Chapter Nineteen

Two Weeks Later

Jemma woke to the wonderful sensation of Hayes’ mouth on hers. He hadn’t gone in for a mere waking peck but a kiss that was slow, deep, and scalding hot.

His specialty.

And thankfully, he hadn’t been stingy with that specialty in the two weeks that’d followed their trip through hell and back. Jemma didn’t focus on the hell part. Only the back, only the here and now.

Only these amazing wake-up kisses.

She opened her eyes and smiled. Then, frowned. Because Hayes was dressed in his dark camo pants and black tee. His usual work clothes and something that’d been lacking from his wardrobe during the two weeks when they’d taken some shared downtime to recover. To process.

To heal.

Part of that healing had involved hours of sleep. And kissing. And sex. Lots of all three which was why his bed had become sort of her haven. But then, that haven only existed when Hayes was in it with her.

She groaned. “Are you going on an op?” she asked, and then she got an even worse thought. “Or has there been another murder?”

He smiled in only that sexy way that was pure Hayes. “No to both. I had a video meeting with Owen, and I figured it was best if I weren’t naked for that.”

Now, she smiled. “Well, if you’re not working…”

She pulled him down for another long kiss. The heat came. Mercy, did it. And she might have escalated things a whole lot more if something hadn’t popped into her mind.

“Was the meeting with Owen about police business?” she asked.

He nodded, getting her complete attention. Just because she was on a leave of absence, it didn’t mean she didn’t want to be kept in the loop. Yes, the killer had been caught and was dead, but there were still plenty of follow-up hoops that had to be jumped through.

“I’m no longer a deputy,” Hayes said, doing the smile thing yet again. “I’m back to being a Strike Force operative.”

Judging from his expression, he was pleased about that. So was she. While Jemma loved the badge, she knew that Hayes wasn’t a blue blood at heart. His heart was with Strike Force.

“Owen managed to hire three new deputies, all veteran cops with plenty of experience,” Hayes explained. “You probably know two of them since they were raised here in Outlaw Ridge. Callie Brandon and Lexa Mullen.”

She did indeed know them. Callie had even dated Jemma's brother, Nico, back when they had been in high school. Callie and Lexa had left shortly after graduating and then had both become cops in San Antonio.

“Owen must have offered them a bundle to lure them back home,” she commented.

Hayes shrugged. “Owen can be persuasive.”

Yes, he could be. And efficient. In two weeks, he’d managed to get the repairs done on the police station and add gobs of much more modern equipment. Now, he was on a hiring spree to bring in deputies, techs, and other support staff.

“Did Owen find a replacement for sheriff yet?” she asked.

“No. He’s still looking, and Ruby’s helping him with that.”

Jemma didn’t doubt that. Ruby was probably anxious to have Owen’s and her lives as back to normal as they could get.

“Owen also mentioned that all the paperwork on Cordelia has been processed,” Hayes went on. “As expected, she’s been charged with murder.” He paused, still studying her. “How’s your dad handling that?”

“Better than I expected.” Jemma had had a long conversation with him just the night before when he’d come to Hayes’ for dinner. It might be a while before the Rattler was back in true form, but he was getting there.

So was the town.

Of course, Outlaw Ridge would never fully recover from the massacre that’d taken place, but Owen was helping everyone find their new normal.

Jemma was doing the same thing.

And her new normal included Hayes. Or rather she hoped it did. She wanted him in her life for…well, forever. But she hadn’t quite managed to find a way to broach that particular subject. Or that pesky l-word stuff. She was hopefully, desperately in love with him, but that likely wouldn’t be something he’d want to hear.

“Come on,” he said, taking her by the hand and easing her out of the bed.

This, too, was part of their morning routine. Minus the sex, that is. He woke her with kisses, sex, and then coffee and breakfast. Actual cooked breakfast that he made himself. Apparently, he wasn’t just a hot, sexy face but a decent cook as well.

