Cannon didn’t have to take her far. The safe house he’d planned to use was a couple of miles from Jacko’s retreat and part of the reason he’d chosen the area. Once at the little house, he led Pilar inside. “Make yourself comfortable. There’s food in the kitchen and beds upstairs. TV. Whatever you need.”

From beginning to end, she’d been amazing and stood up to every challenge. Even the shootouts. Not many people could do that. She hadn’t fought him when he wanted her out of the firing line. Following a plan meant something. She let him focus on his job.

Amazing didn’t begin to cover it.

She turned in a slow circle, looking all kinds of adorable in her diner shirt and his sweatpants. Man, she did awesome things for his clothes. Maybe they could make that their thing. She set her purse down on the table and looked at him. “What are you going to do?”

“Take a shower,” he said. He needed one. “Maybe shave.” Then spend the rest of the week with her. A week sounded like a good first date, right?

“Mind if I join you?”

The question caught him off guard. “To shave?” He didn’t mind the idea of company, but was watching guys shave a thing? How did he not know that?

Pilar chuckled. “To shower, sailor boy.”

“Sailor man,” he corrected, then the first part of the sentence penetrated. “Oh.” Fuck, did he encourage her? Because hell yes he wanted her to shower with him, but was that going to fast? Didn’t she deserve at least three to six dates before he put the moves on her?

“I don’t have to,” she said, spreading her hands. “I just thought…”

“No, no, no. You thought right. I just—I want do this right. I want to do everything right with you. No fuckups. No misunderstandings. No…assuming.” Every bad relationship he could recall the guys going through or soured on the first time around had something to do with shitty decisions on their parts. Not him. No sir. No way. No how. “Flint…Flint had a dumb a few years ago. He dumped Trudi because he didn’t want her waiting for him. Stupidest decision ever. She’s great for him. He was fucking miserable without her. I don’t want to do that with you.”

The more he talked, the deeper the hole he felt like he was digging. Sometimes, shutting up was the better plan. He went with it.

“First, you’re not all the other guys.” Pilar lifted one finger, then added another. “Second, you didn’t assume anything, I asked. Third, no is all right for you to say. I’m feeling needy, and I want to be close, but we don’t have to have sex. We don’t have to even shower together. Maybe we can take a nap… I just know I want to be where you are.”

“You’re serious?” Her response kind of stunned him.

“Why wouldn’t I be serious? Men can say no. Sex might be too soon, and…you may not even want to have sex with me.”

“Oh, I want to have sex with you.” Get that idea out of her mind right now. “But it’s been a hell of a two days. A brutal two days, one might say, and you’re still reeling. I don’t want you to regret leaping into bed with me.” Not even for an instant. Crossing the distance between them, he slid an arm around her and pulled her to him. When she’d done that at Jacko’s, just folded into his arms, it had been the most natural thing in the world. It was the same now. “I’m in, sweetheart. I’m not going anywhere, whether you have sex with me today, tomorrow, next week or next month.”

“Next year?” The playful light in her eyes filled him with mirth.

“Would be a brutal wait, but I’d do it.” The moment he said the words, he tasted their truth. Pilar was it for him. She was the one he hadn’t even realized he’d been waiting to meet.

“You’re…you’re the best man I’ve ever known.” The declaration actually took him out at the knees. The fervor in her voice coupled with the fire in her eyes. “I know, intellectually, this seems too soon to feel this strongly about anyone. But I’m in, too. You’ve seen me at my worst.”

“Bah,” he scoffed then pressed a kiss to her brow. “Every day is your best, and it only gets better.”

“You’re a charmer. A dangerous charmer, who smiles when things are at their worst.”

“What can I say? Sometimes life goes boom. You can smile, or you can cry.” The press of her against him, the weight of her in his arms—it was definitely something to smile about.

“Go take your shower. I’ll…”

“Come with me,” he said. “No…hanky panky.” When she raised an eyebrow, he said, “Okay, maybe a lot of groping against the tile wall, and heavy petting, but we can stop at any time.” Taking her hand, he led her up the stairs.

“Do we need rules?” She saved that question for when they reached the bedroom. The place was plainly furnished, not a lot of amenities, but it had what he needed right now.

It had her.

“What kind of rules?” He headed into the bathroom, still holding her hand. Once in, he let her go and got the water started. Turning, he stripped off his shirt and then met her gaze. “Like sex rules? Life rules? Who gets to be under the hot water rules? Sweetheart, Monopoly has rules, so we kind of need to establish what kind of rules.”

Laughter bubbled out of her, and she pushed that glorious dark hair away from her face. “I was thinking shower rules, but…we can make them up as we go along.” She mirrored his earlier action and stripped off her shirt. The pale, lacy bra beneath cupped her breasts beautifully. Damn, the woman had curves for days.

“So, pants at the same time?” Was that a little too eager?

Her grin seemed to say no. Good. “How about shoes first?”

