Into The Dragon's World - Brittany White Page 0,23

Savannah, but maybe he could save Casey.

“Brady…?” Casey’s eyes fluttered open.

“Right here.” He gave her hand a gentle squeeze. “How are you feeling?”

“Did that really happen or was I dreaming?” Casey struggled to raise herself. Brady helped her sit up, moving to sit beside her on the couch.

“It happened.” Brady slipped his arm around her shoulders. “And I’m sorry.”

Frowning faintly, Casey shook her head. “You didn’t do anything.”

“I should have gotten to you faster.”

“So, you followed me?”

Brady hesitated, then nodded. “I did.”

Silence settled between them. Brady urged her to lean back against him, wrapping his arms tightly around her shoulders. He stroked her hair, haunted by the memory of her lying so helpless and weak in his arms. What would he have done if Wallace had managed to snatch her away?

“The things he said...” Casey whispered. Brady could feel the warmth of her breath against his chest.

“Don’t think about it now,” Brady whispered, pressing a soft kiss to the top of her head. “He can’t get to you here.”

Casey took a deep breath, and before Brady knew what was happening, she was crying. He pulled her closer, letting her get it all out. He wanted to make all of it disappear, to fix everything and give her back the normal life that Wallace had taken away.

“I’m sorry,” Casey sniffled, wiping at her eyes with the back of her hand. She laughed humorlessly and sat up again. “I got snot and makeup all over your shirt.”

“It washes out.” Brady smiled. He gently brushed a strand of hair from her shining eyes. “Please don’t go running away again, okay?”

Casey nodded, slowly returning his smile. “Thank you,” she said quietly. “For being there.”

He nodded. “Any time.”

“Can we just sit here for a while? I can’t…” Her voice trailed away for a moment. “I just need to stay here a little longer.”

Brady pulled her close again and she curled up beside him, her head on his shoulder. He rested his cheek against the top of her head and felt her slowly relaxing.

“I’ll give you all the time you need,” he said softly.

15

Brady

It took a few hours, but after a shower and a change of clothes, Casey eventually roused herself and shook off the shock of her encounter. Against his better judgment, Brady gave in to Casey’s insistence that she help out at the bar. Maybe some normalcy would help her...although he didn’t know how ‘normal’ being in the middle of a room full of shifters might be.

He stuck close to the bar as he made his rounds, keeping a close eye on her while she served drinks and talked to the patrons. If he hadn’t seen it himself, he would have never thought she had just been accosted by her stalker. Her smiles came easily, her laughter light and untroubled. Whenever he managed to catch her eye, he grinned and held up a hand in greeting. She would smile and give him a small wave back, allowing him to hold her gaze just a bit longer.

He thought about the afternoon they had shared. He had never been treated so tenderly by a woman, not even Savannah. When she touched him, he felt total acceptance. And he knew that she wanted him as much as he wanted her.

But for now, there was too much going on. Making love in his office had been spontaneous and extremely unexpected. If he tried to seduce her now, like he wanted, he would feel as if he were taking advantage of her. She was going through one of the toughest times of her life. She didn’t need the complication.

It didn’t mean he didn’t want to, though. Every time he had the opportunity to touch her, he wanted more. Keeping that part of himself controlled was getting almost impossible. Maybe it would be best if he let her come to him again in her own time, if that's what she wanted. Let her work through all of this so she would be able to think clearly. He didn’t want her to feel as if she owed him anything, or that she was obligated to repay the help he’d given her. If, one day, she chose to be with him again, he wouldn’t hesitate. If she decided she against it…

Well, he just didn’t want to think about that.

The sound of bells suddenly rang out through the club, tolling twelve. Midnight. The crowd went crazy as the lights flashed brighter and faster and the music ramped up louder. In an instant, it