A hysterical giggle releases from my lips. "Really?" Now that he says it, I recognize the proprietary sense I have about him. The Layne who would stand down and take anyone's shit is gone. I'd fight off any threat to Sam-male or female.
I lean forward and lick the wound, the way Sam had cleaned mine.
"Now I'm yours. Same as you are mine." His eyes are back to blue. The blue of the sea. Of the sky on our balloon ride.
"What now?" I ask, slightly breathless with the possibility. For the first time in my life, I don't have the constant simmering need to go and do more. Apply myself harder. Achieve.
I'm okay to just be.
Just be with Sam.
With myself.
Layne
"SO THAT'S IT THEN? You're leaving?" Parker asks. We're crowded into Nash's living room, all but the lion, who's making himself scarce.
Sam has his arm around me. "I think it's better if Layne and I lie low for a while."
"Can't get lower than here," Declan grins, holding up the unmarked bottle of hooch.
"Exactly." Sam shakes his head. "I don't think Layne appreciated you guys getting drunk and singing outside our window at three a. m. last night."
"That was a good ole Irish serenade," Declan protests.
"Yeah well, you're lucky my tiger wasn't hungry," I say.
"O'course I'm lucky. "'Twasn't my idea, 'twas Laurie's."
The owl shifter holds up his hands when I mock frown at him.
"It's true, ya never could resist a good love story. Neither can Nash, though he doesn't show it." Declan sticks his head in the hall and shouts, "But inside he's just a big ole softie, isn't he?"
Nash's bedroom door shakes with a roar.
"He'll come around." Declan winks at us.
"Or he'll get annoyed and eat you," Sam says.
"Either way." Parker shrugs.
"We're here for you, if you need us," Laurie says. His stutter has improved since the fight.
"We'll miss ya, kitty," Declan comes to me with arms outstretched. "May I hug her?" he asks Sam.
"No," Sam and I reply in unison, but I embrace him anyway, and then Laurie, while Sam and Parker pound each other on the back.
They all troop out to wave us off.
"So," I ask. "Where we going now?"
"I could take you home," Sam says. "Smyth and his men are dead."
"Santiago's still out there," I remind him.
"Not for long," Sam vows. "In the meantime... I know a place we can stay."
"I trust you." I lean back in my seat. "Let's go."
Sam lifts his phone to his ear.
"Sam, is that you?" A young woman's voice comes over the Bluetooth.
"Yep. it's me." He grins and turns and mouths, Kylie. I nod.
"Oh thank God. Although you better have a good reason for calling me on an unsecure line."
"All my equipment got torched in the raid."
"Yeah, that building was dust. Whoever that lion buddy of yours is, he really knows firepower. Jackson and Garrett arrived just in time to watch the fire department try to get the blaze under control. Sam." Her voice drops to an awed whisper. "I think he used napalm."
"Nash is crazy," Sam confirms. "But that's not why I'm calling. Kylie-I'm coming home."
"Really?"
"Yeah, for good." He sighs. I squeeze his hand, and reaches out and smoothes a strand of hair back from my face. "And I'm bringing someone I want you to meet…"
EPILOGUE
Layne
The cursor on the computer blinks at me. I'm in another stare-off. When the data finishes tabulating, I sit back with a smile.
A pair of hands cover my eyes.
"Guess who?"
I grin. "I can smell you."
"Oh yeah?" Sam's lips find my ears. "You want to taste me?"
I turn my head, keeping my eyes closed as I meet his kiss.
"Why, Dr. Zhao," he murmurs against my lips. "You're very good at this."
"I'm a quick study," I purr.
"Why quick? Why not slow?" Another kiss, and then we rest our foreheads together, just savoring the moment. Being together. Breathing each other in.
"You gonna work all night?"
"It's night?" I raise my head and blink at him. The late afternoon sun still illuminates my tiny lab.
"If I can tempt you to stop early-"
"You always tempt me."
"In that case." He leans down to kiss me again, when a small coo makes us break apart.
"Baby in the lab," Sam announces, stepping back with a rueful look on his face.
"Hey, Jay," I coo, picking up crawling infant. "Who's my favorite kitten?"
"Pup," Sam corrects.
"We won't know until she's a teen," I tell him haughtily, and carry the precious girl out of my lab, whispering "cat shifter, cat shifter," to her.
My lab is a former pool house. Kylie and Jackson went a little nuts buying me state of the art equipment, so it actually is the perfect place to continue my research. The gorgeous pool just outside the door, and frequent baby interruptions are fantastic added perks.
"Jaylin, there you are," Kylie exclaims, hustling to us. The baby babbles, holding out her arms for her momma. "I just looked away for a moment."
"She's getting really fast." I laugh.
"I hope she didn't interrupt your research."
"No, I was just about done." I grin at Sam as he sidles up beside me and takes my hand.
"You guys hungry? Jackson's got the grill going."
"Isn't that usually your job?" I ask Sam as we amble around the pool.
"I let him take a crack at it so I could lure you out," Sam kisses my cheek.
"Really? You were going to lure me out?"
A hysterical giggle releases from my lips. "Really?" Now that he says it, I recognize the proprietary sense I have about him. The Layne who would stand down and take anyone's shit is gone. I'd fight off any threat to Sam-male or female.
I lean forward and lick the wound, the way Sam had cleaned mine.
"Now I'm yours. Same as you are mine." His eyes are back to blue. The blue of the sea. Of the sky on our balloon ride.
"What now?" I ask, slightly breathless with the possibility. For the first time in my life, I don't have the constant simmering need to go and do more. Apply myself harder. Achieve.
I'm okay to just be.
Just be with Sam.
With myself.