Page 113 of A Shot at Love
He pulled her head up and stared into her eyes. “The minute I was cleared of the investigation into Ritandi’s shooting I hopped on a plane. I came straight from the airport hoping you’d be here.”
When she cupped his cheek he turned his head into her palm and kissed it. “All I knew was I had to get here. To you, Gemma. And I’m not leaving for any reason, so you’re still stuck with me whether you like it or not.”
This time his kiss was urgent, wanting, needing. It was everything Gemma had remembered, and promised so much more.
When she came up for air, she wound her fingers into his hair and said, “I like it. Very much.”
“Good.”
*
Later, much later, she rolled to her side on the bed and curled into the crook of his arm. His fingers absently stroked her side, both their breaths still fast from their recent lovemaking, but slowly calming.
“I missed you.” She kissed his chest, dragged a lazy finger across his nipple, and giggled when it came to a peak.
“Baby, you’re gonna kill me,” he moaned, then chuckled. He pulled her closer. “I missed you, too.” A gentle kiss to her temple had her sighing.
“Oh, speaking of getting killed, take this back. I don’t need it anymore.” She pulled out of his arms, sat up, and lifted his St. Michael’s medallion from around her neck.
Ky took it and rubbed the raised impression between his fingers. “I have to thank Dini for giving me this again the next time I see her. It allowed us to track you without Tiege knowing it.”
Instead of putting it back around his own neck, he tossed it over onto her bedside table.
“Even though I knew you were able to monitor where he was taking me, I was still a little scared,” she admitted.
“Come here.” He tightened his arms around her when she melted into his embrace. He kissed her cheek.
“We were never more than a minute behind you the whole time. I still can’t believe he didn’t spot us following. You did a good job, by the way. Tiege really bought your act.”
“He kept saying how Jon had given him irrefutable proof that it was you. That I’d been tricked into believing you were a good guy. That the whole bureau had. I was so mad I wanted to hit him more than once during the car ride.”
Gemma felt his jaw tighten against her.
“I’m still pissed at myself that I never considered he was the one responsible for any of what happened. If I’d had even an inkling, maybe my men would still be alive.”
It was Gemma’s turn to tighten her hold on him. “Don’t do that. Don’t blame yourself.”
His sigh was deep and troubled. “I do, though. There’s no way around it. They were my men, my team. I’d handpicked every one of them the day we started the investigation.”
Gemma sat up again and stared down at him. The exhaustion she’d seen earlier was joined by sorrow and anger now. “They were all seasoned agents, like you, right? Had been on the job for a while?”
He nodded. “I have the most time in, Jon next, but yeah. I had no newbies. I needed guys with history and experience in the bureau. Why?”
“Then they knew what to expect from the job? What might happen? What could go wrong?”
“Sure.” He shrugged and then folded his arm around his head, cradling it on the pillow.
“So, knowing that something could go wrong, planning for it even, they still wanted to work with you, right?”
He nodded. “What’s your point?”
Gemma considered what she wanted to say. While she did, she slid her legs over his abdomen, straddling him, her hands resting on her thighs.
Ky’s hands moved immediately to settle on her hips. He was already half aroused and she could feel him swelling more now against her.
“My point is that these men were professionals who knew what they did was dangerous and did it anyway of their own choice. You didn’t get them killed. You’re not responsible for what happened. And despite the AG being mad that Ritandi is in a box and not a cell, I think you killing him was totally and completely justified.”
She trailed her hands up over his pecs and rested them there. The steady, solid beat of his heart against her hand picked up when she wiggled and settled down against him.
