“I was earmarked to die. Just like the other guy.” He heard the soft gasp and took heart. “I didn’t know that, of course. Not until directly after our wedding. The feds took me away.” And after extracting a promise to see the case through, they’d made him stay away from her. “They kept me safe. I went immediately into the Protection Program.”There was a long moment of silence. “And you disappeared.”“Yes.” He turned to face the door, then put his palms on it, wishing he was touching her face. “I had to, for your sake, and Devlin’s. You two were all I cared about, and with me around, you would have been in grave danger.”“You never even contacted me.”God, the wealth of hurt in her voice twisted his gut. “I couldn’t. It would have put you at risk. But the feds were supposed to. They promised to explain, to tell you what had happened, and I believed they had done so.” All the old anger surged back. “There was a mix-up.” Was it safe to let her out? Would she listen to the rest?“Why did

Calling his name, she stepped to the bottom of the curved oak staircase and put her hand on it. Despite her fear, curiosity took over. How many times had a young Mitch slid down that tempting banister, face wide with that heart-stopping grin?It terrified her to discover how much she’d softened toward him. “Mitch?” she called quickly, blocking her thoughts.He came out of a room on the second floor and stood at the top of the stairs looking down. “Jussie?”She opened her mouth, but nothing came out.He had a tiny white towel anchored at his waist. Water dripped freely off his body, from his tousled hair, running in rivulets over his chest. He’d stopped short at the sight of her. Heat flickered in his gaze as it roamed over the clothes she wore—the same he’d nearly torn off her earlier in the storage closet.He sent her that crooked smile. “You came to tuck me in. How sweet.”Unable to speak for fear her tongue would fall out, she shook her head. God, he was all lean muscle, long limbs

“You mean you haven’t—”“There’s been no one else. Ever” he repeated softly.Her eyes warmed, lost a little of her confusion. “I’m glad,” she whispered, then laughed nervously. “Not about . . . your, uh, problem.” Her gaze rested on the vee of his jeans, then widened slightly at the unmistakable bulge she saw there. “But that there’s been no one else.”They stared at each other.“I think . . . I’ll get dressed now,” she said.He pushed her gently toward the door. “In the bedroom.”At her bafflement, he slid his hands into his pockets. “I need to shower now.”“You already did.”His smile was wry, crooked, and more than a tad self-mocking. “Yeah, but now I need a cold one.”The Christmas spirit had taken hold at the Daily News. Wreaths decorated every door and hallway. Goodies and chocolates were laid out in the snack rooms. Festive holiday music filled the air.Still, there was much to be done. To prove it, Justine threw herself wholeheartedly into work. She moved from one meeting to a

All he knew was that she hurt, and he’d do anything to fix it. Rising, he sat in the chair he’d just pulled her out of.Suddenly she jerked and gasped, and instinctively his arms tightened as his eyes scanned the room, his body tense with the need to protect. Then he realized that she’d been sleeping, but he knew by her absolute stillness that she was awake. Cradling her head against his shoulder, he stroked her hair. The love that welled within him felt like a two-fisted punch, but it didn’t surprise him. Everything about Jussie was bittersweet. He loved her, he’d always loved her, and he couldn’t see how this could be wrong.“Jussie,” he whispered. “You were dreaming.”“Did—did anyone see? Hear me?”How she’d hate that, having someone, even him, see her out of control. “No, we’re alone,” he assured her, and when she still didn’t relax, he sighed. Slipping out from beneath her, he left the room, crossed into his office where the blinds were, and closed them. Then he came back, shutti

It was then he happened to glance up.In the next office, where his wife was bent over what looked like stacks of work, Jack walked in.No harm in that, Mitch said to himself when his entire body went tense. No harm at all. After all, she and Jack worked together, and Jack probably came into her office on a daily basis.But then Jack smiled.And Jussie smiled back; a wide, open, carefree smile such as he hadn’t seen since . . . Dammit. Mitch had never seen one like that, not since he’d returned.Early this morning, she’d gone back to her house and covered that sweet, delectable body in a tailored shirt-dress the color of her eyes. Now she looked good enough to eat. But she seemed oblivious to that, and to the fact that when she leaned close to take the files Jack handed her, her bodice gaped slightly, revealing the pale, perfect slope of a breast.The pencil in Mitch’s hands snapped in two.In the next office, she laughed. Then she leaned a hip back against her desk and swung a long,