“You’re so damn sexy, Ashton.” I smiled weakly; even his painful voice was a turn-on.

He laughed at that statement. “So are you, Anna, so are you.” He kissed my lips lightly. I moaned when I felt his soft lips on mine; I’d missed his kisses and his affection so much in the last seven weeks. I kissed him back with as much force as I could manage. He felt like home, like a safe, warm home, and I loved him so much.

When I opened my eyes from the kiss, it was so bright that I had to squint. I looked around, wanting to turn the light off, but I realised we were outside. I looked back at him as he sat down on the steps outside the building, resting his head against the wall, holding me tightly on his lap. He looked like he was in excruciating pain, his face deathly pale.

“How did we get outside?” I breathed, barely more than a whisper.

He smiled weakly, rubbing his hands over my face tenderly. “I carried you, Baby Girl. We just need to wait for the medics; it won’t be long now. Just stay awake for me, okay?” he whispered, kissing my lips again. I was so tired that it was almost impossible to keep my eyes open, but I just couldn’t look away from his face. I could barely respond to his kiss, even though I felt like it would kill me not to.

I pulled my mouth away from his, making him whimper, but I needed to tell him something, I needed to say it, he needed to know. “I love you, Ashton.”

He grinned, his pained eyes shining with excitement and love. “I love you too, Anna.” He pressed his lips to mine again in one of the sweetest, most tender kisses that I had ever felt in my life. With that one kiss, he showed me exactly how much he loved me, how much he cared for me and how much he had missed me. That one kiss was so special that it actually brought tears to my eyes because it was so beautiful.

I heard sirens in the distance, but all I could think of was the fact that everything was over and that we could be together. His kiss took away the pain in my lower abdomen.

“Agent Taylor, I need to take her,” I heard someone say.

I squeezed my arms tighter around his neck. “No, I want to stay with you, please?” I begged, burying my face into his neck.

“It’s okay, Baby Girl, I’ll come with you. I won’t ever leave you again, I promise. You’re not getting rid of me that easily.” He kissed my forehead and loosened my death grip that I had on his neck; he probably didn’t even realise I was using all of my strength.

“Has she been shot?” I heard the same guy ask.

“No, stabbed. There’s just so much blood and she says she’s tired,” Ashton answered, sounding incredibly worried.

I was moved onto a bed and the guy was looking at me, shining something into my eyes. “I’m fine,” I assured him. “Help him, please, he was shot, please help him,” I begged, trying to push his arms off me so he would help Ashton. The silly boy was worried more about me when he was the one that was shot; it was ridiculous.

The medic nodded. “We’ll help him, ma’am, but right now I need to look at you.”

I was vaguely aware of moving. I had a feeling I was in an ambulance. I could hear someone talking to Ashton, so I focussed on what he was saying. Was he finally getting treatment?

“I need to assess your injuries.”

“I’m fine, honestly, I’ll get checked out at the hospital,” Ashton answered dismissively. I groaned and tried to sit up to tell him to just get looked at, but the medic pushed me back down again.

Another voice joined the conversation now too. “Agent Taylor, what happened?”

“There’re twelve dead inside. Seven on the lower floors and five in a room on the top floor, on the east side I think, I lost my bearings a little. Carter Thomas is dead,” Ashton growled, his voice sounded extremely exasperated, like he didn’t want to be having this conversation right now.

Twelve dead? He’d killed twelve guys? Wow, my man is seriously good at his job!

“You went in without backup?” the guy asked, sounding shocked.

I turned my head, looking towards the back of the ambulance, trying to see Ashton. I just wanted to keep my eyes on him; I didn’t want him too far away from me yet. I winced as an IV was inserted into my skin.

Ashton was frowning at a guy in a secret service suit, his eyes angry and annoyed. “Yes. Look, I need to go with her to the hospital with her. I’ll answer anything you want there,” Ashton snapped in reply. I heard him groan as he climbed into the ambulance behind me. I smiled weakly and closed my eyes. I could sleep now the ambulance was here, just for a couple of minutes. “No, Anna!” Ashton cried, grabbing my hand and squeezing it tightly.

I turned my head to look at him and smiled. He was just so perfect. “You know, even looking like you do now, you’re still the hottest damn guy in the world,” I mumbled.

He laughed quietly. “Thanks, Baby Girl, and you’re still the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen in my life, but you need to stay awake for me. Talk to me, help me keep my mind off my pain,” he replied. I saw him look up at the medic; I flicked my eyes to him just in time to see him shake his head. Ashton’s face fell and he dropped to his knees by the side of my head. “Please, Baby Girl, don’t leave me. Don’t you dare fall asleep, I need you,” he croaked. Tears were falling down his face, washing some of the blood away.

“Don’t cry, Pretty Boy, you’re supposed to be a tough guy,” I teased.

“Right, a tough guy, I forgot.” He smiled, but it showed no happiness, only pain and worry. “Anna, please, I love you, I need you. Please be okay,” he begged, kissing my forehead and smoothing my hair away from my face. I could feel tingles everywhere he touched, and my heart started to speed.