It was over. The feds had quietly hauled Aristides away, and as far as he was concerned it was good riddance. He tossed another pair of shorts into his suitcase. Two weeks had passed, and he’d stuck around, dealing with the fallout.
They’d been damn lucky the cops kept everything quiet, and mostly out of the press, so Savannah hadn’t been inundated with reporters.
Now it was time he headed home. The pair of sandals in his hand landed in the suitcase hard enough one bounced back out, to lie forlornly on the mattress.
What was he doing? Torn between his job with Carpenter and Savannah. No matter which choice he made, he’d be losing something that was part of him. Not that it mattered. His mind was made up.
He started at the soft knock on his door. Wouldn’t be Bogey or his team, he’d said his goodbyes the night before over several beers. Pulling it open, Savannah stood silhouetted in the afternoon sunlight.
The dark circles beneath her eyes were finally gone, and the last time he’d talked to Ranger, he’d said Savannah wasn’t having any more nightmares. He prayed she’d finally get peace now that Aristides could never hurt her again.
“Hi.” A tiny smile crossed her lips for a brief second before it disappeared. There and gone so quickly he almost missed it.
“Come in.” Her eyes went straight to the suitcase on the unmade bed.
“You’re leaving? Without saying goodbye?”
His hand started to lift toward her cheek, but he caught himself and dropped it to his side. “Of course not. I planned to call you before I left for the airport.”
She tossed her purse onto the table, the one where they’d shared an early morning breakfast of takeout fast food after she’d spent the night sleeping in his arms. He could still picture her, wearing nothing but one of his T-shirts, her hair a tousled cloud around her face. A clenching in his chest made it almost impossible to speak, because the thought of being away from her, even for a second, was unbearable.
“You’re heading home—back to New Orleans?”
He nodded. “I’ve got a job. Arrangements to make, and some cases that have been put on hold until I get back.”
“But, what about—”
The sound of a cell phone ringing stopped her in midsentence. He cursed under his breath when he saw the caller ID.
“Sorry, it’s my boss. I’ve got to take this.”
Sliding his finger across the screen, he answered.
“When are you heading back?” Carpenter’s normally teasing tone was anything but. He sounded grumpy as hell.
“I’m catching the seven p.m. flight. I’ll be in the office in the morning.” Savannah moved away, walking over and sitting on the edge of the bed, and his stomach did a flip-flop. The woman was gorgeous, with an unconscious beauty that held him spellbound.
“Carlisle, are you listening to me?”
“Yeah.”
Carpenter huffed out a long breath. “What’s going on? You haven’t been yourself since you went to California.”
Might as well bite the bullet. Maybe with over a thousand miles between us, it’ll lessen the blow.
“Things are different.” Turning his back, so he couldn’t watch Savannah he added, “I’m giving you my two weeks’ notice.”
There was dead silence on the other end, an almost palpable tension permeating the air. “Not accepted.”
“You don’t have a choice. It’s my decision. I had a choice to make, and I’ve made it. I’m choosing to stay with the woman I love.”
He heard Savannah’s gasp of surprise, but Carpenter’s bellow blared through the phone.
“I know you love the woman, moron. What I don’t understand is why in the hell you think you’re going to quit. You’re my computer expert for crap sake. Ever heard of telecommuting?”
“I…it could work. But I know you need somebody on site, hands on.”
“Pfft. Don’t ask me to stroke your ego, you big wuss. You know you’re the best tech expert out there, and I’m not about to let somebody like Zachary Bennett snatch you from under my nose.”
Stefan chuckled at the mention of Carpenter’s soon to be stepbrother-in-law. The elusive billionaire had made several overtures, but he’d quietly shut him down, his loyalty to Samuel.
“Look, I know it’ll be hard, but I’m moving to San Diego.” Finally, he turned around and faced Savannah, one hand across her mouth. He couldn’t tell if she was shocked, happy, or sad at his announcement.
“Don’t do anything rash. We will make it work. There’s no reason you can’t work for C.S.S. from there. The details can be hammered out when you get home.”
Savannah stood and slowly walked toward him, her eyes never leaving his face. Finally stopping in front of him, she held out her hand for the phone.
