Page 62 of Rescuing Erin

I couldn’t get myself to say rescue. Get us sounded like they’d leisurely stopped by someplace Colin and I were visiting and offered us a ride home. I liked that explanation much better than the real version.

“Gold. Brooks, Max, Thad, and Kyle. Declan is taking over as team leader. They are our ghost team. They’ve been mainly deployed to the middle east. They specialize in stopping piracy and smuggling, both on land and in the Arabian Gulf. The major trade routes there are inundated with stolen antiquities and human commerce. It requires constant monitoring, so they stay there most of the time.”

“What about Blue?”

“Blue comes and goes, but they’ve been gone more than they’ve been home the last few years. They specialize in maritime piracy. They mostly stay on big freight ships.”

“And your team? What do you specialize in?”

“Everything.”

“I knew you were gonna say that.”

We pulled into the driveway of Colin’s house, and for the first time I really looked at the surrounding area.

“You kinda live in the middle of nowhere.”

“How do you figure that, sunshine? Downtown Annapolis is fifteen minutes away and the mall is like twenty.”

“Okay, fine, but you have no neighbors out here.”

“You don’t like it?”

My heart constricted at the concern in his voice.

“No, I do, it’s peaceful out here. Just making an observation. I hadn’t paid that much attention when we first came here.”

“Because if you don’t—”

“Colin, I said I did. I agree it’s nice not living right next to someone. Remember when we were at Abe’s and I told you I’d be happy living out there. Your place is perfect.” He turned the car off but before he could open the door I added, “Besides, this way we can have private time in the hot tub on your deck and no one will see.”

I loved the hungry look he got whenever I mentioned us being intimate. Now, if I could just get him to act on the emotion, I’d be golden.

“Our deck.”

“What?”

“It’s our house, Erin. And if you’d prefer to live somewhere else, we can sell this place and move. If you want to stay in D.C. I’ll make the commute to Annapolis for work. Though I’d like for you to be close to Olivia and the other women. It’ll make things easier on you when I leave on a work trip. But I understand if you don’t want to give up your life in Washington.”

In all the craziness I hadn’t thought much about where we’d live or what would happen when he eventually had to go on a mission.

“There’s nothing for me in D.C. I mean my parents are there for the next year, but when my dad’s term is over they’ll go back to Texas. That was the deal my parents made. My mom wants to retire there.”

“We have the house in Killeen. Anytime you want to go there and visit them, we will.”

“I love you, Colin. Thank you.”

“You, too, sunshine. Let’s get in the house.”

Weirdly, he held his cell phone out and raised his eyebrows. I fished mine out of my bag and showed it to him. He nodded and opened the glove box, placing his in there and motioned for me to do the same. I had no idea what was going on, but I trusted Colin, and if he wanted my phone left in the car, I wasn’t going to question him.

When I opened my own door and stepped out of the car before Colin could come around, he lifted a brow in reprimand.

“Seriously? We’re in the garage, and the door is closed. Surely I can get out by myself.”

“Not the point, Erin. The gentlemanly thing to do is to open your door.”

“Are you telling me you’re a gentleman?”