His hands tightened on my hips, holding me still. “We need to.” His voice was strained but resolute. “Not like this. Not with your daughter down the hall and someone possibly watching the house.”
Reality crashed back, cold and unwelcome. I closed my eyes, trying to catch my breath, to calm my heart.
“You’re right,” I said finally, though I made no move to leave his lap.
Jake tucked a strand of hair behind my ear, his touch gentle. “This isn’t a no,” he said quietly. “It’s a not yet.”
I nodded, understanding. There was too much happening, too many unknowns. Adding this complication now would only make everything harder if it went wrong.
Slowly, reluctantly, I disentangled myself from him and stood, adjusting my robe. Jake remained seated, his shirt still open, hair mussed from my fingers. He looked devastatingly handsome in the lamplight, and for a moment I almost changed my mind.
“I should go back to bed,” I said, though every part of me rebelled at the thought of leaving him.
He nodded, buttoning his shirt with fingers that weren’t quite steady. “Probably for the best.”
I turned to go, then paused at the edge of the room. “Jake?”
He looked up, his eyes still dark with desire. “Yeah?”
“This isn’t over.”
A slow smile spread across his face, transforming him from brooding to breathtaking. “No,” he agreed. “It’s just beginning.”
I carried that smile with me back to my bedroom, where I lay awake for a long time, replaying the feel of his lips on mine, the warmth of his hands, the way he’d looked at me like I was something precious.
Outside my window, the night stretched on, full of shadows and unseen threats. But for the first timein years, I felt the stirring of something stronger than fear—something like hope.
Morning arrived with pale winter sunshine and the smell of coffee brewing. I found Jake in the kitchen, fully dressed, his hair damp from a shower. He looked up when I entered, and for a moment neither of us spoke, the memory of last night hanging between us like an unfinished melody.
“Sleep okay?” he asked finally, sliding a mug toward me.
“Eventually,” I answered, accepting the coffee. Our fingers brushed, and even that small contact sent a jolt through me. “You?”
“Not much.” He leaned against the counter, watching me over the rim of his own mug. “Had a lot on my mind.”
I took a sip of coffee to hide my smile. “Anything interesting?”
A slow grin spread across his face, making him look younger, lighter. “Might say that.”
Before I could respond, Nora appeared in the doorway, rubbing sleep from her eyes. She stopped when she saw Jake, then broke into a smile.
“You’re still here!” she exclaimed, padding over to him.
“Told you I would be,” he said, reaching out to ruffle her hair.
She ducked away, giggling. “Can we call Dr. Miller? I want to know if Scout’s okay.”
The mention of Scout brought reality crashing back. I set my mug down and reached for my phone. “Of course. Let’s do that right now.”
Dr. Miller answered on the second ring. “I was just about to call you,” she said, her voice cautiously optimistic. “Scout had a good night. He’s responding well to treatment. Still not out of the woods, but his vitals are stronger this morning.”
Relief washed over me. “Can we visit him?”
“Later this afternoon would be better. He needs rest right now.”
After promising to call with any changes, she hung up. I relayed the news to Nora, whose entire body seemed to sag with relief.
“See?” Jake said, giving her shoulder a gentle squeeze. “Told you he was tough.”
