Page 101 of The Forbidden Bodyguard

I did save my father's life, but at great cost to me.

That monster touched me. I might not have been conscious, but it’s still rape. I won’t let him wreck my life, but it will always remain a part of my story.

“I think we should move out of New York.” I lean on the banister. “Would you be okay with that?”

His job.

I know it's important to him.

“Where do you want to live?” Declan asks, his hands circling my back.

“Not sure. If you want four kids, we need to relocate to somewhere with good schools and a community.” I smile up at him. “Unless you didn’t mean it.”

“Nice try.” He tweaks my nose and then kisses my lips. “I mean it. I want you to come home to meet my mom for Thanksgiving next week.”

I gasp.

“Really?” Nerves blast through me.

“Yup, she wants to meet you.” Declan glances out across the lake. “You might like Connecticut.”

I feel my cheeks warm as a full-body smile rushes through me.

Are we doing this? Creating a life?

Creating a life together.

“What about your job?”

Declan turns me to face him. “Spoke to Josh. Greenwich, Connecticut, is the hedge fund capital of the world. A lot of people want private security. He said if I relocated, I could work from there and join team meetings once a month back in Manhattan.”

I do a little dance on the spot.

“You might hate it.” He laughs.

“I won’t hate it.”

I could still see Charlotte, as it's only forty minutes away from the city and even stick with my same hairdresser. These things are important.

“I won’t hate it because I love you,” I say, and his entire face becomes a smile.

I know he’s been waiting for me to say it. Being let down by those you once loved and trusted is a hard thing. Those three words have been on the tip of my tongue, especially when we’ve made love.

But I wanted to wait until it felt safe.

Safe, and I knew it was true, not because I was scared or needed saving.

I don’t. Not anymore.

“You love me, huh?” Declan grips the back of my head. “Say it again.”

“I love you, my bodyguard.”

“I know. You love me from day one.”

“Well, that’s a stretch—” His mouth slams down on mine as I giggle, and he kisses the hell out of me.

Then we find a bench, and I pull out my phone and start scrolling through properties. Declan leans over my shoulder, and together we search for a home.