thrilled. Simone loves me. She has fallen in love with me. Not a lie. Not a cover. The real deal.
“But I’m good, truly.” She pointed to the vent. “You can go on your way at any time.”
Yeah, um, about that. Ryan tried to shake himself from his stupor. “When Logan leaves, he’s taking you with him.” Ryan shot to his feet. He needed to say something about her confession. Something like…Holy hell, you have just made me the happiest bastard in the world.
“Uh, no, I’m not going with him. I don’t do tight spaces, remember? Consider elevators my limit from now on. Nothing beyond that.”
No way would he make her face a tight space nightmare. “Then he’ll just waltz with you right out of the hotel suite and down the corridor and to whatever ride he has waiting. You’re done.” He paced away from her. He had to get away from her. Because he wanted to pounce far too badly.
But she grabbed him. “Excuse me?” What could have been pain broke beneath her words. “I say that I love you and you say we are done? That is your response?”
No, his response was…Marry me. Spend forever with me. Let’s make fantasies and dreams come true.
“How is that an even exchange?” Simone exclaimed. “That is a sucky exchange!”
“It does suck, man,” Logan told him. “You need to tell me to fuck off. You need to beat the hell out of me and whisk Simone away. Seriously, do it.”
But Ryan ignored him and went toe to toe with Simone. “What do you want me to say? That you just made me the fucking happiest man in the world?”
“That would be a start.”
“That I can’t breathe because I’m so damn thrilled that you love me?”
“Yes, that is better.”
“That I want you to marry me, and I’m standing here, trying to figure out how the hell to propose to you in the right way, but I can’t do that yet because we have freaking asshole criminals to stop?”
She wet her lips. “All of that…that is a way better exchange.”
He could not look away. “I love you so fucking much.”
“Yo. Other people are in the room.” Logan’s annoyed voice. “I would be the other. How about we save this love chat for later? Got more pressing priorities, you know?”
Fine. Dammit. Ryan glanced his way. He pointed at Logan. “How did you know she was here? Did she call you? Signal you in some way?”
“I did not,” Simone fired.
“I knew she was here because there is a bounty on her head. One that was doubled recently.”
It had been doubled?
“Let’s just say that I keep my ear to the ground about details that concern her. When her pic popped up on some sites that I might, shall we say, frequent?—”
“Dark web hit sites?” Ryan wasn’t going to dance around. Time to get straight to the real deal.
Logan nodded. “When I saw her pic, I knew that I needed to step in. I was already in London, dealing with other business, so it was easy to reach this hotel. Before making my appearance tonight, I let it be known that anyone touching her would meet with a swift and brutal end.” Logan smiled. The smile didn’t reach his eyes. “I’m protective like that.”
“Great. Then when you take her out of here, you can keep right on protecting her.” Because Ryan would not be there to do it. “She needs to be long gone before?—”
