he was the one leaving the cards all along. This case—something about it drew him out.”
Joel wasn’t so sure it was the case. “He wants you.”
She met his gaze. “When he left the Death card, I thought it meant we were done. That he was severing ties to me.”
“I don’t think that’s what it meant.” He took the Magician card from her. Their fingers brushed. He didn’t even try to ignore the lick of electricity that shot through his blood. “What does this mean?”
“Depends on the way the card is positioned. If the Magician is upright, it can refer to a determined, powerful man.”
A stalker dick of an ex.
“If the Magician is inverted, the card is about confusion and deceit.”
“Was the card upright or inverted?”
“I have no idea. Marie found the envelope.”
“Marie…” A whole new topic. “That’s an interesting friend you have.”
“How so?” A cautious response.
“She told me, Chloe. About her past.”
Her eyes widened. “That means she trusts you.”
He looked down at the Magician card. Ripped that bitch in half and tossed it away. “She does, so why don’t you?”
“I do. I—”
His hand slid under her chin. “I’m not going to run because you have some crazed ex out there who should be rotting in a jail cell.”
“I-I can’t prove what he did. And Morgan will have changed his identity so thoroughly that no cop will believe he’s the man I say. I didn’t have proof before. I guessed, I—”
“Baby, you don’t guess.” He lowered his head. Brushed his lips over hers. “You make educated deductions.”
“Y-you remembered I said that.”
“I remember everything you tell me.” Another slow kiss. “I’m not scared of your ex,” he breathed against her mouth. “He needs to be scared of me. I’m not going to let him get anywhere near you. And you and I—we will find a way to get his ass locked up.”
“He’s probably long gone now. He wanted to see you. To get close to you. But if you broke his hand, he will run. He’ll plan for another time and—”
“And we’ll be ready for him. But the prick needs to get in line. We already have one killer to catch.”
Her hands rose. Curled around his shoulders. “You’re not…leaving?”
“Not ever the hell again,” he swore. “But things are going to change.” His hand slipped around to the nape of her neck. Sank beneath the thickness of her hair. “New deal. From here on out, I know everything.”
“Everything?”
“That’s a pretty fucking important point. Non-negotiable. I don’t want lies.”
“And I don’t want to hurt you.” Her gaze searched his. “Can’t you see that?”
“I see that you try to protect everyone else, but, sweetheart, you seem to forget, I was the one hired to protect you.”
“Joel…”
He couldn’t hold back any longer. He’d been desperate to return to her. Desperate to see her. To hold her.
His mouth took hers once more, but this kiss wasn’t slow or gentle. It should have been. He should have been. But he wasn’t.
Her lips were open. His tongue thrust inside her mouth. She met him eagerly, hotly, and her body pressed to his. She kissed him with the same hunger that he felt. A hunger Joel knew would never end.
He wasn’t going to magically get enough of her. One time in bed—a dozen times in bed—wouldn’t be enough. With Chloe, he’d never have enough.
“I won’t lose you,” he said before he scooped her into his arms. He’d finally found someone who mattered to him. She’d gotten into his heart, and when he’d stood in that alley facing off with Morgan, Joel had come to several important conclusions.
First, Chloe was his. Lies, truths—whatever she’d given him in the past—she was still his.
Second, he would kill to protect her. No one would hurt Chloe, not on his watch. And I will never hurt her again.
Because the third thing that had burned through him? It was the realization that Joel couldn’t handle Chloe’s tears. They’d wrecked him.
He carried her back into his bedroom, kissing her while he walked. He loved her taste. Loved the way she responded to him. The heat of her body. The eagerness of her touch.
He lowered her onto the bed. His dick was hard and eager as it thrust against the front of his pants. He wanted inside of her. Right the hell then. No preliminaries. No waiting. He just wanted to sink into her as deep as he could. Wanted to mark her.
Possess her. Completely. Always.
But he wasn’t that uncivilized. At least, not yet.
He grabbed the edges of