Merciless (Option Zero 1)

“Loud thoughts for this early in the morning.”

She turned her head slightly and looked up at him. His eyes were half closed, his sensual mouth slightly turned up. It would take a stronger woman than she to resist the temptation. Stretching slightly, she pressed a soft kiss on his mouth. “Good morning. I didn’t mean to wake you.”

“You didn’t. I’ve been awake for a while.”

“Feel better?”

“Some.” Startling her, he rolled on top of her and slid into her with one smooth move. “That’s much better.”

Her brain might have had questions about what was next for them, but her body had no such problem. She was slick and ready for him, the man she loved and adored with all her heart.

> Wrapping her legs around his hips, she looked up at him. “What now?”

“Now we show each other that, no matter what, we are one.”

“Ash,” she whispered, “I love you.”

Tears poured from her eyes and Ash wiped them away. “And I love you. I didn’t realize how much until I thought you betrayed me.”

“I’m so—”

He pressed his fingers to her lips. “No more apologizing. We’re on the same page now. That’s all that matters.”

Her heart so full it could burst, Jules pulled his head down and kissed him, showing him the love she’d held in her heart for so long.

They made love the way it was meant to be made, their bodies moving as one. One heart, one mind, one body.

* * *

“If you ever decide you don’t want to be an OZ operative, you could open up a pancake house and make millions.” Ash said this as he shoveled another giant forkful of pancakes into his mouth.

Beaming, Jules glowed with happiness. If he had wondered what all the secrets she was keeping from him had been doing to her, her expression answered his question. Never had he seen her so relaxed and at peace.

When he’d arrived on her doorstep, none of this had been on his agenda. He’d wanted to make sure she was okay, and then he’d wanted answers and explanations. All of that had changed when he’d seen her face. If there had been anyone who felt more miserable than he had, it was Jules. And in that moment, he had wanted nothing more than to make her stop hurting.

This strong, beautiful, vulnerable, incredible woman with a mountain of secrets and a spine of steel had captured his heart. Seeing her in pain was something he could not abide.

Love had happened quickly this time. With Meg, it had grown through the years, first with friendship and then love. Back then, they’d had everything in common, and it had worked. But after Colombia and Syria, nothing had been right. Meg had still been the same person. She’d had every right to expect Ash to be the same, too. But he hadn’t been.

In Jules, Ash recognized a soul mate—the other part of him. The hurt she’d suffered matched his own, and his soul reached out for her. He wasn’t much into woo-woo stuff, but his feelings for Jules were about as magical and mystical as he’d ever gotten.

“You want more pancakes?”

Ash shook his head. “Twelve’s my limit.”

“When’s the last time you ate?”

He shrugged. “I actually don’t know.”

Looking down at her half-eaten pancake, she sighed. “Guess you had other things on your mind.”

The mood had shifted from light to dark in seconds. As much as he’d like to continue talking lighthearted gibberish, he couldn’t. They still had a ton of things to get through. Their connection had been reestablished, and their foundation was firm. They would start from there.

Grabbing her hand, Ash pulled her with him into the den. Settling on the sofa, he tugged until she sat down beside him. “Let’s get it all out in the open, the good and the bad.”

“Ask me anything.”

“Maybe you could just start from the beginning.”