“I like you just the way you are.”
He cupped her face and kissed her, then got around to his favorite part—the show and tell.
Epilogue.
Three Months Later. Aegis Group Offices, Seattle, Washington.
Melody placed her service weapon in the case and clicked the lid shut. This was the real moment for her when she got to switch off from a job. Used to it was when they turned a newly rescued asset over to whoever had paid to have them rescued, be that family, coworkers or other loved ones. However, after Ibiza everything had changed.
She smiled at the newly hired munitions clerk and slid the case over. Unlike the guys she didn’t feel the need to keep her weapons at home.
“I’m done with this. Thanks,” she said.
“There’s the sharp shooter,” Vaughn said coming into the small room, Nolan and Riley bringing up the rear.
Melody flushed and inwardly preened. That had been a rather exceptional shot there at the end.
“It was just a shot.” She rolled her eyes and leaned an elbow on the counter as the guys all requested their own secure cases. “What are you three doing?”
“Carla’s birthday,” Vaughn said as if that explained everything.
“We’re headed down to some island.” Riley shrugged.
“Right.” Melody nodded, everything making sense now. Of course the guys wouldn’t want to leave their weapons at home while they were away for a week. It made more sense to leave them here, under layers of security.
Nolan squeezed in next to her, turned his head and said in a voice meant for her alone, “You sure you don’t want to go?”
“Can’t, sorry.”
Nolan wasn’t even pretending to pack away his stuff. “Grant said you two didn’t have plans.”
Guys really were just as gossip hungry as women. She smiled sweetly and took a step back. “Mind your business.”
“Fine.” Nolan held up his hands. “If you change your mind, let us know?”
Somehow Melody had managed to forget her convenient little plan. Probably because she’d been jumping from nerves before leaving for this job. It really was too bad Carla wanted to do her trip this weekend. If it wasn’t for Melody’s deadline, she’d have dragged Grant right along with her.
The last three months were night and day to the way things had been.
For starters, they no longer watched TV. If it wasn’t the news or whether they didn’t pay attention to it because they were too busy doing things. They’d picked up hiking and even a little bicycling. At her urging Grant was even trying new foods. They’d taken a couple classes together. Things were easier, happier and she felt freer.
“You guys have fun. Drink something fruity for me, okay?” Melody headed out of the munitions room.
“Hey.” Merida nearly bumped into Melody carrying three boxes.
“Let me help.” She grabbed the top box.
“Thanks.” Merida blew out a breath. “I swear I’m about to lose my mind.”
“Anything you can tell me about?”
She shot Melody an apologetic look. “No. I’m sorry.”
“It’s fine.”
These days Aegis Group was getting bigger and bigger jobs, some of which came with several layers of security. It was good business and everyone would reap the rewards. Melody had been around long enough to know that Zain, Admiral Crawford and everyone else who headed up the decision making arms of the company would do what was best for their people. That was one of the great things about working here and why Melody wasn’t keen ongoing anywhere.
“Just put those there.” Merida led Melody into the conference room and set the boxes on the table. “Have you asked him yet?”
“No. I told you, not yet.” Melody glanced over her shoulder at the door.
Merida groaned. “Come on, the suspense is killing me.”
“You?” Melody placed her hand against her chest. “Think about what it’s doing to my poor heart.”
“You and Mr. Lemonhead need to hurry it up,” Merida groused.
Melody merely shook her head. Merida had theories about how men were all like candy. It was a theory she wisely kept to herself. Melody didn’t think half the guys would find her names for them complimentary. But Grant’s fit. He was a bit sour on the outside, especially with his perpetual lip-scrunch, but she’d gotten past that to the sweet man under all of the sour. The truth was, under that stern exterior he was hiding a huge heart that cared.
“Speak of the devil,” Merida said in a sing-song voice.
Melody glanced over her shoulder at Grant. He’d showered after getting coffee spilled on him at the airport. His hair was still slicked to his face and she could smell the foresty scent of his soap.
