Skin Deep (Station Seventeen #1)(106)

Isabella shook her head, adamant. “I told you to.”

“Okay, you are kind of feisty.” Kellan reached up to cup her face, loving the feel of her smile beneath his palm as she gave up a tiny laugh. “But I’ll learn to live with it. Come here.”

Maneuvering around all the tubes—damn, there were a bunch of them—they carefully shifted things around to fit her in at his good side.

“So tell me something about you,” she whispered.

Kellan’s emotions answered for him, and he didn’t hesitate. “I’m in love with you.”

“You…what?”

Isabella pulled back to stare at him, but he’d never been so sure of anything in his life.

“I’ve been on countless ops, and I’ve run into nearly as many burning buildings, and none of that ever scared me. But the thought of DuPree getting his hands on you”—Kellan paused for a steadying breath before opening up to let his feelings all the way out—“the thought of losing you? That terrified me. I love you, Isabella, and I don’t want to put that emotion in a box. I want to live it, every day. I don’t want be without you.”

“Well good,” she said, her body feeling warm and right and perfect as she held him even tighter. “Because I love you too. I’ve got your back, Kellan. And I’m never going to let you go.”