Page 82 of Fatal Intent

“How do you feel?”

“Can’t you tell, Rayne? I love you down to the depths of my soul. You are the woman I want to be with the rest of my life, the woman I want to raise a family with, the one I want to grow old with until all we can do is rock on the porch and watch the world go by as we hold hands. You are the only one for me. The question is, can you live with that?”

Joy exploded inside Rayne. Live with it? She wanted to dance in the street and shout the news to the entire world. “Can you live with the fact that I love you? You’re the man I want to build a life with, the one who’s filled my dreams sincethe moment I met you. You’re the man I want to share my life with and build a family with. Oh, I also want a dog. That’s nonnegotiable.”

He laughed. “I love dogs.”

“Excellent. Sounds like we’re a perfect match.” Rayne wrapped her arms around his neck. “So, when are we getting married?”

He stared at her for a moment, then a blinding smile curved his mouth. “Say the word, and we’ll go for it.”

“Does it matter if we have a big wedding or a small one?”

“As long as you’re my wife at the end of the ceremony, I don’t care how much pomp and circumstance you want.”

Rayne wrinkled her nose. “How about none? I want a tiny, private wedding with our teammates and a few friends from Fortress. That’s all.”

“Deal. Church or courthouse?”

“Courthouse. We’ll have a party afterward in our backyard.”

“Perfect. Whenever you want, we’ll do it. As soon as we finish this mission, we’ll nail down a date.”

“You really don’t mind having a courthouse wedding with a party afterward?”

He tugged her against his chest. “As long as you’re mine, I don’t care how we get there. Since I’m not a fan of tuxes, I am more than okay with this plan.”

She stood on her tiptoes to kiss him, then eased back. “What’s next?”

“Back to the agenda, knocking down the names on our list so we don’t look like slackers when Riley and Andre report on their names.” Grant sobered. “After that, we’ll face the wrath and disdain of the Bowen clan.”

“Your family may be surprised at our response to their attitudes.”

“Won’t help,” he murmured as he nudged her toward the French door. “Their minds are made up.”

“At least they’ll know we value you and your skills, Grant. We have your back.” If the Bowens thought they could disrespect Grant and not get called on it, they were dead wrong.

She twisted the knob and stepped into the suite with Grant on her heels.

Andre and Riley paused in their work. “Everything all right?” Andre asked, his gaze locked on Grant’s face.

The answer was a brief nod. Once Grant and Rayne returned to their seats on the couch, the operatives resumed their work.

Near the time for them to leave, Riley and Rayne returned to their room to change clothes while Andre and Grant finished the summary documents for their list of names.

Riley tossed her brush back into her bag and turned to face Rayne. “Spill.”

She froze. “About what?”

“Something is up between you and Grant. I can see it all over your face. Since Violet isn’t here to dog you, it’s my job to find out what’s going on and help if I can.”

“You’re so sure something is wrong?”

The computer whiz frowned slightly. “Maybe not, but I know something has changed. Please don’t keep me in suspense.”

“If I tell you, keep it to yourself. No sharing yet.”

Riley’s eyes sparkled. “I promise. Now, spill the news.”