“Hey,” he said.
Warmth unfurled in Melody’s chest. It was a feeling she hoped didn’t go away any time soon. Living in love was quite possibly the best thing ever.
“Ready to go?” he asked.
Melody glanced back at her friend, still grinning.
Here went nothing.
GRANT’S CONDO, SEATTLE, Washington.
Grant slid his hand down Melody’s very bare backside then up to her shoulder. Secretly he was glad she’d declined the tropical trip in favor of staying home. It felt like they were always on planes, trains and driving somewhere. He just wanted to be still. With her.
He bent his head and kissed the top of her head. She tipped her chin up and pressed her lips to his.
“I need to unpack,” she mumbled.
“You need to start leaving more stuff here,” he said.
She pushed up off the bed, shaking out her long, silky hair.
He kept waiting, but there was no dismissal of the statement. He’d suggested it before, but had been met with reasonable replies about why it wasn’t ideal. It hadn’t stopped him from saying as much after returning home from any job.
Facts were facts, her place was too small and too expensive. His condo had rooms he didn’t even have furniture in.
He got up, took his turn in the bathroom for a post-sex clean-up, then followed Melody’s lead by unpacking his things.
The guys had taken the news about Grant and Melody’s relationship in stride. Mostly. There’d been more jokes at his expense than he expected, but all in all it was a smooth transition. The greatest benefit, besides getting a regular roommate, was Melody’s contribution to the team was more tactical and less support focused now. He understood she’d had her reasons for holding back, but even she couldn’t deny that she was damn good in the field.
“Oh, I didn’t throw this away.” Melody leaned against the bathroom vanity and waved the tiny scrap of paper at him. “Love, because it is the only true adventure.”
He reached over and took the fortune cookie saying from her hand and smiled at it.
Love was more than just an adventure.
Grant took the paper into the living room. The small chest he’d had sent over from home sat on the mantle over the fireplace. He lifted it down and set it on the coffee table.
Melody had paid a crafty person to take all his childhood keepsakes and make a memory book that was a work of art, thereby leaving the chest empty to begin collecting new bits and pieces.
He opened the lid, and sitting on top of the cards, notes, receipts and snapshots was a ripped open envelope.
Grant frowned at the piece of mail. He couldn’t remember putting that in there.
He set the fortune down and picked up the envelope.
Melody sat on the sofa, wearing leggings and his old hoodie. He glanced at her, taking in her serene face.
“What’s this?” he asked.
“Read it,” she said.
He pulled a couple pieces of paper out, including a smaller envelope that wasn’t yet sealed. He focused on the sheets first.
“They want you to re-up on your rent? That’s a pretty big price hike—”
Melody glared at him. “Keep reading, will you?”
Grant
finished the letter then flipped to the next, but it was a summary about floor plans and upgrades. He then looked at the smaller envelope. It was addressed in her neat handwriting. Inside was a single sheet of paper.
He re-read the two sentences three times before he needed to say them out loud. Maybe that would help them sink in faster?
“I am not renewing my lease. I’m moving out on...”
Grant glanced at her, still not sure which way this was going. Things with them were good, but sometimes he still wondered if he knew what the hell was going on with them. She’d blindsided him once.
“Okay, so I’d hoped for a bit more of a happier reaction.” She patted the sofa next to her. “Sit.”
He did as she ordered, holding his breath.
She reached over and took his hand in hers. “You keep telling me to keep more stuff here. I’ve heard you, and I think that’s a good idea. Except I need to move and do we really want to keep switching between two places?”
“You want to move in here?” He tightened his hold on her hands.
“Yeah. I was hoping we could have this weekend to talk about it.”
“I think that’s a great idea.” The tightness inside of him relaxed and he heaved a sigh. “Jesus, you had me worried there for a moment.”
She winced. “Really?”
