Moving Target (31 page)

She and Jenn had been assigned a new Inspector Marshal because they'd decided to relocate to the South. Instead of feeling depressed about leaving her city again, she felt numb. Maybe because she didn't know what was going to happen to her and Daniel.

No, she did.

Now she realized they had been swept up in the moment, that he couldn't give up his career for her and she wouldn't want that.

They would have to part ways, and it was going to hurt more than she could begin to imagine. He'd been gone for two days, and she wondered if he was also having a hard time with the fact that they had to say goodbye.

Ani glanced up at Jenn and Brian and her heart broke a little more for them. A deep ache settled in her chest because her sister was losing everything. Again.

They both were.

Jenn openly cried as she faced Brian. They were gripping each other's hands. Even Brian seemed to struggle with his emotions, his eyes glazed with the hint of tears.

"I'm so sorry, Jenn." He bowed his head before looking up at her again and meeting her gaze. "I can't leave my family, my friends, my life. I love you more than you can imagine." He looked down again. "I thought I could do it, but I can't."

Jenn straightened and took one of her hands from Brian's to rub it against her eyes as he looked at her again. "I understand." Her voice came out rough from crying. "When I chose to go into WITSEC with my sister, I knew this could happen. But it doesn't make it any easier."

"I know, baby." He released her other hand and captured her face in his palms, then leaned forward and kissed her forehead. When he drew back he brushed her tears away with his thumbs. "This is killing me."

"I'm so sorry." She hiccupped and clasped her hands over his before drawing them away from her face.

"Hey." He took both of her hands again and gripped them between himself and Jenn. "I'll never regret what you and I have. You'll always be in my heart." His voice sounded like he was trying hard not to cry, too. "I just wish I could keep you here with me. But I can't and we both know that."

Jenn gave a slow nod and sniffed. "You'd better go."

Ani's chest ached even more as she watched them, and tears filled her own eyes. She got up and grabbed a box of tissues off an end table before handing the box to her sister. Jenn released Brian's hands again and clutched the tissue box against her belly.

"I'm sorry," he said again as he got to his feet. "I love you, Jenn."

She broke into further sobs as she looked down at her lap before looking up at him again. "Goodbye, Brian."

A single tear trickled down his cheek but he didn't bother to wipe it away. His chest rose as he sucked in his breath before letting it out in a loud exhale. He turned and walked to the Deputy Marshal waiting in the room who escorted him out.

As soon as the door closed behind him, Jenn totally broke down. She buried her face in her hands and her body shook with the force of her sobs.

Tears streamed freely down Ani's face as she went to her sister and embraced her. Ani stroked Jenn's hair, but said nothing as her sister cried her heart out.

Ani knew then she could never expect Daniel to give up his life to be with her. She wouldn't want to do that to him.

Couldn't do that to him. The sooner she returned to the program, the better. She and her sister would go together this time. And somehow they'd make it.

Needing to get away from New York and her memories of Brian, Jenn had insisted on leaving the city to their new destination, their new home. She'd been accompanied by the Deputy Marshal who was the Inspector for the area they were moving to.

Gary McNeal had told Ani that Daniel would be back the day following Jenn's departure. Ani would have gone with her sister, but she had to see Daniel one last time.

Ani was alone in the sitting room of the suite, the Deputy Marshals guarding the door from the outside. They'd left her alone, giving her some time to herself. Right now Ani was glad for that. She needed to think.

A clicking sound came from the door as someone turned the knob. Ani tensed.

The door opened and Daniel was suddenly in the doorway, his big frame filling the space as he looked at her. She didn't move when he closed the door behind him and then just studied her for a long moment.

She stood but didn't go to him. This was it. This was his goodbye.

"Jenn and Brian said goodbye." Ani felt stiff as she looked at Daniel. "He's not going into the program with her."

Daniel scrubbed his hand over his face. "I'd hoped he would."

Ani's shoulders sagged. "Me, too."

The conversation felt tense and formal and Ani just wanted to run into the bedroom and separate herself from Daniel behind a closed door.

