“And as for you Agent Pallas – man-to-man, if you ever insult my girl on national television again, I’ll…” he stopped.Everyone in the room waited, hanging. Jack raised an eyebrow. “Yes?”Collin turned to Cameron with a look of astonishment. “I’ve got nothing. I had this whole exit speech going and I was gonna end with some big macho threat but when I got there, it was like – bleh – nothing. That’s a pisser.” He appeared disgusted with himself, then shrugged it off. “Oh well. Catch you guys later.”He strode out without a second glance.”

“Thank you, I guess.It’s good to see they’ve replaced Silas Briggs withsomeone who’s a little more reasonable.” He grinned.“Not to mention, someone with a much prettier face.”Agent Pallas snapped the ankle monitor on, and Kyleyelled out in pain.“Son of a bitch, you got some skin there!” he said toPallas.Cameron threw the FBI agent a look. “Jack.”He shrugged. “It slipped.” He turned back to Kyle witha look that could wilt plants.”

“Bryn chuckled low in his chest. “I swear I’ve had dreams about you that began like this.” I stopped kissing him and raised my eyebrows. “Oh yeah, and how’d those dreams end up?” He chuckled again, tugging at my robe. “I’m a guy, how do you think they ended up?”

“Jump, if you want to, ‘cause I’ll catch you, girl. I’ll catch you “fore you fall. Go as far inside as you need to, I’ll hold your ankles. Make sure you get back out. I’m not saying this because I need a place to stay. That’s the last thing I need. I told you, I’m a walking man, but I been heading in this direction for seven years. Walking all around this place. Upstate, downstate, east, west; I been in territory ain’t got no name, never staying nowhere long. But when I got here and sat out there on the porch, waiting for you, well, I knew it wasn’t the place I was heading toward; it was you. We can make a life, girl. A life.”

“I’d had a really bad day and you hurt me.”His hand at my jaw tensed and he kept whispering when he said, “I’ll probably do it again, Red,because I’m a man and any man can be a dick. But I won’t do it like that, not again. I know you got softunder that attitude and I’ll have a mind to that.”

“Don't worry," he said, as if sensing my hesitation. "I promise that even if I got a whole truck full of smelly gym clothes, I'd stay right here, waiting, until you got back."I smiled and continued to my bedroom."Oh, and Rileigh?"I froze without turning. "Yes?""I hope I remember you first.”