“It’s been a long time. How’s your mom?” Nick asked.
“Ah, you know her. She slaves away in the kitchen. I finally have enough money to give her a decent retirement. I don’t need the help. She can relax. What does she do? Work. She’s so stubborn.”
“Probably wants to feel useful,” Nick offered.
“That’s true. She worries about getting too old.”
“You have any more trouble at the restaurant?” Nick had intervened on several occasions on Paul’s behalf when gangs tried to move in on his block and force him to pay protection fees or risk having his livelihood burned to the ground.
“No. Thanks to you. They didn’t come back.” Paul stood staring at Sadie, waiting for an introduction.
Nick shook his head. “Better if you don’t know anything on this one.”
Paul, a middle-aged Asian with white hair dotting his temples, nodded his understanding. He popped the butt of his cigarette in his mouth and puffed on it while he stuck the key in the lock. He opened the door. “It’s not a big place but it’s clean. You hungry?”
“Nah. We’re okay for the night.”
“You need anything, you take it. I stocked the fridge as soon as you called.” He tossed a key onto the counter next to the one he’d used to open the door a moment ago. “The restaurant is behind you. This yard backs up to it. Hop the wall and you’re there. If you don’t find what you need here, go there.”
“I appreciate you letting us use your relatives’ place for a few days. We won’t be here too long.”
“Nothing’s too much to ask from you, my friend. You saved my life. My aunt and uncle are out of the country, anyway. Went back to China. I don’t know why. I told them there’s nothing back there I forgot.” He laughed at his own joke and shook his head. “They don’t need to use this place right now. It’s no trouble at all. I put fresh sheets on the bed for you.” His gaze moved from Nick to Sadie. “If not for this guy, I’d have nothing. Those thugs almost ran me out of business. Out of town. But this guy. He stopped them.” He gave Nick a friendly tap on the shoulder. “You didn’t let them push around the little guy.”
Nick smiled. “Glad to help.”
“He’s a good guy,” Paul said, winking at Sadie. “He’ll take care of you.”
* * *
Sadie stood by the door as Nick thanked Paul again.
The place was tight, but had everything they needed. From the front door, she could see the living and dining rooms, as well as the kitchen. There was a flat-screen TV on one wall and a hunter-green recliner sofa positioned in front. Pictures of family covered most of the white space on the walls.
She excused herself to the bathroom and starting filling the tub while she undressed. A warm bath sounded like heaven. Besides, she needed a minute to process what they’d brought from the warehouse.
A soft knock at the door startled her.
“Come in. I’m covered.” She sat on the side of the tub with a bath towel wrapped around her.
The door barely opened, and she could see a sliver of Nick’s face. “I don’t want to bother you. Just wanted to give you an update. Smith has the information.”
“It’s fine. I was just sitting here thinking. If there’s a U.S. Marshal involved, then no one’s safe, are they?”
“You are. I am. My family is on their way to Galveston right now. No one knows about our place there. They sure as hell won’t get to us here.” He opened the door a little more and leaned against the jamb. “I just spoke to Reed, by the way. Boomer’s doing fine. It’s probably best for him to be with them right now.”
She nodded, ignoring the ache in her chest. “I do realize that. I wouldn’t want to do anything that would put his life at risk. And especially not just so I can have him with me. He has to come first.”
“He’s lucky to have you.”
“He’s in good hands with your family.”
“Gran might fight you for him later.” He smiled, and it brightened his whole face. He held out two beers. The label read Tsingtao. “I found these in the fridge. They’re actually pretty good. Best of all, they’re cold. Want one?”
“Do I? Yes. I would very much like a cold drink.”
He opened the bottle of beer and handed it to her.
“Don’t worry. We’ll figure this out. We’re getting closer to uncovering the truth. Knowing who’s involved is a huge plus for our side. Now we have to gather enough evidence to put the jerk away.”
His words provided a small measure of comfort. There was something about his presence that calmed her rattled nerves. He was just this amazingly calming man. She could get used to this, to him.
“I’ll be in the other room if you need anything else. I promise not to peek, but do you mind if I leave this cracked?”
“Not at all. In fact, I’d feel better knowing you could hear me.”
He disappeared and she set her beer down, slipped off the towel and eased into the warm water. The tension from a long day evaporated, similar to boiling water turning into steam.
She picked up her drink. Beads of water dripped down the longneck bottle as she curled her fingers around the base. The light taste and cool liquid refreshed as it slid down her throat.
Seeing her abductor’s face again had brought up painful memories. She was exhausted. Her mind was spent, her body drained. She calculated how long it had been since she’d slept. Her body screamed too long.
Sadie leaned her head back and closed her eyes.
After a good soak in the tub, she washed herself before stepping out and hand-washing her clothes in the sink. The shower rod was as good a place as any to hang her garments to dry, so she did.
There was toothpaste on the counter. She squeezed some from the tube and finger-brushed her teeth. It was better than nothing. She tightened the towel around her, and moved into the hall, closing the door to the bathroom behind her.
