by Sheila Kell
After a short drive home, she parked in her driveway. She waved to her neighbor, Carla, as she strode to her mailbox. Tonight was a Chinese food night. She’d finally found a place with great Cashew Chicken. She’d called in her order as she’d left the school so it would be delivered right after she arrived home.
She greeted Bob. He’d made a few feline and human friends in the neighborhood. One little girl two houses over came by to play with him several times a week.
A knock sounded on the door.
Good. The food had arrived. She’d missed lunch, and her stomach let her know about it. She picked up her cash, went to the door and opened it. Her breath caught in her throat.
“Hello Ms. Sykes, Ms. Laura Sykes.”
She couldn’t find her voice. She stood rooted to the spot, her heart pounding. He was here. What to do?
She inhaled much needed air into her oxygen deprived lungs. “How…how did you find me?” A tremor raced through her.
“Tsk, tsk, Megan. Aren’t you going to invite me in to sit down or offer me a beverage?” he asked with a killer smile spreading over his face.
That simple statement made her heart skip a beat. She could do this. She was a strong woman who could take care of herself.
“May I come in?”
Before she could respond, the delivery boy rushed to her door. “Hello, Ms. Sykes. Here’s your order.”
The boy looked back and forth between her and the man standing on her doorstep.
“Is everything okay, Ms. Sykes?” His usually chipper voice now serious.
She forced herself to smile. “It is Derrick. Thanks for asking. Here. Keep the change.”
“Thanks, Ms. Sykes,” he said over his shoulder as he hurried back to his car.
“Now may I come in?”
She’d replayed this scene in her mind hundreds of time. But she couldn’t remember a single one of them.
“Sure, AJ.” She moved to allow him into her home. She wanted to rush into his arms but held back. Why was he here? Why now after so long? Had her prayers finally been answered? Or was he here to break her heart again?
Her body burned as his gaze roamed over her. The power behind those gorgeous eyes touched her all over. When his eyes returned to hers, he cocked one brow in question.
* * * * *
AJ’s pulse raced. He’d missed Megan as soon as he’d walked away from her. That had been the stupidest thing he’d done in his life. But, he’d thought the longer they were separated, the less he would think about her. He’d been wrong.
With everything he did, he wondered if Megan would like it. No woman had ever remained with him like she had. He’d been miserable without her.
After a swift kick in the ass from his sister-in-law, he finally decided he couldn’t live his life without Megan. He only hoped he wouldn’t be too late. That she hadn’t fallen out of love with him.
As she walked by he grabbed her and pulled her close to him. He looked in her eyes. “I love you, Megan Rogers, a.k.a. Laura Sykes.” He took her mouth in a slow, sensual kiss. A fiery storm drove itself to his groin.
Her arms made their way around his neck, and he tightened his hold on her. He lifted his head. “I missed you,” he whispered, brushing butterfly kisses on her face. “I missed you, my little dove.”
“AJ. Why are you here?”
“Later,” he rasped and then claimed her mouth again in a deep, hard, demanding kiss. He lifted his head, attempting to catch his breath. He had to have her.
“Where’s the bedroom?”
She pushed him away. “Are you kidding me? You let me go, AJ. Let me go! How can you walk in here like nothing happened?”
Kate warned him he would need to grovel. “I love you. I never should have let you go.”
Megan raised her eyebrows at him, her eyes brightened. “You love me?”
“Yes. I was stupid. I thought you’d be better off without me. I didn’t realize the mistake I made. I can’t live without you, my little dove.”
“Upstairs.” Her breathless voice notched up his desire.
He led her up the stairs. In her bedroom, he pulled her tight against him. He needed her now. He struggled with the zipper at the back of her green sundress. Of course, her pulling his shirt over his head and running her hands on his chest didn’t help. Plus, his hands shook. She was back in his arms.
He finally pulled the zipper down, and her dress fell.
He caught the flicker of amusement in her eyes after he’d looked up from her stomach, his eyes wide.
