Desperate Girls (Wolfe Security #1)(100)
Brynn set aside her magazine and lowered herself into the negative edge pool. The water swirled around her, cooling her skin, which was already pink from the sun.
Brynn felt happy for Molly. She’d given up an opportunity years ago because of Ross, and now it seemed oddly fitting that his death should create a new opportunity.
Ross. She got a familiar tightness in her chest at the thought of him. Inhaling deeply, she ducked her head under the water and swam to the other end of the pool in one breath. She rested her arms on the warm tile and gazed out at the turquoise Caribbean.
She still couldn’t believe Ross was gone, or that such a strange and twisted series of events had led to his death. And Corby was back in prison now, facing new charges for the murders of a prison guard, Jen Ballard, and Michael McGowan. Corby’s girlfriend, Ann Johnson, was facing charges of her own for aiding and abetting a fugitive.
A splash behind Brynn made her turn around. Erik swam over and wrapped his arms around her from behind.
“I got us daiquiris for breakfast,” he said, kissing her shoulder.
“I thought they didn’t open until eleven?”
“I may have flirted with the waitress.”
“You? Flirting?” She turned around in his arms. For Erik, that probably meant he’d uttered two sentences of small talk.
Brynn slid her hands up around his neck. He smiled down at her, but she saw the worry in his eyes.
“You okay today?” he asked.
“Why?”
“You were tossing around all night.”
“I’m okay.”
He kissed her softly, and Brynn’s heart squeezed. He couldn’t fix what was wrong, but it helped to know that he wanted to.
“I printed out our boarding passes for tomorrow,” he said.
“Thank you.”
Back to reality. Back to work and people and everything they’d managed to avoid for more than a week. Brynn took a deep breath.
“You seem tense,” he said.
“I’m just thinking.”
“About?”
“What happens next. This has been great, but it’s not reality.”
His brow furrowed. “I know what I want to happen. The more important question is, what do you want?”
“Why is that more important?”
“Because.” He brushed a lock of hair from her forehead. “What I do is hard on relationships. The hours, the stress, the travel—”
“The bullets, the stabbings.”
“It’s not usually like that.” He paused and searched her face. “Yours was an unusual case.”
She trailed a finger over his shoulder where his cut was healing. It was going to leave a scar.
“I’ve seen people make it work, but you really have to want it.” His arms tightened around her. “Do you?”
She looked up at him. “I’ve never wanted anything more.”
The instant she said it, she felt weightless. The words were out now. No more hiding.
“I love you,” she whispered.
He smiled.
“What?”
He pulled he closer. “I think I’ve loved you since that first day when you told me I wasn’t your bellboy.”
She pulled back. “You can’t be serious.”
“That whole car ride, that was it for me. I knew I was toast.”
“I had no idea.”
“I know.”
She looked into his eyes. They were loving and tender, and she knew he really saw her, in a way no one else had. Hope began to edge out the fear. She was ready to commit to something hard. Hard was okay because they had something special together, and it was worth the effort, even though there were no guarantees, only possibilities.
“I’m counting on you to break my losing streak,” she told him. “Can you handle it?”
He tipped her chin up and kissed her. “I can handle it.”
A BOOK IS a team effort, and I’m lucky to work with the best in the business. Thanks so much to everyone at Simon & Schuster, including Jean Anne Rose, Abby Zidle, Sara Quaranta, Lisa Litwack, Diana Velasquez, Jen Bergstrom, Jen Long, and Carolyn Reidy. I’m grateful to the S&S sales team for their work and dedication. A very special thanks to my talented editor, Lauren McKenna, for her wonderful insights and her enthusiasm for this book. Also, I want to thank my agent, Kevan Lyon, for years of guidance and friendship.
And most of all, thank you to my family, whose love, patience, and support keep me going. I love you guys.