and she turned in his arms. “But why?” she asked, looking up at him.
He drew in a deep breath. “I listened carefully when you told me about what had happened. Something about it didn’t feel right. It seemed as if Gilmore had deliberately changed the narrative, and I couldn’t figure out why. That’s when I hired Duan.”
“Duan?”
“Yes, Duan Jeffries. He owns a PI firm in Atlanta and is a friend of mine.”
“You took action.”
He recalled Duan had said basically the same thing. “Yes, I took action. I refused to let anyone hurt you.”
“Why?”
Andrew decided to go for the truth. “Because I love you, Toni.”
He waited. Would she respond in kind? God, he hoped so. He held his breath when she reached up and traced a fingertip along his bearded jaw. “And I love you, Drew.”
Andrew released the breath he had been holding, not believing what she’d said. Instead of asking her to repeat it, he leaned in and took her mouth, needing the connection in ways he never thought possible. All he knew was that she was critical to his very existence—the reason his heart was beating, and the center of all that was essential to him.
He released her mouth, then stared at her for a moment before kissing her again. When she began to shake, he ended the kiss and tugged her closer into his body’s heat.
“I can’t believe it,” she said softly. “You love me.”
A soft chuckle escaped his lips. “Yes, I love you. And I can’t believe that you love me.”
“I do, trust me.” She paused a minute. “I’m very, very sorry. Do you accept my apology for jumping to conclusions?”
“I accept everything about you, baby.”
Smiling, she snuggled deeper into his arms. “Why didn’t you tell me about the report the moment I got here?”
He chuckled softly. “If you recall, the moment I opened the door, you jumped my bones. Literally. Everything else flew out of my head at that point.”
She laughed. “I did jump your bones, didn’t I?”
They didn’t say anything for a long time while he held her, and just enjoyed the moment. Finally, she said, “I can’t believe Thomas Gilmore was having an affair with his own son’s wife—and that it had been going on for years.”
“From the report, Gilmore is the one who introduced them. I guess he wanted his son marrying his mistress. He’d been the woman’s ‘sugar daddy’ while she was in college, and I guess he figured having her married to his son would be one way of keeping her close.”
Andrew shifted their bodies slightly, then continued, “Finally, after five years of marriage, the son suspected his wife of being unfaithful and hired a PI to find out the truth. Can you imagine how he must have felt when he was told the identity of his wife’s lover, and how long the affair had been going on? And then to see his suspicions confirmed in pictures. No wonder the guy snapped.”
“No,” Toni said, shaking her head. “I can’t imagine.”
“So, what are you going to do with the information in that report?”
“I’m not sure. I need some time to think.”
“Take all the time you need, baby. That report isn’t going anywhere. It’s yours. Whatever decision you make, I know it is going to be the right one.”
He lowered his head to hers for another kiss, intending for this one to take them to the next universe.
“ARE YOU DOING OKAY, this morning, Toni?”
Toni glanced over at Drew after she got inside the police car and buckled her seatbelt. Smiling, she said, “I’m fine, thanks. What about you?”
He had placed a pair of aviator-style sunglasses over his eyes, but she didn’t need to see them to know his eyes were twinkling in mischief. He knew exactly how she was doing this morning. After all, they’d spent most of the night, and an hour or so this morning, in his bed making love. When she’d left his place, she’d had just enough time to go home, shower, and get into the office.
“My days and nights are getting better and better,” he said, as he started the car.
“I’m glad to hear it.”
Drew had been thoughtful enough to bring her coffee and a muffin, and had placed both on her desk so they’d be there when she arrived. Before leaving his house, they decided not to place any limitations on the amount of time they would spend together from here on out. From now on, there would be no rules, no limits.