Chapter 11
“Amy.”
The sound of his husky voice was magic. Deep and raspy, like the low purr of a panther. Such a splendid sound, Amy knew she was dreaming.
“Amy,” he came again. “I’m going to take you to your bed.”
Whoa.Her eyes popped open. “Huh?”
And there he was. Jace Burns, standing over her. A vision of the kisses they’d shared flooded her mind. It hadn’t been a dream. Those yummy, heavenly moments had been an earthly reality.
“I need to get going,” he continued, “but I don’t want to leave you here on the recliner.”
She narrowed her eyes at him. “What if this is where I sleep every night?”
Jace tipped his head as he gauged her response, smiling only when she did.
“Kidding. Geez, I’m not some little old man,” she said.
He scooped her into his arms and came to a full stand. “Because old men sleep on their recliners?” he asked while moving toward the hall.
“Only the little ones,” Amy said through a yawn.
Jace chuckled under his breath. “Well, lucky for me I plan to be abigold man. Does that mean I get to sleep in the bed with my little old woman?”
Amy gave him a coy look. “Not tonight.”
He laughed again, and Amy mused she could soak up the sound all day long.
As they rounded the hallway toward the bedrooms, she lifted her head off his chest. “Second door on the right.”
Jace lowered her gently onto the bed before leaning down to kiss her head, the way he’d done beforereallykissing her earlier. “Goodnight,” he mumbled against her skin.
Chills erupted over her arms. “What time is it?” She knew the scanty hall light wouldn’t illuminate the wind-up alarm clock on her nightstand.
“Two a.m.”
That was a whole lot later than she’d guessed.
Jace kneeled beside the bed. “I’d like to talk to you about the best way to keep you safe. Do you have a spare room?”
Safe.The word was a sledgehammer to her gut. Just as Jace’s kiss had been as real as the air she breathed, so too was the threat over her head. Her insides turned cold and hollow. Amy recalled watching a time-lapse video on erosion. She’d been stunned by the transformation happening before her eyes. In that moment, a few of her constant companions—safety, comfort, and hope—were disintegrating at lightning speed, and she wasn’t sure how to get them back.
“Amy? I know it’s awkward,” he said, “but I think it’s necessary.”
She forced herself to think of what it’d be like to have Jace living in the spare bedroom. He’d be there to see her first thing in the morning when she looked a wreck. Or at night after she’d scrubbed her face and smeared on cream that made her all shiny. This was supposed to be the dating season. The see-you-only-when-I-look-hot phase. She didn’t want to give that up. But it wasn’t really a consideration and Amy knew it. The eroding force digging at her chest made it clear.
“Just think about it,” he said. “For now, I’m going to make sure the place is secure, and then head out.” He leaned in, the blessed warmth of his body like a blanket, and pressed his lips against hers in a tender kiss. She was tempted to wrap her arms around him, encourage him to lie beside her and ask him to stay forever. Because Jace offered all of the things she was losing: safety, comfort, and hope.
“I’ll call you in the morning.” At once, the weight and warmth of him were gone. Amy clenched her eyes shut, begging her brain to steer clear of the toxic topic, but it was no good; the erosion started again.
* * *
A distant chimepulled Amy from sleep. As restless and interrupted as that sleep might have been, it took a moment to connect the melodic tune to its source: her phone. Which was where, exactly? Not on her nightstand. In fact, the vibrating buzz from beyond the wall was nearly louder than the ringtone itself.
She sat up quick, tossing the covers as she stood, and tore open her door. A groan made its way to her throat as she stumbled down the hall in a daze. “I feel like crap,” she mumbled.
The phone stopped ringing by the time she found it resting on the kitchen table. But before Amy could see who the missed call was from, it rang again.Kassy.
