“I told you I loved you.”

“You told me a lot of things.”

He exhaled, giving a short nod of his head. “That I did.”

“Matt also said you were a bad bet, that all of you were bad bets.” He’d said the statement with sadness and a determined jaw.

“We are.” Shane stretched his hand, curling the fingers over. “But that doesn’t mean you’re not rolling the dice, angel.”

“Excuse me?”

“This time, I’m not letting you go.” His voice remained steady and sure, while his jaw tightened.

Her heart thumped hard against her rib cage. “Why did you leave me, then? Why did you lie about remaining in the marines?”

He sighed. “I’m not sure. But I will find out the truth, I promise.”

Hurt filtered through her skin until her heart ached. “Why couldn’t you trust me? Why couldn’t you just tell me?”

“I do trust you, and I will tell you as soon as the memories come back.” Determination flashed in those dangerous eyes. Rough cedar and male scented the space. He sighed. “You’re about to become pissed off at me, and before you do, I’d like you to understand I do love you. Have since the second you flashed those baby blues at me.”

Oh, this so didn’t sound good. “I already am pissed off at you.” She flipped closed the file she’d been pretending to work on. “What do you have to say?”

He cleared his throat. “I want you to quit your job and move to our, ah, headquarters. Where I can keep you safe.”

“Where is your headquarters?”

“I can’t tell you.”

Disbelief had her catching her breath. “You don’t even trust me enough to explain what’s going on, and you want me to pack up and move with you to someplace you won’t reveal?” Anger battled with a temptation she’d never admit out loud. He wanted her with him. How easy would it be to kick reality out of the way and go? “I want to try and trust you, Shane, I really do.” She gripped a pen so tight her knuckles turned white. “But I don’t know you. You won’t let me.” No way was she giving up this life she’d worked so hard to create the last two years. Not without knowing everything.

“You know what you need to know.” He dropped his elbows to his knees, leaning forward. “You’re everything to me, and I’ll keep you safe. I promise.”

He didn’t understand. “I don’t want safety.”

A puzzled frown settled between his eyes. “Sure you do. A woman like you, you need safety. I can provide that now.” He rubbed his chin. “Or I’ll be able to soon.”

“A woman like me?” Who the hell did he think he married? Sure, she wanted to be safe, but she was no frightened victim.

“Yes. Soft, smart, sexy.” He licked his lips. “Fragile.”

Fragile? Not in this lifetime. Where did this distorted perception of women come from? “What was your mother like, Shane?”

He started. “Ah, I’m pretty sure I didn’t have one.”

“Like you didn’t have brothers? Or you honestly didn’t have one?” He could evade with the best of them. He grimaced. “No. I kind of remember wanting a mother but not getting one.”

“Father?”

“Don’t think so.”

So that much might be true. He was an orphan like her. “You know your brothers. Who would take in four boys?”

Shane shook his head. “That’s a tale I’m not ready to tell today.” He placed both palms on her desk. “I will, I promise. Once you’re somewhere safe and I can remember everything.” He frowned. “Some of my past is still so hazy.”

His memories were returning. When they did, he might leave again. “Do you remember why you left me?” Fire rippled through her blood.

A matching fire flashed through his eyes. “I’m sorry. I know Jory died around that time. Maybe I left because I didn’t want anything to happen to you. Matt said I went undercover to find out what happened to Jory.”

So many questions. “How did Jory die?”

He stretched his neck, exhaling loudly. “We’re still figuring that one out, angel. I went undercover for two years to find out. Unfortunately, the memories of the last two years haven’t come back.”

“Do you think you found out who killed him?”

“I assume so, considering someone’s after me. Someone has learned enough about me to bug your house.” He stood and leaned closer, his palms still on the desk. “Matt and I are meeting later to go over the files and try to make sense of the whole situation. Apparently I went so deep I couldn’t make contact, and he doesn’t know much more than I do.” Shane leaned even closer. “But obviously they discovered you, so keeping away is no longer necessary. You’re in danger from whoever is hunting me, and I have a feeling they’d use you to get to me in a heartbeat. I’ll do what’s necessary to keep you safe.”

What about her heart? He wouldn’t keep that safe. He towered over her. Even with the desk between them, he exuded deadly promise. She shivered. “I refuse to make a decision concerning the rest of my life without all the facts.” She was a CPA for goodness’ sake. What else could he expect?

