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  “Well, I thought about leaving immediately,” she said. “Now I’m thinking I want to stick around until this is done.”

  “If it’s done,” he said. “I can’t guarantee a quick resolution.”

  “Well, you’ll have to,” she said. “I can stay a while longer—and had planned to originally—but I still have to go home eventually.”

  “Is New York home?”

  “It is, until I’m done with my education,” she said. “These internships are hard to get. At least the ones I wanted,” she said. “So I want to make sure I get the best value I can.”

  “Understood,” he said, smiling. “Who would have thought you’d end up being a doctor?”

  “Me,” she said, with a bright laugh. “Being here has been great, and, in many ways, I owe everybody here so much. But it was also a dream, once I realized what Bullard was doing for all the people here.”

  “Got it,” he said. “Lots of hospitals around here could use your services.”

  “Maybe that’s where I’ll end up,” she said lightly. “I just don’t know yet.”

  “Good point.” At that, he seemed to settle back slightly.

  She watched as he then got up and carried his plate to the sink. “So what are we doing about us?” she asked, watching him carefully.

  He froze, rinsed his dishes, and put them into the dishwasher. He then turned and looked at her and said, “There is no us.”

  She smiled at that. “You know what? I never took you for a liar.”

  He just glared at her.

  “Come on. Anybody can see what’s between us,” she said. “I get it. When I was here before and I was younger, it was all about making sure you didn’t cross those lines, or whatever it was that mattered to you. But now we’re both adults, and Uncle Dave already knows how I feel. And I think everybody knows how you feel.”

  He’s stiffened at that but didn’t say a word.

  “Again, back to that denial. And again, I get it. And I was prepared, I thought, to just leave once more, without bringing it up, but I’ve changed my mind.”

  “What changed your mind?”

  “You,” she said cheerfully. “I decided I didn’t want to spend another year wondering if something between us was worth pursuing.”

  He sat down with a hard thump and stared at her.

  She reached across, grabbed his hand, and said, “At least be honest with me.”

  “Honesty leads to trouble,” he said, his voice thick.

  “It can also lead to good things,” she said. “In our case, we would need honesty because of the way we’ve both spent our lifetimes. It’s the only thing that would work for us.”

  “But you’re leaving,” he said.

  She laughed at that. “And you’ll be leaving too. On again, off again, at least,” she said. “So that’s really no different.”

  He frowned at that.

  “I know. You’re trying to get all the details out of the way, as an argument,” she said. “But I’m not listening to the arguments.”

  “Why not?” he asked in confusion.

  At that, she burst out laughing. “Because,” she said, “obviously I see things a little more clearly than you do.”

  “In what way?” he asked, wary. Backing away from the conversation, as so many men did.

  “Because we both care,” she said. “We’ve both avoided a relationship, trying not to upset the status quo, but the status quo no longer applies.”

  “It applies even more right now,” he said, “because of all the chaos that’s going on.”

  “There is no chaos, Fallon,” she said. “Call it what it is—loneliness, loss, and a horrible sense of grief.”

  He frowned at that.

  “I’m not trying to fill that void,” she said, “and I’m not trying to preempt anything, no matter what comes of the search for Bullard. What I’m trying to tell you is that I’ve waited long enough. And it’s up to you if you want to take that next step or not. Me, well, you now know how I feel. So what I want from you is honesty as to how you feel.”

  He opened his mouth and closed it again.

  “I get that it’s all about honor. It’s all about respect and looking after me, as part of the family. But sometimes things happen beyond our control, and this connection we have is one of those things. We’ve both stomped a lid down on our feelings for a very long time. I’m not prepared to do that any longer, so just tell me how you feel.”

  “And what if it changes everything?”

  She looked at him in surprise. “It will change everything,” she said. “If it’s a no, then I probably won’t come back here for a while. It will give me time to adjust and to become completely blasé about seeing you again. In the meantime, I’ll be fine. But, if it’s a yes, of course it will change everything—and for the better. Because everybody around us will feel much happier that we finally got it together.”

  At that, she laughed. “So, what do you have to say?”

  *

  Fallon stared at her, shocked. But inside was a certain amount of relief. She watched his expression, and he saw the knowing settling in. “Yes, there’s something between us,” he said cautiously. “But that doesn’t mean it’s something we should move forward on.”

  She chuckled. “Any reason why not? And how long were you planning on waiting?”

  He stared off in the distance and then shrugged. “I didn’t give it a time limit,” he said. “I just put it off the table as not being a good idea, and I tend to listen to my own advice.”

  “You’ve always been a very black-and-white kind of guy,” she said. “Isn’t it time to shift that a little?”

  “It’s held me in good stead,” he said. “So why would I?”

  “Because you’re alone, you’re lonely.”

  “I didn’t say that,” he rejected immediately.

  But he knew that, no matter what he said, she wasn’t listening. She had her own idea of how this was supposed to play out. “Besides, what do you see us doing?” he asked. “Do you really think your uncle will be happy?”

