Talia and Shane were separated as soon as the local sheriff and his men arrived wanting answers, considering they had bullet holes everywhere and a few non-life-threatening injuries to the men after her. Shane had refused to leave her, but the sheriff demanded their individual stories, so they’d separated. Talia was more than happy to provide her version of events.
The sheriff planned to get in contact with Dallas authorities so they could compare notes and tie up loose ends on both sides. Talia knew it would take more time and investigation before the truth of what happened finally came out.
After an hour of questioning, the men who weren’t sent off with police escorts by ambulance were rounded up and taken into custody. The end of her short nightmare had finally come, and Talia couldn’t be more relieved.
Shane and Talia were allowed to leave with Ian by helicopter to the nearest airport, at which point they’d fly to Dallas. The rest of his men had dispersed using Shane’s car. Weight limits prohibited adding more people on the helicopter, and Shane wanted Talia back in Dallas at a local hospital near home. She wasn’t about to argue. The pain in her hip had only gotten worse, especially after she’d been thrown to the floor to avoid flying bullets.
She took her first helicopter ride and was mesmerized by the feel and sights around her. With Ian around, she and Shane had no time to talk—not that she knew what to say beyond thanks for saving me and good-bye. She had no illusions about any kind of future for them. No sooner had her situation been wrapped up than Ian engaged Shane in conversation about an emergency case that had just come their way. Soon he’d be busy with his bodyguard business…as it should be.
She wondered how her company played into people wanting to steal her work. No doubt, there was big money involved and high stakes for either developing her formula or burying it for good. Her goal was and always would be to be back in a lab, doing her work. She didn’t know or want any other way of life.
And if Sheila and her company could somehow get involved in the cure Talia had uploaded today, she was hoping Jonah’s ex-wife would let her be involved in bringing the drug to market. Talia had sacrificed too much of her life to the cause, and she desperately wanted to be a part of its future.
An exhausting number of hours later, she arrived at the hospital, where a doctor cleaned out Talia’s wound while lecturing Shane on the dangers of a civilian playing surgeon.
The poor man didn’t need the reprimand. She knew he felt bad enough already. And she’d have the scar to remember him by even when he was gone from her life. The scar would be even larger because the doctor needed to go in and clean out the wound before closing it up again.
At least this time she’d had a local anesthetic to dull the pain. Not that the needles on the local had been fun, but she’d survived the ordeal. It helped that she had Shane by her side, holding her hand while the doctor worked.
Finally, the doctor, an older man with salt-and-pepper hair, snapped off his surgical gloves and tossed them in the trash. “I’ll be right back with your discharge papers and prescription for a painkiller and antibiotic.”
“Thank you,” Talia murmured.
“You’re welcome.” He pushed past the curtain and walked out.
Shane braced an arm on the top of the propped-up bed behind her. “Are you okay?”
She nodded. “I am.”
He leaned in close. She wanted to memorize every line and curve of his handsome face for when she wouldn’t see him every day.
“You amazed me every step of the way,” he said, pride in his voice.
She laughed. “I have to admit I amazed myself. Shows you what you can do when you have no other choice.”
“It shows you’re strong and resilient.”
She brushed a hand down his scruffy cheek. “Maybe that’s because I had a protector I could rely on.”
“Or maybe it’s because you’re stronger than you think or give yourself credit for.” His smile reached his eyes and warmed her heart. “Talia—”
Whatever he was going to say was cut off by the ring of his cell phone. He straightened and reached for the phone in his pocket. “Landon.”
He listened and his relaxed features morphed into a frustrated frown. “Okay, yeah. I’ll be there.” He disconnected the call and met Talia’s gaze. “Ian’s calling an emergency meeting. New client.”
“Okay.” She schooled her face into a mask of understanding, not wanting him to see the disappointment in her expression.
Not that she didn’t understand. She’d be a hypocrite if she had a problem with him taking off for work. She just hadn’t thought their time together would come to such an abrupt end. Then again, she hadn’t thought about it at all.
Oh, she’d told herself it would happen, but feeling the separation was something different altogether. Still, she’d known him leaving was inevitable.
