The Darkness Beyond Page 29

  “Which is?” he repeated.

  “I can ask you to share my life instead. There are downsides. I spend hours on the computer when I have a puzzle to solve. I collect all kinds of toys to play with while I’m hot on the trail of some handsome, world-class hacker. Also, I’ve been told I’m a bit stubborn, and I have a temper. Think you can live with that?”

  His smile spread slowly, but lit up his whole face. “Yeah, I think I can live with that. Besides, Lonzo told me that if I ever got a chance at a do-over, I should make a smarter decision.”

  “I like your friends.”

  “Good, because you’ll be seeing a lot of them.”

  “Not right now though. I want some serious alone time with you—no Paladins, no Kaliths, no friends. At least not for a day or two.”

  “Not a problem. Laurel and Sasha ganged up on me and ordered me to take a week off. And suddenly, I have a few ideas about how to fill that time.”

  He muscled them both up out of the chair and carried her down the hall toward his bedroom. He tossed her into the middle of his king-size bed and followed her down.

  There was a lot of hunger in his smile. “What do you say we start here and maybe end up in a Las Vegas wedding chapel? How does being Mrs. Darnell Jacob Clayborne sound?”

  She considered the matter. “I like Mrs. D.J. better, but I’ll take you any way I can.”

  His dark eyes turned serious. “Call me whatever you want as long as you love me.”

  She tugged him down for a long, hot kiss. When she pulled back, she cupped his handsome face and smiled.

  “Then I’m just going to call you mine.”