“You can’t hurt the baby.”
He gulped. A father. He will be a father. “Are you sure?”
“Yes. We’re fine.”
“You’re so beautiful.” He dropped to his knees and kissed her stomach. “Thank you.”
Her hands played in his hair. “I should be thanking you. You left me something to always remember you.”
He hugged her and laid his head on her belly, chuckling.
“What’s so funny?”
“I guess we won’t need the box of condoms I bought on the way here.”
* * * * *
Megan’s head lie on his chest, her hand playing with the sprinkling of curls. The woman knew she set goose bumps on him and tortured him with it. He’d take that any day over not having her.
He ran his fingers through her silky hair. “Megan. Paul is dead. Word is Wilkes had him killed for failing on his escape.”
“Oh.”
“In fact, all of the Magic Shop bosses are dead one way or another.” AJ wouldn’t go into the details of their deaths. How dealers they’d let rot in jail turned on them. How Carl had committed suicide. How gruesome Marcus’s death had been. Both convicts and people he’d blackmailed had a hand in it. Or so the rumor goes.
She looked up at him and drew her brows together. “What does that mean?”
“It means you are no longer needed to testify. You won’t have to face them again.”
Pushing herself to a sitting position, she turned to him. “Does that mean I can go back to my old life?”
“Don’t you like your new life?”
She frowned. “It doesn’t have you.”
That was the answer he’d hoped to hear since he’d decided to chase after her. “If it had me, would you want to stay?”
She bit on her lower lip. “What are you saying?”
He sat up beside her. “I thought living with my wife might be the right thing to do.”
“Your wife?” She looked down. “Are you doing this because of the baby?”
“Megan, I decided I wanted to marry you before I knew about the baby. I gave up everything to be with you, if you’ll have me.” He slid off the bed on one knee. He hadn’t expected to propose to her naked or with her pregnant.
She gasped. “You’d give up everything to live here with me? What about finding Jake? It was important to you.”
“I’ve already given up everything. I’m just sorry I didn’t do it before now. I was wrong to let you go.” He sighed. “I spoke with Emily. At this point, she doesn’t care if we find him. She’s moved on. But, my brothers won’t stop looking. You’re more important to me. Can you forgive me?”
Her face lit up. He loved the brightness in her. “Of course, I forgive you. I’m glad you’re here now. You get to see our baby grow up.”
“Does this mean you’ll marry me?”
“Yes. Of course, I’ll marry you.”
She reached down and threw her arms around him. He stood pulling himself back to bed.
Megan pulled back and drew her brows in. “What about all of that work you did? The person you had to be?”
“What do you mean?”
“You worked hard to bring them down and now there’s no one. You wasted your time.”
He placed his hand on her cheek, his thumb traced her lips. “I wouldn’t say that, my little dove. I did meet you.”
She smiled. “Can we go back?”
He knew she’d ask. He almo
st hadn’t told her she wouldn’t need to testify, but she’d hear from an agent this week. Going back to Baltimore. He didn’t know. Arthur would never approve. But the FBI didn’t manage this program. The U.S. marshals did. “Is that what you would prefer, Megan?”
“I want whichever life has you in it.”
“Well, lucky for you, any choice has me in it. You won’t be rid of me.” He loved this woman and couldn’t believe he’d let anything come between them. He’d had to make a lot of tough choices to be with her. Once he had his head screwed on right, his choice had been easy. There was only Megan for him. Life without her wasn’t a life he wanted.
She kissed him. “I’m glad to hear that because our little one, and I need you.”
He grabbed her shoulders and pushed her away. “Is it a boy or girl?” Excitement filled his voice and his body. His heart finally beat whole. Now he’d have a family of his own. A family to love.
“I decided to wait and be surprised. But we can find out if you’d like?”
“It doesn’t matter as long as he or she is healthy. I wish I had been with you during the first five months.”
