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“Where is home?”
Again, her eyes flicker to mine, only this time a question is in them. “Where my family is.”
Lifting my hand from her leg, I hold it out to her and wait. She adjusts the baby in her arms and without hesitation places her hand in mine. I give her a gentle pull, and she climbs forward, turning to sit with her back against my side. I wrap my arm around her, our baby secure between us, her little eyes blinking slowly as she drifts to sleep.
I rotate my body so I can hold them closer, Lara’s back to my chest. Both arms go around them and kiss first Jillian’s head, then Lara’s. She turns her face and looks up at me expectantly.
I look down at her, and as much as I don’t want to, I remember the night she blew my mind then broke my heart. “I asked you to marry me in Nice, and you said yes.” My voice is low, with a slight edge. “Then you left me without a word.”
Her chin drops, and she scoots around so her cheek rests against my chest. Jillian dozes against her breast.
“It was the hardest thing I’ve ever done,” she says quietly. “I wanted to be your wife—I still want to be your wife—but I knew what Molly was planning. I couldn’t pull you into it.”
Residual distrust simmers in my chest. “What’s different now?”
Her finger traces a line along our daughter’s chubby arm, and she hesitates before answering. “Now that you’re here, I can’t deny what my soul is telling me.”
“Which is?”
“I can’t run from you anymore. We have to be together.”
Reaching up, I thread my fingers in the back of her hair and gently pull, causing her face to tilt up. Her eyes glisten just before they close, just before I claim her lips, pushing them apart with mine and kissing her deeply.
Our mouths move, tongues curling, and heat simmers low in my pelvis. I want to take her again. I want to slide her robe off and bury myself deep in her clenching heat.
She turns her head, and I relax my fingers, allowing her to press her cheek against mine. “We can get through tonight then start a new life.”
Leaning back, I study her eyes, thinking about how much I love her. How much I want to protect her. How much I want her to have a new life.
“I was thinking about it, and I have an idea.” Her expression changes, but I keep going. “Molly wants Gavin to go to jail—”
“Molly wants him dead.” She moves to the edge of the bed and stands, carrying the baby to the small crib we had delivered this morning.
“I have surveillance equipment. You can wear a wire and see if you can get him to confess.”
Baby settled, she turns and crosses her arms over her waist. Her brow is furrowed, and she goes to the closet. “Would it be like a box or something strapped to my torso?”
“No.” I go to my suitcase. Digging around, I pull out the wireless receiver. It’s as small as the tip of my finger. “We can put this under your collar or in your bra or even behind your ear. I’ll be able to hear and record everything he says. Maybe we can kill two birds with one stone.”
“Figuratively,” she says, coming to where I stand and lifting the square chip from my palm. “It’s so tiny.”
“They make them small enough now they can be attached to a dragonfly drone.”
Her mouth falls open, and she looks up at me wide-eyed. “That’s scary. So like an insect could be tracking you, listening to everything you say?”
“Not an actual insect, but yes.”
She shakes her head and carries her clothes into the bathroom. I walk over to the crib and watch our daughter sleeping. As a detective, I’m more comforted than alarmed by the availability of such devices. They help me keep this little one safe as well as her mother.
When Lara returns, she’s wearing a short skirt and black top, and even without makeup, she’s gorgeous, with her dark hair and eyebrows, fair skin, and full pink lips. I can’t help a smile.
“Here, let me take her down to Roland’s room and get her settled.” She reaches in and lifts out the baby. Jillian squirms and makes a noise as she’s snuggled into her mother’s neck and shoulder. “Get dressed and we can decide how we’re going to handle this while I finish my makeup.”
She starts to go, but I reach out and catch her by the waist, pulling her to me once more. Sliding my hand to the back of her head, I hold her eyes on mine.
“You don’t have to be afraid anymore. I won’t let anything happen to you. Or Jillian.”
She blinks several times, her blue eyes focused intently on mine. Leaning forward, I capture her soft lips in a kiss once more, just a quick one, but her eyes flutter shut. I let her go and for a moment she seems a little dazed.
