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BOOK 2
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Being Yours BOOK 2
“Okay?” Jack repeated with a surprised laugh. “Last time you lost you ranted and raved for an hour, and now just okay?” He shook his head and pretended to check her for a temperature. “You sick?”No, but she had a feeling Jack was going to be if he kept his hands on her. Mitch looked positively furious. Jack’s hands were smooth, practiced. They lingered.And she felt nothing, though she knew it was her lack, not Jack’s. Any woman with a set of eyes would be falling all over herself for his attentions. He was good-looking, kind, sophisticated. Romantic.But she couldn’t keep her eyes off Mitch.No one else said a word.“We’ve got to get together on those figures, sweetie,” Jack said. “Year end is only days away.”Slowly, Mitch quirked an eyebrow. “Sweetie?” he mouthed, his gaze boring right through her. He’d once been patient to a fault, and mild-tempered, despite his strenuous and demanding occupation. But bad attitude screamed from him now.“Yes, Jack,” she said quickly, wondering wh
Being Yours BOOK 2
“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
Being Yours BOOK 2
“Damn thing’s stuck,” someone muttered with disgust, trying the handle one last time.Finally, footsteps faded away, leaving a tense silence.Then came Jussie’s shaken, released breath.Mitch had surfaced abruptly, but he still had to shake his head to clear it. Gulping in air, he stared down into the darkness to make out the faint outline of her stiff body. Her blouse had been pushed, by him, off her shoulders, and was open to the waist. Her skirt rode high up on her thighs. One shoe had been kicked off.He’d nearly mauled her like a reckless, sex-starved teen.Mouth grim, body uncomfortably hard and hot, he reached down and pulled her to her feet. “Jussie,” he whispered with regret, tugging her clothes back into place. God, he’d nearly taken her right there. Their first time in two years, and he’d ... he couldn’t even think about it. She deserved candles, soft music, sweet words, and hours and hours of loving.Instead she’d gotten a cold concrete floor against her back, fast, desper
Being Yours BOOK 2
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
Being Yours BOOK 2
“No, I don’t want—”A click of the switch flooded the room with light.“—the light.” Jussie blinked warily and stared at him.Mitch discovered she wore one of his T-shirts and little else. It thrilled him.He took one of her hands and brought it to his lips. “I can’t deny that I was able to come back because of what happened to the agent. He died, and after the case came to a close, I was free. But I’m here now, where I’ve wanted to be for so long. Are you going to tell me it doesn’t matter? That you don’t feel anything for me at all?”She opened her mouth to speak, but he said quietly, “Careful, Jussie. You’re a rotten liar. Besides, I know exactly how you responded to me today in that closet. And it wasn’t with indifference.”She flushed and tried to pull her hand back, but he lingered over it while his gaze held hers. “Was it?”“It’s not as simple as sex.”“No. Making love isn’t simple.”“It wasn’t love—”Her denial was the last straw. “Think again,” he snapped back, dropping her h
Being Yours BOOK 2
“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
Being Yours BOOK 2
Justine swallowed and stared at her cone. This was definitely one of those times she considered herself “wigged out.”“In fact, there’ve been only three times I ever saw you eat ice cream.”Her gaze jerked to his as memories flooded. “Graduation day,” she remembered. “I got my diploma and got sick, I was so nervous.”“That’s what happens when you’re smart enough to be valedictorian.” It gave Mitch a rush of pride, even now, to remember. He’d been several years ahead of her, already in the navy, but he’d gotten leave.“I gave my speech, then threw up on your shoes.” She laughed. “I was mortified.”“For about three minutes,” he remembered dryly. “You recovered quickly, and insisted we share a gallon of ice cream. I got all of three bites.”She laughed harder, and it relieved him. Some of the tension had left her shoulders, so he went for the rest. “Do you remember the second time?”“Yes,” she said softly, turning her head away from him to study the oak tree in front of her car.Gently,
Being Yours BOOK 2
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
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