  “He already knows how I feel,” she said, with a smile. “So, yes, I think he would be happy. Happy that we finally made a decision to test the water.”

  “And if it doesn’t work out? How would that be a good thing for anybody?”

  “Do you only go forward if you have a guarantee of success?”

  He frowned, uncomfortable with that question. “I generally only go in the direction that looks successful.”

  “Years ago, that might have been the direction you followed,” she said gently. “But it hardly applies today.”

  He wasn’t quite ready to give up his position though.

  She sighed. “I get it. You’re scared.”

  “I’m not scared,” he protested immediately.

  She smirked. “Okay, maybe that’s not quite the right word I should have used. I get that you’re uneasy and that you don’t want to cause trouble here within the family, but that doesn’t have to happen.”

  “Well, if all goes well,” he said, “it won’t. But the minute there’s any kind of an issue, you can bet I’ll be the bad guy, and I’ll have to find a new job. And I’m not really prepared to do that.”

  “Interesting,” she said, with a nod. “I can see how that would work for you.”

  “But?” he challenged.

  “Well, that doesn’t really work for me anymore. I’ll be going back to New York for a while. I may decide to come here to Africa on a permanent basis. I’m not sure yet. The bottom line is that you and I have unfinished business, and I would like to see where it goes.” With that, she turned and headed toward the open doorway. “So I guess you have a decision to make.”

  “It’s not like you’re giving me any decision time,” he said, swearing lightly.

  “Since when do you need time to make this kind of a decision?” she asked, with a smile.

  He shrugged, but he kept his hands in his pockets. Because he knew, if h
e moved them, he would grab her in his arms and hold her close.

  She reached out her hand and said, “We could solve one thing right now.”

  “And what’s that?” he asked, looking at her hand as if it was a viper.

  She stepped forward again. “Whether there’s anything to follow up on.”

  “That’s not an answer,” he said. “We already know something’s there.” He was deliberately holding back.

  “And you also know,” she said gently, “that we’ll go up in flames the minute we take that step.”

  “So why would we do that?” he asked curiously.

  She looked at him. “Are you for real?”

  “Of course I’m for real,” he said. “I don’t like being mocked.”

  “I’m not mocking you,” she said. “I guess I’m struggling with that sense of honor that’s keeping you over there and me over here.”

  He struggled for a long moment and felt his inner resolve weakening. He closed his eyes and worked on his control, and, when he opened them again, she stood right in front of him, staring up expectantly. He could smell the fresh scent of her shampoo or whatever she used on her face. It was soft, feminine, and he could also sense the same pheromones he was struggling with. “Just because we want to doesn’t mean it’s something we should do,” he said, as he fell back on the same old argument.

  “No,” she said, with a smile. “But it’s something that’s well past time.” She wound her arms on his neck and pressed her long slim form against him. “Like I said, you have a decision to make.”

  “I can’t make a decision when you’re this close,” he groaned.

  “Good,” she said. “That means you’ll make the decision I want.” And, with that, she stretched up on her tippy toes and kissed him.

  Chapter 10

  Who knew it would be so hard to get this man, who clung to his honor and his family life, the family he’d never had, to give up the tiniest little bit of control? But the minute her lips touched his, it was like an elastic band pulled too tight had snapped, and his arms anchored around her. She was lifted and slammed against the wall behind them, and she loved it; she reveled in each stroke of his hands, as if he couldn’t get enough of her. His lips came down, hard and deep. Then he lifted her slightly and changed position, only to come down in a possessively drugging kiss that she’d never experienced before.

  It took several moments before he finally gentled his body, pinning her in place, both of them needy and out of control. She moaned, as the passion ripped through her, sending her blood pressure boiling. She stretched up, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck, on her tiptoes, as she pressed hard against the ridge in his pants.

  He pulled his head back, gasping for air. She dragged him back down again for another deep kiss. When he pulled back the next time, his voice was thick. “You’re playing with fire.”

  “I don’t care,” she muttered. “Let’s go now.”

  And in a move that she never would have expected from Fallon, he swooped down and picked her up. As if she were a small child, he carried her to the stairway. She kept kissing him, her hands moving over his body, his chest, and his cheeks. She’d been wanting to explore every inch of him for so damn long, she couldn’t believe that finally they were there.

  At her bedroom, she leaned over and opened up the door. As soon as they were inside, she slammed it behind them.

  “Great way to let everybody else know,” he muttered.

  She searched his face, hoping he wasn’t having second thoughts. “Quinn knows,” she said gently.

  He nodded. “Does anybody not know?”

  “I don’t know, and I don’t care,” she said. As soon as they got to her bed, he went to lay her down, but she wrapped her thighs around his hips, bringing him down with her.

  He bowed his head against her forehead and said, “I need a moment to at least get my boots off.”

  She slowly released him, afraid that he would walk away from her, even now.

  As she watched him kick off his boots, and his hands quickly stripped off his belt and jeans, she hopped to her feet and stripped off her own clothes, beating him in seconds.

  He stared at her, his breath catching in the back of his throat, his gaze heated and dark. But she opened her arms, and he took a step forward into them.

