As she looked into his eyes, she felt like her heart might explode. They were taking things very slowly, but she knew deep inside that Aiden was the man for her. But she wanted to heal as much as she could so she wouldn’t be a burden on him. There was no doubt about her feelings, though. She looked up at him. “Aiden, I love you.”

He brushed her hair behind her ear and then pulled her closer. “I love you too.”

As his lips touched hers, she could feel her heart, which had been so dark and broken, slowly being mended by his love.

CHAPTER
SIX

Hunter sat on the sofa, keeping a healthy distance between him and Layla. When he’d gotten the call from Zane about working on a new assignment, he’d been excited to have another opportunity to work for the DEA. But that had quickly changed once he realized Layla was tied up in this. Her role was still a source of confusion for him, but he’d decided it was best to wait to talk to her when it was just the two of them. He’d gotten the strong impression from Layla that she didn’t want to air their dirty laundry in front of Zane and Cass, and he couldn’t blame her for that.

Hunter decided to jump right in. “Please tell me everything, because I know you well enough to know that you weren’t being totally up-front.”

She scowled. “Don’t assume you know who I am today, Hunter, and let’s start with my questions.”

Ouch. He needed to be more diplomatic, or this was going to end badly and fast. “Understood. Sorry, I shouldn’t have jumped the gun.”

She tucked her foot underneath her on the couch and shifted his direction. “DEA. You work with them a lot?”

At least she was starting with a softball question. “Absolutely. I work with them more than any other agency. I’ve developed some strong relationships there, especially with Zane, and I enjoy the work. They never have enough manpower, and I thrive on the challenge.”

“Why not apply and work full-time with them?”

“I like the flexibility the current arrangement gives me. Being able to take on other work is important to me. It expands my skill set and will ultimately make me a better PI. Plus, the DEA likes that I’m not a full-time employee. It saves them money, but they can use me as they need me. It’s a win-win.”

Layla arched an eyebrow. “I’m just surprised that you chose to work for them.”

“I’m not the only one who has changed.” It was true. He’d done a lot of soul-searching to determine which direction to take his career. That he enjoyed the DEA work so much had been a surprise to him.

“So you’ve been in the field?” she asked.