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With trembling fingers, he opened the box. The ring was stunning in its simplicity—a single diamond that caught the light like his missing earring used to do, set in a band of white gold that twisted like infinity.
“I can’t promise you an easy life,” he continued. “But I can promise you all of me. Every scar, every mission, every dream I never let myself have before you. Will you marry me?”
Tears spilled down her cheeks as she sank to her knees in front of him, uncaring of anything but being on his level for this moment.
“Yes,” she whispered. Then louder, “Yes!”
His hands shook slightly as he slipped the ring onto her finger. Then he pulled her close, kissing her with all the passion and tenderness that had made her fall in love with him.
They were both crying now, holding each other on the floor of her office, neither wanting to move.
“I love you,” she breathed against his lips.
His answering smile was like the sun breaking through storm clouds. “And I love you, my Petal. Always have. Always will.”
In that moment, all the complications—her sister, his dangerous life, the wounds, both physical and emotional, they still carried—none of it mattered.
They had found their way home.
Together…
Chapter Twenty-Four
Three months later
The crunch of tires on gravel brought Sasha’s head up from her laptop. Through the wall of windows overlooking the Colorado mountains, she watched Gregorio’s black SUV wind its way up their private drive, early morning sunlight glinting off the bulletproof glass.
Their compromise of a home—a high-security estate set on twenty private acres outside of Evergreen—had seemed excessive when they’d first found it. But now she understood why Gregorio had insisted on the security features and isolation. Here, he could relax his guard, at least marginally. And she had enough space to work from home most days, heading into the Denver office when cases demanded it or for meetings.
She’d formed an alliance with Hawkeye Security to handle some of their smaller cases. As a result, she’d hired another three investigators. Nadia was doing an excellent job managing all the day-to-day details, allowing Sasha to make sales calls, concentrating most of her efforts on growing the business.
The front door opened, and his presence filled the house. Even after months together, her pulse still quickened at the sound of his boots on the hardwood floors. Some things would never change.
“You’re back early,” she called out, not turning from her computer. The faster she finished this report, the sooner she could focus on him.
“Had Wolfe cover the rest of my shift.” His voice was closer now, rough with exhaustion. “Damien’s handling the expansion details.”
Then his hands settled on her shoulders, strong and possessive. “You’re working too hard, Petal.”
She leaned back into his touch. “Says the man who just pulled a double at the Den.”
“Mmm.” He bent to press a kiss to her neck, right where it made her shiver. “But I’m not the one who spent yesterday chasing a bail jumper across three counties.”
“I was perfectly safe. Stryker had my back.”
His grip tightened fractionally. They’d had this discussion before—her insistence on keeping some fieldwork, his instinct to protect her. They were still finding the balance.
“Besides,” she added, tilting her head to give him better access, “you’ve been busy with that Hawkeye mission in Vegas.”
He made a noncommittal sound against her skin. They both knew there were parts of his work he couldn’t talk about, even with her. But he’d cut back on the most dangerous assignments, splitting his time between the Den and Hawkeye’s local operations. It wasn’t perfect, but it was working.
“Shower with me?” he asked, though it wasn’t really a question. His thumbs worked into the knots at the base of her neck, and she melted further into his touch.
“Let me just send this to the client—”
“It can wait.” There was that edge of command in his voice that still made her stomach flip. “If my guess is right, you’ve been at it since dawn.”
She started to protest, but he spun her chair around to face him. The sight of him—still in a black leather jacket, fresh scruff darkening his jaw—made the words die in her throat. His diamond earring caught the light as he studied her.