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They held each other tightly as they lay pressed together on the couch. Jo shifted to make sure that every inch of her body was covered by Cam, and she blinked hard to prevent her tears from falling.

She’d wanted Cam since she was fifteen years old, way before she understood what that entailed. A tear must have escaped because Cam lifted his head and stared down at her.

“What’s wrong, Jo?”he asked softly, swiping his finger over her cheek to catch the tears. “Why are you crying?”

She blinked several times. “Bodyguards don’t cry,” she said with a sob.

Cam’s mouth curled into a smile. “Okay, then why are you not crying?”

She cupped his face in her hands and opened her eyes. Focused on his face. “I’ve wanted this for so long,” she said. “Wantedyousince high school. And I never thought it would happen. You’ve been the big regret of my life.” She swallowed the lump of tears in her throat.

“And here we are on my couch,” he said, inhaling her scent and storing it in his memory. “Just like we might have been fifteen years ago -- having sex on my parents’ or your parents’ couch.”

She managed a watery laugh. “Hey, at least we didn’t have to sneak off in your truck.”

“That truck has a bench seat in the back,” he said. “Perfect for parking somewhere.”

“Instead of that, maybe we can aim for a bed next time.” She combed her fingers through Cam’s hair, lifted to press a kiss to his mouth. “Because I definitely want a repeat performance.”

“Let me get rid of this condom, then we can try again.”

“Really?” She lifted up on her elbows to watch as he removed the used condom and slid off the couch. “Already?”

He crouched beside her on the floor. “You’re not the only one who’s waited a very long time for this. After fifteen years? I can’t believe you think we’re done for the night.”

Jo cupped his cheek in her palm. “I like the sound of that, Cam Pierce.”

“I hope so, because we have a lot of years to make up for,” he said as he rose to stand. “I’ll be right back. Don’t go anywhere.”

Jo drew in a shuddering breath. “Nowhere else I’d rather be,” she murmured.

He smoothed his hand over her hair. “Me, too, Jo. Me, too.”

When Cam returned a couple minutes later, he took both her hands and drew her off the couch. “We have another bed,” he said. “The twin in your room. Crowded, but hey, I want to be as close to you as possible.”

He bent to pick up their clothes, and she grabbed both of her guns and their holsters. They tiptoed down the hall, giggling like kids, and crept into her room.

As they moved together, Jo wanted to hold this moment close to her heart. Wanted to savor every thrust, every tiny cry, every groan. She loved the way Cam curled his palm around her ass. Held her as if she were precious. Treasured. She never wanted this evening to end.

By the time dawn was breaking outside her bedroom window, they’d made love three more times. Cam sat up in bed, touching her swollen lips. “I need to get back to my room, in case Fiona wakes up and comes looking for me.”

Jo sat up beside him and pressed a kiss to his mouth. “I know.” She cupped his cheek in her palm. “I’m looking forward to lunch tomorrow. We’ll have the house to ourselves. I can make as much noise as I want, and so can you, as long as the windows are closed. And since it’s the middle of winter, I don’t think we have to worry about open windows.”

Cam crouched beside her bed. “I wish I was sleeping curled around you, Jo. I want to wake up with you in the morning. Shower together. Get ready for work together.”

“Yeah, me, too,” she said. “But even if Fiona was sleeping in her own bed, we couldn’t sleep in the same bed. In case she came looking for you.” She stood up and wrapped her arms around him, pressing against his body. “Go and keep your daughter company. I’ll see you in the morning.”

“In the morning,” he promised, kissing her again.

Her mouth clung to his, until finally she eased away. “Go, Cam, before I try to convince you to stay,” she whispered.

He nodded. Touched her face. “See you in the morning.”

He padded silently out of the room and down the hall to his room. She waited until he’d opened his bedroom door, then sat down on the bed.

What the hell had she done? After making love with him, how was she going to walk away from Cam after this job was over?

She drew a deep, shuddering breath and crawled into bed. But instead of sleeping, she stared at the blinds and watched the world lighten as the sun came up.