Meet the characters:
Wire is the tech guru of the Storm crew but that doesn’t make him any less lethal. Saving Remmi was part of a mission, but it turns into so much more. He never expected his feelings to be as strong as they are, and decides he needs to protect her at all costs.
Remmi wants to be the woman she was before her abduction. Wire makes her feel safe and she knows she’s falling in love with him. Remmi is stronger than she knows and Wire helps her see her strength.
Together they make each other whole.
Feel the passion:
I peer through lowered lashes at his face. He’s got the remote in his hand and is focused on starting the movie. He’s completely relaxed, but my heart is thudding wildly in my chest. This time, it’s not in fear but excitement. This can’t mean anything. Wire is only being sweet like he usually is. He’s taking care of me as he always does when I get upset.
Okay, so this time I’m wrapped in his arms, when other times, he’s gotten a blanket and wrapped it around me, sitting close, but not this close. His fingers are grazing my arm leisurely, as if we’ve done this before, but we haven’t. I’m reading way too much into this.
I force myself to stare at the screen. Always Be My Maybe begins to play. It’s one of my favorite movies. It’s a romantic comedy, but mainly, it’s about being afraid to move on and taking a leap of faith to make a change.
Wire leans forward, grabs the bowl, puts it on his lap, takes a chip, and pops it into his mouth. His very sexy mouth. He catches me staring. I can feel the heat rising in my cheeks.
“Hey, babe,” I call to her. She lifts her head, her eyes still half closed as she stumbles farther into the room, stopping right in front of me. She tilts forward, and her head hits my chest. Instinctively, I pull her into my arms.
“Thank you,” she mumbles against my shirt. I feel the laughter building inside me. Remmi’s fucking cute as hell in the morning.
“My pleasure. I’ll get the kettle going for you. I’m making myself coffee. Tell me you have some, or I’ll have Rebel bring it.”
Not moving anything but her arm, she points to the cupboard on the far right. “Coffee and coffeemaker.”
I gently let her go and move her to the stool at the kitchen counter, then I fill her kettle before making my coffee. “Rebel and Sadie stopped by to get the keys to your car. They won’t be long and want to stop by with donuts to see us. Are you up for that?”
“Donuts!” She perks up, and her eyes open wide. “And Sadie’s coming!” Remmi smiles, and it’s plain to see that this makes her happy.
“I see that this works for you,” I tease.
She looks down at her wrinkled clothes, the same ones she was wearing last night, and runs a hand over her bedhead. “I’m a mess.”
“Go shower and change, and I’ll bring your tea to you.”
“Why are you so sweet to me?” she asks.
“That’s a talk we’ll have later. Right now, you have less than half an hour before they’re back, and I’m a sugar fiend, so the gloves are off when the donuts arrive.”
Without batting an eye, she climbs off the stool and takes off for the bedroom.
“I want to kiss you. I’ve thought about what those perfect pink lips would taste like, but the first real kiss I give you will be when we’re alone. They say that anticipation makes it all worth it, but I’m getting tired of waiting. So here’s my warning: Once everyone clears out tonight, I’m going to kiss you, long, sweet, soft and slow, and I’m going to enjoy watching your eyes flutter close,” he says quietly, only for me to hear.
My heart is beating so fast that I could hardly hear his words, but he did say them. Suddenly, I wish I hadn’t agreed to this gathering, because I’ve dreamt of Wire’s kisses, and having to wait an entire day to finally feel his lips against mine is going to be sheer torture.
Leaves you wanting more:
“After a few days with the kidnappers, I became resigned to the fact that I wouldn’t make it out of there alive. But what was worse was how they threatened my father with what they would do to me if he didn’t cooperate. He suffered so much because of that. That was worse than being physically assaulted. Poor Dad, he was beside himself.” She takes a breath. “I didn’t even care that I would die. But when they touched me…” A shudder runs through her, and her voice trails off. She drops her head, covering her face with her hands.
Keeping my anger under control is difficult, but Remmi’s needs come first. I reach out to lift her chin so her eyes meet mine. “You’re stronger than you think, baby. I hate that you had to endure any of that. I live with the regret that we couldn’t get there sooner. But we can’t change the past, and dwelling on it, reliving it in our minds, only keeps us stuck. I want to move past this part of our lives, with you by my side. You’ve come so far, and I’m so proud of you.”
“I’m broken,” she whispers.
“Not broken,” I insist. “And even if that were right, we’re all a little broken. I’ve been through enough shit to know that the experiences we’ve had shape us and teach us. I’ve seen enough to make me wary of people. My circle of trust is small but powerful. I believe in you, baby.”
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