  She saw that he was warring with that part of him that had resisted for so long, and she shook her head and said, “No, come on. Now.”

  “Are you always so demanding?” he asked, with a quirk of his lips.

  “If you even think about backing away right now,” she said. “You have no idea how much more demanding I’ll become.”

  Muffled laughter escaped, but his lips were pressed tight against hers, so it was a sound more like a gargle between them. When their bodies came together, she felt the heat of his flesh; she shuddered and moaned, twisting sinuously against him, looking for every inch of contact she could get. They collapsed flat onto the bed atop the blankets, not having even a chance to pull them back. She wrapped her arms and thighs around him to hold him close.

  He was already seated at the heart of her.

  She wiggled beneath him, and he reared back and said, “Don’t do that.”

  “Yeah,” she said, with a smile. “Why not?”

  He glared at her and slid his fingers into the curls at the apex of her thighs. She cried out, her hips rising against his fingers. “For the same reason you react to this,” he muttered, lowering his head to kiss her navel. She twisted beneath him, her hands stroking his hair.

  “You won’t do too much of that either,” she muttered.

  “And yet,” he said, “I’ve always believed in ladies first.”

  She groaned. “I just want you inside me,” she pleaded.

  “All in good time,” he whispered.

  “No. I’ve waited too long already.”

  He chuckled, but then her hand slid down, as she twisted to find him. When she grasped him in her long fingers, he groaned and shuddered, trying to pull away from her hand.

  She shook her head and said, “Oh no, you don’t.”

  At that, something snapped. He surged up, and she fell flat, her arms and thighs wide, accepting. In one plunge, he entered her right to the hilt.

  She arched underneath him, crying out.

  He went immediately still. “Oh God,” he said. “Did I hurt you?”

  “You’ll hurt me now,” she said, “if you don’t finish what you started.” She reached up and gently smacked him.

  He chuckled and moved ever-so-slowly, but it was too damn slow for her. She lifted her hips up against him, again and again and again, as he plowed forward, the tempo getting faster and faster, until she collapsed back, completely overcome, her body taken through a tempest of a storm that he was in command of.

  With sure footing, he drove her right to the edge and tossed her over, following right behind.

  She remained underneath him, her arms holding his still-shuddering body, considering all these feelings. Gladness, happiness, gratitude? She wasn’t even sure what she felt anymore; she was so overcome. To think that she’d waited this long, she buried her face against his neck and just hung on tight. He squeezed her gently and then shifted his position, so he wasn’t quite on top of her.

  She protested sleepily, but he shook his head. “I’m too heavy,” he said, as he pulled her up tight against his side.

  She snuggled in close, when he whispered, “Now will you sleep?”

  She leaned up, kissed him gently, and said, “For a little bit and then I’ll be back for more.”

  He groaned and said, “You’ll kill me, if you are.”

  “As long as it’s with happiness,” she murmured and closed her eyes and slept.

  *

  Fallon cuddled this very special woman in his arms, realizing he had turned a corner. A corner he hadn’t even seen coming. When he had first arrived, his mind had been completely focused on Bullard, and he hadn’t even considered th
at Linny might have been here. And now? Now it was like his entire world had just shifted. He checked in with himself, checked in on the old programming, which he had used to keep his distance all these years. Then he thought about all the arguments she had used to get them here and how much courage it had taken her. It fit with what he knew of her.

  He’d long admired the woman she had become, yet realized that he hadn’t been the one to step up, to see that his program was old, and that it was time to change it. She had done that. It was an interesting thought. Would Dave really mind? Not if Fallon treated her well.

  Dave had survived a heavy loss after his wife and daughter died, and he had adored his niece. She’d been very special to everybody. Would anybody else have an issue with this? Fallon realized that, even if anyone else did, it wasn’t his problem. His job was to make sure that he looked after Linny as well as he could, regardless of the reactions of others. For the first time, he acknowledged that could mean changing jobs.

  Not something he wanted to do because he really loved the team and the family here. This kind of explained why he had protested and had held out for so long, but, at the same time, it also made sense that the both of them were together. Now they’d taken that irrevocable step. It was what it was, and he couldn’t change that.

  Her hand patted his cheek. She murmured, “Stop thinking so loud.”

  He chuckled, pulled her closer, and whispered, “How can I not?”

  “You’re worrying,” she murmured. “Let it be. It’s all good.”

  He wasn’t so sure he agreed with that, but he was willing to see where it went. “It could change everything,” he said.

  “Or it could change nothing,” she whispered. She wrapped her arms tighter around him and, with a hug, said, “Trust in us.”

  At that, he realized that’s really what it came down to. He had to trust that what they had was something special. That who they were together was something that would trump anything else. He had to decide where she appeared on his priority list, but he already knew. She came in at the top. As long as she had been on the back burner, he could carry on with everything else and think of her as being from another time, another place. But now that she was on the front burner, well, everything had shifted. She was now his priority. “I could get a job in New York,” he said. He immediately felt her freeze in his arms.