He shrugged, but denying it was pointless.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I’m happy. I really am. Maybe I should have pitched the idea to you better...”
“You planned this?” He bopped her on the head with the letter.
“Remember I forgot my phone when we were headed to the airport?” She smiled. “I came back in and put the envelope in there. I thought... Well, I guess I thought it would be cute. I mean...”
“Button, it’s fine. You mean the world to me.”
She scooted closer, her face serious. “I’m not going anywhere. That’s what I want to tell you.”
Her words soothed him. He knew his fears were unfounded, that if he really examined the last few months, there was every indication that they were both excited about their future. Together.
“Sure about that?” he asked.
“Grant, the reason I wanted to break up with you was because I didn’t feel like we knew each other.” She gestured to the box. “That’s not the case anymore. You know all of me, even the parts I don’t like, and you still love me.”
“Every day,” he whispered.
“So, what I’m saying is, I want to wake up every day with you.”
There was hope for so much more in her eyes.
Grant wanted so badly to ask her to marry him there in that moment. But he’d promised her family he’d wait. Just a few more weeks. She wasn’t the only one with a plan to get what she wanted.
“I like that plan,” he whispered and kissed Melody, his future bride and wife. She just didn’t know it yet.
Stay up to date with the whole Lepta Team in Dangerously Taken, Dangerously Involved, Dangerously Deceived and Dangerously Entwined.
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Explore the whole Aegis world in these series...
It all began with the Aegis Group.
Dangerous Attraction
Dangerous in Training
Dangerous Games
Dangerous Assignment
Dangerous Protector
Dangerous Secrets
Dangerous Betrayal
Dangerous Heat
Dangerous Exposure (2020)
Dangerous Connections (2020)
More Coming Soon!
Within Aegis Group, special teams take on special jobs, beginning with the Alpha Team.
Dangerous in Love
Dangerous in Action
Dangerous in Transit
Dangerous in Motion
Dangerous in Charge
Other specialized teams exist under the Aegis Group umbrella, including Lepta Team.
Dangerously Taken
Dangerously Involved
Dangerously Deceived
Dangerously Broken
Dangerously Entwined
Troy Team has signed on to work an ultra-secret case in the Aegis Group Task Force series.
(prequel) First Risk: a newsletter exclusive serial
Stolen Risk
Forged Risk (2019)
Technical Risk (2020)
More soon!
In Dangerous Games it continued with the Gone Geek girls.
Beauty and the Geek
Mr. Purr-fect and the Geek
The Jock and the Geek
The Gamer and the Geek
The Adorkable Girl and the Geek
The Fake Boyfriend and the Geek
When the Seattle office of Aegis Group opened the Twisted Royals took the stage.
The Origin Story
Alpha Prince
Her Prince
Bad Boy Prince
Noble Prince
Stay tuned for the appearance of the Troy Team and Omega Team.
For short reads, tune in this December for the Body of Danger novella series kick-off.
Heart for Danger
Mind for Danger (2019)
Soul for Danger (2020)
The other Smith brother takes us to the Texas SWAT series, a small town suspense series.
Fighting Redemption
Stolen Redemption
Forbidden Redemption (coming soon)
Reckless Redemption (coming soon)
Thanks to the SWAT team, Ransom, Texas enjoys a slower pace of life beginning in The Love Barn.
Give Me Back My Man
Summer of Love
Party out of Bounds (2019)
Dangerously Taken
Aegis Group Lepta Team #1
The mission: Rescue an executive translator being held hostage in Iraq without falling in love.
Erin Lopez never thought her life would be more dangerous as a civilian. She hoped she'd put her days dodging bullets behind her. Now, her only salvation is in the arms of a slow-talking man who makes her heart remember what it's like to love again.
Retired Army Ranger Riley Smith knows what it's like to fight the past every time he closes his eyes. Erin's dark, haunted eyes only tell a fraction of her story, and when she reaches for comfort, he can't tell her no. She makes this broken man want to be whole again.
