Page 60 of Tell Me Your Desires

Jaime may have been hopped up on morphine, but the realization of what Anya was saying hit her like a ton of bricks. She carefully lay her head back, praying the disappointment she felt wouldn’t show in her eyes. “Y-you’re working with your ex.”

“Partner. Yes.” Anya cleared her throat. “Kate gave me access to all the files and resources I needed. Twenty-four hours before her team came in. We were up most of the night going over every single detail of the cases Max found and ours.”

Jaime’s stomach dropped. While she hoped it was the morphine making her feel sick, she knew it wasn’t. Anya hadn’t been here when she woke up…because she was with her ex-lover instead. That knowledge felt like a punch straight to the face. “R-right.”

Anya felt Jaime’s hand go limp in hers. As she reached over and cupped Jaime’s face, she noted the despair. “Why do you torture yourself like that, baby? Why do you villainize me so easily?”

“I-I’m not villainizing you.”

“If you think I could be with Kate while you’re fighting for your life, then you are.

Do you really think I would go back to her after what she did to me?

” Anya looked pointedly at Jaime. “But most importantly, do you think I would be here right now, holding your hand and kissing you, or telling you that you didn’t fuck things up with me… after just being with her?”

Jaime swallowed as she brought her hand up and placed it against Anya’s. “I’m sorry.”

Anya nodded. “You’re the second person to say those words to me. Hopefully they’re not just words.” She bent down and kissed Jaime carefully on the lips. “Because I’m going to need you to trust me, Jaime.”

“I do,” Jaime whispered against Anya’s lips. “Of course I trust you.”

“No, I mean, really trust me.” Anya pulled back enough to look into Jaime’s eyes. “I need you to remember who I am. That I’m not some damsel in need of a savior. I am the savior.”

“You know who it is, don’t you? And you’re going to go after him.” Jaime squeezed her eyes shut, her nostrils flaring. “Anya, give it to the fucking feds. Let them—”

“Jaime?” Anya cut her off suddenly. “I’m asking you to trust me. Yes, I know who it is, but there’s more. I need a confession.” Anya didn’t mention that the confession she needed was about Taylor. “Please?”

“This is bad.” Jaime’s heart rate began to spike when she imagined Anya alone with the killer.

Still, she did have to trust that Anya knew what she was doing.

Without trust, what the hell were they doing together?

“I trust the fuck out of you, babe. I don’t trust your ex-partner to keep you safe, though.

Let them beat the fucking confession out of him! ”

Anya eyed the machine that monitored Jaime’s heart rate. “The nurses are going to come in here thinking we’re doing something kinky if you don’t calm down.”

Jaime couldn’t help but laugh. God, she wished they were doing something kinky instead of her being stuck in a hospital bed while Anya was discussing putting herself in a potentially dangerous situation. “Ow! Shit! Don’t make me laugh, woman. Especially when I’m trying to be upset with you.”

“Why would you be upset with me? You are the master of hairbrained ideas. I’m just following your lead.

” Anya sat back down. She wasn’t quite finished explaining.

“My other concern is that if I leave it up to the authorities and they find any videos of a certain detective naked and chained up, those go into evidence. But if I get to them first, they get erased.”

Jaime didn’t care what they found. Anya was worth far more than Jaime’s career. “Let them find them. I don’t give a fuck. I only care about you.”

“Then trust that I know what I’m doing, Jaime.

I was an agent for fifteen years. Give me some credit.

And if you’re worried about Kate, then I’ll make you a deal.

I’ll take Max along as my backup.” The least she could do was take Max along with her.

“He’s the one who caught the link to these cold cases, so he deserves to be there.

But you? I swear, Jaime Baros, if you even think about getting out of this bed to do something stupid, you will fuck things up with me. Do we understand each other?”

A slow smile spread on Jaime’s mouth. God, this woman was the sexiest woman Jaime had ever had the pleasure of knowing. “Yes, Lady A. You’re pretty fucking hot when you’re bossy.”

Anya rolled her eyes and chuckled. “And you’re a weirdo.”

“Yeah. Can’t argue with that.” Determined to know something about what was going on, Jaime decided to chance her luck one last time. “Are you gonna tell me who the dipshit is? And what the plan is?”

“No, I don’t think I will. And don’t pout.” Anya tapped Jaime’s lips with a fingertip. “I don’t trust you not to do something stupid like sneak out of the hospital and show up.”

Jaime’s brows drew together. “H-hang on! I have to trust you, but you don’t trust me?”

“Would you trust yourself?” Anya countered.

“Let’s say I’ve been gone for three hours.

You haven’t heard anything. No one is keeping you updated on the situation because you’re supposed to be resting and recovering.

But you’re antsy because you think I’m in over my head.

” Even though Jaime wasn’t showing it, Anya knew Jaime agreed.

She didn’t know how to sit still. Not at all.

“But, hey! I told you where all of this was going down, so all you have to do is show up to make sure everything is hunky-dory or save the day. So, you slip past the nurses—that would piss Zoe off—and make your way to where I am. Meanwhile, you’re in pain, in a hospital gown, probably tearing open some sutures, and now I’m worried about you instead of focused on my mission. ”

Jaime slowly sank down into the bed. “Yeah, I wouldn’t tell me either.”

“Right?”

“And who the hell is Zoe?” Jaime blinked repeatedly, her brain just about ready to explode.

It had been a long day, and she’d only been awake for an hour…

at the most. She stared at Anya, a soft smile curling on her lips when Jaime realised that really, none of it mattered.

She got to call this woman hers, and that was the most important thing in the world to Jaime.

“Is this what it’s going to be like being in love with a psychiatrist? ”

“Forensic and criminal psychol—” Anya paused. Had she heard Jaime right? “What did you just say?”

“You heard me, Doc. Are you going to win every argument we ever have?”

Anya was stunned. Of course, Jaime didn’t repeat what she’d said, but Anya was quickly coming to realize that when it came to Jaime Baros, words wouldn’t come easy or often. But when they were said, they would be from the heart.

“Yes, probably.” Anya’s phone chimed. “The team is here and ready.” She sighed as she stood up, discreetly pressing the call button. “I’m going to grab Max and fill him in.”

Jaime gritted her teeth. “It should be me out there with you. It should be me…”

“Hey. It’s because of you that we know who it is.” Anya bent over the railing of the bed and kissed Jaime, lingering as she gazed into her eyes. “You put yourself in danger for me. It’s my turn to return the favor.”

The door opened suddenly. “Oh! I’m sorry to interrupt! You must’ve hit the call button by accident.”

“No, Zoe, come in.” Anya smoothed her thumb over Jaime’s lips. “I need you to do me a favor, please.”

“Sure!”

“Watch this one carefully. I have to do something she considers dangerous, so she’s going to be worried. Make sure she stays in that bed.”

Zoe saluted. “On it!”

Anya looked at Jaime. “Try to rest.”

“I-I did what you asked,” Jaime said, her voice breaking. “You said I couldn’t make you fall for me and then leave you. Y-you asked me to give us more time.” Fighting back her emotions, Jaime swallowed and pinned Anya with her stare. “Now I’m asking you the same thing.”

“Jaime.”

“You can’t make me fall for you and then leave me, Anya. We still need more time. Please?”

Anya feathered her fingertips across Jaime’s cheek and smiled. “I will be back, Jaime. We’ll get our time.”

Anya walked away before she crumbled, smiling to herself as she closed the door and heard Jaime say, “So, you’re Zoe.”