“Honey?”
“Gimme.” Quick as a snake, she snatched it from his hand. “Mr. Carpenter, it’s Anna Sloane. No, don’t talk. Just listen.” She dragged in a deep breath. “Stefan isn’t moving to San Diego, and he’s not quitting his job.”
“Like hell I’m not.” He tried to snag the phone from her, but she backpedaled, the cutest smirk on her lips.
“There’s only one change in the plans. He won’t be flying home tonight. We’ll both be flying out in the morning.”
A great whooshing sound echoed through his head. Had he heard right?
“We’ll explain everything when we get there.” She paused for a second, obviously listening to whatever Carpenter rambled on about, and gave him a wink. “Yes, I know. He can be a little dense sometimes, but I love him anyway.” She burst into laughter at whatever Samuel said on the other end. “Very true. Alright, here’s Stefan.”
Handing the phone to him, she walked toward the bed, and he watched her study the suitcase before giving it a hard shove, and it tumbled to the floor. The contents spilled free, spreading across the carpet. He didn’t really give a rat’s ass, because she’d said she loved him.
“Yeah?” He answered, his eyes glued to Savannah as she straightened the bedding.
“Whatever you do, Carlisle, don’t screw this up. You’re a lucky man.”
“Don’t I know it. Gotta go.”
Hitting the end button, he tossed the phone onto the dresser, and stepped toward Savannah. Now she looked timid and unsure, her teeth nibbling on her lower lip.
“You love me?”
She nodded. “And you love me.” It wasn’t a question, but a bold statement of fact.
“Damn right I do. I fell in love with you the first moment I saw you.”
She huffed a laugh. “Not my finest moment.”
“You’re wrong. When I saw you, lying in that hospital bed, covered with cuts and bruises, I knew you were a fighter. A woman who wouldn’t let a monster defeat her. There was an inner strength and determination that shone like a beacon. Then when I started to get to know you, I fell head over heels. But I knew I couldn’t rush things. You were healing physically and emotionally. Honestly though, if you hadn’t called me about Aristides, I’m not sure how much longer I’d have been able to hold off coming to see you face-to-face.”
A blush stained her cheeks, and he reached forward, running his fingertip against the softness of her skin.
“I’m glad. I feel the same way, but the thought of going back to New Orleans terrified me.”
Shaking his head, he had to ask. “Why’d you tell Carpenter you’d come with me?”
“Because you belong there. It’s your home and he’s your friend. It’ll be hard, I’m not gonna lie. But long distance relationships are tough, and most of them don’t work.” When he started to speak, she placed a finger against his lips. “I love you for being willing to sacrifice everything for me. If I’m ever going to be able to live a full, normal life, that means facing my fears—all of them. Now that Aristides is going away permanently, the biggest hurdle left to face is New Orleans.”
He sat on the edge of the bed and pulled her down beside him. “Like I said, you’re a fighter.”
She laid her head against his shoulder, and the trust that single move displayed made him want to shout from the rooftops how much he adored her, and he’d move heaven and earth to make sure she never regretted letting him be a part of her life.
“When I came to New Orleans for Spring Break, I loved the city and everything about it. I want to get that joy back, not let Aristides and Danny Cooper steal it away. Plus, Sarah’s there now with Ranger. I’ll have friends and family there, to keep me grounded.”
Lifting her head, she grinned at him.
“What’s that look for?”
“Samuel Carpenter said if I can keep your bodacious backside—my words not his—where it belongs, which is working for him, he’d pay my tuition, so I can finish school.” She placed her hand on his chest. “I’m not gonna lie, there are probably going to be times when I’ll run screaming back to my parents, if things get too much, but I promise I’ll always come back to you.”
With infinite care, he pulled her onto his lap, and placed his forehead against hers. “I love you, Savannah Sloane.”
“I love you, too, Stefan Carlisle.”
Looking into her eyes, he read the truth behind her words. “Think we can find something to fill the time before our flight tomorrow?”
Running her hands through his hair, she leaned into him and whispered, “I’m sure we can come up with something.”