the sight made her entirely too unsteady on her legs. Rae leaned against the door for support. Longing twisted his features as her heart skated around inside, searching for an escape. Liam’s brown eyes took her in, and that one simple look left her breathless.
“Well, aren’t you going to ask me in?” His husky voice held hope and fear all tangled up together.
If I can find my breath. “Sure.” Still clinging to the sturdy frame, she opened the door wider.
He stepped inside, his subtle cologne, mixed with evergreens and mountain air, wrapped around her. She shut the door and expected him to take a seat, but he remained where he stood, inches from her.
“You did it again, Liam. You stood between me and a bullet. But this time . . .”
“It all turned out differently.”
Could that mean that this time—for Liam and Rae—things could turn out differently as well?
“Because things happen for a reason,” he said, taking a step closer. “What’s next for us?”
Powerful emotions swirled in his eyes.
Rae fought to breathe. She struggled to find her voice. “Is there an ‘us,’ Liam?”
He lifted a strand of her hair. “I’m going to be honest. Your response kind of hurts. After everything we’ve been through, I thought there was definitely an us.”
Rae had thought the same thing the last time, but back then he didn’t want anything to do with her. He thought she’d used him. He took yet another bold step forward, close enough to gently catch her waist. “Before you showed up, I struggled to know where I belonged. I didn’t think I fit in anywhere. Not the DEA. Not at Emerald M, maybe not even in this valley. This wasn’t my home.”
His words weren’t what she’d expected to hear. “What are you saying?”
A half grin hitched his cheeks, along with those dimples.
He inched forward, his face drawing near as he offered that same invitation he’d offered under the stars on that cold night when he’d blocked her path. And now, just like then, Rae was powerless to resist. She closed the distance and pressed her lips against his. All her fears melted away, and this time, she wrapped her arms around him fully. She allowed him to kiss her thoroughly, and she kissed him back. Rae let the raw emotions she’d held back for so long finally flow from her. She let her heart dance with his until they were both breathless. He eased away enough to whisper against her lips.
“I finally found my home, Rae. It’s with you. You’re my home. Let’s make a home together. Be husband and wife.”
She backed away and pressed against the wall. She loved him, but this? A proposal? “I’m dangerous for you, Liam. I’d be dangerous to your heart too. I have to go after the stories.” I don’t want to hurt you again. I don’t want to be hurt again.
“I know you want that Pulitzer Prize like your father, Rae.” He pinned her with his intense, dark gaze. “I wouldn’t deny you that. Tell me now that you don’t love me and you don’t want me, and I’ll go. You’ll never have to see me again.”
Heart pounding, Rae closed her eyes. Tears spilled out the corners, then she opened them. “I love you, Liam. I’m just scared.”
He laughed. “You go into dangerous places, Rae, and you’re scared of me?”
“I’m scared of the pain that loving someone can bring.” Rae let herself smile a little.
“I know that pain, and I’m scared of it too, but I also know that I couldn’t bear to lose you again. I finally realized what was causing this ache inside, this feeling that I don’t belong anywhere—I missed being with you. I guess the question is, do you feel the same way? I hope so, because I don’t want to lose you.”
Liam had somehow known the exact words to tug at her heartstrings and reel her in. She could never walk away from him. Not this time. “Then don’t lose me. Always keep me close.” Rae smiled and kissed him, feeling deep in her heart for the first time that if Dad were still alive, she might have finally made him proud.
Acknowledgments
I owe so many amazing people a debt of gratitude for helping me get this book on the page.
As with every book, it seems I owe you, Jeff and Tina Moyers, my brother and sister-in-law, for your encouragement through the years. For your help with the unusual scenes.
Susan Sleeman—I couldn’t do this without your encouragement