Page 51 of The One for Forever

“I’m okay with waiting. We can keep this just between us for now. When we’re ready and it makes sense, we can tell Cliff about it.”

“All right.”

“I have one more condition, though.”

“Anything,” he says automatically, and that makes me all gooey inside. As if I wasn’t already.

“You delete that dating app. I don’t want Denise messaging you anymore.”

He chuckles, tugging out his phone then and there. He deletes the app icon, showing me. “I wasn’t interested in her anyway. I only downloaded the app in a futile effort to get my mind off of you. You have no competition.”

“I kind of lost it when I saw that message from her.”

He leans in. “I nearly lost it when Christian Hayworth asked you to dinner. And when you said you might accept.”

“Only to further the investigation into the secret witness!” I cringe when my headache pulses a warning. I’m getting too riled up.

“Let’s just agree we don’t want anyone else. There’s only you and me. And we’ll go from there.”

“I suppose I can live with that. What about finishing what we started in my office? The part where I was on my desk, and…”

His nose trails along my jaw as a rumbly, possessive sound rolls from his chest. “As soon as you’re better, I’m planning to do just that. But not a moment before. Now get some rest.” He kisses my head. “I’ll be right here. I’m not going anywhere.”

14

Istay overnight for observation, and Rex stays right there by my side.

I wish I could say it’s non-stop sexy touches and smoldering tension. But I feel way too crappy for that. This headache won’t quit, and every time I get up, the room spins. My balance wavers, and at one point, I lose my battle not to throw up. It should be mortifying. But Rex has seen me sick before. He’s seen me crying with mascara streaks down my face. I saw him racked with sobs in the days after Lydia died. We’re already comfortable around each other. So having him here with me in the hospital is like bringing a cozy blanket from home. I wish I could curl up in his lap and not worry about who’ll see.

Mid-morning the next day, Rex leaves for a couple of hours to get cleaned up and changed. Another Bennett Security bodyguard stands outside my hospital room, someone I don’t know well. Lark stops by for a bit, but I’m all pouty and listless.

I have no idea how I managed to stay away from Rex for those six months before the infamous gala night, because now it’s torture not to have him around.

I only perk up when there’s a knock on my open door.

“Can we come in?” Angela De Luca asks.

Rex is right behind the detective, and we share a smile as they walk into the hospital room. It’s like sparklers are going off in my veins. I want to reach for him, but of course Rex is being all professional. He stands with his hands in his jeans pockets while Angela approaches the bed. She’s wearing a colorful dress with a blazer over it. Her small piercing is in place above her upper lip, and braids cascade over her shoulder.

“I’d better run,” Lark says, kissing my forehead. She greets Angela and Rex on her way out, shutting the door.

“How’re you feeling?” Angela asks.

“My head’s a little better, thanks.”

The hospital finished up the tests. I have a concussion, a lump on my head, and a big bruise on my shoulder. They warned me it’ll take some time to heal. I’m lucky it wasn’t worse.

“How’s little Brent?” I ask.

She smiles warmly. “Adorable. And getting into everything.”

Angela used to be Detective Murphy before falling in love with firefighter Matteo De Luca. I never would’ve expected fun-loving Matteo to end up with tough-as-nails Angela. But she’s been showing her softer side, especially after the birth of their son, Brent. Then they surprised us again by getting hitched in a spontaneous ceremony at the county clerk’s office. They have a beautiful family, so full of joy and love whenever I see them together.

“I heard your memories of the attack are fuzzy,” Angela says, directing us back to the matter at hand.

“Last night they were, yeah. But it’s coming back. I remember opening my office door and finding the guy outside. I tried to chase him down. Probably not my smartest moment. But I was pissed.”

“Can’t blame you.”

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