Page 50 of Body of Trust

“Until Anthony…” I sigh. “Part of me wondered how I’d react when I finally saw him after our breakup. There was a portion of my heart that thought it missed him. I’m happy to know it didn’t.” I smile proudly as I remember how I put him in his place tonight. “What about you? Girlfriends?”

“Many,” he answers easily, and I throw a pillow at him with a laugh. “Don’t hate. I was a wide receiver in a town that idolizes high school football.”

“Break a lot of hearts?”

“A few. It took me a while to realize what I wanted in a woman.” His eyes roam over mine, oozing with arousal.

I swallow and look away. My brow curves as I ask, “Since you’ve been undercover, have you been with anyone? What I mean is, am I the first …”

He sits up and lifts his knuckle to my chin, forcing me to keep my head from falling in despair. “I’ve never had a relationship of any kind with anyone since I joined the FBI. The risk was never worth the reward. Not until you.”

“Why me? Of all people, why am I worth possibly throwing away everything you’ve worked for?”

“Turns out, I like nerds.”

I lift my eyes to the ceiling as I smile. He takes my drink and places it back on the table along with his. In one swift motion, he lifts me by the hips and settles me on his lap, so I’m straddling him.

We join hands and sit here, smiling at each other.

“Better,” he says. “Now, do you have any other questions?”

“A million,” I say as our fingers move and dance against each other’s. “First kiss?”

“Amanda Baker, during a game of Spin the Bottle.”

“Same! Robbie Donnelly. Horrible kisser. I felt like my mouth was being swallowed by a frog. Quite possibly why I wasn’t eager to kiss just any guy all through high school.”

“I have a question for you. Why did you study accounting in college?” he asks.

“I’m really good at numbers. I like them actually. Spreadsheets are kind of a turn-on for me. A good calculator is gold. I’d much rather get a nice Montblanc pen than a diamond tennis bracelet.”

With a laugh, he kisses my hand. “Told you. Nerds are so sexy.”

I hit him in the arm, and he tickles my sides, making me laugh. I’m in a fit of giggles, bending to the side as his hands move up and down my torso. I lean forward and bury my head into his neck.

“You have a great laugh,” he says.

“Good thing I’ve found a guy who can make me laugh.”

He brushes my hair off my face and tucks it behind my ear. “You know I’m your guy, right?”

I nod and rest my head against his hand.

“It’s you and me, Amelia. Just us.”

“Together.” The grin on his face says he’s happy with my response, but then he looks away. “What are you thinking about?”

“Nothing,” he lies.

“I know that look, Jesse. You think you’re protecting me, but you have no idea how well I know your body language. You promised you wouldn’t keep secrets from me. Don’t go back on it.”

“You want my truth?” he asks. “I’m worried because I don’t know what will happen to us when this is over. At the end of the day, I’m a special agent, and you’re the daughter of a mobster. He’ll never approve of me. And in my line of work, I can’t keep you.”

My heart falls at these words. He’s not saying anything I didn’t already know. I’d be a fool to continue this relationship with him, if you can even call it a relationship. Whatever it is, it’s dangerously wrong, and still, I can’t help but want it … even if it’s only for a short time.

“Let’s not worry about what will happen tomorrow. One day at a time, right? That’s what you said, and that’s what we’ll do. And tonight, I want nothing more than to be with a man. A strong, protective man who is so damn good. I want that goodness buried deep inside me. Can you give me that?”

Fire and desire blaze in his eyes. His lips part, and his chest puffs as I release my hands from his and slowly unbutton his shirt. When it’s undone, I push it off his shoulders, forcing him to sit up fully so I can remove it completely.