Heart of Gold - By Tami Hoag Page 0,71
Washington with me.”
She arched a delicate brow in arrogant question. “No? Just you try and stop me, Shane Callan. It’s a free country. I can go to Washington if I want to.”
“Faith,” he said tightly, advancing on her, pointing a forefinger at her as if it were the barrel of a gun. “I’m warning you—”
“Warn me all you want,” she said with a sassy toss of her head. “I’m going.”
“What about the inn?”
“I’d rather be with you than the inn. Lord only knows why.”
Temper brought a rush of color to Shane’s high cheekbones and flared his nostrils. He jammed his hands on his hips just to keep from reaching out and shaking the infuriating little vixen. “Of all the damn, stubborn—”
“You’d better believe it, mister,” Faith said, her chin coming up another notch. “I’ve had it up to here with men manipulating my life. I will not let you walk away just because you think it’s best for me. I know what’s best for me.”
“Oh? Was getting kidnapped good for you? Was getting shot good for you?”
“Is running away from love good for you?” Her question was met with a silence so tense it seemed brittle. Shane stared at her as if she had slapped him. She’d hit a nerve. Thank heaven. Oh, please, she prayed as she drew in a slow, deep breath. “That’s what you’re doing. Running. We have something special between us, Shane. It won’t be good for either one of us if you push that away.”
Retreating a step, Shane felt all the anger rush out of him. “I’m just trying to save you, Faith. Can’t you see that? The life I live doesn’t allow for love.”
“Then leave it,” she said softly, never taking her eyes from his face. “If that’s all that’s standing between us, leave it. I know your job is important, and I’ll share you with it if I have to, but I’ll be damned if I’m going to let it take you away from me.”
Shane squeezed his eyes shut. Didn’t she know how badly he wanted to take what she offered? Didn’t she realize he was doing the right thing by turning away?
Are you? that inner voice questioned.
“Even if I did quit the agency,” he said, trying to answer his own doubts as much as he was trying to answer Faith’s, “the job would always be a part of me. The things I’ve done …” His words trailed off on a tight sigh, and he started over. “I’ve crossed swords with a lot of bad people, honey. I thought I’d left Adam Strauss in the past, but the past will never be entirely behind me. I can’t guarantee something like that won’t happen again.”
“And one of these days while you’re busy worrying about it, you’re going to step off the curb and get hit by a bus.”
Her strange statement pulled Shane away from his melancholy mood. He shot her an annoyed glance, his dark brows riding low over flashing silver eyes. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”
“It means worrying about something that might never happen is irrational. We can’t know what the future will hold. All we can do is grab what we have now and hang on.” Taking a big chance that her legs were strong enough to hold her up, she let go of the bedpost and stepped toward him. She locked her earnest gaze on Shane’s wary gray eyes. Her heart beat a wild rhythm of hope and fear. “I love you, Shane Callan. You love me. Please don’t walk away from that. What we have is far too special to let ghosts and fears steal it away from us.”
Oh, Lord, Shane thought as he stared down into those soft dark eyes, I don’t think I’m strong enough to walk away from her.
Or was it staying that took more courage? This sweet, good woman was willing to share her life with him. Did he have the guts to put his past behind him and start a fresh new life? He had dreaded the bleakness of his future without Faith, but the idea of loving her and having her love him in return scared the hell out of him. What did he know of love and family? Nothing. Did he even deserve the chance to find out?
With a hand that was trembling slightly, Shane reached out and cupped Faith’s rounded cheek. She was so soft. His fingertips tingled where they rubbed against the fine silk of her dark gold