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This was it. The end, and it had come far sooner than she’d thought.
She stood and moved to Dare, taking his hand.
If this was all the time they had, she intended to make it count.
* * * *
Dare’s head was still reeling when Tasha held her hand out.
He would be on a plane home soon. He could be out from under his father’s boot in less than twenty-four hours. The Taggarts were making all of his dreams come true.
So why did he feel like he was standing at the edge of a cliff, ready to completely fall off?
“I need to talk to you.” Tasha started to lead him out of the kitchen.
“Is there anything to talk about?” He wasn’t sure more talking would help them. He knew what he had to do and what he owed his siblings. What he owed himself. “I think the parameters of the mission are clear.”
There were tears in her eyes as she turned to him. “This is not a mission for me. Please. We don’t have any time.”
She would ask him to stay with her. Or ask if she could go with him. Would she do that? Would that be a proper sacrifice to make up for her betrayal? To give up the job and family she loved.
How could he take her away from her family? Did he even want to? He wanted her but he wasn’t sure he should. Her life was all about lies and subterfuge. She’d deceived him. Could he trust anything about her?
Still, he followed her through the small house, past the living room where her parents were talking, past the space where Zach was checking his weapons, getting ready to head out.
They were a better fit. He’d wanted Zach on Tasha duty because he knew damn well the soldier would take a bullet for her. Zach would do anything for Tasha, and one day she would look up and the handsome operative would be there and she would know it was right. Zach and Tasha made sense.
Dare would be nothing but a memory by then. He would be a vague memory in her head because her whole life was an adventure. He would be nothing but a bump in the road.
She would be the only thing in his memory, in his heart, because she was the only adventure he would ever have, the only one he would ever want.
She seemed to be maneuvering them to the back of the house, likely to step out on the patio to talk, but he suddenly didn’t want to talk. They had so little fucking time. He found the door to what appeared to be an office and tugged on her hand, dragging her back and inside.
He slammed the door and locked it, turning her way.
“Dare,” she began.
There was no reason to talk. There was nothing he hadn’t already said, and he wasn’t good at talking things through. He was a stubborn ass and he wasn’t sure he could change, so this might be the last chance he had to show her how he felt, to have any space in her head and heart over the long and lonely years.
He slipped his hand around her neck, cradling it as he lowered his lips to hers.
Her whole body seemed to go on alert, and she pressed herself against him, her breasts crushing against his chest. She wrapped herself around him, holding on like she never wanted to let go.
A million scenarios played through his head. He hadn’t had enough time with her. He wanted to spank her, to tie her up and play with her ass and then force her to take his cock in her mouth. He wanted to spend hours torturing her, clamping her pretty tits and flogging her until her skin was pink and her arousal was the only scent he could smell. He wanted to take her to clubs and show off his sub and be so fucking proud to be her Dom.
He wouldn’t get any of those things. Or the more dangerous things he wanted.
He wanted to hang out with her family and be a part of them. He wanted to know if Lou was going to smack TJ at some point, and if Kala would get her head out of her ass long enough to see how Cooper looked at her. Maybe Ben would show back up, and how fun would it be to watch him think he was dealing with one woman when it was actually two? One who actively loathed him and the other who was half in love. He wanted to sit next to his father-in-law at family gatherings and eat popcorn while the sparks flew.
He wanted to marry Tasha and be happy.
He wouldn’t do any of those things. He would stay in Canada and take his place at the head of his family, and he would do it alone.
