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“You’re going to have to anyway if we’re going to work together to defeat my family and the cartel.”
“He’s just so?—”
“Arrogant? Domineering? Spoiled?”
“Yes.”
Carter grinned. “That’s all part of his charm.”
“I’d hate to hear about his detractions.”
“I think you’ve seen some of them already.”
“I sure as hell have, but if that’s what you want, me working with you, then that’s what I’ll do. If you want to live in the city, that’s where I will be.”
“What do you want?” He brushed the back of his hand over my cheek and the tender gesture made me shudder.
“I’d like to live here. I like that there’s nobody around. I like that I can chase you through the woods and make you cry for me.”
“That was?—”
I glared at him. “If you’re about to say anything but fucking amazing, then stop right now.”
“It was dangerous and stupid, but also fucking amazing.”
“And you’d do it again.”
“For you, yeah.”
I couldn’t hold back a smile. “Good. What was it like here for you after you got back?”
“I thought you were spying on me.”
“I got word that you were alive and your friends were taking care of you. That’s it.”
“Promise me you won’t ever go back to that life. Even if the CIA changes its mind and begs you to, I want you to stay right here with me. We’ll figure out the details, but I want you here, or in the city, wherever I am.”
I took a shaky breath, determined not to cry in front of him again. “With you is the only place I want to be.”
“If you want to tell me about what it was like for you with the cartel, I’ll listen. I’ll want to go and tear some people apart, but I’ll listen.”
My initial reaction was to say no. I absolutely did not want to talk about it, but Carter was one of the few people who could understand. “Maybe eventually, but not now.”
“Okay. When I got back here and had recovered physically, I was still a mess. I didn’t really talk. I didn’t leave the house. I wasn’t really living. My heart was beating, but that was it.”
“God, Carter, I did that to you.”
“No, the situation did it to us.”
“How can you forgive me?”
“Would you if our roles were reversed?”
I started to speak, but he laid a finger on my lips. “Think about it first.”
I did, but my answer didn’t change. “Yes, absolutely yes.”
The timer dinged, and I rose to get the pizza from the oven. Carter slapped my ass as I walked away. “Mmm, too much of that, and you won’t get food after all.” I glanced at him once I’d pulled the pizza from the oven. “Do we need plates? Civilized people use plates.”