“I understand, and I will tell you everything.” He straightened, sliding his hands into the pockets of well-worn jeans. “However, you’ll get to safety first. Like it or not.”

Fury set up a ringing in her skull. “You try to take me again, and I will press charges for kidnapping.” She jumped to her feet, slapping her hands on her desk and leaning toward him. “I wonder how well you can bother me from a jail cell.”

His upper lip quirked. “You are so cute when you’re threatening me.”

The anger zipped through her until she feared her head would explode. “Don’t you dare get condescending with me. I took one jerk to the ground with a well-aimed kick yesterday, I have no problem doing it again.”

Both eyebrows angled up. “Were you in danger? Who exactly did you need to kick?” Tension tore through the air.

She cleared her throat, ignoring the ripple of unease filtering through her skin. No way should she back down. Detective Malloy had already taken Shane away when she knocked Tom’s balls to the roof of his mouth. “I’m not prepared to discuss that with you.” See how he liked not having the proper clearance for the truth.

He lowered his chin, his eyelids at half-mast. “You want to play games with me, angel?”

Talk about intimidating. She straightened her posture. “Bring it on, Major.”

“Not wise, little one.” The smile revealed both a dimple and odd light in his eyes. “I know rules for games you’ve never heard of. I promise.”

A delicious shiver ran up her back. Only pride kept her in place. “Do you? Interesting.” Something had happened in the two years they’d been separated. Or while his memory had fled. Shane was different. He was finally revealing parts of himself. She’d wanted so badly to know him. All of him. “Where in the world did you learn such games?”

“Oh, baby,” he breathed out. “Some of the thoughts scattering through my head would scare you spitless.” He shook his head, regret twisting his lips. “You don’t want to challenge me, Josie. You won’t win.”

Wouldn’t she? The temptation to see where he’d go flirted with her. The sense of danger softened her sex. “What thoughts scatter through your head?”

“No.” He moistened his lips, and she fought a groan. Then he flipped open his phone, reading the screen. “We’ll finish this discussion later, sweetheart.”

Why did that sound like a threat? “Think so?”

His phone snapped shut, his gaze pinning hers. “I guarantee it.” Two strides had him at the door, where he halted as he ran into Vicki. The woman stared up at him, her red-painted mouth open. Shane stepped back.

Josie fought a snort. “Shane, this is my assistant, Vicki.”

Vicki stuck out her hand, her eyelashes fluttering rapidly. “You must be the husband.”

“Yes.” Shane briefly shook hands, sidling around Vicki toward the door, giving the woman a wide berth. Once safely out of reach, he faced Josie over Vicki’s head. “Stay in your building until I get back. I’ll give you the rest of the week to wrap things up here. Then we leave.” He strode away before she could answer.

Josie dropped back into her chair. Her hands trembled. What that man did to her.

Vicki fanned her well-endowed chest. “That man is seriously hot.”

Josie snorted. “That’s an understatement.” She pushed back from the desk. “What’s going on?”

“Tom Marsh called.” Shelia rolled her eyes. “I don’t blame you for ignoring him with the sexy-as-sin husband back in the picture.”

“Thanks, Vicki.” Josie bit her lip. “I’ll take care of Tom.”

Vicki nodded and headed back down the hall, smacking her gum on the way.

Josie straightened the papers on her desk, guilt swirling in her abdomen. Tom was a good friend and had been since she arrived in town. While he was wrong to turn Shane in, he did it to protect her. To help her.

She glanced at her watch. Maybe she’d run down to the cafeteria on the first floor and grab cappuccinos for them both as a sort of apology. Escaping her office, even for just a coffee, was so appealing. She’d stay in the building so Shane wouldn’t be upset, but she needed some caffeine, as well as a chance to make things right with Tom.

She stretched her calves on the way to the elevator. It’d been way too long since she’d gone for a jog. Something she and Shane had done together during their brief marriage. She’d loved running with him.

Her punch card took care of the coffee on the first floor, and she took another elevator up. Would Tom be angry? She had really clocked him.

Tom’s floor consisted of several smaller businesses, all sharing space. The tray balanced easily in her hands as she smiled at the receptionist the floor shared. The young brunette said something into a phone and looked up with a smile. “Tom said to go on back.”