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“Eventually, maybe we could do the two or three pretty babies thing, too? Like maybe…beat Hunter and Nikki and Sage and Gil at that, even?”
Had he just asked her what she thought he had? “Are youinsane?”
Like, this was not a discussion she was ready to haverightnow. With a dead man at her feet, her parents right there, her uncle yelling at her father, her mother crying and wringing her hands, the police—including Sage and Joel—rushing in, other people crowding in even though their guest, the US marshal, was trying to keep them out, andnowBen wanted to talk about thefuture?
“No. Not insane. I just…am impatient. My brother is right, you know. Him and that sagey Sage of his right there. Life is too short for regrets. If any man in this damned wacky town is going to give you two or three babies and a pretty kind of life, it’s going to definitely beme.”
Dusty stared at him, as what he’d said started to sink in. Hermotherwas right there, crying. Cops—including Sage and Joel—were surroundingher father.
And her uncle, who had justsluggedher father right in the face.
She had at least two sisters that she didn’t know at all.
Everyone was looking at her. And Ben chosenowto tell her he wanted forever? “I think, before Harry gets with Sasha, we’re going to have to work onyourtiming a little, Benjamin Kenneth Tyler.”
“Nope. I’m good with it. I’m not going another moment without you, Destiny Marie Talley, hopefullyTyler,soon.” Then he was lifting her off her feet.
“Ben! Your arm!”
“Just a little bitty bullet wound. A scratch. Let me be all heroic. Epic-conclusion style. Kiss me back, baby. Just kiss me back. We’ll deal with everything else in a minute. I really just need you to kiss me right now.”
Dusty knew one thing for certain. Life wasfartoo short for regrets.
She wanted to be with him. She wasn’t going to letfearhold her back any longer.
Dusty just went with it. Wrapped her arms around him. This…was the man she would love until her last day on earth.
Maybe she had loved him for a long time, and just hadn’t let herselfseethat. Because she’d been afraid. “I can do that. Kiss me, Ben Tyler. Like you mean it.”
His leaned his head down. She stretched up to meet him.
She kissed him right back. Like, really kissed him. The way she’d wanted to all along.
Someone squealed behind her. Loudly.
Dusty knew exactly who it was.
Oops.
She’d practically forgotten all about her best friend in the heat of everything that was happening.
“Dusty’s kissing my brother! Dusty’s kissing my brother! Like reallykissing him!Look! Look! Dusty’s kissingBen!”
Yes. It was Nikki. Of course, it was. Dusty didn’t care. She just kept kissing him. His arms tightened around her. She pulled back—a woman had to breathe, if she was going to live long enough to give him those two or three pretty babies—and looked into his blue eyes. “I have no idea how she missed it.”
“Me, either. Normally, Nik misses nothing.” Then he was kissing her again, for the longest moment. He pulled back. “I’m carrying you away now. Probably….has to be to upstairs here, though. The wiring in my cave, you understand. I think Harry is going to carry Sasha away soon, too. Maybe the next book. She needs to give him real fits, first.”
“So does that mean I can give you fits for inspiration?”
“Only in the bedroom, woman,” he whispered in her ear. “As soon as you arereadyfor that next step.My heart can’t take it anywhere else. Tonight…was one of the scariest in my life. When I saw that bastard so close to you, my world almost came crashing down. I can’t lose you, Destiny Marie Talley. Ever. You keep my heart beating. And don’t you ever forget it.”
She didn’t know where he was carrying her off to.
He just was.
Well. He tried to anyway.
Damn it. Someone blocked the door. Said Ben’s name, and Dusty’s. With insistence.
