Up in Smoke (Crossing the Line, #2)(82)

“Hey!” she screamed when another head came up. She dragged in long pulls of air to compensate for the scream. “I’m here. Over here.”

Derek. It was Derek. He gave her an incredulous look and started to say something, but a second head surfaced a few yards away. Connor.

“The cage is empty.” His voice was so hoarse, her heart splintered. “Why the f*ck is it empty? Could there be more than one down there? I don’t…Jesus, she can’t breathe. I’m going back—”

“Bannon,” Derek shouted. “Turn around. She made it out.”

Connor spun around, hands flying to his drenched head. A choked sound left his mouth when his tortured gaze found her against the rock piling. He swam for her, so fast his muscular arms were a blur of water and flesh. Before she could launch herself halfway across the distance separating them, he was there, pulling her into his arms. “Erin, Erin, Erin,” he chanted into her wet hair. “Oh God. I saw you go under. I saw it and—”

“Your mom,” she interrupted him. “I-is she okay? He told me he had her, that he would kill her. I had to go. I didn’t leave you again. I had to go.”

His breath released on a heavy exhale, head dropping into the crook of her neck. “Ah, sweetheart. She’s fine. I could kill him all over again for making you think that.”

Tears fell from her eyes, fusing with the salt water on her cheeks. “I wasn’t scared. I thought of you and I wasn’t scared.”

“Don’t ever look at me like that again, okay?” He shook her. “Like you know it’s over. Please.”

Erin pushed the wet hair off his face and waited until he focused on her. “I already had the cage beat. That’s what I was trying to tell you.” Connor’s harsh exhale warmed her face. “I know you would have gotten me out. I know.” She gave him a cocky wink. “But I have a reputation to uphold.”

His laugh sounded pained. “I love you so much.”

“I love you, too.” She kissed him hard. “I just want to go home.”

“Ah, sweetheart. Me, too.” His expression changed, grew more serious. “I’m sorry. I had to…he’s gone. I know you wanted me to do the right thing, but he’s gone. I—”

“No.” Derek’s voice brought them around. He was halfway up the rock piling, looking down at Connor meaningfully. “You never had a weapon, Bannon. I fired the shots.”

Connor shook his head, a frown marring his brow. “I’ll face the consequences of my own actions. I don’t need you to shield me.”

Derek climbed a few more feet and glanced back over his shoulder. “Who’s going to shield me when they find out where you got the weapon?” He rubbed the back of his neck. “A man died on my watch and I’ll own up to it. Frankly, taking credit for this one won’t keep me awake at night.” Erin watched silent communication pass between the two men. Connor’s expression was a struggle between reluctance and gratefulness. Derek’s was firm. “I’ll see you both at work next week. Don’t be late.”

Erin took Connor’s hand and started to follow the captain, but he pulled her back. “Wait until they cover his body up. I don’t ever want you to look at me…and see that.”

“I could never.” She glided back into the water, wrapping her legs around his waist. They both let out a shaky breath when his hands molded to her backside and drew her closer. “I only see one thing when I look at you. I saw it the first day. I see it now. Hope. You made me hope.”

“You don’t have to hope anymore, Erin,” he whispered at her lips. “Hope implies you might not get what you want.” Their tongues mingled in a kiss. “If I’m what you want, hope is futile, because I couldn’t belong to you any more completely than I already do.”

Heart overflowing, she laughed through happy tears. “If that’s a challenge, I accept.”





Epilogue


One month later


Connor bent Erin back over the kitchen counter and swirled his tongue inside the hollow of her neck. She tossed her head on a gasp, pushing her breasts up for his attention. Jesus. What he wouldn’t give to pull the top of her strapless yellow dress down and suck his fill. Of course, he couldn’t, because they were at a f*cking barbecue and one of fifty people could walk into the kitchen at any minute.

“Remind me again why we’re out of bed on a Sunday?”

Erin rubbed the arch of her bare foot over the curve of his calf, giving him no choice but to rock his hips against her. She slipped her foot even higher in response, teasing the back of his thigh. “The captain just closed on this house and we’re christening the backyard with grilled meat and beer.”

“Right.” Fuck, she smelled good. “Not a good enough reason for you to be wearing clothes.”

“You either,” she breathed, tugging his head down to fuse their lips together. It only took one slide of her damp mouth for him to deepen the contact with a groan. Getting as close as possible to her was always a requirement. As was his habit, he let his hands wander to the hem of her dress, curling his fingers into the soft material. At this point, he would usually draw it up to her waist to give himself access to the sweet flesh beneath, but he was hindered by their surroundings. He rubbed the hem up and down on the outside of her thighs instead, chafing the skin and making her sag against him as he devoured her mouth.