being indebted to you, I mean it. Anything you need, no matter what, I want you to come to me.”
Her gaze faltered as she shrugged. “I’ve never needed anyone’s help.”
There was so much loneliness in that statement it practically punched a hole in his heart. Worse, she’d clearly grown accustomed to it. He’d leave her in her comfort zone for a little longer.
When she raised her eyes to his, they were shuttered. “I’m going to take a nap. There’s a spare bedroom just down the hall on the right. Sheets are clean.” With that, she left the room.
That evening, Dex checked in on Stephanie and saw that she was still asleep, her back facing him. The soft curve of her bare shoulder tempted him, as did the glossy curtain of her long hair, but he stayed where he was. She was obviously exhausted. It had been a long day. He watched the rise and fall of her breathing for another minute before heading for the spare bedroom where he removed all his clothes except his boxers, and stretched out on the bed. He tucked an arm under his head, closed his eyes, and grinded his teeth. The need for Stephanie pummeled inside him with angry force. To attempt a restful night would be pointless.
Dex’s body gave up on the restless sleep and jerked him awake. He blinked into the darkness and gave a tired grunt. The glow of the digital clock by the bed caught his gaze: 5:00 AM. He got out of bed and went to the washroom to relieve himself and rinse the sleep from his face. He could make some coffee, quietly, so he wouldn’t wake Stephanie.
On his way to the kitchen, he was surprised to see the light coming through the edges of her bedroom door. With a stab of concern, he crossed the distance and knocked.
“Stephanie…you okay?”
A few seconds of silence followed before she replied, “Yes, I’m reading a book.”
“Can I come in?”
“No.”
“Don’t be childish. Do you have water in there?”
Another pause. “Yes.”
“I’m coming in.”
“Don’t! I’m naked.”
He couldn’t help the chuckle as he pushed the door open.
Stephanie scowled at him as she tugged the sheets up to her neck. “You have some nerve. I told you I was naked.”
“I knew you weren’t.”
She rolled her eyes, but they strayed to his body with surprise and then with female appreciation she couldn’t hide. It gave his manly ego a good stroke.
He grinned as he picked up her empty glass. “You’re not the type who sleeps naked.” He ignored her vexed look and returned soon after with a new glass of water, which he handed to her.
She snapped the book shut and put it on the night table, then took a couple of long sips before putting the glass next to the book. She glowered up at him. “There. Happy?”
She looked like a cat ready to pounce or take flight and that angry pout of her bottom lip made the heat coil in his cock. He sat down on the edge of the bed.
Stephanie bent her knees and said, “What are you doing?”
“I’m not a bad guy, Stephanie. My approach to this was wrong and I apologize, but I was desperate to save Ray. Plus, I bent the rules and cleared you of possible incrimination.”
“I already thanked you for that.”
He hid the smile that her mulish response triggered. “There’s something I want to tell you about your brothers.”
Her shoulders tensed but her gaze held his as he told her about their transfer in a certain amount of detail. “I’m surprised no one had noticed all this time,” he added.
She glanced away as tears welled in her eyes and Dex repressed the urge to pull her into his arms. Her reaction wasn’t a sign of sorrow exactly. More like shame for her brothers.
She blinked the moisture from her eyes and looked at him. “They’re going to be pissed about that,” she said in a matter-of-fact tone.
“Too bad. And if they don’t clean up their act, they’ll be out of law enforcement.”
Stephanie gave a nod and her body relaxed a fraction, but her eyes were uneasy as they moved
Her gaze faltered as she shrugged. “I’ve never needed anyone’s help.”
There was so much loneliness in that statement it practically punched a hole in his heart. Worse, she’d clearly grown accustomed to it. He’d leave her in her comfort zone for a little longer.
When she raised her eyes to his, they were shuttered. “I’m going to take a nap. There’s a spare bedroom just down the hall on the right. Sheets are clean.” With that, she left the room.
That evening, Dex checked in on Stephanie and saw that she was still asleep, her back facing him. The soft curve of her bare shoulder tempted him, as did the glossy curtain of her long hair, but he stayed where he was. She was obviously exhausted. It had been a long day. He watched the rise and fall of her breathing for another minute before heading for the spare bedroom where he removed all his clothes except his boxers, and stretched out on the bed. He tucked an arm under his head, closed his eyes, and grinded his teeth. The need for Stephanie pummeled inside him with angry force. To attempt a restful night would be pointless.
Dex’s body gave up on the restless sleep and jerked him awake. He blinked into the darkness and gave a tired grunt. The glow of the digital clock by the bed caught his gaze: 5:00 AM. He got out of bed and went to the washroom to relieve himself and rinse the sleep from his face. He could make some coffee, quietly, so he wouldn’t wake Stephanie.
On his way to the kitchen, he was surprised to see the light coming through the edges of her bedroom door. With a stab of concern, he crossed the distance and knocked.
“Stephanie…you okay?”
A few seconds of silence followed before she replied, “Yes, I’m reading a book.”
“Can I come in?”
“No.”
“Don’t be childish. Do you have water in there?”
Another pause. “Yes.”
“I’m coming in.”
“Don’t! I’m naked.”
He couldn’t help the chuckle as he pushed the door open.
Stephanie scowled at him as she tugged the sheets up to her neck. “You have some nerve. I told you I was naked.”
“I knew you weren’t.”
She rolled her eyes, but they strayed to his body with surprise and then with female appreciation she couldn’t hide. It gave his manly ego a good stroke.
He grinned as he picked up her empty glass. “You’re not the type who sleeps naked.” He ignored her vexed look and returned soon after with a new glass of water, which he handed to her.
She snapped the book shut and put it on the night table, then took a couple of long sips before putting the glass next to the book. She glowered up at him. “There. Happy?”
She looked like a cat ready to pounce or take flight and that angry pout of her bottom lip made the heat coil in his cock. He sat down on the edge of the bed.
Stephanie bent her knees and said, “What are you doing?”
“I’m not a bad guy, Stephanie. My approach to this was wrong and I apologize, but I was desperate to save Ray. Plus, I bent the rules and cleared you of possible incrimination.”
“I already thanked you for that.”
He hid the smile that her mulish response triggered. “There’s something I want to tell you about your brothers.”
Her shoulders tensed but her gaze held his as he told her about their transfer in a certain amount of detail. “I’m surprised no one had noticed all this time,” he added.
She glanced away as tears welled in her eyes and Dex repressed the urge to pull her into his arms. Her reaction wasn’t a sign of sorrow exactly. More like shame for her brothers.
She blinked the moisture from her eyes and looked at him. “They’re going to be pissed about that,” she said in a matter-of-fact tone.
“Too bad. And if they don’t clean up their act, they’ll be out of law enforcement.”
Stephanie gave a nod and her body relaxed a fraction, but her eyes were uneasy as they moved
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