by Kylie Brant
Like a roller coaster, her emotions took a dizzying upward lurch. "You wouldn't?"
"Sam has lots of contacts in the field he could have called. I know that. I could have walked away with a clear conscience. But not if you were going to continue to involve yourself in this. I couldn't let you do that alone. Or with anyone else."
Her emotions plummeted again, an arrow falling from the sky. "Because I'm Sam's sister."
He looked impatient. "No, not because your Sam's anything. Because you're mine." The words seemed to startle them both. At least, she assumed her face was as shocked as his was. He hauled in a breath. "Because you're mine." He said it again, and it seemed to come a little easier. Hope was doing an enthusiastic tap dance in her heart. "I never saw it coming." He frowned then, looked a little accusing. "That's quite an impact you have. Dazzle a guy with chatter while you're winding your way into his heart."
Dazzle? Heart? She grinned; she couldn't help it. The joy welling up so fast and forcefully inside her needed some kind of release. "Some technique, huh?"
He reached out, hauled her back into his arms. "I never knew what hit me," he assured her. "I still don't." He did, she noted, look a little dazed. "It's been a long time since I cared about anything. Even longer since I cared about anybody. I knew from the minute I saw you that you weren't a 'no-strings' woman. I never guessed I'd end up wanting those strings attached to me."
"You make me sound like a puppet master," she murmured. "I don't want to control you, Jones. I spent too much of my life struggling against that myself. I just want…" She drew in a deep shuddering breath. Now wasn't the time to talk about what she wanted. But maybe what she'd settle for. "I just want to be with you. It doesn't have to be more complicated than that."
His kiss was brief and bruising. "It's going to be more complicated than that. We're in this for the long term, Annie. Sam's not going to be too happy about this, but I guess he'll have to get over it. When love sideswipes me, even I know enough to grab for the brass ring. And then put it on the lady's finger." He rubbed his thumb over her lips, still swollen from his. "I love you." He looked bewildered by the emotion. "Maybe it's not fair to rush you into anything. I have some decisions to make here. I can't very well ask you to live on a ship subsisting on a charter ship captain's income. Not after what you're used to as a Tremaine."
"Yes," she assured him, "you can. I don't eat much. Really. And I have no vices, so I'll be cheap to keep around." She watched, pleased with herself, when a smile tugged at his well-formed mouth. "You do have some things to figure out, but we'll do it together. It doesn't matter how my brothers feel, because I love you, too. I'm not sure when it happened." She pretended to think back. "Somewhere between dodging bullets and cliff diving. I do have some conditions you'll need to meet, though."
His expression went serious. Too serious. "Okay, that's only fair. Let's hear them."
She spread her palm over his heart, felt the steady beat. "You can't throw me off any more cliffs."
Although he didn't smile, his expression lightened a fraction. "I'll avoid the temptation."
"You can't get all overprotective when I'm going to do something."
He seemed to hedge his words. "We'll … approach that on a case-by-case basis."
"And you have to … this is a deal breaker, here, Jones … you are going to have to change your name." His rumble of laughter mingled with hers.
He rested his forehead against hers, uncaring that the detective had come closer and was coughing discreetly. "You got it. What do you prefer—Smith-Jones or Jones-Smith?"
She linked her arms around his neck and smiled brilliantly. "Jones will be fine. Just Jones."
* * * *