Tinsel In A Tangle

Ugh, was this a sneak-preview as to how she’d spend her days after next week? Would she work crazy hours at some fancy job that didn’t excite her? All the while pining for a man who was off on fascinating escapades without her?

“Hell no,” she murmured.

The wheels in her brain finally turned fast enough to find a solution to this situation—a wonderful solution. A faint smile formed on her lips as she turned on her heel and went inside to find her laptop. She and Adam had a lot to talk about.

**As he

turned the car onto the lane of their rented cottage, Adam stuffed the expensive speeding ticket into the glove compartment. He’d been a little too anxious to get back, and the cop was unimpressed with true love as a reason to go 90 in a 45 mph zone. Stupid. But that’s what a few days without Jess did to him. Turned him reckless when his whole existence depended on being careful.

These two months had been the happiest time in his life. They never stopped talking, never stopped laughing. They teased and challenged each other. They made love all night long.

She couldn’t seriously think it was ending next week, could she?

As he put the car into park, Jess rushed out the front door and beamed at him. He felt the answering smile bloom over his face, accompanied by a sharp twist in his chest. Suddenly, the answer was as clear and obvious as the day was long: He was going to convince her to come with him. Sure, she wanted a new job, but maybe she could start her own business. One that would allow for a lot of flexibility and travel.

He climbed out of the car and Jess threw herself into his arms, almost before he had them open. For a long moment he didn’t speak. He just held her tightly against him, breathed in the lilac and vanilla scents of her hair, and savored the feeling of coming home.

When she finally pulled back to look him in the eyes, she said, “Adam, I’ve been thinking.”

Her tone had all the gravity of a serious announcement, and his stomach sank. Had she decided on one of the jobs? She swallowed and opened her mouth to continue.

No. Not until he said his piece first. “I love you,” he blurted.

Jess blinked and jerked backward. “I love you too,” she whispered.

Adam drew a shaky breath. “I know we haven’t talked about staying together, but I want to. Being apart isn’t right for either of us. Let’s figure out a way to live our lives together.”

Jess’s eyes filled until they overflowed. Wiping them away, she sniffled a bit, but her voice was strong and teasing. “Way ahead of you.”

She grabbed his arm and pulled him inside to the kitchen where her laptop beeped and hummed and displayed lines of code. He squinted at the screen. “What are you doing?”

“Creating some new identities,” she said matter-of-factly. She gestured at the computer. “I’m trying to access some DMV databases at the moment. It’s tricky, but I’ll figure it out.”

Adam shook his head back and forth. “Huh?”

She pushed him backwards until he sank into a chair. Then she climbed into his lap and put her hands on his shoulders. “How about an actual partnership, Adam? I’ll be your literal partner-in-crime. I have a lot to learn, but I do come with formidable computer skills.”

He gripped her wrists, his hands tight like manacles. “No. Absolutely not.” Had she gone completely crazy while he was away?

She leaned down, pressed her lips to his in a soft kiss. “I’ll listen to you; I won’t be stupid like I was in Vegas.”

Unable to help himself, he deepened the kiss until they were both out of breath. He forced himself to break away. “I’m not worried about your capabilities, Jess. You’d be an amazing asset to anyone in this business. I thought so the first night we met.” He tipped up her chin, forced her to look in his eyes. “But your life...you want to throw it away to become a professional bad guy?”

She snorted. Loudly. “Is that how you see yourself? As a bad guy? I hate to break it to you, gorgeous, but you’re the best guy I know.” When he opened his mouth to protest, she laid a finger across his lips. “Yeah, yeah, so you break the law. So what? You never hurt anyone. Ever.”

Adam flushed and fell silent under her loving gaze. Well, shit. How exactly did they get here? She wanted them to become some sort of jewel-thieving couple? She wanted to travel the world with him, work with him every day on planning the jobs, and sleep with him every night? It was ridiculous. It was crazy.

It was absolutely fucking perfect.

Before she launched into a lengthy sales spiel, Adam stood up so quickly she would have fallen on the floor if he hadn’t looped his arm under her knees and picked her up.

He carried her into the bedroom. As he tossed her on the bed and began a slow, deliberate climb over her body, she asked, “So that’s a yes? To partners?”

Adam grinned down at her; a bubble of happiness pushing inside his chest so strong he felt like sunshine and streamers might burst out of his eyes. “It’s a yes. To partners in every way.”

* * * * *