usually a chicken.”
“That doesn’t sound good.” Her heart cracked even more, and grief began to seep out around the edges.
His gaze pierced her. “That depends. It’s just that I’ve never even wanted to give my heart to someone. I didn’t know how difficult it could be.” He paused. “Well, hell, I’ve already given you my heart. The question is what you want to do with it.”
Astonishment deprived her of speech. Anticipated grief didn’t want to give way to hope. Hope was dangerous.
“Look,” he said, “I know I live the kind of life most women would hate. I get it, I’ve heard it often enough. I’m the kind of man who will be gone for days at a time. I won’t be around a lot, at least not in the summer, and I couldn’t possibly claim that would make me the best friend or companion. Then, I know you’ve got a whole life down in Florida. Why in hell would you want to give that up to live in the middle of nowhere with a guy who’s gone a lot? But the simple fact is, I can’t stop hoping that you might see some reason, any reason, to want to hang around. I love you, Sky. If I wasn’t sure of it before, I was convinced when I almost lost you. It’s really selfish, I know, but I’d rather not spend the rest of my life without you.”
Joy began to blossom within her, at first almost painful as it shot her from the depths to the heights faster than a rocket. “Selfish?” she repeated stupidly.
“I know it’s selfish. What can I offer? A lot of solitude and a cabin in the woods. Most women would run from that in a heartbeat. I mean, if I weren’t selfish, I suppose I’d be offering to follow you home, but honestly, Sky, I’d feel crushed by the crowding and then I’d make you truly miserable. I’m recognizing my own limitations here. It’s not easy.”
She needed to stop him before he put himself down any more. She tugged his hand until she pressed it to her heart. “Sh,” she said.
He sighed. “I know. I’m sorry. This isn’t fair to you.”
“Cut it out,” she said, repeating his words. “Can I talk now?”
He nodded, clearly bracing himself.
“I love you, too. I want to stay here. In fact, I’ve even got a job offer from the veterans group. It would be just enough, and I’d have more time to paint. But most importantly, I could be with you.”
She watched emotions race across his face. “Really? Even though being with me would mean not being with me for days at a time?”
“I’m pretty self-sufficient. I can handle it. What I can’t handle is losing you.”
The next thing she knew, he’d leaned into her, wrapping her in a crushing bear hug, his cheek against hers, his mouth against her ear.
“I love you,” he murmured, sounding choked. “Dang, I never thought this would happen. But I love you. Just promise me you’ll tell me if you change your mind. Promise me.”
“I promise.” It was an easy promise to make, because she knew she’d never have to keep it. Her heart soared, and she lifted her arms to wrap them around his powerful shoulders. “I love you, Craig. Always. I promise that, too.”
He pulled back a bit, then swallowed anything else she might have said in a kiss that reached her heart and soul both.
“I love you.” The first words on life’s best journey.
* * * * *
Keep reading for an excerpt from Deadly Sight by Cindy Dees.
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Chapter 1
Grayson Pierce looked at his watch impatiently. The plane was late. Either that or his Rolex had suddenly lost its orderly Swiss mind. How he was supposed to help with this very, very off-book investigation, he had no idea. But his old fraternity brother from Stanford, Jeff Winston, had asked for help, and that was enough for him.
The way he heard it, Jeff had been doing the U.S. government