Also as part of their routine, she was wearing one of his t-shirts, and she didn’t take the time to put on anything else. Hayes’ house was on the outskirts of Outlaw Ridge, far off the beaten path, and if they got any unexpected visitors, the security system would give them plenty of notice.

He led her down the stairs into the open plan living, dining, and kitchen area, but when she started toward the kitchen, he tugged her toward the other section of downstairs—to his library/den. She’d already seen it, and like the other rooms in the massive house, it was impressive with its floor-to-ceiling bookshelves and reading area furnished with leather sofas.

They stepped in, and he shut the door behind them. When he gave the “lights on” voice command to his household app, the antique-style lighting flared on from the ceiling and the stained glass lamps positioned around the room.

Jemma smiled, wondering what the heck Hayes had in mind. Whatever it was, she was pretty sure she would enjoy it. She only hoped it included more kisses and maybe some morning sex.

“Game in play,” Hayes told the app.

There was a snick of the locks on the door and a lamp on a corner desk turned on, highlighting an envelope. She had no trouble seeing what was written on it. And she laughed.

Escape Room.

Jemma was still laughing when she came up on her toes and kissed him. “Plan on recreating our first date?”

“I thought I’d give it another try. Or maybe an alternate ending.” Hayes slipped his arm around her waist and led her to the desk, motioning for her to open the envelope.

She did. Then, laughed again when she saw the small stack of index cards. The one on top said to “Kiss the host.”

So, she did. Jemma eased her hand around the back of his neck, dragging him to her for a kiss. A real one. Complete with that slam of heat and pleasure. As always, she slipped right into it and let the need flashfire through her. She would have kept kissing, kept building the heat, but he eased back from her.

Now, he was smiling. “I made some of the tasks a lot easier than the first escape room tasks,” he drawled.

“I can see that,” she muttered. “And my body is thankful for it.”

That thanks went up a whole bunch of notches when she read the next card. Kiss the host again .

“Works for me,” she said, going in for round two.

Jemma sank down on the edge of the desk, pulling him to her again, this time with his body positioned between her legs. Along with a scorching hot kiss, she also got some delicious center-to-center contact.

She groaned though when Hayes shifted to pick up the third and final card. While the game was fun, and she was getting to see a playful side of Hayes that she’d yet to see, there was an urgent need for him building inside her. Still, she picked up the card and saw the key taped to the card.

“I’m not picking the lock to get out of here,” she let him know. But then something occurred to her. “Does this key open a drawer with condoms? If not, I’ll pick the lock,” Jemma amended.

He chuckled. Kissed her. Made her body burn and her heart skip a couple of beats. “It’s a master key. It opens any and all locks in the entire house. And I want you to have it,” he added.

Her gaze connected with his, and Jemma tried to figure out if this was some kind of invitation, his way of saying she could come and go anytime she’d pleased. Or even move in with him. If so, that was a good start in that new normal she wanted with him.

But Jemma needed more.

And she needed to tell him something. It was time to bring up that huge risk of a confession.

“I’ve fallen in love with you,” she blurted.

Then, she waited. And waited. Waited some more. Hayes continued to stare at her, continued to give nothing away.

Not until that slow smile moved over his mouth.

The relief came, and Jemma might have gone limp with it, but he didn’t give her a chance. Simply put, Hayes kissed the living daylights out of her. A no-holds-barred kind of third-base kiss that was fueled with pure lust.

And more.

She realized the more a split second before he said the words that would change her life forever. “Good,” he muttered. “Because I’ve fallen in love with you, too.”

There it was. Not just the start of their lives together, but a leaping jump right into the middle of it.

He robbed her of what little breath she had left by kissing her again, and in the same motion he eased her back onto the desk. She only hoped it was sturdy enough to hold them both because without taking his mouth from hers, he climbed on as well.

Now, they were center to center again. And judging from the heat of the kiss, things were going to escalate very quickly.

Smiling and with her heart so full and on the verge of bursting, Jemma wrapped her arms and legs around him, and she held on for the wild ride.