I’ve had it before. I can see the moment the truck hits the vehicle I’m in, but this time it was more vivid. I could feel the s-seat and hear my thoughts.” Her eyes lifted to his. He was looking at her closely as though he were looking at her for the first time.
“I’m s-sorry.” She pulled her hands from his. “You’re not a shrink. You don’t want to hear this.”
“Let me take care of you.” He framed her face with his hands. “I want to take care of you.”
She stared at him, shocked and amazed.
“Your cheeks are cold.” His thumbs stroked her cheeks then his mouth touched her shivering lips and he kissed her.
Her fingers slid up his neck and into the soft curls atop his head. She sighed into his mouth and pulled him closer. He gave her what she needed. Comfort, tenderness, and a promise he probably wasn’t aware he was making.
He pulled away from her slowly. She swayed a moment and when she opened her eyes, he was still kneeling in front of her.
“You probably shouldn’t have done that,” she whispered, because at that moment she realized she was falling in love with him.
Chapter Six
After her body warmed up and she had a cup of coffee, Blake turned on the water in the bathroom, urging her to take a hot bath. She agreed because a bath sounded good, but the hot water was a shock to her chilled skin.
She soaked in the hot water with her eyes closed, her skin tingling, and she thought about Blake. She thought about his calm, evergreen eyes that never showed what he felt inside, except when they were kissing and a fire appeared. His masculine lips and the way he used them on hers. His body, his voice, and his heart.
She sank lower into the tub. Stop it, stop it, stop it! You can’t be in love with him. But it was too late. She knew she was in love with him.
It’s okay if he doesn’t love me back , she told herself, and at the moment, she believed it.
When she came down stairs, Blake was behind the stove again. She stood at the entrance, smiling. If he weren’t a cop, if they could be together, she would walk up to him and wrap her arms around him. She did walk up to him, but she didn’t touch him. She peered over his shoulder into the simmering pot.
“You’re making soup?”
He nodded. “Chicken noodle soup.”
Chicken noodle soup may be the medicine she needed to revive her soul. She ate two bowls with the gusto of a hungry child.
For the rest of the day, they didn’t talk about Red or his men. They didn’t mention her breakdown either. She was glad for it. She hated to be vulnerable, hated to be weak. She despised it! She liked being a strong woman, a woman of medicine, a woman who could handle anything, but there were limits to even what a super woman could handle, so she had a lapse. It wouldn’t happen again.
Later that night, they watched a horror film as logs crackled in the fireplace and the flames made long, quivering shadows in the corners of the room. She thought it was sweet when he questioned her movie choice, but she reassured him that even after what she had gone through, even after spending hours performing internal surgery, she could still enjoy horror films. She was curled on the couch, a blanket on her lap, and he was next to her. They were sharing the pint of coffee-flavored ice cream. Their spoons clattered together and they fought over the parts that weren’t melted as she laughed.
When the movie ended and the credits were scrolling up the TV screen, she couldn’t stifle a yawn.
“You should go to sleep,” Blake told her.
“Yeah.” She tossed the blanket aside, got up. Blake followed her. She took a couple of steps up the stairs then turned. “Blake.” He looked up at her. “Thank you for today.”
He nodded.
****
One week later, she stood at the living room window. Cabin fever was deteriorating her sanity. She had been locked up in Blake’s house for days and it was getting to her. She needed to stretch her legs, to breathe fresh air, to
“I’m s-sorry.” She pulled her hands from his. “You’re not a shrink. You don’t want to hear this.”
“Let me take care of you.” He framed her face with his hands. “I want to take care of you.”
She stared at him, shocked and amazed.
“Your cheeks are cold.” His thumbs stroked her cheeks then his mouth touched her shivering lips and he kissed her.
Her fingers slid up his neck and into the soft curls atop his head. She sighed into his mouth and pulled him closer. He gave her what she needed. Comfort, tenderness, and a promise he probably wasn’t aware he was making.
He pulled away from her slowly. She swayed a moment and when she opened her eyes, he was still kneeling in front of her.
“You probably shouldn’t have done that,” she whispered, because at that moment she realized she was falling in love with him.
Chapter Six
After her body warmed up and she had a cup of coffee, Blake turned on the water in the bathroom, urging her to take a hot bath. She agreed because a bath sounded good, but the hot water was a shock to her chilled skin.
She soaked in the hot water with her eyes closed, her skin tingling, and she thought about Blake. She thought about his calm, evergreen eyes that never showed what he felt inside, except when they were kissing and a fire appeared. His masculine lips and the way he used them on hers. His body, his voice, and his heart.
She sank lower into the tub. Stop it, stop it, stop it! You can’t be in love with him. But it was too late. She knew she was in love with him.
It’s okay if he doesn’t love me back , she told herself, and at the moment, she believed it.
When she came down stairs, Blake was behind the stove again. She stood at the entrance, smiling. If he weren’t a cop, if they could be together, she would walk up to him and wrap her arms around him. She did walk up to him, but she didn’t touch him. She peered over his shoulder into the simmering pot.
“You’re making soup?”
He nodded. “Chicken noodle soup.”
Chicken noodle soup may be the medicine she needed to revive her soul. She ate two bowls with the gusto of a hungry child.
For the rest of the day, they didn’t talk about Red or his men. They didn’t mention her breakdown either. She was glad for it. She hated to be vulnerable, hated to be weak. She despised it! She liked being a strong woman, a woman of medicine, a woman who could handle anything, but there were limits to even what a super woman could handle, so she had a lapse. It wouldn’t happen again.
Later that night, they watched a horror film as logs crackled in the fireplace and the flames made long, quivering shadows in the corners of the room. She thought it was sweet when he questioned her movie choice, but she reassured him that even after what she had gone through, even after spending hours performing internal surgery, she could still enjoy horror films. She was curled on the couch, a blanket on her lap, and he was next to her. They were sharing the pint of coffee-flavored ice cream. Their spoons clattered together and they fought over the parts that weren’t melted as she laughed.
When the movie ended and the credits were scrolling up the TV screen, she couldn’t stifle a yawn.
“You should go to sleep,” Blake told her.
“Yeah.” She tossed the blanket aside, got up. Blake followed her. She took a couple of steps up the stairs then turned. “Blake.” He looked up at her. “Thank you for today.”
He nodded.
****
One week later, she stood at the living room window. Cabin fever was deteriorating her sanity. She had been locked up in Blake’s house for days and it was getting to her. She needed to stretch her legs, to breathe fresh air, to
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