“You’re right. We need to talk about this.” Turning to face me, I catch a glimpse of determination in his stormy eyes. “I’m not going home to work for Grayson.”
It takes a few minutes for it to sink in.
“Are you taking one of the offers in London?”
“No. I’m not going home, but I’ll be working for Grayson in Europe. He is expanding and needs a numbers guy in the international market. Most of what I do can be done remotely. I can work wherever you are. I’ll be waiting at the nearest hotel wherever your next jobs are.”
I’m crying by the time he’s done. He’s done it, he’s kept his word. It’s hard for me to believe that I can have everything. He gave me a promise, then chased me around the world to fulfill it. Teddy pulls me on his lap with a look of panic on his face.
“Why are you crying? I thought you would be happy.”
“Oh Teddy,” I exclaim, wiping my tears. “I’m so happy. I love you so much.”
Teddy rolls me under him, smashing his lips to mine in a kiss that shows me how deep his love for me has always been.
“I love you too,” he says, pulling away. Brushing a stray piece of hair off my face, he looks into my eyes, love radiating into me as he holds me close. “I always have.”
Epilogue
“Hey, sexy! Get your pants off and get on the bed,” Sophia says, bursting through the door of our hotel room. “I’m gonna ride that one-eyed trouser snake like there’s no tomorrow,” she adds, walking over to dig through the sodas in the mini-fridge.
We’ve been holed up in a hotel room in Bosnia for close to a week now, waiting for her next assignment. In theory, she is supposed to be based near Paris, but we haven’t made it there even long enough to find housing.
“And with that image burned into my brain, I think I’ll sign off,” the deep voice from my laptop rumbles.
“Hang on,” I say with a grin, spinning my laptop around so it stops in front of her bright red face. “Here, say hi to Sophia.”
“Hello, Sophia,” Grayson says as she sends him a tiny wave from across the room.
She’s covered her mouth with her other hand in embarrassment. Laughing, I turn the laptop back around to face me.
“Okay, it’s heading to you now. Let me know what you think. I like our prospects, the numbers seem to be solid,” I say.
After we sign off, I close my computer, grinning at Soph.
“Why didn’t you tell me you were talking to your brother? I’m so embarrassed. Maybe he didn’t know what I was talking about,” she says as she twists the lid on a bottle of soda.
“Really? He has like ten or twelve kids now. I’m pretty sure he knew what you were talking about.”
She laughs, shaking her head.
Okay, I’m not a complete asshole. I know there are five so far, but they reproduce like rabbits.
“So what has you so excited?” I ask, walking around the end of the desk. Over the last several months, I’ve learned to turn just about anywhere into an office. It’s amazing what I can do with just my laptop, a notebook, and a pen, though I have found myself sitting on a rooftop on occasion just to hit the Wi-Fi from the consulate two blocks away. They should really think about enhancing their cybersecurity protection.
“We finished today,” she says, as I hug her close to me. “I think it’s our best piece yet. But that’s not the best part.”
Placing her hands on my chest, she pushes me down on the bed, stepping between my knees. Her face is absolutely beaming as I sit on the edge of the bed, watching her. I still can’t believe she’s mine. There’s been a diamond ring riding around in my “office” backpack since our stop in Amsterdam, but I haven’t found the perfect moment yet to make it official. I will though, and sooner rather than later.
“Fuck, babe. You’re killing me. What is it?”
If her smile gets any bigger, it’s going to blind me. Now she’s starting to get me all worked up.
“I have to be in Lyon, France in a month.”
“Okay?”
So far, since finding Sophia again we’ve covered more miles than I can keep up with. A trip to France doesn’t seem like that big of a deal.
