Was she, like him, remembering their first night together, when she’d let him hold her as she cried?
His arms ached with emptiness. “What can I do?” He’d do anything to ease her pain, whatever it took to help her forget, even for a minute.
“I don’t…” She shook her head. “I can’t ask you—” She stopped abruptly when he stood and looked down at her.
“You can ask me for anything.” His heart pounded. “Anything.”
She bit her lip and rose to face him, placing her mug on the table next to his. “I could really use a hug?” The words came out more question than statement, as if expecting a rejection.
If she only knew. He opened his arms and—thank you, God, finally—she stepped into his embrace. The full-body contact jolted him, but he ignored the buzz triggered by her palms pressed against his back.
Sighing in relief as they molded together, he wrapped her tight and inhaled her heady scent, his breath deepening, his brain calming despite his invigorated libido.
Her touch made him feel lighter, less burdened, smoother around the edges.
Turned out, he’d needed a hug too. Closing his eyes, he nestled her closer and—
A loudcrashshattered the quiet.
CHAPTER TWENTY
BEFORE SHE’D EVEN registered the sounds from outside, Lindsey was flat on her back on Todd’s living room rug, his body covering hers, his good arm cradling her head.
“Stay down,” he said, scanning the room, his demeanor remarkably calm.
Shouts came from outside. Her pulse hammered in her ears.
Could Meg have found them already? Had she somehow made it to Virginia? Hard to imagine her being satisfied with long-distance vengeance, though the woman also had a strong sense of self-preservation.
But Lindsey had only been in Virginia since last night. How would Megan know?
“When I say ‘go,’” Todd said, “I want you to—”
His phonedingedand vibrated, tapping on the wooden table. He reached up, wincing at the movement, and read the message.
Relief smoothed his features and his head dropped to her shoulder. “False alarm.”
Adrenaline still pulsed through her as she released the breath she’d been holding. Nudging the table, Todd carefully pushed to his feet and then held out a hand for her.
“What was it?” she asked, letting him help her rise, willing her muscles to relax.
He dropped her hand far too soon. “Someone lost control and crashed into a parked car.”
“Oh, no. We should—”
“Stay inside.” The muscle in his jaw jumped. “It wasn’t a direct hit, but that doesn’t mean it’s not a trap for us, or for Scott and Dan.”
A shiver ran down her spine. “To lure us out?”
Todd had an armed team outside, and a top-of-the-line security system protecting the house, but a clever killer might defeat them both. Safety was an illusion. She couldn’t forget that. Tension locked her muscles all over again.
“Maybe. Could be a ruse to get our guys to reveal themselves, or simply to distract them for a few minutes. Could be a preliminary intel mission, or the beginnings of an attack.” Todd appeared maddeningly sanguine.
She wanted him to take her hand again, or pull her into his embrace. He did neither, so she crossed her arms, hugging herself. “What should we do? If someone’s hurt, we can’t leave them out there.”
“Dan already called 911.” Todd’s phone made more noise and he scrolled through the messages. “He and Scott are still in position, several of my neighbors are out there helping. The driver is out of the car and walking around, apparently uninjured. Possibly drunk.” He looked up. “Dan sent a photo. It’s grainy, but I recognize the guy. He lives a few doors down.”
Some of the tightness in her neck eased. “So probably a coincidence.”
