Chapter Six AS they sped away from Dallas, Stone dug into his pocket for his cell phone. Beside him, Lily had thankfully stopped trembling and had fallen silent. That fucking bomb had changed everything, and after mentally scrambling for a plan, he’d told her they were headed to Louisiana and he wouldn’t hear any more arguments. She’d shoved a pair of buds in her ears, retreating into herself to deal, and stared out the window in silence as the scenery zipped by. Holding in a sigh, he dialed Jack, who answered on the first ring. “What the fuck is going on? Thorpe called me when you left Dominion. Did you find Lily?” “At her apartment, yeah. Just barely,” Stone admitted. “She pulled a gun on me.” And he admired the moxie she had to try that move. “But then her car exploded. If I hadn’t followed my instinct that she’d run or if I’d been a few minutes later . . .” The realization that she could have died made his gut churn. “Her car exploded? Like a bomb?” “Exactly like that.” “Merde,” Jack swore. “Thank god you got to her before Canton. That’s what’s important. When we didn’t hear from either of you, I worried. You provide technical assistance, not operative intelligence.” “I can hold my own.” He’d learned a lot in prison. “Right now, I’m headed back toward Lafayette but I need a place to hide her, somewhere secluded and difficult to trace. You got a safe house? If I can isolate her, I can figure out what to do next.” “I’m already ahead of you. I’ll text you directions to someplace Canton will never find, and if he does, the gators will find him first. In the meantime, I’ll get with Sean to see if we can track down anyone in the Dallas PD working this case who’d be willing to keep us apprised of their investigation, the type of incendiary device, and how sophisticated it was, any suspects or witnesses. Whatever information might help.” “When we get to your location, I’ll see what I can dig up with a little online trolling and hacking. Someone somewhere knows something. She’s suffered for too long. This shit is going to stop.” “Testifying will be really damn hard on her, but she’ll finally have a future once it’s over and she’ll thank you. But you don’t have very long to persuade her to cooperate.” “Thanks for the reminder,” Stone returned flippantly. “Sorry, just . . .” Jack sighed. “The two of you will be spending all your time alone at my old fishing cabin. It’s got the basics. I keep it stocked with groceries because Morgan and I go out there whenever we can. The kitchen mostly runs on propane. Extra tanks are in the shed out back. There’s surveillance equipment in the room at the end of the hall. One bedroom . . . but you can make that work in your favor.” “How? I can’t fuck her into complying,” Stone protested in a low voice. “Couch?” Lily’s words about being both bad at and afraid of sex echoed in his head. Stone didn’t believe she could possibly be terrible between the sheets. As gorgeous as she was, as giving as she tried to be, he just couldn’t picture that. He didn’t know what the deal was between her and Axel and whether the guy had given her a complex about her prowess, but Stone intended to make her feel a whole lot better as soon as she let him. Her fear of sex was a totally different problem. So that lone bed in Jack’s cabin might spook her. Until she was able to start trusting him, they couldn’t move forward. “No on the couch, not if you want to stand upright tomorrow,” Jack quipped. “Can I give you some advice?” “Shoot.” Maybe the guy had something helpful to say. As it was, Stone had no idea how he was going to keep Lily calm, much less convince her to be the prosecution’s main witness against a man who’d once wiped out everyone she loved and now obviously threatened to do away with her. “I’ve been in this situation. With Morgan, actually. We were strangers at the time. I managed to keep a psycho from shooting her in broad daylight. Then I took her out to the cabin to hide. If you want to save Lily—and your own ass—get inside her head fast.” “She has no idea that I know anything about her past or her true identity.” He glanced Lily’s way. She was still looking out the window, listening to her tunes. Logically, he understood this was her way of keeping space between them while she processed and calmed herself down. But the way she kept him at arm’s length grated on his nerves. “I want her to tell me who she is and who’s after her. I worry that if I tell her I already know—that we’ve all known for the last few months—she’s never going to trust me or agree to tell a jury what she saw.” Jack sighed. “I’m not being blunt enough. She’s a submissive looking for someone with a firm