by Ruby Madden
Rick crossed the room and sat beside her. “In all honesty, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you. I’m not sure how much longer I would have been able to resist the urge to see you again.”
“I’ve been thinking about you too,” she admitted. “I didn’t understand why I couldn’t get you out of my mind. I mean, we barely even met, didn’t even exchange names, and yet I was so curious about you. You even invaded my dreams.” The subject matter of those dreams flooded through her mind like a pornographic slideshow and she had to look away before she embarrassed herself by blushing like a schoolgirl. “I guess now I know why.” She glanced back over at Rick. Her mate.
The situation seemed so unreal. She couldn’t believe she had a mate at all, much less one who was so attractive and could shift into a huge frickin’ grizzly bear. It was a lot to take in.
“I’m sorry you’re finding out like this tonight. I know you have enough to worry about without adding a surprise mate into the mix.” Rick leaned forward and set his bottle on the table. He turned sideways on the seat, facing her. “I just want you to know, no matter what happens—whether you want to accept me as your mate or not—I will do everything in my power to protect you. I won’t let anyone hurt you again. You have my word on that.”
It took her a minute to realize what he was talking about. When she remembered, she felt like an idiot. Of course he was talking about Lou. Under the circumstances, she couldn’t believe she’d forgotten to ask about him. “Did you find him? Was he still there?”
Rick shook his head. “No. I found the spot where you knocked him out, but he was long gone. To make matters worse, it looks like he may have broken into your car and stolen the contents of your purse.”
“Of course he did.” Because it wasn’t bad enough that he’d tried to kill her, he had to steal from her too. “Oh hell. He has my driver’s license, doesn’t he? He knows where I live.”
Rick nodded. “I’m really sorry.”
“It isn’t your fault.” It was hers for getting involved with a psychopath.
“Don’t worry, the police will find him. When they do, we’re going to do everything we can to make sure the bastard pays for what he did to you. Until then, I promise to keep you safe.”
“Thank you for offering, although I’m not sure that’s necessary. I’ve been taking care of myself for a long time.” Granted, she wasn’t doing a stellar job lately, but that was neither here nor there.
“I’m sure you’re perfectly capable, but I’d still like to help, if you’ll let me. Your well-being is important to me.”
Well, when he put it that way… “All right. If you really want to.”
“I do.” He smiled and his entire face lit up, transforming him from dark and brooding to panty-dropping delicious.
She couldn’t help but return the expression. “You should smile more often.”
“I’m sure I will now that you’re in my life.”
“Flatterer.” She met his gaze and found herself trapped there, unable to look away. Her breathing sped up and his followed suit. His pupils dilated and she wondered if hers did the same. It was like their bodies were responding to each other and falling into sync together. She took a deep breath and inhaled the scent of sweat and man and something that smelled vaguely like pine. The aroma was more compelling than it should have been. She wanted to scoot closer, to breathe deeper. She leaned in, intent on breathing him in, and a flash of pink caught her eye. She zeroed in his mouth and watched as his slick tongue glided over his lips, moistening them. Her nipples tightened and her core heated at the thought of all the different things he could do with his mouth.
She exhaled and sat back against the arm of the sofa before she acted on her desires and jumped him. While she doubted he would mind getting physical, it was not the time to take things to the next level. If they were going to explore the connection between them, she didn’t want to start with casual sex. It was bad enough she’d dragged him into the drama of her last relationship and tainted the start of anything they might share.
“We should probably get some sleep,” Rick said. “It’s late and the sheriff wants me to bring you by the station in the morning to file a report.”
“Are you sure it’s all right for me to stay here?”
“I think it’s the safest option, although I can take you to a friend’s house or a hotel if you’re really uncomfortable with the idea of staying.”
She could tell he really hated the idea of her leaving. He definitely seemed like the kind of man who’d be overprotective enough to camp out in front of her place to make sure nothing bad happened. “All right. I’ll stay here for the night. Do you have a spare room or will I be bunking on the couch?”
“We don’t have an extra bedroom, but you can take mine and I’ll crash on the couch.”
“You don’t have to do that. I’m fine with the couch.”
“It’s not a big deal. I insist you take the bed. I can keep a better eye on things from here in the living room anyway.”
Sophie glanced at the large windows bracketing the front door. “Are you concerned something will happen tonight?”
“No. I don’t think we have anything to worry about, but it never hurts to be prepared.”
“Were you a Boy Scout?” Sophie teased.
Rick frowned. “Shifters weren’t allowed in the Scouts when I was a kid.”
“Oh.” Wow. She felt like she’d put her foot in her mouth. “I’m sorry.”
Rick shrugged. “It’s not a big deal. My mom taught me everything I needed to know about the wilderness. I didn’t need to join some froufrou group to show me how to survive.”
“Your mom sounds awesome.”
He nodded. “Mom was the strongest woman I’ve ever met. She moved us here after Dad died and raised us on her own. She was incredibly brave. You have that in common with her, I think.”