Nick sat on the couch, flipping through TV channels. He did a double take when she stepped into the room wearing only a towel.
She stopped in the living room, completely aware of how naked she was underneath the towel. His reaction had set off a small fire inside her.
“You, uh, want to sit down?”
If she wasn’t so tired, she would’ve experienced a thrill that her femininity seemed to rob his ability to speak clearly. “Okay.”
She curled up on the other end of the sofa.
“You want the remote?” He held it out toward her, but his gaze didn’t leave hers. He pushed off the sofa and disappeared into the bedroom, returning a minute later holding a comforter. “This should keep you warm.”
The blanket was thick, warm and soft. She pulled it up to her neck and thanked him. “This is perfect.”
He stood there for a long moment and raked his fingers through his black-as-night curls. “I, uh, should probably go get cleaned up.”
Sensual heat vibrated between them. “I found a towel for you and folded it on the counter.”
He double-checked the locks on the window in the living room and kitchen. “You want this?” He held out his weapon.
The sight of a gun sent her body into a full-on shiver. “Yeah. I should be prepared. Just in case.”
“No one will find us here. I trust Paul. No one in the agency knows about him.” He hesitated outside the bathroom door. “I won’t be long. You need anything, yell. I’ll be here in a snap.”
The image of him naked, wet, muscled, lit another small fire. Combine the two and the blaze could get out of control quickly.
True to his word, he wasn’t ten minutes in the shower. He strolled into the living room with a towel secured around his hips. Beads of water trailed down his muscular chest.
Now it was Sadie’s turn to flush.
“Found these.” He held up toothbrushes still in their wrappers.
She turned off the cooking show she’d been watching and joined him next to the sink in the bathroom.
He handed one over, and she opened it immediately, put toothpaste on it and scrubbed her teeth. “This is heaven.”
They hovered over the sink, their heads so close they almost touched as they took turns under the faucet.
“I can throw your clothes in the wash with mine.” He picked up his jeans and shirt.
“You found a washer?”
“In the hallway leading to the bedrooms.”
“Wouldn’t hurt to run them through a cycle.” She made her way back to the sofa as he turned on the washer. Was there anything sexier than a half-naked man who knew how to take care of himself and everyone around him? She didn’t think so. She couldn’t imagine Tom washing his own clothes. Everything had to be sorted by color, placed in the correct bins and dropped off at the cleaners who knew exactly how he liked his things washed and pressed. She was almost embarrassed to remember that he had his summer shorts ironed. He had good qualities, she reminded herself. Manly? Not so much.
Nick, who was nothing but all-man and muscle and smart, walked into the room. Her gaze dipped to his towel and the line of hair from his navel to...the trail ended at his towel. His raw sensual appeal lit another little fire.
“You can change the channel if you want. There wasn’t much on earlier excerpt for crime shows.”
“I don’t mind watching whatever.” He settled next to her. His thigh touched hers and the power of that one touch ignited little blazes all down her leg.
She pulled the blanket over her and turned the cooking show back on.
“Want to share?”
His gaze intensified on the screen. “I’m, uh, okay.”
Did he feel it, too?
He must have. He’d never had so much trouble putting together a string of words before. Another trill of excitement rushed through her at the thought she had the power to affect such a beautiful man. His body was perfection on a stick. He didn’t seem to realize or care, and that just made him even sexier.
He put his arm around her, and she settled into the hollow of his neck. His body radiated warmth.
It would be a mistake to get too comfortable in his arms. The reasons were clipped onto the waistband of his jeans most of the time. His gun. His badge.
Two excellent reasons to keep her emotions under control and not fall into the trap of thinking this could be any more than what it was right then.
Nick was her handler.
It was his job to protect her.
Making her feel safe was part of his assignment. Making her feel sexy wasn’t. He stirred another part of her she shouldn’t allow.
Sadie didn’t want to think about that tonight.
The cooking host sliced an onion in half, running the blade through each side again and again until it was chopped.
The sounds from the TV in the background couldn’t drown out the beating of Nick’s heart.
She burrowed deeper into the crook of his arm and closed her eyes.
Chapter 14
Sadie woke to the smell of fresh coffee. She sat up and realized she must’ve dozed off on the couch last night. Naked save for a towel wrapped around her. Embarrassment sent a rash crawling up her neck. She immediately checked to make sure all her body parts were covered.
The blanket still covered her.
Nick sat at a desk that was tucked into the corner of the small dining room. His back was to her, his face toward the screen. She glimpsed cold metal from the waistband of his jeans—a constant reminder he lived in a violent world—one she might never get used to. His job was dangerous.
She pushed the thought aside, preferring not to think about many reasons they would never be able to be a couple. Even though there wasn’t exactly an offer of a relationship on the table. The draw she felt to him was unexplainable. Then again, he was one seriously hot guy who was strong to boot. Who wouldn’t be attracted to that?
“That coffee I smell?”
He held up a foam cup. She hadn’t even heard him get up or go out.
“It is. And good morning to you.”
“You didn’t happen to buy two of those, did you?”
