“I had a long talk with Evan and Cole about BAS, and we’re going legitimate. Well,” he amended with a lift of his shoulder. “We’re spinning off a new company. Private investigations. Very specialized. There are a lot of people who get screwed by the system. Emily wouldn’t have had anyone to stand for her if it wasn’t for you. Amy wouldn’t have met her god child if it wasn’t for you.”

I licked my lips, letting the truth of what he was saying roll over the need in my heart.

“You can be who you are, Sloane. You just don’t have to be it with a badge. Of course, if you need a badge …” He trailed off as he handed me the box.

I opened it, and nestled among pink tissue paper I found a shiny silver sheriff’s star, and for the first time in a long time, laughter bubbled out of me.

“I told you once I would always give you what you need. Please, Sloane, I think we both need this. Will you come to work with us? Will you stay with me?”

I looked at the badge, then looked at the man I loved. The man who knew me so intimately and loved me so completely.

The man who’d come to me, all sexy and gorgeous and charming and brilliant and handed me not only a solution but a little silver star.

How could I say no to that?

I couldn’t.

And so I did what I had to do. I threw myself in his arms and kissed him.

When I broke the kiss, he smiled down at me.

“Is that a yes?”

“Yes,” I said, my heart full to bursting. “It is.”

I kissed him again, and this time the kiss was deep and long. A kiss celebrating things lost and found again. A kiss that held the past and the promise of the future.

A kiss that stole my breath and made my knees go weak.

“Tyler,” I whispered. “If you don’t make love to me right now, I just might have to arrest you.”

He laughed. “In that case, Detective …” he trailed off as he very efficiently peeled me out of my clothes. “Dear god, Sloane, I’ve missed you,” he said as his hands roamed every inch of me.

“Yes,” I said, because I couldn’t manage anything more than that simple thought. One single word that somehow expressed everything that had been missing in me since I’d walked away, and everything I’d found in Tyler.

He led me to my bed, then gently laid me down and covered his body with mine. Our kisses were wild and claiming, his hands were gentle but demanding.

“Mine,” he whispered as his hands stroked me, exploring and teasing.

“Yes,” I answered, arching up to meet his touch. I was hot and ready and when he brushed his thumb over my lower lip, I drew it in, suckling him until he groaned with soul-deep satisfaction.

“In me,” I said. “I need you inside me. I need to feel us together. Please, Tyler. Please, now.”

“I love you, Sloane,” he said as I spread my legs wider and he thrust inside me. “I love you,” he repeated, as we pistoned together, deeper and faster, the sweet storm rising higher and raging harder. “For now,” he said, his voice right on the edge. “For always,” he said, and exploded inside me.

My own release was like the crescendo of a symphony, rising up and up, and then higher still until there was no where left to go and there was no choice but to burst free in color and light and music.

He held me tight while I came back to myself, and I curled against him. “I love you, Tyler,” I said. “I always will.”

He sighed, the sound full of warmth and pleasure, then stroked his fingers lightly over my bare shoulder.

“There’s one other thing I have for you,” he said. “I don’t want to move, but I want you to have it now.” He grinned, revealing his dimple. “Don’t go away.”

“Never.”

He left the bed just for a moment, then came back with another wrapped package. This one in red, and not nearly as professionally done. I glanced at him. “You wrapped it?”

He lifted a shoulder.

I narrowed my eyes, then tugged out the card—and then looked at him with genuine confusion. “The card says this is a gift from me to you.”

“Yes,” he says. “It does.”

“I’m giving this gift to you? This mysterious thing I’ve never seen before?”

“You are,” he said, then held out his hand.

With a baffled laugh, I gave him the package. He held it up to his ear and shook it gently. From his expression, I could almost believe he didn’t have a clue.

“Go ahead,” I said, playing my role. “Open it.”

He peeled off the paper, then opened the box. Slowly, he tilted the box to show me what was inside.

“Jahn’s watch,” I whispered, pulling it out of the box and holding the now-ticking timepiece up to my ear.

“You fixed it,” I said.

“No,” he said, his voice full of love. “You did.”

I blinked back tears of understanding and joy. Then I shook my head, smiling easily. “We did it together,” I said.

“Yes,” he agreed. “We did.” He put the watch on, strapping it on his wrist with something close to reverence.

“We’re going to make a hell of a team,” I said.

He drew me close and wrapped his arms around me. “Sweetheart, we already do.”