I couldn’t believe the words I’d just heard him say. I wasn’t sure how to respond. I knew I’d fallen for him weeks ago, but never gave a second thought to anything between us lasting beyond the tour; it seemed unrealistic.

“Say something,” he whispered, still holding my hands in his.

“I don’t know what to say,” I whispered, wanting to confess my love for him back, but still reeling from the deceit our relationship had been based on.

As his head fell, I could see he was disappointed, and I strained to get out what I wanted him to know, now that we were laying everything out there.

“I wanted to tell you everything sooner. I knew that going undercover was a bad idea, and I couldn’t say no,” he said.

“My dad must be paying you pretty well,” I replied sarcastically.

“It’s not about the money. It was never about the money. I told you, the moment I saw you, the moment we met, I was hooked. That was true. I knew that this would end terribly, but I’m selfish, and I couldn’t resist being with you, Miranda. I’ve never been pulled to anyone the way I am to you, and I’d do anything to make you understand that,” he almost pleaded with me. “I’ve arranged for someone else to finish out the tour with you when we get to San Francisco. I understand if you don’t feel the same way that I do, but I’m still going to keep you safe until my guy takes my place.” He hung his head again, slumping his shoulders as he straddled the bench next to me.

As angry and hurt as I was, I didn’t want him to leave the tour. “I love you too,” I leaned toward him and whispered quickly, before leaning back.

“What?” His head rose as his face regained some of the color it had lost.

Taking in a deep breath, I repeatedly more loudly, “I said… I love you too.” It felt like ripping a Band-Aid off. It was freeing to say it out loud, confessing my deep dark secret to him. We’d shared our bodies, but we’d also shared plenty of moments over the last several weeks, enjoying each other’s company genuinely, outside of the lies.

Grabbing my face in his hands, he pulled me in for a kiss. I sank into him, feeling his relief as he swept his tongue over mine, the butterflies of my emotions fluttering through me. Instinctively, I brought my hands to his chest, softly caressing his hardened muscles through his tight t-shirt.

Pulling away, he placed his hands over mine, moving them to his heart. “I will do whatever it takes to earn your trust back. I know that this is a shock, but you have to know that my feelings for you, and my desire to keep you safe no matter what, are true.”

As I felt his heart race under my fingers, a smile formed on my lips. “I understand,” I whispered.

“Baby, I love you,” he said, flashing his charming grin at me. “It feels so fucking good to say that.”

I couldn’t help but giggle, pulling my hands back and dropping my face into them. “I can’t even believe this is real life,” I said, still giggling and peeking back at him.

“Oh, it’s real life, baby,” he chuckled. “And now that the cat’s out of the bag, I can kiss you anytime I want. That’s how this works.”

“Oh, is it now?” I laughed, leaning toward him.

“It is indeed,” he replied, pulling me into him for another kiss. Nothing had changed the way he made me feel with his touch. While it would take some getting used to, him not being a writer, and us being out in the open, he still gave me the chills when he took me in his arms, and I was happy I didn’t have to give that up.

“So, what now?” I took a sip of my margarita.

“What do you mean?” he asked, gesturing to the waitress, indicating he needed a drink.

“Well, we’re in love apparently, so there’s that...” I said, blushing.

“Yes, we are. Basically, that means you’re mine, and nobody else can have you ever again,” he smirked.

“Oh, okay. I’m glad we got that cleared up.” I laughed and rolled my eyes at him.

“Well, that’s pretty important. Other than that, it means you’re okay with having security now, and I’m going to keep doing my job without having to hide it from you,” he said, almost sternly.

“You know I don’t want security,” I replied, even though I knew I needed it at that point.

“Yea, you’ve made that pretty clear to everyone. And no one, myself included, agrees with you. So, you’re going to have security, and I’m going to add another guy when we get to San Francisco. One of my guys, Caleb, is going to finish out the tour with us,” he said.

“So, I find out today that you’re actually my bodyguard, and now you’re telling me we need two of you?” I asked sarcastically.

“Yea, that pretty much sums it up,” he grinned.

“Ugh, I don’t like that. It makes me feel like an elitist,” I replied. Having all this security staff all of a sudden made me feel like I was treating myself like I was too good to just be normal.

“It’s not. It’s a matter of your safety. I may have been wrong about the guy on the bus, but someone was on that bus, and left you a note, in your lipstick on your mirror. This guy is getting closer and more ballsy, and while I think he’ll slip up eventually, we are not taking chances anymore. I love you, and I’m going to protect you, Miranda,” he said in an exasperated tone.

“Okay.” I nodded. I knew he was right; I just hated that I was wrong for so long.

“Okay? You’re not going to fight me on this anymore?” he asked, shock written all over his face.

“Nope. I’m going to let you protect me.” I smiled a sly, tight-lipped smile at him.

“Sweet Jesus, hallelujah. Can I get you to say that again on tape or something so I can show it to your dad and Carmen?” He laughed at me.

“You can shut the fuck up because I wouldn’t get too cocky about being right. It won’t happen that often, so enjoy it,” I teased him.

“Yes, Your Majesty.” He winked at me before leaning in for a sweet little smooch.

As shocked as I was by the events of the day, there was also a sense of relief that washed over me. It felt like a clean slate had been offered up, and at the end of the day, your heart will tell you what’s cool and what’s not. And my heart wanted to be with him, and finally accept that I wasn’t always right - even if I wasn’t going to admit that part very often.

We spent that afternoon sharing a few cocktails, and he answered my questions about who he was honestly. He told me of his time in the military, of his veteran friends he’d started his security company with, and how he came to end up on my tour. He answered thoughtfully all afternoon, and after we watched the sunset on the beach together, we returned to the hotel, hand in hand.