“Thank you, love, but you have to understand that is why I freaked out on you. I would never scream at you like that, and I apologize for that, but I was scared for you. I’ve spent the last year and a half, empty, missing my family while trying to figure out how I was going to go on. Thankfully, I got this chance to come to the United States, and then to the Assassins. If I hadn’t, I never would have met you,” he said cupping her cheeks in his hand, wiping away the tears with his long thumbs. “Audrey, I felt like I had nothing left, but you came along and changed it all. I couldn’t imagine losing you. I need you to know that.”

Shaking her head, she cried, “I couldn’t imagine losing you.”

“Then please, be careful, it takes a millisecond for something to go wrong.”

“I know. I’m sorry about that, and about your family. It must have hurt so much when I would bring them up.”

Tate nodded, “It did, but it was my fault. I should have told you a long time ago, and I am sorry I didn’t.”

Audrey wrapped her arms around his waist, snuggling her face against his chest. “It’s all out in the open now. Everything will be okay. We can only move forward from this.”

“You are right, and I don’t want to move forward with anyone but you, love.”

She nodded, squeezing him tightly before she placed a kissed against his collarbone. Nothing was said as the two held each other for a long time, and Tate wouldn’t have wanted it any other way. He expected her to have more questions but she didn’t. She only held him, which was what he needed. Finally, Audrey moved away from him, standing up before she slowly undressed. He watched as she kicked off her heels. Then she unzipped her dress before throwing it on his dresser. She looked back at him and said, “Let’s go to bed.”

Tate nodded, standing up and undressing as she went into the bathroom. He crawled into bed, feeling beat as he went under the covers. Audrey came out, sexy as hell in a grey lace bra and panties set, but for the first time, Tate had no desire to have his way with her. Instead, he wanted to hold her and never let her go. He watched as she shut the light off and crawled into his bed. His hands itched to be on her, and when she was finally under the covers, he took her into his arms, kissing her temple.

“I’m sorry again,” he whispered in the darkness against her temple, “I should have told you a long time ago,”

“It’s fine,” she whispered back.

“I feel so much better, now that I have told you.”

Audrey nodded, moving in closer to him, “Good, I’m glad.”

Tate slid his hands into her hair, moving her mouth to his, and kissing her hard with all the appreciation he had for her. He couldn’t believe how quickly she had come into his life and taken over his heart, but she had. It hadn’t been easy, that’s for sure, but he was grateful it had happened. Even if it scared him one second and made him the happiest man the next. Kissing his jaw, Audrey let out a sigh, moving her hands up around his neck.

“I’m falling in love with you, Tate,” she whispered against his neck, “Don’t ever feel you have to hide anything from me. I will always be here for you, whenever you need me.”

He pulled her back so he could see her face. Her eyes were bright in the darkness. Her lips parted and he could feel her heart pounding against his chest. He leaned forward, kissing her lips softly. When he parted, he nodded, running his nose against hers as he said, “And I’m falling for you, love, it’s hard not to.”

“You’ll let me know when you do, right?”

Tate smiled. Her lips dusted his jaw as he thought that when he did fall in love with her, he would probably scream it from the rooftops. He couldn’t wait. Although his heart was ready, his spirit just wasn’t there yet, but it was happening. That moment they had just experienced proved it. She was everything he needed and no matter what, he would love this girl for the rest of his life.

After kissing her cheek, he whispered against it, “Right away, love. Right away.”

Chapter 21

Something was different.

Audrey didn’t know what it was, but when she came down the stairs and looked around her living room, she knew something wasn’t the same. In the three weeks since Tate had told her about his family, their life had happily settled into a routine. Tate sat at the bar, eating cereal as he played on his laptop, which was normal when he was home. So it wasn’t that. Glancing around the room, she took in the chic pink Christmas décor that Tate had helped set up (even if he did complain it was too girly). But nothing was standing out. So, what could it be? Glancing at her bright pink tree that touched the ceiling and was covered in pretty white lights, she finally figured it out. Under the tree was a pile of presents wrapped in pink Santa paper which was different from the neon green paper that covered her presents for her family and Tate.

Stepping off the bottom stair step, she walked to the tree, crouching to pick up one of the presents. The tag said it was for her, and it was from Tate. Looking over her shoulder, she saw Tate grinning at her as he shook his head.

“You know back home, my mom would call you a present gnome.”

Audrey smiled, “What does that mean?”

“It’s when you always know there are new presents under the tree and have to hold and inspect them,” he said still smiling at her. “She said I used to be one but I don’t remember being like that. I actually like the surprise of Christmas.”