Page 5 of The Secrets She Keeps

Babies generally required fathers,after all.

And, well, that meantromance.

Powell had never beengoodat the whole romance thing. From about high school on. She’d made a vow years ago to avoid romantic relationships and focus on what she knew she was good at—making businesses work for her. That whole building-her-own-empire-to-be-proud-of thing.

A relationship and babies really hadn’t factored into her plans.

Mostly because she was too big of a chicken to even consider it, honestly. She’d figured that out recently. Powell had done a lot of soul-searching since Christmas. Since those life-altering little pink lines.

Just look at how much things had gotten screwed up with the big barbarian holding her now. “Gunnar, what are…you doing?”

“What does it feel like I am doing?” He gave that wicked grin that she melted for every single time. She loved it when he grinned like that.

It made her feel wicked too.

Like they had a secret.

Which, now, they did.

No one knew she’d gotten his clothes off back in December and done one of the craziest things in her life. One male finger brushed up her spine—over the skin left bare by her dress. She shivered.

“You wore this to tempt me tonight, to drive me mad. I am wise to you. You wore the same shade of blue beneath your clothes that night in Wyoming. It’s my favorite color now.”

A small thrill went through her. Maybe a part of her had tonight. Which was utterly insane. She had never dressed to impress or tease a man in her thirty-one years.

“Are you now? I thought we agreed hands to ourselves.” Oh, she wanted the exact opposite of that.

No man had ever made her feel the way this one did.

Maybe that was part of the problem. She just didn’t know what todowith him.

Other than taking his clothes off anyway.

Which, doing that had led to her current predicament. She probably shouldn’t forget that.

He started to say something. Then his cell rang. He paused. “Hold that thought. That’s Dom’s ringtone.”

Powell stayed right where she was. Until his hand tightened on her and he pulled her close. “We’ll be right there.”

When he disconnected, she justknew—it was bad. Really, really bad. She couldseethe bad in his eyes of perfect blue. Powell’s ulcer—dormant since two weeks after she’d gotten out of the hospital after the allergic reactions years ago—threatened to flare up for real right then and there.

“Who?”

She knew so many of the men in Major Crimes. Someone she knew. It had to be someone sheknew.

“That was Dom. He called from FCGH, babe.” Gunnar’s hands went around her waist. He pulled her closer. “It’s Haldyn, sweetheart. She was shot tonight. Haldyn and Hope Coleson—they have both been shot on scene. They are up in surgery at FCGH right now.”

Powell started shaking, and she just couldn’t stop.No.

No. Not…Haldyn. Haldyn was her closest friend on the entire planet. Ever. The sister of her soul. No.

Just not Haldyn. Just…no. Tears covered her cheeks. Her entire body threatened to shake apart. His hands were on her. They were all that were holding her together now.

Haldyn. No. Not Haldyn. Not her. Just not her.

“Come on, babe. Let’s go. I’m going to get you to her, okay? I’ll get you there, Powell. I promise.”

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