Desperate Girls (Wolfe Security #1)(99)

She took a deep breath and snuggled inside Erik’s flannel shirt. It was deliciously soft and smelled like him, and she planned to keep it when he left. She dried her eyes with the cuff and thought about today. They had a few more hours, and she wanted to make the most of them. She needed to hold it together.

The front door opened and closed, and she heard his footsteps. The screen door squeaked, and he stepped onto the porch. She’d expected him to be flushed and sweaty, but he wasn’t at all.

“Thought you went for a run?”

“I changed my mind.”

He seemed tense, but he didn’t say anything, just looked at her. “There’s coffee,” she said. “I’ve got decaf, too, if you want me to make some.”

The fact that she’d purchased something so pointless just showed how gone she was over this man.

“I’m good, thanks.” He sank onto the sofa beside her, and it creaked with his weight. He pulled her into his arms, and she felt a rush of warmth. No matter how crazy her head was, his arms around her made her feel better. He pulled her close, and she settled her cheek against his shoulder, loving how right they felt together. She’d never had such a natural fit with anyone.

“When do you leave for the airport?” she asked.

“I’m not going.”

“What?” She pulled back.

“I called Liam and told him to count me out.”

“When?”

“Just now. From your driveway.”

“But . . . you said you’re the lead agent.”

“Someone else can take the lead this time.”

She squirmed back to look at him, and she could tell he was dead serious. He’d really done it. “What did Liam say?”

He shrugged. “He wasn’t too happy. But I’ve never taken a vacation before, so he agreed to give me some time.”

“Are you sure that’s a good idea? I know you’re already on thin ice with him, and I know how much your job matters to you.”

“You matter more.”

She stared at him, her heart thrumming. He was willing to risk his job for her. She felt a flood of joy and panic, both at the same time.

“How long do you have?” she asked.

“I don’t know. As long as you need.” He took her hand and laced their fingers together. “You’re going through something right now, Brynn, and I want to help.” He paused, as if trying to read her reaction. “I figure we’ll take two weeks and go from there.”

Brynn’s head was spinning. She’d been prepared to say good-bye today.

You matter more.

“Say something,” he said. “You look shocked.”

“I am. In a good way. I mean, two weeks. What are we going to do?”

He smiled and squeezed her hand. “I have an idea.”





THEY WENT to Playa del Carmen because neither of them had been there, and they’d heard it was paradise. As luck would have it, it rained. Not gentle showers, but angry bursts of water that pounded down from the sky, and they spent three days holed up in their hotel room.

Which turned out to be its own kind of paradise.

On the fourth day the rain let up some. Brynn could tell Erik was getting restless, so at her suggestion they grabbed a taxi to Tulum. They explored the Mayan ruins in the intermittent drizzle, clambering over the slick rocks. Then they hiked down the steep path to the beach, where they sat on the sand and looked at the surf.

Erik held her hand—to Brynn’s surprise, he was a hand-holder—but he didn’t talk, and she liked that, too. They sat side by side with their knees up, staring out at the endless supply of waves battering the shore. On the way back, they stopped in town to eat ice-cream cones and buy postcards for Liz and her mom. Brynn told them everything was wonderful and didn’t mention the rain.

“My sister wants to meet you,” Brynn informed Erik as she mailed the postcards.

“Oh, yeah?”

“She said you must be really hot for me to run off to Mexico at a moment’s notice.”

He smiled. “What’d you say?”

She shrugged. “I said you were okay.”

He grinned and pulled her in for a kiss.

Their fifth and final day was sunny, and Brynn dragged Erik out of bed at 7:45 to stake out the best lounge chairs by the pool. She lay there all morning, enjoying the balmy breeze from underneath the shade of an umbrella. Turned out, Erik didn’t like lounging. He got restless again, and set out to walk the resort and check out their security setup.

Brynn’s phone chimed on the table beside her. She checked the number and debated a moment before answering.

“Hey, Reggie.”

“Hello.” He sounded surprised she’d picked up. “How’s Mexico?”

“Restful,” she said, knowing what he really wanted to ask was when she planned to be back. “How are things there?”

He filled her in on new developments, including the news that her law school friend Molly was coming down for an interview.

“She’s a genius at appellate work,” Brynn said. “We’d be lucky to get her.”

“I agree.”

“Thanks for letting me know.”

Brynn promised to call Molly and then jumped off the phone before Reggie could pin her down on her return date.