More Than Friends (The Warriors) (22 page)

Brett nodded, his expression cautious.

"No one will expect your new identity to include a wife and a child."

He looked startled, then wary. "Are you proposing?"

She scowled at him. "One of us needs to, don’t you think?"

"Leah, the risks…"

"…do not outweigh the benefits." She grabbed his shoulders. "Don’t you get it, Brett? You did this once before. You made a decision without allowing me the right to make an informed choice. I don’t need you to think for me. I’m perfectly capable of making my own decisions. I’ve been doing it for a long time now."

"I don’t believe in fairy tales or happily–ever–after endings, Leah. I live in the real world, and parts of it are pretty damned ugly. I wasn’t kidding before when I told you I’d lost all of my illusions."

Determined to persuade him to see her perspective, Leah reminded him, "You singlehandedly destroyed our lives six years ago, because you believed you were doing the honorable thing. That’s water over the dam. At least now, I understand your reasoning back then. I can also accept what you did, even forgive it, but you cannot do the same thing to us again. We’re different people this time around, stronger and hopefully wiser. I have rights, and I’m officially exercising them. I am deeply in love with you, and I need to be with you, whatever the circumstances. Our son deserves a loving father, and you deserve to be loved by Matthew. You’ve lived without us. Now live with us. Love us and let us love you. It’s past time, Brett. We will not be given a third chance to get it right."

"You’re asking me to let you risk two lives."

"I’m asking you to risk your emotions and to think with your heart where we’re concerned. We can be smart about everything else, but we’ll do it together as full partners, both of us thinking, both of us alert to the dangers, and both of us prepared to defend our child against anyone who tries to harm him."

"There will be sacrifices," he cautioned, his expression both guarded and faintly hopeful. "You won’t be able to see your family for a long time."

"They’ll understand. They’re very clear about my priorities, and Micah will help them through the tough times."

"We can’t go back to Monterey. You’d have to give up the business and your house."

"I’ll adjust. So will Sarah. She can buy me out whenever she’s ready. The house is a building. You and Matthew are far more important to me than a business or a building.
We
are more important than anything else."

Brett took her hands and brought them to his lips. He pressed kisses to her knuckles as he grappled with an array of emotions that threatened to bring him to his knees. Finally, he nodded. "We’ll do it. We’ll make a life together."

"I never stopped loving you… not ever."

"I love you so much, Leah. The thought of not seeing you for a year or two, or even three, leaves me cold inside."

She smiled then, a scintillating little smile. "I’ve already told you that my heat is yours whenever you want it."

"Now?" He wrapped his arms around her.

"Forever, my darling. Forever."

He took her mouth, and he forgot about the chaos taking place across the globe. He also forgot about his future brother–in–law, who was still cooling his heels in the garage.

Much, much later, Leah said, "I wonder what I’ll look like as a redhead."

"Hot."

"Well, that was succinct." She grinned up at him.

"That’s me," he said as he shifted his hips in a teasing motion that made Leah moan her appreciation. "Mister Succinct."

She laughed, bringing a glint of humor into Brett’s eyes as he delved deeply into the sultry heat she so willingly shared with him.

–End–

Read more of Laura's books on
Amazon.com
.