Short Fuse: Elite Operators, Book 2 (21 page)

Epilogue

Warren swore under his breath as his high-end sports car bounced over another rut in the dirt road that led out to the farm near Swellendam, deep in the Western Cape.

“I told you we should’ve taken my car,” Nicola reminded him cheerfully.

“And I told you, I’m not turning up to Bronnik’s wedding in a hybrid,” he growled in response.

She rolled her eyes and leaned back in her seat, basking in the brilliant summer sunshine that beamed through the open window.

The last six months had been some of the best of her life. As soon as Warren was well enough they’d flown to Cape Town, where she’d promptly moved into his stunning, ocean-side penthouse. She declined the massive promotion Garraway offered her, but she did accept the enormous sum they called a “departure bonus”, which she knew full well was hush money to keep the true story behind the events at Hambani out of the press. Thanks to the combination of Garraway’s check, her little black book and countless meetings with Warren’s sister, Laura, she had launched her own consulting business, advising mining companies on how to incorporate ethical practices and social responsibility into their operations without sacrificing the bottom line. She still only had a few clients, but the feedback had been positive and every month was a little busier than the last.

Warren’s recovery had been slow but steady, and in the two months before he was able to go back to work they spent almost all of their time together. Their relationship wasn’t perfect—he still grumbled about the closet space required for her expansive shoe collection, while she continually reminded him to please not leave random pieces of weaponry scattered around the house. They were both independent, stubborn individuals who had to learn how to compromise enough to let each other into their lives.

But for the most part, they were blissfully happy. She loved the nights when he came home from watching rugby in the pub a few beers worse for wear, and he climbed into bed fully clothed and kissed her hungrily, and they had fumbling, laughing sex until they were both exhausted. She loved the mornings they spent on the balcony, listening to the waves crash against the rocks as they drank coffee and wordlessly exchanged sections of the newspaper, her feet propped in his lap. And more than anything, she loved drifting off to sleep with his body stretched along her back, his arm around her waist, and the way he whispered “I love you so much” into her hair when he thought she was already asleep.

She hoarded these moments in her heart like treasured secrets. And now she had one for him.

The outdoor ceremony was simple and beautiful. Nicola had gotten to know Bronnik and his fiancée Lacey well over the last several months, and when the tough Afrikaner’s voice cracked as he repeated his vows, she had to brush a few tears from her eyes.

It was during the cocktail hour after the ceremony, when they ended up under a tree by themselves, that she saw her chance.

“Would you want a wedding like this, some day?” Warren gestured to the sprawling countryside that surrounded them.

She arched a brow. “Are you asking?”

His answering smile was coy. “Not yet.”

“But it’s something you’re thinking about?”

“Of course.” He put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her into his side, planting a kiss on the top of her head. “Aren’t you?”

“I am,” she said carefully. “In fact, I was wondering how you’d feel about doing things slightly out of order.”

He frowned, and she took a deep breath.
Now or never.

She squeezed her eyes shut and whispered, “I’m pregnant.”

She held her breath, and when he didn’t say a word, she cautiously opened her eyes. He was staring at her, slack-jawed, eyes wide with astonishment. Then his face broke into a broad grin and he yanked her against his chest.

“I’m going to be a dad,” he laughed. “We’re going to be parents! Holy— This is going to be an adventure. An amazing, terrifying adventure.”

“I know,” she agreed, relaxing into the safety and security of his embrace, never more sure in the knowledge that this was her man for all time. “And there’s no one I’d rather be scared out of my wits to do this with than you.”

About the Author

Rebecca Crowley inherited her love of romance from her mom, who taught her to at least partially judge a book by the steaminess of its cover. She writes contemporary romance and romantic suspense with smart heroines and swoon-worthy heroes, and never tires of the happily-ever-after. Having pulled up her Kansas roots to live in New York City and London, Rebecca currently resides in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Find her on the web at
www.rebeccacrowley.net
, on Facebook at
www.facebook.com/rebeccacrowleywrites
or on Twitter at
@rachelmaybe
.

Look for these titles by Rebecca Crowley

Now Available:

Elite Operators

Secure Target

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Boots on the Ground

Alive Day

Thunder Running

Don’t miss these other titles by Rebecca Crowley

She’s just an ordinary small-town girl…until a killer makes her his next target.

Elite Operators, Book 1

South African hostage rescue operative Bronnik Mason has been chasing a serial killer around the globe for over a year. Four women have already died, and he’s sworn there won’t be a fifth. Even if, this time, he has to offer up more than a few pints of his own blood. But when it comes to safeguarding the killer’s next target, Bronnik realizes this case could put his professional boundaries to the test.

Having grown up in the shadow of two delinquent brothers, dental receptionist Lacey Cross is impeccably well-behaved, dutiful, hard working—and bored. Until Bronnik storms into the office to sweep her into protective custody. Suddenly, her nondescript life just got a lot more interesting.

Racing against a blizzard, dodging uncannily accurate bullets, Bronnik finds his concentration getting blown all to hell. Before he realizes Lacey’s slipped under his skin, she becomes more than just a body he’s sworn to protect. She is the woman he will risk his own life to save—whether she likes it or not.

Warning: Contains a sexy South African cop with the heart of a lion and by-the-book determination, and a mild-mannered receptionist with a reckless streak a mile wide. Throw in love on the run, and it’s full “steam” ahead!

It takes a strong heart to connect roots with wings.

Homefront, Book 1

With a life that started in foster care and nearly ended in the mountains of Afghanistan, Grady Reid is more than ready to hang up his sergeant’s stripes when his Army contract expires.

Small-town Meridian, Kansas, seems as good a place as any to finally put down roots. He’s dumped his savings into a ramshackle farmhouse and is on his way to trading bullets for bull breeding when an exquisitely beautiful, totally unattainable blonde turns his head faster than a pivoting cutting horse.

Dr. Laurel Hayes longs to escape the confines of stuffy, small-town life for an adrenaline-fueled, transient lifestyle delivering medical aid in unstable regions around the world. Then she meets Grady, a man with enticing eyes, a slow smile—and not an ounce of the wanderlust that tugs at her soul.

Their lives are headed in opposite directions. But as something more powerful than attraction, desire, or even lust draws them together, something’s got to give…or their hearts could break under the strain.

Warning: Contains a strong, silent Texan military man with wounds he can’t name, and the gorgeous doctor tough enough to heal them.

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This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locale or organizations is entirely coincidental.

Samhain Publishing, Ltd.

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Short Fuse

Copyright © 2015 by Rebecca Crowley

ISBN: 978-1-61922-991-4

Edited by Jennifer Miller

Cover by Kanaxa

All Rights Are Reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

First
Samhain Publishing, Ltd.
electronic publication: July 2015

www.samhainpublishing.com