hand to belong to. Learn her backward and forward, then figure out exactly what she needs and give it to her. If you can do that, she’ll follow you to the ends of the earth.” “I know that’s what you and Logan have been coaching me for during these last three months. I’ll give it every fucking thing I’ve got.” “I have faith in you. After all, you put one over on Joaquin and the Edgington brothers with the Dilbert virus. That was pretty clever. Turn that same shrewd mind on her. And just so you know, the cabin comes with a fully equipped playroom. Have fun.” Jack hung up, and Stone stared at his phone. On the screen a few seconds later, up popped directions to the place, along with a few instructions on how to disable the cabin’s security. Stone tucked away the device and looked across the cab of his truck. He resisted the urge to place a palm on Lily’s thigh, still barely covered in a short pink skirt and white thigh highs, now with holes in both knees. Thankfully, she didn’t look as if she’d scraped herself too badly or been otherwise hurt in the blast. But she was terribly quiet. He opted to touch her shoulder and waited until she took out her earbuds and shut off the music blasting from her phone. “You hungry, baby?” She shook her head. “How did you know where to find my apartment? I never told you where I live.” “I’m a hacker, remember?” Her frown told him she didn’t like that answer. “So where in Louisiana are we going?” Did she think he would tell her so that she could potentially start planning an exit strategy? “Jack gave me a location where we can hide while we figure out some things. I’ve never been there, but I’ll find it.” Lily gnawed on her lip. “You can’t make my problem go away. You’ll just ruin your life.” “News flash: It’s already pretty screwed up. I don’t have a lot to lose except you. Tell me about this dirtbag who’s scaring you.” She shook her head. “Don’t do this. You can’t keep me in hiding forever, and that’s probably how long it would take to bring this guy down. If the place you’re taking me is safe, great. I’ll use that time to regroup and figure out where to go next. When you get bored, I’ll have a game plan ready.” “Like heading to the Keys?” he challenged. That got her attention. She reared back. “H-how did you . . . You’re a hacker. Got it.” “Baby, when you wouldn’t talk to me, I wanted to know all your secrets. I picked apart your Internet searches and scoured your browsing history.” “Are you sure you’re not a stalker?” “I’m just a man who’s worried about you. When you first blew me off, I didn’t know if you were still in love with Axel. Then I just wondered what the hell you were up to.” “Why are you helping me? Really. You barely know me.” “Well, ever since your car exploded, Jack Cole and I are on the same page. I’m going to guess Thorpe is, too, especially since he asked me to be your protector even before then. Text him and let him know I’ve got you and that you’re okay. Let me see before you send it.” Lily looked as if she wanted to object but finally sighed and tapped on the keys. With a hint of rebellion, she practically whipped her phone in his face to show him that she was, in fact, texting Thorpe the message Stone had requested. He nodded. “Send it.” She pressed her finger to the screen. “Done.” Then she blinked back at him. Her lack of expression bothered him. She looked as if she’d crawled into some protective shell where no one could reach her and decided to stay. She also looked exhausted. The dark circles under her eyes didn’t give him any doubt that she’d been losing sleep. He would fix that ASAP. “Good,” he praised. “Now put your phone on airplane mode so it can’t be tracked, just in case this bad guy has a bead on you.” Lily bit her lip. “I’d feel better if Thorpe could find us.” Stone wished he knew how to reassure her with just a word or a touch, but she didn’t trust him enough for that—yet. “Jack will know. But the fewer people who can locate you electronically, the safer you’ll be.” He gripped the wheel, the glare of the afternoon sun glinting in the rearview mirror. She clutched the phone in her small hands, her black nail polish nearly blending with the device itself. “What if I need to talk to someone?” “I’ve got my phone.” He patted his pocket. Finally she complied. He breathed a sigh of relief. “Now what?” she asked. “Trust me.” But she wouldn’t until he had earned it. If she would testify, Canton would probably go away for a long time. She could resume her life, even be Lily Taylor again. But without that option, taking down a gubernatorial candidate wouldn’t be a simple feat. And making her disappear from his radar forever . . . This guy had reach and pull, so it wouldn’t be easy. “So let’s take this from the top. Who is this guy and what does he want?” She merely sent him a sidelong glance, shoved her earbuds back in, and cranked up the music. Stone gritted his teeth. Patience. He wanted to press on and get the answers to his thousand questions about her past, but her day had been harrowing and overwhelming. She hadn’t eaten, hadn’t slept, hadn’t had a moment’s peace. Once he took care of those needs . . . Then he’d rip those buds out of her ears and start peeling away the layers of her secrets until she gave him everything he wanted.
