Page 448 of A Matter of Time

“I was so scared, Sam.”

He didn’t answer, but I heard the jingle of his belt buckle, the thump of boots hitting the floor, the sound of fabric as it slid off his skin.

“You were right… I should have been more afraid this whole time.”

The covers lifted as he slid into bed beside me. His bare chest was pressed to my back, his arms wrapped around me, his face down in my shoulder as he eased my ass against his groin. Nothing sexual about any of it, just him wanting to warm me, hold me, make me feel safe. And it worked like magic, because with him I was bulletproof, and the heat radiating off the man was incredible.

“You’re like a block of ice, J. I gotta get you warmed up.”

I shivered hard, feeling his body heat start to seep into me. “I know a way to warm me up.”

He held me tighter in his arms. “Don’t tease me—just rest.”

“Okay.”

He cleared his throat. “It was smart what you did.”

“What’d I do?”

“You told them to call me about the shift change.”

“Yes.”

“I knew something was wrong; I told them to get in there.”

“I was certain you would.”

“I wish they’d called me faster.”

“It’s okay. They did it and I was saved.”

“It was a mistake to leave you.”

“No. You had to talk to Susan. Tell me what she said.”

“I will later.”

“I thought I was going to die, you know?”

I felt him tremble.

“I didn’t want to die, Sam.”

“They told me you tried to save Caleb—ended up using your shirt to try and stop his bleeding.”

“Is he gonna be all right?”

“Yes.”

I was relieved. “Why did he come after me?”

“He was always going to—just a matter of time.”

“Yeah.”

“You’re amazing.”

I ignored the compliment. It didn’t seem like the time to give any or take them. “Is Caleb at the hospital?”