Dean’s partners proved that their time in the military had not been forgotten—they were still able to follow orders like pros. She was ushered out of the office and into a vehicle before she had time to add please. In spite of her worries that they were going to miss Dean, she found herself chuckling in amusement as Jack worked it from behind the wheel while Parker called out maneuvers to get them through traffic and to the airport faster than Emma thought possible.
While they were playing Fast and Furious, she tried calling Dean again, but he still wasn’t answering his phone. But there were several missed calls from him on her phone, and she cursed herself for putting her cell on silent. It had been ringing off the hook after the news of Enzo’s arrest had broken, but if she’d just remembered to turn the ringer back on, she wouldn’t be in this mess right now.
“Don’t worry,” Parker assured her when she mentioned Dean’s radio silence. “There are some dead zones in the airport. We’ll track him down.”
Jack interrupted, disconnecting the headset he’d been using. “Didi gave me the lowdown on the next five flights leaving for New York. I’ll drop you near the most likely check-in.”
He pulled up to the curb, and Parker was out before the vehicle stopped rolling. Emma found herself being whisked along at high speeds as they looked for the American counter.
“What if he’s already through security?” she asked worriedly.
Parker answered with a grin, pointing down the long foyer. “What if he’s not?”
Emma turned her attention to the long, snaking line leading into security as a piercing whistle rang from beside her. Everyone in the lineup, plus some spare guards at a nearby check-in desk, all turned in their direction. Everyone, including the most devastatingly handsome man with a pair of dark gray eyes that locked on hers. His shock of dark hair stood in a tangled mess as if he’d just finished dragging his fingers through it.
An instant later Dean had ducked under the guidance rope and was sprinting toward them, closing the distance in seconds. Parker stepped aside far enough that Dean swept in, picking Emma up and twirling them both in a circle as she clung to him.
His face was buried against her neck, his hands gripping her tightly. “God, Em. What the hell are you doing here?”
She patted his head, grinning over his shoulder at Parker, who seemed to think the entire situation was extremely entertaining.
She couldn’t resist teasing. “What’s wrong, baby?” she whispered. “Why are you running away from me?”
He pulled back, gaping down at her. “Never. I would never run away…” His words faded as he searched her face. “Are you pulling my leg?”
“Of course not,” she insisted, unable to keep her smile from escaping. “Well, maybe a little. Do you have a hot date in New York or something?”
Dean shook his head. “I thought… Damn it, I thought you were leaving.”
A sense of profound satisfaction deepened her smile. “There’s no reason for me to go to New York. I have everything I need. Right. Here.” She tapped her fingers on his chest and leaned against him, tilting her head back to let him see the sincerity in her words.
“But Fire and Ice—”
“—doesn’t exist anymore,” she finished happily. “Well, at least it won’t exist once all the paperwork is done. I called my lawyers this morning after you left. I’d already decided you were right. I need to make a fresh start, and this is where I choose to do it. Here in San Francisco, with you.”
His jaw fell open. “You made the decision before you found out about Lorenzo?”
“Uh-huh.” She nodded. “Someone asked me to be his girl. How am I supposed to keep you out of trouble if I’m living all the way on the other side of the country?”
“So this has nothing to do with Lorenzo getting arrested?”
For one brief second, her stomach churned, but then she leaned harder against Dean, taking strength from his solid presence. “Nothing to do with him at all. He got himself into that mess, and he can get himself out. It’s none of my concern.”
All sorts of emotions flitted across Dean’s face—the two strongest were delight followed by confusion. “Suz told me you were in a panic. I went to the hotel and Frank told me you left in a taxi. With a suitcase.”
Now she understood how he’d gotten mixed up. She wound her arms around his body, offering her most enticing smile. “I wanted to see if my boyfriend was okay with me moving in with him. I didn’t think I should show up with all my luggage—thought that might scare you.”
Suddenly she was being whirled through the air again, her feet far from the floor as Dean held her tight and spun, laughter pouring from him. He finally put her on the ground, one arm coming around her to hold them together as he flashed the most dangerous of grins.
“You can take over all my closets and leave your girly stuff all over the sink in the bathroom.” He lowered his voice, intimate, just for her. “You already own my heart, and there’s no one else I want in my bed.”
Anticipation and sheer joy rippled through her. “So does this mean you’re not going to New York?”