* * *
THE late afternoon was hot and harsh as Stone pulled up in front of a small dock area. “We’re almost there.” Lily looked around and saw only a rickety vessel floating at the end of the little pier. “We have to take a boat?” “It’s a skiff. The house is meant to be safe, not necessarily convenient.” Around her, the swamp felt alive. Cicadas sung as cypress trees reached for the sky, their branches weighed down by Spanish moss. A fungus-like growth clung to the top of the sludgy brown water. She didn’t even want to know what reptiles and other creepy things crawled under the surface. A beady pair of eyes skimming the opposite side of the shoreline suggested gator or whatever else lived out here. “I don’t know about this.” Stone lugged her suitcase, duffel, and box all at once, and she tried not to notice how his arms, shoulders, and chest bulged, rippling with every move. “You’ll be a lot safer at the cabin than if you stay here. Cottonmouths live in these parts. I think they’re nocturnal creatures.” He shrugged. “I know they’re venomous. But it’s your call.” “You’re backing me into a corner.” “I’m trying to save your life,” he said as he dumped most of her luggage into the skiff and climbed in. She grabbed her tote and slammed the car door, tiptoeing carefully to the shore to avoid anything that might bite and kill her. “I’ve never been to a swamp.” “Hopefully, neither has the guy chasing you.” He reached up to grab her duffel, then piled it on top of her other pieces before holding out a hand to help her in. Once she’d settled into the narrow seat opposite him, he pulled the key fob out of his pocket and hit a button. She heard an electronic beep and the truck’s lights flashed, signaling that the vehicle was locked. Lily had a sinking feeling that might be the last modern convenience she saw for a while. God, she was in way over her head. Heck, she’d never even been camping. She certainly didn’t understand anything about where she was, only that pretty much everything around her could kill her before Canton even came close. Beside the boat, movement caught her peripheral vision. The water sloshed. Something moved just under the surface, not five feet from her. She held in a scream. Stone shook his head as he plucked out his phone and used the flashlight feature, illuminating the bottom of the boat. “What are you doing?” she asked. “Making sure nothing crawled into the skiff before we leave the shore.” Though she wondered if he said that merely to yank her chain, Lily was still tempted to crawl onto his lap and beg him to protect her from anything that had more legs or teeth than she did. “We’re clear,” he murmured, killing the light and pocketing the phone again. He grabbed the oars and started to row. “The boat doesn’t have a motor?” That horrified her. “Skiff, and no. The water is too shallow and the chemical runoff from the engine isn’t good for the ecosystem, according to Jack. It’s not a long ride. Hang tight. I’ll keep you safe.” Lily believed that. For whatever reason, he’d decided to save her from Canton. He’d kept her from exploding in her car. Now he seemed determined to drag her out to the middle of nowhere until . . . what? She had no intention of coughing up her past so that he could learn all her secrets. She wouldn’t give anyone that sort of power over her. Nor would she put anyone in that much danger. The boat ride seemed like the longest five minutes of her life. She waited for a giant reptile to snatch her from the boat and chomp her into a watery grave like a scene out of a horror movie. She shrieked as something heavy bumped the side of the boat but it swam on. Egrets and herons swooped around as orange, gold, and bright pink rays slanted through the clouds, dazzling with the dying daylight. Something else she couldn’t identify called into the coming evening as the wind blew hot, humid air over her skin. The mosquito population out here had to way outnumber humans. Finally, they nudged up against another dock. Stone stood and lifted her things onto the adjacent