Page 41 of Just One More Moment

She inclined her head. “I did overhear that, too. I didn’t listen on purpose, at least not at first, but when I realized you two should finish your conversation, I… couldn’t walk away.”

“I’m not angry with you. I get it. And I wouldn’t say I was hiding my past. I just don’t think about it anymore.” He lifted one shoulder in a half-hearted shrug. “I married my ex a short time after we met. She was the victim of a mugging and she’d been stabbed, too.”

Raven’s hand came to her mouth. “I’m sorry.” She lowered her arm, twisting her hands together in her lap.

“She needed me and I guess I liked being needed.”

Raven stiffened because this was the hard part. “Is that why we’re together?” she asked, recalling Dex said something similar. “Like Dex said, my past was a mystery to you. Then my place was broken into. Now you’re keeping me safe, and that’s what drives you, right? Keeping women safe?”

He shook his head, his lips lifting in a grin. “You know better. You must have heard me tell Dex you’re different, and you are. In every way.” His hands slid over hers and held on tight but instead of feeling better, the sad truth of her life intruded and though she’d initiated this conversation, it had gotten too deep.

“It doesn’t matter.” She pulled her hands out of his. “I’m never going to be free of Lance. I know it and so do you. He and Cassandra will do whatever they have to in order to keep him out of jail and he’ll never give up on his obsession with me.”

She lifted a pillow and pulled it into her lap, pressing it against the pain in her stomach. Because no matter how Remy felt about her, she couldn’t let herself go and admit to feeling the same way. Because if this situation with Lance went on much longer, she’d have no choice but to run. To go somewhere he couldn’t find her.

“I shouldn’t have asked you about your marriage. It has nothing to do with me.” She placed the pillow back in its spot and lay down, facing away from him.

He didn’t reply but she heard the bedsheets rustle and soon he lay behind her and pulled her into his arms. He didn’t say a word but she settled in the comfort and safety of his arms, and was able to relax.

***

Remy understood moreabout Raven’s fear than she knew. He also didn’t believe his past had nothing to do with her. She’d overheard him talking about Sadie and his marriage and the notion bothered her enough for her to ask.

He hadn’t been hiding the truth from her. He’d just pushed it into a part of his brain where old things piled up, rarely to be thought of again. He’d moved on from his ex-wife. He’d never get past his mother’s murder. It had altered the course of his future.

Once he’d laid eyes on Raven, she’d pulled him in. She was who he was meant to be with. Until she was free from the stress and fear of who her brother would go after next in order to hurt her, Remy wouldn’t push her for anything more than she was willing to give.

The next morning, he’d woken her up like any other morning they’d been together. He’d rolled her onto her back and hovered over her, treating her to a long kiss as he slid into her. Once they’d forgotten protection, they’d come to a silent but mutual agreement none was needed after that.

Now, at nine-thirty a.m., they were in the kitchen for breakfast. True to his word, Dex’s suitcases were gone and so was he. Not only did his father have a groundskeeper on premises, he had a housekeeper, and since Dex had obviously let her know he was coming, the fridge was stocked with food.

Working together, Remy and Raven cooked breakfast, making two omelets and whole-wheat toast. For two people who’d never cooked as a team, they’d done pretty well.

While she finished at the stove, he placed orange juice and the coffee he’d made on the table. Once she sat down, he already knew the direction he planned to take the conversation. He was keeping things light.

“So, did I ever tell you how I made my fortune?” he asked.

She sputtered, having just taken a sip of juice. “I just assumed you had family money. I mean, I knew it wasn’t from being a New York City police officer.”

He lifted his mug for a drink of coffee. “There is that. We all have trust funds. But when I met Zach in college, he was determined to find Hadley. We now know she was in WitSec but all Zach knew was that she and her family had disappeared. We bonded over our hacking skills and I tried to help him dig into databases where we didn’t belong.”

Her pretty eyes opened wide. “What happened?”

“We got caught.” He ignored his omelet in favor of storytelling. “But we got lucky, too. The feds were so impressed with our skills, they hired us to find holes in their databases and programs. Through our work, we met influential people in Silicon Valley. Zach and I developed our own anti-hacking software and sold it for enough to make us millionaires.”

She grinned. “You’re pretty impressive, Remington Sterling.”

Chuckling, he said, “I’m glad you think so.” Was he smug about it? Hell, yes. He and Zach had done it on their own.

She shook her head, eyes twinkling. They finished their food and cleaned up in easy silence and occasional small talk.

No sooner had they cleaned up breakfast than Raven’s phone buzzed with a call. She answered immediately. “Hi, Caleb,” she said, quiet when her brother was obviously talking to her. “Hewhat?”

Her voice rose and Remy came up by her side, waiting as she finished the conversation, his curiosity and concern rising with every word Raven said.

“I’ll get back to you with our plan. Love you,” she said and disconnected the call.

“What’s wrong?” Remy asked.

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