“No.” Sophie shook her head. “I wish I did, but I’m scared of a lot of things.”
“Being brave doesn’t mean you aren’t ever scared. It just means you don’t give in to the fear and let it control you. You fight back, just like you did tonight, even though you had to know the odds were stacked against you.”
“I didn’t do anything special.” She’d driven away from Lou, gotten lost, and then ran. She’d probably still be wandering around in the woods if Rick hadn’t found her and brought her home.
“You don’t give yourself enough credit. You refused to give up in spite of the fact that Lou was bigger, stronger, and armed. You fought back and you survived. That makes you pretty damn brave in my book.”
“I don’t really see it that way, but I’m glad you do.”
It had been a long time since she’d been praised for anything beyond doing a good job at work. The admiration was nice, but it also made her feel awkward. She’d never taken compliments well, even when they were sincere.
“All right. Well, let’s get you settled and then we can both try to get some sleep.” Rick rose to his feet and offered her his hand.
She accepted, slipping her fingers into his palm, and let him help her up. She stood and found herself being pulled forward into the circle of his arms. Her face pressed up against the center of his chest, over his heart. He dwarfed her by over a foot, standing head and shoulders taller than her.
“Is this okay?” he asked. “I don’t want to make you uncomfortable, but you looked so sad and I’ve been dying to hold you all night.”
Sophie nodded against his chest. “It’s fine.”
Better than fine, truth be told. He was warm and smelled so good, all testosterone and pure man, with a touch of pine thrown into the mix. Although they were virtually strangers, she didn’t feel weirded out by the hug like she normally would being embraced by someone she’d just met. She didn’t know if that could be attributed to the mating bond sparking between them or if it was just Rick. Something about him made her yearn to open up and put her trus
t in him, despite her natural inclination toward being wary of new people.
Rick rubbed her back in slow circles. “I really wish there was something I could do to make things better for you.”
“You already are,” she murmured, suddenly so warm and sleepy she could barely keep her eyes open. Exhaustion was quickly catching up with her. She yawned and released him with one arm so she could cover her mouth with her hand.
“You’re tired. I should let you get some sleep.”
“Yeah.” She yawned again and smothered it behind her hand. “Sorry.”
“It’s okay. You’ve been through a lot tonight. I know you must be worn out.” He took her hand and led her across the living room and kitchen, toward the hallway beyond. “You don’t have to worry about anything happening while you sleep. You’re safe here.”
“Thank you.” She smiled up at him, more comforted by his promise than she could explain.
Chapter Six
“Turn right here.” Sophie directed Rick onto her street from the passenger seat of his SUV. “My house is the third one on the right.”
As much as she’d appreciated being lent clothes, she wanted her own things before she braved the police station and spilled her guts about what had happened the night before. To that end, she’d convinced Rick to swing by her house before they did anything else so she could change and make herself presentable. She also needed to call work and let them know she wouldn’t be in, which would probably go over like a lead balloon considering the fact that she was already skating on thin ice after the complaints that were lodged against her.
On the bright side, at least now she had a pretty good idea who’d called in the phony grievance. The rat bastard.
“This one?” Rick asked, flicking on his turn signal.
“Yep. This is me.”
The tiny cottage was barely eight hundred square feet, but it had beautiful hardwood floors, came fully furnished, and the rent was well within her price range. More importantly, the cottage was the first home that belonged to her and her alone. She didn’t have to share her space with roommates or boyfriends. When she came home, she could truly relax in her own private sanctuary.
Rick pulled into the driveway and parked. “Do you want me to wait out here?”
Sophie looked at the house. Nothing looked disturbed. Everything looked exactly the same as she’d left it. Even so, it never hurt to err on the side of caution. “Come in with me, please. There’s no sense in you sitting out here by yourself.” She opened the door and hopped down out of the SUV. She met Rick in front of the vehicle and led the way up to the front door. Only then did she remember her lack of keys. “Damn. I’m locked out.”
“That lock looks pretty old. I might be able to jimmy it open,” Rick offered.
“You can do that?” She glanced over at him.
He shrugged. “Toby has locked us out of the house more than once.”
“All right. Give it a shot.” She moved out of the way.
He tested the knob and the door popped open like magic.
“What on earth…” she exclaimed in surprise.
“Stay here.” Rick pushed on the door and it swung inward. He stepped over the threshold and disappeared within.
One heartbeat passed, and then another. She shifted her weight from one foot to the other. To hell with waiting around like some damsel in distress. She rushed into the house and gasped at the carnage inside her normally tidy home. The furniture was turned over, the couch gutted of stuffing. What few knickknacks she’d purchased since the move lay in shards upon the floor. She moved through the living room into the kitchen and found the cabinets hanging open, their contents dumped onto the floor and broken.
“I’m sorry,” Rick said from behind her.
“I feel so stupid.” She shook her head. “I should have expected this. I mean, leaving my purse behind was just asking for trouble. I may as well have sent him a written invitation to destroy my home.” Anger and disappointment raged inside her. Her nose burned and her eyes filled with unshed tears.