But he strode toward her and before she could take a breath he had his arms wrapped around her, holding her tight to his chest. At first she felt stiff in his embrace, but then her body relaxed and she sank into him. He smelled so good as she inhaled his earthy, masculine scent. And he felt so right.

"It's going to be okay, honey," he said against her hair. "It'll take some time, but Jenn will find someone."

"That kind of heartbreak doesn't mend easily." Ani's throat felt thick as she spoke. She placed her hands on his chest, pushed away, and looked up at him. "Sometimes you know that no one can replace the person you love, and your heart will never be the same."

Daniel frowned and wrapped his fingers in her dark curls. "What are you saying, Ani?"

She glanced down at her bare toes before looking up at Daniel again. "You and I—we have to say goodbye now. I don't know how I'm going to get over you. I don't think I ever will."

For a long moment he studied her before shoving his hand into his front jeans pocket. He drew out something that glittered in the room's dim lighting.

When he brought it up, he took her left hand and slipped something on her ring finger. Stunned, barely able to breathe, Ani looked down at her hand to see a beautiful stone that sparkled so brilliantly she had to blink before looking at it again.

"It's a yellow diamond." He continued to hold her hand. "It was passed down from my great-great-grandmother."

"Yellow diamonds are rare," she said, knowing it sounded inane, but too shocked to say anything else. Her body was going hot then cold with confusion.

She looked up at him and he smiled. "Will you marry me, Anistana King—or whatever your name is now?"

She squeezed her eyes shut then opened them again. "You know I can't. WITSEC—everything."

His gaze remained steady. "What do you think of Matthews as a last name?"

Ani blinked. "Uhhh . . ."

Daniel smiled. "I'm asking you to marry me, Ani. It'll be an adjustment, but I've signed the contract, and I'm in the program with you."

Her heart beat faster. "You can't—"

"I can and I did." He settled his arms around her waist. "All you have to do is say yes."

"I don't—I mean, I can't ask—"

Daniel lowered his mouth to hers and silenced her with a sweet kiss. Long, drawn out, precious.

When he pulled away, he was smiling. "It'll take some adjusting to, but I've helped enough people through the program to know how it works."

She searched his eyes. "But your family . . ."

"After being with the Service for so long I know how to get around without being found." He gripped her tighter around the waist. "I've said my goodbyes to my brothers and Dad. Yeah, it wasn't easy, but they understand that you mean more than anything to me." He placed his forehead against hers. "I won't let you go, Ani."

She squeezed her eyes shut. Her heart was beating hard enough that her breasts ached.

Daniel kissed each of her eyelids. "Now all you have to do is say yes."

The shock of it kept her speechless. He meant it. He was really going to go with her into the program. She looked down at the stone glittering on her finger. A brilliant-cut one-carat yellow diamond nestled in a gold setting. None of this seemed real. Not the ring, not his marriage proposal, not the fact that he was willing to go into WITSEC with her.

He drew away and reached his hand up to stroke her hair and she looked at him.

"It's not that hard to say one little word, honey." His smile met his eyes. "It's simple. Say yes."

Again her throat didn't want to work. "Yes," she finally whispered as her eyes stung with tears.
"Yes."

Daniel's smile broke into a grin. He picked her up by her ass so that she was clinging to him, her thighs clenching his hips.

He kissed her hard this time and she answered just as fiercely. He tasted so good as his tongue delved into her mouth, and he showed her she belonged to him with just that kiss.

She was vaguely aware of him walking toward her bedroom, then took one of his hands from her just long enough to close the French door behind him. He settled her on the mattress, drew away, and knelt on the carpeting beside the bed.

He picked up her left hand and looked at the ring on her finger and back to her face. "Perfect," he murmured as he leaned in for another kiss. "Just like you."

Ani sighed and let him slowly strip off her clothing. His every touch was reverent and loving. He stroked her with his hands, his gaze, his mouth. She shivered with every brush of his fingers.

When she was naked, he got to his feet and she watched him with a deep, abiding hunger as he shed his clothes in just moments. He was so powerfully built, so handsome, yet so gentle and loving, too.