“You’d have hated the morning sickness bouts. I’m just glad you’re here now.”
“So am I.” He lips captured hers.
* * * * *
“Are you ready to head down to dinner, my little dove?” AJ asked affectionately.
Her heart did a flip-flop hearing him call her that again. As she met his gaze, that wonderful tingle erupted in the pit of her stomach. This man had given up everything for her which accounted for their staying at a hotel in Baltimore instead of his old home. He’d seen to everything, including somehow upgrading their flight to first class.
Allowing them back to their old lives had taken a great deal of work. Since there was no way his brothers would let him fall off the face of the earth, he’d called them first. They’d done some magic and the hits on them had been removed. The new drug lord appreciated Megan opening the door for him. He did leave her with a threat. No nosing into his business, or he’d change his mind about keeping the hits out.
It still took a month to get approvals, paperwork and identifications changed. He’d had to pull Arthur into it to smooth the way and speed up the process as the U.S. marshals weren’t happy or cooperative. She’d had some trepidation at the beginning, but having AJ at her side, knowing he felt safe enough to move back, washed it all away. The life she’d worked so hard for would be hers again. This time it would include the love of her life.
She laughed. “You’re always trying to feed me.”
He reached out and lightly rubbed her swollen belly. “You’re eating for two. Plus, you bug me for something every few hours.”
She couldn’t argue with that. He’d been amazing taking care of her and the baby, constantly running to the store to purchase something to satisfy her weird cravings. He rubbed her feet and back daily. How had she survived this pregnancy before he’d arrived?
“Now that you mention it, I could eat.”
He chuckled and led her from the room. “I didn’t expect any other answer.”
On the ground floor, he guided her to a closed door. “This is our private dining room.” His eyes danced merrily.
“You reserved us a whole room by ourselves?”
“Yes. I wanted to be alone with you. We’ve been apart too long.” He opened the door, took her left hand and ushered her into the room.
“Surprise!”
Megan’s breath caught, and her right hand flew over her racing heart. Happy tears sprang to her eyes and the room wavered slightly. AJ placed an arm around her to steady her. He’d organized this for her. He’d known how important these people were to her, how much she’d missed them and couldn’t wait to see them again.
She loved him more each day.
Kristen come forward and hugged her. “I’m so glad to see you. I’ve missed you.”
Megan fought back her tears. “I missed you too, Kristen.”
They separated, each with a small sigh.
“I won’t keep you. There are a lot more people here to say hello.” Her old boss’s smile turned serious. “We’ll talk later.”
“Okay.” What could it be? Her fingers were crossed it was a job offer. She wanted to return to her old job. It’d been a long time though. She had no idea if her position had been filled. AJ had reminded her there was more than one newspaper in Baltimore, but she’d loved working at Baltimore News First.
“Megan!” A slender Janet approached her and engulfed her in a tight hug. Pulling back, she laughed. “We’ve changed places since we last saw each other.” Her friend patting her trim belly.
A single tear slid down Megan’s face unchecked. “I’m sorry I didn’t listen to you and go to the FBI.”
Janet waved her hand. “Don’t sweat it. Things turned out fine. You got the hunky man out of it.”
Megan laughed. She did have the hunky man. “Does Selena have your eyes?”
“She does. I have lots of pictures to show you, but I’ll do it later. Everyone will kill me if I tie you up as soon as you arrive.” Janet glanced over her shoulder.
Megan looked in that direction and gasped. She turned to AJ. A playful wink accompanied his sexy smile.
“Mom. Dad.” She flew into her father’s arms.
“Hi, sugar pie.” Jeffrey Rogers kissed the top of his daughter’s head. “It’s so good to see you.”
His familiar smell reminded her of times long gone by when she’d sought comfort in these strong arms.
He handed her off to her mother. “Oh, honey, I’ve missed you so much.”
“Oh, Mom. I missed you.” Tears of joy rapidly streamed down both of their faces, dropping on each other’s shoulder, leaving behind a damp spot filled with love.