pier with seemingly little effort. That crap had weighed a ton to her. He hoisted himself out, every muscle in his back, shoulders, and arms bulging once again until he stood on top. Then he reached a hand out to her. She blinked up at him. “You’re just going to lift me up?” “You got a better idea?” Lily looked around. Short of trying to take a giant step over the slimy, life-infested waters and potentially falling, she didn’t. Grimacing, she held out her hand. With a chuckle, he pulled her up, then tied the boat off and turned around. “We’re right over there.” She followed suit and saw what appeared to be a small brown cabin with a wraparound porch blending in with its surroundings. It wasn’t remarkable. She wasn’t even sure it was stable. But anything had to be better than hanging out where some creature might decide that she’d make a good dinner. “Lead the way,” she said finally. Stone picked up her suitcase and duffel. She retrieved her tote and reached for the box. “I’ve got it,” he told her, lifting it between big, capable-looking hands. Why couldn’t she stop looking at Stone? Why did she want him this much? Lily already knew that no matter how sexy she found him, she wouldn’t enjoy actual sex with the man. She never did, even with someone like Axel, whom she trusted. At the front door, he shined the light from his phone on a keypad. The shack might appear on the rickety side, but that electronic entry and the cameras tucked under the eaves overhead said otherwise. Once he’d punched in the code, he opened the door and ushered her in, carting her stuff. Lily groped around the wall for a switch. When she flipped it up, nothing happened. “No power.” “Jack keeps a few of the breakers off when he’s not using the place. Let me go flip them.” Stone disappeared out the front door again, leaving her in the shadowed room. With the last of the daylight slanting through the windows, she saw an old blue couch, a beige chair, and a coffee table that had seen better days. Dark hardwood floors felt solid beneath her feet. The space opened to a serviceable kitchen. It wasn’t the Ritz, but it wasn’t any worse than the childhood home she’d shared with her mother and brother. Bonus, she would bet they didn’t see gun violence and gang activity here. A moment later, bright lights illuminated the cozy little place. She tended to like loud, eclectic decor, but this place had a kitschy, homey vibe. The refrigerator and kitchen table looked like something out of the fifties, and the living room furniture wasn’t much newer, but she’d bet everything here was well used and well loved. Stone stepped back inside a moment later and locked the door behind him. “Have a seat at the kitchen table. I’ll put our stuff away and have a look around. Then we’ll figure out something that resembles dinner.” Lily kind of wanted to argue because she didn’t want him to get the impression that she’d simply comply with whatever he wanted her to. But the truth was, despite her nap earlier, she was still beat. This day had worn her out. And if she was being totally honest, something about the edge of command in his voice incited a zip of excitement down her spine. He didn’t wait to see if she complied, just picked up her crap and headed down the hall. As Lily watched him retreat, she held in a sigh. She almost never noticed a man beyond his eyes, his hands, and his behavior. But she took one look at Stone’s ass and thought she might swallow her tongue. God, she had to get her head together. No doubt he would have a million questions for her once he came back. She’d been trying to decide how to effectively skirt the truth or if she should simply feed him a bunch of lies. She still hadn’t reached any conclusion, and now she had only moments to decide. She heard the thump of her luggage hitting the floor in a nearby room; then his footsteps resounded through the cabin, coming closer. Her stomach knotted into a tangle of nerves. He appeared in the opening between the kitchen and the hallway, bracing a big hand on the wall. His biceps flexed, the colored ink there snagging her gaze. “You hungry, baby?” To be contrary, she wanted to say no. But she really was famished. “Yes.” With a curt nod, he peeked into the fridge. “What are your kitchen skills? Mine suck.” “Mine are good.” She’d been feeding herself and her little brother since she turned nine and her mom had picked up another full-time job in a better part of town, which had been far away from where they could afford to live. But that was Los Angeles. “What’s in there?” “Besides condiments and bottled water, eggs, yogurt, a few veggies . . .” He shut the door and bent to open the freezer