Page 46 of Armed ’N’ Ready

“Quite the protective little watchdog you’ve got.” He uttered a low laugh then leaned down to give Stray a pat on the head.

Not to be outdone, Saxon pushed between their legs, panting and demanding attention. Andi rubbed the other dog’s ears.

“C’mon.” He laced his fingers with hers. “It’s late. I’ll walk you home.”

With her pulse still fluttering, the walk back passed in silence, but inside she was smiling. She didn’t understand how or why, but tonight there’d been a discernible shift in their relationship and her perception of him.

Her fingers were totally engulfed by his large, calloused hand, and as exhausted as she was, part of her wished the walk back to her house was longer than it was. The other part warned her she’d be a naive fool to forget that he held her future and the future of the DPC in his hands. Right now, she was incredibly vulnerable and still needed to tread carefully around him.

When they arrived at her back porch the motion sensor light kicked on.

Nick stopped short, pointing then insinuating his body between hers and the porch. “What is that?”

She looked around his shoulder in the direction of his outstretched arm, then giggled. “A telescope, silly. Don’t worry. It won’t attack you.” Pushing past him, she headed up the stairs, as did the dogs, and walked onto the porch. “I told you amateur astronomy ran in my family. When my dad and uncle were kids, they made this telescope out of parts from the Williamsburg Bridge. My great-uncle was an engineer in the city and used to bring home spare pieces that were going to be thrown out as scrap. Those spare parts are now a telescope.”

He followed her up the stairs, eyeing the telescope warily, as if he expected it to come to life and start shooting. With its spindly tripod legs and the long optical tube made from an old pipe, it did kind of look like a cross between a mounted machine gun and a rocket launcher.

“I’ll see you tomorrow,” he said, casting one more wary glance at the telescope before dropping a light kiss on her lips. “And don’t forget to lock up behind you. This door and the front door.”

“I won’t.” The door creaked as she pushed it open. Stray darted inside and trotted to her bowl, crunching on a few remaining kibble leftovers from that morning. When Andi stepped into the kitchen Nick and Saxon were still there, waiting, she knew, for her to close the door.

“Do you even have a deadbolt?”

“No.”

He shook his head, frowning. “I’m calling a professional security company first thing in the morning.”

“You will not.” She parked her fists on her hips. “I lived in the city half my life. The last thing I want is to feel so paranoid that I need a security system.”

“With everything going on, I don’t want you taking any chances. Humor me.”

“Again?” She’d come to realize he used those two words a lot. “You’re incorrigible.” Andi shook her head, although deep down, she was touched by his concern for her safety. “Good night.” She grinned and shut the door.

Sighing, she leaned back against the doorframe. Part of her had wanted to invite him inside for a nightcap. A nightcap. Right. What she’d wanted was him. Kissing her more. Touching her. Undressing her with his big, strong hands. The enormity of the moment wasn’t lost on her.

Despite who and what Nick was, let alone why he was there, he was the first man since Steve that she’d thought about. Really thought about.

She unclipped her phone from her waist and set it on the counter. Except for the sound of Stray licking the inside of her kibble bowl, the house was quiet. Eerily quiet. Though she wasn’t ready to admit it to Nick, maybe a security system wasn’t such a bad idea. She flicked on the kitchen lights to see Stray pushing the dish along the floor until it hit the wall and could go no farther. She began noisily lapping water, but stopped abruptly.

Stray lifted her head, water dribbling back into the bowl. Her ears went back, and she let out a low growl. Hair on her spine stood straight up, then she bolted into the living room, her nails scrabbling on the kitchen tile.

Andi followed. “What’s the matter, girl? Did another raccoon get inside?” That had happened only a month ago.

She’d taken one step into the darkened living room when a hand clamped around her mouth and an arm came around her waist, hauling her backward against something hard.

For a full second, shock overrode all rational thought, and she froze. Oh my God. I’m going to die.

Then fear and panic exploded in her mind, and her fighting instinct kicked in. Hard.

She began clawing frantically at her attacker’s fingers, and when that didn’t work, she swung her arms behind her, contacting her fist. Beneath the hand covering her mouth, she screamed, but the sound was muffled, and she doubted anyone outside the house would hear.

“Knock it off, bitch!” a male voice hissed.

Like hell I will.

With renewed vigor, she swung backward again with her fist and hit something soft.

“Fuck!”