Once Bitten, Twice Dead - By Bianca D'Arc Page 0,118

craned her neck to look out the front window.

“What? You like them navy boys better than us Green Berets? If so, we’re going to have to have a long talk, sugar.” He squeezed her as she grinned.

“Oh, I like Green Berets just fine. One in particular, as a matter of fact.” She reached up and kissed him, just about knocking his socks off. But he had a question he wanted settled first. He drew back and set her away, heartened by the look of concern on her face.

“Sarah, you did such a great job on this mission. I failed you more than once, but you rallied from every setback. You’re a good operative. Hell, you’re better than good. You’re a natural, and I don’t say that lightly.”

“Xavier, you never failed me,” she started, interrupting his speech. But he made a gesture with his hands, asking without words for her to let him finish what he had to say. She subsided, taking a seat on the couch as he paced in front of it.

“I want you to consider Sykes’s offer. I mean, really consider it. We could work together from now on. I’ll teach you covert ops stuff and you can help me learn investigative techniques. I think we’re a partnership made in heaven.” He didn’t state his intention to take care of them both until she got up to speed. He would really enjoy teaching her how to operate in his world, should she decide to take the job. “What do you think about working with me full time, Sarah?”

“I don’t honestly know.”

She looked a little lost, sitting alone on the big overstuffed couch. He could see he’d taken her by surprise, and she hadn’t yet had time to assimilate all the changes in her life. He knew he was rushing her, but he needed to know. Everything hinged on her decision.

“I thought I’d live and die a county cop. But the idea of going federal is tempting, I’ll admit.”

Tempting, she’d said. He could work with that.

“Sarah.” He sat on the couch, turning to face her. “This mission changed things for me, too. Meeting you…being with you…This has been like something out of a dream. Okay, sure, parts of it were pure nightmare, but the good parts—the parts where we were together—those were some of the best moments of my life.”

Her gaze lit with something he prayed was hope.

“What I’m trying to say is that I don’t want this to end. I want to be with you, Sarah. If you take the job with Sykes, you can make that a condition. That we stay together as a team. We’ve already proven we work well together. Sykes won’t mess that up. He’ll let us be a team and we can spend our time together, both on duty and off duty. Like we’ve been doing here. Only this would be long-term.”

“How long-term?”

Her tone was challenging, but her eyes held a glimmer of joy that gave him hope.

“Forever, if we can manage it.” He took her hand and slid off the couch, dropping to one knee in front of her. “Sarah, mon ange, will you marry me?”

“You want to marry me?” Disbelief warred with bubbling happiness in her tone.

“You know I love you, don’t you?”

“You do?”

“I guess I’ll have to work on my communication skills,” Xavier joked as she launched herself into his arms. They tangled on the floor in front of the couch, both on their knees. “Sarah, I love you with all my heart.”

They didn’t make it to the bedroom until much later. After a session on the floor, where Xavier’s knees got bruised up and Sarah suffered some minor rug burn that quickly healed, they finally collapsed together onto Sarah’s bed.

“I can’t believe we’re going to get married.”

The smile on her face lit his world.

“I’m relieved you agreed. Believe it or not, some women find me a little overbearing.” He tried to look earnest. Teasing her was fast becoming one of his most enjoyable occupations.

“No.” She overacted her mocking surprise. “You don’t say.”

“I’m afraid so.” He leaned against the headboard, stretching his legs out in front of him as Sarah settled at his side. “But you’re stuck with me now. You said yes and I’m never letting you out of it.”

She looped one arm around his middle. “I’m not letting you out of it, either, Xavier. You’re mine.”

“I like the sound of that, sugar.” He scooted downward on the bed, settling next to her as they turned toward each other.