beneath. “Looks like we have some chicken and hamburger patties. And lots of frozen crawfish.” Lily shuddered. “Not much of a fish fan.” “By the time folks from Louisiana get done cooking crawfish and putting it into an étouffée, it doesn’t really resemble fish anymore.” Still, she shook her head and rose, peeking inside. “If you’ll hand me the hamburger patties, I think I have an idea.” He passed her the frozen meat. “Good to hear. I could eat a dozen eggs by myself and still be starving.” Taking a few items she needed out of the fridge, she winced. She needed to remember she wasn’t cooking for one now, and Stone could probably eat enough for three of her. “Anything here that resembles booze?” He narrowed his eyes. “No.” “You didn’t even look.” “I don’t need to. We’re not drinking tonight. I want you completely sober.” That sucked, but she should probably keep a clear head for all the questions he would surely ask her. “Give me about thirty minutes. I’ll have food ready.” “I’ve got nowhere to go.” He pulled out a chair. “Except wherever you are. So why don’t we start at the top? The man after you is named . . .” She turned on the gas stove and fished around the cabinets until she found a pan. “Homicidal Maniac. I’m not filling in that blank for you.” Stone clenched his jaw, obviously wishing that she’d stop stonewalling. He simply didn’t get that she was doing him a favor. “In order to defend you, I have to understand what I’m up against. If you don’t want to give me a name, I need to know what sort of crimes he committed. What is he capable of?” “Anything. Everything.” She tossed the hamburger patties into the warm pan, trying to focus on the mundane so that images of Erin’s last day on earth didn’t cripple her. “Drugs, extortion, racketeering, rape, murder. I can’t prove it, but I think he once had a ring of sex slaves he sold off to fat, rich men. He denied it, but it was amazing how many young girls disappeared from our neighborhood, seemingly without a trace. He doesn’t possess a shred of humanity.” “And you found that out and lived to tell the tale.” She didn’t know how to answer that without implicating herself so she just shrugged and listened to the meat begin to sizzle. A moment later, she poked her head in the fridge again. It was a good excuse not to meet Stone’s demanding gaze. “How old were you?” “Sixteen. And that’s the last I’m saying about it.” She grabbed what looked like arugula, a bag of thick sandwich rolls, and some shaved Parmesan. If this was Jack’s place, he knew how to eat decently. “Did he hurt you physically?” Lily hadn’t expected that question. Stone sounded on edge, like the answer could really, truly set him off. “Me? No.” Just everyone she’d ever cared about. “So you witnessed a crime.” She’d witnessed absolute horror. “I’m done talking.” She flipped the first of the burgers, more for something to occupy herself than for any real need. Stone didn’t say anything for a long minute. At first she was happy for the silence. Then it began to worry her. She didn’t know him well, but in her experience a silent Stone was a thinking Stone. Lily looked over her shoulder at him. Sure enough, he’d fixed his stare on her, his eyes full of speculation. But he didn’t say a word. Somehow, that made her more nervous. “Do you like Parmesan?” she asked inanely, then berated herself. The first tactic of a good interrogator was to leave silence for the witness to fill. “Sure. Tell me about your family.” “My dad ran out when I was little. The rest are dead.” To preclude him from asking the next, obvious question, she countered with a query of her own. “What about you?” “When I was arrested, the feds decided to make an example of me and my buddies so that other affluent kids would understand they weren’t above the law. Around that time, my grandmother fell and suffered some internal bleeding. She passed away. A few months later, shortly after the sentencing, my mother died of a heart attack. We never reconciled. I didn’t get to attend her funeral. My father severed all ties after that. I spent a lot of time behind bars reeling from the fact that one decision cost me a future, my family—everything. That answer your question?” “Yes.” It certainly was honest. She let out a breath as she scoured the nearby cabinets for a pair of plates. “How did the rest of your family die?” he asked. She should have known he wouldn’t simply give up. “It doesn’t really matter because they’re gone now.” Stone looked as if he disagreed but didn’t say so. “Where are you from?” She checked the burgers and grabbed the sandwich rolls, slicing them in half while trying to keep her calm. “Not talking about