shower. He smelled faintly of a musky aftershave, and his body was warm and reassuringly solid beside her.
Once he was settled in the bed, she rolled into his side and rested her head on his shoulder. “Do you mind?”
He hesitated. “No. But don’t be alarmed if I like this too much. It’s been a while since I’ve been with a woman.”
“I’m sorry.” She leaned away from him. “Am I bothering you?”
He chuckled. “Only in the best way,” he said. “Lie still and stare at the ceiling. It’s boring enough to put you to sleep. Light on or off?”
“On, please.”
“On, it is.” He pulled her close, his arm around her shoulder, his hand resting on her side. “Rest, Briana. We’ll tackle the world when we wake.”
For the longest time, she lay awake in Rafe’s arms, staring at that boring ceiling. Rafe was right. She stared at it long enough it lulled her into a dreamless sleep. Briana woke several hours later spooned into the curve of Rafe’s body. The sun had yet to rise, but the gray light of pre-dawn crept into the room around the edges of the blackout curtains.
She lay there, listening to the sound of Rafe’s breathing. He’d been patient with her when she’d been scared, and he’d talked to her for the hours it took for them to finally meet in person. He hadn’t had to do all that. She was an assignment to him. But he was going above and beyond what she would expect of a bodyguard.
She pressed her back into his front, laid her head on his thickly muscled arm and allowed herself to close her eyes. The disturbing images remained floating in the back of her mind but pushed way back. At that moment, Rafe’s presence dwarfed any other thoughts, and soon, she fell asleep and slept through the remainder of the night without dreams. When she woke, light streamed through the window, and she was alone in the bed.
Briana sat up straight, her heart pounding. “Rafe?”
Chapter 4
When he heard Briana’s cry, Rafe stepped out of the bathroom, barefooted, rubbing a towel over his wet hair.
She was finally awake, but the fear in her eyes tugged at his heart.
“Hey,” he said with a smile, hoping to calm her. “Glad you finally decided to wake up. We’re due to check out in thirty minutes. You all right? Or do I need to ask them to put us up for another night?”
“No. I’m awake. I can be ready by then.” She blinked, the fear fading from her face, though the shadows remained. Flinging aside the comforter, she swung her legs over the side of the bed and stood, staring at him, her shoulders slumped. “I was hoping I’d wake in my own bed and everything that happened yesterday was all part of a horrible nightmare.” Tears welled in her eyes. “She’s gone, though, isn’t she?”
Rafe’s heart squeezed hard in his chest. He didn’t have words that could help her through the pain. Instead, he opened his arms.
Briana walked into them. “I know crying doesn’t help.” She sniffed, drew in a deep breath and wrapped her arms around his waist, resting her cheek against his chest. “I promise I’ll pull myself together. Soon.”
“You’re allowed to grieve,” he said. “You wouldn’t be human if you didn’t.”
For a long moment, she remained in his arms, her body warm from the bed, her hair smelling of the shampoo she’d used the night before.
Rafe could have stood there forever. Briana, the stranger who wasn’t such a stranger, fit perfectly in his arms and felt so right.
She lifted her head and stepped back. “Thank you for your patience.” Her shoulders squared, and her jaw firmed. “I’ll be ready in five minutes.”
“You have thirty,” he reminded her.
“I need to call my boss and let her know what’s going on. I should have done it hours ago.” She reached for her cellphone, hit her boss’s number and waited.
Rafe studied her as she told her boss she wouldn’t be in and why. His heart hurt for her as she spoke of the murder. When tears slipped down her cheeks, she wiped them away with the back of her hand. “I need the next few days off. No, I don’t know how long. For now, consider me off for the next two weeks. I’ll let you know if I’m coming back sooner.” She ended the call, wiped her wet cheeks and pasted a weak smile on her face. “Now that that’s over, I’ll just duck