I laugh. “Oh, that room has its advantages, too. But our bathroom is gorgeous. I find myself going in there all the time just to stare at it.”
“I hear ya. I wasn’t sure when Sofe suggested that quartz shit, but that girl has damn good taste. Looks awesome with the cherry cabinets—and did you see the stone tile in the mudroom Finnie and Joey put down? Hell, they killed it.”
“Tell me about it. And they were so fast.” I turn to face him. “At this rate, we’ll be able to have Thanksgiving here.”
“Probably Christmas, too. It’s a big place.” He frowns when he lifts my hands and examines them closely. “Hey, where’s the rock?”
I smile and reach into my shirt, pulling out the long silver chain that holds my platinum engagement ring and wedding band. “I didn’t want to risk getting anything on them.” I shrug. “It seemed like a good alternative.”
That’s what I say, but my husband is no longer listening. “Hey. What else have you got in there?” He pulls at the collar of my T-shirt and peeks inside. “Damn, those are nice. Can I see them without the lace?”
We’ve spent another long weekend working on the interior of our newly constructed house, and both of us have to work the next day. But as my hands splay over the hard muscles of Curran’s chest, and I catch the gleam in his eyes, my exhaustion dissolves, replaced with a need that deepens my voice. “You can see anything you want, cop.”
“Yeah?”
“Oh, hell yeah,” I answer.
He lifts me in his arms, crushing his lips against mine as he carries me inside. The moment we hit the couch (incidentally, the one piece of furniture we haven’t broken in), it becomes a race to see who gets naked first.
I’m struggling to catch my breath when we finish, and he lowers us onto our sides, his rough hands sweeping over my bare breasts as his eyes latch on to mine. “I love you,” he rasps.
My arms link around his neck and draw him closer, allowing me to savor the sweeps of his tongue and the heat from his body.
As we lie there, I remember the words of his brother. Declan said that what I know will only take me so far. It’s who I know that will ultimately decide where I end up. I know Curran, his strengths, his faults, and how much he gives me. So I suppose “happy” is where I’ll be.
I smile and stroke the side of his face. “Thank you for loving me,” I tell him, quietly.
His blue eyes soften as he takes me in. “I didn’t get a choice,” he says. “Once I kissed you, I knew there was no going back….”
To those in law enforcement who risk their lives and practice their profession with strength, heart, and honor.
Acknowledgments
To my editor, Sue Grimshaw, for her kind words and for her continued support and encouragement, and to Team Random House for their patience and dedication to my work. You have my respect and admiration.
To Nicole Resciniti for being an agent when I need her to be, and a dear friend always.
To my husband, Jamie, who seems to like everything I write—no matter how crazy. Including, and not limited to: psycho machete-wielding fathers, tsunamis that appear from nowhere, useless fight scenes that don’t advance the plot, vampires who dress like naughty Catholic schoolgirls, and venomous snakes—because some books just need venomous snakes.
To my babies for their patience when Mommy needs to write…and their patience when Mommy is the loudest screamer on the roller coaster those rare times she isn’t writing.
To my girls and my writing pals, Amanda Flower, Kate SeRine, and Ann Marie Walker. I’m so proud to know you, and more proud to call you my friends.