my past.” “How long have you been in Dallas?” “Longer than I should have apparently.” Lily glanced at Stone. He didn’t look thrilled by her answer, but he was far from losing his cool. “I’m not the enemy.” “That remains to be seen. I told you when we first met that it takes me a long time to trust.” She plopped the burgers down on the buns, then cracked open two eggs into the hot pan. “You did,” he acknowledged with a nod, then rose. “I’ll check to make sure we’re locked up tight. Don’t want anyone getting in.” Or out. As the eggs fried, she listened to the air around her. Everything sounded so still, quiet. She wasn’t used to it. At Dominion, something always seemed to be going on. People talked and played, often loudly. Even in her apartment building, her neighbors had been young professionals and single parents. She’d always heard voices and televisions or doors slamming. Now? Absolute silence. It made her uneasy. For the first time, she wished Stone would come back. She’d say she was better off with the devil she knew, but she didn’t really know much about him. An ex-con with a sad story, he’d jumped in to save her for reasons only he understood. She bit her lip, uncertain what to make of him. Frowning, she flipped the eggs, waited a few moments, then finished plating the sandwiches and threw some Parmesan on top, along with a little salt and pepper. As she set the food on the table, Stone entered again and sat. “Everything smells good.” She scrounged up a couple of paper towels and some silverware. “If you’re still hungry after this, I can make you another.” “Thanks.” He rose from the table and hunted through a cabinet in the living room, then returned with a bottle. “You object to vodka?” “You changed your mind?” He gave her a single sharp nod. “You stop when I say so. Is that clear?” Lily swallowed. Something in him had changed. He’d morphed from interrogator to Dom. She heard it in the tone of his voice. She risked a glance his way. Yeah, it was all over his face. Against her will and better judgment, arousal laced her blood, making her tingle in some uncomfortably personal places. A disturbing excitement left her breathless. She couldn’t seem to not stare. And that only made her nipples pebble and the ache between her legs coil tighter. She ripped her gaze away. “Yes.” He looked as if he had something else on his mind. Her lack of protocol? She refused to call him Sir. She was afraid that once she started, she would never stop. With a defiant glance, she lifted her chin. “Are you pouring?” “Yep.” He produced a shot glass from his big fist and tipped the bottle, filling it. “Go.” “Why are you giving me booze?” To interrogate her while she was under the influence? He cocked his head and sent her a shrewd stare. “Why did you ask for it? And don’t give me some flippant shit that you’re thirsty.” No, she knew that wouldn’t be smart. “Because I still feel as if I’m shaking all over from the car bomb. I haven’t slept in days.” “And you were hoping to escape for a few hours by passing out?” “Something like that.” “You’ll sleep. I’ll make sure of it. Drink.” “Are you going to ply me with more questions?” she asked suspiciously. “Not tonight.” Lily wasn’t sure she believed him, but the chance for a little bit of oblivion was too much to pass up. She lifted the glass and sent him a mocking salute. “Cheers.” Without another word, he dug into his sandwich, eschewing silverware in favor of good old-fashioned eating with his hands. As egg yolk ran down one of his fingers, he licked it off. Instead of being annoyed or disgusted, she found him sexy . . . primal. He moaned and closed his eyes when he ate. His strong jaw worked. His Adam’s apple bobbed. She couldn’t stop staring. What was wrong with her? Lily wasn’t sure she wanted the answer to that question, so she tossed the vodka back, relishing the burn of the alcohol down her throat. Then she dug into her sandwich, carefully carving it with her knife and fork. When she looked up again, she found Stone watching her. “What?” A glance revealed that his plate was empty. “That was fantastic.” His opinion probably shouldn’t matter, but she couldn’t help the thin ribbon of pleasure that wound through her at his approval. “Thanks.” He fell silent as she finished what she could of her sandwich. Knowing his eyes were on her, she couldn’t eat anymore. With his big presence and intent stare, he rattled her. Tension thickened the air between them. Lily had never felt anything like it, but she understood damn well that it was sexual. Licking her lips, she shoved the shot glass closer to the vodka. “Another?” Stone took a long time to answer. “All right. If