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Nate must have noticed it too, because his head jerked up, his eyes popped wide, and the next thing she knew, he was halfway across the room.

“Hey, is everybody decent?” Jackson’s deep voice drowned out the sound of his footsteps as he strode down the hallway. Seconds later, he walked into the living room, looking big and bad in black cargo pants, a plain black shirt, and combat boots. A camo pack hung over one shoulder, while his weapons harness sported two guns that looked more like small cannons.

“Of course we’re decent,” Dorcas said, praying her voice didn’t sound as shaky to Jackson as it did to her. She brushed some imaginary lint off her blouse while she stole a glimpse of Nate, and her heart kicked hard against her ribs.

“Just teasing, ma’am.” Jackson winked. He turned to Nate, and just like that he went from good-natured guy to badass soldier of fortune. “Navarre’s out back doing a sweep of the perimeter. Everything seems fine, but it doesn’t hurt to check. Where do you want us to set up shop?”

Nate hesitated a moment before he gestured toward the garage. “Guest bedrooms are back where you came. Dorcas is taking the master bedroom; I’ll be in the room across the hall.”

The look on Jackson’s face said,across the hall my ass, but instead he nodded and said, “You got it, boss,” and headed back down the hall.

Alone again with Nate, Dorcas met his gaze, and the sexual tension arcing between them nearly stole her breath away. If Jackson hadn’t shown up, she knewexactlyhow things would have ended. And now that she’d agreed to explore a relationship with Nate, she kind of wished they hadn’t been interrupted.

The look on Nate’s face indicated he agreed, but he kept his hands in his pockets like the professional he was.

“I, uh...I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done that.” His voice was low, rough. “Don’t get me wrong; I want to do it again. I want to do a lot more than that. But I can’t, not until we find your sister and I’m absolutely certain you’re safe. I’ll go get the rest of our things. Like I told Jackson, you’ll be staying in the master bedroom.” He pointed the opposite way Jackson had gone. “First—well, it’s the only door on the left. It’s the most fortified room in the house. You’ll be perfectly safe.”

She watched him stride down the hall. And as he disappeared into the garage, she wondered what she’d be safe from.

LIKE THE REST OF THEhouse, the master bathroom was spacious and immaculate. Dorcas fiddled with the dials on the shower until she finally found the perfect temperature, hot but not quite hot enough to melt the skin off her body. She stepped inside the glass enclosure, stood beneath the dual sprays, and let out a blissful sigh.

Steam rose around her as she tipped her head up and basked in the feel of hot water running over her body. If the shower in her apartment had this kind of water pressure, she might never leave the bathroom.

There weren’t any shampoo bottles or bars of soap, just a trio of stainless-steel dispensers mounted on the stone wall tiles. She placed her hand under the one to the far right that was labeled body wash, and a dollop of pale-pink gel poured onto her hand. She gave it a sniff. Peaches. It lathered nicely, and within seconds the sweet scent perfumed the air.

As the water rinsed the soap away, her thoughts drifted to Nate. That happened a lot lately. She understood his reasoning for not wanting to explore a relationship until things were settled with Rita. And, to an extent, she agreed. But now that she’d decided to test the waters, she really didn’t want to wait.

She filled her hand with shampoo and worked it into her hair. It wasn’t normal for her to be this impatient. She was disciplined by nature and avoided temptation, an eat-your-vegetables-first kind of woman. And here she was, ready to tangle with a guy who preferred to eat dessert first.

Maybe it was because things had been so crazy the past few days. Her home had been ransacked. She’d been shot at. And she still had no idea what the heck was going on with her sister. That level of stress had to have an effect on a woman, and perhaps this was her body’s way of finding an outlet.

Frowning, she rinsed her hair and shut off the water. No, this was more than a basic stress response. Somewhere along the line, Nate had become more to her than a smooth-talking hot guy. As she’d gotten to know him, she’d grown to like him. She liked his smile, his laugh. His voice. More important, she enjoyed talking to him and missed him when he wasn’t around.

The question of love sprang to mind, and she immediately dismissed it. At this stage in her life, she wasn’t looking for love. Hell, she wasn’t even in the market for a boyfriend. There simply wasn’t time in her life. Her main goals were to graduate with her degree, land a job that paid decent money and had decent benefits, and claw her way to financial stability. Not glamorous goals by any stretch, but they would bring stability to her world.

Dorcas wrapped a towel around her torso and swiped at the condensation on the bathroom mirror. She slathered lotion all over her body and combed out her hair.There; much better, she thought as she studied her reflection. If she got a good night’s sleep, she might get rid of the shadows under her eyes. Though she suspected a restful sleep wouldn’t happen until she knew everything was okay with Rita.

Goose flesh rose on her exposed skin when she opened the bathroom door. The guys must have cranked down the thermostat, because it wasn’t this chilly before. Careful not to let the kitten escape, she closed the door behind her and crossed the room to where she’d left clean clothes on the bed. But as she reached for the knot that held the towel in place, the door opened, and Nate stepped inside.

“Hey, I just got off the phone with Nina and—oh, shit. Sorry. I should have knocked before...” The heat in his eyes brought a blush to her cheeks and a tingle to certain parts of her body. “Christ.”

For a drawn-out moment, she stared at him, torn over what to do. If she had a lick of sense, she’d tell him to leave, yet she couldn’t bring herself to do it. “What’s up with Nina?”

“It’s not important. I’ll tell you later.” He looked to the ground and then back up at her. “I, uh...I should go.”

But she didn’t want him to go. She wanted him to stay, to bridge the distance between them. To finish what they started in the kitchen.

Her heart pounded in her chest. Her mouth went dry. When he started to turn away, she blurted, “What if I don’t want you to leave?”

Nate went completely still. He didn’t move. Didn’t blink. For a second or two, he might have stopped breathing. He glanced back, as if checking to see whether anyone was in the hall, and when he closed the door behind him, a shiver worked its way up her spine.

She swallowed hard, shifting her weight from one leg to the other. “Are we safe?”

He nodded, his darkened gaze roaming over her body with an intensity she felt as well as saw. “Nobody knows we’re here. Even if they did, this house is more secure than most banks. Vicky and Ryan take their safety seriously.”

One corner of her mouth curved up. “What kind of security are we talking?”

“Reinforced doors. Bullet-proof glass. Every window is equipped with hurricane-grade stainless-steel shutters that automatically roll down and lock into place if the alarm is triggered. In the event all that doesn’t work, there’s a panic room that’s cement-lined and steel-reinforced. It has an independent ventilation system and communication center. Knowing my brother, it’s probably stocked with at least a month’s worth of food.”