“Thank Ian again for me. And you know where to bill me.” Although that helicopter was going to kill her budget.
Shane grinned. “Don’t worry. I think I can get you the friends and family discount,” he said, as if reading her mind.
Friends. Well, it was as good as it was going to get between them now, she thought.
He leaned down and swept a kiss over her lips, lingering for too brief a time but long enough for her to inhale his scent and taste him once more.
He straightened and looked at her, his expression unreadable. “Can I call someone to take you home?” he asked.
She drew her tongue over her lips and gave his question some thought. Her brother was coming home tonight, and she didn’t want to explain her situation to anyone. She could take a cab but… “I don’t have my phone and I used all my spare cash. Can you lend me some money for a cab?” she asked, feeling herself blush. She knew anything she’d purchased while on the run, Ian would probably bill her for.
He frowned and pulled cash out of his wallet, handing her a good amount. “I’m sorry I have to bail on you. I wish—”
She reached out and placed her hand over his mouth, silencing him. “It’s fine. I’m fine.” She smiled, although her stomach was in knots.
A part of her wished he’d just leave already and not draw out what was hurting her more than she’d imagined. She had an unexpected lump in her throat, and though she was the most independent woman she knew, heading home alone after this adventure wouldn’t be easy. A part of her was more shaken up than she wanted to admit to Shane. Or to herself. Maybe that was why he hadn’t asked for his Taser gun back.
“See you, Ms. Smarty-Pants,” he said, winked at her, then turned and walked through the curtain and out of her life.
* * * *
Two weeks passed, during which Talia spent a lot of time repeating her story to the Dallas PD while they discovered the fact that her company, Newton Laboratories, had been directly involved in stopping the cure from getting to market. The conspiracy between them and a big pharmaceutical company who was willing to pay to keep the drug buried went all the way up to the top, from Talia’s boss to the CEO of Newton. They’d all been working together with an agreement to share in the profits of the existing drugs treating the condition for the duration of a patient’s life. A much more lucrative proposition. Talia would have to testify if it came to trial, but she was hoping the men involved would take a plea.
As for her own life, she was waiting to hear from Sheila on whether her company was going to get involved in bringing the cure to the FDA. Either way, she had accepted a job offer and was due to start on the first of next month. Meanwhile, she had time on her hands.
And with that time came the inevitable thoughts about Shane and their days on the road. She hadn’t heard from him and assumed he was either on the job he’d been called away for or he’d moved on to another assignment.
Moved on from her.
And wasn’t that what she wanted? Time alone to work? To enjoy her solitary life? But when had words like alone and solitary bothered her the way they did now?
She ran a hand through her hair and returned to folding the laundry, no longer finding satisfaction in finishing the chores around the house. It wasn’t that she missed the danger from her time with Shane.
She missed him.
She told herself the feeling would pass. That once she returned to work, she’d have no time to be emotionally down and lonely. She’d fall back into the comfort of routine and the excitement and challenge of the lab, where she’d always found satisfaction.
Her doorbell rang, and she dropped her nightshirt into the laundry basket, grateful for the reprieve, and headed downstairs to answer it.
She opened the door to find her brother on the other side. They looked alike with their dark brown hair and similar features, and today he was dressed in a pair of cargo shorts and a T-shirt. Totally casual.
“Surprise!” Tate said, pulling her into a big hug.
She squeezed him back. “What are you doing here?” she asked.
She’d seen him since her return. He’d shown up on her doorstep, coming to Dallas before going home to New York. He’d wanted to see for himself that she’d survived her ordeal intact. He was an awesome big brother.
But it wasn’t like him to just show up in town without calling first.
“You sounded down last time we talked, and I knew you had some time off, so I figured I would surprise you with a short visit.”
She squealed in excitement. “I’m so glad you’re here.”
She looked around but didn’t see any bags. “Where’s your carry-on?” She knew he traveled light.
“I didn’t want to intrude on your privacy. I figured I’d stay in a hotel, and I already checked in and got rid of the luggage.”
