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  AnnieMarie knew he was right. Taking his hand she stepped out of the vehicle. Squaring her shoulders, AnnieMarie took a deep breath, then exhaled. “It’s time to face the music. If you don’t like the melody simply change the song.” It was something her grandfather would always say to her whenever she got into trouble for her temper, which seemed like every day. Over time she had learned to control her outbursts. She knew keeping her temper in check was the ladylike thing to do. However, there were times when she had to let others know she was not a complete pushover. As much as she would like to dismiss the fact that Cainan had lied to her for two years, she could not. Call it pride or self-preservation, she wasn’t sure which, but something inside of her could not let it go.

  “Is Jerome here?”

  “Yes, we have a meeting in a few minutes. That should give you and Cainan privacy to talk.” Mike paused before opening the door. “AnnieMarie, I said talk, no payback or revenge…talk.”

  AnnieMarie nodded. “Ask him to join me in the attic.”

  “The attic?” Mike asked as he opened the door to the mud room.

  “Yes, Mike. The attic.”

  “Are you planning on throwing him out one of the windows?”

  She glanced back over her shoulder, “Of course not, Mike. I would only do that to you.”

  “Right. I’m not going to be an accessory to whatever you have planned for Cainan. He is in the housekeeper’s suite behind the kitchen. You can take him to the attic.”

  “Chicken,” AnnieMarie said as she walked in.

  “Damn right,” Mike laughed.

  Cainan heard the heels before he could feel her presence. The cadence of her steps let him know she meant business. Her strides were solid, determined and ready for battle. He dropped his head and smiled. He was going to need body armor for sure. The encouraging news was that she came. This was his chance to tell her why he kept this from her and pray she would accept his explanation.

  “What’s funny?” Sereena asked as she read the instructions to the communication device Jerome had distributed.

  “My Michelle is in the house.”

  “Your who?” Sereena glanced up from her document.

  Cainan shook his head. “Private joke. You wouldn’t understand.”

  “Oh…really?”

  “Really, you would not,” AnnieMarie said from the doorway. She gave the woman in the room a good once over then extended her hand. “AnnieMarie Dunning. You must be Agent Chase.”

  “Agent Sereena Chase, Ms. Dunning,” she stood to shake the woman’s hand.

  “AnnieMarie is fine.”

  “Annie.”

  “No, AnnieMarie, is my name.”

  “Oh.”

  The woman attempted to pull her hand away, but AnnieMarie held it. “No,” she smiled. “It’s not what you think. My mother named me after her two best friends from high school who where killed in an automobile accident. I am a tribute to them. Splitting my name would be like giving honor to one and not the other. I know it sounds awkward, however there is a reason for the two names.”

  “Understandable,” Sereena said. “I’ll step out so you two can talk.”

  “No need,” AnnieMarie replied then turned to Cainan. For two years he had been dressed in suits. Seeing him in a sweater that outlined his upper body and slacks that accentuated his thighs, almost made her forget her mission for this meeting. Seeing his body in a suit was one thing, but seeing those biceps in a sweater had her considering forgiving him just so she could feel his good arm wrapped around her again. It was the sling on his arm that brought everything from the morning back to the forefront. He could have been killed. The thought of it all made it more important for her to get her point across. She put a smile on her face. “Hello Cainan.”

  “Hello AnnieMarie.”

  It was the voice. The way he said her name was always musical to her ears. It was that voice that caused her to damn near lose her mind. Gazing into those dark brown eyes of his felt as if he was looking right into her soul. This was what she was fighting for. The feeling as if she was the only woman in the world whenever his eyes washed over her. Those biceps called out to her, his eyes soothed her and those lips, well they simply made her long for a kiss, yet as tempting as all of that was she had to remember the long game. He had to learn now what she would and would not accept from her man. That’s right, Cainan Scott Wagner or whatever his real name was, is and would always be her man. He might as well get a taste of who she truly was. They must have been standing there saying nothing for a while. She heard Agent Chase clear her throat.

  “Excuse me. We have a meeting in ten minutes.”

  “We will not be attending,” AnnieMarie stated without breaking her eye contact with Cainan. “We need to talk.” She tilted her head to the side. “Wouldn’t you agree Cainan?’

  “I agree,” Cainan replied.

  “Umm, excuse me, but this meeting is about your safety,” Sereena stated. “I would think you would want to be there.”

  AnnieMarie turned. “No excuse needed. Please give Jerome our apology. As to Cainan’s safety. You’ve managed to keep him alive this long without his input. I am certain a day will not diminish your ability to do so for another hour.” She smiled at the woman then turned back to Cainan. “Shall we?” AnnieMarie asked then walked out of the room.

  “Yes.” Cainan replied as he followed her.

  “Wait?” Sereena called out.

  A hand came across the door frame blocking her way. “Give them time to talk.” Mike suggested. “We can attend the meeting. Anything he needs to know one of us will tell him. Agreed?”

  “Do I have a choice?” She glared up at him.

  “Not really,” Mike smiled then moved his arm allowing her to walk out. “The stairs to the basement are this way,” He placed a hand on the small of her back guiding her in the opposite direction of his sister. He glanced over his shoulder to see the elevator door closing on AnnieMarie.

