To Have A Heart (A New Adventure Begins - Star Elite 7)

“How could I regret wanting a future? Did you when you had been kidnapped?”

“Of course not, but you almost died just now. I don’t want you to look at your survival as a second chance or anything. Don’t make any hasty decisions about your future, or do something, or say something, that you are likely to regret later.”

Callum lifted his brows. “Now you sound like me.”

Mallory grinned at him. “I have been accused of worse.”

Callum gathered her closer once again. This time, he rested his cheek against her hair and simply held her.

“I have never been a particularly affectionate man,” he began.

“No?” Mallory’s lips quirked as she looked down at just how close they were.

“Before you, that is,” he added. “With you, I am. I want to hold you. I want to be with you. Being like this, here, now, is enjoying life. It doesn’t have to be complicated. It can be healing, peaceful, calming even. In a world which challenges us every day, a simple hug from someone who means the world to you can be so incredibly healing that words are impossible to describe it.”

Mallory knew what he meant. She knew he understood more than anybody what she had been through, mostly because she had faced some of her ordeal with him. He had seen the brutality of her kidnappers and had witnessed just how trapped she had been. Still, he hadn’t judged her, or questioned her strengths or capabilities. Instead, he had offered her encouragement, quiet support, and guidance along the way while he had helped her escape.

“Thank you, by the way,” he murmured.

“What for? I haven’t done anything.”

“You are very inventive with weapons, you know,” Callum added. “I would never have thought of using a sheet to cover their heads like that.”

“No, because you are used to having guns to help you.”

“And knives.”

Mallory looked ruefully up at him. “You love this life, don’t you?”

Mallory couldn’t think of anything worse.

“I thought I did,” Callum replied honestly.

“Falling out of the window has made you question if it is all worth it?”

“No. Falling out of the window has made me realise that I love something far more than the Star Elite.”

The more Callum contemplated what he did truly love the more he knew it was the absolute truth. He refused to shy away from it, deny it, or ignore it. He wanted to acknowledge it because he knew it was an essential part of forming his future; his happiness; his life.

“Life.” It wasn’t a guess.

“You,” Callum replied honestly. “I love you, Mallory. I know you are going to deny it or think I have just taken a hit to the head that was too heavy, but I know what I am doing, and saying. It is the truth. I love you.”

Mallory began to cry again. “Are you sure?”

“Of course I am sure. How could you doubt it?” Callum asked with a slight frown.

“Because we have barely been alone together since we met. When we have been together, we have been chased, shot at, threatened, and running away from people. It has hardly been a normal courtship, has it? I mean, I know you work for the Star Elite and everything but there has to be some normality in your life, don’t you think?”

Callum leaned back to look down at her. “Do you want a proper courtship?”

“Well, I don’t really see the purpose now. I mean, we know each other, don’t we?”

“We know enough. There are people who begin marriages and don’t know as much about each other as we do. In

fact, there are people who have been married for many years and haven’t faced as many challenges as we have. We have gotten through them, haven’t we?”

“We wouldn’t be here now if we hadn’t, would we?”