“How so?” Her breath skates across my neck as she leans into me, tossing a leg over the bike and taking her place at my back.
“I’ll take you to my apartment and spend the day making love to you instead.”
Her hands tighten on my stomach, and her chin is on the top of my shoulder. “I like that plan, too.”
It’s a warm purr at my ear, and heat rushes below my belt. Fuck me, I have to focus on how much she’s going to love that tiny bookstore, or I will seriously do it. Hell, we have time for everything. If I can convince her to give us another chance, we’ll have all the time in the world.
“Tomorrow,” I say, turning my head to capture her lips once more. “You’re staying with me tonight.”
She drops her chin so that her cheek is against my back. “But I didn’t pack anything. I don’t have a toothbrush—”
“I’ll buy you whatever you need.” My tone is final.
Her hands tighten around my waist, and I love the feel of her body pressed against my back. I’ll do everything in my power not to lose her again. A sharp roar, and we’re off, headed for the ocean and our favorite place.
It isn’t long before we’re walking on the beach, holding hands. Our fingers are entwined, and our palms press together. I glance over at her and smile. She’s swept her hair up in an adorable bun, and she’s stepping lightly, keeping closer to the edge of the water, while I’m up on the softer sand, dodging shells and driftwood.
“So!” She’s more animated today, and I swear she seems as happy as I am we’ve found each other. “Tell me your favorite thing about being a member of the king’s elite guard.”
“Good question,” I say, smiling at the way she says my title, punctuating the words like they’re very important syllables. I suppose they are.
“You do love it, don’t you?” Her brow lines, and I can onl
y imagine what her eyes are saying behind those Jackie O shades.
“I do,” I nod. “But you asked my favorite part. That’s more precise.”
“You’re as serious as you ever were,” she grins, looking out at the ocean. “You’re allowed to change your answer later.”
Pulling her hand up, I kiss the back of it. “I only ever want to be completely honest with you.”
Her smile dims slightly, and I wonder why. Has someone lied to you, my Kass? She’s hinted at bad things happening in those years we were apart. I want to know what happened. I want to help her repair the damage.
In the meantime, I’ll answer her question. “The strategy of tracking and finding the bad guys.”
She lifts her chin, making a little impressed face. “Please elaborate, Mr. Hunt.”
Stopping short, I pull her to me for a kiss. “You’re adorable.”
Straight white teeth appear as she smiles, and she places her palm on my cheek, touching my mouth with the pad of her thumb. “You’re distracted.” With a skip back, she pulls me to start walking again. “Tell me about your strategy!”
I think about my most recent job. “Last year, when we were tracking a kidnapper and trying to find where they were hiding, we searched manifests, satellite imagery, even security cameras piecing together the trail. We put together piece after piece until we found what we were looking for.”
A little nod, and her expression is focused, listening closely. “It sounds interesting.”
“It’s definitely more interesting than standing around watching the royals and pushing back paparazzi.”
Her cute nose wrinkles. “I don’t think I could do that.”
“It’s an important part of the job.”
She makes a little noise of disgust and shakes her head.
“Your turn,” I say, pulling her arm gently. “What did you do in America?”
Her smile falters at my question, but she recovers quickly. I make another mental note.
“I worked in shipping,” she says, looking up. “You know, logistics, importing and exporting… Pretty boring compared to what you do.”