Chapter Twenty

Monday arrived too quickly, forcing Lily back to work. Knowing Cale waited at home for her brightened the whole day and sent her zipping out of the door at the first opportunity. They shared a chuckle when she explained how Carson took one look at her face that morning and slapped a script for birth control pills in her hand. The gesture garnered a blush then just as it had when the incident happened.

“Were the girls good for you today?” Lily asked at dinner.

They both glanced over to the kitty line-up busily eating.

“Yep. They lead a simple life. Eat. Sleep. Play. Repeat.”

Lily laughed as she forked another bite of spaghetti that Cale had so thoughtfully prepared while she worked. “It’s pretty rough.”

Cale’s phone rang.

He picked it up, checked the caller ID, and his face turned serious. “Yeah.”

Lily tried not to listen in, but she knew who spoke on the other end of the line, based on Cale’s hardened expression and the sudden tension in his shoulders. His mouth thinned as he answered in short sentences.

By the time he had finished with the conversation, her appetite had disappeared. Worry replaced happiness as her bubble of perfection burst.

Her gaze lifted to meet his. “Work calls?”

He nodded. “Another mission.”

“When do you leave?” She waited with bated breath for his answer.

“Tomorrow at dawn.”

Lily’s gut clenched. So soon. Too soon. He was leaving and might never return.

“Hey.” He reached across the space separating them, using his forefinger to lift her chin. “Do you trust me?”

“Yes.” The word came from her very soul.

“Then know I’ll come back to you.” He kissed her fingertips. “The same way as I trust you’ll be waiting for me when I return.”

She studied his face. His words sank in. He’d been betrayed before during one of his missions. Add in the fact they’d known one another for a week and she could easily read his meaning and the importance of his belief in her.

“We have to have faith in one another since we’re both taking a chance. But understand nothing will keep me away.”

A small smile crept on her face. “I’ll be waiting for you with open arms.”

“How did I get so lucky?” He posed the question while rubbing his hand over her back.

“I’m not sure it’s good luck. You’ve just saddled yourself with a stubborn, set-in-her-ways nurse with a little family of spoiled rotten cats who rule the roost. I live in the middle of nowhere and the nearest civilization boasts two grocery stores, two gas stations, one library, and a post office that doubles as a convenience store.”

He chuckled. “Sounds pretty good to me.”

As soon as he scooped her up in his arms, he settled his mouth over hers, and proceeded to carry her to the bedroom.

Their time ran short and he knew it.

He made love to her that night with a hint of desperation along with a healthy dose of sensual bonding. She realized this could be their last time together and vowed to make everything extra special—to construct a perfect memory to hold her over for as long as need be. Lily didn’t verbalize her concerns. Instead, she poured everything she had into the intimacy with the man she loved, clinging to him even as she cried out his name in a heart-pounding climax.