Risking it All (Crossing the Line, #1)(82)

His face remained impassive.

“I should have told you everything.

About what my brother did, how my uncle hid it. Everything that happened while I was undercover. I’m sorry I didn’t. It put us both in danger and I’ll never forgive myself.” She swallowed hard. “I don’t have an excuse, except I’ve never had anyone to confide in before. It felt like a failure and I didn’t want to face it. Didn’t want you to know I’d failed.”

“It wouldn’t have made a damn difference.”

Bowen’s rusty voice made her insides jump. Wouldn’t have. Past tense? “You told me once that you started falling for me before we met. From just a photograph.” Her voice dropped to a near-whisper. “It happened that way for me, too, in a way. Before I found out your

name,

you

were

already

overwhelming me. I saw you. It was already too late for me when I realized who you were.”

Still he said nothing, the picture of stillness in his metal chair, watching her.

“And you are not your name. You’re more. So much more. To me, you’re everything.” She drew in a deep breath.

“I need the mural artist, the fighter, the man who might have lost his way for a while, but still remained good where it counted. I want the man who loves one minute and rages the next. The man who suffers through church and makes me egg sandwiches. The man who touches me so perfectly.” His lack of response made her want to scream and cry. “I’m coming to Chicago. If you don’t want me there, too bad. I’m going to be right there, every day, standing beside you, because standing anywhere else doesn’t feel right anymore. I love you. No, I’ve loved you.

And I’m not saying take it or leave it.

I’m saying take it.” Tears blurred her vision. “Please, take it?” she finished shakily.

Every second that passed where he didn’t move or speak felt like broken glass raking over her heart, her exposed skin. He didn’t want her. Okay, okay…

she would just have to work harder.

She’d earn his trust back in Chicago and eventually he’d come around. What they had didn’t just go away overnight. Did it?

She swiped a hand over her damp eyes and turned for the door, everything moving in slow motion around her. As soon as her hand touched the knob, she heard the metal chair scrape against the floor and go flying, colliding with the opposite wall. Bowen’s body heat suddenly surrounded her, wrenching a sob from her throat. His arms banded around her from behind, molding her to his chest, warm, rapid breaths in her ear.

“Jesus Christ, Sera,” he rasped. “You just handed me everything I’ve ever wanted in this world. I needed a minute to believe it was real.” The tension in her body evaporated with his words, but Bowen simply held her tighter so she wouldn’t fall into a heap. “I love you. So f*cking much I’m not sure I have room for it all.”

She let her head fall back against his shoulder, incredible relief making her movements languid. “Make room. I’m not going anywhere.”

He pointed a shaking finger at the doorknob. “That’s the last time you make me watch you walk away. Never again.

I’m keeping you, dammit.”

“I’ll never walk away again. I’m keeping you, too.”

“Thank God for that.” Bowen turned her around. She looked up at his beautiful face, running her thumb over a cut under his right eye. He leaned into the contact with a quick release of breath and laid a fist over his heart. “Sera, I’ll be dead in the ground before an ounce of this goes away. There’s nothing you can do to make it lighter and if you could, I wouldn’t let you. I want to be heavy with loving you, baby. Don’t question it again, okay?”

“Okay.” She nodded vigorously, sending tears falling down her cheeks.

“Okay.”

He used his lips to brush away her tears. “Are you sure you don’t want to work as a nurse in Chicago? Something safer? I’m not above begging.”

“And miss out on all the action?”

He pinned her against the wall with a low growl. “You’ll be getting enough action at home.”

“Home,” she repeated breathlessly. “I like you saying that.”

Their lips met for a lingering kiss.

“You’re my home, Sera. The only one I’ve ever had. I want to be yours, too.

Let me.”

Love expanded in her chest. “You’re the only home I’ll ever need, Bowen.”





EPILOGUE


With a muttered curse, Bowen dragged


Sera off the sidewalk and into a shadowed doorway to kiss her. At first, she laughed at his spontaneous gesture, but as soon as his tongue stroked over hers, her amusement disappeared along with his sanity. Cool fingers slid into his hair, tugging a little the way he liked. He pressed his palms high against the door, knowing if he touched her, they would need to find somewhere to finish each other off. Too bad they were already late for their first meeting with the Chicago PD. The meeting to which his wickedly hot girlfriend had decided to wear a tight skirt, probably to drive him crazy until they could get back to the brand new king-size bed he’d insisted needed to be rechristened several times a day. The bed they’d bought together, in a furniture store, holding hands and making decisions like a couple. Bowen had decided that day was the best one he’d ever lived through. Until the next day with Sera had started. And the next.