Epilogue
EPILOGUE
Two days later...
Jack lay with Emily spooned against him in her room above the Tap & Tavern. Her father was home and safe. Jack’s assignment was complete, his heart was full and he looked forward to the rest of his life.
“When do you have to go back to England?” Emily asked.
He traced a finger down her arm. “Who said I have to go back to England?”
“Isn’t that where you were staying before your assignment?”
“Yeah, but I was only staying in a bed and breakfast—nothing I was renting long term.” His hand moved to rest on her naked hip. “Why? Are you trying to get rid of me?”
She snuggled closer, her bottom resting against his quickly swelling member. “Not at all. It’s just that your teammates all left yesterday. I thought you’d be leaving with them.”
“With the Brotherhood Protectors, my assignments don’t determine where I live. I might have to travel to different locations, but I can come back to my home base, wherever that might be.”
“That’s nice.” She lay still for a moment, then asked, “Is it possible you might want your home base to be in Ireland?”
“Not a possibility,” he said.
She stiffened.
“Why do you want to know?” he asked.
She sighed. “I just wanted to know how much longer I get to keep you. But if it’s not a possibility, I understand.”
“Not a possibility, but an absolute probability,” he said, wrapping his arm around her and hugging her close.
“For how long?” she asked, sounding a little breathless.
“As long as you want me,” he said and kissed her ear. “As long as you’ll have me.”
“What if I want you forever?” she whispered.
“I hope you do,” he said. “I would love that.”
She cupped his cheek. “I’d love that, too.”
“And while we’re at it,” he said. “I want to thank you.”
Emily chuckled. “For what?”
“For making me realize that though it hurts to lose someone you love, it’s not a good reason to avoid love.”
She turned to face him. “I made you realize that?”
He nodded and kissed the tip of her nose. “Yes, ma’am. When I first met you, warning flags went up.”
Her brow furrowed. “What kind of warning flags?”
“The kind that told me I should avoid you altogether. You were spunky, sassy with the customers, and you cared about them.”
“So?” She kissed his chin.
“Naturally, I was intrigued to the point I was scared.”
Her eyebrows rose. “Is that right? I thought Army Rangers weren’t afraid of anything.”
“When it comes to bad guys and bullets, that’s right.” He touched his lips to her right temple. “When it comes to matters of the heart, we’re wimps.”
She smiled. “And I scared you?”
“Not you , per se. I was scared of falling in love with you.” He kissed her forehead. “But you were key to my assignment. I couldn’t avoid you. The more I was with you, the more I realized what I’d miss if I didn’t let myself fall in love with you. It was when you climbed over the railing and helped save Ciara that really brought it home to me. I thought what an amazing woman you are, and how lucky I am to know you. If I’d walked away when I first met you and found you incredibly attractive, I might not have fallen in love with you as you hung by a sheet to save a stranger.”
“And now, I’m just a regular bartender in an Irish pub. No more drama.” She stared up at him. “Will that be enough to keep your interest? Will you stop loving me because I’ve become boring?”
“Not in the least. I’ll love you more because of all your sass, the way you treat people like family,” his lips twitched, “the way you look with your hair all weird in the morning…and the way you snore after a late night of drinking wine.” He brushed her lips with his. “I could go on.”
“Mmm. I’d rather you kissed me properly.”
He gathered her close and gave her the kiss she wanted and more.