She was the most perfect human being he’d ever seen or imagined. With his comic book collection and his penchant for sci-fi, he’d imagined a lot.
His attraction had had him in a bind. He’d been dumbfounded, disillusioned and scared out of his gourd of her ever finding out.
Because he couldn’t lose her. In those days, her laughter…it had been vital for him, pulling him out of the quicksand of memories of his last camping trip with his father. Her sunny smiles and ready humor had been the rope he’d used to escape the maws of depression, hand over hand. She’d made breathing—existing—easier.
He didn’t know what he would have done or how he would have survived those years if Sassy Colton hadn’t decided he was worthy of being her best friend. He’d have protected her with his life. That hadn’t changed.
Protect her…protect this…this incredible, life-affirming cord that keeps us together. That keepsmetogether. At all costs.
Nick made himself open his eyes and take hold of the fabric and zipper. It took him a full minute—hell, maybea year?—to loosen one from the other without shredding the delicate linen overlay of the dress. Sixty seconds of smelling the rosewater heart notes of her shampoo and the natural fragrance exclusive to her. The scent of her soap had changed in twenty years, but those subtle, warring tones of sweet honey and warm musk hadn’t.
He took a long step back when the zipper was free. “I didn’t rip it,” he said, moving away from her. Fresh air. He needed fresh air and distance.
“You’re a lifesaver.” Her laugh tripped through the room, a high-pitched bell. She aimed her heartbreaker smile over her shoulder at him. “Thanks.”
He shoved his uninjured hand into his pocket and balled it into a fist. “I’m going to step outside,” he said.
“Everything okay?” she asked as he roved determinedly in the direction of the door. “You didn’t hurt yourself?”
“No,” he assured her. “Just… I need a walk before dark.”
“I can go with you.”
He had to bear down to keep from barkingI’m fineat her. It wasn’t her fault his entire body had rebelled against his better judgment. “I’d like to leave Riot here,” he said instead. “Can you keep an ear out for him? He’s resting and I don’t want to wake him.”
“You know I will.”
He did know. His heart chugged against his sternum in awareness as he lingered at the door. “Just so you know… I’m not going to take any more muscle relaxers.”
“But—”
“I need you to listen,” he added quickly. “I can’t go down that road again. Not after what happened last night.”
“I doubt whoever tried to break in will come back for a second run.”
“You don’t know that,” he said. When he finally got up the courage to meet her gaze again, he saw that truth hit home. “You don’t know what this person is capable of. It could have been random and, in that case, yeah, the bastard’s long gone. Or it could have been targeted. Someone almost ran you over yesterday. The incidents could very well be linked.”
Her brow knitted. “Who would come after me like that? There’s no reason—”
“No one in their right mind would hurt you, Sassy,” he said, keeping his voice soft. It was true. She was the most compassionate, incredible person he knew. “But we can’t assume whoever tried to break in last nightisin their right mind.”
Her throat moved on a swallow.
He wished he didn’t have to deliver hard truths. For a stolen moment, he thought of ways to make the apprehension on her face disappear. It would be easy…so easy to cross the room to her again and…
He shut down that train of thought before it went off the rails, meeting Rogue’s unbroken stare. The cat dropped her chin and glared like she knew exactly what he was thinking.
He stepped back, out into the hall. Away. “I won’t be long.”
* * *
This time, Sassy didn’t dream of the sun on her face. The warmth came from another source altogether. Another body.
He wasn’t just warm. He was hot, his skin damp against hers.
There was nothing between them. Nothing dividing them or holding them back.
Her blood raced. She felt like molten wax. Instead of fleeing the flame, however, she was melting toward it.