  CHAPTER 6

  AnnieMarie had to admit she was a little nervous with just the two of them in an enclosed space. The sexual tension that was always there between them had not diminished. After her father’s death, AnnieMarie believed Cainan knew why her father did not want them together as a couple, but would not tell her. Yet, the sexual pull remained intact. They made a vow to keep it at bay, but then her sister was kidnapped, her uncle was killed and she discovered the existence of a new family member. It seemed life could change in the blink of an eye. Grandfather Walker had always told her to never waste time, tomorrow wasn’t promised to anyone. Over the last few days those words had her and Cainan rethinking that vow. In fact, Cainan was leaning in to kiss her when he was shot. If he hadn’t leaned towards her, the bullet would have landed right through his heart. The kiss that never was, saved his life. Well, she was going to get that kiss she had longed for since the first. She exhaled a long cleansing breath as the elevator moved upwards. They had only shared one kiss, but damn if it wasn’t memorable. Even now, just thinking about it, AnnieMarie could feel the juices stirring between her thighs. Or was it the heat radiating from his stare. She did not have to turn to know his eyes were on her. The moisture was all the proof of that. Yes, she would listen to his explanation and then, she was going to put her forever plan into motion.

  “This was my grandparents’ home,” she started talking to keep her nerves in check. “Since we moved Uncle Walker out I’ve been thinking of moving into to it. Now that he is dead, I’m thinking of buying it from Aunt Vivian. This house means a lot to me. Whenever I got into trouble at home, I would come here and spend time with my grandfather. He built me a tearoom in the attic so that I could come here and contemplate what I’d done wrong and try to do better.” She smiled. “My contemplating usually consisted of a variety of tea and cookies.” She smiled as the elevator stopped and the doors opened.

  Stepping into the huge open room that spanned the length of the house AnnieMarie immediately felt the security of her safe space
. The first half of the finished attic was more of a sitting area with sofas facing the six double windows on one side and rockers on the back side. In the center was a table with four chairs, positioned in front of a double window that opened to the outside. The windows overlooked the pond and gardens on the back of the estate and the circular driveway and wrought iron security fence on the front.

  “This is and will always be my place to come when I’m trying to figure out what’s next in my life.,” She said as she walked across the room to the table. “One of the reasons my Uncle Walker and I remained close even when my family was ready to kill him was because I spent so much time here.” She looked around. “For some reason this space didn’t do the trick when my father died. I did not understand why until Uncle Walker’s involvement in his death was revealed.” She placed her purse on the table then turned to Cainan who was still standing near the elevator. “I need the healing magic of this place to get me through this… through your betrayal.” She took a deep breath as she stared at him. “I don’t know who you are. Do I call you Cainan? Do I call you Scott? Agent Wagner? What?”

  “Cainan,” he slowly walked towards her. He understood her distrust of him. Expected it. Yet, now that he was with her, Cainan wasn’t sure how to proceed. She knew the facts of his situation. What she did not know was the how and why. He glanced around what she called her space. The table dressed in lace, a vase in the center with pearls, not flowers, and the boxing bag in the corner was a declaration to the many facets of her personality. He had to admit, the attic, as she referred to it, was intimidating. It seemed to go on forever, with different sections for storage and who knows what else towards the far end. But this area, where she stood with the moonlight shining through was all AnnieMarie Dunning. The woman he desired. The woman whose love he was determined to have. And he knew beyond a shadow of a doubt, he was going to have to do some begging to have her.

  “You’re pissed and confused,” he nodded as he stood before her. “You have every right to be. I’ve lied to you, your family and co-workers for two years. Today I put your life in danger. That is something I never wanted to do. For that I can only ask for your forgiveness. To keep you safe, I have to go back to finish this case.” He pulled out a chair for her to take a seat. “Before I do I want to tell you who I am.”

  He sat across the table from her, stretched his legs out then sat back. He watched as she crossed those legs he longed to travel up with his tongue, then glared at him with those big curious brown eyes, and her slightly pouty lips. God he wanted her in so many ways. But he had a long game in mind. There were no short routes he could take. He had to use this opportunity to lay it all on her playing field. Right here. Right now. He may not have another opportunity.

  “I am Agent Cainan Scott Wagner. I am the son of Scott Wagner who was a friend of your father’s from college. When he reached out regarding my situation, Hepburn Dunning did not hesitate to accept me into his family. He protected me with his life, or so I thought. He became my confidant. The only person I could openly talk with for the last two years. I will always be in his debt. The night we kissed,” he took a moment as the memory flooded his groin causing him to shift in his seat, “I knew my feelings for you were growing in a direction that could cause Hepburn to worry. I could not do that to a man who had done so much for me. That was the reason I slowed things down between us. I loved and respected your father. I was not going to let my actions harm his daughter who he loved with all his heart. He knew my situation, and I understood his reasons for concern. If he had asked me not to see you socially, I would have honored his request. I owed him that and much more. And I also knew the possibility that something like what happened this morning could have put your life in danger and I was not going to let that happen because I was falling in love with you.” He held her eyes for a long moment.