you’ll agree to try to sleep afterward.” As tired as she felt? And to avoid more questions? “Sure.” He poured. She drank and savored the burn. Funny, she felt more relaxed but not unwired. And nothing was going to make the terror of her car blowing up less than twenty yards away from her disappear. Stone screwed the top back on the bottle of vodka. “I’ll do the dishes. You take a shower. The bathroom is the first door on the left. The bedroom is directly across the hall. Meet me there when you’re done.” She stiffened. “Why?” “Not to violate you against your will. I haven’t hurt you yet and I’m not planning on it.” Lily had to admit he had a point. “All right.” With a nod, he began clearing the table and washing the dishes. She retreated to the bathroom with her tote and suitcase. After a relaxing bath in the old claw-foot tub that felt like a little slice of heaven, she should feel more relaxed. All she could think about was that Stone would be waiting for her in the bedroom. Lily dug through her suitcase. She found a blush silk-and-lace number that Callie had given her for her birthday. It was great for luxurious slumber in the summer but way too seductive. Instead, she grabbed one of Axel’s old T-shirts, stained with dye from one of her many hair-color experiments. The short sleeves hung down to her elbows. The hem fell to her knees. She washed her face and took down the victory rolls that swept the long bangs from her face. Then she brushed the curls from her hair, letting the strands fall past her shoulders. After a quick brush of her teeth, she dragged in a deep breath. Now or never. The five steps across the hall were some of the hardest she’d ever taken. When she walked into the bedroom, Stone stood beside a four-poster bed. He’d tugged down the cozy blankets and sheets. “Get in,” he instructed. When he stepped back to give her room, she climbed into the bed, her gaze never leaving his. She pulled up the covers as if they would protect her. As if some part of her didn’t want to strip off everything she wore and try to actually enjoy the touch of a man. But no, she’d just freeze up. Like she always did. Stone swept her hair back from her face and bent to her. Lily’s heart revved as he came closer, closer . . . But he only kissed her cheek. “Close your eyes. Rest,” he murmured. “Where are you sleeping?” “I’ll figure it out. I want to check in with Jack and reassure Thorpe before I call it a night.” He didn’t say anything else, just shut the door behind him. She felt alone—in a bad way. Usually, she preferred solitude. Tonight, she simply felt lonely. Lily tossed. Turned. Shaped her pillow. Rolled to her side, then her back. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw terror or sadness or . . . Stone, who confused her. Lily had no idea how long she’d been seeking sleep, only that the sheets had turned warm, the ceiling fan was completely ineffective against the August humidity, and she didn’t want to lie there alone anymore. As if he’d read her thoughts, Stone opened the door a moment later and eased inside, his footfalls nearly silent. “You’re not asleep.” Why rehash the obvious? “No.” He watched her, taking her in. Then he reached behind his head, grabbed a handful of his shirt, and peeled it off. His tattoos covered both shoulders and spilled onto his pectorals. He was every bit as powerfully built as she’d imagined, and as she stared, she couldn’t breathe. “Stone?” He didn’t answer, simply kicked off his shoes and shucked his pants. Her breath caught at the sight of him in nothing but a pair of dark briefs. He put underwear models to shame. His body—and his erection—looked beyond hard. But the expression in his eyes undid her most. Understanding, concern, tenderness. Caring. God, why was he looking at her that way? He sauntered to the bed and pulled back the sheets on the other side. Lily thought she should object but she didn’t. She wanted to know what he intended, was desperate to find out what thoughts bounced around in his head. When he climbed in bed beside her, he did nothing but open his arms to her. “Yes, I have an erection. I know it, just like I know you saw it. Rest assured, I can control it. Come here. I want to hold you until you fall asleep.” It was a sweet notion. “I won’t be able to nod off with someone touching me.” Even the idea made her shudder. “Humor me.” He motioned her closer. No denying that he scared Lily, but a part of her just couldn’t pass up the opportunity to touch him, feel his strength. Besides, he wouldn’t leave her in peace until she complied. With a sigh, she rolled over and laid her head on his chest and listened to the beating of his heart.