Rising (Anderson Special Ops #2) - Melody Anne Page 0,102

where you put it all. You must run a hundred miles a day,” she said.

“Nah, but I run a minimum of ten a day,” he said as if that wasn’t impressive.

Steve suddenly got serious as he looked at her. He pushed the black velvet box he’d brought with him toward her. She’d been so focused on the food she’d forgotten about the box.

“What is it?” she asked as she took it.

He laughed. “If you open it, you’ll find out,” Steve said.

She opened the lid and gasped at the beauty of the pink coral necklace that rested inside. “What’s this for?” she asked. She ran her finger over the necklace, wanting to put it on. She had to fight tears as she continued to rub the smooth coral. She couldn’t actually remember the last time she’d received a gift. It had been years. A tear fell and she wiped it away, hoping he hadn’t noticed.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, reaching out and taking her hand. That made another tear fall.

“This is foolish,” she said. “I’m sorry.”

“Tell me what’s wrong. I rarely buy a gift. Did I screw it up?” he asked. She looked up at him in horror.

“Oh no, it’s wonderful,” she said. “It’s just that . . . well, I haven’t . . .” Ugh, she felt so foolish. “I haven’t gotten a gift since, well since I lost my grandma,” she finished. Another tear fell.

“I’m sorry, Erin. You should receive them every single day.”

She held up a hand, afraid he’d now give her one daily. “No, definitely not,” she said. “If a person got a gift every day, they wouldn’t appreciate it when they get something this special.”

He smiled, wiping her cheek with his thumb before rubbing it across her lip. Then he took a breath. “I really care about you, Erin,” he finally said. Dang it. The tears were coming back again.

“I care about you too,” she admitted. He took a deep breath.

“I don’t think I’ve ever been in love before, real love,” he said. “But I think I am now.”

Erin’s tears stopped as she looked across the counter at him. He was shifting in his seat, looking nervous, looking a bit . . . scared. Was he as frightened of rejection as she was? That was an odd way to tell someone you loved them, but she loved it, because it was filled with honesty.

But she also had something to tell him. She was the one scared now. But before she could say something, he kept on talking.

“Because I love you, I don’t want to keep secrets between us,” he said. He looked her in the eyes. “I’m working on a security issue right now — and one of the people I’m investigating is your uncle Jorge. I want to tell you that, not because I think you’re involved with him, but because I don’t want you to somehow find out later, and think I kept it from you.”

She looked at him, seriously confused.

“My uncle Jorge?” she questioned. Then a light turned on. “You’re looking into drugs, right?”

“Yes,” he said. “But investigating him has nothing to do with my relationship with you.”

She thought about it for a few seconds. She had zero feelings for her uncle. He was an evil man and if he spent the rest of his life in prison the world would be a better place. She had no doubt about that.

“Is that why you came to this diner in the first place?” she asked. “To find out if I was at all involved?”

Steve went quiet. She waited, feeling her heart beating hard against her chest. Then he sighed. “Full disclosure, I did know who you were when I came in here. But that’s not, and I want to emphasize this, not the reason I asked you on a date. I was intrigued by you from the first words you spoke to me. And then the more I saw you the more I needed to see you. I couldn’t take my eyes off of you, much less keep my hands away. I should’ve told you sooner, but we’ve already had a few ups and downs, and it seriously scares the hell out of me to think of losing you. That’s why I’m telling you now. I don’t want any secrets between us.”

He sat back and waited after giving his speech. She looked at him, and she looked inside herself, trying to figure out what she was feeling, or even how she was feeling. She wasn’t