“Silly. You know you can stay here.” She pulled him inside and shut the door behind him.
“Can I get you a drink?” she offered.
“Do you have a beer?”
She grinned. “From your last visit, I do.”
He followed her to the kitchen, a sunny room with stainless appliances and light-wood cabinets. He turned the chair around and straddled it while she picked out two bottles.
Why not join him?
A few minutes later, they were each enjoying a cold brew. “Are you looking forward to getting back to work?” he asked.
She settled into the chair across from him. “You have no idea how much! I miss being busy.” She wrapped her hands around the bottle, cold with condensation.
“Is that all you miss?” he asked, tipping the bottle back so he could take a long sip.
She narrowed her gaze, annoyed he wouldn’t just be direct with her. “Why don’t you just say what you mean?”
Tate placed the beer on the Formica table. “Do you miss Shane?” He met her gaze with his direct one.
Tate wasn’t that much older, but he’d always been able to pry a secret out of her, and on his last visit, she’d admitted something had happened between her and his best friend. She’d never tell him details, and he wouldn’t want to know, but he hadn’t been surprised they’d gotten together in some way.
“What makes you say that?” she asked, being deliberately dense.
He rolled his eyes. “Apart from the fact that I hear it in your voice, I know you. You’ve had a thing for Shane for years.” Before she could argue, he held up a hand. “And vice versa. I saw it in high school when you tutored him, and more recently I could tell by the way he’d ask about you…and you’d avoid questioning me about him.”
She frowned. “Who knew I was obvious?” she muttered.
“Only to someone who loves you…and knows you both well.”
She paused for a small sip of beer, savoring the malty taste. “It was a casual thing,” she murmured, lying to herself…as well as to him.
“Was it?”
She lowered the bottle to the table. “It had to be,” she whispered.
“Why?”
Aside from the fact that she’d never had a serious relationship? That she was afraid of losing people she loved? “I have no time in my life for someone who needs my attention.” She was a workaholic and enjoyed that aspect of her life.
Tate shrugged. “Neither does he. And yet I have a hunch he’d be happy to spend what little free time he does have with you.”
She swallowed hard. “Did Shane actually say that?” She hated the hope in her voice.
Tate laughed at her obvious interest. “He didn’t have to. He’s been short-tempered and a pain in the ass. Very unlike himself. Just like you’ve been down. Unlike yourself.”
“I’ve been out of work,” she argued as her lame excuse. She didn’t even believe it herself.
He groaned. “You two getting together has been a long time coming. You’ve always liked him. God knows I don’t want specifics about your time with him, but you haven’t been yourself since you came home. Don’t you think you owe it to yourself to find out if you two could actually be a couple?”
She and Shane. A couple?
She really hadn’t given it any thought, had pushed all possibilities out of her mind, because aside from the obvious obstacles—their busy lives and jobs—she had a deep, ingrained fear of loss.
“What if something happens to him on the job? If he gets hurt or, God forbid, killed?” she asked, her throat feeling heavy at the prospect.
“Hey.” He reached across the table and grabbed her hand. “We lost Mom and Dad, but we have each other. And you can’t live every day waiting to lose the people you care about,” he said, understanding like she knew he would. “Besides, what if something happened and you two weren’t together? Wouldn’t you regret not taking advantage of the time you could have had?”
She pursed her lips in a pout. “Just when did you get so smart?” she asked her big brother.
He snickered at the question. “I’ve always been intelligent. You just never liked to give me credit. So. Are you going to take my advice and go for it?” he asked.
She didn’t know if it was as simple as he made it out to be. She’d have to be the one to approach Shane and risk putting her heart out there for him to crush if he didn’t want the same thing.
She shivered at the very scary prospect. But wasn’t it scarier to really let him go?
“I’ll think about it,” she promised, knowing she wouldn’t be able to concentrate on anything else.
* * * *
Shane’s mood matched his appearance. Foul. He was exhausted since wrapping up his latest case last night and spending hours calming a hysterical client. All he wanted to do was go home, shower, crawl into bed, and not come out for a solid week. Because his mood had been shit long before this past assignment. Since walking out of Talia’s hospital cubicle, to be exact. But who was counting?
