me.”
“Nick—”
“Hold that thought.”
He didn’t want to be thanked. Well, fine. But then he needed to stop putting her in his debt. That wouldn’t happen until she left.
She’d go back to being alone. Back to her bone-weariness and fear. She’d go, and as quickly as she could.
She’d go, mostly because an inexplicable part of her didn’t want to.
W HEN N ICK EMERGED from the darkroom, everything was silent. Far too silent for having a monster of a dog in the house. Curious, he walked through the living room to the kitchen.
Empty.
And clean, he noticed. She’d put everything away, including the bowl Sadie had used.
His deck was empty, too, and his heart picked up speed as he went back into the living room. If she’d left—
Stopping in front of the couch that he hadn’t even glanced at before, he let out a rough sigh, then squatted down to peer into Danielle’s face.
Her eyes were closed, of course, her lashes long and dark against her skin that was so pale it was nearly translucent. Her hair tumbled over shoulders that looked too thin and vulnerable to be carrying such troubles. In her sleep, she let out a soft sigh, a whimper really.
“Shh,” he whispered, and at the sound of his voice, she relaxed.
And just like that, his heart took a tumble. Almost on their own, his fingers lifted to scoop her hair from her face.
A low growl stopped him.
“Yeah, yeah,” he murmured, not even glancing at the dog who lay at his feet. “I know. She’s yours.”
“I’m no one’s.” Danielle’s eyes opened, though not another inch of her moved. “I wasn’t sleeping,” she said defensively.
“Of course not,” he said easily, still sitting on his haunches, his face only inches from hers. “Because that would be resting your body, which, by the way, needs it desperately.”
“Did you develop the film?”
“If I say yes, are you leaving?”
“I need to.”
“Uh-huh.”
She sat up and pushed her hair from her face. “That was a loaded ‘uh-huh.”’
“Was it?”
“With a ‘you’re not rested’ in it. With a ‘you need a plan’ and an ‘I don’t think you’re being smart about this whole thing’ added in.”
He smiled, even though when she shifted, their knees brushed together. He could imagine her legs smooth and silky against his rougher ones. “You sure heard a lot in that one uh-huh.” He put his hand over hers. “Stay tonight, Danielle. Sleep inmy bed. Alone— ” he added when her eyes narrowed. “Get the sleep you need, get some more food in your system and your brain will be so much clearer for it.”
“What about your date?”
“You heard me cancel it.”
“Yes. I’m…sorry about that.”
“Funny.” He studied her even features. “You don’t look sorry. You look tired, and maybe a little out of sorts—”
“Gee, thanks—”
“But not sorry, not in the least.”
“Well, I wasn’t jealous or anything.” Her cute little nose thrust in the air high enough to give her a nosebleed. “Your time is certainly your own.”
“Certainly.” He bit back his grin and reached out, stroking a thumb over her arm, playing with the material of her shirt at the shoulder, then under, touching even more skin. Oh yeah, he liked her skin, and the way her breath hitched. He liked that very much.
“You could be having much more fun right this minute,” she said a little shakily. “I bet she…would have… well. ”
“Maybe I didn’t want to… well, ” he said, mocking her. “Not with her.”
“Any man with blood in his body would have wanted to.”
“Not me. Stay, Danielle.”
Her eyes locked on his, wide and searching. “I’ll still have to get out of town in the morning.”
“Yes.” He surged to his feet, pulling her up with him. She staggered a bit, and because he was a male, and a weak one at that, his hands nudged her and she fell against him.
He held her close, and amazingly enough, she let him, even leaned on him, just for a
“Nick—”
“Hold that thought.”
He didn’t want to be thanked. Well, fine. But then he needed to stop putting her in his debt. That wouldn’t happen until she left.
She’d go back to being alone. Back to her bone-weariness and fear. She’d go, and as quickly as she could.
She’d go, mostly because an inexplicable part of her didn’t want to.
W HEN N ICK EMERGED from the darkroom, everything was silent. Far too silent for having a monster of a dog in the house. Curious, he walked through the living room to the kitchen.
Empty.
And clean, he noticed. She’d put everything away, including the bowl Sadie had used.
His deck was empty, too, and his heart picked up speed as he went back into the living room. If she’d left—
Stopping in front of the couch that he hadn’t even glanced at before, he let out a rough sigh, then squatted down to peer into Danielle’s face.
Her eyes were closed, of course, her lashes long and dark against her skin that was so pale it was nearly translucent. Her hair tumbled over shoulders that looked too thin and vulnerable to be carrying such troubles. In her sleep, she let out a soft sigh, a whimper really.
“Shh,” he whispered, and at the sound of his voice, she relaxed.
And just like that, his heart took a tumble. Almost on their own, his fingers lifted to scoop her hair from her face.
A low growl stopped him.
“Yeah, yeah,” he murmured, not even glancing at the dog who lay at his feet. “I know. She’s yours.”
“I’m no one’s.” Danielle’s eyes opened, though not another inch of her moved. “I wasn’t sleeping,” she said defensively.
“Of course not,” he said easily, still sitting on his haunches, his face only inches from hers. “Because that would be resting your body, which, by the way, needs it desperately.”
“Did you develop the film?”
“If I say yes, are you leaving?”
“I need to.”
“Uh-huh.”
She sat up and pushed her hair from her face. “That was a loaded ‘uh-huh.”’
“Was it?”
“With a ‘you’re not rested’ in it. With a ‘you need a plan’ and an ‘I don’t think you’re being smart about this whole thing’ added in.”
He smiled, even though when she shifted, their knees brushed together. He could imagine her legs smooth and silky against his rougher ones. “You sure heard a lot in that one uh-huh.” He put his hand over hers. “Stay tonight, Danielle. Sleep inmy bed. Alone— ” he added when her eyes narrowed. “Get the sleep you need, get some more food in your system and your brain will be so much clearer for it.”
“What about your date?”
“You heard me cancel it.”
“Yes. I’m…sorry about that.”
“Funny.” He studied her even features. “You don’t look sorry. You look tired, and maybe a little out of sorts—”
“Gee, thanks—”
“But not sorry, not in the least.”
“Well, I wasn’t jealous or anything.” Her cute little nose thrust in the air high enough to give her a nosebleed. “Your time is certainly your own.”
“Certainly.” He bit back his grin and reached out, stroking a thumb over her arm, playing with the material of her shirt at the shoulder, then under, touching even more skin. Oh yeah, he liked her skin, and the way her breath hitched. He liked that very much.
“You could be having much more fun right this minute,” she said a little shakily. “I bet she…would have… well. ”
“Maybe I didn’t want to… well, ” he said, mocking her. “Not with her.”
“Any man with blood in his body would have wanted to.”
“Not me. Stay, Danielle.”
Her eyes locked on his, wide and searching. “I’ll still have to get out of town in the morning.”
“Yes.” He surged to his feet, pulling her up with him. She staggered a bit, and because he was a male, and a weak one at that, his hands nudged her and she fell against him.
He held her close, and amazingly enough, she let him, even leaned on him, just for a
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