The closer Erin and Riley get to the truth behind Erin's kidnapping the more dangerous their path becomes. Someone wants Erin silenced at any price. Riley can’t let that happen, but keeping her alive means facing that their no strings attached arrangement is a lie.
Dangerously Involved
Aegis Group Lepta Team #2
The mission: Protect his one-night stand from being kidnapped and tortured.
Nolan Thompson doesn't mix business with pleasure. Too bad his latest job has him protecting the sweetest body he's ever touched. There's nothing about the cool, calculated business woman that makes him think of the sensual, shy sex kitten he met in Vegas. It shouldn't be difficult to keep his hands to himself when she's sending him "get lost" signals, but the rules change when her brother is kidnapped.
Yvonne Krieger is hiding a ticking-time-bomb of a secret with a nine-month fuse. Her unforgettable Vegas night left her with a lot more than pleasure and a memorable walk of shame with only one shoe. The very man who charmed her into bed is now the man charged with keeping her body safe and getting her troublesome little brother home. Under the growing pressure from her family to help cover up the kidnapping, Yvonne finds that the only person she can trust is Nolan.
In the face of danger, Yvonne and Nolan become unlikely allies as they attempt to piece together the mystery surrounding her brother's kidnapping. Every step brings their walls crumbling down until the line between their work and private lives is blurred. Nolan knows Yvonne is holding out on him, and he's determined to get to the bottom of the mystery and capture Yvonne's heart.
&nbs
p; Dangerously Deceived
Aegis Group Lepta Team #3
The mission: Keep a hot-headed woman from getting them all killed.
Navy SEAL Vaughn Fernandez believes in maximizing every moment, and when it comes to the instant attraction between him and a maid, he's all in. Except the curvy beauty isn't a maid at all. She's the client's girlfriend, and that's a line he's never crossed.
Carla White lives a picture-perfect life. To the world, she is a rags-to-riches story on the coattails of her high school sweetheart. In private, it's a different story. Her relationship is fake, but her feelings for the tall, dark and handsome bodyguard are very real. She might not have the chance at a happy ending, but she can live in the moment.
A jet setting dash across the globe kicks off Vaughn and Carla's secret love affair as they race to rescue their target. However, sooner they complete their mission the shorter their time together is.
Dangerously Broken
Aegis Group Lepta Team #4
The mission: Pull a stubborn woman out of the fire without getting burned.
Navy SEAL Brenden Taylor knows what it's like to be caught behind enemy lines and the invisible scars it leaves on a person's soul. When the team is dispatched to rescue a woman with a past that mirrors his own, Brenden knows he'll do whatever it takes to bring her home. He just wasn't counting on her getting under his skin.
Priscilla Yilmaz has survived one nightmare, now she's living another. The only difference is that this time she has him on her side. The brooding SEAL who keeps her fears at bay and holds her at night. Brenden is the first man who treats her as an equal both in and out of the bedroom. A smart woman wouldn't let that go.
Before Priscilla can follow her heart their rescue op goes down in flames. Priscilla knows too many secrets and Brenden suspects her kidnapping wasn't a matter of opportunity at all. Now he must keep her close while not falling for her. Because his heart is already broken beyond repair.
Dangerous Attraction
Aegis Group 1
Ex-Navy SEAL Travis Ration is an expert hunter. Whether his prey is criminal or victim, he always gets his mark. He's no hero, just a man doing his job. It’s all he has after a felony conviction after a bad judgment call. When the FBI call in a favor and ask him to look into a serial killer over the holiday break, he jumps at the opportunity to fill the long, cold days with something besides regret and bad movies. In Las Vegas, he's on the hunt for a prolific serial killer no one wants to admit exists. The leads are dry and the evidence gone, until she walks into his life. Bliss Giles—curvy, sassy and everything he can't have.
Dangerously Entwined (Aegis Group Lepta Team, #5) Page 22