He stared around the empty conference room, waiting for his boss to join him, and he didn’t have to wait long.
Ian joined him a few minutes later. “Hey, thanks for coming in,” Ian said.
“What’s up? Because I’m fucking exhausted.”
Ian studied him, his face a mask of disgust. “No wonder clients are complaining about your mood.”
“Are they really?” Shane asked, suddenly concerned his job was at stake because he hadn’t been able to get walking out on Talia out of his mind.
Or how easily she’d let him go.
He ran a hand through his too-long hair and glanced at Ian.
“No, not really. Although your coworkers think you’re a pain in the ass. Want to talk about it?” Ian made a gagging sound following the offer.
Shane choked back a laugh. “Wouldn’t want you to exert your feminine side.”
Ian rolled back his shoulders. “I don’t have a feminine side, asshole. What I do have is a woman in my life, something you don’t. So if you want some of my wisdom, now’s the time to ask.”
Shane scrubbed a hand down his face, lowering himself into the nearest chair. “After my divorce, I told myself a relationship wouldn’t work with this kind of job. I travel, I’m in danger often, and my ex was too damned fragile to handle both. She wanted me around and safe. So I figured when I’m finished with bodyguard work, maybe it’ll be time for a relationship.”
“Let me guess. Then you met up with Talia again. I could have saved you the aggravation and told you not to fight it from the beginning.”
“Why didn’t you then?” Shane asked.
“What fun would that be?” Ian slapped him on the shoulder. “Seriously, some things a man has to experience for himself. You wouldn’t have believed me unless you were forced to walk away and feel like you were missing a part of yourself.”
Shane reeled at the accurate description. Ian had nailed his feelings on the head. Abandoning Talia had left him hollow. Like she’d taken the part of him that enjoyed life.
“And as for what she needs in a man, she seems like she handled danger just fine,” Ian noted. “And from what I’ve heard of her in our investigations of the mess she was in, she’s a workaholic. She’s not going to be sitting, wringing her hands, and waiting for you to come home.”
All valid points, Shane thought, his mood looking up for the first time in weeks.
“So I hope you’ve gotten your shit together and are ready to tell her how you feel,” Ian said.
Shane glanced down at his clothes, wrinkled from a long flight and the plane grime he wanted to wash away. “I wouldn’t mind a shower first,” he muttered.
“Too bad, because she’s waiting out front.” Ian grinned, looking altogether pleased with himself.
“Excuse me? Talia’s here? And you’ve been shooting the shit in here with me?” Shane shook his head. The way his boss’s thinking worked boggled the mind.
“I had to make sure I had you in the right headspace before meeting up with her. See, she met Charlie and my wife likes her. I promised Charlie I’d prep you so you didn’t do anything stupid.”
Talia was here. Shane had stopped listening to anything Ian had said beyond that.
“I’ll send her in. Don’t fuck it up,” Ian said, and walked out the door.
* * * *
Talia did as she’d promised her brother. She’d given a lot of thought to a relationship with Shane. She considered what she wanted out of her life and what she was willing to give of herself. Because it wasn’t fair to ask him to get involved when she wasn’t willing to invest herself, too.
Being forced to look inward wasn’t easy, and she didn’t like what she’d learned. Because she dove into work for all the right…and wrong reasons. It was right that she wanted to find a cure for what had ultimately taken her mother from her. It was right that she’d dedicated her life to a cause. But it was wrong that she buried herself and her feelings and needs because she was afraid of more loss.
She’d essentially lost Shane when he’d walked out of her life almost three weeks ago, and she hadn’t had a good day since, so she knew what she had to do.
She rubbed her hands together nervously. She hadn’t wanted to show up on Shane’s doorstep only to find he wasn’t home, so she’d called McKay-Taggart to ask when he’d be in the office. Her call had been transferred directly to Ian, which surprised her, and he’d been almost gleefully willing to help. He’d called her this morning, letting her know Shane was back in the office.
