Witness in the Dark (Love Under Fire #1)(86)

It worked.

She hugged him tightly. “I’m so glad to see you.”

“Me, too.” His hand brushed down her arm and he picked up her hand. He must have felt the wedding ring because he looked down at it, his brows creased.

“Oh, uh…” She tried to come up with a reasonable explanation, but couldn’t. So, she just went with the truth. “It’s dumb, I guess, but wearing it made me feel stronger.”

He didn’t say anything as he held up his left hand, showing her his matching band.

Her mouth opened in surprise.

“At first, I couldn’t get it off,” he said, “so I left it on. Then I decided I didn’t want to take it off.” He regarded her seriously. “I miss you, Sam. So much.” He ran his hand through his dark hair. “I’m constantly worried about you. Every second of every day.”

“You were watching me.”

He nodded. “Guilty.”

For a moment she felt elated, but then she came slamming back down to reality. He was worried. Not in love and going nuts without her.

She pulled away from him. “You still feel an obligation to protect me, but your job is over. You did it. I’m alive. You don’t have to worry about me anymore. I’m no longer your responsibility.”

He captured her gaze with his. “Responsibility? Sam, I’m worried I’ll never see you again. I know how this works. When you leave here today, they’ll move you and I won’t know where you are.” He paced a few times, his arms outspread. “I can’t imagine living like that.”

She searched his face. “Really?”

“Really.” He looked completely serious.

That changed everything.

She wrapped her arms around his waist and squeezed him tightly. He pulled her even closer as she leaned up and kissed him.

They kissed for what felt like hours. Then he pulled back and rested his forehead against hers.

“I’ll make sure you know where I am, so you can come visit,” she promised.

He shook his head. “It’s not safe for me to visit.”

Her heart sank. She’d misunderstood. Again.

“I don’t want to visit,” he said. “I love you, Sam. I want to be with you.”

She jerked up to read the expression on his face. He was smiling.

What the hell?

How was this helpful? The most wonderful man in the world was telling her he loved her. But she was going to have to leave him behind when she started her stupid new life, and he couldn’t even visit her.

“You don’t feel the same way?” he asked when he saw her face crumbling.

“You know I do,” she said angrily. “I love you, but if I can’t have you in my life—”

“Actually, you can.” He glanced over his shoulder toward the door. Was he nervous?

“I don’t understand.”

He gazed down at their joined hands for a moment and then back up at her. “If we were married—really married—WITSEC would move both of us. Together.” He waited as what he was saying sank in.

Did he really mean…?

Her lips parted, hope swirling through her whole body.

“But your life is here, your job—”

“My life wasn’t much to start with, and without you, it downright sucks. I know this isn’t the way marriage is supposed to happen. We should be able to date first, maybe move in together. I’d take you out for a romantic dinner and propose to you properly. You’d have time to think about it, and plan a real wedding. Then I’d wait for you at the front of the church as you walk down the aisle in a beautiful dress.”

He took a deep breath and pulled a box out of his pocket, then knelt down in front of her and took her hand.

“Sam,” he said, then cleared his throat. “I promise we’ll do this better when we get settled. But…I love you and I want to be with you. Will you marry me? Today? Like, right now?”

Her eyes widened with shock—and so many other emotions she couldn’t possibly name at the moment.

“I thought I was prepared to let you go,” he said when she just stood there gaping at him. “The other night, before I called you, it all made sense. I was miserable, but I was sure I could do it. Just walk away. Then I saw you stand in front of that window and say you love me. And everything changed. Everything.”

He opened the box to show her a glistening diamond nestled in a bed of white satin. Her whole future shimmered up at her.

As he waited for her answer, she could see the love in his eyes just as brightly. He would give his life to protect her, and she would do the same for him.

For most people, those words were nothing more than an empty promise, but for them, it had been tested and proven.

“Yes,” she said.

“Yes?” Apparently he wasn’t sure he’d heard her correctly.

“Yes, I’ll marry you. Right now. This very minute.”

“You will?” He seemed genuinely surprised. And happy.

She laughed and held out her hand, wiggling the appropriate finger. “Good thing we’re already in a courthouse.”

“Oh, thank God.” He pushed the ring on her finger next to her wedding band and stood to kiss her. “I love you so much.”