Morgan's Hunter (42 page)

He rubbed at his tense jaw. “I was wrong. I screwed everything up.”

Her fingers tightened against her folded arms. “On those points I won’t argue, but it doesn’t matter anymore. You’ve gone back to your life and so have I. You made everything very clear—there was nothing between us. I don’t think we have anything more to say. I’ve gotta go. I have a plane to catch.” Morgan took a step in retreat.

She would walk away. She was finished with him.

Hunter grabbed her arm. “Don’t go.” Panic edged his voice. “Please, don’t go.”

Again, Morgan yanked free. “I can’t do this with you. I won’t. You broke my—” Morgan closed her eyes on a sob.

Her mask of cold indifference vanished and for the first time since he arrived, hope bloomed. He took advantage of her weakened moment, hugging her close again. “Please, Morgan, please don’t walk away from me.”

“You hurt me. One minute we were making plans for long weekends and the next you were finished. No explanations; you were just correcting a mistake.”

Guilt ate at him as he rested his cheek against her hair. “I know. After you got shot, it brought stuff back. It-it scared me. I couldn’t handle it.”

She eased back, looking him in the eye. “After everything we’d been through. I could’ve helped you if you would’ve let me, but you don’t let anyone in. You have this impenetrable wall around you that no one is allowed to break. You don’t need anyone—”

“That’s not true. I need you. I want to fix this, Morgan. I have to.”

Her hand clutched at the front of his jacket as she shuddered out a breath. “Why?”

He ran his hands through her hair, grazed his knuckle against her cheek until she surrendered, dropping her forehead to his chest.

“Why?” she asked again, voice muffled by the fabric of his shirt.

He placed his fingers under her chin until she met his gaze. “Because I woke up one morning and realized you were everything. Because I fell in love with a feisty, hardheaded, sweet, funny woman, and I can’t stand the thought of being without her for another second. I love you, Morgan.” He brushed his lips with hers as her eyes filled.

He moved his hands until they framed her face, desperate for her to believe him. “I love you, Morgan, so much. I’m so sorry I hurt you. It’s hard for me to let people into my past, into all of the pain, but I’m working on it. There’s no one I want with me more than you. There’s no one I’ll try harder for than you. Please tell me it’s not too late to make everything right.”

She took a deep, shaky breath, hesitating, as a tear rolled down her cheek. “No, it’s not too late. I love you too.”

Relief and happiness bubbled together as he kissed her long and sweet. Her arms came around his waist, pulling him closer.

His lips left hers, skimmed her neck before he took her hands in his, lacing her fingers with his. “A great friend once told me that when you find someone really amazing you better grab them up before they get away. I’m not letting you get away, Morgan. I want you to marry me.”

He walked her backwards until her body pressed between his and an enormous boulder.

“I want everything, Morgan. I want it with you.” He pulled a black box from his jacket, flipped the top open. The ugly o-ring rested against the black velvet. Morgan laughed. He slid the metal on her finger as he grinned. “I have another ring for you in L.A., but I was so nervous I forgot it.” She laughed again. “It’s the feelings behind the symbol that count, right? Say you’ll marry me, Morgan.”

She twisted the ugly ring on her finger. “You kept it. I can’t believe you kept it. Oh yes, Hunter, I’ll marry you.”

“Thank, God.” He kissed her again, picked her up, carried her back to the hotel. She nestled her head against his shoulder until he set her on her feet in the room.

She took his hand, pulling him away from the glass door, inviting him to take her with her big green eyes. “This would probably be a good time for me to tell you I accepted a new job. I’m moving to L.A. next week.”

His brows rose in surprise as he tried to focus on the thread of their conversation. He had to touch her. “What?”

She removed his jacket, letting it fall to the floor. She slipped her hands under his white t-shirt, skimming her fingers against his skin, making him shiver. Her voice grew thick with desire. “I guess we’ll have to bump that date up a bit. The movers will just have to meet us there.”

“Damn right. I’m not leaving here without you. You’re coming home with me.”

He made quick work of her jacket, her shirt, groaning when he brushed his hands along the smooth skin of her stomach.

Her fingers played with his hair as her eyes met his. “I’m so happy, Hunter.”

He stared at Morgan, at everything he’d ever wanted, before he kissed her tenderly and they fell to the bed.

About the Author

Cate Beauman is the author of The Bodyguards of L.A. County Series. She currently lives in Tennessee with her husband, two boys, and their St. Bernard, Bear.

Other Titles by Author

Falling for Sarah

To read an excerpt from Falling for Sarah, visit
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Hailey’s Truth

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