inside her. How the hell did she get lucky enough to have this man look at her like that?
“You’re an amazing woman, that’s how,” he said softly.
She blinked. “Did I say that out loud?”
He snorted. “I love that I can make that brain of yours short-circuit.” He kissed the tip of her nose. “And I love you.”
She stiffened, then winced inwardly when Jake’s sharp gaze picked up on it. She forced a smile. “Ditto.”
Jake’s face dimmed and he looked away.
She bit her lip, but couldn’t undo her answer. She hated the thought of saying those three words aloud. Would he understand if she told him why she couldn’t say them? Why she feared those words even more than the thought of disappointing him?
Jake didn’t prod her for more. She wanted him to. Maybe this time she could say what was in her heart. But he continued their conversation as if she hadn’t just hurt him.
“I haven’t been home for Christmas in four years, Dani. I’ve been living with a woman for almost a year and my mother is frantic to meet her.” He nipped one of her fingers. “You’ve avoided her long enough.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” She tried to roll away, but Jake grabbed her and flipped her underneath him.
“You don’t know what I’m talking about?” he asked in a low voice, his eyes narrowed on her face.
“I haven’t been avoiding your mother.”
“You’ve managed to be out of the city each time she’s come to visit.”
She made her eyes wide and innocent. “I had missions.”
He raised his eyebrows. “That you volunteered for.”
“They needed someone with my expertise.”
“Really? I believe the last one was ground surveillance on a drug lord. Why would they need a computer expert for that?”
She pressed her lips together to stop from smiling. “They were short on people.”
He frowned at her. “We are going to visit my family. You will not pretend to be sick or be called away for an important mission.”
“What if—”
He shook his head. “Blackwell is going to go through me if he needs you this weekend. You have no excuse, Danika.”
He was the only one who called her by her real name. And only when he was serious. Her jaw jutted out. “Fine. We’ll go.”
He rolled off her and sat up, revealing his broad chest in all its muscled glory. “Why are you so freaked about meeting my family?”
“I’m not—”
“Danika.” His gray eyes went steely on her. It was the same look he leveled at people he interrogated.
“I’m not,” she huffed, and jumped out of bed. She stalked into the bathroom and turned on the shower. “I’m meeting your family now, aren’t I?” She turned the tap hotter. “Even if I am being forced to,” she muttered.
“You’ll like them,” he said in a gentle voice from behind her. “Trust me.”
She jumped, but didn’t turn around. Those words always made her remember the first time he’d said them to her. Jake had saved her from a thug who had a gun to her head. He’d asked whether she trusted him and she’d admitted she did, though the admission had stunned her at the time.
Her shoulders slumped and she turned to him. He tucked a piece of her hair behind her ear. “I got your back, Hacker Girl.”
Her lips twisted and her insides went to mush. “I know.” She sighed. “I want you to know that I’m good with meeting your family. Maybe before I thought it was too soon, but now I’m okay.”
“Good to hear. Now we can move on to more important matters.”
His gaze went molten silver as it slid down her body.
She sucked in a breath. “And what would those be?”
“We need to get you clean before we go anywhere.”
She smiled coyly. “I think I can do it myself.”
He shook his head and moved closer. “Oh no. You definitely need my help in this matter. One can’t be too careful about cleanliness.” He opened the steamed glass door. “Get in,” he said, his voice low and rough.
She shivered and
“You’re an amazing woman, that’s how,” he said softly.
She blinked. “Did I say that out loud?”
He snorted. “I love that I can make that brain of yours short-circuit.” He kissed the tip of her nose. “And I love you.”
She stiffened, then winced inwardly when Jake’s sharp gaze picked up on it. She forced a smile. “Ditto.”
Jake’s face dimmed and he looked away.
She bit her lip, but couldn’t undo her answer. She hated the thought of saying those three words aloud. Would he understand if she told him why she couldn’t say them? Why she feared those words even more than the thought of disappointing him?
Jake didn’t prod her for more. She wanted him to. Maybe this time she could say what was in her heart. But he continued their conversation as if she hadn’t just hurt him.
“I haven’t been home for Christmas in four years, Dani. I’ve been living with a woman for almost a year and my mother is frantic to meet her.” He nipped one of her fingers. “You’ve avoided her long enough.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” She tried to roll away, but Jake grabbed her and flipped her underneath him.
“You don’t know what I’m talking about?” he asked in a low voice, his eyes narrowed on her face.
“I haven’t been avoiding your mother.”
“You’ve managed to be out of the city each time she’s come to visit.”
She made her eyes wide and innocent. “I had missions.”
He raised his eyebrows. “That you volunteered for.”
“They needed someone with my expertise.”
“Really? I believe the last one was ground surveillance on a drug lord. Why would they need a computer expert for that?”
She pressed her lips together to stop from smiling. “They were short on people.”
He frowned at her. “We are going to visit my family. You will not pretend to be sick or be called away for an important mission.”
“What if—”
He shook his head. “Blackwell is going to go through me if he needs you this weekend. You have no excuse, Danika.”
He was the only one who called her by her real name. And only when he was serious. Her jaw jutted out. “Fine. We’ll go.”
He rolled off her and sat up, revealing his broad chest in all its muscled glory. “Why are you so freaked about meeting my family?”
“I’m not—”
“Danika.” His gray eyes went steely on her. It was the same look he leveled at people he interrogated.
“I’m not,” she huffed, and jumped out of bed. She stalked into the bathroom and turned on the shower. “I’m meeting your family now, aren’t I?” She turned the tap hotter. “Even if I am being forced to,” she muttered.
“You’ll like them,” he said in a gentle voice from behind her. “Trust me.”
She jumped, but didn’t turn around. Those words always made her remember the first time he’d said them to her. Jake had saved her from a thug who had a gun to her head. He’d asked whether she trusted him and she’d admitted she did, though the admission had stunned her at the time.
Her shoulders slumped and she turned to him. He tucked a piece of her hair behind her ear. “I got your back, Hacker Girl.”
Her lips twisted and her insides went to mush. “I know.” She sighed. “I want you to know that I’m good with meeting your family. Maybe before I thought it was too soon, but now I’m okay.”
“Good to hear. Now we can move on to more important matters.”
His gaze went molten silver as it slid down her body.
She sucked in a breath. “And what would those be?”
“We need to get you clean before we go anywhere.”
She smiled coyly. “I think I can do it myself.”
He shook his head and moved closer. “Oh no. You definitely need my help in this matter. One can’t be too careful about cleanliness.” He opened the steamed glass door. “Get in,” he said, his voice low and rough.
She shivered and
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