Page 244 of The Billion Heirs Boxed Set

“Well, you worked pretty hard last night.” I open the door and melt into his arms. God, how can I walk away from this? From him? Again?

He kisses the top of my head. “Not nearly hard enough.”

I look up at him, gaze into those gorgeous baby blues. “I have to go.”

“You’re never leaving this room.” He smiles.

If only…

“I have to. Jarvis and I are going back to Phoenix. We have to file our official reports by the end of the day and then go through debriefing, which is scheduled for tomorrow morning. I already have a flight booked for eleven. I have to get to Billings.”

I feel his muscles go taut. His fingers grip me a little more firmly.

“Cancel it.”

Oh, how I wish. “This is my job, Chance.”

“I get that. But cancel the flight, and I’ll fly you back later tonight on the company’s plane.”

I shake my head. “I can’t. I’m sorry.”

He cups my cheek. “Can you at least have some breakfast?”

“I suppose.” I offer a smile. “I wish things were different.”

“We’ll make it work this time.” He thumbs the apple of my cheek. “There’s no Jonathan Bridger to fuck things up. Just you and me and our life together.”

“I live in Phoenix. My job is in Phoenix.”

My son. My son is in Phoenix.

He offers a shrug. “So you’ll get a transfer. Any field office would kill to have a superb agent like you.”

“My mom’s in Phoenix.”

“We’ll move her up here. I’ll help her find a place. I’ll—”

I silence him the only way I can think of in the moment. I pull his head toward me and crush our mouths together.

As our tongues tangle and entwine, I wish for a split second that the years could wash away. That we were back in that spring, making love for the first time, knowing that we’d always be together.

But fifteen years can’t be erased, and though that day brought me unbearable pain, it also brought me the brightest light in my life.

Grady.

I break the kiss.

“Chance…”

He nibbles at my earlobe. “Yeah?”

“I need…”

“What? What do you need?”

I sigh. “I need you. You.”

“You have me, kitten. For as long as you want me.”