Jill Shalvis - Flashpoint

His gaze held hers. “Until I met you. I met you and something happened. The walls crumbled. I put my damn heart on the line for the first time in years, with absolutely no backup, no safety net. And it worked. It felt right,” he said sounding staggered. “Hell, it felt amazing.” Zach shook his head. “I want to be with you, Brooke.”

“For tonight.”

“For tonight,” he agreed. “And tomorrow night, too.”

She looked into his eyes, feeling a little kernel of hope and love, so much love she couldn’t draw a breath.

“And the night after that. I want all your nights. I love you, Brooke. But there’s something even more shocking.”

She managed to breathe. “Are you sure? Because that’s…that’s pretty shocking.”

He finally smiled and, oh baby, was it worth the wait. “Turns out I wasn’t out there without a backup at all.”

“No?” she whispered.

“No.” He cupped her face, stroked his thumbs over her jaw. “You’re my backup. You’re my safety net. You’re all that I need.”

“So…”

“So stay. Stay here in Santa Rey with me. Or go. But take me with you.”

Now Brooke was the one staggered. “You’d leave here?”

“My home is wherever you are.”

Twisting all the way around, she propped herself up on his wet chest. “I don’t want to go anywhere.”

“You don’t?”

“Nope. I know you planned to stay at Aidan’s house, but I have this big place all to myself, and I don’t really want to leave it, or my job. I think New Hire has a certain ring to it, don’t you?”

Laughing softly, Zach pulled her close. “How does New Hire Thomas sound?”

Her breath caught. She could hardly speak. “Like everything I ever wanted.”