  “Continue.”

  Cainan almost wanted to smile. AnnieMarie did not crack a smile, no twinkle in her eyes, nothing at the words, I love you, showed in her posture. She was not giving him an inch. He had to go full force to win this round. He cleared his throat and continued.

  “I have two sisters, Kandace who they tell me is pregnant with my first niece or nephew and Kennedy who is dating a guy I don’t like.” He smiled. “You are a perfect blend of both, plus a huge dose of my mother, Kaitlyn Wagner who has one of the biggest hearts ever. I told you about my father, Scott Wagner who is a police officer and my closest friend. I have a slew of uncles, aunts and cousins on both sides. I think one of the reasons I love your family is because they remind me of them.”

  As she listened to him talk about his family it was evident he loved them and even seemed a little excited to be able to see them again. For the first time since knowing him, she felt he was being completely open and honest about who he was. He was laying his family and life before her. The joy in his eyes began to fade as he began talking about his job. The fear for his family ran deep and his mistrust of people in his own agency concerned him.

  “With 53 arrests associated with 22 indictments against the Giuliani family they will do anything to get to me. There was no way we could have protected everyone in my family. The only option was for me to die.” He sat forward. “My SAC, my father, the prosecutor in the case and Sereena are the only people who knew of the situation. We originally thought three to six months tops was all it would take for us to go to trial. As you know it turned out to be two years. It was clear someone in the agency knew I was still alive. It was the only way Giuliani could have any way of knowing I still was a threat to him. His attorneys, and we believe someone from within our circle, is feeding him information. We need to identity that individual if we are to successfully try this case. Even now, the only reason I’m returning is because of the danger I’ve brought around you. With all the anxiety I’m dealing with coming face to face with my family, none of it compares to the fear I have of losing you. I would give my life for you AnnieMarie. The only way I can protect you now is to push the prosecutor to demand a speedy trial based on the attempt on my life. We need to bring this case to an end.” He took a deep breath as he held her gaze. “Not telling you about my life was my way of protecting you.”

  “I understand what you, Daddy and Myles were trying to do. What I don’t get is why any of you thought I was helpless.”

  That question made Cainan realize she really did not understand. “I watched Johnnie Giuliani kill an entire family because they wouldn’t sell their store to him. I watched that man and his family rob people of their lives just to make his better. You have lived a sheltered life. Your father put barriers between you and ugliness. There is evil out there AnnieMarie. I can’t protect you or other people the way your father did. But as an agent, I can stop evil people from taking the lives of others. When you say you understand what we were trying to do I have to question, do you really?”

  She could see the uncertainty in his eyes. A part of her wanted to assure him she did understand. That her father not only protected her, but ensured she and all of his children knew how to fend for themselves. But she knew, as a man it was his nature to protect the woman in his life. For now, she would just have to let him have that round. Listening to him reminded her why she loved him. Yes, she loved this man. The way he cared for others and his sense of honor always come through with whatever he did. It should have been clear to her that he was more than a stock market wiz kid, as her father used to call him. She had to wonder where or if she would fit in his life now? To get an answer, she had to change the conversation.

  “It sounds like you have a wonderful family.”

  His smile showed in his eyes as he nodded. “I do. They are all going to be a little pissed at me when I go back.”

  “They will be thrilled,” just as she would be sad she thought. Not wanting to go there, she shook the thought away. “She’s pretty,” AnnieMarie raised an eyebrow to Cainan.

  Cainan kept his eyes on her. “Who?”

  “Agent Chase.”
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  “Sereena? Yes, she is. She is also my partner. Has always had my back.”

  “Is that all she is to you?”

  “No. Sereena is like family. But I don’t want to spend our time talking about Sereena .”

  “What do you want to talk about?” AnnieMarie asked.

  “Where we go from here.”

  “We?” AnnieMarie exhaled. “Is there a we, Cainan?” She stood then walked over to the window. The sun had set, the moonlight was seductive and the sky was filled with bright stars. She kicked off her heels, pulled the windows open then hooked them to the ceiling to hold them in place. Stepping out she sat on the window seat as she had many times before. A minute later Cainan came out and sat next to her. His arm brushed against her.

  “How long will you be in the sling?”

  “Until it gets on my nerves, which will probably be tomorrow.”

  She smiled as she looked at the stars. “The stars seem so close from here. When I was a little girl I would reach out to see if I could capture one.”

  Cainan looked up. “How many stars do you think are in that sky?”

  AnnieMarie smiled at the question. “I’ve often wondered that myself,” she shrugged, “since stars can be seen all around the world, an infinite number I would think.”

  “I think you are right,” he nodded. “That’s how I know there is a we, AnnieMarie,” Cainan pressed his injured shoulder against hers. “Ouch.”

  She reached over and rubbed his shoulder. “You okay?”

  “Yes, just forgot for a minute.” He smiled back at her. “All those stars up there are the number of kisses I have to give you before there is no we. In my calculations, we have a lifetime before we run out of stars.”

  Their eyes met. “We’ve only had one kiss.”

  “One hell of a kiss,” he replied.

  “You have some catching up to do.”