Page 87 of Her Ruthless Protector

He knew everybody was on tenterhooks.

They all waited ten more seconds.

“Whoo-hoo, the shooting stopped!” Nick Hale yelled.

“Well done,” Max Hogan said.

“What the fuck did you do?” Cullen asked. “Cause I’m still lost looking for a room in the basement.”

“He used his knife to his advantage,” A.J.’s smile was huge.

Kane listened to his teammates and the men of Black Dawn chuckle.

“Now don’t just stand there basking in your glory. We’ve got injured to attend to,” A.J. rolled her eyes. Then she shut off her mic and reached over and shut off his mic.

“Okay, just another minute of glory basking.” She said as she shoved the receiver out of both of their ears so they wouldn’t be bothered with endless chatter.

“You’re fucking amazing. So amazing.” She bit the tip of his chin. “Bend down, I need a kiss.”

He didn’t. Instead he looked into her clear blue eyes.

“I can’t believe I found you. How could that have possibly happened?”

“Bend down.” She pulled at his neck and he gave way.

Her lips were so soft. Never had she given so much of herself. A.J. poured everything into this kiss. Who she was. Her past. Her present. Her future.

She pulled away. “I love you.”

“I love you, too. Do you trust me?” Kane held his breath.

“I trust you with my heart. With my soul.”

“Because you, A.J. Lancaster, are the most important thing in the world to me. Ah, Love, you’re my universe.”

A.J. burst out laughing.

“What?” Kane demanded. “What’s so damned funny?”

“That’s kind of my name. You said it.”

“Huh?”

“Love.”

“Love is your name?”

“Yep, my crazy-assed Mom in one of her crazy-assed moments decided to name me Aphrodite Justice.”

“Aphrodite?”

“If you tell anyone, I’ll have to kill you. I had it legally changed to A.J.. Now listen here, McNamara, if I hear the name Aphrodite come out of your mouth, I’m going for your knife.”

“Can I call you Love sometimes?”

He saw her blue eyes darken.

“Only on special occasions. Like when you save the world.”

“Okay, Love, come to Virginia Beach. Spend some time with me.”

She stared at him so long he worried. Finally, she nodded her head and then she started talking.

“Okay, basking is done. Let’s get our asses upstairs.”