Wedlocked?! (15 page)

When he turned back around, his expression was unreadable. “I couldn't understand at the time why you wouldn't defend yourself to me,” he said. “I loved you, and it hurt like hell that you couldn't confide in me. I convinced myself that you were guilty and too ashamed to admit what you'd done.” He shook his head slowly. “Why didn't you trust me, Annie-girl?”

She searched his face for clues as to what he was feeling. Her own emotions were tumbling over each other like laundry in a dryer—sadness, regret, righteous indignation, pain, fear and a tiny spark of something else she tried hard to ignore.

“What's the point in opening old wounds?” she asked.

“‘Until we move out of the past, the future remains a mystery,'” he recited with a crooked grin. “I read that in a fortune cookie. Pretty clever, don't you think?”

It was Annie's turn to look away. What was he trying to tell her? She wrapped her arms around her chest to control her sudden trembling. Maybe he was right and it was better to clear the air, to leave each other with a sense of closure.

“I guess it was my pride that got in the way,”
she admitted, choosing her words carefully. “My father never asked if I was taking bribes, but I know he had doubts. That hurt. When it came to you, I wanted unconditional trust, but I didn't trust you with the truth. It was unfair and I'm sorry.” Her chest burned with emotion. She hung her head as tears filled her eyes.

Cole's arms came around her and he pulled her close. “Weren't we a stubborn pair?” he mused as he tucked her head beneath his chin and stroked her hair. “Each of us wanting from the other what we were afraid to give?” He dropped a kiss on her forehead and let her go. “Do you trust me now?”

He'd faced down a man with a gun for her, she thought. How could he even ask that? “Of course I do,” she said. “You saved my life.”

Gently he wiped the tears from her cheeks. “So that means I'm responsible for it.”

“Another fortune cookie?” she asked with a wobbly smile.

He frowned thoughtfully and her heart turned over. How she loved him! “An ancient proverb, I think.” A muscle jumped in his cheek. “I need to kiss you now,” he murmured, dipping his head.

Annie never could resist him. She met him halfway, opening her mouth to his gentle insistence as she was drawn into the whirlpool of desire his touch always stirred in her. Finally he eased away, but his
face was flushed and his eyes were dark with passion.

Her knees were rubbery and her pulse had slammed into another gear. The thought of losing him again was nearly unbearable.

“Would you come to Denver with me?” he asked suddenly. His face was all angles in its intensity, the skin stretched taut.

“What are you asking?” she nearly whispered. Was he proposing?

“Move in with me, live with me. I love you, Annie. I'm not ready to lose you again. We could give it a try, see how things go.”

For a breathless moment, his words made her heart sing. He loved her! Then reality came flooding back.

“I have a business in San Antonio,” she said, despair washing over her like an icy wave. “I bought a condo.” Her objections sounded so silly, but to her they mattered. It hurt that they weren't important to him.

“And you're going to make partner at your firm.” Her voice rose. “Your life is in Denver and mine is here.”

A light came into his eyes and he gripped her arms, startling her. “Tell me how you feel,” he demanded. “Do you love me, Annie?”

“Of course I do!” She gestured wildly at her
streaming face. “Why do you think I've been crying?”

“Annie, what do you want from me?” he asked.

It was time to lay her heart on the line—and damn the consequences. “I don't want just a husband for a night, like we had at the Circle A. I don't want to play house and see how it works out. I want a future with you, a real commitment, and I want my business too. I've worked hard and I don't want to start over, not again.”

She turned away with a sense of real hopelessness. Now she'd done it. Instead of agreeing to the time he needed, she was pressuring him for more than he wanted to give, crowding him the way she'd heard that men hated.

Finally, when her heart was starting to crack from the strain of waiting, she risked a peek at him. His expression was grave, his eyes searching hers. “You're right, you have a great business here. Hell, even Ryan thinks you're the best investigator in Texas. I think I made a big mistake in asking you to come to Denver,” he said.

Annie's heart sank like a stone. Maybe she should just go with him as he had suggested, make a new start. At least this time she wouldn't be alone.

For a moment he chewed his lip thoughtfully. “Well, I wasn't going to rush you. I thought you needed more time.” He ran a hand through his hair
while Annie stared, trying to make sense of his muttering.

“All my life I've been practical, organized, cautious. I've planned ahead, I've weighed and considered every step,” he continued. “When it was necessary, I cut my losses and moved on. Now I'm ready to make a few changes.” He gripped her hand. “Take a few chances. Maybe you're ready too.”

The flutter in Annie's chest became a full-fledged churning when he sank to one knee.

“What are you doing?” she cried, hope warring with disbelief.

He looked up at her with a crooked grin. “Do you trust me enough to take a chance on a soon-to-be-unemployed attorney?” he asked. “Annie, will you marry me and live in San Antonio with me?”

“What about your job?” she cried. “You're going to make partner.”

He shrugged. “I've been feeling restless for a while now. It's not the kind of law I want to practice. There's an opening for a criminal attorney in Parker's firm. I could look into it.” He gave her hand a squeeze. “There's an offer on the table,” he said. “Are you going to accept it?”

Annie took a deep breath, nearly overcome by the roller coaster of emotion roaring through her. “Yes,” she managed.

“Are you sure?” His voice was hoarse with emotion. “If you need more time, I'll give it to you, but
I don't want to wait a moment longer than I have to. We've waited too long already.”

A flood of tenderness filled Annie as she smiled down at the man she'd never gotten over. “I'm sure.”

The pressure of Cole's hand on hers increased for a moment, and he shut his eyes as if the world had grown too bright to look at. Then he leaped to his feet and swept her into his arms.

After a kiss that was more intense and moving than any they'd ever shared before, he finally let her go. To her astonishment, his eyes were moist as he gazed at her.

“You've made me the happiest man in the world,” he said. “Now I want a lifetime to return the favor.”

“That lifetime together can't start soon enough,” Annie sighed, joy flooding through her as she laid her hand against his cheek. “This is one case I'm really going to enjoy closing.”