Nori's Delta (Delta Team Three #1) - Lori Ryan Page 0,62

time you needed to get those hostages out of the bunker without anyone getting hurt.

“But when you came back from that mission, you were different. I saw all the old doubt in your eyes again. I heard you talking to your teammate about how you’d failed. I couldn’t take that. I didn’t want to be responsible for bringing you back to that kind of thinking.”

He dipped his head, touching his forehead to hers. “Yeah, I doubted myself after that mission but it wasn’t the first time and it won’t be the last. Me and my team are all confident in our abilities but we all second guess ourselves sometimes. We just have each other’s backs. If one of us is having a hard time, the other guys pick up and make sure we get the job done.

“But none of that changes how I feel about you. I love you Nori. I don’t think I’ve ever stopped. There was just too much guilt getting in the way of my feelings when we were younger. I thought the best thing I could do was clear out of there after what Jason did and leave you alone. But I know now that you’re the only woman I could ever love. Now that I’ve found you again, I never want to walk away.”

She didn’t answer. She just wrapped her arms around him and kissed him, trying to put all she was feeling, all the love she had in her heart for him into that kiss.

When they broke apart, he met her gaze. “Tell me that’s yes. Tell me we can try this even though we’re in different cities and we’re both basically slaves to our work. Please tell me we can give this a shot.”

She nodded. “We don’t have a choice. I love you. There’s no other choice but to make this work.”

He let out a whoop and lifted her, fluffy bathrobe and knotted hair and all, and spun her around.

She didn’t think it was possible for her to feel any lighter than she did now, any happier.

And then he kissed her and she knew she was dead wrong. His arms around her as he kissed her was everything she ever wanted in her world. Everything she didn’t know she so desperately needed.

When they kissed, it was like they’d never been apart. Not just now and not all those years ago when things had first gone so horribly wrong.

“You’re so beautiful, Nori,” he whispered against her lips. “I’ve never wanted another woman the way I want you. Never felt like this with anyone.”

She smiled. “Ditto,” she said quietly. She had been with other men after him but nothing had compared. When Heath touched her, it felt so right.

“I know you’re not ready to make love yet, but I want to touch you, to look at you.”

He grinned wickedly and leaned in, whispering all the things he wanted to do to her in her ear. Eleanor whimpered and squirmed in his arms. She might need to try to convince him she was healed up enough to do at least a few of those things. Maybe the one where he bent her over ….

“When you’re well,” he said, running his hand over her shoulder as though he could read her mind.

“Promise?”

“Cross my heart.”

She snuggled into his arms and let her heart soak up the fact he’d come for her. He loved her.

“I can’t believe you came because I was crying.”

“Always,” he said again and she believed him. She knew there would be times when he couldn’t do that. She was realistic about his job and the fact he could be called away at any moment and not even be able to tell her where he was going or when he’d be home.

The truth was, she could be moved any moment to a new post. They’d need to figure all that out as they went along. But not being with him was no longer an option. Her heart couldn’t stand that.

“I need to go back to my base and take whatever punishment my CO has for me.”

She ran a hand over his chest. “Merlin said you left after your CO told you not to. You shouldn’t have done that. You could have called.”

He was shaking his head. “Not good enough for my woman. I wanted my arms around you. I wanted to hold you and stop the hurting.”

She tilted her head back and looked in his eyes. “I don’t deserve you.”

He huffed a laugh and shook his