White Lies (26 page)

           
 
"What time is it?"

           
 
"Almost nine."

           
 
"It can't be. It's still daylight."

           
 
"Nine in the morning," he explained
patiently. "Come on, get up." He lifted her to a sitting position,
and the covers fell to her waist, exposing her bare body. Quickly Jay grabbed
the sheet and pulled it over her breasts; she couldn't meet his eyes as a flush
chased the pallor from her face.

           
 
His face was expressionless as he got to his
feet and unbuttoned his shirt.

           
 
"Here, put this on. I packed your clothes
and brought them with me, but they're all tumbled together in the
suitcases."

           
 
She took his shut, still warm from his body,
and pulled it around her. Without another word she got up and went into the
bathroom, firmly closing the door behind her. She started to lock it, but
decided not to waste her tune. Locks weren't much good against him.

           
 
Five minutes later she felt much more alert,
having followed his advice and splashed cold water on her face. She was very
thirsty, after having gone so long without anything to drink, so she drank
several cups of water. She would have felt more secure if she'd had on
something more than just his shirt, but it almost swallowed her. His scent was
on the fabric. She lifted it to her face and inhaled deeply, then let it drop
and left the security of the bathroom.

           
 
He was lying on the bed. She stopped in her
tracks. "I thought you were going to make coffee."

           
 
"You don't have any." He got to his
feet, put his hands on her shoulders and shook her. "Damn you," he
said in a shaking voice. "I went through hell when I found out you hadn't
called Frank. Why did you run? Why did you come back here?"

           
 
Her hair had fallen over her face. "I
didn't have anyplace else to go," she said, and her voice cracked.

           
 
He yanked her into his arms, reaching up
behind her back to lock his fist in her hair and hold her head back. "Did
you really think I'd let you get away from me that easily?" he all but
snarled.

           
 
"Was what I did so bad?" she
pleaded. "I didn't know any other way to protect you! When I saw your
eyes, I knew you had to be the agent Frank had told me had been killed, and I
knew he'd gone to an awful lot of trouble to hide you, so you had to be in
danger. You had amnesia. You didn't even know who was after you! Keeping the
lie going was the only way I had of keeping you safe!" The yellowish eyes
glittered. "Why should you care?"

           
 
"Because I was in love with you! Or did
you think that was a lie, too?" His touch gentled. "No," he said
quietly. "I think I've always known you loved me, right from the
start."

           
 
Tears leaked from the corners of her eyes.
"The first time I touched you," she whispered, "I felt how warm
you were, and how hard you were fighting to stay alive. I started loving you
then."

           
 
"Then why did you run?"

           
 
He was relentless, but then, she had always
known that. "Because it was over. You didn't want me. I'd been terrified
of what you would do when you found out. I was afraid you'd send me away, and
you did. So I left."

           
 
"I only wanted you away from the danger,
damn it! I didn't intend for you to go two thousand miles!" He picked her
up and dropped her on the bed, then followed her down. "No excuses this
time. We're going to get married as soon as we can legally do it."

           
 
She was as stunned as she had been the first
time he'd mentioned marriage.

           
 
"W-what?" she stammered.

           
 
"You told me to ask you again when I'd
regained my memory. Well, I have. We're getting married."

           
 
All she could say was, "That's not
asking, that's telling."

           
 
"It'll do." He began unbuttoning his
shirt, uncovering her breasts.

           
 
"Is it because you think you owe me—"

           
 
His head jerked up, those eyes fierce and
wild. "I love you so much I'm out of my head with it."

           
 
She was stunned again. "You never said. I
thought— but then you made me leave..."

           
 
"I didn't think I could have made it any
plainer how I felt," he growled. Very simply she said, "Do you need
the words?"

           
 
That stopped him. "I need the words very
much."

           
 
"So do I."

           
 
He bent his head and kissed her, his hand
stroking her bare body beneath the shirt. His muscled legs moved against hers,
and she felt his hardness against her thigh. "I love you, Jay
Granger."

           
 
The sun was exploding inside her, lighting her
eyes. "I love you, Lucas Stone."

           
 
At last she could speak his name with love.

           
 
"Is Piggot really dead?"

           
 
"He's really dead." Lucas watched
her face carefully across the breakfast table. He had gone out and bought the
necessary groceries, and they had both eaten as if they were starved, which
they had been. He hadn't been interested in food before, either. Finding Jay
and getting her back where she belonged had been far more important. "I
finished the job.' The truth wasn't pretty, but she had a right to know that
about the man she was going to marry.

           
 
She sipped at the hot coffee, then lifted
those incredible dark blue eyes to his. "I'm glad he's dead," she
said fiercely. "He tried to kill you."

           
 
"And came damn close to succeeding."

           
 
She shuddered, thinking of the days when his
life had hung in the balance, and he reached for her hand. "Hey,
sweetheart. It's over. That part is really over. This part—" he squeezed
her hand "—is just getting started—if you're sure you can stand looking at
this face over the breakfast table."

           
 
The smile broke over her face like sunshine.
"Well, you're not good-looking, but you sure are sexy."

           
 
With a growl he grabbed for her, dragging her
around the table and onto his lap. Her arms went around him even as he tilted
her face up for his kiss. "By the way, I'm not an agent."

           
 
She jerked back, startled. "What?"

           
 
"Not any longer. I'm officially retired,
as of yesterday. Sabin took me out of it. Once my cover was blown, there was no
way I could go back without endangering my family. I've really been out of it
since the explosion, but Sabin didn't make it official until Piggot was
caught."

           
 
"Then I guess we'll both have to hunt for
a job." He was retired! She felt like chanting hosannas. She wouldn't have
to worry every time he walked out the door that she'd never see him again.

           
 
He rubbed his thumb over her bottom lip.
"I already have a job, baby. I'm a businessman, in partnership with my
brother in an engineering firm. I traveled all over the world. It was a good
cover for the work I was doing for Sabin. Speaking of my brother, by now Sabin
will have gotten the news to them that a mistake was made in identifying the
victims of the explosion and I'm still alive. This is going to be a bad shock
to them, especially my parents."

           
 
"You mean a good shock."

           
 
"It'll be a shock, of whatever nature.
Given the changes in my face and voice, they may have trouble adjusting."

           
 
"And you're bringing a strange woman into
the family," she said, concern darkening her eyes.

           
 
"Oh, that. Don't worry about that. Mom
has been after me for years to settle down. It wasn't an option I had before,
but that's changed." He gave her a raffish grin. "I'd already decided
to retire, anyway, so I could spend my time keeping you satisfied."

           
 
He certainly did that. Jay put her head on his
shoulder, absorbing his warmth and nearness. His arms tightened. "I love
you," he said steadily.

           
 
"I love you, Lucas Stone." She would
never tire of saying it, and he would never tire of hearing it.

           
 
He stood up with her in his arms. "Let's
go make a phone call. I want to talk to my folks and let them know they're
getting a daughter-in-law." They did make the phone call, but not right
away. First he kissed her, and when he lifted his head the expression in his
eyes had intensified. He carried her into the bedroom, and then the mirror on
the wall reflected the true image of two people entwined as they loved each
other.