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Her safety would come first for him.
They’d almost reached the entrance to the guesthouse when she gave a quick gasp.He felt the sudden alertness in her body even before her eyes flew open.
“Easy,” he soothed.“You’re safe.I’ve got you.”And, with a bit of skill and dexterity, he managed to unlock the door and keep carrying her.Good thing he’d swiped the keys to the guesthouse before racing after the ambulance.
“Why…why do you carry me so much?”
He crossed the threshold.Shut the door.“Do I carry you a lot?”
“Yes.”A whisper.She curled one arm around his neck.“You can put me down.”
“Sure.”But he didn’t.He carried her to the small bedroom.Spared a glance for the bed.“You never slept in this bed with Hudson.”
“No.”Sleepy.
“Good.”He put her on the bed.Pulled off her shoes and socks and tossed them away.Even tucked her under the covers.His hands lingered for a moment on her.“Go to sleep, Naomi.We’ll talk more after you’ve rested.”Time to back away.Only his hands kept right on lingering.
“I don’t…like that you saw me that way.”A quiet admission.
He sat on the edge of the bed.Still not leaving.Still not backing away like he should.“What way?”
She swallowed.“Helpless.”
His hand rose to brush back a lock of her dark hair.Then, of course, his fingers decided to linger once more.This time, against the silk of her cheek.“If you can’t be helpless in front of a friend, who can you be helpless in front of?”A mocking question to try and lighten the sudden tension in the room.
“You’re not my friend.”
“No?Then what am I?”
“I’m scared that you might be my enemy.It’s terrible to be helpless in front of an enemy.”
He leaned toward her.“I’m not your enemy.”
“You’re Hudson’s friend.His partner.”
She needed to understand this.“I’m not your enemy.”
Her gaze searched his.Dark shadows lined her eyes.Still no good color in her cheeks.Even her lips looked too pale.Plump, gorgeous, but pale.“If you’re not my enemy, what are you?”
“How about I beyourfriend?”
“I don’t have a lot of those.People in town…the few friends I’d made, they turned on me.”Quiet.Tired.“People don’t like to be friends with murderers.”
“But you’re not a murderer.”Wasn’t that what she kept telling him?
A soft exhale.“I need to sleep.You need to sleep.”
“Yes.”He went right on lingering.Lingering might be his new favorite hobby.“I’m going to watch over you.”
A little furrow appeared between her brows.“Does that mean you’re going to watch me sleep?Because that’s creepy.”
His mouth curled.“I don’t want to be creepy.”
“Then no watching me sleep.”Again, that deep gaze of hers searched his.“You feel sorry for me.”A negative shake of her head against the pillow.“Don’t.I was helpless in that moment, but I’m not weak.I won’t ever be weak.”
“Wouldn’t dream of thinking that you were.Quite the opposite, in fact.”For him, there was nothing sexier than strength.An unbreakable spirit.“I don’t know you well enough.That’s my mistake.I believe in learning from my mistakes.I will discover your secrets, and you’ll discover mine.”
“And we’ll be…friends?”