“This isn’t your fault, Sophie. Your bastard of an ex did this. Not you.”
She barked out a painful laugh. “I don’t think my landlord is going to care.”
She kicked a dented pot and watched dispassionately as it spun across the room and hit the opposite wall. The second it stopped spinning, she pivoted around and headed back through the living room toward the doorway on the opposite side of the room. She stopped over the threshold leading into her bedroom and had to blink away a fresh round of tears. The condition of her mattress made the sofa and chair look pristine by comparison. The matching comforter and curtains she’d splurged on to make the room feel more like her own were in tatters. The blinds had been slashed and her jewelry box had been smashed against the wall. Even from across the room, she could see the contents were missing.
She forced herself to move forward for a closer look and noticed the closet door was ajar. With trembling fingers, she pulled it open and was hit by the putrid stench of urine. She looked beyond the empty clothes hangers dangling from the tension rod to the floor, where her clothes lay in a heap, covered in what she could only assume was piss.
Desperate to get away, she stumbled backward and rushed from the room, not stopping until she’d made it outside, away from the smell and the destruction. She dropped down on the porch steps, buried her face in her hands, and let the tears fall.
Within seconds the front door opened and closed, and a warm body settled behind her. Rick’s strong arms wrapped around her and held her tightly. Without a word, he comforted her and let her weep out her frustrations.
When she was finished, she used the hem of her shirt to wipe the moisture from her face. She despised crying and hated that she’d broken down in front of Rick. He probably thought she was being a baby, bawling over the mess inside. Truthfully, she was less upset over the things that were ruined than she was over the invasion of her home, the decimation of the private life she’d only started to rebuild.
“I’m sorry. I had to get out of there.”
“It’s okay. I don’t blame you for needing to get away. You don’t have to worry about your landlord though. Most of the damage is superficial. I’ll help you clean the mess up and we can turn the damages in to your rental insurance. They’ll replace everything that’s ruined.”
“I wish it was that simple. I hadn’t gotten around to getting rental insurance yet.” Insurance had been at the end of a very long list of things she hadn’t been able to afford. Her landlords were going to pop a gasket when they caught wind of the damage. She’d be fortunate if they just charged her for the repairs and she ended up owing them a kidney or her first born child or something. Knowing her luck, they would evict her too. Not that she would blame them. She may not have been the one who’d torn things up, but it was her fault all the same.
“All right. That’s understandable.” He kept one arm around her waist and used his free hand to brush the hair from her neck so he could nuzzle the bare curve of her throat. “Even so, I can still get this fixed for you. Everything can be replaced. I’m just thankful you weren’t here when he showed up.”
She pictured the shredded furniture and shuddered. “Me too.”
“Are you cold?”
“No.” She glanced up at the bright blue sky above. It was shaping up to be another beautiful summer day, which was ironic considering the storm blowing through her life at the moment. “It has to be almost eighty degrees out here.” If that wasn’t warm enough, heat poured off Rick’s body like a furnace, warming her back better than the sun.
“I know you probably don’t want to hear this, but we need to call the police and report the break-in.”
“Yeah. We probably should.” She exhaled and leaned back against him. “Can we just sit here for a little longer? I need a minute before the cops flood the house and all the questions start.”
“Sure.” Rick rested his c
hin on her shoulder and hugged her close. “We can sit here as long as you want. Anything you need.”
* * * *
After the sheriff and two of his deputies arrived on the scene and swept her house for evidence, Rick drove Sophie to the station and they both gave a statement regarding the break-in and the events from the night before. Once the official business was out of the way, Stu filled them in on where they stood. The situation didn’t look promising. They’d issued a Be On the Lookout, or BOLO, for Sophie’s ex, but the DMV search on his vehicle hit a dead end. The asshole had a suspended driver’s license and no vehicle registered in his name. Whatever he had been driving the night before didn’t belong to him. If they couldn’t locate him using his vehicle, then they were dependent on someone recognizing him and turning him in. The chances of that were slim at best.
Despite Stu’s reassurance that they would do everything within their power to find Lou and protect her, Sophie was understandably upset. She was silent as they left the office, her face downcast and her expression blank. Rick wanted to pull her into his arms and promise her the world if only it would make her smile. Judging by the tense cast of her shoulders, he didn’t think his touch would be welcome. They climbed into his SUV, snapped on their seat belts, and her stomach gave an almighty growl. If she was hungry, he could feed her. At least it gave him an excuse to do something for her.
“I’m starving,” he said. “You want to grab a quick bite?”
“Sure,” she said, without looking away from the window.
“Any preference where?”
“No.”
“Hamburgers okay?”
“Yeah.”
“All right.” He swung through the drive-thru of the first fast food restaurant they came to, ordered, and pulled the vehicle over so they could eat.
She inspected and dissected her burger, pulling off the pickles and onion, before she started eating. He wolfed his food down in record time and waited until she finished before bringing up the subject weighing on his mind.