After finding a condom and setting it on the night-stand, Daniel eased onto the bed beside her so that they were lying face-to-face. He pillowed his head with one of his arms while he used his free hand to stroke her body. He ran his fingertips from her chin, down to her throat.

"I'd like to take another swing at that sonofabitch." He narrowed his brows as he looked at her sore neck. "Are you okay?

"

"I'm fine." She slipped her hand down to cup his balls in her palm. "Especially now."

Daniel groaned and closed his eyes as she lightly ran her hand around his powerful erection. She stroked him, teasing him by skimming her fingertips along his length and circling the head before rubbing the bead of pre-come over the slit.

With a low growl, he opened his eyes and practically attacked her as he rolled her onto her back and slid between her thighs. She laughed and held on to his biceps.

"You think torturing me is funny, do you?" A spark lit his eyes and he began moving his cock up and down her wet slit.

Slowly. Every movement meant to drive her crazy.

It was too much. Ani gave a soft moan. "Inside me, Daniel. Please."

"Your turn to be teased." He pumped his hips harder so that his erection rubbed her clit enough to make her writhe beneath him.

"Okay, okay." She moved her hands from his biceps down to grasp his muscled ass, loving the way the smooth skin over steel muscles felt beneath her hands. "I won't tease you any more." Then she added under her breath, "This time."

Apparently he chose to ignore her last threat, needing to be inside her as badly as she wanted him. It didn't take him long to sheathe his erection with the condom. She wriggled beneath him, waiting for him to enter her. He gave her one loving look before he drove his cock deep inside her core.

Ani cried out at the feel of him so deep, so thick, so filling. It felt as if it were their first time again, as if everything between them was all new. Maybe it was because this time she knew he was all hers. Forever.

He'd given up so much for her that it nearly brought tears to her eyes again just thinking about it.

Daniel braced himself above her and kept his gaze locked with hers as he moved in and out of her core, with long, deep thrusts. She didn't think he could reach any deeper as his cock rubbed against that spot inside her that made her crazy.

It wasn't long before she could no longer focus on his face. Loud moans came out of her that she couldn't have stopped if she tried. The emotions throughout the day intensified her need for him as did the feelings she was experiencing as he made love to her. Sadness she had felt with her sister and the thought of losing Daniel. Then exhilaration when she realized he was hers. And now tender lovemaking.

She clenched her fingers deeper into his ass and tossed her head from side to side. Her whole body vibrated and she felt the depth of the oncoming orgasm throughout every limb, every part of her being, from her head to her toes. It was almost like an aura of sensation surrounded her.

Ani's orgasm grew and grew until she didn't think she could take any more. Knew she couldn't. A cry built up in her throat.

The force of her climax hit hard and strong and she released the cry as her body was enveloped in heat. The aura of sensation rained down on her, seeping into her every pore.

She tingled everywhere and her abdomen clenched as she bucked against his hips. Her channel clamped down on him with every thrust he made. She was exhausted from the force of her orgasm, but found her energy rising again when she met his gaze and he continued to pound in and out of her.

Daniel could barely hold himself from coming as he felt Ani's pussy grip his cock like a fist. Sweat broke out on his brow from the force of his restraint, and he clenched his teeth.

It felt so good being inside this woman he loved. He would gladly do anything in the world for her. She meant everything to him.

Again and again he thrust his cock inside Ani until he knew he couldn't take it any longer. He tipped his head back and shouted as his orgasm burst throughout him. It felt like he'd just exploded and he damn near blacked out.

Still buried inside her, Daniel dropped and barely kept from crushing Ani beneath him. He rolled onto his side, holding her tight to him as his cock still pulsed inside her. His breathing was hard and labored, his chest rising and falling against hers.

When he could breathe and see clearly again, he drew apart just enough that he could see her face, but still gripped her hip and held her close. Her dark hair was tousled, her skin flushed, her lips swollen, and her blue eyes heavy lidded and dark with her desire. He drew in a deep breath, taking in her sweet scent mixed with the smell of sex. His hair was damp around his temples.