“Oh, yeah—those.” He toed off his boots, and she perched on the edge of the closed toilet to tug off hers. “What next?”

“Well, the bra should go, if we’re being fair. It’s not like you’re wearing one.”

No, ma’am. No, he was not. His tongue rooted to the top of his mouth as she unclipped the bra and slid out of it. The fullness of those breasts, the tone of her beautiful arms, and the deep warm golden tan of her skin told him three things: he was never gonna last when he finally got to touch her, she exercised regularly, and this woman had to tan topless.

Yes, the universe loved him.

When she stood, he eased back a half step to give her room. The whole looking and not touching thing was really working—to drive him crazier for her than he already was.

“Pants?” It came out strangled, but she grinned.

“How about I do yours, and then you do mine?” The invitation ignited all kinds of dirty thoughts.

“Anything you want,” he promised her, and he meant it.

When her fingers touched his belt, he made himself go still and stay there. Discipline. Fortitude. Stamina. He had all of those in spades, and then her mouth closed over his cock and it took everything he had to not move. It was just a whisper of touch, a glide of velvet against him, a swirl of tongue. Already stiff, his cock went harder. Then she released him and pressed a kiss to his thigh before looking up at him.

“I’m sorry. I should have asked first.”

“Nope…” Still strangled, he got the words out. “Here’s a rule, I don’t mind anything you want to do to my body. But the first time I come with you, I don’t want it to be in your mouth.” It sounded kind of noble, but it wasn’t. He loved head, what guy didn’t? But he wanted to look in her eyes and all that other romantic shit. He wanted to feel her come with him and to hold him deep in her body.

“Yes,” she whispered.

“What?” He hadn’t asked a question.

“Yes, I want to feel you deep in my body, too.”

Okay, so he said that out loud, apparently. Roll with it. “Birth control?”

“Implant.” She gestured to her arm. “Clean?”

“Regular physicals, never have unprotected sex.” Ever. Until…

“Haven’t had sex in a year, physical three months ago.” The admission shocked him. Were the men around her stupid? Oh wait…he remembered her family and where she’d worked. The men around her were really stupid. Heart pounding loud enough to work the drum corps, he reached a hand to her, and she let him pull her to her feet.

Dragging her close, he reveled in the feel of her nipples stiffening against his chest and the silk of her hair gliding over his arm. “Bareback is a leap, especially for two people debating whether we should have sex this fast.”

“Maybe,” she said, sliding her arms around him. The rub of her sweatpants against his cock wasn’t the feeling he wanted. “But I don’t want anything between us. Call me crazy, but you have an out. Let’s make that a rule.”

“Specify.” The command came out on a growl. His restraint held though. No matter how much his body demanded it, they wouldn’t move until they had the go order from her.

“We have all the sex we want. We go nuts for each other. We feed the adrenaline-fueled desire we’re both riding on… And, if it doesn’t work out between us, no harm, no foul. You can walk away, and I’ll be okay.”

Fuck. That.

“I don’t think I would be.” He tilted his head. “I said I’m in. I meant it.”

“But…”

“No buts. You want out, okay. I have your back, always. I’ll make it happen for you, but me? I’m here. 110 percent. You have me.”

She searched his eyes and whatever she found must have satisfied her, because she pressed her lips to his. The hard, fast, and almost chaste kiss carried the promise of so much more. “Then let’s just be nuts.”

“Together?” They needed confirmation of the order.

“Yes.” She told him. “Together…now…the floor, the shower…”

“The bed.” He switched off the water, then picked her up. Her laughter wreathed him and, no matter how urgent his need, he settled her on the bed gently. They’d been beat up enough. Lowering down to cover her, he claimed her mouth in a kiss. The stroke of her tongue on his, the welcoming softness as she pulled him to her, and the way she wrapped a leg around him—heaven.

He only broke the kiss to say, “The pants gotta go.” He slid away and tugged them off her. Straightening, he stared at the beautiful body he’d uncovered. Curved hips, full breasts, and soft tummy. Everything about her was soft. Soft, and gorgeous, and when she held her hand out to him, he went.

There were no more words, just kissing and touching. Their frenetic need quieted while he explored, only to ramp as he lingered on one of her breasts then the other. When he eased a finger into her, she was hot, slick, and perfect. Her cries met every single one of his touches, and she massaged his balls, scraped her nails over his ass, and then dug them into his shoulders. Time for play ended when he thrust into her.

They both exhaled. Her gaze locked on his as they found the rhythm that worked for them both. He wouldn’t last, he knew it, but he fought to wring out every single ounce of pleasure he could for her. When he found a particularly sensitive spot, he angled his thrusts to hit it. The glaze of her eyes and the sudden fist of her inner muscles around his cock warned him. He tumbled over the edge, riding the wave of her orgasm as he buried himself inside her over and over until his own pleasure ripped out of him.

