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“Go home. Make sure your families are safe.”
“If you need us, we better get a phone call.”
If Seth was forced to call his brothers for backup, he and the rest of the infiltration team were toast.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
AFTER HIS BROTHERSdrove away, Seth shut the door and locked it. He leaned against the flat surface, giving himself time for the stress to bleed off. Feeling sick at heart and his gut tied in a knot were the reasons he’d walked away from undercover assignments. He was a protector at heart and everything in him rejected the necessity of lying to his family and, in the process, hurting them.
“Are you all right?” Teagan asked from the entrance of the living room.
He shook his head. Man, this hurt so much he had trouble drawing in a full breath.
Teagan crossed the space between them and wrapped her arms around Seth. “I’m sorry,” she murmured. “Once this op is finished, we’ll tell them the truth. They’re your family, Seth. It’s obvious they love you. They’ll understand you were doing everything necessary to protect them and their families and your parents. Although it doesn’t help now, you will save many innocent lives if we’re successful.”
A big if, that. What if they failed? His hard-earned career as a cop might be toast after this mission, especially if Seth failed to do what had been asked of him.
Seth tugged Teagan closer, rested his chin on top of her head, and soaked in the comfort she offered.We’ll tell them the truth.He liked Teagan including herself. She’d gone to bat for him withOliver and Sebastien. He’d never forget that she stood with him against the pressure from his family, staunchly defending him.
His brothers were wrong about her. Teagan belonged in their family. She fit perfectly. His sisters-in-law and his mother would fight tooth and nail to protect those they loved. While he couldn’t claim that Teagan loved him, she cared enough to challenge his brothers, and they were a force to be reckoned with any day.
After a few moments holding her in his arms, Seth eased back enough to cup her chin and lift Teagan’s face toward his. His mouth claimed hers in a long, deep kiss. Blood searing his veins, Seth’s pulse rate skyrocketed as he broke the kiss to grab a much-needed breath, then dove back in for more.
This was what he needed. Teagan. Seth’s life had been an empty vacuum before Teagan jogged into his world. Now, everything was vibrant because she was near. If that made him a sap, he’d gladly carry the moniker.
He lost track of anything except Teagan’s soft lips and honeyed taste until he heard Rayne puttering around in his kitchen. After a series of slow, gentle kisses to bring them down from the stratosphere, Seth gazed down at Teagan. “Thank you,” he murmured.
She blinked. “Isn’t that my line? That was some kiss, Detective.”
He trailed the back of his fingers down her cheek. “It rocked my world, but I wasn’t referring to the kiss. Thanks for standing up for me with my brothers.”
“We’re friends working toward more. I’ll always have your back, Seth.”
“We’re a long way from only being friends, Teagan. I think you know that.”
“It scares me,” she admitted.
“I know, sweetheart. To be honest, the intensity of what I’m feeling scares me too. I swear I’ll take this as slow as you need.”
“I have baggage.”
“Who doesn’t? We’ll unpack it together and burn everything. There’s no timetable, Teagan.” He grimaced. “I probably should have waited to pursue a relationship with you.”
“Why?”
“In a few hours, I’ll be dragging you on a mission straight out of your worst nightmares.”
“This time, I’m not a twelve-year-old girl. I’m a grown woman forged in the fires of life who now has skills and weapons to defend herself. I’m also an operative protecting the man I’m crazy about. You’ll have to deal with it.”
Seth stilled. Now he struggled to breathe for an entirely different reason. “Good thing you’re crazy about me, since I’m crazy about you.”
“Where do we go from here?”
“Forward, one step at a time.” He stepped back from Teagan and clasped her hand. “Come on. I’ll walk you to your room.”
Once Seth escorted Teagan to the guest room, he left her at the bedroom door with a gentle kiss. “Sleep well, sweetheart. I’ll see you in a few hours.” Once she closed the door, he crossed the hall to the main bedroom and shut himself inside.
Because he’d promised his brothers, Seth grabbed his phone and sent a message to his parents.I’m fine. Everything will work out. I love you.Simple, but he hoped effective enough to reduce some of the stress they were experiencing. When this was over, he’d sit down with his entire family and explain everything. He’d also introduce Teagan to them. If Seth had anything to say about it, she would be part of his life for decades to come.