over the back of hers then lingering, warm and reassuring. Long fingers tracing the shadows on the backs of her hands and coaxing the secrets from her palm. The ticklish, terrifying mysteries of her life line. And then his warm hand engulfing hers, palm to palm, and fingers entwined. Their fates aligned.
Ruffles’ low growl ripped her from that almost-asleep moment. Damn. It was one thirty, she really shouldn’t go outside—especially if her dog had heard something. She looked him in the eye—dumb dog had managed to sneak his way from the foot of the bed to the pillow next to her, but he didn’t seem to be upset. Maybe she’d imagined the growl in some strange semi-conscious state.
A stray thought pinned her in place—what if that growl had come from her?
No. No matter how pleasant it might be to daydream every now and then, it was foolish to indulge in erotic fantasies of Officer Arndt. Even if— especially since!— just imagining him holding her hand had brought her such comfort she’d been on the edge of sleep.
Not to mention the edge of a very sexy dream.
No, there would be no more of that. No matter how hot he may or may not be—after all, what did a hand tell a person?—she was not getting involved with a cop. After Philip, she was done with men who put their lives on the line for others. She’d find some nice, sexy accountant whose sole job danger was a paper cut. Maybe a rogue office copier.
“Do you need to go out, dude?” The dog barely stirred, the lump, but she was spinning her wheels just lying there, wide awake now and thinking about impossibilities. “C’mon, Ruff, let’s go outside.”
He wriggled a bit, a Pavlovian response to the word o-u-t, but it only served to dig him in even deeper in the bed nest he’d made. Kami heaved herself to the side of the bed, hesitating a moment. Ugh. Pants.
Or nothing?
Once upon a time, she might have gone out in the panties and sleep camisole she was sporting. That Kami would have shrugged, what, it covers more than my bikini? These days, Kami was a little more prudent. That whole A+ adulting thing. And the fact her bikini days were so o-v-e-r.
Checking the temperature on her phone’s app, she decided she’d be wild and settle for a robe. It was too hot for pants, even in the middle of the night. Hopefully, the mosquitos were asleep, because she didn’t want to chance ruining her favorite little robe with chemical overspray.
As she approached the French doors, the dumb mutt decided she’d meant business and roused himself out of bed. Before she could open the door fully, he’d nosed past her and shot out into the blackness.
“Ruff!” She tried to convey her sincere displeasure in a whisper, but he didn’t return to her.
The security light blinked on in a blinding flash, and for a moment she felt exposed, standing half in the doorway, her kimono fluttering in the breeze. It wasn’t actually a kimono, stupid for the manufacturers to call it that, but she loved the blowsy, overblown roses on the creamy silk chiffon. Nonetheless, she clutched it close, whatever-it-should-be-called.
She’d picked her neighborhood because it was safe—Kami had even managed to move in next door to a cop, not that she’d known that then—but that knife edge of fear caught her unaware. Living alone sometimes sucked.
Beyond the scope of the light, the night was ink. The alleys weren’t illuminated, which was probably good since her bedroom was at the back of the house, but she wished Ruffles hadn’t shot out past her without Kami doing a quick sweep of the yard with her heavy-duty flashlight. Anything could be out near the back fence. She shivered.
If he got into it with a skunk again—
Kami couldn’t even think of such an atrocity.
She took the chair closest to her bedroom door and tried to sit real still so the motion detector wouldn’t stay activated. Kami didn’t want to call attention to herself after that first initial burst of light, and it
Ruffles’ low growl ripped her from that almost-asleep moment. Damn. It was one thirty, she really shouldn’t go outside—especially if her dog had heard something. She looked him in the eye—dumb dog had managed to sneak his way from the foot of the bed to the pillow next to her, but he didn’t seem to be upset. Maybe she’d imagined the growl in some strange semi-conscious state.
A stray thought pinned her in place—what if that growl had come from her?
No. No matter how pleasant it might be to daydream every now and then, it was foolish to indulge in erotic fantasies of Officer Arndt. Even if— especially since!— just imagining him holding her hand had brought her such comfort she’d been on the edge of sleep.
Not to mention the edge of a very sexy dream.
No, there would be no more of that. No matter how hot he may or may not be—after all, what did a hand tell a person?—she was not getting involved with a cop. After Philip, she was done with men who put their lives on the line for others. She’d find some nice, sexy accountant whose sole job danger was a paper cut. Maybe a rogue office copier.
“Do you need to go out, dude?” The dog barely stirred, the lump, but she was spinning her wheels just lying there, wide awake now and thinking about impossibilities. “C’mon, Ruff, let’s go outside.”
He wriggled a bit, a Pavlovian response to the word o-u-t, but it only served to dig him in even deeper in the bed nest he’d made. Kami heaved herself to the side of the bed, hesitating a moment. Ugh. Pants.
Or nothing?
Once upon a time, she might have gone out in the panties and sleep camisole she was sporting. That Kami would have shrugged, what, it covers more than my bikini? These days, Kami was a little more prudent. That whole A+ adulting thing. And the fact her bikini days were so o-v-e-r.
Checking the temperature on her phone’s app, she decided she’d be wild and settle for a robe. It was too hot for pants, even in the middle of the night. Hopefully, the mosquitos were asleep, because she didn’t want to chance ruining her favorite little robe with chemical overspray.
As she approached the French doors, the dumb mutt decided she’d meant business and roused himself out of bed. Before she could open the door fully, he’d nosed past her and shot out into the blackness.
“Ruff!” She tried to convey her sincere displeasure in a whisper, but he didn’t return to her.
The security light blinked on in a blinding flash, and for a moment she felt exposed, standing half in the doorway, her kimono fluttering in the breeze. It wasn’t actually a kimono, stupid for the manufacturers to call it that, but she loved the blowsy, overblown roses on the creamy silk chiffon. Nonetheless, she clutched it close, whatever-it-should-be-called.
She’d picked her neighborhood because it was safe—Kami had even managed to move in next door to a cop, not that she’d known that then—but that knife edge of fear caught her unaware. Living alone sometimes sucked.
Beyond the scope of the light, the night was ink. The alleys weren’t illuminated, which was probably good since her bedroom was at the back of the house, but she wished Ruffles hadn’t shot out past her without Kami doing a quick sweep of the yard with her heavy-duty flashlight. Anything could be out near the back fence. She shivered.
If he got into it with a skunk again—
Kami couldn’t even think of such an atrocity.
She took the chair closest to her bedroom door and tried to sit real still so the motion detector wouldn’t stay activated. Kami didn’t want to call attention to herself after that first initial burst of light, and it
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