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She wasn’t sleeping. Gunnar knew that. She’d just ridden in the back of the armored limo, sitting next to him. Watching him. There had always been something about that woman’s eyes that had struck him as…powerful. Maybe because he’d always thought she’d been one of the few people on the planet now who actually saw him. From that first day in Shelby’s front yard, Powell had seen him. Good and bad.

She’d thought it was mostly bad.

He’d thought she was fascinating. From the moment he had met her, he’d thought she was fascinating. That hadn’t changed in the months since.

Finally, they were at the Barratts’ mansion. She didn’t say a word.

Gunnar said a few things to Melody when she asked how Heather and Hope were doing. But it was small talk. He was ready to get away from people. And be with her.

He walked Powell to her suite. They still hadn’t said a word to each other. He was almost certain she was going to tell him good night at her door and then leave him standing in the hall, aching for her. Like she had so many nights before.

She turned to him. Right there. He was certain that was exactly what was about to happen.

“Will you hold me tonight?”

Her words were so quiet, so low, he almost missed them. She looked up at him, those eyes of hers looking right through him. Asking him the most important question of his life.

“I’ll hold you every night for the rest of my life. All you have to do is let me.” That was what he wanted more than anything else in the world right now. Forever.

He wanted to hold her. No matter the worlds they lived in, Gunnar felt like he belonged whenever he was touching her. Like he had a place where he mattered.

Powell was his place.

It was time he openly admitted that.

He wanted to scoop her into his arms. He loved lifting that woman off her feet and showing her how much she mattered to him. Whenever she’d let him.

She hadn’t let him nearly enough for him.

But tonight, he sensed that was the exact thing she needed.

Then he was in her suite.

Gunnar crossed his arms over his chest and waited.

Powell turned to him. And then he barely got his arms open in time to catch her. Hers went around his neck. Gunnar lifted her. “It’ll be okay. It’ll be okay.”

“None of this really makes any sense.”

“I’m going to make it. I promise. I’ll find the answers. Find this bastard. And then everything will make sense, and we can get on with our lives. Together.” Gunnar just held her close.

Her lips were the first to touch his. Then he was kissing her. The way he’d wanted to for so long.

They held each other, showed each other, exactly what they meant to each other. All night long.