He clutched his chest playfully as he turned to face her. “And here I thought I couldn’t love you more.”
She laughed, shaking her head. “I’m glad you feel that way, because I’ve been granted the authority to hire an agent to work with me out of this field office.”
He blinked, picturing her with someone else at her side, and a twinge of jealousy stabbed him. He did his best to shove it aside as he forced a smile. “Congratulations. You’ve earned the chance to be a boss.”
“No.” She shook her head, coming closer. “A partner.”
He hated the sound of that. He crossed his arms, suddenly wishing he’d left his surprise in the car. “All right.”
She frowned. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” he lied. No. He was many things—a liar was not going to be added to the list. “I haven’t even met the bastard yet, but I already hate him.”
She studied him for a moment and started to shake her head. “Him?” She gestured to the armory. “I brought you here because I was hoping I could lure you to be my partner. I can’t run this field office alone, but the only other person in the world I would trust to have my back is you.”
He fucking loved this woman. He didn’t know if he was qualified to be an agent, but he knew without a shadow of a doubt no one would ever protect her like he would. And he could learn. In fact, he was eager to…although there was his crew to consider.
They’d all pledged their loyalty lifetimes ago. He couldn’t turn his back on them, no matter how much he wanted to be Aura’s partner.
He scanned the room again, before meeting her eyes. “I’ll always have yer back, love.” His smile faded. “But I can’t leave my crew.”
“I’m not asking you to.” She pointed toward the other room full of computers. “Most of my job entails interviewing and cataloging psychics and their abilities and studying new relics that are being sent up to the vault. I won’t need you unless a situation develops. You wouldn’t work for Department 13 full-time, but I’d like to train you on our equipment and protocols so when I need a partner, you’re my guy.”
And then he realized, this was the moment he’d been waiting for.
He got down on one knee and took her hand. The startled look on her face almost made him laugh.
He squeezed her hand. “Don’t look so terrified, love.”
“Sorry. I’m just not sure what’s happening here.”
With his free hand, he took the bag out from under his arm and reached inside to withdraw a battered flintlock pistol. He opened her hand and placed the weight into her palm. “I never knew I could be as happy as I’ve been with you these past few months, and I never want it to end. So, I’m down on one knee without a bauble for your finger. Instead, I’m giving you the pistol that saved my life that day on the gallows. Without it, I wouldn’t be standing before you. It’s a relic without any real worth, kind of like me, but it’s my most precious treasure, and I want you to have it.”
She studied his ancient pistol and knelt before him with tears in her eyes. “You’re wrong. This is priceless and unique and deadly, just like you. Without this gun, we wouldn’t be here.” She kissed him and whispered, “I love it. And I don’t ever want this to end, either.”
He cupped her face, kissing her lips long and slow. “I’ll be your partner, love.”
“And I’ll be yours.”
“And gods help anyone or anything who tries to come between us,” he growled against her.
She started to make a pirate arrr and stopped herself. “Fuck yeah.”
“Spoken like a true pirate, love.” He stroked her cheek with his thumb.
“I learned from the best.”
“And now you’ll have to teach me to be an upstanding government secret agent.”
“No. If I wanted that, I’d get Agent Bale to send me someone from the team in D.C.” She shook her head with that dazzling, defiant glint in her eyes. “I’m the head of the field office in Savannah, and what I need is a badass pirate.”
He helped her up and slid his arms around her waist. “Now that I can be.”
She leaned up and kissed him with a smile. “I’m counting on it.”
She tucked his battered old pistol into her belt and caught his hand, lacing her fingers with his. They locked up the warehouse and walked out on the private dock.
He peered down at the saltwater river and back to her face. “This is only the beginning.”
She nodded with a sexy smile. “And it started with the legendary Tyrfing sword. Imagine what the future might hold.”
He drew her in close. “Don’t tease me, love. Cannons, magic crossbows, maybe a charmed dagger or two.”
She nibbled at his lower lip. “Seems like you’re the one doing the teasing, pirate.”
“Who, me?” He tried to feign innocence for a split second and gave up, kissing her and humming at the taste of her delicious mouth. “Aw, fuck it, I don’t have a halo.”
“Part of what I love most about you.”
He glanced at the motorboat tied at the warehouse dock. “I could get us out of here.”
She eyed the boat. “On that little thing?”
He grabbed her ass and pressed her tight against his erection. “It’ll be an adventure.”
“Everything with you is.”
He raised a brow. “Is that a yes?”
“Aye,” she whispered.
He scooped her up before she could change her mind and carried her onto the tiny fishing boat. She gripped either side of the bow as he fired up the engine and opened the throttle, heading for open sea. The salty mist stung his cheeks as the boat crashed through the waves.
She looked back at him with the wind in her hair and adventure in her eyes.
She was glorious.
And the perfect partner for eternity.
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Acknowledgments
First off, I need to send out a big thank-you to my readers. Thanks for all the support for the Sea Dog crew! This book was such a wild adventure to write. I hope it was just as much fun to read.
To my Wordmakers crew, thanks for all the smiles even while I was bawling writing this one. I love writing with you every day.
A huge thank you to my editor, Jen Bouvier, for helping me polish this one and get it ready to sail into the world. It was so great working with you, and I’m excited for the next books in the Sentinels of Savannah saga!