So here she was, following Ian down the hall. He paused at the entrance of the same conference room where this had all begun. “Go easy on him,” Ian said, a grin on his face.
Who knew the big man liked to play matchmaker? “Thank you,” she said, drawing a deep breath before she gathered her courage and stepped inside.
Shane stood at the window overlooking the outdoors. “Hi,” she said, and he turned to face her.
She was surprised by his appearance—the scruffy beard, the exhaustion in his eyes, and the rumpled wrinkles in his clothes, dark jeans, and a light blue polo shirt. She drank him in, his face just as handsome, the scruff adding to his sex appeal. And she couldn’t care less about the wrinkles.
“Hi,” she said, feeling suddenly shy but knowing that wouldn’t work for why she was here.
“Hey.” He shoved his hands into the front pockets of his jeans. “How have you been?”
“Good.” She swallowed hard. “No, that’s a lie. Not good. Not even close.”
He narrowed his gaze, worry in his gorgeous blue eyes. “Did you get an infection from where I had to cut you?” he asked.
“No, nothing like that. I healed just fine. In fact, you could probably be a surgeon in your next life.”
Relief crossed his features. “Good. Then what’s wrong?”
It was now or never, she thought, crossing the room to where he stood. “I’ll tell you what’s wrong. I missed you,” she said, cupping his face in her hands and pulling him down so she could press her lips to his.
He groaned, his hand coming around the back of her neck, his palm pulling her into him as he opened his mouth and slid his tongue inside in an act of pure possession. If she’d had any questions whether her feelings were reciprocated, they were gone in that instant.
He lifted her and she wrapped her legs around his waist, kissing him with everything she had, drinking in his familiar scent, his taste, all she’d missed for the last couple of weeks.
He lifted his head, pressing one more kiss on her lips and allowing her to slide back to the floor. The hard press of his groin sent sparks of awareness shooting through her body.
“I missed you, too,” he said.
Her heart skipped a beat at his words. “We need to talk about where that leaves us. What do we do about these crazy feelings we have when our lives are so…”
“Busy?” he asked.
She nodded.
“First question. The danger I face doesn’t bother you? You can handle my job?” he asked, sounding like he dreaded her answer.
She didn’t have to think to answer. “Of course, I hate it. Who wants the person they love to be in danger?” No sooner had the words come out than she panicked.
Talk about too much too soon. Blurting things out again. Things she hadn’t given any thought to. “I’m sorry. Don’t freak out. I didn’t mean—”
“You better have meant it,” he said on a low growl.
She blinked in surprise. “I didn’t just send you running?”
“Hell, no. Will the potential danger I’m in send you running?”
She shook her head. “Just because I don’t like it doesn’t mean I don’t respect what you do. Or think you’re good at it. It feeds your soul…just like my profession feeds mine. Which brings us to the next question. Finding time to be together.” She pulled her bottom lip into her mouth, worried this issue would be their deal breaker.
“Well, not all my assignments are long-distance, and I’ve earned enough seniority with Ian to turn things down on occasion.”
He raised his eyebrows in a challenge, and she couldn’t help but grin. “I’ll see your turning down assignments and agree to try not to take my work home all the time and to take weekends off when you’re in town.”
He braced his hands on her hips. “Look at us negotiating a relationship like mature adults. You know, I never wanted to be home the same way when I was married before.”
She knew the admission wasn’t an easy one. “It’s hard to make things work when both people aren’t invested in the outcome.”
He rolled his shoulders, his discomfort clear. “I never realized it before. I always blamed the fact that I worked, that my job was dangerous, that Amy couldn’t handle it. I guess I was partially to blame.”
She brushed her hand over his scruffy cheek. “I like it,” she said, laughing. “But seriously, life is about changing and growing.”
“And meeting the person you love. The one who completes you.” He grasped her wrist, rubbing his thumb over the pulse point she knew was jumping at his touch. At his words. At the idea of them. “You do that for me, Talia Shaw. I think I’ve been waiting for you all along.”
She smiled wide. “Well, I promise you, I’m going to make it worth the wait.”