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Back Motive X
Chapters (99)
  1. MOTIVE X
  2. The Fabian Risk Thrillers
  3. MOTIVE X
  4. Copyright Page
  5. Contents
  6. Prologue
  7. PART I
  8. 1
  9. 2
  10. 3
  11. 4
  12. 5
  13. 6
  14. 7
  15. 8
  16. 9
  17. 10
  18. 11
  19. 12
  20. 13
  21. 14
  22. 15
  23. 16
  24. 17
  25. 18
  26. 19
  27. 20
  28. 21
  29. 22
  30. 23
  31. 24
  32. 25
  33. 26
  34. 27
  35. 28
  36. 29
  37. 30
  38. 31
  39. 32
  40. 33
  41. 34
  42. 35
  43. 36
  44. 37
  45. 38
  46. 39
  47. PART II
  48. 40
  49. 41
  50. 42
  51. 43
  52. 44
  53. 45
  54. 46
  55. 47
  56. 48
  57. 49
  58. 50
  59. 51
  60. 52
  61. 53
  62. 54
  63. 55
  64. 56
  65. 57
  66. 58
  67. 59
  68. 60
  69. 61
  70. 62
  71. 63
  72. 64
  73. 65
  74. 66
  75. 67
  76. 68
  77. 69
  78. 70
  79. 71
  80. 72
  81. 73
  82. 74
  83. 75
  84. 76
  85. 77
  86. 78
  87. 79
  88. 80
  89. 81
  90. 82
  91. 83
  92. 84
  93. 85
  94. 86
  95. 87
  96. 88
  97. About the author and translator
  98. Acknowledgements
  99. An Invitation from the Publisher

‘All right, I think I get your point.’

‘Even though I still loved you and wanted nothing more than for you to come back to me, I sat back and let it happen. I don’t know what he did to you, and maybe you’ll never want to tell me. But whatever it was, I was the one who let it happen and will never be able to forgive myself for not putting my foot down, for not forcing that conflict and sticking to my convictions. Never.’

Sonja still didn’t say anything. But in her eyes, deep down, he thought he glimpsed an I’m sorry, and when she held her arms out to him, all his doubts vanished. Only now did he realize how much he’d missed having her close. How much he’d longed to just hold her. The smell of her hair. Her breath against his chest. Maybe he was imagining it, but he felt like she was back, and he could already sense a stirring of hope that maybe everything would be okay again someday.

52

While waiting for Tuvesson to finish her call and resume the meeting, Fabian’s thoughts meandered back to Sonja. He couldn’t remember the last time it had been like that. Him waking up, like he had that morning, in exactly the same position as when he fell asleep – on his back, with her head on his shoulder and his arm around her hip. Quite a change from his usual position, as far out on his side of the mattress as possible with his back to her.

Nothing more had been said. The words had all been used up by the time they’d got off the sofa and gone to bed. An intimate, almost magical closeness had enveloped them when she’d snuggled in next to him and let him put his arm around her.

The idea of sex had been there the whole time; in a way, it was the perfect set-up. Her body next to his, the building warmth and lust. They had both been ready and millimetres from breaking the ice. And yet it had never seemed more remote.

Minutes later, she’d begun to twitch as her breathing grew deeper. He’d lain awake for another hour or so, trying to understand what had happened. Whether this was the start of something new and they would finally be able to deal with all the things that had been left unsaid and build something together. Or whether it was simply a temporary ceasefire in their cold war.