Page 80 of Faith
Zeke leaned down and scooped up Gene. He held the cat like a baby and rubbed his belly. “Yeah. I don’t know why. He seems to like the water.”
“I always thought cats hated water.”
Zeke nodded. “Not this one. Franklin will howl like he’s being murdered if you get water on him.”
Nina looked around, spotting Franklin on the back of the couch. She walked over and rubbed his head, getting a nuzzle for her efforts. “I think this is a pretty perfect day. Cats and you.”
His heart squeezed. He wanted the same. Forever. “I’ll make popcorn. You find something to watch.”
“Is he dead?”Gwendolyn asked Fernando when he walked into the room she was using as an office. It sucked, but she had no choice.
Fernando nodded. “Yes. Did exactly what he was supposed to do.”
“Good. I can’t risk someone else telling the FBI anything.”
“Do you think she’ll take the bait?” Fernando asked.
Gwendolyn knew it was a risk to send ‘Robert’ to see Nina. When she heard Nina and Frannie were at the coffeeshop, Gwendolyn wanted to go herself. It was obviously a trap, but it was a damn good one. “I wouldn’t have taken the risk and sent him if I thought she wouldn’t.”
Fernando nodded. “Do we need to do anything?”
Gwendolyn grinned. “Get her room ready. She won’t get away again.”
Nina could barely stayon her side of the couch by the time Zeke made dinner and they started season three of a show she’d never heard of but was absolutely in love with. But no matter how good the show was, she was entirely focused on Zeke. Every touch on her thigh, every glance he thought she didn’t see, every shift of his body to draw him closer to her.
She wasn’t lying when she said she wanted him. Resisting him was a challenge for her, and having him right there, his scent wrapping around her and his heat burning into her, she was failing at keeping her mind on the movie instead of how good he felt with his tongue on her body and his dick in her mouth.
“Do you need anything?” Zeke asked, grabbing his glass and standing.
“You.”
Zeke stopped for half a second, then continued to the kitchen. He refilled his glass, then returned to the couch. His hand went to her thigh again, keeping her close. “I’ve never been in a relationship.”
Nina looked over at him. He was staring at the TV, but what he was telling her was important.
“I dated a few girls in high school and before the military, but I was always waiting.” He cut himself off.
“What were you waiting for?” she whispered.
“You.”
He met her gaze, and her breath stopped.
“I wanted you, Nina. I was so gone for you, I couldn’t bring myself to get involved with anyone else. Not seriously. A night or two, and I would stop calling. I always felt like I was cheating onyou, even though you had no idea. When you left… I never shook that feeling.”
“Zeke.”
“I need you to understand that when you say you want me, it’s a fantasy I’ve had for most of my life. But I don’t know what Montgomery is going to say. I never told him. All he knows is I’ve never been able to commit to a woman. He’s going to tell you to stay away from me.”
“I won’t listen.”
Zeke squeezed her thigh. “You might, but either way, I want you to hear all of this from me. I want you to know why I’ve never committed to anyone else. It’s always been you. But I can’t promise I’ll always do the right thing. I can’t tell you I know what the right thing is. What I do know is I will do whatever it takes to keep you safe, whether you want me the same way or not. You are important to me, Nina. You are the most important person to me. Sitting in that van today and listening to all of that…”
Nina swallowed and waited for Zeke to reject her. For him to tell her it was too much and no matter what he felt for her before, it all changed after that.
“Listening to all of that made me want to rush in there and tear that fucker to pieces with my bare hands.”
“What? He was telling the truth. He was telling you who I was.”
