Defying Logic (Valor and Doyle Mysteries, #5)

by Nicky James

The days were warming. Inevitably, I would end up on the back of that death trap because I couldn’t tell him no, and he knew it. Not when the motorcycle was one of the few things that made him smile. Not when my goal in life was to help Aslan heal from the events of two months ago.

He tried to free his hand, but I wouldn’t let him go and tugged him closer, stealing a kiss. He melted against my mouth, sighing and kissing me back. “What’s this for?” he mumbled, our lips never parting. “Because I love you.” He found my hand and pressed it over his heart. It was Aslan’s wordless way of telling me he loved me too.

“There is not a single meal we’ve eaten together where you haven’t bitched about something or other. I truly believe you have a little Gordon Ramsay inside you that can’t be pleased. He’s calling me an incompetent arse right now, isn’t he?”

“You’re such a shit. I fucking love you.” Aslan was smiling. A real smile. That was all that mattered.

Wait. Our baby. He’d called Oscar our new baby. My insides turned to goo. The kitten was a member of our family. It wasn’t a child, but it was something. Our family. Aslan had made us a family. Without warning, my vision blurred. A hand squeezed around my heart, and I swallowed a lump. Oh god. I was such a sap.

I smiled to myself. So that was it. My use of the word family had lit a fire in Quaid’s core. It made sense. He was a man who dreamed about the future. Someday, I wanted to make all his dreams come true. Marriage, kids, the whole shebang. We hadn’t discussed it, but maybe a kitten was a good launch point. Maybe it would set the ball rolling. I hadn’t told Quaid that I dreamed of those things too, and in my dreams, it was him by my side until we were old and gray.

I didn’t want to meet with Summerfield anymore. I wanted to run away, nap with Oscar on the couch, and forget about real life and all the responsibilities that went with it. I wanted a drink.

:(

“Okay fine. I’ll ride. But if I die, I’m going to kill you.” He chuckled by my ear and hugged me tighter. “You’re the most precious thing I own. I’ll keep you safe. I promise.” I pulled from his hold and mock-sneered. “You don’t own me, Doyle.” He winked and fit his helmet over his head. “That’s what you think, hot stuff. You’re mine.”

“And you’re not as unlikeable as you come across. First impressions are a bitch, but anyone who gets to know you can see you’re a decent person underneath. You have a big, tender heart in there. You care deeply for people. Ask Eden. Ask my sister. Ask Allison because she sees you. Heck, even Torin and Ruiz can see past your prickly coat of armor.” He hooked a finger with mine and drew me closer. “You might be hard to like, Quaid, but you’re easy to love.”

“Because you’re a Brillo pad, and I’m a soft fluffy kitten.” “Did you just indirectly call me abrasive?” “Yes, I did. I love your smart brain.”

Love wasn’t meant to be shouted from the mountain tops. Love wasn’t supposed to be loud and showy and exuberant. To me, love was quiet and intimate. Love was shared privately between two people. It was an undercurrent. Quaid understood, and he’d learned to read my love in the silences between those words.

“You’re beautiful.” Even with the bashful smile, his nose wrinkled. Quaid struggled with compliments, especially the word beautiful. I took his face between my hands. “I’m serious. You’re beautiful. Inside and out. You have no idea what you do to me. You have no idea how thankful I am that you’ve been by my side every day through this.”

I pulled him to his feet and caught his mouth in a sweet, tender kiss that went on for a long, long time. There was no doubt in my mind. I wanted this for the rest of my life.