Page 53 of The Cold Ride

“When do you have to head back?” It was a topic I hadn’t broached but one of the many we needed to discuss while Amelia was gone.

He sighed. “Twelve days. I’ll start with a new unit when I return. I’ll be with them until I hit my twenty in two years.”

“So you’re planning to retire from the Navy?”

With a contemplative expression, he nodded. “Yeah. As much as I’ve enjoyed it and it’s been the right career for me, I don’t want to be a lifer. I’ve got two years left, and I’m done.”

“And what are your plans after that?”

“Well, I’m considering relocating here. I want to be close to Amelia. Regardless of what happens between the two of us, I want to be here to help you raise her.”

“She’ll love that. I will too. It’s been nice having you here.” Hope grew and expanded inside me. We might really have a shot this time. Maybe we could move past our failures and make this work.

“I should tell you that Amelia saw me coming out of your room this morning. I know we agreed to keep it a secret. But I don’t want to lie to her.”

He wouldn’t. Nor did I want him to feel like he had to. “Well, we knew we couldn’t keep our relationship a secret forever. How did she take it?”

“She wanted to know if I was going to marry you.”

My heart stopped and kickstarted into overdrive. He wasn’t going to propose, was he? Was that what that look in his eyes was all about? “Oh, she did? And how did you respond?”

“I explained that it’s complicated and that we’re working things out. I hope that’s okay.” He looked at me for approval.

Our kid had no idea how lucky she was, because her dad would do anything for her. Even ask for my guidance in how he parented her. “Yeah, sure.”

“She also said something else that I’ve been trying to wrap my head around.”

“Oh yeah, and what’s that?” Oh god, what had she said? Because I knew that kids could say the darndest things.

“That I was the only man she’s ever seen come out of your room. That you’ve never had a man in your house who wasn’t a repairman. Is that true?” He pierced me with his stare.

My belly churned, and I felt as if my heart was on display. I drank a huge gulp of wine, needing a dose of liquid courage. “And if it is?”

He frowned. “Rory, it’s been ten years. Surely you dated.”

I took Wyatt’s advice and gave him complete honesty. “I’ve been on a handful of them. But I was busy raising a kid and running the inn. Dating took a back seat. And nothing ever manifested into anything serious.”

“How many men have you slept with since we were together on the beach? The night you conceived Amelia?”

This one was harder for me. I didn’t want to answer his question, but only because it made me appear pathetic. But I promised myself that I wouldn’t lie to him. Drawing up my courage, I looked him square in the eyes and said, “James, you’re the only man I’ve been with. There’s been no one since you that night.”

Silence descended. He didn’t say anything. But the warmth in his eyes deepened, turned darker, greedier. Until the air backed up in my lungs and I shivered, frozen in place under the weight of his stare. Then he shoved his chair back. It scraped against the floor, shattering the silence.

He held out his hand. “Come with me.”

The simple demand fell over me, and my entire body vibrated in response. “But what about dinner?”

“We can heat it up later. Come with me now.”

I didn’t hesitate a second time. I slid my hand in his. Without saying another word, he led me into the bedroom. We’d stopped going to his bedroom altogether.

But then, his place had always been in my bed. My heart pounded. This felt momentous. Like we’d turned a huge corner. Before the door had shut, he tugged me into his arms. This was where I belonged. His arms were my home. It was the one place I felt whole. Where I knew as long as he held me, nothing would ever go wrong. And that I was no longer alone. He was the other half of me. And then he cradled my face between his large palms. He stared at me with a light in his eyes I didn’t know.

And my nerves kicked into high gear.

But before I could hide, feeling awkward after my admission, he lowered his mouth until it was an inch away. “I never stopped thinking about you.”

And then his lips were on mine. But his kiss was different. Before, we’d been all hot hands and hormones, but there was no rush now. He savored me. Like I was a fine wine he’d been longing to sample.

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