The union, p.27
The Union,
p.27
She nodded. "A nightmare."
He pulled his chair up close to hers and leaned forward on his arms on the table. "Keely, I'm so sorry. So sorry for everything."
His words surprised her. How could he take blame for something that Lunn had done? "You weren't responsible."
"Like hell," he said.
The venom in his words caught her off guard.
"If it weren't for me, you'd never have been in that situation." He sat up straight, as if trying to brace himself against the blame, face it like a man.
"You saved my life."
He turned to look at her. Her conscience urged her to speak.
"You saved my life many, many more times than just today, and in more ways than I can ever repay," she said.
He looked puzzled and hopeful.
"If you hadn't killed McCullough, I would have married him…" Her voice trailed off and she shuddered. "He was everything you said and worse." She paused. "Or I might have married Lunn. He wasn't all bad, you know. He saved that editor and that took great courage and strength of character. I think accidentally killing Michael just sent him over the edge."
Silence sat between them a moment.
Finally, Keely smiled, weakly, but a smile still. "I have the worst taste in men it seems."
"Yeah," he said and nodded.
"Is there really a price on your head?"
When he smiled, his dimples showed. "That's what I hear. Quite a fine one judging from the union's hatred and the Clan's determination to kill me. You thinking of collecting?"
She found enough strength to sip her water. He was right. Cool, wet, refreshing, ordinary, it brought life back into focus.
"Hardly. I don't need the money. You left me plenty." She took another sip to help swallow the lump swelling in her throat. They seemed to be running out of things to say. What would happen if she let him leave, just walk out the door? What if they never met again? She had to say something, anything.
"Who am I now?" What a silly question.
He cocked his head to one side and stared at her questioningly. "Isn't that what you asked me a bit ago?"
She couldn't more than nod. He'd evaded the question neatly.
"I suppose," he took her chin in his hand and brought her face around to his, "you could be whoever you wanted to be. Just like me."
She nodded numbly.
"I love you, Keely." His voice broke with emotion. "Now may not be the time or the place, but I have to tell you before you slip away again. I love you. You could be my wife again. John Dietz's wife, whoever the hell that is."
She felt tears forming again and tried to blink them back, blasted things.
He looked at her guiltily. "I can't give up my job, Keely, or change who I am. Being a private detective's wife is a hard business."
She nodded. Suddenly a smile overwhelmed her. "Oh, I know, John Dietz. Believe me, I know. But I can't think of anything else I'd rather be."
He grasped the back of her head with his hand and pulled her into him. She kissed him with trembling lips and all the passion of her soul.
Thank You!
Thanks for reading The Union. I hope you enjoyed it!
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About the Author
Gina Robinson lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and family. She's the bestselling, award-winning author of The Spy Who Left Me. Gina is a longtime member of Romance Writers of America and a former Golden Heart finalist. She also belongs to International Thriller Writers. She writes humorous contemporary romantic suspense—what she likes to call spy romance, historical romance, historical romance, and fun, lighthearted women's fiction. Romantic Times has praised her novels, saying "Robinson delivers."
Connect with Gina Online:
My Website: http://www.ginarobinson.com/
Twitter: @ginamrobinson
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Amazon Author Page
Also by Gina Robinson sold at Amazon.com
Historical Romance
The Last Honest Seamstress
The Escort
The Agent Ex Series
The Spy Who Left Me
Diamonds Are Truly Forever
Live and Let Love
License To Love, available Aug. 27, 2013
A Spylicious Romance Short Story Duet
And more spylicious romance
Spy Candy
Spy Games
Lipstick Spy School
Fun, flirty contemporary women's fiction
Pink Slipper
The Escort
True love runs deep.
ON THE WAY TO MEET HER HUSBAND
Young, beautiful Italian mail-order bride Angelina D’Alessandro is married by proxy to an older man she’s never met–her only chance to escape the poverty of Italy for the hope of a new life in America. But to join him in the wilderness of Idaho in 1899 she’s not allowed to travel alone. Now she’s torn between duty and desire as she fights her growing attraction to her handsome and enigmatic escort.
SHE FELL IN LOVE WITH HER ESCORT
Mine owner and explosives expert Tonio Domani prefers to travel alone. In his line of work he can’t afford distractions. Against his better judgment he’s coerced into playing chaperone to a beautiful and tempting bride. The dangers he faces daily in his mine are real and the increasingly volatile powder keg of North Idaho’s mining country makes his return there even more dangerous. But what scares him most is the rising passion he feels for Angelina and the danger of losing his heart to her.
THE LAST HONEST SEAMSTRESS
Seattle in 1889 is a hard frontier town full of rough men and prostitutes who call themselves seamstresses.
SHE NEEDS A HUSBAND…
After too many business setbacks and unwanted marriage proposals, beautiful and ambitious Fayth Sheridan, a seamstress who actually sews for a living, desperately needs to find a husband of convenience. Now if she can only convince handsome sea captain Con O'Neill, the one man in Seattle who’s shown no interest in her, that he's the one…
HE NEEDS TO WIN HER LOVE…
When Seattle burns to the ground, taking Fayth's shop with it, Con vows to do anything to protect her. Even marrying her before she falls in love with him. When he's forced to make a deal with Seattle's notorious madam, he risks losing everything, including any chance at love with the last honest seamstress in Seattle.
Gina Robinson, The Union