Afterward, he collapsed against her then rolled over to keep her in his arms. It was truly a perfect moment—the cloud of her hair draped them, she still held his softening cock inside, and her breasts against his chest.

“Please, ma’am, run into me any time.”

They managed a few hours together, just the two of them, and eventually even took that shower. When Flint called to say Mickey and Arizona were on their way back, Cannon groaned. He didn’t want to share her with the guys just yet, but they still had things to do.

After finding something for Pilar to wear in the clothes Trudi and Arizona sent with them, he got dressed and they headed out. He started the truck from the door, and the engine made three clicking noises.

Grabbing Pilar, he pushed her down before the truck exploded. A hot wave washed over them, and debris showered onto the lawn and the street. Thankfully, they were the only house this far down.

Lifting his head, he stared at the vehicle and his jaw set.

His new truck.

Just gone.

If not for the remote starter, it might have been him and Pilar in the truck. Or just Pilar.

Her grandfather hadn’t gotten the message.

“Cannon?” The softness in her voice pulled him back from the dark edge where he was plotting an assassination.

“Yes, sweetheart?”

“Let me do this my way. You got me here, and you have my back. I’ll get him for us both.”

He’d promised her anything, but she was asking for a lot. “If he touches you…”

“You introduced me to people who can help, and I want to do this. I want to do it for us. For tomorrow. And the next day…and for International Women’s Day next year.”

The last did it. He laughed and the need to kill and destroy eased. It didn’t go away, and it wouldn’t until they didn’t threaten her ever again, but it did ease. “Deal.”

One month later

Leaving the courthouse, Pilar felt like a new woman. Her right arm threaded through Cannon’s left, and she laughed. She was even used to the fact he never let her walk on his right and always moved her. He had to have his gun hand free. Understanding coupled with four weeks together where they learned more and more about each other. He’d even told her about his family and the business he was starting.

No barriers, he promised, and he told her everything except those pieces covered by national security. Pilar did the same, and when it came for her to testify to a grand jury, she did. Arizona secured an immunity deal, and they’d turned everything over to the Justice Department and the FBI. The Petrucci family organization would be dismantled.

“It’s still going to take time,” Cannon complained. They’d made arrangements, and his guys were everywhere. The police even had snipers in positions, too, on the off chance someone came for her again. All Cannon’s doing, and he’d been the one to tell the U.S. Attorney she wouldn’t testify without it.

“Yes, but there are multiple counts of racketeering, extortion, and money laundering. In the meanwhile, the IRS froze all their accounts.” That little gem had been what she did the day they blew up his truck. It was one thing to come after her, but she wouldn’t let them endanger Cannon anymore. The IRS was very interested in all the hidden accounts from the days before she was the accountant. They’d tucked a lot of it away to avoid taxes.

Numbers didn’t lie.

“That really was a genius touch on your part,” Cannon said, squeezing her hip. “I wish I could have been there when the agents showed up at your grandfather’s and locked him out of his house.”

Cannon had pointed it out to her; her grandfather’s resources and holdings gave him a large pool to play in. She just drained the pool. No resources. No more hits. Even his attorneys would be jumping ship.

“I liked it.”

“Are we putting a period on that chapter, then?” Off the steps, they headed for a waiting SUV. Mickey had driven them in, and the guys were taking the destruction of Cannon’s truck seriously.

“Yes,” she said, and it felt right. They were definitely done with this part. Sure, there would be more testimony and stuff, but the hard part was over. The evidence was out of her hands, and they had a record of everything that happened. Pilar Petrucci was done.

Pilar Napolitano could really get on with her life—with Cannon.

“Fantastic. I have a job I want to offer you.” He opened the back door of the SUV and helped her inside.

“Hi, Mickey,” she said to the retired SEAL in the front seat. “Arizona said she might be a while.”

“I know, all good. I’ll be back to get her, and the guys will stick close to her, too.”

When Cannon slid in on the other side, she leaned closer to him and murmured, “Job?”

“I told you about the business I’m building, the security firm with the guys. The type of jobs we’ll be taking. One of the things holding us up is setting up in all regions and funneling the money where we need it to go. I do most of that, but I also need to scout things. If you come on board as our accountant, I can focus on my part, and you can keep the books.”

She’d love to, except… “Are you planning to keep me in the dark if it’s a mission you don’t think I’ll like or approve of?”

“Never,” he told her fiercely. “You’re one of us now. Numbers, you get a vote—just like Arizona and Trudi. Just like the guys. We do this together, or we don’t do it at all.” He really was perfect.

“Then I accept. Also, I have a present for you.” She’d been waiting for the right moment and this seemed like the one. Tugging the hood ornament from her purse, she held it out to him.

He stared at it. It was the one piece without a scratch, a dent or a ding. It even held its shine after being thrown fifty feet from the explosion.

“I know, babe,” she said, stroking his arm. “It was a new truck.”

“Yeah,” he admitted, releasing a long-suffering sigh. “But I came out better on this deal than I did going in. I got you.”