Page 10 of Healing Conviction

“I don’t make threats, Pix. Just promises.” Taking a chance on rejection, he bent low to her ear, close enough that he could tell her breathing had stopped. “And I keep them. Remember that.”

When he pulled back, her face was white as a sheet and her eyes were closed.

“Fuck, breathe, Nora.”

Her eyes snapped open and she took a breath before fixing a fake smile on her face. “S-sounds good, handsome. Let’s get these groceries—”

“Whoa, no. What was that?”

“What was what?”

“You’re pale and shaking. Did I scare you?”

There’s that ridiculous smile again.“I don’t know what you’re—”

He dipped close to her ear again and caught her when she jumped back, slapping her hand over her ear and nearly falling back into her driver’s seat.

“That. What wasthat?”

She gulped down a breath. “I-it’s nothing. Help me get the groceries?”

Her wide eyes begged him to move on.

“I’ll let it go for now, but if I freak you out again, you’re telling me.” He pushed away from the car, giving her a reprieve along with her breathing room.

“Fair.” She nodded. As soon as she had the space again, she turned to retrieve the groceries from the passenger seat. The stretch left him the perfect view of her ass in her tight black jeans, and it took a second too long to realize she was blindly handing bags to him.

“Drake… what’re you doing back there, huh? Help a girl out and let me know when your hands are full and I’ll take the rest.”

He grabbed the bag she was dangling and took each one as she passed them, enjoying her chatter. Once they’d emptied the passenger seat, with most of the bags along his arms, he followed her back into BlackStone, curious at how confident she was in taking the lead through his own home. She didn’t even need his help as she cruised through the safety measures, like Snake hadn’t had to give his teammates an hour long lesson on how to do them correctly.

“How do you know the protocols?”

She lifted a shoulder and without asking him, pressed the up button on the elevator. The doors opened up immediately and she waltzed right in.

“I helped Snake come up with them.”

“Oh…”

What the hell? Why would Snake need her help?

His mind was trying to put the pieces together as he followed her inside the elevator. The ride was too quick for him to solve the puzzle, or to enjoy how close they’d had to be. Hardly a second later and they were already in BlackStone’s kitchen.

Between the two of them and Nora’s updates on everything from Ashland to celebrity gossip, unloading the groceries took no time. That is, until he realized that the quicker everything was put away, the quicker she’d have no reason to stay. Unfortunately, she’d have to leave soon anyway, since he couldn’t miss his first meeting back with the team. He began to brainstorm how to convince her not to leave while taking his time with the rest of the bags.

After a moment, Nora glanced at him and snorted as she pulled open a drawer. “Dang, slowpoke. I’m almost done and I don’t even know where things go. Speaking of which, where are your trash bags?”

“Oh, they’re right—” Draco frowned at the empty drawer he’d just pulled out. “Here. At least they were… I guess… I guess they changed things.”

A look that felt a lot like understanding washed over her face before she opened drawer after drawer. “It’s no big deal. Naomi used to live here only a short while ago. I think she spruced the pla—Ah!” she yelped and jerked away from the counter.

Draco went on the defensive and gripped her arms before tugging her behind him, placing his body between hers and the counter. “What? What is it?”

She trembled against his back, and he searched for the cause, but a brief scan of the countertop didn’t reveal anything. The shaking grew stronger and morphed into hiccupping.

“Shit, Nora, are you okay?” Seeing that the room was apparently clear, he turned and pulled her close in his arms. “What’s wrong? What’re you cry—you’relaughing?”

Her ivory skin had blushed to a bright shade of red as she giggled up at him. “L-look in the drawer.”