She surveyed her parents. They’d changed since she’d last seen them. Her father’s hair was grayer and a little thinner. Her mother had lost weight. She figured losing two grown children would do that. She’d have to ensure she and AJ made regular visits to see them. It would be good for their little one to grow up knowing his or her family.
“Your sister sends her love. She’s due to deliver any day and couldn’t travel.” Her mother wiped tears from her face and looked down at Megan’s belly. She clasped her hands together. “Megan, honey, you’re finally giving me grandchildren.”
She laughed remembering all of the times her mother asked when she’d have them. “Yes, Mom. AJ and I will be parents. We had a sonogram and asked the doctor not to tell us the gender. I’d heard of this fun way to find out. We brought a sealed envelope and planned to hand it to a bakery with the specification that they’d make two cupcakes in either blue or pink. I hated waiting, but AJ convinced me that it’d be more fun around family and friends. We’ll do it tomorrow. I can’t wait much longer.” She cast a loving glance at AJ.
He took her hand. “Mr. and Mrs. Rogers, your daughter has agreed to marry me. Your grandchild will have my love and name.”
“Well, it’s about time you found her then,” Tonya said.
Butterflies bumped around in her stomach at the loving look he cast her. “Yes. It was about time.”
* * * * *
AJ kept an eye on Megan as she moved around the room greeting colleagues, family and friends. He loved seeing her happy. They’d made the right decision to move back. She never would’ve had a fulfilling life being unable to write. He knew Kristen planned to offer her a place back on the team. Minus one Victoria Bell and one Merissa Attenborough who had also been planted by Marcus. Merissa found out about Victoria and turned on him. Apparently, Marcus had also proposed to her, and he’d promised to take her out of the country. The same promise he’d made to Victoria.
Megan made her way back to him. He pulled her close.
“Megan, I’d like you to meet FBI Deputy Director Arthur Hall.
“Hello, Ms. Rogers. It’s good to finally meet you. Highly unusual, but good. I’m glad to see AJ. Although I wishe
d he’d returned to us instead of joining his brothers, but I understand family comes first.”
Her smile broadened. “I’m glad he can work with his brothers. Whether he admits it or not, he loves them.”
“I do believe he loves someone more. He walked away from everything and everyone.”
AJ spoke up, smiling, “It doesn’t matter who or what I love more. You’re both stuck with me.”
“So, I’m guessing I’ll be attending a wedding,” Arthur said with a twinkle in his eye.
“You bet. She’s agreed to be my wife, and I’m holding her to it.” AJ turned and kissed her temple. They couldn’t get married fast enough for him. Kate and Megan had spoken at length and his sister-in-law had taken care of things here to speed up the process.
“We’re under time constraints so it’ll be real soon.” She placed her hand on her belly.
Arthur laughed. “Yeah, well, that can definitely do it.”
She walked over and kissed him on the cheek. “Thank you for helping us stay alive and for letting AJ find me.”
With a reddening face, he cleared his throat. “Well, um, I’ll take your thanks for one and tell you that I know nothing about the other.” He winked at her.
AJ turned her to face him, holding her shoulders. This had to go well. It was one of two surprises he had for her today. “Megan, you know how sorry I am for not being there to save your brother.”
She closed her eyes and bit her lip. She opened them up and looked at him. His gut clenched at the pain in them. She nodded.
“I was able to save someone else.”
A woman walked up behind Megan, and he smiled. “Megan, I’d like to introduce you to Teri, your niece.”
She spun around, almost losing her balance. “Oh my God! Jenny! You’re alive!” Megan reached to hug her, but stopped when a baby was placed in her face.
Holding the baby she turned back to AJ with narrowed eyes. “Why did you lie to me?”
He took a deep breath and knew this would come. No matter his answer, he’d be in the wrong. “You only asked about Kevin, and I couldn’t volunteer the information on Jenny.”