couldn't make an accurate assessment because his hopes were riding on the option he preferred. The one, crystal clear outcome in his very muddled life.
The option he could no longer deny how much she mattered to him.
Suddenly he was pulled into a rib-crushing bear hug. Hadn't seen that one coming, he thought with a smile, appreciating the surprise of it as much as the acceptance.
Selena's relatives surged forward and Adam shook hands and exchanged holiday greetings with what felt like the entire population of Little Italy.
When she was called to the dining room, she took his hand and pulled him right along with her. "I have to fold napkins," she said when the door closed behind her.
"Sure." He didn't know what else to say. Was there a special Vaccaro family ritual for this too?
"The aunts are grumbling about Renata not calling today."
"She'll be fine," Adam assured her, though he too wondered what was taking Messenger so long to recover Selena's cousin.
"They have old-fashioned standards. Renata will have a lifetime of explaining to do if she doesn't get to call today."
Selena's gaze locked with his and the hope he saw there tore him apart. If Messenger dropped the ball on Renata's rescue, Adam would personally get the full explanation for the Vaccaro family.
The intensity of his attachment scared him a little, but not nearly as much as the idea of being apart from this woman.
"You could help me with this," she said, peering at him from under her bangs.
He stared at the stacks of fabric squares for a moment, baffled by the request. When he lifted his eyes to hers, he caught the mischief dancing there. "All right. Show me."
She started the pattern, and her smile brightened as they finished at the same time.
"It really doesn't bug you? The things that are weird about me, I mean."
"Maybe you should explain all the details," she teased. "So I can make an informed decision."
"That would be best for when we're alone."
They were both quiet for a moment, listening to the various sounds of her relatives filtering in from the other side of the door.
"You have a big family," he said at last.
"Are you implying that's a deal breaker?"
"I don't think it should be." He smiled, reassuring her, and knew from the grin on her face that his dimple was in fine form. "But I don't come from that same kind of background. One more big difference between us."
"They'll forgive you," she said with a wink. "Regardless, you make up for the weird stuff and lack of family in other ways." Her grin turned into a sexy invitation. "It's part of what makes you the man I want to love."
"Really?" He went around to her side of the table and pulled her close, brushing her lips with a teasing kiss. "Any other parts of me you want to love?"
She trailed a fingertip across his lower lip and he caught it lightly with his teeth. They both trembled with anticipation.
She licked her lips. "A full explanation of that should wait until we're alone."
"Promise?"
She nodded, making an X over her heart with her free hand. "On the family honor."
When his laughter filled the room, she knew this would be the first Christmas of the rest of their lives.
Together.
Epilogue
Amelia set aside her laptop and rolled her shoulders. The tension she'd felt traveling to and from Selena's showroom was fading with every hour that passed without Messenger or his assassin breaking down the hotel room door. "Any word from Ben?"
"Not so far ," John replied, giving her a ghost of a smile. "He said something about getting a program, whatever that means. For all I know he's been sneaking into Broadway shows."
She chuckled. It would take them all some time to adjust to working together, but she knew John wanted to make this new team approach work for all of them. And for the Unknown Identities operatives still stuck in Messenger's system.
After saving Adam and Selena by interfering with End Game's usually foolproof, deadly aim in that alley, Ben had slipped away
The option he could no longer deny how much she mattered to him.
Suddenly he was pulled into a rib-crushing bear hug. Hadn't seen that one coming, he thought with a smile, appreciating the surprise of it as much as the acceptance.
Selena's relatives surged forward and Adam shook hands and exchanged holiday greetings with what felt like the entire population of Little Italy.
When she was called to the dining room, she took his hand and pulled him right along with her. "I have to fold napkins," she said when the door closed behind her.
"Sure." He didn't know what else to say. Was there a special Vaccaro family ritual for this too?
"The aunts are grumbling about Renata not calling today."
"She'll be fine," Adam assured her, though he too wondered what was taking Messenger so long to recover Selena's cousin.
"They have old-fashioned standards. Renata will have a lifetime of explaining to do if she doesn't get to call today."
Selena's gaze locked with his and the hope he saw there tore him apart. If Messenger dropped the ball on Renata's rescue, Adam would personally get the full explanation for the Vaccaro family.
The intensity of his attachment scared him a little, but not nearly as much as the idea of being apart from this woman.
"You could help me with this," she said, peering at him from under her bangs.
He stared at the stacks of fabric squares for a moment, baffled by the request. When he lifted his eyes to hers, he caught the mischief dancing there. "All right. Show me."
She started the pattern, and her smile brightened as they finished at the same time.
"It really doesn't bug you? The things that are weird about me, I mean."
"Maybe you should explain all the details," she teased. "So I can make an informed decision."
"That would be best for when we're alone."
They were both quiet for a moment, listening to the various sounds of her relatives filtering in from the other side of the door.
"You have a big family," he said at last.
"Are you implying that's a deal breaker?"
"I don't think it should be." He smiled, reassuring her, and knew from the grin on her face that his dimple was in fine form. "But I don't come from that same kind of background. One more big difference between us."
"They'll forgive you," she said with a wink. "Regardless, you make up for the weird stuff and lack of family in other ways." Her grin turned into a sexy invitation. "It's part of what makes you the man I want to love."
"Really?" He went around to her side of the table and pulled her close, brushing her lips with a teasing kiss. "Any other parts of me you want to love?"
She trailed a fingertip across his lower lip and he caught it lightly with his teeth. They both trembled with anticipation.
She licked her lips. "A full explanation of that should wait until we're alone."
"Promise?"
She nodded, making an X over her heart with her free hand. "On the family honor."
When his laughter filled the room, she knew this would be the first Christmas of the rest of their lives.
Together.
Epilogue
Amelia set aside her laptop and rolled her shoulders. The tension she'd felt traveling to and from Selena's showroom was fading with every hour that passed without Messenger or his assassin breaking down the hotel room door. "Any word from Ben?"
"Not so far ," John replied, giving her a ghost of a smile. "He said something about getting a program, whatever that means. For all I know he's been sneaking into Broadway shows."
She chuckled. It would take them all some time to adjust to working together, but she knew John wanted to make this new team approach work for all of them. And for the Unknown Identities operatives still stuck in Messenger's system.
After saving Adam and Selena by interfering with End Game's usually foolproof, deadly aim in that alley, Ben had slipped away
Similar Books
