“Callum said to keep it quiet.”
“There’s no such thing as quiet here.”
She rubs the side of her arm uncomfortably.
She’s so damn tough. Jesus, she’s trying to actprofessional talking about the case, but the woman was just shaken.
“Forget about the case for a minute.” I sigh. “Are you okay?” I ask, wanting so damn badly to reach out and pull her into my arms.
Her response is automatic. “I mean, yeah, I’m?—”
“Really?”
“No. Not really.”
I take the juice glass gently from her hand and set it aside. “Come here.”
I pull her into me because she looks like she needs a hug, and I’ll be damned if I deny her anything, even though every time I put my hands on her, they don’t seem to belong to me anymore.
She doesn’t lean in all the way at first, just enough that her shoulder touches mine, but the contact alone already softens her.
“You did everything right,” I tell her. “You got out. You found and logged what could be evidence. You trusted your instincts and now…you’ll see what’s next.”
And damn if I’m not keeping an eye on this now.
She’s silent for a long while, long enough for her body to surrender and melt into me. I lean back against the couch, and she lets her head hit my shoulder, her poofy bun caressing my jawline.
I hold her firmly, stroking the length of her arm for as long as it helps her.
As long as she’ll let me…
“Something else weird happened today…” Her voice is almost a whisper.
“What is it?”
She fiddles nervously with one of the buttons on my Henley, and fuck, it nearly ruins me.
“I wanted to call you.”
My heart stops.
The button drops from her fingers. “I didn’t even think. The fear hit and…your name was just there.”
A low, consuming heat moves through my chest. She feels safe with me.
Shetrustsme.
Her confession shifts something inside me.
We can call it what we want, but Freya and that baby inside her are mine to protect.
Mine.
“If you call…” I say, no doubt in my voice, “I will be there.”
She glances up, and the affection in her chestnut eyes does me in.
“Thank you.”