He turned to face her, and her heart stuttered. His black hair disheveled, stubble on his chin, only made him more irresistible. Damn that he was gorgeous in the morning. In the afternoon. In the evening. Hell, he looked good all the time.
He was also a man with a gun and badge.
“As a matter of fact, I did.” He grabbed a small paper bag from the desk and removed another cup. “And I picked up food. Breakfast tacos. I got one with bacon and one with sausage. I wasn’t sure which you liked.”
Scrambled eggs with cheese, bacon and salsa rolled in a warm tortilla. A Tex-Mex treat she’d grown to love since living in Texas. “That smells amazing. I’m all about the bacon. Definitely bacon. On second thought, this is too good to be true. You’re probably just a hallucination, a figment of my overtired imagination. Am I even awake yet?” She blinked, taking the treasures from him. “If I am, I should get dressed.”
“It’s real.” He bent down and kissed her forehead. “I’m real. I happened to like what you’re wearing. But if you don’t stop looking so damn adorable, you’re going to find out just how very real I am.”
“Oh.”
“So you better distract me by telling me how well you slept last night.” He smiled and stroked her cheek.
“Best night of sleep I’ve had in a long time.” The fire he’d lit last night blazed to attention again. She half remembered his body curled behind hers, and the feeling of everything being right in the world while she was nestled against him. She’d never felt like that in another man’s arms.
There was something special about Nick.
Did she just blush again? “How about you? Did you get any sleep or did you stay awake all night at that computer?”
“And miss out on feeling your body against mine? Hell, no. I was right there all night.” He pointed to the space behind her. “And I slept like a rock.”
She took a sip of coffee, welcoming the burn. “Let me guess, job hazard?”
“Yeah. It’d be dangerous for me to let my guard down.” His smile tightened. His gaze focused on a square on the carpet.
Based on the change in his expression, she had the very real sense they were about to talk about a heavy subject.
They hadn’t finished their conversation from yesterday. He would most likely want to know more about the man in the picture. And what he’d done to her. Her body shuddered, thinking about it. She didn’t want to relive the past. She’d much rather stay in the present, the here and now. A primal urge had her wanting to trace the muscles of his back with her finger, follow the patch of hair from his navel down to where his blood pulsed.
First, she’d enjoy her meal. “Have you heard from your family this morning?”
“Luke called first thing. Everyone agreed to check in every few hours until this is over and he’s heard from everyone but Lucy. Said she’s probably tied up on a case. He says Reed took Boomer out for a run this morning.”
“I bet he loved it. I used to take him out back and throw the ball. Half the time he’d end up splashing in the lake. What was supposed to be a quick outing turned into an ordeal. Muddy paws. The smell of lake water. I’d have to give him a bath before I could bring him back inside.” She took a bite of her taco, washing it down with a sip of coffee. The warmth felt good on her throat.
“I’m sure he misses you. I know I would.”
The statement made tears prick her eyes. Not being with Nick? Her stomach lurched at the thought. Yet, there would come a time when this case was over and they’d go their separate ways. Her heart squeezed and she couldn’t deal with thinking about it right now. “What about the others?”
“Meg
and Riley are in Fort Worth with his parents, so they’re good. She’s started contractions.”
“Oh, how exciting for them. They must be thrilled.” Thoughts of having a baby tugged at her heart. Would she be around to meet the little one? She hoped so. If not, maybe there could be a special arrangement worked out. “I’m so happy for them both. That’s going to be one lucky little kid.”
“Yeah, they’ll be great parents.”
“They sure will. This little one will also be surrounded by an amazing family. I can imagine spending summers out on the ranch with Gran. The place would burst with people on the weekends with cousins, aunts and uncles. And there’d be food everywhere.” It was exactly the environment she’d want for her child, if she ever had one.
“I like the sound of that.”
His smile warmed her heart.
“For now, they sounded nervous as hell. And my little tough Meg in the background sounded like she was in pain.” He chuckled.
“She’ll do great. It’ll all be worth it when she holds that baby in her arms.”
“Doc says a first labor can go on for days before the baby comes.” He shrugged. “I’ll make sure and check in with Meg later. Almost forgot. Luke said the last time he spoke to Lucy she said there’s some big news about her and Stephen but they won’t say what it is until we’re all under the same roof and can celebrate together.”
“Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” She took another sip of coffee anticipation lightening her heavy heart.
“I’m guessing they’re announcing an engagement.”
Sadie was genuinely happy for Lucy. “I hope so. He did say it was good news, right?”
Luke’s smile reached his eyes that time. “Yeah. They also said it was scary. Marriage can seem that way. So I’ve heard.”
His brown eyes sparkled. He got that glittery look of pride every time he talked about his family. His love for them was written all over the sappy smile on his face and the pride in his eyes. His smile might be sentimental, but the way those lips curled at the corners was sexy, too.
She didn’t want to ruin his mood, or make him think about the past but curiosity was getting the best of her. “What about you? Ever have any plans to take the leap with anyone?”
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